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 ********************************************** 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 ******************************************* PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSORS You have heard about the healing qualities of magnets. Magnets have been show to relieve discomfort from these symptoms and more: Arthritis** Joint Pain** Diabetes** Depression** Wound Healing** Insomnia** Hormonal Imbalances** and other ailments GO TO http://www.MagnetTherapy.com For all your MAGNET THERAPY product needs SHOP ONLINE at MagnetTherapy.com ******************************************** Get 100% Guaranteed Free Gifts for your family, friends or yourself from http://www.absofree.com Toys, Games, Electronics and more are waiting for you and they are Free! Only pay the true S&H and do all of your holiday and gift shopping without breaking the bank and without the hassles of lines, traffic or high prices. Products are guaranteed and shipped via USPS. Your satisfaction is guaranteed! We are endorsed by the WAPD, Freebie Times, Everyday Free and more! We have tens of thousands of satisfied customers. Don't Wait, visit now to get your absofree.com gifts. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Section 1 Editor's Pick If there was ever a book about natural health that was complete and easy to use, it is Linda Page's Healthy Healing - A Guide To Self-Healing For Everyone. Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D. presents natural healing programs for 150 ailments, information about natural therapies from different cultures and more! She also has a great approach for weight loss --- go to her site and follow "The Weight Loss Trail" to discover your weight loss blocker, and then follow the healing program that will help to bring your body back into balance. I find that this program is a must --- it will enhance your healthy weight management program! http://healthyhealing.com/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 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 ******************************************** PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSORS WOMEN! Household hints, parenting tips, ideas for pampering yourself and articles on time management, organization, self improvement and more. Subscribe to The Balanced Woman. It's easy and it's FREE. Just send a blank email to: TheBalancedWoman-subscribe@egroups.com or visit our website at: http://www.betweenfriends.org ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Your Weekly Message...The Baum Group - a FREE weekly e-newsletter to help you stay focused, on purpose and much more! Subscribe by clicking mailto:DrRae@prodigy.net?subject=subscribe_ ezine_YLYC ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Are you tired of the jokes of today? Do you believe old jokes are funnier? If so, then Old Jokes is for you! Every joke is guaranteed to be at least 50 years old. The website has the archive and now contains cartoons also. For a daily dose of Old Jokes, send an email to mailto:oldjokes-subscribe@egroups.com ======================================= 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 ******************************************** 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 drjmaher@cts.com 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:marketing@life-choices.com 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. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Disclaimer All material appearing in this newsletter is provided for educational purposes only. It is provided with the understanding that authors and contributors are not offering medical advice or services. We strongly encourage you to consult with your own physician regarding any recommendations with respect to your own medical condition. Advertisement in the Your Life-You Choice newsletter does not indicate endorsement on our part. The opinions expressed by our sponsors do not necessarily reflect our own. Our sponsors make this newsletter FREE to subscribers. Please take a moment to visit them. ********************************************* Share Your Life-Your Choice with your Friends! * * This newsletter can be forwarded in its entirety only. * * Remember to discuss these options with your Health * * Care provider before implementing them. * * ********************************************* Read back articles of Your Life-Your Choice in our Library of Archives at the Newsletter Headquarters: http://www.life-choices.com/jarchive.html You are asked to acquire a username and password, but this is for internal use only. Entrance is FREE and you will not receive any additional e-mail as a result of registering. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// To advertise in this newsletter, visit: http://www.life-choices.com/sponsor.html or mailto:yourlife@life-choices.com SUBJECT: Send Your Choice Advertising Rates ****************** Subscribe: You can subscribe by using the form at the Newsletter Headquarters: http://www.Life-Choices.com/subscribe.html Unsubscribe: You can unsubscribe by using the form at the Newsletter Headquarters: http://www.Life-Choices.com/subscribe.html Copyright 1997-2000 by Brigitte Synesael All rights reserved ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// This Ezine Is Listed At FreeZinesOnline.