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The food we consume comprises varying proportions of the following:

• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Fiber
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Water

The World Health Organization advocates the Food Pyramid as a simple guide to healthy eating.

Components of Healthy Diet

The base of the pyramid is the “carbohydrate” component. Thus rice, pasta and cereal products should make up the bulk of our food intake. The next tier consists of “protein” products like meat, seafood and soy. Proteins should comprise a proportionately smaller component of our diets than the carbohydrates. The smallest contribution should be from the “fat” group as this is linked to the development bof obesity and heart disease. Vitamins and minerals are trace elements that are found in varying quantities in the various food substances.

More recently, healthy eating advisors advocate the minimum daily consumption of two pieces of fruit and two portions of vegetables. This is to ensure the intake of fiber is adequate for the regulation of bowel movements.

Reducing Fat Intake

Although meat products are primarily made of protein, the choice of cut can markedly affect the fat content. We can choose to reduce our fat intake by choosing lean cuts of meat and ctting off all visible fat prior to consumption. With poultry, the breast meat tends to have less fat than the thigh meat. However, the removal of the skin and visible fat allows us to continue to enjoy the thigh meat. Such small actions can have a drastic effect on our total fat intake and long-term health.

Use the Right Cooking Technique

In the same way, the way we cook the food also has marked effects on the eventual fat content. The use of deep-frying or shallow-frying techniques markedly increases the fat and calorie content compared to grilling or steaming.

I advocate the use of stir-frying with non-stick equipment (particularly frying pans and woks) and the use of minimal amounts of cooking oil.

Generally, 1 teaspoon of cooking oil is enough for each dish. Compare this with the numerous cookbooks that advocate the use of large amounts of oil to marinade the meat (to prevent sticking), followed by stir-frying with large volumes of oil or even deep-frying the meat before stir-frying!

Quality, Not Quantity, Counts

Read full article: Health Eating Guide with WHO Food Pyramid

By HIAWATHA BRAY, Boston Globe
First published in print: Thursday, December 18, 2008

One of Hollywood’s top producers said the ongoing financial crisis is hampering his efforts to release digital 3-D movies.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, chairman of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., said all future movies from his studios will be made in digital 3-D. But today only about 1,500 of the 36,000 theater screens in America are capable of showing such films,

“Until the financial markets come unstuck, which is probably late in the first quarter, the next round of the digital rollout is on a very slow pathway,” Katzenberg said during a visit to Boston earlier this week to show off clips from his studio’s upcoming film, “Monsters vs. Aliens.”

It costs about $70,000 to convert a single movie screen to the digital projection system for the 3-D films. But many theater owners can’t afford to make the switch. Theaters are finding it tough to borrow the money, as banks tighten their lending practices after years of ill-advised loans.

Katzenberg said about 2,500 screens should be converted to digital 3-D by March, in time for the release of “Monsters vs. Aliens.” Katzenberg thinks credit markets will have loosened up by May 2010, when DreamWorks Animation releases the fourth in its series of Shrek movies. He expects there will be 7,500 theaters capable of showing the film in digital 3-D.

Katzenberg noted the percentage of Americans going to movies has steadily declined for decades. Last year, the industry sold 1.4 billion movie tickets, 38 million fewer than in 1998, even though the US population grew about 30 million during the period. Katzenberg called digital 3-D cinema “the greatest opportunity of my time to reverse this,” and compared it to the introduction of soundtracks to movies in the 1920s and color films in the 1930s.

Read this full article - Dreamworks 3-D riding out economic crisis

The Medifast brand has been around for a number of decades, and at one time was only available via physicians. Nowadays the products can be ordered on-line and through a number of distributors.

Medifast offer a stable of meal replacement products - all generally formulated to be low-calorie and low-fat, and containing the optimum levels of vitamins. The formula will generally take users into a mild state of ketosis.

The most popular plan is called 5 and 1. This plan (800-1000 calories daily) comprises 5 meal replacements and one “real” meal containing a lean protein and vegetables and salad. Medifast claim a weight loss of 2-5 pounds per week on this plan.

Proof?

What many people don’t realize is that very few commercial weight loss programs have ever undergone any clinical studies. Medifast heavily promote the fact that a Johns Hopkins university study has shown that Medifast results in significant weight loss (67 pound average loss in males and 57 pound average loss in females). It’s worth pointing out that this study looked at patients who attended Medifast clinics.

There is also an additional study that compared the Medifast program with diabetes medication. The study found Medifast more effective at controlling type 2 diabetes than an ADA-recommended program (see PR).

Both studies were led by Associate Professor Lawrence Cheskin of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and were funded by Medifast .

Successes

Due to the popularity of the program, Medifast have a number of “success stories” - one of which is Nnedi Uzowihe-Igwe of Maryland, USA (currently featured on the Medifast site). She also appeared in People magazine in January 2006 describing a massive transformation that resulted in a 160lb weight loss between June 2004 and April 2005. Nnedi subsequently became pregnant and gave birth to her second daughter)

I was able to find out how Nnedi was going now, and she appears to have maintained her massive initial weight loss (and is aiming to lose the weight she put on with the second baby by the end of this year).

Drastic

Protein fasts and low-calorie meal replacements are a drastic solution, and in my opinion appropriate for drastic situations. Given the choice between gastric bypass surgery or Medifast , then Medifast must surely be a better answer.

The biggest test of a program such as Medifast is the long-term consequences - and in particular weaning off a program based around shakes and soups. The transition phase should be four to six weeks, and often starts off by introducing some oatmeal at breakfast, and some fruit for snacks. Also exercise must become a part of life (5 days a week). Exercise must be fairly low-key during the restrictive part of Medifast - but once transitioning - it becomes increasingly important.

Due to the level of energy intake and exercise levels - it is likely that some muscle loss will occur during the weight loss phase. Once again, the best course of action would be to gradually include strength training during the transition phase - and begin to build up muscle tone.

Costs

The Medifast 5 and 1 plan cost $275 for 4 weeks. However - that’s the cost of the “5? - you will still need to buy your daily “lean and green” meal (lean protein plus salad/vegetables).

Men & Women

Different formulations are used for men and women. Some shakes are called Medifast 55 or Medifast 70. The latter has a higher soy protein content and is more suitable for men (or women who prefer higher protein).

Behaviour Change Required

Read full story: Medifast Diet - This diet’s longevity speaks volumes

ACACIA (a-ka’sha). About 1200 species of acacia are scattered through the warm regions of the world. Most of them are shrubs or small trees. Some are matted plants a few inches high. All are thorny and pod-bearing. The tiny sweet-smelling blossoms cluster together in fluffy balls or cylinder shapes. They range in color from deep yellow to almost white. The leaves are usually grayish and fernlike. The acacia is quick-growing and short-lived.
Australia has about 300 species of acacia. The early settlers called them wattles because they used the pliant branches to make wattle-and-daub huts. The golden wattle is Australia’s national Bower.
In the southwestern United States acacias are grown in many parks and gardens. The ornamental species were imported from Australia. The native catclaw (Texas mimosa) grows wild and (Types Of Flowers )is heartily disliked because of its strong hooked spines. The Arizona Indians, however, made meal of the pods. Smaller acacias are eaten by cattle and horses.
Gum arabic is obtained from an African species (see Gums and Resins). The Australians get tannin, used for tanning leather, from the bark of some species and make furniture of the hard, dark “black-wood” acacia. The wood of an Indian species is the chief source of catechu, a dye for true khaki. France grows several kinds for perfume.
The genus acacia belongs to the mimosa tribe of the pea family . The black locust is sometimes called “false acacia” . The plant that florists call mimosa is actually an acacia.
Read this article: Acacia plant

We all long for a quiet night’s rest. But, for some of us, the snoring just blasts our eardrums!

It’s loud and it’s irritating. But, is it serious?

Patti from Pitman, N.J. e-mailed:

“My snoring wakes me up. Could this be a warning of a problem?”

Sometimes, snoring can just be annoying to your bed partner and annoying to yourself. But, sometimes, snoring can be the indication of a more serious problem like sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a common condition that leads to interrupted breathing for very short periods of time during sleep, usually the result of narrowed airways. Untreated, it can lead to health problems including, high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and headaches.

“It’s associated with nighttime awaking or daytime sleepiness, so if that’s something that is occurring where you snore at night, you awake and feel tired, you’re sleepy during the day, you should talk to your doctor about perhaps having a sleep study done,” Dr. Helena Schotland said.

Doctors may recommend a device called a CPAP, which helps keep the airway open.

Darrell from Philadelphia asked:

“I have sleep apnea, but the device hurts my nose.”

“Just because you don’t like your particular mask doesn’t mean that you are stuck with it. There are a huge number of masks. Some are nasal masks that go over your nose. Some are nose and mouth. There are also little nasal pillows that are just little prongs that go over your nostril that are great for people with claustrophobia,” Dr. Schotland said.

Other treatments include:

Weight loss
Sleeping on your side instead of on your back
Read full story - The Snoring Has to Stop!

Immediate release 14TH November 08

NEW PRODUCT PROMISES RESTFUL NIGHTS FOR THOUSANDS OF SNORERS

A UK company has launched a unique new product designed to offer relief to thousands of people who suffer from a particular type of snoring

The Adkins snoring aid is targeted at “nose snorers” and uses a totally new method which restricts the air flow through the nose.

The product is made of a medical grade soft plastic, consists of a pair of conjoined non latex balls which the user inserts into the nostrils before going to sleep.

Before this discovery, the main school of thought in snoring treatments has been to open up the airway through the nostrils.

Sleep deprivation expert Chris Grant is the man behind the new product. He explained how it works: “The restricted airflow through the nose encourages mouth breathing which reduces the incidence of snoring in those whose snorring is caused by excess airflow across the soft tissues at the back of the nose.”

Designed and produced in the UK, the new product has been successfully tested by many snorers to date and has been endorsed by many users
including a medical doctor.

Dr David Collinge of Oxford confirms that the Adkins snboring aid worked for his wife. He said, “She calls the Adkins snoring aid the “miracle balls” and I must agree. This new product has stopped her snoring, when everything else had failed.”

Former Royal Protection Officer Les Blyth, says, “I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This new product stopped my snoring and I now sleep soundly with my wife in the same bedroom. It is a brilliant idea, being both comfortable and simple to use.”

Amy Harrington from Essex says, “We never imagined that this new innovation would alleviate snoring to such an extent. Now that we sleep
well, we even feel and look better too.”

Read this: Unique new product gives peaceful nights for thousands of snorers - stop snoring now, try for free!

When mortgage rates dropped to the lowest levels in almost a year, Warren Zeger seized the opportunity to slash $720 off his monthly mortgage payment by refinancing his home in Potomac, Md.

Just don’t expect him to spend the savings.

“I’d love to tell you I’m going to spend it to help prop up the economy, but we’ve tightened our belts,” said Zeger, 61, a retired attorney. “I plan on holding on to it.”

Zeger echoed homeowners The Associated Press interviewed nationwide who have taken advantage of lower rates since Nov. 25th. They planned to stuff the money they saved under the mattress or pay off bills. Refiinance activity has surged as interest rates tumbled about 1 percentage point to around 5.5 percent in response to the Federal Reserve’s plan to scoop up $600 billion of mortgage-related securities.

“We’ve had a lot homeowners waiting for some time” for this drop in rates, said Ritch Workman, co-owner of Workman Mortgage in Melbourne, Fla.

The Fed’s move was the latest in an unprecedented series of actions to help stabilize the housing and credit markets as well as the broader economy. However, pushing down mortgage rates may only have a muted effect on the economy. That’s because more than a quarter of homeowners with a mortgage can’t qualify for a new loan, and many who can are so financially stretched that little of the money they save will end up in store cash registers.

“If you’re worried about making it month to month and your mortgage is your biggest payment you’re not going out to buy a car and a lot of Christmas gifts,” said Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance, a trade publication in Bethesda, Md.

Stuart Cassell in Sarasota, Fla., is putting his $80 monthly refinanse savings into his nest egg, while product development manager Subash Ramnani in Chicago is using the extra $300 a month from his refinancing to pay for graduate school. Jennifer Burke and her husband in Bel Air, Md., are saving the additional $240 a month as they wait out the recession and raise a one-year-old daughter.

Marcus Leef’s $150 monthly savings is going to daycare costs and personal savings. Leef, a consultant in Hartford County, Conn., has seen his stock portfolio plummet 40 percent, his retirement savings plunge by half and his corporate stock tumble by 60 percent this year. He’s not optimistic.

“My view is the economy is in the toilet. It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” he said. “If rates drop another point tomorrow, I’ll (refinance) again the day after.”

Those are the luckiest homeowners. Les Berman, a mortgage broker in Encino, Calif., said most borrowers contacting him have interest-only mortgages and they want to lock into a fixed-rate loan. They’re not saving any money each month if they do that; instead, they’re taking higher payments to get out of riskier loans.

“They want that security. They want to protect themselves against the future,” he said, even if it means shelling out more each month.

Other borrowers, like Eric Dudek in Grand Rapids, Mich., are waiting to see if rates drop further after hearing reports that the government is considering a proposal to lower the rate on 30-year home loans to 4.5 percent by buying more mortgage-backed securities.

“I’m thinking maybe I should hold off, you know?” said Dudek, who would use the savings from a refinancing to pay off student loans.

Read this full story: Homeowners refinance, put savings in piggy banks

By Paul G. Donohue M.D.
To Your Good Health
December 09, 2008 6:00 AM

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My daughter, who is 41, has been getting really bad migraine headaches just before her periods. Is it due to menopause?

— V.M.

Her headaches are not due to menopause. They come from her menstrual cycle, and they’re called menstrual migraines. A migraine sufferer often can identify things that give rise to a headache — foods, alcohol, physical exertion, too little sleep, too much sleep, hunger, bright lights and loud noise. For quite a few women, menstrual periods trigger the headache. The sudden drop in the female hormone estrogen that takes place at the time of a menstrual period precipitates headaches in these women.

Your daughter can take medicine prior to her anticipated menstrual period to prevent the headache. Naprosyn or one of the many other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, taken two days before the period begins, often can avert menstrual migraines. They should be taken for as long as the headache has lasted in the past.

Another approach is birth-control pills. The ones that stop periods for six months to a year are particularly useful. Seasonale and Lybrel are two such preparations.

Most migraine sufferers are aware of the triptan drugs, medicines that have had a huge impact on migraine treatment. There are seven such drugs, and I won’t mention them all. Maxalt and Relpax are two of these drugs. The triptans should be used as the anti-inflammatory drugs are used — two days before onset of periods and continued for the length of the usual migraine.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a plantar wart. What do I do for it?

— C.R.

Read this full: Hormone changes can generate migraines

Vodafone has joined forces with Western Union on an international mobile money transfer pilot; residents in the U.K. town of Reading will be able to send money to the mobile phones of relatives and friends in Kenya.

Money transfers has already become a success in Kenya via the M-PESA (”M” for “mobile” and “Pesa,” the Swahili word for “money”) system, which, for example, can be used by someone in an urban area to forward money to relatives in rural areas, and people in rural areas can pay off a loan in an urban area.

The service is marketed by Safaricom, in which Vodafone holds a stake, and there are currently around 4 million M-PESA customers, and that number is growing by approximately 200,000 users a month, according to Caroline Dewing, a spokeswoman at Vodafone.

“What we are doing is extending M-PESA internationally, and we are partnering with Western Union to do this, because they have such a huge foot print in terms of stores and knowledge in the space of international remittances,” Dewing said.

A person who wants to transfer money will be able to go into a Western Union store in Reading and say that they want to transfer some money to a Safaricom cell phone in Kenya. For the receiver in Kenya it will work just like any M-PESA transfer.

“They’ll get a text message saying you have been given X amount of money, and they can then choose how to store that: money on the phone, send it on to someone else or go to an M-PESA agent and cash it,” Dewing said.

Convenience and the ability to send smaller amounts for a low fee are the two major benefits compared to traditional money transfers. Sending up to £100 costs £4.90 (US$7.35), and £100 to £200 is £6.90, according to Dewing.

The trial will be conducted for three to four months. During those Vodafone will test all elements of the service and also see if the fee structure works, according to Dewing.

The goal is to roll it out between the U.K and Kenya, and then on to other markets within the near future, said Dewing, who declined to be more specific.

Using the mobile for either money transfers or as an electronic wallet is getting a lot of attention from the financial and telecom sectors.

Western Union is, for example, already working with Orascom Telecom, Globe Telecom and SMART Communications.

Read this article: Vodafone and Western Union to Partner on Money Transfers

This is the second in our series on how to buy and care for the most common holiday plants. Once upon a time, this Mexican native was such a finicky plant that it rarely last much beyond the end of December, if that long.

Boy, have things changed! Now it’s not at all unusual for a poinsettia to look good all the way till Easter.

If that hasn’t been your experience, here’s what you need to know:

In the store, when you’re choosing the plant, look for deep green leaves all the way to the base. Move the foil back at the bottom of the foliage to see if any leaves have turned yellow from lack of light.

If you want the freshest plant available — one, typically, that should last longer because you’re going to give it better care at your home than it received in a big-box store — look at the tiny little yellow buttonlike flowers in the middle of the colored bracts.

If they’re closed or barely open, the plant is very fresh. If they’re missing (having already fallen off), it’s been around a while. See if you can find another.

OK, let’s stop a second here for those of who might be confused by the word “bracts” and who think those little yellow things in the center of all that red couldn’t possibly be the flowers of the plant. If you know all this stuff, skip the next paragraph.

The showy red (cream, pink, yellow, or bicolor) parts of a poinsettia are called bracts. They’re actually there to entice pollinating insects to visit the inconspicuous flowers.

Once you’ve picked the poinsettia you want, make sure that the store gently wraps it up if temperatures are 50 degrees F. (10 C ) or lower. On a cold day, you’ll want to take the plant right home, not leave it in the car while you do the rest of your holiday shopping. Poinsettias don’t respond well to shivery weather.

The first thing to do after you have the plant back home is remove the foil wrapping. It blocks light from reaching the lower leaves and encourages root rot because water collects in the bottom.

Better to put the plant into a cachepot if you want something decorative. There, you can see if there’s standing water in the bottom that you need to pour off.

If you can’t bring yourself to do that, at the very least move the foil back from the base of the plant and poke good-sized holes in the bottom so water can drain out. (Then put the plant n a saucer, of course.)

Place the plant where it will receive at least six hours of bright light daily but not touch a cold windowpane. I know, I know. You bought the plant as a decoration, and it should be on the coffee table or the fireplace mantel, not a windowsill.

But give it light during the day — to keep it happy and looking good — then move it to wherever you like in the evening.

Read full article here: The 12 days of Christmas plants — poinsettias