Issue 125

5110 Kali Era, Sarvadhari Year, Vaisakha month
2066 Vikramarka Era, Sarvadhari Year, Vaisakha month
1930 Salivahana Era, Sarvadhari Year, Vaisakha month
2008 AD, May

Contents

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Vedah

Diet and Exercise

Dehydrated Tomatoes
Mediterranean Diet
Exercise Reduces Future Breast Cancer Risk for Girls

Miscellaneous

Woman’s DNA
Hypertension Monitoring
Natural Options for Allergy Sufferers
Oprah Goes Vegan!
Credit Card Secrets

Recipes

Jamaican Jerk-Spiced Tempeh Nuggets

Diet and Exercise

Dehydrated Tomatoes
New research suggests that one specific form of tomatoes — tomato paste made from dehydrated tomatoes — may have the ability to prevent prostate cancer. When mice were fed tomato paste plus FruHis, an organic carbohydrate found in dehydrated tomato products, and then injected with chemicals that cause prostate cancer, the tomato products stopped the development of cancer 90 percent of the time. Prostate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in males, trailing only lung cancer.

Mediterranean Diet Protects Against Type 2 Diabetes
A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables — already known to protect against heart disease also appears to help ward off diabetes, Spanish researchers said. The study published in the British Medical Journal showed that people who stuck closely to the diet were 83 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who did not. The World Health Organisation estimates more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes — a number likely to more than double by 2030 as more nations adopt a Western lifestyle.

Exercise Reduces Future Breast Cancer Risk for Girls
Exercising in their teen years can help protect girls from developing cancer later in life. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women who were physically active between the ages of 12 and 22 had a 23% lower risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer compared to women who were more sedentary in their teens, the researchers found. The study involved nearly 65,000 nurses ages 24 to 42, who answered detailed questionnaires about their physical activity dating back to age 12. Within 6 years of enrolling in the study, 550 women were diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer. Women at lowest risk for breast cancer were those who reported doing 3 hours and 15 minutes of running or other vigorous activity per week, or 13 hours a week of walking. The researchers suggest that regular exercise in teenage girls will likely decrease risk of postmenopausal breast cancer as well, the AP says.

Miscellaneous

Woman’s DNA
Dutch scientists claim they have completed the first sequencing of an individual woman's DNA. The researchers at Leiden University Medical Center say they have sequenced the DNA of one their researchers, geneticist Marjolein Kriek. They plan to publish it after review. No other scientists have verified their data. The first sequencing of a composite human genome was announced in 2001, followed by the first individual DNA sequencing in 2007. Four individual male genomes have been sequenced so far.

Hypertension Monitoring
High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes and death. Having it checked a few times a year in a doctor's office or at the drugstore is not enough to keep tabs on it, and regular home monitoring is more accurate. Approximately 72 million Americans are with high blood pressure. Everyone with high blood pressure should own a home monitor and do regular pressure checks, the American Heart Association and other groups urged recently in an unprecedented endorsement of a medical device for consumers. Closer checks would let doctors fine-tune the many medicines used to control high blood pressure, just as diabetics adjust their insulin levels by regularly monitoring blood sugar. Only a third of people with high blood pressure now have it under control.

Home monitors are especially important for the elderly, pregnant women, diabetics and people with kidney disease, the panel said. Automated, arm-cuff devices are recommended — wrist and finger ones are notoriously inaccurate. People should take their device with them to their doctor's office and have measurements compared to make sure the machine isn't off.

Experts suggest taking two or three readings at a time, one minute apart, while sitting with the arm supported. Readings should be taken at the same time each day, such as morning and evening, for a week. Twelve readings are recommended for doctors to make treatment decisions, and this can be repeated as often as a doctor feels necessary, depending on how stable the condition is. Taking readings at home also may nudge people to cut risks — use less salt, exercise more, lose weight and limit alcohol.

Natural Options for Allergy Sufferers
The drugstore isn’t the only place to turn for allergy help this season. Studies show that natural options can get you back in the sunshine without the side effects.
Seasonal allergies are sensitivities to tree, flower, grass, and other plant pollens, affecting 40 million Americans each year. They leave many in a fog of wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes; or worse — feeling imprisoned by mood altering headaches, and congestion, and fatigue. Those who dislike the drowsiness, dry-mouth, and “spacey” feeling of traditional medications have natural alternatives.
Yoga. Yoga postures, pranayama (breath control), relaxation and meditation are powerful tools in stimulating or calming the immune system response, according to Jeff Midgow, M.D. at www.yogasite.com. He explains, “increased allergy symptoms indicate your immune system working overtime. Through relaxation, the nervous system tells the immune system to settle down and stop attacking foreign bodies. When the immune system backs off, inflammation and mucus decrease and symptoms diminish.”
Butterbur. This European herb effectively controls symptoms of hay fever and grass allergy, according to a recent study in the British Medical Journal, and a 2003 study presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). Swiss researchers revealed one tablet of butterbur four times per day had the effectiveness of a popular antihistamine drug, minus the side effects, according to WebMD.
Acupuncture. This ancient Chinese medical practice stimulates biologically significant points on the body’s surface. It has long been used for preventing and treating disease, injury, or pain by allowing the body to heal naturally and improve function. A study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine showed that of 26 hay fever patients, acupuncture reduced symptoms in all 26. A study of 72 people showed symptoms eliminated in more that half after 2 treatments, with no side effects.
Hypnotherapy. A Swiss study of 40 patients over 2 years showed interesting results. The researchers found that simply focusing one’s thoughts on an allergen-free environment through self-hypnosis reduced symptoms of hay fever by one-third.
Diet. Experts say eating and avoiding certain foods can bring relief. Dishes with cayenne pepper, onion, garlic, hot ginger, and fenugreek, can thin mucous secretions and clear nasal passages. If you have ragweed or other weed pollen allergies, “avoid eating melon, banana, cucumber, sunflower seeds, chamomile, and Echinacea,” which exacerbates symptoms.
http://www.newsmax.com/health/

Oprah Goes Vegan!
Well, for 21 days at least! The queen of all media, Oprah Winfrey, has committed to follow a vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free diet, called "the Cleanse diet" for 21 days. For the next 3 weeks, Oprah will be introduced to some foods that we vegetarians already know and love. Her scheduled menu plan includes tofu scramble, tempeh, quinoa salad and even some raw food recipes! Of course, she's Oprah, and has one of the country's best vegan chefs at her every beck and call, but some of the vegan and gluten-free recipes that Oprah will be eating on her cleanse diet have been posted on her website (see the links below) for all of us to try. Oprah is one of the most influential people in the US, particularly when it comes to shaping culture, and hopefully this will push the vegan diet even further into the mainstream.
http://www2.oprah.com/foodhome/food/cleanse/recipes/recipes_main.jhtml
http://vegetarian.about.com/b/2008/05/25/oprah-goes-vegan.htm

Credit Card Secrets
10 Secrets Banks Don't Want You to Know About Credit Cards from Military.com
1. Interest Backdating. Most card issuers charge interest from the day a charge is posted to your account if you don't pay in full monthly. But, some charge interest from the date of purchase, days before they have even paid the store on your behalf!
Remedy: Find another card issuer, or always pay your bill in full by the due date.
2. Two-Cycle Billing. Issuers which use this method of calculating interest, charge two months worth of interest for the first month you failed to pay off your total balance in full. This issue arises only when you switch from paying in full to carrying a balance from month to month.
Remedy: Switch issuers or always pay your balance in full.
3. The Right to Setoff. If you have money on deposit at a bank, and also have your credit card there, you may have signed an agreement when you opened the deposit account which permits the bank to take those funds if you become delinquent on your credit card.
Remedy: Bank at separate institutions, or avoid delinquencies.
4. Fees Are Negotiable. You may be paying up to $50 a year or more as an annual fee on your credit card. You may also be subject to finance charges of over 18%.
Remedy: If you are a good customer, the bank may be willing to drop the annual fee, and reduce the interest rate -- you only have to ask! Otherwise, you can switch issuers to a lower- priced card.
5. Interest Rate Hikes Are Retroactive. If you sign up for a credit card with a low "teaser" rate, such as 7.9%, when the low rate period expires, your existing balance will likely be subject to the regular and substantially higher interest rate.
Remedy: Pay in full before the rate increase or close the account.
6. Shortened Due Dates. Most card issuers offer a 25 day grace period in which to pay for new purchases without incurring finance charges. Some banks have shortened the grace period to 20 days--but only for customers who pay in full monthly.
Remedy: Ask to go back to 25 days.
7. Eldiminating Grace Periods. That fabulous offer you received in the mail for a gold card with a $10,000 credit limit, and lots of features may not be so great. The most common "string" attached is the card has no grace period. You are charged interest on everything from the day you buy it, even if you pay on time.
Remedy: Throw the offer out!
8. Disappearing Benefits. Many banks enticed you to sign up with extra benefits such as lifetime warranty, a 5% discount on all travel, or protection if an item purchased is lost. Now, some banks have cut back on these extras without the fanfare that launched them.
Remedy: Read annual disclosure of changes, and switch cards if need be.
9. Double Fees On Cash Advances. Most credit cards impose both finance charges and a transaction fee on cash advances. Interest starts from the day of the advance, and the transaction fee can be up to 2.5% of the amount taken. Beware of cards advertising "no finance charges." Transaction fees may still apply.
Remedy: Limit cash advances.
10. Misleading Monthly Minimums. You may think it is beneficial to have a card where you only need to pay 2%-3% of your balance monthly. It is just the opposite. The bank stands to make far more money from finance charges the longer you carry out payments--and you foot the bill.
Remedy: Pay all you can monthly.

Recipes

Jamaican Jerk-Spiced Tempeh Nuggets
INGREDIENTS:1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 tsp sugar or natural sweetener;1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp allspice; 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 tsp cayenne; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1 8 ounce package tempeh, cut into cubes; 2 tbsp cold-pressed canola oil.
PREPARATION: Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, salt, allspice, pepper, ginger, cayenne, and thyme in a small bowl and set aside. Place the tempeh in a saucepan of boiling water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Drain the tempeh and pat it dry. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Health and Nutrition

Issue 125