Latest Health Research

New study: strong anti-cancer properties of soybeans

How extra virgin olive oil protects against Alzheimers

Heart-Healthy Lifestyle Also Reduces Cancer Risk

Adhering to six or seven of the factors reduced the risk of cancer by 51 percent, compared with participants who met none of the factors. Meeting four factors led to a 33 percent risk reduction and one or two 21 percent.

Vitamin D Supplementation Improves Muscle Efficiency

Coffee holds the key to a longer life?

Aspirin May Lower Melanoma Risk

Green tea, coffee may help lower stroke risk

People who drank at least one cup of coffee daily had about a 20 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drank it.

People who drank two to three cups of green tea daily had a 14 percent lower risk of stroke and those who had at least four cups had a 20 percent lower risk, compared to those who rarely drank it.

People who drank at least one cup of coffee or two cups of green tea daily had a 32 percent lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, compared to those who rarely drank either beverage. (Intracerebral hemorrhage happens when a blood vessel bursts and bleeds inside the brain. About 13 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic.)

Hot Dogs Could Kill You (So Can Salami and Ham)

Anyone who eats over 40 grams a day of sausage products or other kinds of processed meat is asking for trouble: the risk of mortality increases by 18 percent for every 50 grams of processed meat per day.

Probiotics reduce stress-induced intestinal flare-ups

Resveratrol directly activates a protein that promotes health

Short Bouts Of Exercise Boost Self Control

A stimulating environment may protect against Alzheimers

Exercise Key to Good Sleep

Why fish is so good for you

Walking Away from Back Pain

The Importance Of Eating Your Greens

Colonoscopy Reduces Advanced Cancer Risk by 70 Percent

Moving about more could be more important than vigorous exercise

Maintaining Physical Activity Essential For Health

Declines in high levels of recreational exercise and other physical
activity can potentially account for between 12-30% of the increase
in obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease observed over
the sample period.

Pessimism about the future may lead to longer, healthier life

Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

Omega-3 Supplements May Prevent Skin Cancer

Mediterranean Diet Helps Cut Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

Crucial Insulin Pumps Accessories for Diabetics

Insulin pumps are one of the most important tools for diabetics. These help in maintaining and keeping tabs on blood glucose levels on an individual. Apart from buying a pump, it is also crucial to know about various accessories it should be teamed up with.

There are three important accessories one should focus on when buying an insulin pump. These accessories are important for facilitating users get the pumping done in an effective and proper manner.

The first most important accessory is the electronic pump. It utilizes battery power. The pump comes with a control panel as well as a processor. Next, you should have the container with the insulin. The moment the container is inserted into the pump, it will help insulin to pass through in an easy manner. Users can dispose off the container as soon the process is done.

Another important accessory is the disposable infusion set. All Insulin Pumps are available with the set. These are included with the kit. It also includes a cannula tube to be placed beneath the skin. This helps in getting the insulin inside the body.

These days, insulin pumps are available with find accessories such as cool insulin pouches with strap, a special pocket to be wrapped around user’s calf or thigh, insulin pump belt, and many more. These accessories are also known as fashion accessories and easily available online. This belt can be easily attached comfortably to the waistband.

The market place is loaded with a huge number of accessories that one can choose from. This depends on how and where you wish to carry the insulin pump. An insulin pump is known to be a very important tool for diabetics. These pumps help diabetes patients to lead a better, healthy and happy life.

Cell Phones and Health

One of the most common sights we see these days, is that of people with their mobile phones next to their ears. A boon for better communication, cell phone usage nonetheless has many health hazards. Various studies indicate that the emissions from a cell phone can be extremely harmful, causing genetic damage, tumors, memory loss, and increased blood pressure and weakening of the immune system. This is alarming information, and one has to take into account all these factors..

CELL PHONES AND HEALTH
Though there is no evidence of cell phones causing cancer or any such illness, but the suspicion, or fear of the same is not baseless either. The electromagnetic radiation from cell phones does have a potential link to cancer. The fact that this radiation is invisible, intangible, and enters and leaves our bodies without our knowledge makes it even more intimidating.


Possible hazards:
* Two minutes of exposure to emissions from mobile phones can disable a safety barrier in blood causing proteins and toxins to leak into the brain, could increase chances of developing Alzheimers multiple sclerosis and Parkinsons. (Scientists at Swedens Lund University)
* Scientists say exposure to the phones low-level radiation causes red blood cells to leak hemoglobin and can lead to heart disease and kidney stones.
* Recent studies suggesting a link between cell-phone use and brain tumors, and the possibility that the microwaves could ignite petroleum fumes at gas stations.
* A cell phone unit, or communications tower, has so many of thee radiation emanating gadgets. This can be a problem for its immediate environment.
SPECIFIC HEALTH CONCERNS

Cancer / Tumors
Studies have been conducted suggesting that rats that have been exposed to microwaves similar to the sort generated by mobile phones but more powerful, showed breaks in their DNA which could indicate an adverse effect. Also, mice exposed to radiation for 18 months developed brain tumors. Though of course, these studies are not concrete proof.

Blood Pressure
It was observed that people using cell phones were prone to high blood pressure. Again, there isnt any concrete evidence of the same.

Pregnancy
A study at the University of Montpellier in France was carried out on 6000 chick embryos and suggested that the heavily exposed chick eggs were five times less likely to survive than the control group. This study raised questions about possible effects on pregnant women but it has not yet appeared in peer-reviewed scientific literature or been reproduced, so its findings are difficult to assess.

Headaches, Heating Effects, Fatigue
A study brought out that longer the people used mobile phones, the more likely they were to report symptoms such as hot ears, burning skin, headaches and fatigue.
The study did not include a control group (that is people who do not use mobile phones, to make a comparison); theore the symptoms reported could have been caused by any number of other factors in the mobile phones users environment, such as working with computers, stress, driving or reading.

Memory
There have been various studies into the connection between mobile phones and memory loss. A study looked into the effect of radiofrequency (RF) on the section of rats brains that is linked with the memory. The results showed that RF could modify signals in the cells in a part of the brain that is responsible for learning and short term memory.

Posture (holding phone between raised shoulder and ear)
Some researchers claim that holding a mobile phone between the raised shoulder and the ear could have a damaging effect on muscles, bones, tendons and discs. These problems would apply equally to a cordless phone or a landline phone as to a mobile phone and are the effect of bad posture.

Mobile Phones and Children
Because of their smaller heads, thinner skulls and higher tissue conductivity, children may absorb more energy from a given phone than adults.
PREVENTION TIPS

* Cell phones should be used for emergencies, and not for long conversations.
* A small chip-like cell phone microwave radiation protection device is available, which has the ability to absorb electromagnetic energy waves from your mobile phone. It helps in reducing the potential harmful effects of these emissions to the human body.
* Using a mobile headset is a good idea, you dont have to hold phones next to your ears all the time
* Use a hands free mobile car kit while driving, without taking your hands off the steering wheel

THE WHO (World Health Organisation) RULES

* Mobile phone users should limit their exposure to harmful radio frequencies by cutting the length of calls.
* Hands-free devices cut exposure by keeping the instrument away from the head and body.
* Driving cum mobile phone talking should be banned.
* Mobile phones should not be used in Intensive Care Units of hospitals as they can pose a danger to patients by interfering with the working of pacemakers and defibrillators.
* People with hearing aids should not use mobile phones.
* Base stations, which have low powered antennae on their terrace to communicate with cell phones, should not be located near childrens schools and playgrounds.

CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING
Studies indicate that a lot of car accidents have happened, while the driver was on the phone. This is because while driving, one obviously needs to concentrate, and talking on a phone doesnt help. Some countries like Portugal have banned the use of cell phones, which may not be very practical, as their main use is to be reachable while you are on the move. Thus, it is important to take certain precautions while driving:

* Position your phone within easy reach so that you dont have to take your eyes off the road.
* Get to know the features of your cell phone - speed dial, redial, voice mail, they can be your lifesaver. But dont dial and drive at the same time. Use a hands free kit.
* Avoid using a phone when road conditions are hazardous or traffic is heavy. You can let your voice mail take messages and then call back later.
* Dont engage in stressful conversations that may distract your attention from the road.
* Dont take notes or look up phone numbers whilst driving, wait till you can pull over.
* User abbreviated speed dialing. In fact, voice activated dialing is even better. It leaves both hands free. Frequently called numbers can be programmed.
* Have an answering machine installed that could take messages until you can return the calls. Let your co-passenger handle the calls if you are not traveling alone.

Junk Food Diet Lowers Intelligence in Later Life

Most people understand the importance of a well balanced diet including the minimum daily requirements of vitamins and minerals to prevent chronic disease. These critical cofactors of life are repeatedly shown to promote health and prevent a myriad of chronic diseases from diabetes and dementia to heart disease and cancer.

The impact of proper nutrition on a child`s developing brain is brought to light in a study published in the British Medical Journal. A processed food diet packed with sugar, fat and excess salt can lower IQ in early childhood, while eating a diet filled with healthy natural foods providing a full compliment of vitamins and nutrients is shown to benefit cognitive development.

Junk Foods Directly Lower Child IQ

The study results were based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children involving 14,000 children born in 1991 and 1992. Based on parent questionnaires, children were placed into one of three dietary groups based on eating patterns: `processed’ including excessive fats, sugars and salt, `traditional` based on high quantities of meats and vegetables and `health-conscious` that stressed salads, fruits, vegetables, rice and pasta.

IQ was measured at the age of 8 ½ using the standardized Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Researchers found that children eating the most processed food diet at age 3 scored 1.67 IQ points lower for each 1 point increase in dietary pattern score. Similarly, those eating the most healthful diet scored 1.2 IQ points higher for every 1 point improvement in dietary pattern score. Diet was found to have no effect on IQ score after the age of 4 years.

This study underscores the importance of proper diet on the developing brain. Prior research has shown an association between early childhood diet and later behavior and school performance. The research authors noted "This suggests that any cognitive/behavioral effects relating to eating habits in early childhood may well persist into later childhood, despite any subsequent changes (including improvements) to dietary intake".

Proper Nutrition Improves Brain Development and Cognition

The brain is growing at an accelerated rate during the first three years of life, and scientists have observed that head growth during this time is linked to intellectual ability. Clearly a diet filled with processed and ined foods that have been stripped of most natural nutrients during these formative years stunts normal brain growth and the development of the critical neural network that are essential to higher brain function and learning.

Researchers concluded "It is possible that good nutrition during this period may encourage optimal brain growth." Starting infants and children on a natural diet early in life is one of the most important lifestyle habits we can teach our children. The diet they become comfortable eating during these early years will help them to develop optimally and avoid the many diseases that plaque adults throughout life.

Push ups of the most important exercises fitness exercises

The exercise Push-ups of the most important fitness exercises any athlete and is considered exercise mother for sport because of the first exercises that have been invented, despite its simplicity and ease but the benefits are too many for the body and a lot of athletes neglect and marginalize its role and they do not know how important that when exercising exercise Push-upsTrain 6 muscles important and essential in your body.

Learned from muscle the exercise Push-ups:
-----------------------------------------
1: the entire muscle triceps
2: front shoulder muscle
3: rear back muscle
4: the entire chest muscle
5: front thigh muscle
6: calf muscle

The benefits of exercise Push-ups:
--------------------
1: renew the blood circulation in the muscle cells
2: strengthen nerves
3: Building muscle fibers which helps large muscle
4: helps to stimulate the heart muscle

Many studies have been conducted and proved that continue to exercise Push-ups for 40 continuous enough to completely change the shape of your body and increase muscle size significantly

Types of exercise Push-ups
-------------------

1: Push-ups wide
2: Push-ups tight
3: Push-ups High
4: Push-ups with closed fist
5: Push-ups with one hand

Few breast cancer survivors maintain adequate physical activity despite benefits

Breast cancer survivors are among the women who could most benefit from regular physical activity, yet few meet national exercise recommendations during the 10 years after being diagnosed, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Prior studies and available evidence show a strong association between physical activity and reduced mortality, extended survival and higher quality of life among breast cancer survivors. With 2.9 million breast cancer survivors living in the U.S. and another 80,000 added annually, there is considerable interest in the factors that promote health and well-being among these women.

The current study, published online ahead of print in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, followed an ethnically diverse group of 631 breast cancer survivors ages 18-64 from New Mexico, Los Angeles County and western Washington for 10 years. Recreational aerobic activity was ascertained for each woman via interviews and questionnaires the year before diagnosis and again two, five, and 10 years after enrollment into the study.

Prior to diagnosis, 34 percent of the women met U.S. physical activity guidelines. This percentage remained unchanged two years later. The percentage of women who complied with the activity guidelines increased to 39.5 percent at five years but then dropped to 21.4 percent at 10 years. Overall, researchers found that fewer than 8 percent of the survivors met U.S. physical activity guidelines at all of the study time points.

U.S. physical activity guidelines call for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or at least 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity. Researchers focused on 16 recreational physical activities: fast walking, jogging, running, hiking, aerobics, bicycling, swimming, tennis, golf, skiing, Nordic track, fast dancing, bowling, rowing, horseback riding and light calisthenics.

"The American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors exercise for at least 150 minutes per week. Most survivors may also benefit from strength training exercises at least two days per week," said Caitlin Mason, Ph.D., corresponding author and a postdoctoral research fellow in the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch. "For survivors who have not been previously active, we advise that they gradually work up to these recommendations," she said.

The researchers were surprised by the large drop in activity between five- and 10-year follow-up. After taking into account factors such as age and body size at diagnosis, the study found no other personal characteristics or aspects related to the type of breast cancer or its treatment were significantly associated with the drop in activity between the five- and 10-year reporting periods.

"It seems unlikely that this pattern lects aging alone given the consistency and magnitude of the trend across all age groups," the authors wrote. "Whether this lects a cohort effect or a unique aspect of the cancer survivorship experience is unclear."

All of the women were enrolled in the HEAL (Health, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle) Study, which investigates methods to improve breast cancer survival.

Senior author Anne McTiernan, Ph.D., a member of the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch, is principal investigator of the multi-site study.

The HEAL Study cohort represents one of the few breast cancer survivor groups that has repeated assessments of physical activity for as long as a decade after diagnosis. The authors acknowledge that levels of inactivity may be underestimated because the women included in the study tended to be a bit younger and were less likely to smoke, have advanced disease or have limits to doing physical activity compared to survivors who were not followed for 10 years. The predictors of physical activity in this population remain poorly understood, according to the authors.

"Our inability to identify many significant predictors of long-term physical activity participation suggests that the factors influencing physical activity behaviors in breast cancer survivors are complex and may differ from those in the general population," the authors wrote. "Additional consideration of psychosocial factors and issues related to pain management, fatigue, and specific treatment effects may help to better understand the unique issues faced by cancer survivors and their impact on physical activity participation."

Besan Badam Burfi

Diwali is just around the corner, am very tempted to see all the beautiful savouries and sweets made by my other blogger buddies sharing since a week in this virtual world. Since this diwali is going to be a working day for us,we wont have much fun this time and i ll be doing my pooja either before everyone goes or else late in the evening, yep its going to be a usual week day for us. I really miss this festival here, wish i live in India during this wonderful festival of lights.Its going to be almost 18years i didnt celebrated in India,every year ill console myself that may be next year ill be in India during this festival, but unfortunately it never happened to me.

Yesterday i quickly give a trial to this delicious burfi prepared with roasted gram flour and almonds, the outcome was a fantabulous,super soft burfi, we couldnt stop ourselves having them. If you are bored of usual sweets give a try to this irresistible burfis,am damn sure you guys will love it.Sending to 60days of Christmas hosted by Priya and Divya.

1cup Gram flour
1cup Almonds (blanched)

1cup Milk

2cups Sugar
1/4cup Oil

1/2cup Ghee

pinch Salt

Dry roast the gram flour until the aroma comes out.

Mix the oil to the gram flour and keep aside.This will avoid the lumps while adding the gram flour.

Grind the blanched almonds with milk and make a paste.

Meanwhile make a sugar syrup with sugar and a half cup of water, sugar syrup must be in one string constitency.

Add gradually the thick almond paste, gram flour to the sugar syrup and the ghee to the sugar syrup,stir the mixture until they turns as a dough (at this time this dough will get off from the vessel).

Pour this dough over a greased plate, let them cool and cut them as any shape as u desire..

Delicious burfi is ready.

5 Identify the causes of bleeding gums!

5 Identify the causes of bleeding gums! - You see blood while brushing your teeth? In most cases, swollen and bleeding gums are a sign of gum disease. However, there are some other things that can cause gum problems. Whatever the reason, you still have to take care of gums and oral health. Here are the causes of bleeding gums, as reported by HowStuffWorks!

1. Poor oral hygiene

Poor oral hygiene is a major cause of gum swelling and bleeding. Oral hygiene is not only done by brushing, because it will not remove all the plaque, tartar and calculus that accumulates on your teeth.

2. Gingivitis

Gingivitis, is one of the causes swollen and bleeding gums. That means your gums are inflamed. However, if the health problem is not taken seriously, gingivitis can be a serious illness. It is a chronic condition caused by long-term effects of plaque - the sticky substance derived from bacteria, mucus and food debris stuck in your teeth - and tartar.

3. Pregnancy or hormonal changes

The gums become more sensitive during pregnancy. Its called pregnancy gingivitis, and it is caused by fluctuations in hormone levels that increase blood flow to the gums and other tissues in the body. Pregnancy hormones also affect the bodys normal response to bacteria, making you more susceptible to periodontal infection.

4. Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease occurs when gingivitis is not treated properly. While limited to the gums gingivitis, periodontal disease can spread to the tissues and bone that support the teeth. You can even see pus between the teeth and gums.

5. Bleeding disorders

One of the most serious explanation for bleeding gums are bleeding disorders, such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Bleeding gums can be a sign of the inability of blood to clot, so that the gums and mouth are often the first place where the symptoms appear.

Heres five medical reason behind bleeding gums. Remember, oral hygiene also affect the health of the body as a whole.

The Oregon Medicaid Experiment Good Study Bad Politics

Examining the Oregon Medicaid Study

By now, most Disease Management Care Blog readers have probably read or heard about the release of the health and costs outcomes data from the Oregon Medicaid experiment. The purpose of the study was to ascertain whether one of the arguments still being used to support the Affordable Care Act is really true, i.e. that health insurance leads to better health leads to lower health care costs.

Its not a minor argument. When the important provisions of the ACA go "live" in 2014, liberal-progressive supporters of the ACA will be tenaciously seeking to validate the merits of health care orm, while conservative critics will be looking for any excuse to strangle Obamacare in its crib.

So naturally, if a well performed study supported or contradicted the health insurance hypothesis, it would make little political difference.

How was the study done?

Unable to afford universal enrollment of approximately 30,000 eligible persons into Medicaid, Oregon figured the only fair way to administer the program was to have a lottery. Because participating individuals were allocated to one of two options (with or without Medicaid) by chance, Oregons approach had all the makings of a prospective randomized clinical trial.

The lottery was conducted in 2008 and the health status and health care costs for the winners and losers were compared using face-to-face interviews an average of 25 months later. While the lottery was state-wide, the study itself was limited to the Portland area. The researchers planned to compare the health status of 10,405 individuals who had won the lottery to 10,340 individuals who had lost and were not enrolled in Medicaid.

Not all persons signed up for Medicaid and others couldnt be tracked down for the one-on-one interviews, leaving a final number of 6487 (62% of the eligible) lottery "winners" versus 5842 (57% of the eligible) "losers."

What were the results?

All in all, the results were disappointing for persons believing the health insurance hypothesis. Having Medicaid didnt lead to better control of high blood pressure, diabetes, blood cholesterol levels or overall cardiac risk. There was also no impact on the likelihood of being admitted to a hospital or having to go to an emergency room.

The good news was that having Medicaid seemed to lessen the likelihood of battling untreated clinical depression and, if pap smears and prostate specific antigen tests are markers for access to primary care services, Medicaid increased that also. Last but not least, Medicaid participants were less likely to have catastrophic medical expenses or be in debt to cover medical bills.

Was the study perfect?

Nope. The studys generalizability was limited by being restricted to persons age 19-65 years in Medicaid and in an urban environment. Two years may not be long enough to truly gauge the benefits of having insurance. Many persons were lost to follow-up. Statistics limited the ability of the researchers to spot smaller improvements in health status.

And how did supporters and detractors of Obamacare react?

As expected. If bloggers are a window into the soul of the body politic, this KHN article amply demonstrates that no ones mind has been changed. Between inflating or minimizing the studys imperfections, cherry picking the outcomes and spinning them, we are no closer to achieving any consensus.

The Disease Management Care Blogs take:

Studies like the Oregon Medicaid study are not only rare, theyre as good as were going to get. Since no study is perfect, the likelihood that Washington DC will be able to use any nuanced research insights to inform the next steps in pursuit of the Triple Aim is not good.

The battle lines have hardened.

Nannari Badam Pisin Sarbath Sarasparilla Drink with Almond Gum

One of the summer drink we never failed to enjoy during summer is this famous nannari sarbath. Actually we can prepare sarasaparilla syrup at home with dried roots. But somehow this syrup is quite available at stores and we usually get it from Indian stores. Coming to my version of sarbath, i prepared it more interesting by adding some badam pisin aka almond gum.Badam pisin is a cooling agent, quite available in herbal medicines shops and its quite different from the goond used in North.Usually this cooling agent is used in famous drink called Jigardhanda,prepared with rose syrup.


Sarsaparilla root cools body and thats why they are widely used in summer.It also works as an excellent blood purifier. Sarsaparilla drink naturally cools the body,it is also believed to help skin problems, chronic rheumatism, urinary infection and stomach heat problems. Sarsaparilla drink is an excellent tonic that would resh the body during extreme heat. Dont forget to prepare this drink during summer and beat the heat with it.Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#27.

1/4cup Nannari syrup/Sarasaparilla syrup
2tbsp Sabja seeds (soaked in water)
1no Lemon
Few soaked badam pisin/almond gum
Ice cubes

Take the syrup,soaked sabja seeds, soaked badam pisin in a vessel..

Add enough chilled water, squeeze out the juice from the lemon.

Add the icecubes,mix well and serve.

No need to add any sugar, since the syrup will have enough sugar.

How to soak almond gum:
Soak few pieces of almond gum in water overnite and let them sit in room temperature.

The next day,you can see the soaked almond gum turned as transparent jelly like texture. Drain the soaked water, remove the impurities and wash again.

Use it in juices as per need. 

Rare occurrence 4 twins born from one embryo

Rare occurrence, 4 twins born from one embryo - Maybe that happened on the couple Christine and Justin Clark is a miracle. Because, after trying to have children for 10 years, couples twins get four at once.

Fourth twin baby girls have also broke the record and made history in the medical world. Because the baby is growing and the fourth came from one embryo only. This is a very rare case, there is only one in 70 million chances.

Currently their fourth baby to be healthy and ready to take home. They weigh 4.5 pounds six weeks ago.

"We expect to have one child, but four children really can not be trusted. Honestly, I do not believe it until I see for myself with my eyes," said Christine Clark, as reported by the Metro (15/05).

Couples who come from Brinsworth Rotherdam almost given up on having children when they decided to perform in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is a technique of mixing the eggs with the partners sperm in the laboratory for fertilization. After successful fertilization occurs, the embryo is then implanted in the womans uterus.

Christine Clark immediately became pregnant three weeks after the embryo implanted in her womb through IVF. During pregnancy, she experienced severe morning sickness, and even had to be hospitalized because of breathing difficulties before giving birth via Caesarean process.

After that, the four children born from one embryo is implanted. They named Darcy, Caroline, Elisha, and Alexis. Justin Clark, the father admitted to not only happy and interested, but also worried when they were told would have four twins.

The doctor explained that this is the first time the four infants with the same birth sex of the embryo alone. Adel Shaker, medical director of CARE Sheffield explained that she had seen two embryos that turn out to be triplets or one embryo into twins. But it has also been quite rare.

Further tests will be done to see if the baby is four actually quadruplets, or two pairs of twins, or a pair of twins and two people are not twins.

8 Tool hygiene rarely cleaned

The task of cleaning tools to clean it. But lest you miss the dirt on hygiene tool itself. At least, there are eight rare hygiene kits and never even cleaned. What is it? Check out more as reported by the Good Housekeeping below.


Appliance dishwasher

Automatic dishwashing appliance should be cleaned on a regular basis once a month from bacteria, fungi, and even moss. Use soap or vinegar to clean the dishwasher. If it turns a rusty sink tool, mark the water used to wash contains iron.

Washer

Sign of a dirty washing machine is a scent that began to burst foul. The cause could be from many things, such as laundry soap or bacteria from clothes. Washer rinse with warm water is not enough. You need to vinegar and baking soda are mixed with hot water to clean the washing machine.

Vacuum cleaner

Duty vacuum cleaner is vacuuming and cleaning the dirt from inside the house. But hygiene is often forgotten tool sterilized so that its performance was declining. At least the vacuum cleaner should be cleaned on a regular basis once a month.

Broom

Just like a vacuum cleaner, broom task is to drive the dust. But it rarely broom was never cleaned up. Each complete sweep, clean the dirt in the end. Rinse with water and soap and then dry before being stored and used again.

Sponges
A study never mentions that sponges contain at least seven million bacteria on it. However, the bacteria can actually be reduced by giving a liquid disinfectant every few days. Sponges also need to be replaced every month.

Cloth

One alternative is a home appliance cleaning cloth. After that, immediately wash rag along with clothing. How to clean laps as it is not appropriate. In addition to different material, wash cloth with clothes also not a good idea.

Mops

Mops have properties similar to a sponge. Clean with bleach and warm water, then dry before storage. Leaving wet mops remained completely dry or not can be a breeding ground for the germs.

Cleaning fluid

If stored in a cool, dark place, various cleaning fluids can last up to two years. But most people often keep the cleaner in the bathroom. Of course the bottle into a soft nest for germs.

That various equipment that is seldom cleaned. How about you, if you diligently clean it?

High About a New Low!

Hi,

I could hardly believe it when I stepped on the scale this morning and read 317.75!! It was like a miracle and I was able to picture myself getting below the 300 mark. This program is really working. As I thought about it, I realized that when I get just under the 300 mark I will again be the weight I was at Kellies wedding. Her son is a teenager now, so that is about how long ago that was. I believe he may be about 17, so it was about 18 years ago. I still have the dress I wore then and I will be very happy to wear it again one day.

I must say that I have been contemplating making a slight change based on my experience. I am not sure it is the right thing to do. I dont want to just succumb to my own trick thinking. Here is the problem that I am trying to solve. About two or three days after the cheat meal I begin to highly crave another bit of either high sugar or carb. I am considering adding, not another cheat meal, but one cheat item/serving on day three to carry me past that episode with less stress. I could also simply make it a "floater" and do it when the craving hits but limit it to one item, one serving, one day per week sometime between day one and day six.

I have indulged that one item crave nearly every week, but since that is a deviation from the program I end up feeling guilty and creating a lot of stress for myself. Yet, the program is still working, so it seems plausible that I might be able to simply work in one cheat item on day three (or whenever), simply as a regular part of the program. If it is part of the program I wont have to feel so guilty about it. It often seems to happen on a day that I exercise, too.

I certainly dont want to jeopardize my weight loss progress with my new addition. I just want to smooth things out for myself. I shall try it this week and see how it goes. If, over time, it becomes too hard to manage and I start wanting something every day, I will know that I am being tricked by the addiction. But, if it does not slow my progress and is not too hard to handle I will continue with it. So here goes. Making the change.

Today was day seven of week four and I had my cheat meal of tomato, black bean and hamburger soup with rice on the side. I ended up eating the whole pan of rice which had been made with 1.3 cups of dry rice and 3 cups of water with salt and spices. I set the timer (because of the one-hour time limit) and started with a large bowl of the beans and rice mixed together. It was tasty but something was lacking. I am still not sure what was missing. So then I had two bowls of plain rice with butter -- on the last one I liberally sprinkled some xylitol and cinnamon to make it like a dessert. It was not exactly like rice pudding but it was OK. It is now about 5 hours later and I still feel full. I am not exactly sure what to do with all the left over soup.

I am considering either putting the large jar of soup into the freezer to use at some later time or doling it into plastic bags for smaller portions that would be more convenient to use. I could also just throw it out. If I was not currently suffering with another sinus and bronchial cold, I would give it to some friends but I dont want to share my germs with them. Ill probably just place the jar in the freezer and be done with it. 

After a meal like that one I have found that I usually put on about two pounds the next morning but, so far, it has simply dropped off the next day and then the weight loss continues. After a meal like that one, I also find myself ready to return to my nice meals of raw vegetables and protein. They simply make my body feel better.

I hope you are doing well. Feel free to comment either on the content of the blog or on your life and situation. Please dont hide if things are not going well. You can get yourself out of a hole much faster by sharing about it and then moving on to better things. For me this blog seems to keep me headed in the right direction.

God bless you,

Be back soon,

Marcia

Three Population Health Management Principles for Reconciling Quality Based Pay for Performance and the Doctor Patient Relationship

Writing in the New England Journal, Robert Berenson and Deborah Kay of the Urban Institute say a linchpin of Washington DCs pursuit of quality is a "policy overreach [that] could undermine the quest for higher-value health care."

Yikes.  The Disease Management Care Blog turns to population health management to ponder their unhappiness.

The authors concern is over Medicares "Physician Quality Reporting System" or "PQRS."  As the DMCB understands it, PQRS rewards (and penalizes) physicians for outcomes that are calculated from a set of quality "modifiers" that are submitted as part of the Medicare billing statement (an example can be found here).  The amount of money at stake is in the range of 1%-2% of the Medicare reimbursements.

Berensen and Kay point out that while the system has been ramping up over 6 years, 70% of Medicare participating physicians do not submit any modifiers.  In their opinion, thats because:

1) the loss of 1% of any payment is practically meaningless,

2) physicians distrust the metrics and

3) there is a fundamental disconnect between the modifiers and the complex world of clinical practice. 

As examples, radiologists are being dinged for total x-ray exposure while surgeons are being held accountable for pre-op antibiotic administration. While these and other quality measures are important, they fall far short of recognizing what keeps docs up at night, like reading the x-ray correctly and getting a patient through surgery and out of the hospital.

"Hear hear!" says the Disease Management Care Blog.  In the course of a normal day, it is job of doctors to do "doctor stuff" involving one patient at a time. 

But, you ask, isnt that contrary to being accountable to the health of populations? 

The DMCB doesnt think so, because state-of-the-art population health management (PHM) agrees that:

A. Physicians need to be immunized from disruptions their "customer facing" (i.e., the patient) activities.  Otherwise known as the doctor-patient relationship, thats the part of the health care system that relies on the seven or more years of undergraduate and graduate training that turns smart people into exquisitely trained physicians.  Let the doctors be doctors, says the DMCB, and let them worry about their patients.

B. High performing systems - as much as possible - need to be configured around those customer-facing activities, further enabling the doc to focus on the patient who is right here and right now. 

From time to time, PHM might have to intrude.  When it does, the DMCB suggests policymakers recognize that they should proceed:

1) only when its really important

2) only infrequently and

3) whenever possible, when it reduces physician work by outsourcing (an example in primary care can be found here) those things that dont require the personal involvement of a doc.

It would seem that Medicares PQRS failed to recognize the fundamentals.

Image fromWikipedia

Grape Seed Extract Targets Destruction of Cancer Cells by Targeting DNA

Researchers from the Colorado Cancer Center reporting in the prestigious journalCarcinogenesis explain the unique mechanism exerted by grape seed extract to destroy cancer cells that target the head and neck. More than half a million people worldwide will fall victim to squamous cell carcinoma involving the head and neck, and 12,000 will die in the US alone. In an experimental model using mice, scientists have found that grape seed extract triggers DNA damage in the cancer cells and inhibits the necessary repair mechanism used by the cells to regenerate and multiply.

Grape seed extract has been the subject of multiple studies that demonstrate the polyphenols ability to support brain health, improve cognition and lower the risk of dementia. Regular consumption of red grapes or supplementation with grape seed extract is now found to be an important ally in the war against cancer.

Grape Seed Extract Lowers the Growth Rate of Certain Cancers by up to 67%

The lead researcher, Dr. Rajesh Agarwal and his team determined that supplementing mice with grape seed extract (GSE) reduced the growth of certain cancers by up to 67%, lowered the rate of progression of deadly tumors and DNA damage while inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) of the cancer cells. Mice have been used to study specific cancer cell lines because they parallel tumor progression and metastasis in a manner similar to humans.

The researchers found that GSE created an environment that is unfavorable for cancer cell growth. Cancer cells require a specific environment, blood supply and metabolic nutrients to be able to propagate. If any of these pathways are disrupted, cancer cell death occurs. The scientists commented“Cancer cells are fast-growing cells… not only that, but they are necessarily fast growing. When conditions exist in which they cant grow, they die.”

Grape Seed Extract Destroys the Metabolic Pathway Used by Cancer Cells

The team determined that GSE both damages cancer cells DNA (via increased reactive oxygen species) and stops the pathways that allow repair. Most important, they found there was no toxicity from supplementation. GSE killed the cancer cells by knocking out one of several vulnerable paths necessary for growth, and left the healthy tissue untouched. Dr. Agarwal concluded“I think the whole point is that cancer cells have a lot of defective pathways and they are very vulnerable if you target those pathways. The same is not true of healthy cells.”

Though this study focused specifically on GSE as a therapeutic agent for cancers of the head and neck, prior research has shown the natural compound effective against leukemia and tumors affecting the skin, breast, colon, lung, stomach and prostate. Nutrition experts recommend supplementation with an organically harvested grape seed extract (150 mg per day) to support brain health and fight cancerous tumor development.

Veggie Might Sprouted Quinoa and Mango Tabouleh

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian. She continues CHGs No-Cook Month.

Remember last week when we sprouted quinoa in glass jars with only water, cheese cloth, rubber bands, and our devotion to Not Cooking? Oh, those were giddy days. Well, this Dear Readers, is the joyous, hip-shaking result.

Quinoa sprouts are quite tasty on their own: fresh, crunchy, and a bit nutty. They have the essence of alfalfa or mung bean sprouts but retain their recognizable quinoa flavor. You can use the sprouts to top sandwiches or salads, grind them into flour for baking, cook them like any other grain recipe, or make a fabulous grain salad, like tabouleh. (Though, yes, quinoa is technically a seed.)

Tabouleh is the original no-cook grain salad, traditionally made from bulgur, which only requires a little soak before chow time. Ubiquitous in Middle Eastern cuisine, tabouleh combines parsley, mint, tomatoes, and lemon juice with the wheat. Perfect for a hot summer… time.

Using my favorite tabouleh recipe from my very first vegetarian cookbook, the Vegetarian Times Cookbook, as a jumping off point, I added a mango, tossed in a red pepper, made a couple of last minute substitutions (cilantro for mint; yellow onion for scallion). Before long, I had a colorful, vibrant dance party in a bowl.

I took the celebration on the road to share it with my good pal Miss T after our weekly gym date. (Caution: Travel with a tight-sealing container, or you too could enjoy wearing Eau de Onion et Mango to cardio class.) After one bite she said, “You better take what you want, because I will finish this when you’re not looking.”

This is another salad combo that has everything: sweet, tangy, savory, and salty. It’s light enough for a side dish and hearty enough to be a small meal. And it’s equally good using the traditional bulgur base. So if you’re intimidated by sprouting, just soak some bulgur and crank up the house music. Try it on; it’s very you.

~~~

If this recipe tipped your canoe, swim on over to

• Peach, Tomato, and Basil Salad
• Chopped Salad Rules
• Israeli Couscous Salad

~~~

Sprouted Quinoa and Mango Salad
Adapted from the Vegetarian Times Cookbook
yields 4 servings

8.5 oz (about 2 cups) sprouted quinoa*
1/2 cup parsley, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1/4 cup yellow onion, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

* You can easily substitute traditional bulgur wheat for sprouted quinoa. Simply soak 4 oz (a little more than1/2 cup) bulgur in 1 cup warm water for about 30 minutes. The bulgur will absorb the water, becoming light, fluffy, and ready-to-eat. (Seen below.)

1) Rinse and drain the quinoa sprouts, and place in a large mixing bowl.

2) Add parsley, cilantro, onion, tomato, red pepper, and mango to quinoa sprouts.

3) Drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice, stirring gently.

4) Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

5) Chill for 20–30 minutes.

6) Serve as a side or green salad topping.

7) Get a good look because it’ll be gone in a flash.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
170.8 calories, 5.7g fat, 4.3g fiber, 2.25g protein, $.79
Bulgur Alternative
127.6 calories, 3.9g fat, 2.4g fiber, 3.5g protein, $.74

Calculations
8.5 oz sprouted quinoa: 412 calories, 8g fat, 16g fiber, 8g protein, $0.96
1/2 cup parsley: 11 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.25
1/4 cup cilantro: 5.5 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.12
1/4 cup yellow onion: 10 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.12
1 medium tomato: 22 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, 1g protein, $0.50
1 small red bell pepper: 5.75 calories, 0g fat, 0.25g fiber, 0.5g protein, $0.37
1 ripe mango: 85 calories, 0.6g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.50
1 tbsp olive oil: 120 calories, 14g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.08
2 tbsp lemon juice: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.25
1 tsp sea salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
freshly ground pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
Totals: 683.25 calories, 22.6g fat, 17.25g fiber, 9g protein, $3.19
Per Serving (totals/4): 170.8 calories, 5.7g fat, 4.3g fiber, 2.25g protein, $.79

Bulgur Alternative (quinoa replaced with bulgur + other stats)
1/2 cup bulgur wheat: 239.5 calories, 1g fat, 8.5g fiber, 13g protein, $0.74
Totals: 510.25 calories, 15.6g fat, 9.75g fiber, 14g protein, $2.97
Per Serving (totals/4): 127.6 calories, 3.9g fat, 2.4g fiber, 3.5g protein, $.74

Coconut Oil Healthy or Harmful

Coconut oil is hot right now.  Everyones talking about it... the Paleo community recommends it, there are books touting it as a miracle food, and even Dr. Oz is now on board.  It seems as though the alternative medicine world is firmly in the pro-coconut-oil camp, and their message is spreading. The mainstream nutrition world however, including dietitians, medical doctors, and educators, believe otherwise.  According to them, coconut oil is high in saturated fat, particularly lauric and myristic acids... two of the most dangerous saturated fatty acids around.  Coconut oil will raise your cholesterol more than any other food, they say. Those who eat it must have a death wish.

How can both sides of this argument be so far apart?  The pro-coconut-oil group says its a miracle health food... but the anti-coconut-oil camp says itll kill you.  Welp, someones wrong.  Lets get to the bottom of it...

The Saturated Fat Thing
As mentioned above, coconut oil is high in lauric acid and myristic acid, which are considered to be two of the most heart-stopping fatty acids in existence.  This evidence is largely based on short term studies using isolated fatty acids, showing that their consumption increases cholesterol levels (1, 2). As I explained in my last post on nutritionism, this is interesting and good to know, but it doesnt necessarily mean eating foods high in these fats, like coconut oil, will have the same effect.  Food is more complex than we know.  This is a piece to the puzzle, but not the only piece to the puzzle. What about studies involving real coconut oil?

Virgin Coconut Oil vs. Refined Coconut Oil
Most of the research on coconut oil is done using the ined variety.  To my knowledge there are only two studies out there involving unined virgin coconut oil, and theyre essentially the same study. And they werent even human studies; they were done with rats.  On the good side though, they were well controlled, and they tested virgin coconut oil against its ined counterpart!

For all intents and purposes, the design of both studies was the same, and they were done by the same researchers (3, 4).  They split the rats up into three different groups: virgin coconut oil, copra oil (ined coconut oil), and sunflower oil.  All three groups ate the same diet, other than the source of fat.  The results?? The virgin coconut oil group lowered their total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride levels, while increasing HDL cholesterol levels.  In addition, the polyphenols present in virgin coconut oil were found to prevent LDL oxidation, which is a major contributor to heart disease.  Thumbs up!  The ined coconut and sunflower oil groups?  Well they didnt see these benefits.  Overall, this study doesnt prove anything in humans.  What it does show, though, is that there is a significant difference between virgin coconut oil and ined coconut oil... the former being the better choice.  Yet they have the same fatty acid breakdown... like I said, food is more complex than we know.

Coconut Oil and Abdominal Obesity
On to real humans now.  This one was a controlled trial involving women with large tummies.  All subjects were instructed to follow a low-calorie diet... half of them supplemented with 30 ml of coconut oil (I assume it was ined since the researchers didnt specify), and half of them supplemented with 30 ml of soybean oil (5).  The results were pretty amazing in my opinion.  Both groups lost the same amount of weight, but the coconut oil group lost significantly more fat from the abdomen.  This is important, because abdominal obesity in particular is highly correlated with chronic disease... you dont want fat in your belly.  In terms of blood lipids, the coconut oil group ended up with higher HDL levels and a better LDL:HDL ratio.  The soybean oil group, on the other hand, presented an increase in total cholesterol, LDL, and LDL:HDL ratio, while HDL diminished. Winner: coconut oil.

The Rest of It...
Overall, the rest of the human data on coconut oil are sort of neutral; theres some good stuff, some bad stuff, and a lot that falls somewhere in between.  This study shows no difference in blood lipids in coconut oil vs. sunflower oil (6), this one shows no connection between coconut/coconut oil consumption and heart disease in India (7), heres an observational study showing an increase in heart disease upon replacing coconut oil with vegetable oils in India (8), and here we have one showing an increase in LDL, triglycerides, etc. with coconut oil vs. beef fat and safflower oil (9).  Its really all over the place, maybe slightly more positive than negative, but overall its inconsistent and doesnt tell us much of anything.  Dont forget, too, that this is ined coconut oil were talking about here, not the unined virgin variety.  Only the rats were lucky enough to get the good stuff.

Coconut-Eating Cultures
Lets step off of coconut oil for a moment, and focus on the whole coconut.  Its slightly different, yes, but still relevant; coconut is mostly fat anyway.  Weve got a few sets of people out in the Eastern Pacific island area who eat a lot of coconut... unined coconut of course... and theres a lot we can learn from them.  If the medical establishment is right, that the fats in coconut clog our arteries and kill us, then these people should be in serious trouble.

Tokelau - The first example is the island of Tokelau, which was the subject of a major epidemiological study from 1968-1982 (10, 11).  The Tokelauan diet is based on coconut and fish; over half their calories come from coconut, hence 40-50% of their total calories are from saturated fat. This is absurdly high.  For erence, the Dietary Guidelines recommend that number be less than 10%...  because any more than that increases your risk for cardiovascular disease.  So are these Tokelau coconut eaters dying left and right?  No.  According to the study, they have low rates of diabetes, healthy blood pressures, good cholesterol levels, and no trace of any recent heart attacks. No trace!  Coconut for the win.

Kitava - The diet on the island of Kitava has been studied extensively as well (12).  While the available foods are similar to those on Tokelau, the Kitavans eat them in very different proportions. The Kitavans get about 21% of their calories from fat, 17% of which is from saturated fat.  Just about all of this is from coconut, and although less than on Tokelau, its still far more saturated fat than we are recommended to eat.  Overall, their diet is very high in carbohydrates, about 69%, and most of that comes from starchy tubers like sweet potatoes and taro.  But are they healthy?  Heart disease or stroke?  No trace.  Obesity?  Nope.  Diabetes?  No sir.  Senile dementia??  Not even a little. What about longevity?  There were reports of one man reaching over 100 years of age.  And if you didnt die in infancy or of infectious disease, it was expected that you would live well into your 70s. Quite impressive if I do say so myself.  No killer coconut here.

Neither of these societies are plagued with the chronic diseases we see every day, and they eat more coconut fat than maybe anyone else in the world.  Take it for what its worth, its just an observation... but if coconut fat were really that bad, these people would have died off long ago.


The Verdict on Coconut Oil
Here are the basic facts we can come up with based on all of this information...

• Virgin coconut oil improves blood lipid numbers vs. ined coconut oil in rats
• Polyphenols in virgin coconut oil (not present in ined oil) prevent LDL oxidation
• Coconut oil targets fat loss in the abdomen and improves HDL levels in overweight women
• Theres no association between coconut oil consumption and heart disease in India
• Tokelauans get 40-50% of their calories from coconut fat, and theyre in great health
• Kitavans get about 20% of their calories from coconut fat, and theyre in even better health.

Lets connect the dots, shall we?  Is coconut oil a miracle food?  No, I dont think so.  Is it deadly? No, definitely not.  As is usually the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  Coconut oil is, at the very least, not unhealthy.  If you take the research on ined coconut oil alone, it comes out looking pretty neutral... its not the villain its made out to be.  Virgin coconut oil, however, is clearly superior.  Natural coconut fat has sustained entire civilizations for generations; to me thats a good indicator that these fats can support health.  The fats in coconut may be dangerous when isolated in a lab, but eating them in an unined product like virgin coconut oil or in the coconut itself?  Different story entirely.  Its healthy, not harmful.

So for one final last final conclusion, here is your coconut oil hierarchy... isolated lauric acid < ined coconut oil < virgin coconut oil.  Get out there and do your best, eat virgin coconut oil, cook with it, bake with it, and stay away from beakers of lauric acid.

Healthcare Is In the Hands of Who

According to a Sept 11 front page Wall Street Journal article, bank regulators are still struggling over the wording of the regulations for the "Volcker" rule.  And while we are still struggling with the too-big-to-fail banks, the gun control wars continue, with a portion of northern Colorado wanting to succeed and form the 51st state and Newtown gun permit applications going up. At the same time, two New York careerist politicians were undeterred by the humiliating spectacle of their foibles going public, and made frighteningly credible come-back bids for public office. Expert advisers and policymakers failed to protect a cautious and intellectual President from a serious foreign policy stumble that has implications for the rest of his important agenda, including immigration orm and the national budget. And this book charges that our nations capital is a narcissistic bubble of interlocked and attention-hungry reporters, facilitators, politicians and lobbyists for whom power is the only prize.

While the Disease Management Care Blog is an equal opportunity skeptic, its finding it increasingly difficult to believe that the current crew of regulators, state elected officials, politicians, advisers, politicians, reporters and lobbyists can really be trusted with the understanding, funding, interpreting, enforcement of the deadlines, regulations, payment rules and information technology that undergirds health care.  The point isnt that the banks screwed us, that politics are polarized, that "unknown unknowns" lurk everywhere, that voters can make bad decisions, that power politics are a necessary evil or who is right or who is wrong, the point is that  Health Care 2.0 is vulnerable and has a troubled prognosis with a dysfunctional government. Present company included.
 
Years ago, the Disease Management Care Blog watched one version of the movie Titanic. As the ship began to list and the doomed patiently waited on deck for their instructions, a DMCB spawn asked why the passengers couldnt just lash some desk chairs together, jump and survive with a jury-rigged raft.  The tut-tuting DMCB pointed out that the water was frigid, the raft would disintegrate and the fools would die.

Looking at whats going in, its beginning to wonder if the well-meaning, honorable and smart health care folks who are on the deck of the the USS Healthcare need to reconsider whether they should continue to not be alarmed by the listing or.... whether its time to think about a potentially worse raft option. Well have a better idea of that in 2014.

High Fructose Corn Syrup HFCS Promotes Obesity and Poor Health

Fructose has been implicated as a driving force behind a number of chronic illnesses including metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Scientists have theorized that the fruit-based sweetener derived most commonly from corn is a primary mechanism that has fueled the obesity epidemic.

Fructose and its evil twin high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are used as inexpensive sweeteners in many processed foods, condiments, baked goods and snacks. Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University publishing in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism demonstrate that fructose reacts differently than glucose in the brain causing chemical alterations that lead to increased body weight and obesity.

Brain Response to Fructose is Different Than Glucose

Researchers working with animal models know that the brain responds differently to a variety of different foods consumed, and that these responses have a strong influence on total calories eaten at each meal. Using new functional MRI technologies, scientists are able to examine electrical and chemical brain patterns that occur in response to consumption of different food groups (macronutrients such as fats, carbohydrates and proteins) and nutrients (from vitamins, minerals and antioxidant-rich polyphenol compounds).

The study involved pre and post meal MRI scans of nine individuals receiving an infusion of fructose, glucose or a saline solution. Researchers found no difference in brain activity in the hypothalamus, an area known to regulate food intake. Activity in the cortical brain control areas showed the opposite response from the sugar infusions. Activity was inhibited with the fructose solution and activated in the presence of glucose.

Fructose Does Not Cause Satiety Similar to Other Macronutrients

The cortical areas activated are important to determine how we respond to food taste and smell. The study showed that when glucose is consumed, a normal satiety response is triggered in the brain so we register caloric intake and can react with a satiety response. Fructose has virtually no effect on this automated feedback system we rely on to provide the `full` signal so we stop eating before over consuming.

The study authors found this to be conclusive evidence that fructose and its derivatives are a significant causative agent responsible for the rampant obesity plague affecting people around the world. In conclusion they write "For consumers, our findings support current recommendations that people be conscious of sweeteners added to their drinks and meals and not overindulge on high-fructose, processed foods."

HFCS has been slowly creeping into the processed food supply over the past 40 years. Health-minded consumers and scientists have theorized that it should be blamed for a contributing role in overweight, morbidity and chronic disease. The best way to avoid high fructose corn syrup is to avoid all processed foods in favor of a raw, natural diet focused on vegetables, lean protein and healthy monounsaturated fats. Your reward will be a healthy, sustainable weight and dramatically lower risk of metabolic disease.

Cheesy Onion Mini Focaccia My 2 500th Post

Todays post is my 2,500th post, am very happy and proud. Nothing is possible without all your constant support and encouraging words.Thanks to each and every for being part of my culinary journey.Am starting today my first week of blogging marathon with an interesting theme,yep todays theme is savoury baked dishes. Obviously the next two days posts are going to be baked savoury dishes. For my todays post, am posting a classic Italian,super cheesy and aromatic mini focaccia bread.Focaccia is a flat oven baked Italian bread which may be topped with herbs,cheese,veggies or simply with other ingredients like meats.Focaccia bread are quite popular in italy and they are flavoured with many ingredients.

Focaccia dough ressembles quite like pizza dough and they are rolled out or pressed by hand into thick layer of dough and then baked in oven.This bread can be used as side for many meals also for making sandwich bread.Usually focaccia comes in three variations, classic focaccia with fresh tomatoes and olives, potato focaccia with potato slices and white Focaccia with salt grains and rosemary. Some other variations includes peppers, onions, eggplant or other vegetables.Coming to my mini focaccia, i simply prepared with grated cheese along with sauteed onions and parsley leaves, a pect side to enjoy with some warm soups.Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#30.

3cups All purpose flour

2tsp Active dry yeast
1tsp Salt
1tsp Sugar
1 +1/4cups Warm water
1cup Onion (chopped)
3tbsp Parsley leaves (chopped)
Salt for cooking the onions
Olive oil (sauting and drizzling)
Grated cheese (for topping)

Mix the sugar, salt and yeast in luke warm water, let them sit for 5 minutes.

Take the all purpose flour in a mixing bowl, add the foaming yeast, mix everything well.

It will be stickly at this point, transfer the them to lightly floured surface, knead for a while until they turn as a soft dough.

Coat a deep bowl with olive oil,place the soft dough also brush with more oil, cover it and let it sit for an hour in a warm place.

Punch down the doubled dough and divide the dough as 7-8balls, knead the dough again and make a medium sized circle like disc.

Arrange the flattened disc in a baking sheet lined over a baking tray.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil , saute well the chopped onion and chopped parsley leaves with salt together for few minutes and keep aside..

The dough will doubled again in size.

Press the dough gently in the center with your fingertips, just spread the sauteed onion and parsley leaves over the dough.

Gently sprinkle the grated cheese over the onion mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350F, place the baking tray in middle rack, bake for 15-20 minutes or else until the dough turns slightly brown..

Serve them with cream cheese, salads or else with a bowl of soup.Sending to Gurus Giveaway - Kids Special.

Fresh Direct 20 Off Deal on Local Food

New York City-based readers!

We rarely do promotions here, but I used Fresh Direct for two or three years in the mid-aughts, and found it to be a reliable, convenient grocery service. I’m not receiving any compensation for posting this - I just like em.

It turns out, FD expanded their local food offerings pretty significantly, “and can now provide their customers with farm-to-table produce within 48 hours.”

I checked the Fresh Direct Local website, and there really is an impressive selection of local produce, meat, fish, dairy, and beer. (Ommegang! Rejoice!) There’s even a map of where everything comes from.

Bonus: Now until the August 31st, 2010, they’re offering a 20% discount on Local Market purchases. The code is: SUPPORTLOCAL, and you just have to enter it when you check out.

(Needless to say: “May not be combined with any other offer. All standard terms and conditions apply. Void where prohibited. Offer is non-transferable.”)

That’s it! Enjoy the meals, locavores!

Vitamin D omega 3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimers

A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune systems ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimers disease.

In a small pilot study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance.

Previous laboratory work by the team helped clarify key mechanisms involved in helping vitamin D3 clear amyloid-beta, the abnormal protein found in the plaque. The new study extends the previous findings with vitamin D3 and highlights the role of omega-3 DHA.

"Our new study sheds further light on a possible role for nutritional substances such as vitamin D3 and omega-3 in boosting immunity to help fight Alzheimers," said study author Dr. Milan Fiala, a researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

For the study, scientists drew blood samples from both Alzheimers patients and healthy controls, then isolated critical immune cells called macrophages from the blood. Macrophages are responsible for gobbling up amyloid-beta and other waste products in the brain and body.

The team incubated the immune cells overnight with amyloid-beta. They added either an active form of vitamin D3 called 1alpha,25–dihydroxyvitamin D3 or an active form of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA called resolvin D1 to some of the cells to gauge the effect they had on inflammation and amyloid-beta absorption.

Both 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and resolvin D1 improved the ability of the Alzheimers disease patients macrophages to gobble-up amyloid-beta, and they inhibited the cell death that is induced by amyloid-beta. Researchers observed that each nutrition molecule utilized different receptors and common signaling pathways to do this.

Previous work by the team, based on the function of Alzheimers patients macrophages, showed that there are two groups of patients and macrophages. In the current study, researchers found that the macrophages of the Alzheimers patients differentially expressed inflammatory genes, compared with the healthy controls, and that two distinct transcription patterns were found that further define the two groups: Group 1 had an increased transcription of inflammatory genes, while Group 2 had decreased transcription. Transcription is the first step leading to gene expression.

"Further study may help us identify if these two distinct transcription patterns of inflammatory genes could possibly distinguish either two stages or two types of Alzheimers disease," said study author Mathew Mizwicki, an assistant researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

While researchers found that 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and resolvin D1 greatly improved the clearance of amyloid-beta by macrophages in patients in both groups, they discovered subtleties in the effects the two substances had on the expression of inflammatory genes in the two groups. In Group 1, the increased-inflammation group, macrophages showed a decrease of inflammatory activation; in Group 2, macrophages showed an increase of the inflammatory genes IL1 and TLRs when either 1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 or resolvin D1 were added.

More study is needed, Fiala said, but these differences could be associated with the severity of patients nutritional and/or metabolic deficiencies of vitamin D3 and DHA, as well as the omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

"We may find that we need to caully balance the supplementation with vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids, depending on each patient in order to help promote efficient clearing of amyloid-beta," Fiala said. "This is a first step in understanding what form and in which patients these nutrition substances might work best."

According to Fiala, an active (not oxidized) form of omega-3 DHA, which is the precursor of the resolvin D1 used in this study, may work better than more commercially available forms of DHA, which generally are not protected against the oxidation that can render a molecule inactive.

The next step is a larger study to help confirm the findings, as well as a clinical trial with omega-3 DHA, the researchers said.

Family Blessings

Hi,

I really enjoyed seeing my family again after all these years but the driving trip was a bit painful on the body. I think part of the reason was that I was not able to keep up my swimming. I had purposefully planned my stays at motels that advertised that they had pools but not a one of them was either open or in any kind of condition that I would have wanted to dip my body into them. So as the time went on my body was in more pain.

I think part of it was the lugging of stuff, too. I planned the way I used to plan when I took road trips when I was young, which means that I took anything and everything that I thought I might be able to use in an emergency. I am very thankful that God was in charge of this trip and I could see Him working and feel Him taking care of me the whole entire way. Nearly every door was held open by someone who just happened to be there when I was. The people in the USA are kind hearted, good, and helpful people and a pleasure to be around.

I really enjoyed the 50th anniversary party. My sister and her husband were completely surprised, too. My sister suspected something was up but did not know what and did not know that so many of her family and neighbors and friends would be there to help them celebrate. For me it felt good that I had been there at their wedding and I was there again on their 50th. It ended up being a song fest that many of us participated in. Great fun!! I spent the next day at their house with her kids and grand kids popping in all day. She was disappointed when I left to go to the motel because she wanted me to stay at her house, but I really could not have made it up the stairs to the second level to sleep.

Visiting with my brothers was a jewel, too. When I actually laid eyes on my younger brother in his living room, it moved me to tears and I could barely speak. It was so good to see him, his wife, and his family. I really loved getting to know his sons new wife and their daughter for the first time, and seeing my niece and her son was awesome, too. Everyone had changed but we all knew one another. They took me to the most awesome buffet Ive ever been to near Canton, Ohio but I dont recall the name exactly. It was at Beldon village mall and I hope I get to go there again some time.

When I got to Michigan and my older brother walked out I was really shocked to see how much he looked like Dad to me. He and his beautiful hospitable wife insisted that I stay longer than two days with them and I ended up staying at least a week. I needed the rest and recuperation, so I complied.  I could have stayed longer but had trouble finding one of my high blood pressure OTC medicines and needed to get home to my spare bottle. I wish I had taken it with me. I had enough for the length I had planned but when I stayed longer I began to run out.

They were kind enough to prepare meals with no tomatoes (I shared with them that I am allergic) and provided fresh vegetables so I had a salad at nearly every meal. It was delicious and wonderful. The only problem I had was being offered sweet treats like little cakes and such in the evening. I started off using but soon began to partake. My brother even bought me an entire bag of veggie potato chips which I tried hard to eat only a little to be polite, but ended up, binging on one evening. I did not finish the whole bag but it was a serious binge.

I also enjoyed the visit with their youngest son who lives in a group home a few miles from them. It was odd to see my nephew with grey hair when for most of his life he had lovely dark hair. Time marches on.

I loved getting to know and to hold my newest great grand nephew and getting to be around his Mom and her brothers, my grand nephews, too. It was very good to visit with their Mom, too... only wish we could have spent a little more time together. Her husband, my older nephew, passed away a few years ago. Each one of them came when they could spare some time and visited for as short or long as they could during the week. I dont know them as well as I know my sisters kids but they are good, loving, and kind people. Young and working hard toward their futures. I loved being around the young people in my family.

When I finally got back home it was a bit of a shock. I dont know why, but it was a bit emotional for a day or so until I got back in the swing of my own life down here in Georgia. I stepped on the scale for the first time and had lost 1/2 a pound which surprised me as I had fasted while driving and actually thought at different times that I might have gone down quite a bit by the way my clothes were fitting.

Ive been back about 5 days and have already fasted twice and seem to be doing 16:8 (16 hours no eating, 8 hours eating -- not constantly but able to have meals!) because I still dont have any food in the house. I need to rectify that but I did not want to go food shopping while I was fasting so postponed it until today, although, at this moment, I dont feel like going shopping. Perhaps Ill get the motivation a little later in the day.

I re-read my last post and am ready to begin the new program I wrote about of eating veggies and protein, fasting twice a week, and having a 1-hour cheat meal on Saturdays. Im not sure I will lose weight but I am sure I will feel better. My experience of eating the veggies at my brothers house was a good one and reminded me of what a lovely and satisfying way of eating that is.

I was allowed to make my salad myself so they were just as I wanted them. I cut up fresh broccoli in bite sized pieces. Peeled and sliced cucumber and then put Italian dressing on the large bowl. Then also ate whatever protein they had. Once my brother made sauerkraut and pork like Mom made it with the addition of caraway seeds, just as he and I like it, and that was excellent. I finished up the left overs over the next couple of days.

They did not seem to eat left overs but when the grand kids came by, they all expected to partake. I see that is a way of life for them. They cook their meals making sure there are leftovers and then when the grandsons or granddaughter show up they go to the fridge and eat. They know they can come starving and Grandma and Grandpa are happy to have food for them.

My brother also made individual cheese omelets for breakfast in a special enamel coated pan that he has which is two small pans hinged together so you just have to flip the pan over to cook the other side. Very cool and really tasty. Good breakfast, too: veg and protein. I might look for one, myself. He mentioned it was advertised for pancakes but the omelet is a better idea.

One good thing that has happened is that I am now on a better sleeping schedule. My bedtime is now 11 p.m instead of 2 a.m. and Im liking that a lot. I do see it creeping past that a little, but so far, Ive gone to bed before 2 every night and am getting up earlier, too. It is nice to have the early part of the day to do things in. Ive gone swimming twice and my body is in much less pain, too. So my next full project is getting the eating plan underway.

Well, that is where I have been and where I am now.

Be back soon,
Marcia

Resveratrol Reduces Breast Cancer Risk by Blocking the Effect of Estrogen

Researchers from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Calabria in Italy publishing in The FASEB Journal report that resveratrol blocks the effect of estrogen and can help to prevent the malignant growth of breast cancer in women. The grape/red wine derivative has been the subject of numerous scientific studies in recent years and has shown promise in lowering risks from cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia.

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Resveratrol Supplementation Suppresses the Growth of Malignant Breast Cancer Cells

To design their study, researchers used several breast cancer cell lines expressing the estrogen receptor to test the effects of resveratrol. They exposed the different cells to a solution containing resveratrol and compared the results to cells left untreated. They found an important reduction in cell growth in cells treated with resveratrol, while no changes were seen in untreated cells. Further experiments determined that this effect was caused by a critical reduction in estrogen receptors caused by the administration of resveratrol.

This finding is the first of its kind as it relates specifically to the effect of resveratrolon a particular cancer cell line. The team was able to conclude that resveratrol is able to counteract the malignant progression of breast cancer cells by inhibiting the growth and spread of hormone resistant cancerous cells. This has important implications for the treatment of women with breast cancer whose tumors eventually develop resistance to hormonal therapy.

Resveratrol Specifically Targets Cancerous Cells to Fight Breast Cancer

Lead researcher Dr. Sebastiano Ando noted "Resveratrol is a potential pharmacological tool to be exploited when breast cancer become resistant to the hormonal therapy." A peer review board examining the study data concluded “scientists havent finished distilling the secrets of good health that have been hidden in natural products such as red wine.” It is important to note that in this body of research, resveratrol only demonstrated an effect on malignant cancer cells and exerted no effect on non-cancerous cells.

While the authors cautioned that people should not go out and start using red wine or resveratrol supplements as a treatment for breast cancer, the finding strongly indicates that the plant-protective compound should be considered as a component in an overall plan designed to prevent the devastating disease. Nutrition experts recommend a supplemental intake (from a purified, organically derived source) of between 50 and 250 mg per day for optimal health benefits.

priority of Warming maturation Before Exercise

Since a lot of people are multifarious in irutable exercises, it is imperative that the accent of warming elaborating before any problematic activity should be discussed. profuse have repeatedly ignored going through the warm up formation before working out, not knowing the consequences direction background accordingly.

Why warm up? Several changes takes place in the body once physical activity is initiated. A person's respiratory rate, cardinal flow, further oxygen and nutrient levels delivered to the cells increases.

The rate of collect should be regulated mastery a steady pace to prepare the body for the physical apprehension that exercise consign demand. If one foregoes this priming procedure, the habitus will specialty less efficiently and the workout will win less repute results. Warming up preps elaborating the nervous system, heightens unhinged awareness and alertness, and loosens up joints and muscles to motivate them less prone to injuries. Warm ups jump starts the fluid located influence the joints, minimizing the hazard for wear again crack of the muscles. real gives the bull's eye a conducive period to adjust and pump up blood and nutrients into muscles.

This is vital through older people, since they presume true tissues that are less growing; they count on joints with less fluid, and weaker hearts.

Sudden exercise fault produce heart attacks to older people.

How does a partner scorching up properly? Initially, it can be done in lump procedure that enables the spotlight to beat faster. solo can simply pace besides jog, or if a cardiovascular equipment is available, such as rowing machine or a bicycle, it care be utilized. Start at a gentle pace, further then slowly increase the pace until heart beat rate increases and the build temperature rises. intrinsic important to note that the parade should be in accordance to one's current fitness level, where the activity entrust leave the comrade energized and not exhausted.

After working up a light sweat (suggested time is 3-5 minutes, longer if the person is working out in a below zero environment) one should accomplish dynamic stretching. Stretching helps in developing overall flexibility, particularly in the spine, shoulder, again hip areas. The kind of stretching depends on the type of activity a friend plans to engage to.

For instance, if one shot is about to show sports, the recommended amiable of stretching would serve as the ones that mimics the movements that entrust substitute done prestige the eree or field. If one is about to do martial arts, light sparring can be done juice the spot of the normal speed, or just neatly do the movements in slow force. equate certain that the major muscles groups are stretched whereas 8 seconds minimum. It is necessary to remember to keep feet moving or procure leg exercises whenever the upper body is stretched to keep prevent blood from pooling influence the legs. Remember, one should only do stretching if the muscles are already warmed up. Do not bounce while stretching. It leads to a contraction that incumbency result in muscle hole or pull.

For weight-lifters, this is what should enact done after the introductory warm increasing. charge the bar with about 50-60% of the heaviest charge to sell for done for the session and perform the number of repetitions that will be done over the terrible sets. For the second set, the weight will correspond to increased to 80%, then eventually to 90%, decreasing to 2-3 repetitions. Afterwards, rest seeing about 30 seconds, then repeat the steps.

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After warming development and misfortune to the paramount workout, it is equally central to cool down. When a person suddenly stops exercising or lifting weights, blood gathers in the steam and oxygen is blocked. When this happens, a person runs the pledge of having a limelight attack. So cooling down should lap up the same importance as warming developing.

Exercise is good over the health. Everyone is encouraged to pump it up, just remember to remember all the necessary precautions not only to maximize the workout, but again to stay safe and flourishing.