Health and future

protect your skin from ultra UV

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Sun, 6 Feb 2011 21:01:00 +1100

It continued more than 1 week with the highest day temperature over 30 degrees. that why lots of people went to seaside.There are stronger UVs in beach. please be aware to protect your skin, skin cancer is a big problem in Australia, and it has the highest rate skin cancer patients.

top 10 foods to lose weight

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Sun, 6 Feb 2011 20:50:00 +1100

Most of foods for weight loss have the following features:

Fresh natural food

High in fiber

calories is low

Less sugars

low Fat

High protein

I list the top 10 foods to lose weight:

1. Yams
2. small sea foods,such as prawns,octopus
3. brown rice
4. Sweet potatoes (almost same as yams)
5. Multi grain hot cereal ( oats, rye. titricale etc.)
6. White potatoes
7. 100% whole wheat bread
8. Radish
9. Beans (great for healthy chili recipes)
10.celery

Increasing solar activity could wreak havoc

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:15:00 +1000

The sun waking from a deep sleep may not sound like such a bad thing and years ago it might not have been.

However in today's world reliant on technology for the basics of everyday life, increasing levels of solar activity and the flares from the consequent 'space storm' could wreak complete havoc.

Nasa is telling us to prepare for a once in a generation storm which could result in widespread blackouts and leave us without critical communication signals for considerable periods of time.

The overheating of national power grids, mass disruption of air travel and the complete shut down of electronic items, navigation devices and major satellites are just some of the consequences of the sun reaching its maximum power in only a few years time.

As well as this, the bolt of lightning caused by the super storm could bring disastrous consequences for the world emergency service systems, hospital equipment and of course would leave us without our computers, sat navs and ipods.

The worst case scenario would see large parts of the world plunged into darkness for months

Most likely say senior scientists it will last hours and maybe days but this in a world reliant on high tech systems for almost everything we do is likely to have a drastic impact.

from: http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/technology/7406476/solar-activity-wreak-havoc

What's a Healthy Weight?

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:59:00 +1100

What's a Healthy Weight?

Although nutrition experts still have different ideas about the precise limits of what's a healthy weight, there's a good working criteria based on the ratio of weight to height. This ratio, called the body mass index (or BMI for short),consider the fact that taller people have more tissue than shorter people, and so should weigh more.

Nothing magical happens when you cross from 20.4 to 20.5 or from 31.9 to 32. These are just convenient reference points. Instead, the chances of developing a weight-related health problems increases across the range of weights.Lots of studies that have included more than a 1000 thousands adults have indicated that a body mass index above 25 increases the chances of dying early, mainly from cancer or heart diease, and that a body mass index above 30 dramatically increases the chances. Based on this consistent evidence, a healthy weight is one that equates with a BMI less than 25. By convention, overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9, and obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher.

Muscle and bone are more dense than fat, so an athlete or muscular person may have a high BMI, but not be obesity. It's this thing that makes weight gain during adulthood such an important determinant of weight-related health—few adults add muscle and bone after their early twenties, so almost all that added weight is fat rather than muscle.

Weight loss and carbohydrates

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:33:00 +1100

Weight loss and carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are very important to our body, they are also the only fuel source for many vital organs, including the central nervous system, brain and kidneys. The digestive system decomposes carbohydrates into glucose and the pancreas secretes a hormone(insulin) to help the glucose move from the blood into the cells.

Very low carbohydrate diets
Very low carbohydrate diets are becoming popular again. These diets often contain less than 60g of carbohydrate per day. But they have a high fat content (particularly saturated fat) and restrict fruit, vegetables and high fibre breads and grain,that's why many health professionals don't support it.

Low carb diets restrict healthy food choices
Supporters of very low carbohydrate diets suggest people to consume kilojoules mainly from fat sources and protein. This means limiting cereals, some vegetables and fruit, while eating more meat, fat and dairy foods. Traditional foods eaten on a low carbohydrate diet include bacon, chicken, beef, eggs, fish and non-starchy vegetables, as well as fats such as butter, oils and mayonnaise. Forbidden foods include bread,fruit, grains, starchy vegetables and dairy products other than cream, cheese or butter.

Very low carbohydrate diets is not enough to meet your daily nutritional needs. To be healthy, your daily diet should include more, at least:

Two cups of milk.
Four serves of cereals or bread
Five serves of vegetables
Two serves of fruit

The safety for long term eating very low in carbohydrates but high in saturated fat is still uncertain. Some experts believe it’s an attack for the heart . Follow-up studies are needed over years to determine the safety of very low carbohydrate diets.

Weight gain comes from eating too many calories
The basic principle of any low carbohydrate diet is that carbohydrates cause weight gain. This is misleading. You gain weight if you consume too many kilojoules (or calories) - it doesn’t matter if they are from carbohydrates, proteins or fats or carbohydrates. The principle of carbohydrates cause weight gain is misleading.

There’s nothing special about a low carbohydrate diet
Yes,maybe low carbohydrate diets cause you to lose weight because they restrict kilojoules or energy, but it is because the metabolic disturbances to the body,not the diet. This diet starves the body of the nutrients it needs and can cause major metabolic disturbances to the body. There is nothing special about the proportions of carbohydrate to protein - there are just fewer calories consumed in these diets, which causes the weight loss.

Low carb weight loss is mainly water in the short term
The body stores excess glucose as glycogen and converts glycogen back into glucose to use as fuel if there is not enough carbohydrate in the diet. to release one gram of glycogen need 3g water, so the rapid initial weight loss on a low carbohydrate diet is mostly water, not body fat.

When a normal diet is resumed, some muscle tissue is rebuilt, water is restored and weight quickly returns, mostly as fat. This can contribute to the problem effect of dieting called the ‘yoyo’ effect.

Weight loss needs a healthy approach
A diet high in vegetables and fruits,legumes, wholegrains, and low fat dairy products, and moderate in fat and calories, is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

Vegetarians and people who consume predominantly plant-based diets are generally slimmer and have much lower rates of obesity, cancer and heart disease than people who eat meat-based diets. This supports current thinking that diets high in unrefined carbohydrates help to prevent overweight and obesity.

Short term side effects of low carbohydrate diets
Within a short period of time, the effects of a very low carbohydrate diet include:

Nausea
Constipation
Dizziness
Dehydration
Lethargy
Loss of appetite
Bad breath.

Potential long term effects of low carbohydrate diets
The potential effects on health if a very low carbohydrate diet is consumed long term are unknown. However, these diets may be nutritionally inadequate because they contain few vegetables and fruits. They tend to be low in thiamin, fibre, folate, vitamins A, E and B6, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and antioxidant phytochemicals. Such a diet could increase a person’s risk of developing cancer by restricting intakes of antioxidants and fibre from fruits and vegetables.

Very low carbohydrate diets also tend to be high in saturated fat which can contribute to heart disease risk. Diets that are high in protein and fats are associated with abdominal obesity and obesity-related disorders including cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

If the body doesn’t receive enough carbohydrate, it breaks down muscle and other tissue to produce glucose. This causes a build-up of waste products called ‘ketones’. This state, known as ‘ketosis’, is commonly seen in people who are starving, suffering from anorexia nervosa or with untreated insulin-dependent diabetes. Ketones make the blood acidic. Ketosis can be fatal in severe conditions, particularly for pregnant women, their unborn babies and for people with diabetes. There is also evidence that the heart may not be able to function to its full capacity when ketone bodies are its main source of fuel.

A very high protein diet can be dangerous
High protein foods, such as meat, are usually high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Typically these high protein diets contain about 125g protein per day and moderate amounts of carbohydrate. The long term health risks of a diet high in protein include:

Increased risk of developing gout and gall bladder colic
High cholesterol, which is associated with a range of conditions including heart disease
Kidney problems in people with impaired kidney function or diabetes
Loss of bone mineral content
Liver problems.

Select carbohydrates, proteins and fats carefully
If you do choose to follow a low carbohydrate diet, do not avoid carbohydrates completely - you need some in your diet to metabolise fat. Choose carbohydrate rich foods that are unrefined or unprocessed, including whole grains and fruit, rather than the more refined and energy-dense forms such as cakes, sweets and soft drinks. Have a variety of vegetables daily.

Select a variety of protein rich foods that are also low in saturated fat, for example:

Lean cuts of red meat
Lean chicken and pork
Fish (including fatty fish).

You could also select protein rich foods that are plant-based, for example:

Nuts
Soy products, including tofu
Legumes such as beans and pulses.

Choose fats from plant sources (such as olives , canola oil,olive oil, peanut oil,peanuts, soy or soy oil) rather than from animal sources (butter or meat fat).

Ultimately, to avoid weight gain, energy intake should not be more than energy output over a period of time. Avoiding large portion sizes will help keep energy intake in check. For long term weight management, the benefits of regular physical activity cannot be emphasised enough.

Getting more physical activity - 5 quick tips

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Sun, 7 Mar 2010 17:56:00 +1100

1. Choose activities you like. Pick activities you enjoy. A lot of different things count as exercise: dancing, walking, gardening, playing basketball. Choose whatever gets you moving.

2. Try a pedometer. Pedometers are cheap and easy to use. Best of all, they help you keep track of how active you are. Build up to 7,000 steps a day—or more.

3. Piece your workout together. You don't need to get all your exercise at one time. Ten minutes morning, noon, and night can give much of the same benefit as 30 minutes all at once.

4. Exercise with a friend. Finding a workout partner can help keep you on track and motivate you to get out the door.

5. Take lunch on the move. Don't spend your lunch time sitting. Grab a quick meal and hit the gym or go for a walk with coworkers.

The Nutrition Source Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:20:00 +1100

Introduction

We've come a long way from the days when one of the knee-jerk answers to the question "What should I eat?" was "You can't go wrong with carbohydrates." We now know that carbohydrates, the staple of most diets, aren't all good or all bad. Some kinds promote health while others, when eaten often and in large quantities, actually increase the risk for diabetes and coronary heart disease.

The wild popularity of the Atkins, South Beach, and other low-carbohydrate diets led many Americans to believe that carbohydrates are "bad," the source of unflattering flab, and a cause of the obesity epidemic. That's a dangerous oversimplification, on a par with "fat is bad." Easily digested carbohydrates from white bread, white rice, pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods may, indeed, contribute to weight gain and interfere with weight loss. Whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, and other sources of intact carbohydrates do just the opposite—they promote good health.

What Are Carbohydrates?Don't be misled by the blanket pronouncements on the dangers of carbohydrates. They are an important part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates provide the body with the fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function. The best sources of carbohydrates—fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—deliver essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.

Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of foods—bread, beans, milk, popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and cherry pie. They also come in a variety of forms. The most common and abundant forms are sugars, fibers, and starches.

The basic building block of every carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Starches and fibers are essentially chains of sugar molecules. Some contain hundreds of sugars. Some chains are straight, others branch wildly.

Carbohydrates were once grouped into two main categories. Simple carbohydrates included sugars such as fruit sugar (fructose), corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose). Complex carbohydrates included everything made of three or more linked sugars. Complex carbohydrates were thought to be the healthiest to eat, while simple carbohydrates weren't so great. It turns out that the picture is more complicated than that.

The digestive system handles all carbohydrates in much the same way—it breaks them down (or tries to break them down) into single sugar molecules, since only these are small enough to cross into the bloodstream. It also converts most digestible carbohydrates into glucose (also known as blood sugar), because cells are designed to use this as a universal energy source.

When Sugar Management Goes Awry: Insulin and Diabetes Fiber is an exception. It is put together in such a way that it can't be broken down into sugar molecules, and so it passes through the body undigested. Fiber comes in two varieties: soluble fiber dissolves in water, while insoluble fiber does not. Although neither type nourishes the body, they promote health in many ways. Soluble fiber binds to fatty substances in the intestines and carries them out as a waste, thus lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad cholesterol). It also helps regulate the body's use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check. Insoluble fiber helps push food through the intestinal tract, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation.

When you eat a food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which then enters the blood. As blood sugar levels rise, special cells in the pancreas churn out more and more insulin, a hormone that signals cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage. As cells sponge up blood sugar, its levels in the bloodstream begin to fall. That's when other cells in the pancreas start making glucagon, a hormone that tells the liver to start releasing stored sugar. This interplay of insulin and glucagon ensure that cells throughout the body, and especially in the brain, have a steady supply of blood sugar.

In some people, this cycle doesn't work properly. People with type 1 diabetes (once called insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) don't make enough insulin, so their cells can't absorb sugar. People with type 2 diabetes (once called non-insulin-dependent, or adult-onset diabetes) generally start out with a different problem—their cells don't respond well to insulin's "open up for sugar" signal. This condition, known as insulin resistance, causes blood sugar and insulin levels to stay high long after eating. Over time, the heavy demands made on the insulin-making cells wears them out, and insulin production slows, then stops.

Genes, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, and a diet rich in processed carbohydrates can each promote insulin resistance. (The combination is far worse.) Data from the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study suggests that cutting back on refined grains and eating more whole grains in their place can improve insulin sensitivity. (2) As described in "Health Gains from Whole Grains", the benefit of eating whole grains extends far beyond insulin to helping prevent type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis (the build-up of cholesterol-filled patches that clog and narrow artery walls), heart disease, colorectal cancer, and premature death from noncardiac, noncancer causes.Insulin resistance isn't just a blood sugar problem. It has also been linked with a variety of other problems, including high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and excess weight. In fact, it travels with these problems so often that the combination has been given the name metabolic syndrome. (1) Alone and as part of the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and possibly some cancers.

Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index

Dividing carbohydrates into simple and complex makes sense on a chemical level. But it doesn't do much to explain what happens to different kinds of carbohydrates inside the body. For example, the starch in white bread and French-fried potatoes clearly qualifies as a complex carbohydrate. Yet the body converts this starch to blood sugar nearly as fast as it processes pure glucose. Fructose (fruit sugar) is a simple carbohydrate, but it has a minimal effect on blood sugar.

A new system, called the glycemic index, aims to classify carbohydrates based on how quickly and how high they boost blood sugar compared to pure glucose.(3) Foods with a high glycemic index, like white bread, cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. Foods with a low glycemic index, like whole oats, are digested more slowly, causing a lower and gentler change in blood sugar. Foods with a score of 70 or higher are defined as having a high glycemic index; those with a score of 55 or below have a low glycemic index.

Diets rich in high-glycemic-index foods, which cause quick and strong increases in blood sugar levels, have been linked to an increased risk for diabetes, (5) heart disease, (6, 7) and overweight, (8, 9,10) and there is preliminary work linking high-glycemic diets to age-related macular degeneration, (11) ovulatory infertility, (12) and colorectal cancer. (13) Foods with a low glycemic index have been shown to help control type 2 diabetes and improve weight loss. Other studies, though, have found that the glycemic index has little effect on weight or health. This sort of flip-flop is part of the normal process of science, and it means that the true value of the glycemic index remains to be determined. In the meantime, eating whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables—all foods with a low glycemic index—is indisputably good for many aspects of health.The most comprehensive list of the glycemic index of foods was published in the July 2002, issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (4) It included almost 750 foods, ranging from angel food cake to yams. The University of Sydney in Australia maintains an updated searchable database at www.glycemicindex.com that now has almost 1,600 entries.

One of the most important factors that determine a food's glycemic index is how much it has been processed. Milling and grinding removes the fiber-rich outer bran and the vitamin- and mineral-rich inner germ, leaving mostly the starchy endosperm. (See the sidebar, Nutrition In-Depth, for more information on what affects a food's glycemic index.)

One thing that a food's glycemic index does not tell us is how much digestible carbohydrate it delivers. Take watermelon as an example. The sweet-tasting fruit has a very high glycemic index. But a slice of watermelon has only a small amount of carbohydrate per serving (as the name suggests, watermelon is made up mostly of water). That's why researchers developed a related way to classify foods that takes into account both the amount of carbohydrate in the food and the impact of that carbohydrate on blood sugar levels. This measure is called the glycemic load. (14, 15) A food's glycemic load is determined by multiplying its glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrate it contains. In general, a glycemic load of 20 or more is high, 11 to 19 is medium, and 10 or under is low.

You can't use the glycemic index to rule your dietary choices. For example, a Snickers bar has a glycemic index of 41, marking it as a low glycemic index food. But it is far from a health food. Instead, use it as a general guide. Whenever possible, replace highly processed grains, cereals, and sugars with minimally processed whole grain products. And only eat potatoes—once on the list of preferred complex carbohydrates—occasionally because of their high glycemic index and glycemic load.

Good Carbs, not No Carbs

Some popular diets treat carbohydrates as if they are evil, the root of all body fat and excess weight. That was certainly true for the original Atkins diet, which popularized the no-carb approach to dieting. And there is some evidence that a low-carbohydrate diet may help people lose weight more quickly than a low-fat diet, although so far, that evidence is short term.

In two short, head-to-head trials, (16, 17) low-carb approaches worked better than low-fat diets. A later year-long study, published in 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed the same thing. In this study, overweight, premenopausal women went on one of four diets: Atkins, Zone, Ornish, or LEARN, a standard low-fat, moderately high-carbohydrate diet. The women in all four groups steadily lost weight for the first six months, with the most rapid weight loss occurring among the Atkins dieters. After that, most of the women started to regain weight. At the end of a year, it looked as though the women in the Atkins group had lost the most weight, about 10 pounds, compared with a loss of almost 6 pounds for the LEARN group, 5 for the Ornish group, and 3.5 for the Zone group. (18) Levels of harmful LDL, protective HDL, and other blood lipids were at least as good among women on the Atkins diet as among those on the low-fat diet.

If you read the fine print of the study, though, it turns out that few of the women actually stuck with their assigned diets. Those on the Atkins diet were supposed to limit their carbohydrate intake to 50 grams a day, but they took in almost triple that amount. The Ornish dieters were supposed to limit their fat intake to under 10 percent of their daily calories, but they got about 30 percent from fat. There were similar deviations for the Zone and LEARN groups. What this and other diet comparisons tell us is that sticking with a diet is more important than the diet itself.

No one knows the long-term effects of eating little or no carbohydrates. Equally worrisome is the inclusion of unhealthy fats in some of these diets.

If you want to go the lower carb route, try to include some fruits, vegetables, and whole grain carbohydrates every day. They contain a host of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are essential for good health and that you can't get out of a supplement bottle. And do your heart a favor by choosing healthy fats and proteins to go along with those healthy carbohydrates: A 20-year prospective study of 82,802 women looked at the relationship between lower carbohydrate diets and heart disease; a subsequent study looked at lower carbohydrate diets and risk of diabetes. Women who ate low-carbohydrate diets that were high in vegetable sources of fat or protein had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease (7) and a modestly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, (19) compared to women who ate high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. But women who ate low-carbohydrate diets that were high in animal fats or proteins did not have a reduced risk of heart disease or diabetes.(7, 19)

Adding Good Carbohydrates

For optimal health, get your grains intact from foods such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, and other possibly unfamiliar grains like quinoa, whole oats, and bulgur. Not only will these foods help protect you against a range of chronic diseases, they can also please your palate and your eyes.

Until recently, you could only get whole-grain products in organic or non-traditional stores. Today they are popping up in more and more mainstream grocery stores. Here are some suggestions for adding more good carbohydrates to your diet:

Try brown rice with a twist: Check out this recipe for Spicy Coconut Rice with Limes, courtesy of Harvard University Dining Services.

Start the day with whole grains. If you're partial to hot cereals, try old-fashioned or steel-cut oats. If you're a cold cereal person, look for one that lists whole wheat, whole oats, or other whole grain first on the ingredient list.
Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks.Check the label to make sure that whole wheat or another whole grain is the first ingredient listed.
Bag the potatoes. Instead, try brown rice or even "newer" grains like bulgur, wheat berries, millet, or hulled barley with your dinner.
Pick up some whole wheat pasta. If the whole grain products are too chewy for you, look for those that are made with half whole-wheat flour and half white flour.
Bring on the beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.

References

1. Johnson LW, Weinstock RS. The metabolic syndrome: concepts and controversy. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2006; 81:1615–20.

2. Liese AD, Roach AK, Sparks KC, Marquart L, D'Agostino RB, Jr., Mayer-Davis EJ. Whole-grain intake and insulin sensitivity: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003; 78:965–71.

3. Ludwig DS. Clinical update: the low-glycaemic-index diet. Lancet. 2007; 369:890–2.

4. Foster-Powell K, Holt SH, Brand-Miller JC. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002; 76:5–56.

5. de Munter JS, Hu FB, Spiegelman D, Franz M, van Dam RM. Whole grain, bran, and germ intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study and systematic review. PLoS Med. 2007; 4:e261.

6. Beulens JW, de Bruijne LM, Stolk RP, et al. High dietary glycemic load and glycemic index increase risk of cardiovascular disease among middle-aged women: a population-based follow-up study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2007; 50:14–21.

7. Halton TL, Willett WC, Liu S, et al. Low-carbohydrate-diet score and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. New England Journal of Medicine. 2006; 355:1991–2002.

8. Anderson JW, Randles KM, Kendall CW, Jenkins DJ. Carbohydrate and fiber recommendations for individuals with diabetes: a quantitative assessment and meta-analysis of the evidence. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2004; 23:5–17.

9. Ebbeling CB, Leidig MM, Feldman HA, Lovesky MM, Ludwig DS. Effects of a low-glycemic load vs low-fat diet in obese young adults: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007; 297:2092–102.

10. Maki KC, Rains TM, Kaden VN, Raneri KR, Davidson MH. Effects of a reduced-glycemic-load diet on body weight, body composition, and cardiovascular disease risk markers in overweight and obese adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007; 85:724–34.

11. Chiu CJ, Hubbard LD, Armstrong J, et al. Dietary glycemic index and carbohydrate in relation to early age-related macular degeneration. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.2006; 83:880–6.

12. Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner BA, Willett WC. A prospective study of dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to risk of ovulatory infertility. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007.

13. Strayer L, Jacobs DR, Jr., Schairer C, Schatzkin A, Flood A. Dietary carbohydrate, glycemic index, and glycemic load and the risk of colorectal cancer in the BCDDP cohort.Cancer Causes and Control. 2007; 18:853–63.

14. Liu S, Willett WC. Dietary glycemic load and atherothrombotic risk. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2002; 4:454–61.

15. Willett W, Manson J, Liu S. Glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of type 2 diabetes.American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002; 76:274S–80S.

16. Foster GD, Wyatt HR, Hill JO, et al. A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003; 348:2082–90.

17. Samaha FF, Iqbal N, Seshadri P, et al. A low-carbohydrate as compared with a low-fat diet in severe obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003; 348:2074–81.

18. Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, et al. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007; 297:969–77.

19. Halton TL, Liu S, Manson JE, Hu FB. Low-carbohydrate-diet score and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87:339-46.

The Nutrition Source Food Pyramids: What Should You Really Eat?

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:03:00 +1100

Introduction

More than a decade and a half ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created a powerful and enduring icon: the Food Guide Pyramid. This simple illustration conveyed in a flash what the USDA said were the elements of a healthy diet. The Pyramid was taught in schools, appeared in countless media articles and brochures, and was plastered on cereal boxes and food labels.

With much fanfare, in 2005, the USDA retired the old Food Guide Pyramid and replaced it with MyPyramid, a new symbol and "interactive food guidance system." The new symbol is basically the old Pyramid turned on its side.Tragically, the information embodied in this pyramid didn't point the way to healthy eating. Why not? Its blueprint was based on shaky scientific evidence, and it barely changed over the years to reflect major advances in our understanding of the connection between diet and health.

The good news is that this dismantles and buries the flawed Pyramid. The bad news is that the new symbol doesn't convey enough information to help you make informed choices about your diet and long-term health. And it continues to recommend foods that aren't essential to good health, and may even be detrimental in the quantities included in MyPyramid.

As an alternative to the USDA's flawed pyramid, faculty members at the Harvard School of Public Health built the Healthy Eating Pyramid. It resembles the USDA's in shape only. The Healthy Eating Pyramid takes into consideration, and puts into perspective, the wealth of research conducted during the last 15 years that has reshaped the definition of healthy eating.

Pyramid Building

In the children's book Who Built the Pyramid?, (1) different people take credit for building the once-grand pyramid of Senwosret. King Senwosret, of course, claims the honor. But so does his architect, the quarry master, the stonecutters, slaves, and the boys who carried water to the workers.

The USDA's MyPyramid also had many builders. Some are obvious—USDA scientists, nutrition experts, staff members, and consultants. Others aren't. Intense lobbying efforts from a variety of food industries also helped shape the pyramid.

In theory, the USDA pyramid should reflect the nutrition advice assembled in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the USDA, the guidelines "provide authoritative advice for people two years and older about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases."

This document, which by law must be revised every five years, aims to offer sound nutrition advice that corresponds to the latest scientific research; indeed, on April 10, 2008, the USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plansto form the advisory committee for the 2010 version of the guidelines. The panel assembled to create the guidelines usually generates 100 or so pages of dense nutrition-speak. This document is translated into a reader friendly brochure aimed at helping the average person choose a balanced and healthy diet. Of far greater importance, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans set the standards for all federal nutrition programs, including the school lunch program, and helps determine what food products Americans buy. In other words, the guidelines influence how billions of dollars are spent each year. So even minor changes can hurt or help a food industry.

According to federal regulations, the panel that writes the dietary guidelines must include nutrition experts who are leaders in pediatrics, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and public health. Selecting the panelists is no easy task, and is subject to intense lobbying from organizations such as the National Dairy Council, United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, Soft Drink Association, American Meat Institute, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, and Wheat Foods Council. (2)

Dietary Guidelines 2005: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Released in early January 2005, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 continues to reflect the tense interplay of science and the powerful food industry. Several of the recommendations in the current version represent important steps in the right direction:

The current guidelines emphasize the importance of controlling weight, which was not adequately addressed in previous versions. And they continue to stress the importance of physical activity.
The recommendation on dietary fats makes a clear break from the past, when all fats were considered bad. The guidelines now emphasize that intake of trans fats should be as low as possible and that saturated fat should be limited. There is no longer an artificially low cap on fat intake. The latest advice recommends getting between 20 and 35 percent of daily calories from fats and recognizes the potential health benefits of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Instead of emphasizing "complex carbohydrates," a term used in the past that has little biological meaning, the new guidelines urge Americans to limit sugar intake and they stress the benefits of whole grains.

Others remain mired in the past:

The guidelines suggest that it is fine to consume half of our grains as refined starch. That's a shame, since refined starches, such as white bread and white rice, behave like sugar. They add empty calories, have adverse metabolic effects, and increase the risks of diabetes and heart disease.
In terms of protein, the guidelines continue to lump together red meat, poultry, fish, and beans (including soy products). They ask us to judge these protein sources by their total fat content, and "make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free." This ignores the evidence that these foods have different types of fats. It also overlooks mounting evidence that replacing red meat with a combination of fish, poultry, beans, and nuts offers numerous health benefits.
The recommendation to drink three glasses of low-fat milk or eat three servings of other dairy products per day to prevent osteoporosis is another step in the wrong direction. Of all the recommendations, this one represents the most radical change from current dietary patterns. Three glasses of low-fat milk a day amounts to more than 300 extra calories a day. This is a real issue for the millions of Americans who are trying to control their weight. What's more, millions of Americans are lactose intolerant, and even small amounts of milk or dairy products give them stomachaches, gas, or other problems. This recommendation ignores the lack of evidence for a link between consumption of dairy products and prevention of osteoporosis. It also ignores the possible increases in risk of ovarian cancer and prostate cancer associated with dairy products.

The USDA Pyramid, Brick by Brick

Distilling nutrition advice into a pyramid was a stroke of genius. The shape immediately suggests that some foods are good and should be eaten often, and that others aren't so good and should be eaten only occasionally. The layers represent major food groups that contribute to the total diet. MyPyramid tries to do this in an abstract way, and fails.

Six swaths of color sweep from the apex of MyPyramid to the base: orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, a teeny band of yellow for oils, blue for milk, and purple for meat and beans. Each stripe starts out as the same size, but they don't end that way at the base. The widths suggest how much food a person should choose from each group. A band of stairs running up the side of the Pyramid, with a little stick figure chugging up it, serves as a reminder of the importance of physical activity.

MyPyramid contains no text. According to the USDA, it was "designed to be simple," and details are at MyPyramid.gov. Unless you've taken the time to become familiar with the Pyramid, though, you have no idea what it means. Relying on the Web site to provide key information—like what the color stripes stand for and what the best choices are in each food group—guarantees that the millions of Americans without access to a computer or the Internet will have trouble getting these essential facts.

The USDA also chose not to put recommended numbers of servings on the new Pyramid because these differ from individual to individual according to weight, gender, activity level and age. Instead, it offers personalized Pyramids at MyPyramid.gov.

Building a Better Pyramid

If the only goal of MyPyramid is to give us the best possible advice for healthy eating, then it should be grounded in the evidence and be independent of business.

Instead of waiting for this to happen, nutrition experts from the Harvard School of Public Health created the Healthy Eating Pyramid, and updated it in 2008. The Healthy Eating Pyramid is based on the best available scientific evidence about the links between diet and health. This new pyramid fixes fundamental flaws in the USDA pyramid and offers sound information to help people make better choices about what to eat. (View a larger PDFimage of the new pyramid, in a separate window.)

The Healthy Eating Pyramid sits on a foundation of daily exercise and weight control. Why? These two related elements strongly influence your chances of staying healthy. They also affect what you eat and how your food affects you.

The other bricks of the Healthy Eating Pyramid include the following: Exercise and weight control are also linked through the simple rule of energy balance: Weight change = calories in – calories out. If you burn as many calories as you take in each day, there's nothing left over for storage in fat cells, and weight remains the same. Eat more than you burn, though, and you end up adding fat and pounds. Regular exercise can help you control your weight, and it is key part of any weight-loss effort.

Whole Grains

The body needs carbohydrates mainly for energy. The best sources of carbohydrates are whole grains such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice. They deliver the outer (bran) and inner (germ) layers along with energy-rich starch. The body can't digest whole grains as quickly as it can highly processed carbohydrates such as white flour. This keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from rising, then falling, too quickly. Better control of blood sugar and insulin can keep hunger at bay and may prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Plus, a growing body of research suggests that eating a diet rich in whole grains may also protect against heart disease.

Healthy Fats and Oils

Surprised that the Healthy Eating Pyramid puts some fats near the base, indicating they are okay to eat? Although this recommendation seems to go against conventional wisdom, it's exactly in line with the evidence and with common eating habits. The average American gets one-third or more of his or her daily calories from fats, so placing them near the foundation of the pyramid makes sense. Note, though, that it specifically mentions healthy fats and oils, not all types of fat. Good sources of healthy unsaturated fats include olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and other vegetable oils, trans fat-free margarines, nuts, seeds, avocadoes, and fatty fish such as salmon. These healthy fats not only improve cholesterol levels (when eaten in place of highly processed carbohydrates) but can also protect the heart from sudden and potentially deadly rhythm problems.

Vegetables and Fruits

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits has bountiful benefits. Among them: It can decrease the chances of having a heart attack or stroke; possibly protect against some types of cancers; lower blood pressure; help you avoid the painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis; guard against cataract and macular degeneration, the major causes of vision loss among people over age 65; and add variety to your diet and wake up your palate.

Nuts, Seeds, Beans, and Tofu

These plant foods are excellent sources of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Beans include black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, lentils, and other beans that are usually sold dried. Many kinds of nuts contain healthy fats, and packages of some varieties (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios) can now even carry a label saying they're good for your heart.

Fish, Poultry, and Eggs

These foods are also important sources of protein. A wealth of research suggests that eating fish can reduce the risk of heart disease, since fish is rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Chicken and turkey are also good sources of protein and can be low in saturated fat. Eggs, which have long been demonized because they contain fairly high levels of cholesterol, aren't as bad as they've been cracked up to be. In fact, an egg is a much better breakfast than a doughnut cooked in an oil rich in trans fats or a bagel made from refined flour. People with diabetes or heart disease, however, should limit their egg yolk consumption to no more than 3 a week. But egg whites are very high in protein and are a fine substitute for whole eggs in omelets and baking.

Dairy (1 to 2 Servings Per Day) or Vitamin D/Calcium Supplements

Building bone and keeping it strong takes calcium, vitamin D, exercise, and a whole lot more. Dairy products have traditionally been Americans' main source of calcium and, through fortification, vitamin D. But most people need at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day, far more than the 100 IU supplied by a glass of fortified milk. (See the multivitamins section, below, for more information on vitamin D needs.) And there are other healthier ways to get calcium than from milk and cheese, which can contain a lot of saturated fat. Three glasses of whole milk, for example, contains as much saturated fat as 13 strips of cooked bacon. If you enjoy dairy foods, try to stick mainly with no-fat or low-fat products. If you don't like dairy products, taking a vitamin D and calcium supplement offers an easy and inexpensive way to meet your daily vitamin D and calcium needs.

Use Sparingly: Red Meat and Butter

These sit at the top of the Healthy Eating Pyramid because they contain lots of saturated fat. Eating a lot of red meat may also increase your risk of colon cancer. If you eat red meat every day, switching to fish , chicken, or beans several times a week can improve cholesterol levels. So can switching from butter to olive oil. And eating fish has other benefits for the heart.

Use Sparingly: Refined Grains—White Bread, Rice, and Pasta; Potatoes; Sugary Drinks and Sweets; Salt

Why are these all-American staples at the top, rather than the bottom, of the Healthy Eating Pyramid? White bread, white rice, white pasta, other refined grains, potatoes,sugary drinks, and sweets can cause fast and furious increases in blood sugar that can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders. Whole grain carbohydrates cause slower, steadier increases in blood sugar that don't overwhelm the body's ability to handle carbohydrate. The salt shaker is a new addition to the "Use Sparingly" tip of the Healthy Eating Pyramid, one that's based on extensive research linking high-sodium diets to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Multivitamin with Extra Vitamin D (For Most People)

A daily multivitamin, multimineral supplement offers a kind of nutritional backup, especially when it includes some extra vitamin D. While a multivitamin can't in any way replace healthy eating, or make up for unhealthy eating, it can fill in the nutrient holes that may sometimes affect even the most careful eaters. You don't need an expensive name-brand or designer vitamin. A standard, store-brand, RDA-level one is fine for most nutrients—except vitamin D. In addition to its bone-health benefits, there's growing evidence that getting some extra vitamin D can help lower the risk of colon and breast cancer. Aim for getting at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day; multiple vitamins are now available with this amount. (Many people, especially those who spend the winter in the northern U.S. or have darker skin, will need extra vitamin D, often a total of 3,000 to 4,000 IU per day, to bring their blood levels up to an adequate range. If you are unsure, ask your physician to check your blood level.) Look for a multivitamin that meets the requirements of the USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia), an organization that sets standards for drugs and supplements.

Optional: Alcohol in Moderation (Not for Everyone)

Scores of studies suggest that having an alcoholic drink a day lowers the risk of heart disease. Moderation is clearly important, since alcohol has risks as well as benefits. For men, a good balance point is one to two drinks a day; in general, however, the risks of drinking, even in moderation, exceed benefits until middle age. For women, it's at most one drink a day; women should avoid alcohol during pregnancy.

Forget about Numbers and Focus on Quality

You'll notice that the Healthy Eating Pyramid does not give specific advice about the numbers of cups or ounces to have each day of specific foods. That's because it's not meant to be a rigid road map, and the amounts can vary depending on your body size and physical activity. It's a simple, general, flexible guide to how you should eat when you eat.

There's just one basic guideline to remember: A healthy diet includes more foods from the base of the pyramid than from the higher levels of the pyramid. Within this guideline, however, there's plenty of flexibility for different styles of eating and different food choices. A vegetarian can follow the Healthy Eating Pyramid by emphasizing nuts, beans, and other plant sources of protein, and choosing non-dairy sources of calcium and vitamin D; someone who eats animal products can choose fish or chicken for protein, with occasional red meat.

Choosing a variety of fresh, whole foods from all the food groups below the "Use Sparingly" category in the Healthy Eating Pyramid will ensure that you get the nutrients you need. It will also dramatically lower your salt intake, since most of the salt in the U.S. diet lurks in processed food—canned soups, frozen dinners, deli meats, snack chips, and the like.

Perhaps the only foods that are truly off-limits are foods that contain trans fat from partially hydrogenated oils. Luckily, in the U.S. and Canada, trans fats must be listed on nutrition labels. More and more food manufacturers, restaurants, and even entire communities are going trans fat-free, making it easier to avoid this health-damaging type of fat.

Other Alternatives

The Healthy Eating Pyramid summarizes the best dietary information available today. It isn't set in stone, though, because nutrition researchers will undoubtedly turn up new information in the years ahead. The Healthy Eating Pyramid will change to reflect important new evidence.

This isn't the only alternative to the USDA's MyPyramid. The Asian, Latin, Mediterranean, and vegetarian pyramids promoted by Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust are also good, evidence-based guides for healthy eating. The Healthy Eating Pyramid takes advantage of even more extensive research and offers a broader guide that is not based on a specific culture. The original Healthy Eating Pyramid is described in greater detail inEat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating, by Walter C. Willett, M.D. (the Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition in the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health) with Patrick J. Skerrett (published by Free Press, 2005).

Failing the Test

Back in the 1990s, the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion created the Healthy Eating Index "to measure how well American diets conform to recommended healthy eating patterns." (3) In its original form, this score sheet used five elements from the longstanding USDA Food Guide Pyramid (number of daily servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy products) and five from the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (total fat in the diet, percentage of calories from saturated fat, cholesterol intake, sodium intake, and variety of the diet). A score of 100 meant following the federal recommendations to the letter while a score of 0 meant totally ignoring them. (The USDA has since updated the score sheet to reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.)

To see how well the principles embodied in the Healthy Eating Pyramid stacked up against the government's advice, Harvard School of Public Health researchers created an Alternate Healthy Eating Index with a scoring system similar to the USDA's index. They then compared the two indexes, using information about daily diets collected from more than 100,000 female nurses and male health professionals taking part in two long-term studies.

Men who scored highest on the USDA's original Healthy Eating Index (meaning their diets most closely followed federal recommendations) reduced their overall risk of developing heart disease, cancer, or other chronic disease by 11 percent over 8 to 12 years of follow-up compared to those who scored lowest. Women who most closely followed the government's recommendations were only 3 percent less likely to have developed a chronic disease. (4)

In comparison, scores on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index did appear to correlate more closely with disease in both sexes. Men with high scores (those whose diets most closely followed the guidelines in the Healthy Eating Pyramid) were 20 percent less likely to have developed a major chronic disease than those with low scores. Women with high scores lowered their overall risk by 11 percent. Men whose diets most closely followed the Healthy Eating Pyramid lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease by almost 40 percent; women with high scores lowered their risk by almost 30 percent.

"The new USDA dietary pyramid is a lost opportunity to help Americans make informed choices about diet and long-term health," says Dr. Willett. "It's clear that we need to rebuild the pyramid from the ground up, not just tip it on its side and dress it up with new colors. Every American deserves it."

References

1. Hooper M, Heighway-Bury R. Who Built the Pyramid? Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2001.

2. Abboud L. Expect a food fight as U.S. sets to revise diet guidelines. Wall Street Journal: August 8, 2003, B1.

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. The Healthy Eating Index. 1995. Accessed on 18 April 2007.

4. McCullough ML, Feskanich D, Stampfer MJ, et al. Diet quality and major chronic disease risk in men and women: moving toward improved dietary guidance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002; 76:1261-71.

The Nutrition Source Food Pyramids: What Should You Really Eat?-Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:59:00 +1100

Introduction

How to Protect Your Skin From the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:45:00 +1100

To minimize skin damage from the sun, follow these guidelines, based on the recommendations of the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Instructions

1
Long-term exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin. To protect it, stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the rays are at their strongest. And remember that clouds don't block UV rays.
Step2
Seek shade when you're outdoors.
Step3
Wear a hat, preferably with a 4-inch brim all around, to effectively cover your face, neck and ears.
Step4
Wear long sleeves and long pants, making sure they're made of tightly woven fabrics.
Step5
Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 every day to help protect against incidental sun exposure; reapply it after swimming or sweating.
Step6
Keep in mind that a typical T-shirt has a lower SPF than the American Cancer Society recommends, so you'll still need to apply sunscreen to areas the T-shirt covers.
Step7
Be aware that ultraviolet rays generally reflect off water, sand, snow and any light-colored surface, such as concrete; be diligent in applying sunscreen when you're around these surfaces.
Step8
Remember that some ultraviolet radiation will penetrate water and windows, so you always need protection.
Step9
Avoid indoor sunlamps and tanning beds, since they can be more harmful to your skin than the sun.

Prevention
Protection from sun exposure is important all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach. Ultraviolet (UV) rays can reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays also reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow.
The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight savings time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time) are the most hazardous for UV exposure in the continental United States. UV rays are the greatest during the late spring and early summer in North America.
CDC recommends easy options for sun protection¹—
- Use sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVBprotection.
- Wear clothing to protect exposed skin.
- Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck.
- Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
- Seek shade, especially during midday hours.
Sunscreen
The sun's UV rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Put on sunscreen before you go outside, even on slightly cloudy or cool days. Don't forget to put a thick layer on all parts of exposed skin. Get help for hard-to-reach places like your back.
How sunscreen works. Most sun protection products work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering sunlight. They contain chemicals that interact with the skin to protect it from UV rays. All products do not have the same ingredients; if your skin reacts badly to one product, try another one or call a doctor.
SPF. Sunscreens are assigned a sun protection factor (SPF) number that rates their effectiveness in blocking UV rays. Higher numbers indicate more protection. You should use a sunscreen with at least SPF 15.
Reapplication. Sunscreen wears off. Put it on again if you stay out in the sun for more than two hours, and after you swim or do things that make you sweat.
Expiration date. Check the sunscreen's expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.
Cosmetics. Some make-up and lip balms contain some of the same chemicals used in sunscreens. If they do not have at least SPF 15, don't use them by themselves.
Clothing
Loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and long pants made from tightly woven fabric offer the best protection from the sun's UV rays. A wet T-shirt offers much less UV protection than a dry one. Darker colors may offer more protection than lighter colors.
If wearing this type of clothing isn't practical, at least try to wear a T-shirt or a beach cover-up. Keep in mind that a typical T-shirt has an SPF rating lower than 15, so use other types of protection as well.
Hats
For the most protection, wear a hat with a brim all the way around that shades your face, ears, and the back of your neck. A tightly woven fabric, such as canvas, works best to protect your skin from UV rays. Avoid straw hats with holes that let sunlight through. A darker hat may offer more UV protection.
If you wear a baseball cap, you should also protect your ears and the back of your neck by wearing clothing that covers those areas, using sunscreen with at least SPF 15, or by staying in the shade.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts. They also protect the tender skin around your eyes from sun exposure.
Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays offer the best protection. Most sunglasses sold in the United States, regardless of cost, meet this standard. Wrap-around sunglasses work best because they block UV rays from sneaking in from the side.
Shade
You can reduce your risk of skin damage and skin cancer by seeking shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter before you need relief from the sun. Your best bet to protect your skin is to use sunscreen or wear protective clothing when you're outside—even when you're in the shade.
References
¹Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for school programs to prevent skin cancer. MMWR 2002;51(No. RR-4):1–16.

How to fish

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:30:00 +1100

Fishing is a good skill to obtain food when you are alone, and also a big fun.

Bait fishing is one of the easiest ways to catch fish. The approaches to catching fish are many--fly fishing, spinner fishing, jig fishing, trolling, and snagging to name a few—bait fishing is a good method for the beginning fisherman or fisherwoman. Bait fishing offers both simplicity and effectiveness for anglers. It is simple in that one only has to bait up a hook and throw the line in the water, and it is effective because the presence of live bait is a temptation that hardly any fish can resist!

It is said that if you give a man a fish he’ll eat for a day. If you teach him how to fish, however, he’ll eat for a lifetime. This article can help keep your belly full of fish for years to come!

Generally, how to fish can be introduced in 12 steps:

Steps

1
Choose a location. Make sure to fish in water that actually has fish in it. If there aren’t any fish, you aren’t going to catch anything. Many newspapers have local fishing reports that will list locations and tell you what fish, if any, are biting and what they’re biting on. You can also ask around at angling shops, marinas and camping supply stores in the area. You can also check by throwing in food scraps and waiting a few minutes.
2
Choose your bait, and your hooks. Once you have some idea of what fish you’re looking to catch and what they’re eating, you can pick the right bait. You need hooks that will FIT INTO the fish's mouth. #1 hooks work well for many things, but size 8 to 5/0 will work well for some fish. Ask your local tackle shop about the hook sizing system (i.e. 6,4,2,1,1/0, 2/0). The smaller the hook the better the chance of a bite, also a very thin line will result in more bites. Making a hook knot is difficult with small hooks. Ask a tackleshop owner or another fisherman to teach you.
- Because fish eat insects and aquatic life, there are literally millions of effective baits to choose from. The old standards are tough to beat, though. Consider using worms, salmon eggs, grasshoppers, shrimp, liver,bacon , or synthetic baits--Power Bait, for example--that are made to resemble and smell like live bait. You can either purchase live bait at the local angling shop, or you can gather your own. Many anglers gather worms in a lawn after a rain or late at night with a flashlight. You can find grasshoppers along the banks of a stream.
- If bait is plenty start feeding some bait around the place where you want to fish. Repeat this regularly especially in swift streams.
3
Choose the appropriate bait fishing method:
- If the water is quite swift--a small river or stream--it is probably best to attach weights to your line about 12" above your bait. By weighting down your line you will keep your bait in place about an inch above the floor of the water—right where fish are likely to be hunting.
- If the water is not moving rapidly, as in a lake or a large, slow river, consider using a bobber. A bobber is generally a brightly colored plastic device that floats on the surface of the water. The bobber will attach easily to your line, and you should place your bait below the bobber. Adjust the distance between the bobber and your bait to accommodate the depth of the body of water. You want your bait located where the fish are, so consider shortening and lengthening the distance between bait and bobber, or even adding small weights (also called split shot) to keep your bait perfectly suspended under water.
4
Cast your line and wait for a bite. You can tell if a fish is biting by touch, by watching a loose line or a bobber, or by attaching a bell to the end of your rod. Make sure with a slow movement of the rod that there is no more slack in the line when you try to hook the fish. Waiting for a bite can take a lot of patience, but that’s what fishing’s all about. Using light tackle combined with feeding around your bait will produce bites much quicker. When you catch a fish feed a little extra, because fish often live in smaller or larger groups that you want to stay around.
5
Wait.That said, if you’re waiting for 10-15 minutes and you still haven’t gotten a bite, try casting somewhere else and wait again.
6
Hook that fish. Once you feel a tug on the line you will want to "set" your hook. To do this, simply give your fishing rod (and consequently the fishing line) a quick jerk backward and up. If you have a fish on line, it will fight back and your line will follow the movements of the fish. It can sometimes be difficult to tell if you have a bite or if you’re just feeling the current or a fish bumping into the bait. Only practice can help you get a feel for it.
7
Pull the fish in by pumping and lifting the rod vertically while simultaneously reeling.Don't use the reel to pull in the fish, except for very small fish. Keep the line tight. More fish are lost to loose lines than anything else. A loose line provides an opportunity for your fish to "throw the hook" right out of it's mouth. By keeping tension on the line you will ensure that the hook remains in the mouth of the fish. All modern reels have an adjustable drag but nylon lines drag can be adjusted by pulling with the hand. If you feel the nylon stretching, the drag should begin to work. Even very big fish get tired when pulling against a constant line pressure. Try to use the rod to steer the fish to open water.
8
Grab hold of the fish. Using a net for this purpose is very effective. Keep the fish in the water if you plan on releasing it. If you plan on eating the fish, get the fish out of the water as quickly as possible and take the hook out away from the water. You will find fish to be quite slippery and fast, and more than one fish has been lost by dropping to the ground and rapidly returning to the water.
9
Remove the hook. Again, if you are planning on releasing the fish, try to take the hook out inflicting as little trauma as possible to the fish - don't rip the hook from its lip, gently BACK it out, so that it comes out the way it came in. There are special tools designed for taking hooks out, although needle nosed pliers work quite effectively. You can also use the needle nosed pliers to crush the barb on your hook, to make it easier to remove the hook. Some professionals recommend doing this before casting your line out (especially when fishing for catfish), to make it easier to release your catch. It truly works best with circle/octopus circle type hooks. These hooks make it easier to set the hook in the lip/corner of the fish's mouth; without much effort on your part.
10
Decide if you are catching and releasing or keeping the fish. If you are going to cook the fish, you may want to consider cleaning the fish at this point.
11
Repeat the process. Check your line for damage, and then re-bait your hook. Keep reeling 'em in!
12
Also look for fishing moving along the shoreline! This is a really great place to find them and they just jump out of the water.

Help yourself without medicine

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:22:00 +1100

Bharat Savur

To be healthy and robust at 80 without hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes, etc. is a magnificent achievement. Especially when you consider the medical evidence -- tiny alterations in the body-tissues at the tender age of 10, sometimes earlier, heral d the onset of these disorders. Sobering thought.

That's why Deepak Chopra was impressed by the hale and hearty 80-year-old Belinda. When asked how she'd managed it, she replied, ``I stayed out of trouble and I worked hard every day of my life.''

Strikingly significant is her simple ``I stayed out of trouble'' -- encompassing a whole world of personal meaning. Belinda ``stayed out of trouble'' because at a deeper level, she lived by an awareness of what is good for her.

Ponder awhile and... we discover that this awareness is in us too -- a faint echo of what is good for us. Yet, most of the time, insensitive, deaf to this echo, we live on automation. Result: trouble.

To avoid this downhill course, we need to be continually aware. It's common sense -- what is beyond awareness we cannot tend to, hence, afflictions catch up with us. If we remain sedentary, stamina lowers gradually and it's years later that we realise we can't run up the stairs as effortlessly as we could. This jolt of recognition is the jolt to our dormant awareness.

We are blessed -- we breathe, blink, move reflexively. Not having to labour over these functions, our tendency is to live on automation too: a sophoric state or non-awareness. Interestingly, when we pay attention to a function, the awareness it brings is immediate. For example, when my students do the `bicep curl', they do it automatically. But, when they grip a two-and-half pound dumbbell while doing the `bicep curl', the response is palpable. Their eyes widen, they nod satisfiedly, ``There's a differe nce. I feel something happening.'' This is awareness -- the beginning of transformation.

Awareness is as much a body-response as it is of the mind. The weighted dumbbell tricks the awareness into awakening. And exercise becomes a voluntary, conscious, not automatic, movement. More. The muscles experience this conscious flexing and learn the awareness of being stronger, more streamlined. Still more. The message of conscious movement reaches the brain, heart, other organs, glands, immune system and they experience and learn a new, more balanced mode of functioning.

That is, the simple action of weight-training acts like a person moving from room to room switching on lights. Each room of the body gets illuminated, aware of a brighter, better way of existing and functioning: a holistic self-fulfilling phenomenon.

The importance of awareness lies in the mind-biological connection it makes and sparks into an intention that fulfills itself. When we help ourselves to a glass of water, it's because the body is thirsty. Awareness conveys this thirst to the mind which t hen triggers neurological processes and biological mechanisms that propel us bodily towards the art of drinking water. If our awareness were dim or non-existent, the thirsty body would dehydrate and die.

Similarly, pain is the culmination of early-warning twinges of the body that were ignored. When pain forces us to pay attention, we consult a doctor. Medicines ease the pain and we slip back to our non-awareness state. Gradually, the pain returns.

As it happened with Charul. Three years ago, she had cervical spondylitis and a lower-back pain. Medication helped. ``I thought I was cured,'' she told me, ``So, I didn't do anything more.'' But, since the last six months, she started waking up to stiffn ess in the lower back. This time, a fitness-savvy friend hauled her to a physiotherapist. This time, her `medicine' was strengthening exercises for the neck and back. Their fitness programme supplied the finishing touch. Just three sessions on their simp le rope-and-pulley equipment and Charul says she has been free of stiffness ever since.

Now, there's a new confidence in her body movements as she works out. Gone is the gingerness. The fitness-phrase ``Use it, don't lose it'' has gained new meaning. There's new hope -- that exercise will also banish the cramp in her thigh -- a childhood af fliction that's prevented her from sitting in the lotus position. There's a new purpose, a resolve that matches Belinda's ``I'll stay out of trouble.''

Our body-workings are the sum-result of our intentions. With our every thought and action comes a physiological response -- blood pressure, heartbeat, respiration, temperature fluctuate. Awareness oversees and subtly provides the skill to navigate these intentions towards a beneficial direction. Paying attention sets priorities that clue us into our personal streams of being.

Weight-training or pulleys -- that work on the body-weight resistance principle -- focus our attention on particular areas of the body. When awareness is stoked, the body senses our intention and becomes alert. Then, as the flow of movements synchronise with the flow of awareness, the stored pains and knots dissolve to bring in a stretched sense of freshness.

It's this freshness that Belinda lives by. An instinctual existence. For, `staying out of trouble' means `staying in health'. In the healing echoes of our awareness.

(The writer is the co-author of the book `Fitness for Life'.)

Animal source food

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:20:00 +1100

No strenuousness on this subject is intended; it is better to let each one choose for himself: yet it may not be improper that some suggestions should be made, some facts stated, and the results of experience shown, for the benefit of any who may be willing to heed. Flesh, as already intimated, composed no part of the food provided for man in his primeval state: its use came to be suffered in consequence of the fall. And if, as argued by some, the food obtained only from the vegetable kingdom is not adequate to the sustenance of man, the Creator must have made a mistake in his first arrangement for the support of his creatures. The fact that naturalists have classified man as in part a carnivorous animal, does not prove it his duty to eat flesh: because either the indications of his classification are the result of his habits of flesh-eating, or they existed before the fall, and mean nothing as relates to his mode of living. The teeth of the carnivorous animals have either conformed to their habits, or they existed in the present form before the fall, and consequently have nothing to do with their eating flesh; for it cannot be supposed that animals devoured one another in their primeval state.

One objection to eating animal food lies in the fact that it increases the proportion of our animality. When the nutrition of vegetation comes to us through the flesh of an animal, it has undergone a sort of animalization; and as it passes into our circulation the proportion of the animality in our natures is increased. A serious objection would seem to lie against such a result, for man is quite sufficiently animal without taking a course to make him more so.

The facts supporting the above statement are these. It is well known that when hunters wish to prepare their hounds for the chase, they confine the diet of those animals to flesh; and that this course does increase the savageness of their dispositions. When ancient warriors desired to give their soldiery a special fitting for the brutal battle-field, they would feed them exclusively on flesh. When the gamester at cock-fighting is preparing his fowl to win the prize, he confines him to flesh. The experiment of flesh-eating has been tried upon the cow. When she was confined to flesh food, rather than starve, she at length ate flesh; and finally lusted after it, and ate it as greedily as though she had belonged to the carnivorous race. But it changed her natural disposition to that of the tiger: she became ferocious. And she verified another general rule with meat-eaters; she lost all her teeth.

It is generally admitted among intelligent people, that eating much flesh tends to animality; and that consequently it is not well for those who devote themselves to study to indulge largely in the use of meat. This general impression is founded on sound philosophy. When we increase the proportion of our animal nature, we oppress the intellectual and moral. If students would make easy progress, they must not indulge themselves with eating much flesh; and the less the better. If any would be eminent in morals or religion, let them eat but little flesh; and the less the better. For when we increase the activity of the animal propensities, we weaken the power of the moral sentiment, and endanger the rectitude of moral action. We need to encourage and cultivate our intellectual and moral powers, rather than our carnality. We are naturally savage enough in our dispositions, and fleshly enough in out appetites, without taking a course that will increase those qualities. There can be no question but that the use of flesh tends to create a grossness of body and spirit. A reference to the history and character of different nations alone would prove this. There is certainly a grossness in the idea of one dumb animal's making food of another animal; and the idea of an intelligent being's devouring the flesh of another animate creature us grosser still. And will a person of refinement -- will the advocate of moral purity and religion -- will woman indulge in such luxuries?

Animal food vitiates the fluids of the system. Practical demonstration has often substantiated this statement. Take the great mass of cases which require treatment for a humor, and it will generally be found that the individuals thus affected were, themselves or their immediate predecessors, large eaters of flesh. Even the cancer can generally be traced back, either mediately or immediately, to such an origin. And what has been found to be the most effectual remedy in cases of common humor? Abstinence from eating flesh. When we feed on flesh, we not only eat the muscular fibres, but the juices or fluids of the animal; and these fluids pass into our own circulation -- become our blood -- our fluids, and our flesh. However pure may be the flesh of the animals we eat, their fluids tend to engender in us a humorous state of the blood. But the meat that is given us in the markets is very far from being pure. The very process taken to fit the animals for market, tends to produce a diseased state of their fluids. The process of stall feeding is a forced and unnatural process, by which the fluids become diseased; and then we eat those diseased fluids. Some of our meat is fatted in country pastures; but by the time it reaches us, the process of driving to market has produced a diseased action of the fluids.

If it be argued that these objections may lie against raw meat, but not against it when cooked, it may be answered, that if meat can be cooked so severely as to remove its juices entirely, it might be comparatively harmless; but just in proportion to those juices will be its nutrition, and also its injurious qualities; besides, if the juices could be entirely removed, who would eat the meat? and how could nourishment be obtained from it?

Animal food exposes the system more effectually to the causes of acute disease. Where the fluids are in a diseased state the ordinary causes of disease find a more easy prey. Thousands on thousands of those who have been afflicted with or have died of fevers, smallpox, cholera, etc, might probably have escaped their deadly influence if their fluids had not been vitiated by animal food. In cases of inoculation for smallpox, a dieting process is recommended, which very much mitigates the malignant character of the disease. But let an individual be inoculated who has been accustomed to simplicity and regularity of diet, and especially who has been accustomed to abstinence from animal food, and he is already dieted; he need not change his course; he is prepared to have the disease with comparative safety. The use of meat is undoubtedly a fruitful source of disease, and a means of enhancing those diseases which are unavoidable. The severest cases of worms in children may, as a general rule, be found among the greatest meat-eaters.

The vitiated state of the fluids is often seen in the character of wounds. In those whose fluids are pure, wounds heal readily. Smooth-cut wounds, if rightly treated, will heal by what is called "the first intention," or the first effort of nature: while in those whose fluids are vitiated, there is a liability to extensive inflammation and ulceration. In cases of rough wounds and bruises, where the fluids are pure, nature gets up a cure with remarkable speed; but in those whose fluids are corrupted, the process of cure is generally long protracted, and sometimes exceedingly obstinate and unmanageable. The following extract contains testimony on this point: -"Flesh-Eating and Vegetable-Eating. -- To consider man anatomically, he is decidedly a vegetable-eating animal. He is constructed like no flesh-eating animal, but like all vegetable-eating animals. He has not claws like the lion, the tiger, or the cat, but his teeth are short and smooth, like those of the horse, the cow, and the fruit-eating animals; and his hand is evidently intended to pluck the fruit, not seize his fellow animals. What animals does man most resemble in every respect? The ape tribes: frugiverous animals. Doves and sheep, by being fed on animal food, (and they may be, as has been fully proved,) will come to refuse their natural food: thus has it been with man. On the contrary, even cats may be brought up to live on vegetable food, so they will not touch any sort of flesh, and be quite vigorous and sleek. Such cats will kill their natural prey just as other cats, but will refuse them as food. Man is naturally a vegetable-eating animal: how, then, could he possibly be injured by abstinence from flesh? A man, by way of experiment, was made to live entirely on animal food; after having persevered ten days, symptoms of incipient putrefaction began to manifest themselves. Dr. Lamb, of London, has lived for the last thirty years on a diet of vegetable food. He commenced when he was about fifty years of age, so he is now about eighty, -- rather more, I believe, -- and is still healthy and vigorous. The writer of the Oriental Annual mentions that the Hindoos, among whom he travelled, were so free from any tendency to inflammation, that he has seen compound fractures of the skull among them, yet the patient to be at his work, as if nothing ailed him, at the end of three days. How different is it with our flesheating, porter-swilling London brewers: a scratch is almost death to them." -- Flowers and Fruits, by J. E. Dawson.

The objections, then, against meat-eating are threefold: intellectual, moral, and physical. Its tendency is to check intellectual activity, to depreciate moral sentiment, and to derange the fluids of the body. It is a consequent of the fall, and is adapted to enhance its evils. It is not essential to physical energy and strength: if it is, then the Creator, as before stated, made a mistake when he originally gave to man for his nourishment simply the fruits of Eden.

Animal food is also too stimulating. Simple stimulus mixed with nutrition is what we not only do not need, but its tendency is injurious. Take two laboring men -- one lives on meat, the other on vegetables -- the meat-eater may at first be able to excel in the amount of labor performed in a given time, just as that man will excel who takes brandy with his meal; but in the long run, the man who depends on nutrition that is simple and unstimulating will endure longer and perform more.

The objections against eating flesh are, however, less forcible in the case of laborers than of those of intellectual and sedentary habits. While the laborer works off a measure of the evil influence exerted on his intellectual, moral, and physical systems, the sedentary man retains them.

In speaking of the objections to meat-eating, all kinds of flesh are not meant: fish may be excepted: and fowls are altogether less objectionable than the general run of quadrupeds. And the objections to meat-eating in general are not meant to be urged with the same strenuousness which is intended to be used in regard to other matters presented in this work: for while these may strictly be resolved into rules of natural law, those may perhaps with propriety come under rules of expediency. Matters of fact have been stated, deductions philosophically drawn, and practical demonstrations presented; and every candid reader -- unbiassed by a flesh-loving appetite -- can easily come to the conclusion for himself, whether it be better to eat or to dispense with flesh in his diet. The author of these suggestions has given the matter of abstinence from flesh-eating a trial of six years; and would by no means be induced to return to the use of animal food.

Live without medicine 1 - Food And Drinks. Vegetable Food

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:18:00 +1100

All our nutrition comes primarily from the vegetable kingdom. If we eat flesh, the nourishment which made that flesh came from vegetables. The nutrition from the corn on which the hog is fatted becomes assimilated into his flesh, and by eating that pork we get the nutrition of the corn, animalized, after passing through, and having been incorporated into, his system; or if we eat pork that has been fatted on dead animal matter, we get our vegetable nutrition after its having passed through two processes of assimilation. But it is proposed to speak here of taking vegetable nutrition in its original state.

This was unquestionably the original method adopted by the Creator for the nourishment of man. Man, in his original, holy state, was provided for from the vegetables of that happy garden which was given him to prune. This was the Creator's original plan; one animal was not to devour another animal for food; the eating of flesh was suffered as one of the consequences of the fall. Living on vegetable food is undoubtedly the most natural and healthy method of subsistence.

It is not intended in this small work to dwell so particularly upon the kind of food which may be most conducive to health, as upon the manner and regularity of eating. There are, however, some vegetables in common use, which ought promptly and forever to be rejected. Cucumbers, though considered a luxury, should never be eaten. They are cold, indigestible things. True, some stomachs can seem to digest them with apparent impunity: so, too, some stomachs can digest jackknives; but this does not prove that they should be used for food. The condiments with which they are usually prepared do not assist in their digestion; except by over-stimulating the stomach, which stimulating process always tends to weaken that organ. Condiments aid in digestion in the same way that alcoholic liquor aids a laborer in performing an extra task; which process always tends to weaken the system. There are other articles which might be mentioned as inappropriate for the human stomach; but a little common sense and observation will generally decide upon what is proper and what improper.

It is proper and needful that a continual sameness in diet should be avoided. It is better that there should be considerable sameness in each individual meal; but the kind of articles of which different meals are composed may with benefit be varied. The more simple the diet on the whole, the better. Complicated food, especially that which is compounded with various kinds of condiments, is bad; such as very rich puddings, cake, and pastry of various sorts. Mince pies, wedding-cake, and plum-puddings, as they are generally made, should never be introduced into the human stomach -- and the prohibition need never extend beyond the human stomach, for dumb animals could not be compelled to eat them. Food should be simple, yet nutritious, and so prepared -- though not with stimulating ingredients -as to be palatable -- inviting to the appetite. If the food be poor or poorly prepared, the stomach will loathe it. Here is found one cause why some have not been successful in their efforts to simplify their diet; they have reduced their living to a poverty-stricken quality, by which their whole systems have become weakened. Food should be palatable and nutritious. It is not best that that kind of food should be constantly used which embraces within a given quantity the greatest amount of nutrition; but the nutritious and comparatively innutritious kinds, should be used together; for instance, sugar is too nutritious, i.e., too much nutrition in a given quantity, to be used alone as a meal; the digestive organs would soon break down with such an incumbrance. But sugar is a good article of diet when used in conjunction with articles containing less nutrition in the same quantity.

Simplicity of diet, i.e., living on simple, plain food, is exceedingly important in securing good health and a sound constitution. The great cause of the difference between the present standard of health and that of puritan times, consists in the difference in the manner of living. Then the people lived naturally; now they live artificially. Then their food was plain, homely, and simple; now it is rich, delicate, and complicated. Then the bean-porridge was the luxury; now the highly seasoned meats and the rich pastry. The children were brought up on plainer food than even their parents; now the little ones generally are invited to all the unnatural luxuries in which the parents indulge. Then a plain brown crust, even without butter, was ate with relish; now nothing but the richest dainties will meet the demand.

Fruits of various kinds are proper articles of diet in connection with other food. Apples, pears, plums, cherries, oranges, pine-apples, etc, may properly be made articles of diet, and come under the same rules and restrictions as other articles of food. They may be treated as mere luxuries to be eaten at any and all times; because they require very little effort of the digestive organs to dissolve them and extract their nutrition. It is undoubtedly better, however, that fruit should be taken as other articles of diet, at the regular time of eating, as a part of the meal. As a general rule, fruit should be taken as a part of the regular dinner. Good, ripe fruit, taken in this way, is beneficial to health by way of variety; and, if the bowels are at all sluggish, fruits are adapted to remove that difficulty.

The quantity of food which it is necessary to take at each meal is not a matter of so much importance as the regularity and simplicity of diet. Some writers on diet have undertaken to prescribe certain limits to the quantity of food to be taken, by weight. This would seem to be a difficult task. To measure out to each one a quantity suited to all the different circumstances in which he may be placed, and to all persons according to their great variety of ages and constitutions, would be a laborious undertaking indeed: and it seems to be unnecessary. Whoever will govern himself by dietetic law -- eat plain food -- only three times a day -- give time for food to digest -- take proper exercise -- will find little difficulty in settling the question, how much he ought to eat. Whoever will live right, need not ask his cook to weigh out his quantum of food: only give her a chance, and Dame Nature will settle that matter, and relieve him of all such burden of mind. A person with morbid appetite may eat too much; and he should limit himself: but a perfectly healthy stomach will easily decide when it is sufficiently supplied.

Many have injured themselves by too rigidly limiting themselves in their quantity of food; so that their systems were not sufficiently nourished. In the effort to change their course of living from extreme luxury to temperance, they ran over the line, into the opposite extreme. They reduced the quantity and the quality of their food too low. By this course they reduced their health and strength, and finally perhaps concluded that their former way of living was the best. The system must have nourishment, and the quantity must be varied according to circumstances; and a perfectly healthy stomach will furnish the best index to the quantity demanded.

It is a misfortune for any one, especially for one whose health has become deranged, to keep his mind continually dwelling on the questions, what he shall eat, how much, etc, because this continued mental anxiety tends to embarrass the free action of the digestive functions, and increase the difficulty. Still he must give some attention to the subject in some way: he must hot be reckless in regard to the laws of his existence. The better way is, let him make himself intelligent on the subject of the laws of his nature, and then he can keep himself within the limits of those laws without mental effort, a* well as he can keep himself within the limits of civil law when once understood.

can you survive 2012?

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Wed, 3 Feb 2010 11:19:00 +1100

are u ready for the disaster in 2012?

December 21, 2012 is a date that has been predicted as the end of the world. The most widely publicized prophecy for this date is the Mayan calendar, which was constructed centuries ago and mysteriously ends on this exact date.

Scientists agree with this theory because on that day in the not so distant future, the earth and sun will align with the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, something that only happens about once every 25,000 years. Some predict this could cause a global catastrophe as the world shifts suddenly, and the North and South poles end up on the equator, causing earthquakes, flooding, storms, and volcanic action like we have never seen before.

If this isn’t chilling enough, other prophetic sources have pointed to the end of the world being sometime in the year 2012. While the Bible does not make direct reference to the year 2012, it does depict various similar events that many believe are happening right now before our very eyes. Jesus’ disciples asked him some very serious questions about when the end of the age would be. Jesus replied with this:

“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew 24:4-8

I think we are living in the days the Jesus predicted, lots of proofs can indicate it, If you are not sure about the disaster in 2012, you can search more proofs about it,

Depend on current predictions and science, this is my prediction:
In 2012, a global catastrophe would happen including the world shifts suddenly, and the North and South poles end up on the equator, causing earthquakes, flooding, storms, and volcanic action, and the Atlantis land would rise from the seabottom, and some other places would disappear,such as most of America,Europe,and Australia.

Then how we can survive 2012? I would offer my plan to the people who want to survive 2012,and build a group,a group people can have more chance to survive than single person. Leave your Email on the left-bottom SUBSCRIPTION area, I would inform you about the plan and how we can survive and begin new civilization, I would also post it in later article, if you want to join the group, you are welcome.if you also have a plan to survive in 2012,please leave a comment.

Generally if we want to survive it and start a new civilization,
the most important thing is find out a safe place,escape initial earthquake,tidal waves etc.
prepare enough survival material,
emergency food,skills such as fishing,hunting,pure water,
Seeds of vegetables, grains, rice and other kind of food source,
the ability to cure of disease without medicine.
books with all kind of knowledge.
For more detail,I would offer that in email and article later.

Edgar Cayce's Prophecies of earth changes

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Tue, 2 Feb 2010 21:33:00 +1100

Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 January 3, 1945), (the surname pronounced "Casey") is generally remembered as an American psychic who gave trance discourses on subjects like astrology, reincarnation, and Atlantis. He may have been the source for the idea that California would fall into the ocean (though he never said exactly this). Although Cayce lived before the emergence of the New Age movement, he remains a major influence on its teachings.

This popular image overlooks what to him were the more important strains within his work such as healing (the vast majority of his "readings" were given for people who were sick) or Christian theology (Cayce being a lifelong, devout member of the Disciples of Christ). Skeptics challenge Cayce's claim to psychic prowess, while conservative Christians doubt this and/or his orthodox

this is some his prophecies of earth changes:
1.Geographic alterations are coming for most of America. They will be experienced especially along the two coasts,but also in the central part of America.

2.New land will appear up out of the Atlantic and the Pacific. Other coastal areas that are currently dry land will become "the bed of the ocean."

3.These inundations won't be limited to America. Some of the battlefields of World War II(going on as this reading was given) will eventually be submerged places.

4.Affected portions of the east coast will include the NEW York city area. However,this will not happen as soon as many of these others,and will rather be in some other generation.

5.Much sooner than the changes along the northern Atlantic sea coast will be alterations along the south Atlantic. Portions of the Carolinas and Georgia will become permanently submerged.

6.The drainage basin for north central America will be altered so that waters from the Great Lakes will empty into the Mississippi River basin(and into the Gulf of Mexio) rather than via the St. Lawrence River

7.Severe changes for Los Angeles and San Francisco will happen well before any changes coming for NEW York.

8.Certain "safety lands" exist - places less vulnerable to the coming changes.Among these safety lands of North America are southeastern Virginia(e.g.,Virginia Beach, where Cayce's own reading had instructed him to move in the mid-1920s for reasons more complex than just potential eearth changes),Portions of Ohio,Indiana and Illinois,much of the southern and the eastern portions of Canada.

Mayan 2012 End of the world

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:34:00 +1100

The Mayan calendar cycle the ends on 21 21 2012,Lots of scenarios would happen on the day, including a reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles,Meteorite or Comet would hit the earth.
Astronomical scientists are proofing an extremely close conjunction of the Sun with the crossing point of the Galactic Equator (Equator of the Milky Way) and the Ecliptic (path of the Sun) on the day. the Sun Spot Cycle would be very strong at that time, and NASA has confirmed the change also.
Anyone got new thread, you are welcome to share your found here

Cancer and Treatment

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:13:00 +1100

Cancer is abnormal cell growth
Generally, cancer happens when the normal cells in our body grow in an uncontrolled way. Our bodies are made up of billions of different types of cells. We are always making new cells. This enables us to grow, replace worn out cells and heal damaged cells after an injury. Special genes make sure the new cells develop and behave the way they should.

If these genes are damaged, our cells can multiply fast and grow abnormally. This abnormal cell growth may turn into a cancer. If cancer cells replace too many healthy cells, the affected organ can no longer work properly.

Where cancers start
Cancers can start in any part of the body. They have different names depending on where they start. For example:

Carcinomas – start in the cells that line the skin and body cavities.
Sarcomas – grow within supportive tissues of the body such as muscle, bone and fatty tissue.
Leukaemia – is one type of cancer that develops in the tissue where white blood cells are formed, called the bone marrow, and affects the cells in the blood.
Myeloma – develops in the plasma cells.
Lymphoma – begins in the cells of the lymphatic system.
Tumours explained
A tumour is a lump or growth of abnormal cells. It can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A benign tumour is made up of cells that are similar to normal cells. They do not cause problems unless they grow very large and begin to press on other organs in the body. Malignant tumours are made up of cancer cells and they usually grow much faster than a benign tumour. If left untreated, they may spread into surrounding tissue and to other parts of the body.

How cancers spread
A cancer begins to spread when part of the original tumour (primary tumour) breaks away from where it started and travels to nearby tissue or another part of the body. The cancer cells then start to grow there. A malignant tumour that spreads its cells into nearby tissues is known as an invasive cancer. When a cancer spreads from one part of the body to another, it is known as a secondary cancer or 'metastasis'.

For a cancer to grow bigger than a pinhead and spread, it has to grow its own blood supply. This is called angiogenesis. Without this, the cells at the edge of the tumour will die from lack of oxygen.

Cancer cells produce substances that allow them to move through the body much more easily than normal cells. Also, cancer cells do not stick together as well as normal cells. A cancer can spread in three main ways:
Locally, in and near the tissue around the primary cancer
Through the lymphatic system
Through the blood circulation.
Cancers are 'staged'
Staging means working out the size of the cancer and how far the cancer has spread. Knowing the stage of a cancer helps medical professionals decide on the best treatment. There are various ways to stage cancer, but most systems look for a number of key factors including:
The size of the cancer
If the cancer has invaded nearby tissues and by how much
If the cancer has spread to nearby lymph vessels and by how much
If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Risk factors
The exact cause of most cancers is unknown and there is no one cause for any type of cancer. Some risk factors are likely to cause cancer, whereas others will only slightly increase the likelihood of developing cancer. This may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Some risk factors include:
Age – most types of cancer become more common as we get older.
Genetic make-up – some people are born with a genetic mutation that already puts them at risk of developing a cancer.
Family history – a changed gene is passed on from parent to child.
Lifestyle choices – such as diet, smoking, high alcohol intake and lack of physical activity.
Environmental causes – such as exposure to too much natural radiation from the sun or radon gas.
Exposure to harmful chemicals in the workplace – such as some dyes, rubber, gas and asbestos (now banned in Australia).
Man-made radiation.
Viruses – specific viruses can help to cause some cancers but you cannot catch them like an infection.
Your immune system – people who have problems with their immune system are more likely to get some forms of cancer.
Screening can help detect some cancers early
A person with cancer may not show any symptoms until the disease is advanced. Screening a section of the population for a cancer is done if:
The disease can be recognised at an early stage
There is an effective low-risk and low-cost screening test
Early treatment is likely to give a better outcome.
Three national population-screening programs operate in Victoria:
BreastScreen Victoria
National Cervical Screening Program
National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.
Treatment
There are three main types of standard treatment used in cancer care:
Surgery – the cancer is surgically removed. This is often the first line of treatment if the cancer has not spread. It may be used to remove lymph nodes if these are also affected by the cancer. Cancers of the blood system (such as leukaemia) cannot be treated with surgery.
Chemotherapy – the use of cancer-killing drugs. There are many different types of chemotherapy drugs. Some are given as tablets or capsules but most are given by drip (infusion) into a vein. The drugs go into the bloodstream and travel throughout the body to treat cancer cells wherever they are. Chemotherapy can be used to try and cure cancer, to relieve symptoms, to help other treatments work better or to improve survival.
Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) – small, precise doses of radiation target and destroy cancer cells. Cancers that have not spread can often be treated effectively with radiation therapy.

For more information, please visit:
Cancer - Better Health Channel

or just search internet:

Cancer and food

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:50:00 +1100

The foods we eat can affect our risk of developing certain types of cancer. High energy and high fat diets can lead to obesity and are generally thought to increase the risk of some cancers. Plant-based diets high in fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and wholegrain foods may help to prevent cancer.

Diet is just one of the lifestyle factors that influence the risk of developing cancer. Smoking, obesity, alcohol, sun exposure and physical activity levels are also important. Although some foods can affect cancer risk, there is no evidence that specific foods can cause or cure cancer.

Food and some common cancers
Some common cancers (and how they are affected by what we eat) include:

Lung cancer – this is the leading cause of death from cancer in the world and smoking is mostly responsible. There is convincing evidence that diets high in vegetables and fruits are protective against lung cancer. It is thought that compounds called carotenoids (present in significant amounts in fruits and vegetables), as well as vitamin E, are probably responsible for some of this effect. However, the use of antioxidant supplements, such as beta-carotene and vitamin E, has not been proven to be effective in either prevention or treatment of lung cancer and may, in fact, increase the risk of developing cancer in those who smoke. While fruits and vegetables may offer some degree of protection, not smoking in the first place is by far the best prevention.
Breast cancer – this is the most common type of cancer in women in the world. There is an increased risk of breast cancer with factors such as rapid early growth, greater adult height and weight gain in adulthood. Much of the risk of developing breast cancer involves factors that influence oestrogen levels during a woman’s reproductive life, such as age of menarche (first period), number of pregnancies and breastfeeding practices. Postmenopausal women who are carrying too much weight, especially around their middle, have more than twice the average risk of breast cancer. Diets high in mono-unsaturated fat and high in vegetables and fruits may reduce the risk, while alcohol consumption increases the risk.
Prostate cancer – this is the third most common cause of death of men in Australia. Vegetables – soy in particular – may decrease the risk, while a high fat diet that comprises mostly animal fat sources (such as dairy products, fatty meats and takeaway foods) may increase the risk. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, tomato-based products, watermelon and strawberries. It may also help lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Bowel cancer – this is the fourth most common cancer in the world. Up to 70 per cent of cases can be prevented by following a healthy lifestyle. Keeping a healthy weight, being physically active and a diet high in vegetables and fibre are protective, while consuming a large amount of red meat (especially processed meat) and alcohol may increase the risk.
Foods to ‘eat less’
Foods to limit in your diet or eat less of include:
Fatty processed red meats
Highly processed foods that are low in fibre
Heavily salted and pickled foods.
Foods to ‘eat more’
The strongest protective anti-cancer effect has been shown with:
Vegetables, especially raw vegetables or salads
Leafy green vegetables
Carrots
Tomatoes
Citrus fruits
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy and other Asian greens.
Include more of these vegetables and fruits in your diet along with other varieties.

Seven a day
Eating seven or more serves daily of a variety of grains, grain products, legumes, roots and tubers will also provide protective benefits against cancer. The less processed the grains, the better. Diets high in refined starch and refined sugar may increase the risk of stomach cancer and bowel cancer.

Meat and bowel cancer
There is now convincing scientific evidence that eating processed meat increases bowel cancer risk. The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has recently recommended that people avoid eating processed meat. Processed meats are any meat that has been preserved by curing, salting or smoking, or by adding chemical preservatives. These meats include hot dogs, ham, bacon and some sausages and burgers.

For more information, please use google search

or just visit:
Cancer and food - Better Health Channel

Diet can influence some cancers. Cancers of the stomach, bowel, lung, prostate and uterus are more likely to develop if your diet is high in fat and low in fruit, vegetables and fibre. There is no evidence that specific foods can cause or cure cancer...

2012 the end of the world?

noreply@blogger.com (superman) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:38:00 +1100

There are too much predictions about 2012,the end of the world,do you believe it or not? I am really confused about it, and I am gathering the materials about it,anyone can provide some proof or idea?

If it is really the end of the world,all the people would die or just part of the world?

If the whole world would be destroyed by unprecedented catastrophe, I guess we needn't waste the life now, enjoy it as much as possible. Just save some money lasting to December 2012. After that, we wouldn't need it anyway.

If part of the world can survive from the disaster, where's safe? and how the people can live through the catastrophe?

I am gathering the apocalypse from all the world, through Bible,the ancient Maya cyclical calendars,ancient Egyptians, NASA, tuibei diagram（推背图）in China Tang dynasty, the American Edgar Cayce's Prediction etc. as much as possible.

I am not a firmly believer about 2012,but I did have a little worry about it.Anyway, whatever happened ,maybe it is not bad for us to prepare for that.

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Health and future

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Most of foods for weight loss have the following features:

Fresh natural food

High in fiber

calories is low

Less sugars

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References

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Dietary Guidelines 2005: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

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Whole Grains

Healthy Fats and Oils

Vegetables and Fruits

Nuts, Seeds, Beans, and Tofu

Fish, Poultry, and Eggs

Dairy (1 to 2 Servings Per Day) or Vitamin D/Calcium Supplements

Use Sparingly: Red Meat and Butter

Use Sparingly: Refined Grains—White Bread, Rice, and Pasta; Potatoes; Sugary Drinks and Sweets; Salt

Multivitamin with Extra Vitamin D (For Most People)

Optional: Alcohol in Moderation (Not for Everyone)

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