5 Ways to Prevent a Hangover

5 Ways to Prevent a Hangover from Andrew Weil, PhD
www.drweil.com

If you are planning on attending a New Year's celebration, you may want to take a few precautions to lessen your chances of starting the New Year with an alcohol-related hangover. The surefire way to keep a clear head is not to drink at all, and to be the designated driver for your friends who do.

Alcohol is a strong toxin to both the liver and the nervous system, and it irritates the upper digestive tract and urinary system as well. If you do drink, remember:

Moderation is the best way to avoid hangovers - make sure to pace yourself.

Eat food if you have more than a drink or two.

Avoid dehydration (and cut down on alcohol intake) by drinking as much water as possible while you're drinking alcohol.

Take a B-complex vitamin supplement plus extra thiamine (100 mg) to counter the B-vitamin depletion caused by alcohol.

Choose beverages that are "cleaner." Some distilled beverages are rich in substances called congeners - toxic impurities that can greatly add to your woes. Bourbon, rum, and cognac are particularly dirty, while vodka, which is just pure alcohol and water, is the cleanest.

Maru Angarita
My blog is http://maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com/

Why Do Women Feel Cold More Than Men Do?

Why Do Women Feel Cold More Than Men Do?
www.drweil.com/drw/u/WBL02119/Why-Do-Women-Feel-Cold-More-Than-Men-Do.html

The proper setting for the thermostat can spark fierce disputes among couples, and while there are exceptions, typically, women complain of cold temperatures more often than men do.
Ironically, this is probably because women are better at surviving extreme cold than are men. Mark Newton, a clothing-industry consultant and researcher at the University of Portsmouth, explains that women have a more evenly distributed fat layer and can more effectively pull all their blood back to their core organs in cold temperatures. While this fosters survival in sub-freezing conditions, it also means less blood flows to their hands and feet, and as a result they feel cold at higher temperatures than men typically do.
There is no simple answer to this disparity; it simply suggests that in cold weather, men and women should be more willing to compromise in the thermostat battle, as their differences are determined genetically - a fact no amount of arguing will alter.

Relationships and Aging
From decreased desire to changing roles, aging has its own issues when it comes to relationships. Learn more about all types of relationships as we age – start your free trial of Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging today

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com/

Ultimate Vitamin Cocktail for Healthy Joints

http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/7656

RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, suggest this nifty little combo of nutrients for healthier joints. Make sure you’re getting enough magnesium and calcium as well as vitamins C, D3, and E. This grouping may have the power to minimize inflammation and joint damage.

Just for Joints
Getting your vitamins and minerals from food is best, but if you’re an eat-on-the-run junkie, you may want to add a supplement to your day to make sure you’re getting enough of these joint boosters. Just ask your doctor first about safe doses and potential drug interactions if you’re taking other medications. Use this tool to look up the best food sources for these and other key vitamins and minerals.

More to the StoryWhether you want to prevent arthritis, or stop yours from getting worse, vitamins and minerals are but one key step to keeping joints healthy. Here are a few others:

Know your joints.
Could you already have arthritis? And is it managed properly? Get a clue with this online assessment.

Drop it. The extra weight, that is. It’s just about the single most important thing you can do to reduce wear and tear on your joints. Visit the RealAge More to Lose Center for extra weight-loss help.

Soothe ’em. There’s no reason to live with achy, inflamed, painful joints. The sooner you start treating, the earlier you can start slowing the damage. See if an over-the-counter pain medication might help you.

See the doc. If over-the-counter stuff doesn’t do the trick, find out what other options your doctor can offer. Learn about prescription disease-modifying drugs for osteoarthritis.

Maru Angarita
My blog is http://maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com/

Disease Fighting Food

The mystery of how a compound in broccoli and cabbage fights cancer has been solved, scientists announced Tuesday. And the discovery may lead to the development of anti-cancer drugs with fewer side effects.

The compound, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), diminishes the activity of an enzyme in rapidly advancing breast cancer, University of California, Berkeley, researchers said. The compound is already undergoing clinical trials in humans after it was found to stop the growth of breast and prostate cancer cells in mice. Please click on the link below:

http://news.aol.com/health/article/broccoli-compound-fights-late-stage/266966?icid=200100397x1214262030x1200956233

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com/

7 Ways to Prevent Cancer: Nutrition by Andrew Weil, PhD

The following article can be found at www.drweil.com

A healthy diet can help the body in its efforts to heal itself, and in some cases, particular foods can strengthen the immune system and lessen the risks of serious illness. To help reduce your risk of some types of cancer, try the following:

Avoid polyunsaturated vegetable oils, margarine, vegetable shortening, all partially hydrogenated oils, and all foods that might contain trans-fatty acids (such as deep-fried foods).
Increase omega-3 fatty acids by eating more cold water oily fish, freshly ground flaxseeds, and walnuts.

Reduce consumption of animal foods and try to replace them with vegetable proteins such as whole soy products.

Use hormone-free, organically produced products whenever possible.
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Eat shiitake, enokitake, maitake, and oyster mushrooms frequently.
Drink green tea daily.
Don’t miss next Sunday’s Daily Tip, which covers supplements and cancer.

Love

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com/

Need to be thin

http://www2.healthtalk.com/go/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/body-fat-muscle-distribution-linked-to-ra-disability/1412?utm_source=HTNL

Body Fat, Muscle Distribution Linked to RA Disability

THURSDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- How fat and muscle are distributed throughout the body is one of the factors that contribute to limited mobility of people rheumatoid arthritis, a new study finds.

However, since one's body composition can be altered, there is hope to reduce the amount of disability and improve the quality of life of these patients.

The study, led by researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was published in the October issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

The results, based on analysis of almost 200 people with rheumatoid arthritis, found that those with increasing amounts of fat and decreasing amounts of lean mass (skeletal muscle) on the arms and legs had the most increasing disability linked with the highly inflammatory disease of the joints.
The authors theorized that increasing fat may affect the normal range of motion of the arms and legs or that the fat may biochemically interfere with muscular function, but they said the most likely reason is that the fat may be infiltrating the muscles, reducing muscle quality.

"Interestingly, in studies of the general population, increasing fat mass has also been more strongly linked to worsening functional capacity than decreasing lean mass, suggesting that efforts to improve physical function require a focus on fat reduction with at least as much emphasis, if not more, than increasing lean mass," the authors wrote.

"In the absence of interventional trials, these findings suggest that practitioners should encourage muscle strengthening and fat loss in their patients with RA as a method of reducing disability," they concluded.
More information

The Arthritis Foundation has more about rheumatoid arthritis.

Posting from PCRM Action Alert

Dear family and friends,

I am posting this alert from www.pcrm.org:

DO YOU OR ANY OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, OR PATIENTS EAT GRILLED CHICKEN OR HOT DOGS?THESE ARE FOODS THAT INCREASE YOUR RISK OF CANCER, AND BIG BUSINESS WILL DO ANYTHING TO CONCEAL THAT FACT.

PCRM plans to file two law suits protecting consumers from fraudulent business practices where consumers are not warned about the increased risk of cancer from eating grilled chicken or hot dogs.

One suit will be against national restaurant chains (McDonald’s, Burger King, etc.) for failing to alert consumers about the presence of a known carcinogen (PhIP) in their grilled chicken products.

PCRM will also file a lawsuit against manufacturers and large-scale sellers of hot dogs and other processed meats for failing to alert consumers about the increased risk of cancer due to consumption of processed meats. A comprehensive report released late last year by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund concludes that processed meat increases one’s risk of colorectal cancer, on average, by 21 percent for every 50 grams consumed daily. (A 50-gram serving is approximately the size of a typical hot dog.)
In order to bring these suits, we need your help. We need people who bought and consumed grilled chicken products from a national restaurant chain, but did not know about PhIP. We also need people who purchased and consumed hot dogs, without knowing about the cancer risk from processed meats.

These lawsuits will raise public awareness about the unseen, unhealthful properties of processed meats and grilled chicken. The primary relief sought in these lawsuits is warnings to consumers.
If you or someone you know is interested in helping, please contact PCRM at rbernstein@pcrm.org or 202-686-2210, ext. 314.

Thank you so much for your help,

Love

Maru Angarita
My blog is http://www.maruangaritavegan.blogstop.com

Why Veganism?

Many people ask me why am I a vegan. There are many reasons why I am convinced that my life style is the best way to carry on compassionate living. The following video is one way to explain:

http://www.chooseveg.com/

It is important to know where the food, and ingredients used to make certain meals come from.

Love

Maru Angarita
My blog is: www.maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com

Adrenal Fatigue

The following article would be of interest to you:

http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/effectsofhighcortisol.aspx?id=1&campaignno=adrenalcontent&adgroup=ag4stress&adtype=content&keywords=stress+management

Should you get an adrenal test?

In general, if you feel happy and well, have steady energy and emotions, sleep soundly seven to nine hours a night, wake up feeling rested, recover well from stress, and maintain a healthy weight without dieting, then your adrenals are probably doing well.
On the other hand, if your energy lags during the day, you feel emotionally unbalanced much of the time, you sleep poorly or less than seven hours a night, can’t lose excess weight even while dieting, use caffeine or carbohydrates as “pick-me-ups” — these are all red flags indicating adrenal insufficiency.

Love
Maru Angarita

A Spice That’s Nice for Your Pancreas

A Spice That’s Nice for Your Pancreas
http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/6515

Wake up your taste buds, and protect your pancreas while you're at it, with some Indian food this weekend. Or try a Thai dish. Turmeric -- the spice that gives curry and other Far Eastern fare its strong, distinctive flavor -- may lower your risk of pancreatic cancer. So find that takeout number. It's Good to Be YellowCurcumin, the yellow stuff in turmeric, may do in tumor cells. When researchers added the substance to cancerous pancreas cells, production practically shut down -- thanks to a clampdown on cytokines, chemicals linked to tumor growth and cell survival. (Find out why Indian food after a workout may make you feel a whole lot better.)

Maru Angarita
My blog is: http://maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com/

Seven Reasons the French Are Slimmer

www.drweil.com

Seven Reasons the French Are Slimmer

For years, scientists on both sides of the Atlantic have been trying to unravel the "French paradox" - the finding that despite a high-fat diet, the French appear to have a lower rate of heart attacks (as well as a lower rate of obesity) than other Western countries, particularly the United States. While no definite explanations are available, it may have a great deal to do with how the French approach eating:

Their portions are smaller

They eat only at mealtimes, snacking is frowned upon

They eat a wide variety of food

They don't skip meals

They enjoy their food, emphasizing dishes made from quality ingredients that are fresh and locally grown

They stick to internal cues - primarily, no longer feeling hungry - to stop eating

They tend to eat meals with family and friends, making eating a pleasurable experience and not something to “fit into” a schedule or feel guilty about.

Americans, on the other hand, tend to eat more, eat on the run (and eat more low-quality foods), and look to external cues for feeling full (such as when the plate is empty). Consider changing your approach and attitude toward eating and see if it makes a difference in your life

Three Nutrition Tips for Osteoarthritis

Article from www.drweil.com

Three Nutrition Tips for Osteoarthritis

Morning stiffness, pain and swelling of joints are common symptoms of osteoarthritis. Aside from getting regular exercise (low-impact is the best) and maintaining a healthy weight, consider the following nutritional changes to help prevent or lessens symptoms.
Eat foods rich in antioxidants. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources, and may help reduce tissue damage from inflammation.

Get enough omega-3s. Oily walnuts, freshly ground flaxseed or a good omega-3 supplement may help reduce the inflammation and pain of arthritis.

Regularly use ginger and turmeric for their natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Dr. Weil’s Vitamin Advisor has supplements and herbs to help reduce inflammation. Visit today for your free personalized recommendation - place your first order in June and get free shipping!

10 Foods to Prevent Osteoporosis

10 Foods to Prevent Osteoporosis
www.drweilcom

Changing your diet can be an effective, gentle, inexpensive - and even delicious - way to prevent, relieve or even reverse a wide variety of conditions. If you are at risk for or have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, consider adding these calcium-rich foods to your diet:

Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, collard greens and bok choy
Tofu
Calcium-fortified juices and soy milk
Black-eyed peas
Blackstrap molasses
Poppy seeds and sesame seeds
Almonds
Figs

Maru Angarita
http://maruangaritavegan.blogspot.com/

You may drink a little bit and occasionally

http://body.aol.com/healthy-living/aging-well/longevity

Red wine contains resveratrol a compound that's been found in research to extend life. It's the ultimate anti-aging nutrient. Resveratrol is also found in the skins of dark grapes, as well as in peanuts. A ton of research has shown that moderate drinking -- no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink per day for women -- is good for the heart and circulatory system. But remember -- alcohol is addictive for many people, and drinking is a major cause of preventable death. Women drinkers especially should make sure to also supplement with folic acid, as even one drink a day can increase the risk for breast cancer if you're folic acid deficient.

To Beer or Not to Beer

Hummm, after I bought a six pack of dark beer, Andrew Weil. PhD explains that alcohol could be source of breast cancer. Please read the link below

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP02801/Preventing-Breast-Cancer.html

Love

Maru Angarita

Andrew Weil, PhD's Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Makeover Part 4: Simple Steps to Remember

As part of Nutrition Month, each Wednesday in March we are running a series of “kitchen makeover” tips, courtesy of Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging.

Now that you have cleaned out your cabinets, understand food labels, and re-stocked your refrigerator, remember these simple steps – each will help you stick to the anti-inflammatory diet when you are shopping, cooking or dining out.

Step One: Look at your carbs. The majority of carbohydrates in your diet should be in the form of less-refined, less-processed foods with a low glycemic load. You can do this by replacing your snack foods (made with wheat flour and sugar) with whole grains, beans, winter squashes and sweet potatoes.

Step Two: Replace your cooking oil. Instead of safflower and sunflower oils, corn oil, cottonseed oil, mixed vegetable oils, butter and margarine, use extra-virgin olive oil as your main cooking oil (for a neutral tasting oil, use expeller-pressed, organic canola oil).

Step Three: Decrease your consumption of animal protein. Except for fish (such as omega-3 rich salmon) and reduced-fat dairy products, animal-derived protein should be limited. You can easily replace meat with vegetable protein such as beans, legumes and whole soy foods.

Step Four: Eat more fiber. Try to eat 40 grams of fiber a day, simple to do if you increase your consumption of fruit, especially berries, vegetables and whole grains.

To learn more about the anti-inflammatory diet – and have access to anti-inflammatory eating guides and recipes - join Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging.

www.drweil.com

Diet May Help Rheumatoid Arthritis

http://news.aol.com/health/story/ar/_a/diet-may-help-rheumatoid-arthritis/20080319140409990001

Reuters
Posted: 2008-03-19 14:12:39

LONDON (March 19) - A gluten-free vegan diet full of nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit and vegetables appears to offer protection against heart attacks and strokes for people with rheumatoid arthritis, Swedish researchers said on Tuesday.The diet appeared to lower cholesterol and also affect the immune system, easing some symptoms associated with the painful joint condition, they said.The study suggested diet could play an important role for people with rheumatoid arthritis who are often more prone to heart attacks, strokes and clogged arteries, said a team from Sweden's Karolinska Institute."These findings are compatible with previous results of vegetarian/vegan dietary regimens in non-rheumatoid arthritis subjects which have shown lower blood pressure, lower body mass index and lower incidence of cardiovascular disease," the researchers wrote in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.About 20 million people worldwide have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease caused when the body confuses healthy tissues for foreign substances and attacks itself.In the study, Johan Frostegard of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and colleagues put 38 volunteers on gluten-free vegan foods and had the other 28 people eat a balanced but non-vegan diet for one year.The people on the diet excluding animal products and gluten, found in wheat, rye and barley, had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the so-called "bad cholesterol" which can lead to clogged arteries. They also lost weight while the volunteers on the other diet showed no change.The researchers said further study was needed to determine the roles the different foods may play in offering protective benefits against heart attacks and strokes.Last week Finnish researchers said a once-a-week generic pill to treat the disease significantly reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes for people with the condition.Recent studies have also showed that newer drugs that block an inflammatory protein called tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, were also effective at reducing heart attack and stroke risk for people with the condition.Evidence suggests that LDL could be involved in improper immune system activation, the researchers said in the report, available freely online at http://arthritis-research.com/.They said the volunteers on the vegan diet had lower levels of C reactive protein, a compound that indicates levels of inflammation in the body and which is linked with heart disease.(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Maggie Fox and Elizabeth Piper)

Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-03-19 14:04:06

Beer Fights Cancer

The following article is from Newsmax.com Health Alerts:

1. Beer Fights Cancer

Researchers are always looking for the magic bullet to kill cancer, and now they may have found it in a surprising place — a glass of beer! (Who knew?) It turns out that hops, which is the flavor component of beer, contains a cancer-fighting compound called xanthohumol.
Xanthohumol turns out to be toxic to several kinds of human cancer, including prostate, ovarian, breast, and colon. Further, it inhibits enzymes that can activate the development of cancer, and also helps detoxify carcinogens. It even seems to slow down tumor growth in the early stages. Scientists are trying to produce hops that contain even more xanthohumol, and the Germans are racing to develop a “health” beer.

But wait – there’s more! Other compounds in hops are potent phytoestrogens which may help with post-menopausal hot flashes and also prevent osteoporosis.

Beers that provide the most benefits contain the most hops, and include strong brews such as ale, stout, and porter. In general, the darker the beer, the better. For those who can’t stand beer, herbal supplements made from hops contain the highest concentrations of beneficial elements.

A six pack anyone?

Love

Maru

Miracle Foods

Dear Friends,

I enjoyed reading about miracle foods in AOL. If you are not already consuming these nourrishments, it is time to start doing so:

http://body.aol.com/diet/weight-loss-program/flat-belly-foods

Cordially,

Maru Angarita

New Year's Vegan Dinner

Happy and Prosperous New Year 2008!

We ate at the beautiful set dinner table for this celebration:

- Homemade guacamole dip with very thin wheat crackers with black & green olives and olive oil

- Steamed artichokes with two types of vinagrettes.

- balsamic vinagrette from the grocery story
- homemade balsamic vinagrette with olive oil, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper

- Gnoccis with pesto

- mango ice cream

- Sparkling apple cider

At midnight for the new year's day:

very coldTaittinger champagne

and Green chilean grapes