Feeding your brain: new benefits found in chocolate
By Julie Steenhuysen Sun Feb 18,
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - As if people needed another excuse to like chocolate, new studies suggest a specially formulated type of cocoa may boost brain function and delay decline as people age, researchers said on Sunday.
Scientists, speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in
rain of flavanols, an ingredient found in cocoa.
Funded by candy maker Mars Inc., which provided a specially formulated liquid cocoa concoction for the research, the studies suggest that flavanols increase blood flow to the brain and may hold promise for treating some vascular impairments.
Mars, a private company, has made a study of the health benefits of cocoa. Its CocoaVia line of chocolates, made with a process that retains flavanols, have been shown in clinical trials to have benefits for the heart.
The latest research also suggests benefits for the brain.
Ian Macdonald of
Although the beverage did not improve their performance on the tests, it did increase blood flow to their brains for a two to three-hour period, Macdonald said.
He believes more research might show that increased blood flow could benefit older adults and those who have cognitive impairments, such as fatigue or even mini-strokes.
A
Hollenberg believes that, while promising, the brain benefit needs to be verified.
"The only way we can prove something is working is a large clinical trial," he said.
Meanwhile, the researchers cautioned against rushing out to binge on the special Mars line of chocolates.
"It is a modest calorie load but it is a calorie load," Macdonald said. "As long as you are doing something to earn that 100 calories, then that's fine."
p/s: this certainly gonna make me eat a whole lot more of chocolates! how great is that? :D
By DIKKY SINN, Associated Press Writer Fri Feb 16,
"The Year of the Pig will not be very peaceful," said
Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of trying to achieve health, harmony and prosperity by using specific dates, numbers, building design and the placement of objects.
The pig is one of 12 animals (or mythical animals in the case of the dragon) on the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, which follows the lunar calendar. According to Chinese astrology, people born in pig years are polite, honest, hardworking and loyal. They are also lucky, which is why many Chinese like to have babies in a pig year.
"Any children born in The Year of Pig will receive help from others throughout their lives," Lo said.
Ronald Reagan was a pig. So are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Woody Allen and Elton John. Not to mention Hillary Rodham Clinton.
But a word of caution to the presidential candidate.
The pig finished last in the race that determined the zodiac's order, behind the dog.
Other animals in the zodiac are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey and rooster. The zodiac runs on a 12-year cycle, and each year is associated with the five elements that Chinese mystics make up the universe: metal, water, wood, fire and earth.
Therein lies the trouble.
Pig years can be turbulent because they are dominated by fire and water, conflicting elements that tend to cause havoc, Lo said.
"Fire sitting on water is a symbol of conflict and skirmish," he said. "We'll also see more fire disasters and bombings."
He noted that the Russian AK-47 rifle, a weapon of choice among insurgents around the world, was invented during a pig year.
"So it will not be surprising to see more gunbattles, murder with guns and bombing attacks in 2007," he said.
Malaysian feng shui master Lillian Too agreed.
"I wish I could say that there won't be natural disasters, but I am afraid it could be as bad as last year," she said.
"There could be epidemics," she said. "I am very worried about bird flu. Eat healthy foods and take care of your health."
Few Chinese seemed to be worried about the warnings, though, as they prepared for their biggest bash of the year — Saturday's Lunar New Year's Eve — celebrated by one-fifth of the world's population.
It's an occasion to have family feasts, buy new clothes and exchange red envelopes stuffed with gift money.
Not everything about the future looks bleak.
Most soothsayers said the world economy will continue to boom, though they advise people to be cautious about their investments.
"Because of the water element in the Year of the Pig, the economy will continue to grow, which also paves the way for another round of interest rate hikes," said Peter So, a celebrity fortuneteller in
The North conducted a nuclear test in October.
He also said the next president of
While the pig is beloved by the Chinese, the animal is offensive to Muslims, who consider it unclean. For that reason, Chinese New Year celebrations have to be handled with care in
For the first time in its history,
"We took the middle path," said Hana Suryana, director of the Indonesian postal service.
Still, that was progress for a country where ethnic Chinese, who make up 5 percent of the population and have long faced discrimination, once were not allowed to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
"That has changed now, but we still feel uncomfortable celebrating the day in a large way because there are some people who cannot accept that Chinese culture is a part of Indonesian culture," said Jhony Tan, a trader in Jakarta's bustling Chinatown.
Yusri Mohammad, president of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia, said he had no problem with the Chinese celebrating the pig year in his country. He said decorative pictures of pigs in shopping malls are fine — as long as Chinese don't start using live pigs or eat pork in public.
p/s: i was born in the year of pig. heh
v-day party @ Melissa's fren's house.
Latin dance party @ A.I Kagoshima (after the v-day party)
frens gathering on val's day @ the usual place for loitering kids like us (haha), kusa no hana.
One of the biggest misconceptions people have about travel is that short trips cost less than longer ones. In reality, a month-long journey is not just cheaper than four one-week vacations; it can in fact cost about the same as one typical one-week vacation. Similarly, taking a year off to travel can easily be a better value (and a more memorable experience) than a decade of hurried, two-week vacations.
The secret here is not merely a matter of budgeting and planning; it's a matter of mindset. Here are five strategies, taken from my book Vagabonding, on how to adopt a mindset that can make a long-term journey affordable:
1) Take out the middleman
Resist the temptation to purchase your travel specifics in advance. As wonderful as that Ugandan safari looks in the promotional literature of a Dallas-based travel company, shopping for the same experience when you arrive in Africa will be infinitely less expensive — and you'll have saved yourself the trouble of adhering to a fixed date. The same goes for air travel. A discounted "round-the-world" flight ticket might seem tempting but it's generally better to buy a one-way ticket to your first destination and plan your ongoing transportation as you go. Not only is it cheaper this way (thanks to frumpy local airlines such as Biman Bangladesh, Aerocaribbean, and SkyEurope), it allows you a more organic experience — since you'll have a much better feel for your travels en route than you will before they begin.
As a general rule, remember that pre-packaged adventures and micromanaged arrangements — even those touted under the guise of "budget travel" — are for people who can only spare a few days away from home. Long-term travel is all about setting your own pace and finding your own way — and you can rest assured that everything you see in a glossy brochure in Milwaukee will be just as available (and ten times cheaper) when you arrive independently at your destination.
2) Go slow
One of the advantages of long-term travel is that it allows you to see and experience things at your own pace. This will ultimately save you money, since a slower travel tempo better integrates you into the local economy, and allows you to wander around and find your own adventures.
Hence, when planning, don't aspire to "do" Central America in six weeks; you'll have a much more vivid (and economical) experience if you limit yourself to a country or two. Similarly, don't plan to "do" Asia in six months; instead, aim to see a part of it, like the Northeast, the Southeast, or India. And — even if you have a year to play with — trying to cram five continents into a single travel stint is a sure path to jadedness and exhaustion. Long-term travel shouldn't be approached like bulk shopping: The value of your travels does not hinge on how many stamps you have in your passport when you get home — and the slow, nuanced experience of a single country is always better (and more affordable) than the hurried, superficial experience of forty countries.
3) Patronize the local "mom-and-pop" economy
A great way to save money and have an enhanced travel experience is to sidestep international hotels and tour companies. Instead of luxury chain hotels, seek out clean basic, hostels and local guesthouses. Instead of flying from place to place, take local buses, trains, and shared taxis. Instead of dining at fancy restaurants, eat food from street vendors and local cafeterias. Within the local economy, one can take a train from one end of China to the other for what it costs to gas up an SUV back home. For the cost of a home-delivered pepperoni pizza, one can eat great meals for a week in Thailand. For a month's rent in any major American city, one can spend a year in a beach hut in Nicaragua. Moreover, even the industrialized parts of the world host enough hostel networks and camping opportunities to make long-term travel affordable.
This principle also applies to day-to-day life on the road. Shop for food in local farmers' markets instead of continually seeking out processed supermarket food and restaurant meals (you'll end up healthier for the experience). Moreover, shopping and sleeping in local economies will help you understand how local residents live. Not only will this understanding make you aware of local prices and procedures, it will give you cultural pointers on everything from haggling for bargains to dealing with beggars.
4) Learn from your travels, and be flexible
No matter how intricately you've planned and budgeted your travels back home, what you learn from your first two weeks is far more valuable in the long run. Thus, be prepared to adjust your itinerary and reconsider your budget as you make new discoveries. Keep open to advice from locals and fellow travelers alike. The reason long-term travel is so appealing is that it promises to show you the destinations and experiences you've dreamed about — but the reason it's so addictive is that, joyfully, you'll never quite find what you dreamed. Money aside, the most memorable travel experiences usually find you by accident, and the qualities that will make you fall in love with a place are rarely the features that took you there. So be ready to shift your plans as you learn new things.
5) Work or volunteer on the road
Just because you're out having new travel experiences doesn't mean you constantly need to be on the move. One of the best perks of long-term travel is the opportunity to stop in one place and get to know it better. And a great way to do this is to find work locally (teaching English, dive-mastering SCUBA, contracting IT work, tending bar, etc.), or volunteer locally (formally through an agency, or informally as the need arises).
For more information on inexpensive volunteer opportunities, read my earlier column, Overseas volunteering on a budget.
(see, i've told u. i like to live in a fairy-tale-land)
