Your Life-Your Choice                   ISSN
1488-0253  ====================                    September, 2000
                                        Issue 62

Letter from the Editor

Many of you have e-mailed me about how arthritis has
impacted your lives. So I decided to do a little research
and found out that arthritis relief may be as close as your
kettle. :) I hope this is helpful to you, and remember to
always consult with your local health care practitioner.

According to the Arthritis Association (in Canada) and the
Arthritis Foundation (in the US) Rheumatoid arthritis affects
1 in 100 people. It's the most common form of this illness.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease causing inflammation
in the lining of the joints and/or other internal organs.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published
the results of a study done to determine the benefits of green
tea in regards to arthritis. Mice were used as the subjects for
the testing.

The study revealed a significantly reduced incidence of the
development of arthritis; an average of only 44% of the mice who
were protected by ingredients found in green tea. This compared
to the average 92% of the unprotected mice who contracted the
disease. In addition, the protected mice who did contract
arthritis benefited from a much less severe case than the
others.

How is green tea beneficial? Researchers at Case Western Reserve
University claim that there are antioxidants in green tea called
polyphenols which minimize the impact of collagen-induced
arthritis in mice. This condition is similar to Rheumatoid
arthritis in humans. The study suggests that polyphenols from
green tea combined with it's rich antioxidants may be useful in
preventing arthritis or diminishing the severity of it.

The green tea referenced here is readily available in grocery
stores, health food stores, and often in pharmacies. It is
typically called "Green Tea" or "Chinese Tea".

-----
Sources:
Study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences;
April 13th issue
The Arthritis Association
The Arthritis Foundation
-----
Brigitte Synesael  Editor of
Your Life-Your Choice
Make it your business to be informed!
No on cares more about you than YOU.
http://www.Life-Choices.com

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ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Section 1   Editors Pick
2. Section 2   Canning Nutritiously and Safely
3. Section 3   Pounds and Predators
4. Section 4   Mood and Memory Wellness:
        How to be Spirited and Sharp for 100 Years!
        (part 2)
5. Section 5  Talk to Garlic

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Section 1       Editor's Pick

If there was ever a book about natural health that was complete
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Section 2       Canning Nutritiously and Safely
                        By: June Kaminski
                http://www.visionsofadonai.com

Late summer and early autumn are traditional seasons for
canning  fresh fruits and vegetables. A tradition for decades,
canning high quality,  freshly picked produce is not only
mouth-watering, but healthy. The nutrients in fruits and
vegetables are at their highest when the food is picked fresh
and preserved immediately. In climates with long cold
winters, home-canned  foods can be a nutritious and delicious
staple.

Canning is both an art and a science. Getting it just right, so
that the flavor,  color, texture and form are top notch takes
practice and skill. Even more importantly, canning safely is
a science. Cooks must be careful during  each stage of the
process to prevent dangerous food-borne bacteria, yeasts
and molds. You have to know what you're doing, or know
where to look to  learn the right and safe way to do it. If you
don't have a relative or friend to show you how to can the right
way,  don't despair. There are several reputable guidebooks and
tutorials online  to get you going. Many also give a great
overview of food safety in general.

Keeping It Nutritious

More and more people are canning with
an eye for nutrition. Less or no  sugar (except jams and jellies);
keeping fruit and vegetables as whole as  possible; and using
natural ingredients to jel fruit preserves are becoming  more
common. The North Dakota State University at
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/askext/canning.htm offers
credible guidelines on  canning in general, including how to can
without sugar and keep the food's nutrients intact.

Emphasis on Food Safety

Scientific advances have led to improvements in
canning equipment and  the ways that we preserve food. The
National Food Safety Database at
http://www.foodsafety.ufl.edu/cmenu/can/canhome.htm takes a
safety approach to give detailed guidance on how to make great
preserves while safeguarding the health  of your family.

Directions on how to can fruit, vegetables, tomatoes, meat,
poultry, seafood, fermented foods, pickles, jams and jellies
are included.  The Virginia Cooperative Extension also offers
"Can It Safely" at
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/foods/348-078/348-078.html

Discussions of the particular bacteria, yeasts and molds that
can  contaminate canned foods helps the reader understand how
important safe practice is while canning. Other problems like
storing canned goods safely and nutritiously, and how to dispose
of spoiled food safely are expertly addressed,  as well.

Acidity Matters

It is important to know if a food is high or low in acidity before
you start.  High acid foods should be processed in a boiling
water bath canner.  Low-acid foods are done in a pressure
canner. Research shows that  these are the safest way
to ensure that food contamination doesn't happen.

High-Acid Foods         Low-Acid Foods

Apples          Asparagus
Apricots                Beans
Berries                 Beets
Cherries                Carrots
Cucumbers               Corn
Peaches                 Mushrooms
Pears                   Peas
Pickled beets           Potatoes
Plums                   Pumpkin
Rhubarb         Spinach
Tomatoes                Squash

Experts agree that people should make sure they are following
the most  uptodate information. Don't rely on an aged cookbook
to learn  to can. Have someone who is experienced and current
in the principles of nutritious and safe preserving teach you. If
this isn't possible,  make sure that the sources you use are
reliable and founded in scientific principles. Freshly made
preserved are an ambrosia, delicious and nutritious. Just make
sure you keep them safe from food pathogens!

Read more about June Kaminski on our meet the team
page  http://www.life-choices.com/team.html

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Section 3               Pounds and Predators
                          By Danielle Carrie

First and foremost I want to say that I am sorry for not getting
an article out to you last issue. I am wrapped up in a new
position  at work, and found myself having to time management
just so I  could eat!

In past issues of "Pounds and Predators", I have talked about
the  weight loss industry and its annual revenue of nearly ten
billion dollars.  I have questioned the sincerity of the diet
companies and whether they  really want you to lose the weight.
When you make that much money do  you really want to fix the
problem?

Diet companies are quick to give guarantees but do they really
stand behind  their word? If you look at statistics, 50% of
North Americans are still  overweight, yet they are spending
hundreds to thousands of dollars per year  in order to fix the
problem.

In this particular issue of "Pounds and Predators" I would like
to talk about  three BIG myths to weight loss. I would like to
address that this is through my  own research and you should
always check with your own local health  practitioner concerning
changes to your diet especially if you have an existing  health
problem.

MYTH 1  YES! Food is an important factor to your weight and
body size, however it is  in no way the only contributing factor to
your weight problem! When you  consume food that is not the end
of it, the food still needs to be digested and the  waste needs
to be eliminated from your body. If there are problems within
your  digestive system, this will definitely effect your body
weight and size.

MYTH 2  YES! Exercise is important but it doesn't have to be
back breaking. I strongly  believe that exercise should be an
enjoyable part of your day. Walking with a  friend through a
park or even your daily housework could be used as an  exercise
routine.

MYTH 3  NO! You are not alone. I have already mentioned that
50% of North Americans  are overweight. Find a diet friend,
someone who is in your shoes to trust. The  diet companies are
looking for a buck (in my opinion), and you are looking for results
to a health issue. Find someone to talk with and walk with. Find
someone  who really cares as much as you. This will produce a
support group that you can  use and count on for your weight loss
problem. In conclusion, I just want to mention that these myths are
subject to my  opinion. I can not express how important it is to get
in touch with a practitioner and talk about the problem.

I welcome any comments or questions you have related to diet or
weight  loss and put "Diets Don't Work" in the subject heading.

Danielle Carrie

Read more about Danielle Carrie on our meet the
team page  http://www.life-choices.com/html

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Section 4.      Mood and Memory Wellness:
        How to be Spirited and Sharp for 100 Years!
                        (part 2)
                    By Dr. John Maher
             http://www.RxforWellness.com

Brain Nutrients: Food For Thought

Every body is unique, with unique nutrient demands. But our
organs all share a common need for specific nutrients. And we must not
forget the brain is just another organ, even if it is a compact miracle of
complexity beyond our comprehension!

Brain impulses and memory storage require calories, especially
sugars in the form of complex carbohydrates. Skipping meals and
over-eating simple carbohydrates like sweets, sodas, pastries,
desserts and candies, can cause low blood sugar, leading to
confusion, tiredness, irritability and even depression. Women
especially are vulnerable to such during the pre-menstrual time.

Amino acids support metabolism in brain cells, and help rid the
brain of waste products. Some, like phenylalanine and tyrosine, are
the building blocks of the adrenergic neurotransmitters. These are
'brain messengers' that make us feel alert, energetic and alive!
Others, like glutathione, can help the brain combat environmental
chemical stress, while others such as taurine, help to stabilize cell
membranes, which prevents mineral loss. This is one reason why
whey fortified w/ glutamine and fish are good 'brain foods'. A
good low fat, high protein breakfast is often a great way to 'feed
your head'.

Besides amino acids, vitamins and minerals are critical for the
smooth flow of nerve signals through the brain. Antioxidants like
vitamins A, C and E help to eliminate free radicals in the brain,
and B vitamins help keep brain metabolism normal. While we may
have once been able to get all of our needed nutrients from food,
chemical contamination and soil overuse have caused many crop
foods to become nutritionally depleted. Pollution exposure and
pesticides may also decrease our body's levels of nutrients. And
with age, our ability to digest and absorb nutrients declines. In
situations where the availability of nutrients is diminished, many
doctors and health professionals recommend high quality mega
multi-vitamin/mineral supplements.

The brain is largely made of fat, and essential fatty acids are
essential for brain function. However, these fatty acids cannot be
made by the body, and must come from outside sources. Omega 3
fatty acids from cold water fish, ground walnuts, pumpkinseed and
flaxseed, along with mono-unsaturates from olive, avocado and
canola oils are particularly good sources.

Deep Sleep: The Great Rejuvenator

An article in the June 3 issue of New Scientist says if you ignore
your body's natural clock by working and playing at any time of
the day or night, you could set a time bomb for illness, injury and
even death, according to sleep experts. The price of ignoring your
natural sleep patterns can range from aches and pains to heart
disease to chronic fatigue syndrome. A regular bedtime can be as
important to your health as stopping smoking or cutting back on
saturated fat. Your biological clock, nestled in the hypothalamus
region of your brain, controls what time you eat and rest, the
rhythmic surge of hormones, changes in body temperature,
immune system activity and a host of other body functions.

Different people have different sleep patterns. Some are morning
people while others are nocturnal creatures. Problems arise when
you ignore your natural body rhythms to meet the demands of
work or family, says the article.

People who restrict their sleep or are engaged in shift work where
sleep becomes fragmented and disturbed are at risk for
cardiovascular disease. This has been shown in nurses who have
been engaged in shift work over a long period of time. They show
an increased risk for heart attacks.

Sleep debt can also contribute to depression, and lost sleep creates
dangers at work and on the roads. Sleep deprivation results in
impairment in people's capabilities to operate in their usual,
expected way, and they would not necessarily know that they are
impaired.

Most people require roughly seven to eight hours of sleep a night to
stay alert through the day. Some of the warning signs of sleep
deprivation include fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating,
confusion and depression.

Even while getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep, starting with middle age,
and worsening from there on, sleep tends to become less and less
deep. Deep sleep, known as stage III and IV sleep, is where most of
the healing, repair and regeneration takes place. It is also when the
body secretes the most growth hormone. Therefore promoting deep
sleep is a key to feeling young in body, mind and spirit.

So remember, one of the secrets of staying young is to sleep like a
baby! And by using the right combination of lifestyle and products
below, you can come closer at least.
(End of part 2 )

Written by: Dr. John Maher, Solana Beach, CA
USA  [email protected]  http://www.RxforWellness.com

Read more about dr. John Maher on our Meet the
Team page http://www.Life-Choices.com/team.html
=========================================

Section 5.

Dear Garlic,

How do you deal with someone who doesn't know
when  enough is enough? I am currently starting a new
job which I ultimately want to be a career, however
my co-worker is always make rude remarks about
everything. It is the "know  it all type", if you know
what I mean. I don't want to be a rat and tell on my
co-worker, but I do want to learn my job and this
is  really getting in the way. Garlic, what am I
supposed to do?

Signed,  Troubled by a Co-Worker


Dear Troubled,

I understand the "know it all" type.  What your co-worker
is doing is trying hard to fit in with everyone!  In actuality
your co-worker might not even have the foggiest clue on
how annoying this is for you. If you haven't approached
the employee, I would suggest that first before going to
the head guys. This shows you tried to handle this on your
own  which takes you out of the light of being a "rat". If
after you have approached  the worker, the behaviour
countinues then you need to take action. Threats work!

Threaten to tell the "Big Guys" that this is harrassment and
then maybe it will  help sink into your friend how inappropriate
this behavior is. The only other  advice I can give you is to
treat the co-worker like a child. Like they say,  if it looks
like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's probably a DUCK.

Good luck!
Garlic

Like to talk to Garlic? Yes, men are welcome too:
mailto:[email protected] put "Dear Garlic" in  Subject
line. We can talk about anything.

Note that the Dear Garlic segment of Your Life-Your Choice  is
for entertainment purposes only. The advice is intended  to
tickle your funny bone so put your Sense of Humor hat  on and
let's take a look at the "lighter side" of life. After all,
LAUGHTER is supposed to be the BEST medicine.

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