Best spots you've never heard of

Ever gone on vacation and come across the most ideal spot that you had never previously heard of?

Users of travel Web site IgoUgo.com have come up with a list of the top 10 "Best Places You've Never Heard Of" based on their experiences, with reader comments for each place:

1. Amarante, Portugal - a magnificent little city

"During my first time in Amarante, I found it such a nice town to visit, a pleasant 'discovery,' the only thing I could complain about was the weather... The lovely city is bathed by River Tamega and Amarante's beautiful architecture by its margins and green streets reflect on its water."

2. Sigulda, Latvia - a beautiful little town

"As the Gauja National Park gateway town closest to Riga, only 50 km southwest, Sigulda attracts its fair share of tourists, and deservedly so because it is one of the nicest small towns in Latvia. It is located on the banks of the Gauja river that winds through the forested hills."

3. Avebury, England - a Stonehenge alternative

"Avebury may be a lesser-known henge sibling to the massive stones of Stonehenge in the south, but it is certainly no less impressive. "Although Stonehenge's stones are so much bigger, the scale of the circle here at Avebury leaves the former well and truly in the shade."

4. Sorata, Bolivia - a mythical Shangri-La

"Bolivians mention Sorata (a small village of 2,000 people) as one of the most beautiful places in their country. They compare it to a mythical Shangri-La, placed in a narrow, faraway - almost lost - valley in the mountains. "

5. Camargue, France - for a Spanish/Gypsy flavor

"It's an unusual corner of France with many Spanish and Gypsy influences, worth a day or two for those who enjoy outdoor activities or a touch of the exotic ... The Camargue is a national and regional nature park of marshes and wetlands encompassing the Rhone River delta, just south of Arles."

6. Victoria, Argentina - the "City of the Seven Hills"

"Victoria is known as the "City of the Seven Hills" and the whole landscape is beautiful. The Parana Delta starts here, and goes all the way down to Buenos Aires."

7. Budva, Montenegro - on a dramatic coastline

"Budva is a 2,500-year-old seaside settlement about halfway along the dramatic Montenegrin coastline. The immaculately cared-for old town juts out into the Adriatic Sea on a small peninsula and is surrounded by tall stone walls."

8. Bohol, Philippines - one of Philippines' secrets

"Bohol has numerous natural treasures that lure visitors to its shores. Although people usually go to its highly urbanized neighboring island Cebu, Bohol holds a charm of its own makes it distinct from other Visayan islands."

9.Cuyutlan, Mexico - black sand, green waves, sea turtles

"The beach is the reason to come to Cuyutlan. It is long and wide with black sand and rolling waves ... the seafood is fresh, abundant, and inexpensive."

10. Perthshire, Scotland - in the heart of highlands

"Blair Castle, the ancient seat of the dukes and earls of Atholl, has been awarded five stars as a visitor attraction by the Scottish tourist agency, its highest award. The castle enjoys one of Scotland's finest settings."

Bill Gates

William Henry Gates III, KBE, (born October 28, 1955), commonly known as Bill Gates, is the co-founder and current Chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft. According to Forbes magazine in 2004, Gates is the wealthiest person in the world, a position he has held steadily for many years.
Bill Gates was born in Seattle, Washington to William H. Gates, Sr., a corporate lawyer, and Mary Maxwell Gates, board member of First Interstate Bank, Pacific Northwest Bell and the national board of United Way. Gates went to Lakeside School, Seattle's most exclusive prep school, and later on went to study at Harvard University, but dropped out without graduating.

While he was a student at Harvard, he co-authored with Paul Allen the original Altair BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800 (the first commercially successful personal computer) in the mid 1970s. It was inspired by BASIC, an easy-to-learn programming language developed at Dartmouth College for teaching purposes.

Gates married Melinda French on January 1, 1994. They have three children, Jennifer Katharine Gates (1996), Rory John Gates (1999) and Phoebe Adele Gates (2002). They live in a very large earth-sheltered home in the side of a hill overlooking Lake Washington. It is a very modern 21st century house in the "Pacific lodge" style, with advanced electrical and electronic systems everywhere. In one respect though it is more like an 18th or 19th century mansion: It has a large private library with a domed reading room.Also in 1994, he acquired the Codex Leicester, a collection of writings by Leonardo da Vinci; as of 2003 it was on display at the Seattle Art Museum.In 1997, Gates was the victim of a bizarre extortion plot by Chicago resident Adam Quinn Pletcher. Gates testified at the subsequent trial. Pletcher was convicted and sentenced in July 1998 to six years in prison.

n 1975, Gates and Allen co-founded Microsoft Corporation to market their version of BASIC, called Microsoft BASIC. It was the primary interpreted computer language of the MS-DOS operating system, and was key to Microsoft's early commercial success.

In February 1976, Gates wrote the Open Letter to Hobbyists, which shocked the computer hobbyist community by asserting that a commercial market existed for computer software. Gates stated in the letter that software should not be copied without the publisher's permission, which he equated to piracy. While legally correct, Gates's proposal was unprecedented in a community that was influenced by its ham radio legacy and hacker ethic, in which innovations and knowledge were freely shared in the community. Nevertheless, Gates was right about the market prospects and his efforts paid off: Microsoft Corporation became one of the world's most successful commercial enterprises, and a key player in the creation of a retail software industry.

Microsoft's key moment came when in the late 1970s, IBM was planning to enter the personal computer market with its IBM Personal Computer (PC), which was released in 1981. Gates licensed MS-DOS to IBM, which it had acquired from a local computer manufacturer. The story of how Microsoft acquired the original system (QDOS) has inspired much folklore, which often portrays Gates pouncing on a trivial mistake by Digital Research and stealing that company's lead in microcomputer operating systems. It is frequently cited by those who accuse Gates of unethical business practices. By marketing MS-DOS aggressively to manufacturers of IBM-PC clones, Microsoft gained unprecedented visibility in the microcomputer industry, even rivalling IBM.

Sir Alexander Fleming

Sir Alexander Fleming (August 6, 1881 - March 11, 1955) is famous as the discoverer of the antibiotic substance lysozyme and for isolating the antibiotic substance penicillin from the fungus Penicillium notatum.
Fleming was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. He later attended St. Mary's medical school in London until World War I broke out. He participated in a battlefield hospital with many of his colleagues in the fronts of France. Being exposed to the horrid medical infections by the dying soldiers, he returned to St. Mary's after the war with renewed energy in searching for an improved antiseptic.

Both of Fleming's discoveries happened entirely by accident during the 1920s. The first, lysozyme, was discovered after mucus from his nose dropped into a bacterium laced petri dish (he sneezed). A few days later, it was noted that bacteria where the mucus had fallen had been destroyed.

Fleming's labs were usually in disarray, which led to be to his advantage. In September 1928, he was sorting through the many idle experiments strewn about his lab. He inspected each specimen before discarding it and noticed an interesting fungal colony had grown as a contaminant on one of the agar plates streaked with the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Fleming inspected the petri dish further and found that the bacterial colonies around the fungus were transparent because their cells were lysing. Lysis is the breakdown of cells, and in this case, potentially harmful bacteria. The importance was immediately recognized, however the discovery was still underestimated, initially used to clean his glassware. Fleming issued a publication about penicillin in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology in 1929.

Fleming died in 1955 of a heart attack. He was buried as a national hero in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. His discovery of penicillin had changed the world of modern medicines by introducing the age of useful antibiotics.

Babies as young as six months can distinguish between good and bad people

Babies can tell good people from bad

Babies as young as six months can distinguish between good and bad people, according to a study in which babies observed characters being helpful or unhelpful.

Scientists had thought that social judgments developed with language at about 18 months to two years old. But the results suggest that the ability to make moral judgments has innate foundations and is not just learned from parents.

"Here we have one component of what a sophisticated system of moral judgment requires," said Professor Karen Wynn, a psychologist at Yale University in Connecticut, part of the team which carried out the study.

The team studied the reactions of six and 10-month-old babies to scenarios involving a climber trying to scale a hill. The character - a circular blob with eyes - was helped or hindered by two different shaped blobs. The triangle helped push the climber up while an unhelpful square blocked the climber's ascent. The babies were offered the choice of holding the triangle or the square. Fourteen of the 16 10-month-olds and all 12 of the six-month-olds chose the triangle. The research is reported today in the journal Nature.

Wynn said that an innate sense of who plays by the social rules and who does not would be a great evolutionary advantage and important for the development of human sociality. But it was surprising that such young babies could make those judgments

Three Ways to Boost Your Investment Returns

you read Part One and Part Two of our series on boosting your income, you may be making and hanging on to more money. The next step is growing the money you've got.

Kicking up your returns by a percentage point or two can brighten your financial outlook, big-time. For example, let's say you invest $500 per month in a 401(k), with a 3% employer match. If your investments generate a 7% average annual return, you'll have $882,049 in 30 years. Juice your returns to 9%, and you'll end up with $1,285,785 -- an increase of more than $400,000.

The extra money could make an enormous difference in your retirement income. A $1.29 million nest egg would allow $51,000 in inflation-adjusted annual withdrawals, assuming you take financial advisers' standard advice and withdraw 4% of your retirement savings each year. (Myriad studies have found that a 4% maximum withdrawal rate gives retirement savings the best chance of lasting at least 30 years.)

By comparison, the $882,000 portfolio would allow annual withdrawals of just $35,000. (You can run your own calculations here.)

"You often hear how a dollar saved today can make a big difference tomorrow," says Rick Shapiro, a managing member of Investment and Financial Counselors in West Hartford, Conn. "That's true for every dollar your portfolio earns, too."

Here's how to maximize your investment returns:

Cut ExpensesEvery dollar spent managing your money is a dollar missed, not just from today's balance but from tomorrow's growth -- so cutting costs can have a major impact on your returns.

Say you invest $20,000 in an actively managed, no-load stock fund that earns the stock-market average of 11% per year for 10 years. A 1.5% expense ratio would force you to forgo nearly $8,000 in fees and lost earnings, leaving your investment worth $48,823 after a decade. Lower your expense ratio to 0.25% -- for example, by investing through an index fund -- and your costs would shrink to about $1,400, boosting the value of your investment in 10 years to $55,385.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has a calculator that enables you to compare funds and see how their expense ratios might affect your portfolio over time.

Spice Up Your Portfolio In general, the more risk you're willing to take, the higher your returns will be over the long run. Goosing your stock allocation even a bit might help you amass a good deal more money over time.

Babies Can Tell Friend From Foe

Babies Can Tell Friend From Foe
Researchers say infants make distinctions based on behaviors.
"I think it is the first study that demonstrated that very young infants show some understanding of social cooperation," said Tracy Dennis, an expert on child development and assistant professor of psychology at Hunter College in New York City. "This is an important study."

Previous studies had showed that babies prefer physically attractive people, but there has been no data on whether babies judge people based on how they behave.

"We know babies evaluate others based on outside stuff, not necessarily inside stuff," said study author Kiley Hamlin, a doctoral candidate in development psychology at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. "We wanted to see whether or not babies, like adults, have evaluative mechanisms for other people based on behavior."

Kiley and her co-authors (also her advisers) conducted a series of simple experiments to gauge whether 6- and 10-month-old infants preferred social individuals ("helpers") or anti-social individuals ("hinderers").

In one experiment, the infant watched a "climber" (basically a wood puppet with large eyes glued on to it) repeatedly try to climb a hill. On the third try, the climber was either given help or was pushed back down by a puppet.

The babies were then given the chance to choose (reach out and grasp) either the helper or hinderer puppet.

"Basically, we found very high rates of choosing of the helping character," Hamlin said.

One question is whether the babies are learning the behavior, or if it's something innate. The authors argue for the latter.
"Our results suggest that infants have a pretty advanced evaluating system that doesn't need much outside input to develop. It develops at a very early age, by 6 months," Hamlin said. "They are learning lots of stuff by 6 months, however, we know that it's incredibly unlikely that parents are explicitly teaching them anything about this. The fact that they can pick up on it by 6 months suggests that it's an important skill."

In fact, being able to distinguish between friend or foe could be an important survival skill. "It's important to tell who is going to be helpful, who is going to be threatening," Hamlin noted.

But that's the evolutionary argument, and not one everyone would agree with it, Dennis pointed out.

"Even though these authors make a good argument that very young infants don't have a lot of time to learn, even some basic observation of people cooperating might be enough to make some learning take place," Dennis said. "It's important, but it's a study that people are going to debate about."


journal Nature.
The infants watched a googly-eyed wooden toy trying to climb roller-coaster hills and then another googly-eyed toy come by and either help it over the mountain or push it backward. They then were presented with the toys to see which they would play with.
Nearly every baby picked the helpful toy over the bad one.
The babies also chose neutral toys _ ones that didn't help or hinder _ over the naughty ones. And the babies chose the helping toys over the neutral ones.
«It's incredibly impressive that babies can do this,» said study lead author Kiley Hamlin, a Yale psychology researcher. «It shows that we have these essential social skills occurring without much explicit teaching.
There was no difference in reaction between boys and girls, but when the researchers took away the large eyes that made the toys somewhat lifelike, the babies didn't show the same social judging skills, Hamlin said.
The choice of nice over naughty follows a school of thought that humans have some innate social abilities, not just those learned from their parents.
«We know that they're very, very social beings from very, very early on,» Hamlin said.
A study last year in Germany showed that babies as young as 18 months old overwhelmingly helped out when they could, such as by picking up toys that researchers dropped.
David Lewkowicz, a psychology professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton who wasn't part of the study, said the Yale research was intriguing. But he doesn't buy into the natural ability part. He said the behavior was learned, and that the new research doesn't prove otherwise.
«Infants acquire a great deal of social experience between birth and 6 months of age and thus the assumption that this kind of capacity does not require experience is simply unwarranted,» Lewkowicz told The Associated Press in an e-mail.
But the Yale team has other preliminary research that shows similar responses even in 3-month-olds.
Researchers also want to know if the behavior is limited to human infants. The Yale team is starting tests with monkeys, but has no results yet.

The Love Of God

he most well known verse in the Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Many people look at the state of the world today with its disease, famine, war and extreme poverty, and ask if there really is a God. "If there is", they say, "then He can't be a loving God."

If we start from the beginning of creation, Genesis 1:31 tells us that when God created the heavens and the earth, "it was very good." There was no death at all, His creation was "very good." God gave Adam and Eve just one command and that was not to eat from the 'tree of the knowledge of good and evil' otherwise they would die (Genesis 2:16-17). Adam rebelled against God and this sin brought death into the world. God cursed the world because of man's sin (Genesis 3:14-19) and the continuing sins of mankind bring the disease, the famine, the wars and the extreme poverty which we blame God for. Man is his own worst enemy.

Sin separated the first man and woman from God and today it still separates mankind from Him. Isaiah 59:2 says, "your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Habbakuk 1:13 says that God's "eyes are too pure to look on evil." God hates the evil of sin which all mankind is guilty of. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" says Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23 says that "the wages of sin is death." God's law says that sin must be punished by death.

In His love for us, God has provided a way to escape His Judgment. He sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins by dying the death we deserve. Now if anyone repents of their sins and trusts in Jesus Christ for forgiveness then they no longer face the death penalty (hell) but are cleansed of sin and receive the gift of eternal life. However, if anyone refuses God's only offer of forgiveness, then they must take their own punishment. To understand how to be saved, please click here.

God's love is not a warm, fuzzy feeling that fades away after a honeymoon period. His love is endlessly deep and unchanging. Before Creation He planned to send Christ to die for us. 1 Peter 1:20 says about Jesus, "He was chosen before the creation of the world." This of course means that God knew that when He created man with a free will, man would rebel against Him.


Consider the love of God:

He created rebels like you and I and then sent His only Son to die in order that we may live ... that is love.
On the way to the cross Jesus was in such anguish that while praying, "his sweat was like drops of blood" (Luke 22:44). This is a known medical condition that can occur with extreme trauma. Despite His trauma, Isaiah 50:7 says that 'He set His face like flint' in His determination to face the cross and save you and I from hell ... that is love.
On the cross, in extreme agony, He forgave a thief being crucified beside Him (Luke 23:43) ... that is love.
Regarding his executioners, He said, "Father, forgive them." (Luke 23:34) ... that is love.
Dying on the cross He asked a disciple to care for His mother (John 19:26-27) ... that is love.
Isaiah 53:10 says that it pleased God to allow His Son to suffer for you and I ... that is love.
We sinned against God and Jesus, God in the flesh, paid the price for our sin ... THAT is love beyond measure.

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
God loves you - never doubt it!

If you would like to know how to be saved from God's wrath, please go to How To Be Saved.
If you are not sure of your salvation, please go to Are You A Saved Or An Unsaved Believer?
For an understanding of what it means to be saved, please go to Saved - How Do We Know?

Modern Lifestyle Challenges

Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease and strokes cause nearly half of all deaths in America, and severely reduce the quality of life for many people. Both diseases have the same underlying cause, which is atherosclerosis, a condition in which cholesterol, fat, and calcium harden, narrow, and eventually plug the arteries. This process takes many years and gives virtually no clues until the arteries have 50 to 80 percent blockage.

While there are some risk factors for cardiovascular disease that we can't change, such as age and sex, there are some that we can do something about. According to the Framing-ham Heart Study the six most important modifiable risk factors are high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity.

Cholesterol
The amount of cholesterol in the blood is one of the three most important risk factors for atherosclerosis.

Research shows that the risk of death from heart disease increases when cholesterol exceeds 150mg/dl. However that is not the whole picture. Cholesterol comes in two forms: LDL (the bad kind) and HDL (the good kind). MDL actually protects us from atherosclerosis by. removing cholesterol from the arteries. An HDL level of 75mg/dl drops heart disease risk to near zero, while a level of25mg/dl or lower raises the risk very high.

An especially harmful type of cholesterol (oxidized cholesterol) is found in Parmesan cheese, lard, dry mixes that contain powdered milk or eggs, such as custard and pancake mixes, and other processed foods containing cholesterol and sugar Some of the chemicals in oxidized cholesterol are so toxic they can cause irreversible damage to arterial walls in less than 24 hours.


Another factor is the type of fat in the diet. Saturated fat (5) is more effective at raising cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol itself is. Polyunsaturated fat (P) lowers cholesterol levels; however, it takes twice as much polyunsaturated fat to cancel the effects of a given amount of saturated fat. A P/S ratio less than 2/1 will raise cholesterol while a ratio of more than 2/1 will lower cholesterol. All meat and dairy products have a poor P/S ratio as do coconuts. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, and hickory nuts all have high P/S ratios, with black walnuts topping the list at a ratio of 10.33/1. When polyunsaturated fats are hydrogenated, such as in margarine and shortening, they raise LDL cholesterol levels. Mono-unsaturated fats tend to raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Olive oil is a notable source of this type of fat. Even though unsaturated fats have a favorable effect on cholesterol levels, they should be used in moderation.

The type of protein consumed also affects cholesterol levels. Animal protein increases blood cholesterol levels while plant protein decreases it. See chart on page 18.

Eight Keys to Heart Disease
There are eight keys to preventing, treating, and reversing heart disease. They are so effective that if every American followed them 90 percent of heart attacks could be prevented.

1. Reduce blood cholesterol. Levels less than 150 mg/dl will reduce the risk of heart attack by 60 to 90 percent.


2. Eat a plant-based diet. All the cholesterol we eat comes from animal products; plant foods contain no cholesterol. To remove all cholesterol from the diet all animal products must be eliminated.

3. Increase dietary fiber. It absorbs cholesterol in the digestive tract and removes it

4. Decrease blood levels of fat. Sugar, fat, and alcohol increase the amount of fat in the blood. Fat promotes plaque buildup in the arteries and stimulates the blood to clot, increasing the risk of heart disease.

5. Stop smoking. Over a period of five years this will reduce your risk of heart attack by 50 to 75 percent.

6. Start a regular aerobic exercise program. This raises MDL so effectively it can reduce the risk of heart disease by over 45 percent in those who are unfit.

7. Reach and maintain your ideal body weight. Losing weight can cut heart disease risk by 35 to 55 percent in those who are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight.

8. Reduce blood pressure. A ten-point reduction in blood pressure reduces heart disease risk 20 to 30 percent in those with high blood pressure.

Many people have experienced very good results from implementing these principles. As artery blockage reverses, angina pains have cleared up, and an active normal life has again become possible.

Note: All material taken from Nedley N. Proof Positive Ardmore. OK, Neil Nedley M .D. 1999 pp. 55-90.

Cancer
Cancer is the number two killer in this country. More than 1500 people a day die from cancer--the equivalent of three jumbo jets crashing each day, every day. These are appalling statistics, especially since many cancers are preventable. Currently, one in every two men and one in every three women will be diagnosed with cancer at some time in their lives.1

The American Cancer Society defines cancer as "a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells." In a healthy body the immune system quickly identifies and destroys cancer cells when they first occur, but the typical American lifestyle and diet predispose the body to develop cancer by introducing carcinogens to the body and handicapping the immune system.

Adopting a cancer protective lifestyle can reduce your risk by up to 90 percent.2 Here are seven suggestions for success:

1. Avoid factors that favor cancer development. Use of tobacco and alcohol play a part in about 44 percent of all cancers. Meat and dairy products, excess fat, sugar, cholesterol, and sunshine have all been linked to one or more kinds of cancer. Other cancer causing agents have been found in coffee, chocolate3, asbestos, wood dust, and a host of toxic chemicals from deodorant sprays to pesticides.

2. Eat a proper diet. A high-fiber low-protein diet featuring a wide variety of fruits and vegetables has many cancer-inhibiting components.

3. Eat regular meals with nothing between them except water. Research shows that those eating four meals a day have double the risk of colon and rectal cancer as compared to those who eat only two meals per day.

4. Exercise daily. This will enhance your immunity, improve circulation and digestion, and reduce stress. Physical inactivity increases the risk of various kinds of cancer 30 to 80 percent

5. Obtain moderate sun exposure. It enhances the immune system and decreases the risk of various kinds of cancer. Vitamin D, produced by sunlight on the skin, suppresses abnormal cell growth.

6. Maintain proper weight. Excess body weight can increase cancer risk by as much as 55 percent.

7. Learn stress control. Stress depresses the immune system and is a major risk factor in cancer development.

Many people have experienced a slowing down or complete disappearance of tumor growth by making these adjustments. Lifestyle changes should be a part of any cancer treatment and maintenance program.

1. American Cancer Society website: http://www.caneer.org/ cancerinfo/sitecentcr.asp.
2. Nedley, N., Proof Positive Ardmore, OK, Neil Nedley M.D. 1999, p. 47
3. Ibid. p.31.
Note:The rest of the material in this section is from the same source pp. 11-54. The studies cited there are too numerous to document.

High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as "the silent killer" because there are often no symptoms. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of Americans have this condition, and about half of them don't know it.1 This is serious; hypertension is associated with stroke, congestive heart failure, heart attack, atherosclerosis, aneurysm, kidney disease, disease of the retina, blood vessel rupture, and weakened memory and mental ability.

There are two main categories of high blood pressure: secondary hypertension is caused by other diseases and subsides when these are treated; primary hypertension accounts for 90 percent of all cases of high blood pressure and is due to lifestyle factors and inherited susceptibility. It responds well to lifestyle changes. These need to be made under a doctor's supervision if a person is taking a blood pressure lowering drug.

The following are some methods to lower blood pressure:

1. Lose weight. Obesity is one of the most important contributors to high blood pressure. Sixty to seventy percent of hypertension is directly attributed to increased body fat.

2. Utilize a low-salt diet. The body must raise the blood pressure to enable the kidneys to cope with a high salt intake. Don't assume that just because you have taken the salt shaker off the table you are on a low salt diet. Eighty percent of our salt comes hidden in processed foods. Read the labels; educate yourself on how much salt is in the foods you eat, and make a specific plan to reduce sodium intake to less than 2,000 mg/day.

3. Eliminate caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. All of these substantially raise the blood pressure.

4. Learn to control stress. The stress response in the body raises the blood pressure, and unrelieved stress keeps it high. Overwork and worry are major contributors to hypertension.

5. Adopt an aerobic exercise program such as brisk walking. Exercise at least 3 days a week for 45 minutes. Exercise strengthens the heart and enables it to pump more efficiently. A regular exercise program significantly reduces blood pressure.

6. Eat oatmeal and green leafy vegetables. These have been shown to reduce blood pressure.3

1. The fifth report of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, (JNC V) Arch. Intern. Med., 1993 Jan 25;153(2): 154-183.
2. Nedley, N. Proof Positive Ardmore, OK Neil Nedley M.D. 1999 p. 136.
3. Ibid. p. 142.

Alcohol
In spite of the recent news hype purporting to show benefits from moderate drinking, alcohol is a dangerous poison. In the U.S. it is the second most deadly drug, coming right after tobacco. An estimated 100,000 Americans die prematurely every year due to its use.

Even the moderate use of alcohol can inflict widespread damage to both the individual's health and society.

Alcohol of any amount in the system causes alteration and death of brain cells.


Alcohol increases the risk of hypertension, stroke and damage to the heart muscle.


Alcohol impairs the reproductive system. Heavy usage in men can cause impotence, testicle shrinkage, and enlarged breasts. In women, it causes malfunctioning ovaries and irregular menstrual cycles.


Alcohol-use by a pregnant woman can cause major damage to her unborn child. 11,000 U.S. children are born every year with fetal alcohol syndrome and another 30,000 or more with other alcohol-related problems. Some of these include vision, hearing, and immune system defects; mental retardation; growth, balance, and coordination problems; and skull, facial, and genital deformities.


Alcohol weakens the immune system, increasing susceptibility to illness and cancer.


Alcohol destroys the liver. Nearly 25,000 Americans die each year from alcohol-induced liver disease.


Alcohol is a contributing factor in many accidents. Any use of alcohol increases your chances of injury, disability, or death.


Alcohol reduces mental performance. It decreases judgement, foresight, and moral reasoning, and lessens abstract thinking ability.
The National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency says, "Alcohol is closely linked with virtually every negative aspect of society: suicide, violent crime, birth defects, industrial accidents, domestic and sexual abuse, disease, homelessness, and death. It is the number one drug problem for people from all walks of life. It knows no racial, ethnic, social, or economic barriers."

What about the studies cited by the media showing that alcohol is good for your heart? Studies show that red wine increases blood flow by making the blood's clotting cells, the platelets, less sticky. Research shows, however, that it is not the alcohol that gives this benefit but substances, called flavonoids, found in grapes, as well as many other fruits, vegetables, and grains. Grape juice without alcohol gives the same effect. It has never been demonstrated that a person living a healthy lifestyle gains any additional benefit from alcohol.

There is one tiny health benefit from alcohol. It increases HDL (good) cholesterol, but so do some pesticides. The harm outweighs any benefit.

Considering the numerous health and social problems associated with the use of alcohol, drinking is not a wise choice. Try an alcohol time out for thirty days. If you can't live without it you need to determine whether you are its master or its slave.

The Alcoholics Anonymous organization helps men and women who want to overcome the alcohol addiction. You can find their number listed in the local telephone book. Their buddy system and 12 step program can help you.*

*Some of the withdrawal symptoms font alcohol or drugs can be life threatening and should be monitored by a professional.

Tobacco
In 1979, the U.S. public health service called smoking, "The largest single preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States?" Tobacco is the only legal product in the U.S. that, when used correctly, kills one out of every four of those who use it. Tobacco is responsible for the death of over 450,000 Americans per year--more than all who die from AIDS, illicit thugs, fires, car crashes, and homicides combined.1

Tobacco leads to a variety of painful and terminal illnesses. The greatest number of smoking-related deaths are from heart attack, stroke, and cancer. Two of the more frightening diseases associated with smoking are emphysema and Buerger's disease. Emphysema is a progressive disease in which the lungs are slowly destroyed, resulting in slow suffocation. Buerger's disease, which is characterized by the clogging and inflammation of the capillaries cuts off the blood supply and can result in gangrene of the fingers and toes.

Even if tobacco doesn't kill you outright, some of the non-lethal effects are just as bad. It weakens the bones and is a risk factor for back pain; it causes impotence and premature menopause; it accelerates hair graying, skin wrinkling, loss of vision, and decreased physical capacity. Cancer treatment can be painful and disfiguring; a heart attack on stroke can leave you disabled.

You have a great deal to gain by kicking the habit: longer life, more energy, fewer medical expenses--and the air is fresher, breathing is easier, food is more flavorful, money goes farther, you smell better, and so do the flowers.

Kicking the Tobacco Habit
It is not an easy task to quit smoking. The 1988 Surgeon General's report revealed that nicotine is six to eight times more addictive than alcohol. Yet since 1964, 44 million Americans have stopped smoking. Most have kicked the habit on their own; however, the chances of success are up to five times higher for those who attend a seminar such as the Breathe Free Plan to Stop Smoking, one of the most successful smoking cessation programs ever presented, with over 20 million graduates worldwide.

An addiction to tobacco is both psychological and physical. Some of the classic withdrawal symptoms are: nicotine craving, rapid mood swings, tremors, intestinal problems, headaches, increased smoker's cough as the lungs clean themselves, sleep disturbances, hunger, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, frustration or anger, dizziness, and nausea. The average person experiences about five of these symptoms when he or she makes a complete break with cigarettes. The worst of the withdrawal symptoms are usually over within the first 24-72 hours, and all physical symptoms should be completely gone at the end of four weeks.

Here are some things you can do to help take the misery out of quitting.

Choose to quit. The first and most important step is to make a personal choice to stop smoking. Write down your reasons for quitting, keep them with you, and review them frequently. Set a date, the sooner the better, and kick the habit.


Eliminate all cigarettes. Don't plan to fail. Cigarettes close at hand intensify the cravings. Get rid of all temptation.


Plan strategies to resist cravings. A craving lasts only two to three minutes. If you can distract yourself for that long the battle is yours. Get a drink of water and take several slow deep breaths. Tell someone your reasons for quitting. Find an activity not related to smoking that can be done automatically when necessary.


Exercise daily. Exercise naturally relieves anxiety and tension; it is a powerful mood elevator. When faced with cravings, exercise is an excellent option. Plan some sort of moderate physical activity, such as a brisk walk, into every day. You will have fewer and less intense cravings.


Get more sleep. For the first five days your body will tend to require more sleep. Arrange your schedule so that you have the option of an extra two hours in bed if you need it. This will go a long way toward preventing mood swings and tendencies to irritability, frustration, and anger.


Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily. Abundant quantities of water will wash the poisons from your system and prevent dehydration, which seems to make a number of withdrawal symptoms worse. Other beverages are not as effective at keeping you hydrated. Caffeinated drinks, are diuretics and promote water loss.

Eating just fruit and drinking only fruit juice or water for the first twenty-four hours may help flush your system of toxins.


Shower or bathe more frequently. Water has a tremendous equalizing effect on the nervous system and it keeps your pores clean and open, which helps eliminate toxins through the skin. Also, ridiculous as it may sound, the shower is actually a safe retreat when a nicotine craving hits. Showering and smoking just don't go together for most people.


Avoid substances that make it more difficult to quit. Caffeine increases the intensity of some withdrawal symptoms such as nicotine cravings, anxiety, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. It also alters the brain chemistry making it harder to develop new habits. It is often behaviorally linked with smoking. An unusual reaction occurs when nicotine and caffeine are given up at the same time; their withdrawal symptoms tend to cancel each other out, making it easier to discontinue both. Those who stop smoking but continue to drink coffee have a higher relapse rate than those who stop using both at the same time.
Alcohol interferes with judgment. It will suppress the ability to stick with your decision to quit

Heavy meals, especially in the evening tend to bring on the urge to smoke.

Spicy foods such as mustard, vinegar ketchup, pickles, pepper, and even cinnamon, can increase smoking urges as well as other withdrawal symptoms.

Avoid smoking-associated situations. When where and with whom do you usually smoke? If you usually smoke sitting at the table after dinner, then get up immediately and do something not associated with smoking. What about that easy chair? Do you always have a cigarette in your hand when you sit there? Sit somewhere else. Explain to your friends what you are doing and ask for their support. If they try to undermine your resolve or tempt you, they are not really your friends; avoid them until you have firmly broken the habit.
Help someone else. Programs that employ a buddy system are invaluable. The act of helping someone else quit provides a tremendous boost and is a motivation for you to keep going.
Persevere. If in a moment of weakness you give in to your cravings don t give up. Determine to persevere and continue fighting until you win. Figure out what went wrong, devise a plan so it won't happen again, renew your commitment and obtain the victory. Do not allow yourself to flounder in self-destructive condemnation and stop trying.
Ask for help. Many people find that their strongest resolutions and most sincere promises are like ropes of sand. They realize that they are slaves to tobacco, incapable of freeing themselves. There is hope for those in this position. Your loving Creator will give you strength if you ask Him. Spend some time with Him each day in self-surrender and give this battle to Him. Persevere and He will set you free.
McGinnis, JM; Foege, WH. Actual causes of death in the United States. JAMA 1993 Nov 10:270(18):2207-2212.

Habits & Addictions
Whenever the issue of a change in lifestyle comes up, whether it is losing weight, quitting a harmful habit, or trying to get enough rest or exercise, many people know what they need to do but can't seem to find either the desire or the will power to do it.

When we repeat an action over and over the brain changes and makes a "pathway" so it is easier to do that action again without thinking about it. The only way to change the habit is to form a new "pathway" that is stronger than the old one. Many people find that it takes approximately three weeks to form a new habit. Unfortunately, the old pathway never goes away so the chance of falling back into the old habit is always present.

Addictions have several common characteristics, one of which is the loss of control. Any habit that is not fully under your command is an addiction.

The primary methods for dealing with a habit or an addiction are the same:

Stop "cold turkey." If you truly want to change, you must make a clean break from your habit or addiction and abstain for life. You can no more indulge a bad habit in "moderation" than an alcoholic can return to "moderate" drinking.
Address the root causes. If your addiction is brought on by stress you must learn to deal constructively with this foundational problem before you can expect to master your addiction.
Make no provision to fail. Don't keep the cigarettes, liquor, chocolate, etc., around; everyone has weak moments.
Be willing to face some discomfort. Some suffering may be involved in breaking a habit or an addiction. Be willing to endure, always keeping your goal in mind.
Persevere. If failure occurs, the tendency is to become discouraged and quit. Don't give up. Learn from your mistake and keep going.
While these techniques have their place, some of us have a willpower so weak that all the methods in the world will not be enough. We can no more change our behavior than we can increase our height or change the color of our skin through willpower alone. We love our habit even while we hate the effects it has on us.

What can you do when you realize that you are truly helpless and enslaved--when you have tried everything and have given up on yourself! That is just the place where God can work with you. Give Him a chance, put the whole matter in His capable hands, and relinquish yourself to His control.

Experience of an Addict
In spite of the fact that I was raised in a good Christian home, by the time I entered high school I was caught in a web of addiction from which I could not free myself. This activity didn't seem like a big deal. It gave me pleasure and helped me cope with the stress and pain in my life. But since my parents did not approve of this habit, I soon learned to lie and hide what I was doing from everyone around me. I withdrew from the society of others as much as possible, and began spending every spare minute I could by myself, lost to the rest of the world, satisfying my craving. I didn't develop any friends or learn to interact with other people. My addiction became the sum total of my life. I loved it, lived for it, spent every penny I made on it, and when I was engaged in other activities I wasn't really there--I was trying to figure out how to slip away and indulge my habit.

I realized quite early that I was enslaved; I had a very small inkling of the damage it was doing to me and the conflicts it was causing in my life. I tried to quit a number of times, but when the stress and pain of life got to be too much for me I'd be back at it again. It was my comfort, and my only resource for coping with life. I hated myself for being so weak but realized I was completely helpless.

While in this state of mind a thought came to me, "You have never given God a chance." I figured I had nothing to lose, so I said, "God, I don't even know if You exist, but I'm willing to give You a try. If You will take complete responsibility for removing this habit, I will surrender myself to You and spend ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening with You trying to learn who You are?' I kept my side of the bargain. Every day I would give myself and my problem to Him and leave it in His hands. I didn't dwell on it or fight it. I spent my energy getting to know Him. Several months later I realized I had been free for weeks and the desire was gone. I had been recreated a new person who was no longer a slave.

Years have gone by; at times I have lost my focus on Jesus and my connection with Him. Then my old nature returned and 1 resumed my old ways.

But my God is so gracious! He takes me back, recreates me, and puts me back on the right path. My relationship with Him is far more valuable than wealth or honor, praise or possessions, and I don't ever want to trade it for anything, lose it, or neglect it again.

BAB--An addict, free by the grace of God.

Diabetes
Diabetes is a serious condition that occurs when the body becomes unable to use glucose (sugar), which builds up to dangerous levels in the blood. High blood sugar levels damage the body in a number of ways. Life expectancy is shortened by 5 to 10 years or more. The risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness, foot and leg amputations, kidney failure, peripheral neuropathy, and breast and uterine cancer is increased. It is estimated that sixteen million Americans are diabetic, and one third are unaware of it.1

There are two types of diabetes. Juvenile onset diabetes--called Type I or insulin-dependent diabetes--is the more severe form. Adult-onset diabetes--called Type II or noninsulin dependent diabetes--is more common. Both have problems with insulin, the substance which acts as the "key" to open the "door" of each body cell to let glucose enter and fuel the cell. Type I diabetics do not produce enough insulin and must have regular shots, or they will die. Type II diabetics have a less severe underproduction of insulin, and/or an insulin resistant condition, in which the cells do not respond to it. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood while the cells starve. Type II diabetes is usually the result of a genetic predisposition coupled with obesity, a diet high in fat, and too little exercise.

The good news is that diabetes can often be controlled by lifestyle modifications. If a person is receiving medication, these changes must be made in consultation with a doctor, since medications will need to be lowered quickly--sometimes within a matter of hours.

Here are some recommended changes.

1. Avoid dietary fats.
They are the mainfactor responsible for making cells unresponsive to insulin.2 Studies show that a 65 percent fat diet will induce diabetes in less than two weeks.3

2. Lose weight.
Obesity is one of the primary reasons cells become insulin resistant. Losing weight makes the cells more responsive, and this alone will cure many Type II diabetics.4

3. Exercise regularly.
Physical inactivity contributes to the development of insulin resistance. Regular exercise enhances the cell's ability to use insulin.5 Regular exercise is critical for the diabetic and for those at high risk of developing the disease because of excess weight or genetic predisposition.

4. Avoid things that aggravate the problem. Refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol unbalance insulin production and blood sugar levels. High blood pressure, acetaminophen, and excess protein facilitate kidney deterioration.6


5. Eat a proper diet.
The American Diabetic Association now recommends a diet low in fat, moderate in protein, and containing complex carbohydrates such as beans, vegetables and grains. The fiber found in such foods is a critical ingredient in the control of blood sugar. Even fruit can be handled in this kind of diet if eaten unrefined and in moderation.

6. Space meals appropriately. Five to seven meals have often been prescribed for diabetics, but eating frequent meals raises absolute blood sugar levels 10 to 15 percent. On a low-fat diet high in complex carbohydrate most people can easily maintain adequate blood glucose levels with three or even two meals a day. Mealtimes should be regular, with at least five hours between meals, and no snacks. The evening meal can be omitted or kept very light. This will also help with weight loss! Ask your doctor to adjust your insulin injections as needed.

7. Harness the benefits of sunlight.
Exposure to sunlight lowers blood sugar by stimulating its storage in the muscles and liver. Diabetics are benefitted by getting moderate amounts of sunshine, but lengthy sunbathing is not recommended.

Thousands of people have been successful in bringing this disease under control.

Begin today to follow these simple suggestions, and you too will lose weight, feel better, have more energy, and achieve the mastery over diabetes.




Tips for success
Focus on the hundreds of delicious fruits and vegetables you have never tasted, not on the foods you shouldn't eat. Food preferences are not inborn; they are learned and cultivated. Like any other habit they can be changed.
Conquer those food cravings. When hunger strikes, drink a large glass of water. That will help you feel full. Take an exercise break. Exercise raises the blood sugar.
Everything, including weight loss, is more fun with a friend. Find a "buddy" you can encourage; be accountable to each other as you lose weight together.
Don't strive for perfection and then give up when you don't achieve it. Persistence is far more valuable in weight loss.
While all weight loss is difficult thousands of people have been successful in achieving and maintaining normal weight while using these simple but effective methods.

Modern Lifestyle Challenges

Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease and strokes cause nearly half of all deaths in America, and severely reduce the quality of life for many people. Both diseases have the same underlying cause, which is atherosclerosis, a condition in which cholesterol, fat, and calcium harden, narrow, and eventually plug the arteries. This process takes many years and gives virtually no clues until the arteries have 50 to 80 percent blockage.

While there are some risk factors for cardiovascular disease that we can't change, such as age and sex, there are some that we can do something about. According to the Framing-ham Heart Study the six most important modifiable risk factors are high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and physical inactivity.

Cholesterol
The amount of cholesterol in the blood is one of the three most important risk factors for atherosclerosis.

Research shows that the risk of death from heart disease increases when cholesterol exceeds 150mg/dl. However that is not the whole picture. Cholesterol comes in two forms: LDL (the bad kind) and HDL (the good kind). MDL actually protects us from atherosclerosis by. removing cholesterol from the arteries. An HDL level of 75mg/dl drops heart disease risk to near zero, while a level of25mg/dl or lower raises the risk very high.

An especially harmful type of cholesterol (oxidized cholesterol) is found in Parmesan cheese, lard, dry mixes that contain powdered milk or eggs, such as custard and pancake mixes, and other processed foods containing cholesterol and sugar Some of the chemicals in oxidized cholesterol are so toxic they can cause irreversible damage to arterial walls in less than 24 hours.


Another factor is the type of fat in the diet. Saturated fat (5) is more effective at raising cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol itself is. Polyunsaturated fat (P) lowers cholesterol levels; however, it takes twice as much polyunsaturated fat to cancel the effects of a given amount of saturated fat. A P/S ratio less than 2/1 will raise cholesterol while a ratio of more than 2/1 will lower cholesterol. All meat and dairy products have a poor P/S ratio as do coconuts. Walnuts, almonds, pecans, and hickory nuts all have high P/S ratios, with black walnuts topping the list at a ratio of 10.33/1. When polyunsaturated fats are hydrogenated, such as in margarine and shortening, they raise LDL cholesterol levels. Mono-unsaturated fats tend to raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Olive oil is a notable source of this type of fat. Even though unsaturated fats have a favorable effect on cholesterol levels, they should be used in moderation.

The type of protein consumed also affects cholesterol levels. Animal protein increases blood cholesterol levels while plant protein decreases it. See chart on page 18.

Eight Keys to Heart Disease
There are eight keys to preventing, treating, and reversing heart disease. They are so effective that if every American followed them 90 percent of heart attacks could be prevented.

1. Reduce blood cholesterol. Levels less than 150 mg/dl will reduce the risk of heart attack by 60 to 90 percent.


2. Eat a plant-based diet. All the cholesterol we eat comes from animal products; plant foods contain no cholesterol. To remove all cholesterol from the diet all animal products must be eliminated.

3. Increase dietary fiber. It absorbs cholesterol in the digestive tract and removes it

4. Decrease blood levels of fat. Sugar, fat, and alcohol increase the amount of fat in the blood. Fat promotes plaque buildup in the arteries and stimulates the blood to clot, increasing the risk of heart disease.

5. Stop smoking. Over a period of five years this will reduce your risk of heart attack by 50 to 75 percent.

6. Start a regular aerobic exercise program. This raises MDL so effectively it can reduce the risk of heart disease by over 45 percent in those who are unfit.

7. Reach and maintain your ideal body weight. Losing weight can cut heart disease risk by 35 to 55 percent in those who are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight.

8. Reduce blood pressure. A ten-point reduction in blood pressure reduces heart disease risk 20 to 30 percent in those with high blood pressure.

Many people have experienced very good results from implementing these principles. As artery blockage reverses, angina pains have cleared up, and an active normal life has again become possible.

Note: All material taken from Nedley N. Proof Positive Ardmore. OK, Neil Nedley M .D. 1999 pp. 55-90.

Cancer
Cancer is the number two killer in this country. More than 1500 people a day die from cancer--the equivalent of three jumbo jets crashing each day, every day. These are appalling statistics, especially since many cancers are preventable. Currently, one in every two men and one in every three women will be diagnosed with cancer at some time in their lives.1

The American Cancer Society defines cancer as "a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells." In a healthy body the immune system quickly identifies and destroys cancer cells when they first occur, but the typical American lifestyle and diet predispose the body to develop cancer by introducing carcinogens to the body and handicapping the immune system.

Adopting a cancer protective lifestyle can reduce your risk by up to 90 percent.2 Here are seven suggestions for success:

1. Avoid factors that favor cancer development. Use of tobacco and alcohol play a part in about 44 percent of all cancers. Meat and dairy products, excess fat, sugar, cholesterol, and sunshine have all been linked to one or more kinds of cancer. Other cancer causing agents have been found in coffee, chocolate3, asbestos, wood dust, and a host of toxic chemicals from deodorant sprays to pesticides.

2. Eat a proper diet. A high-fiber low-protein diet featuring a wide variety of fruits and vegetables has many cancer-inhibiting components.

3. Eat regular meals with nothing between them except water. Research shows that those eating four meals a day have double the risk of colon and rectal cancer as compared to those who eat only two meals per day.

4. Exercise daily. This will enhance your immunity, improve circulation and digestion, and reduce stress. Physical inactivity increases the risk of various kinds of cancer 30 to 80 percent

5. Obtain moderate sun exposure. It enhances the immune system and decreases the risk of various kinds of cancer. Vitamin D, produced by sunlight on the skin, suppresses abnormal cell growth.

6. Maintain proper weight. Excess body weight can increase cancer risk by as much as 55 percent.

7. Learn stress control. Stress depresses the immune system and is a major risk factor in cancer development.

Many people have experienced a slowing down or complete disappearance of tumor growth by making these adjustments. Lifestyle changes should be a part of any cancer treatment and maintenance program.

1. American Cancer Society website: http://www.caneer.org/ cancerinfo/sitecentcr.asp.
2. Nedley, N., Proof Positive Ardmore, OK, Neil Nedley M.D. 1999, p. 47
3. Ibid. p.31.
Note:The rest of the material in this section is from the same source pp. 11-54. The studies cited there are too numerous to document.

High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is known as "the silent killer" because there are often no symptoms. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of Americans have this condition, and about half of them don't know it.1 This is serious; hypertension is associated with stroke, congestive heart failure, heart attack, atherosclerosis, aneurysm, kidney disease, disease of the retina, blood vessel rupture, and weakened memory and mental ability.

There are two main categories of high blood pressure: secondary hypertension is caused by other diseases and subsides when these are treated; primary hypertension accounts for 90 percent of all cases of high blood pressure and is due to lifestyle factors and inherited susceptibility. It responds well to lifestyle changes. These need to be made under a doctor's supervision if a person is taking a blood pressure lowering drug.

The following are some methods to lower blood pressure:

1. Lose weight. Obesity is one of the most important contributors to high blood pressure. Sixty to seventy percent of hypertension is directly attributed to increased body fat.

2. Utilize a low-salt diet. The body must raise the blood pressure to enable the kidneys to cope with a high salt intake. Don't assume that just because you have taken the salt shaker off the table you are on a low salt diet. Eighty percent of our salt comes hidden in processed foods. Read the labels; educate yourself on how much salt is in the foods you eat, and make a specific plan to reduce sodium intake to less than 2,000 mg/day.

3. Eliminate caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. All of these substantially raise the blood pressure.

4. Learn to control stress. The stress response in the body raises the blood pressure, and unrelieved stress keeps it high. Overwork and worry are major contributors to hypertension.

5. Adopt an aerobic exercise program such as brisk walking. Exercise at least 3 days a week for 45 minutes. Exercise strengthens the heart and enables it to pump more efficiently. A regular exercise program significantly reduces blood pressure.

6. Eat oatmeal and green leafy vegetables. These have been shown to reduce blood pressure.3

1. The fifth report of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, (JNC V) Arch. Intern. Med., 1993 Jan 25;153(2): 154-183.
2. Nedley, N. Proof Positive Ardmore, OK Neil Nedley M.D. 1999 p. 136.
3. Ibid. p. 142.

Alcohol
In spite of the recent news hype purporting to show benefits from moderate drinking, alcohol is a dangerous poison. In the U.S. it is the second most deadly drug, coming right after tobacco. An estimated 100,000 Americans die prematurely every year due to its use.

Even the moderate use of alcohol can inflict widespread damage to both the individual's health and society.

Alcohol of any amount in the system causes alteration and death of brain cells.


Alcohol increases the risk of hypertension, stroke and damage to the heart muscle.


Alcohol impairs the reproductive system. Heavy usage in men can cause impotence, testicle shrinkage, and enlarged breasts. In women, it causes malfunctioning ovaries and irregular menstrual cycles.


Alcohol-use by a pregnant woman can cause major damage to her unborn child. 11,000 U.S. children are born every year with fetal alcohol syndrome and another 30,000 or more with other alcohol-related problems. Some of these include vision, hearing, and immune system defects; mental retardation; growth, balance, and coordination problems; and skull, facial, and genital deformities.


Alcohol weakens the immune system, increasing susceptibility to illness and cancer.


Alcohol destroys the liver. Nearly 25,000 Americans die each year from alcohol-induced liver disease.


Alcohol is a contributing factor in many accidents. Any use of alcohol increases your chances of injury, disability, or death.


Alcohol reduces mental performance. It decreases judgement, foresight, and moral reasoning, and lessens abstract thinking ability.
The National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency says, "Alcohol is closely linked with virtually every negative aspect of society: suicide, violent crime, birth defects, industrial accidents, domestic and sexual abuse, disease, homelessness, and death. It is the number one drug problem for people from all walks of life. It knows no racial, ethnic, social, or economic barriers."

What about the studies cited by the media showing that alcohol is good for your heart? Studies show that red wine increases blood flow by making the blood's clotting cells, the platelets, less sticky. Research shows, however, that it is not the alcohol that gives this benefit but substances, called flavonoids, found in grapes, as well as many other fruits, vegetables, and grains. Grape juice without alcohol gives the same effect. It has never been demonstrated that a person living a healthy lifestyle gains any additional benefit from alcohol.

There is one tiny health benefit from alcohol. It increases HDL (good) cholesterol, but so do some pesticides. The harm outweighs any benefit.

Considering the numerous health and social problems associated with the use of alcohol, drinking is not a wise choice. Try an alcohol time out for thirty days. If you can't live without it you need to determine whether you are its master or its slave.

The Alcoholics Anonymous organization helps men and women who want to overcome the alcohol addiction. You can find their number listed in the local telephone book. Their buddy system and 12 step program can help you.*

*Some of the withdrawal symptoms font alcohol or drugs can be life threatening and should be monitored by a professional.

Tobacco
In 1979, the U.S. public health service called smoking, "The largest single preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States?" Tobacco is the only legal product in the U.S. that, when used correctly, kills one out of every four of those who use it. Tobacco is responsible for the death of over 450,000 Americans per year--more than all who die from AIDS, illicit thugs, fires, car crashes, and homicides combined.1

Tobacco leads to a variety of painful and terminal illnesses. The greatest number of smoking-related deaths are from heart attack, stroke, and cancer. Two of the more frightening diseases associated with smoking are emphysema and Buerger's disease. Emphysema is a progressive disease in which the lungs are slowly destroyed, resulting in slow suffocation. Buerger's disease, which is characterized by the clogging and inflammation of the capillaries cuts off the blood supply and can result in gangrene of the fingers and toes.

Even if tobacco doesn't kill you outright, some of the non-lethal effects are just as bad. It weakens the bones and is a risk factor for back pain; it causes impotence and premature menopause; it accelerates hair graying, skin wrinkling, loss of vision, and decreased physical capacity. Cancer treatment can be painful and disfiguring; a heart attack on stroke can leave you disabled.

You have a great deal to gain by kicking the habit: longer life, more energy, fewer medical expenses--and the air is fresher, breathing is easier, food is more flavorful, money goes farther, you smell better, and so do the flowers.

Kicking the Tobacco Habit
It is not an easy task to quit smoking. The 1988 Surgeon General's report revealed that nicotine is six to eight times more addictive than alcohol. Yet since 1964, 44 million Americans have stopped smoking. Most have kicked the habit on their own; however, the chances of success are up to five times higher for those who attend a seminar such as the Breathe Free Plan to Stop Smoking, one of the most successful smoking cessation programs ever presented, with over 20 million graduates worldwide.

An addiction to tobacco is both psychological and physical. Some of the classic withdrawal symptoms are: nicotine craving, rapid mood swings, tremors, intestinal problems, headaches, increased smoker's cough as the lungs clean themselves, sleep disturbances, hunger, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, frustration or anger, dizziness, and nausea. The average person experiences about five of these symptoms when he or she makes a complete break with cigarettes. The worst of the withdrawal symptoms are usually over within the first 24-72 hours, and all physical symptoms should be completely gone at the end of four weeks.

Here are some things you can do to help take the misery out of quitting.

Choose to quit. The first and most important step is to make a personal choice to stop smoking. Write down your reasons for quitting, keep them with you, and review them frequently. Set a date, the sooner the better, and kick the habit.


Eliminate all cigarettes. Don't plan to fail. Cigarettes close at hand intensify the cravings. Get rid of all temptation.


Plan strategies to resist cravings. A craving lasts only two to three minutes. If you can distract yourself for that long the battle is yours. Get a drink of water and take several slow deep breaths. Tell someone your reasons for quitting. Find an activity not related to smoking that can be done automatically when necessary.


Exercise daily. Exercise naturally relieves anxiety and tension; it is a powerful mood elevator. When faced with cravings, exercise is an excellent option. Plan some sort of moderate physical activity, such as a brisk walk, into every day. You will have fewer and less intense cravings.


Get more sleep. For the first five days your body will tend to require more sleep. Arrange your schedule so that you have the option of an extra two hours in bed if you need it. This will go a long way toward preventing mood swings and tendencies to irritability, frustration, and anger.


Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily. Abundant quantities of water will wash the poisons from your system and prevent dehydration, which seems to make a number of withdrawal symptoms worse. Other beverages are not as effective at keeping you hydrated. Caffeinated drinks, are diuretics and promote water loss.

Eating just fruit and drinking only fruit juice or water for the first twenty-four hours may help flush your system of toxins.


Shower or bathe more frequently. Water has a tremendous equalizing effect on the nervous system and it keeps your pores clean and open, which helps eliminate toxins through the skin. Also, ridiculous as it may sound, the shower is actually a safe retreat when a nicotine craving hits. Showering and smoking just don't go together for most people.


Avoid substances that make it more difficult to quit. Caffeine increases the intensity of some withdrawal symptoms such as nicotine cravings, anxiety, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. It also alters the brain chemistry making it harder to develop new habits. It is often behaviorally linked with smoking. An unusual reaction occurs when nicotine and caffeine are given up at the same time; their withdrawal symptoms tend to cancel each other out, making it easier to discontinue both. Those who stop smoking but continue to drink coffee have a higher relapse rate than those who stop using both at the same time.
Alcohol interferes with judgment. It will suppress the ability to stick with your decision to quit

Heavy meals, especially in the evening tend to bring on the urge to smoke.

Spicy foods such as mustard, vinegar ketchup, pickles, pepper, and even cinnamon, can increase smoking urges as well as other withdrawal symptoms.

Avoid smoking-associated situations. When where and with whom do you usually smoke? If you usually smoke sitting at the table after dinner, then get up immediately and do something not associated with smoking. What about that easy chair? Do you always have a cigarette in your hand when you sit there? Sit somewhere else. Explain to your friends what you are doing and ask for their support. If they try to undermine your resolve or tempt you, they are not really your friends; avoid them until you have firmly broken the habit.
Help someone else. Programs that employ a buddy system are invaluable. The act of helping someone else quit provides a tremendous boost and is a motivation for you to keep going.
Persevere. If in a moment of weakness you give in to your cravings don t give up. Determine to persevere and continue fighting until you win. Figure out what went wrong, devise a plan so it won't happen again, renew your commitment and obtain the victory. Do not allow yourself to flounder in self-destructive condemnation and stop trying.
Ask for help. Many people find that their strongest resolutions and most sincere promises are like ropes of sand. They realize that they are slaves to tobacco, incapable of freeing themselves. There is hope for those in this position. Your loving Creator will give you strength if you ask Him. Spend some time with Him each day in self-surrender and give this battle to Him. Persevere and He will set you free.
McGinnis, JM; Foege, WH. Actual causes of death in the United States. JAMA 1993 Nov 10:270(18):2207-2212.

Habits & Addictions
Whenever the issue of a change in lifestyle comes up, whether it is losing weight, quitting a harmful habit, or trying to get enough rest or exercise, many people know what they need to do but can't seem to find either the desire or the will power to do it.

When we repeat an action over and over the brain changes and makes a "pathway" so it is easier to do that action again without thinking about it. The only way to change the habit is to form a new "pathway" that is stronger than the old one. Many people find that it takes approximately three weeks to form a new habit. Unfortunately, the old pathway never goes away so the chance of falling back into the old habit is always present.

Addictions have several common characteristics, one of which is the loss of control. Any habit that is not fully under your command is an addiction.

The primary methods for dealing with a habit or an addiction are the same:

Stop "cold turkey." If you truly want to change, you must make a clean break from your habit or addiction and abstain for life. You can no more indulge a bad habit in "moderation" than an alcoholic can return to "moderate" drinking.
Address the root causes. If your addiction is brought on by stress you must learn to deal constructively with this foundational problem before you can expect to master your addiction.
Make no provision to fail. Don't keep the cigarettes, liquor, chocolate, etc., around; everyone has weak moments.
Be willing to face some discomfort. Some suffering may be involved in breaking a habit or an addiction. Be willing to endure, always keeping your goal in mind.
Persevere. If failure occurs, the tendency is to become discouraged and quit. Don't give up. Learn from your mistake and keep going.
While these techniques have their place, some of us have a willpower so weak that all the methods in the world will not be enough. We can no more change our behavior than we can increase our height or change the color of our skin through willpower alone. We love our habit even while we hate the effects it has on us.

What can you do when you realize that you are truly helpless and enslaved--when you have tried everything and have given up on yourself! That is just the place where God can work with you. Give Him a chance, put the whole matter in His capable hands, and relinquish yourself to His control.

Experience of an Addict
In spite of the fact that I was raised in a good Christian home, by the time I entered high school I was caught in a web of addiction from which I could not free myself. This activity didn't seem like a big deal. It gave me pleasure and helped me cope with the stress and pain in my life. But since my parents did not approve of this habit, I soon learned to lie and hide what I was doing from everyone around me. I withdrew from the society of others as much as possible, and began spending every spare minute I could by myself, lost to the rest of the world, satisfying my craving. I didn't develop any friends or learn to interact with other people. My addiction became the sum total of my life. I loved it, lived for it, spent every penny I made on it, and when I was engaged in other activities I wasn't really there--I was trying to figure out how to slip away and indulge my habit.

I realized quite early that I was enslaved; I had a very small inkling of the damage it was doing to me and the conflicts it was causing in my life. I tried to quit a number of times, but when the stress and pain of life got to be too much for me I'd be back at it again. It was my comfort, and my only resource for coping with life. I hated myself for being so weak but realized I was completely helpless.

While in this state of mind a thought came to me, "You have never given God a chance." I figured I had nothing to lose, so I said, "God, I don't even know if You exist, but I'm willing to give You a try. If You will take complete responsibility for removing this habit, I will surrender myself to You and spend ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening with You trying to learn who You are?' I kept my side of the bargain. Every day I would give myself and my problem to Him and leave it in His hands. I didn't dwell on it or fight it. I spent my energy getting to know Him. Several months later I realized I had been free for weeks and the desire was gone. I had been recreated a new person who was no longer a slave.

Years have gone by; at times I have lost my focus on Jesus and my connection with Him. Then my old nature returned and 1 resumed my old ways.

But my God is so gracious! He takes me back, recreates me, and puts me back on the right path. My relationship with Him is far more valuable than wealth or honor, praise or possessions, and I don't ever want to trade it for anything, lose it, or neglect it again.

BAB--An addict, free by the grace of God.

Diabetes
Diabetes is a serious condition that occurs when the body becomes unable to use glucose (sugar), which builds up to dangerous levels in the blood. High blood sugar levels damage the body in a number of ways. Life expectancy is shortened by 5 to 10 years or more. The risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness, foot and leg amputations, kidney failure, peripheral neuropathy, and breast and uterine cancer is increased. It is estimated that sixteen million Americans are diabetic, and one third are unaware of it.1

There are two types of diabetes. Juvenile onset diabetes--called Type I or insulin-dependent diabetes--is the more severe form. Adult-onset diabetes--called Type II or noninsulin dependent diabetes--is more common. Both have problems with insulin, the substance which acts as the "key" to open the "door" of each body cell to let glucose enter and fuel the cell. Type I diabetics do not produce enough insulin and must have regular shots, or they will die. Type II diabetics have a less severe underproduction of insulin, and/or an insulin resistant condition, in which the cells do not respond to it. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood while the cells starve. Type II diabetes is usually the result of a genetic predisposition coupled with obesity, a diet high in fat, and too little exercise.

The good news is that diabetes can often be controlled by lifestyle modifications. If a person is receiving medication, these changes must be made in consultation with a doctor, since medications will need to be lowered quickly--sometimes within a matter of hours.

Here are some recommended changes.

1. Avoid dietary fats.
They are the mainfactor responsible for making cells unresponsive to insulin.2 Studies show that a 65 percent fat diet will induce diabetes in less than two weeks.3

2. Lose weight.
Obesity is one of the primary reasons cells become insulin resistant. Losing weight makes the cells more responsive, and this alone will cure many Type II diabetics.4

3. Exercise regularly.
Physical inactivity contributes to the development of insulin resistance. Regular exercise enhances the cell's ability to use insulin.5 Regular exercise is critical for the diabetic and for those at high risk of developing the disease because of excess weight or genetic predisposition.

4. Avoid things that aggravate the problem. Refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol unbalance insulin production and blood sugar levels. High blood pressure, acetaminophen, and excess protein facilitate kidney deterioration.6


5. Eat a proper diet.
The American Diabetic Association now recommends a diet low in fat, moderate in protein, and containing complex carbohydrates such as beans, vegetables and grains. The fiber found in such foods is a critical ingredient in the control of blood sugar. Even fruit can be handled in this kind of diet if eaten unrefined and in moderation.

6. Space meals appropriately. Five to seven meals have often been prescribed for diabetics, but eating frequent meals raises absolute blood sugar levels 10 to 15 percent. On a low-fat diet high in complex carbohydrate most people can easily maintain adequate blood glucose levels with three or even two meals a day. Mealtimes should be regular, with at least five hours between meals, and no snacks. The evening meal can be omitted or kept very light. This will also help with weight loss! Ask your doctor to adjust your insulin injections as needed.

7. Harness the benefits of sunlight.
Exposure to sunlight lowers blood sugar by stimulating its storage in the muscles and liver. Diabetics are benefitted by getting moderate amounts of sunshine, but lengthy sunbathing is not recommended.

Thousands of people have been successful in bringing this disease under control.

Begin today to follow these simple suggestions, and you too will lose weight, feel better, have more energy, and achieve the mastery over diabetes.




Tips for success
Focus on the hundreds of delicious fruits and vegetables you have never tasted, not on the foods you shouldn't eat. Food preferences are not inborn; they are learned and cultivated. Like any other habit they can be changed.
Conquer those food cravings. When hunger strikes, drink a large glass of water. That will help you feel full. Take an exercise break. Exercise raises the blood sugar.
Everything, including weight loss, is more fun with a friend. Find a "buddy" you can encourage; be accountable to each other as you lose weight together.
Don't strive for perfection and then give up when you don't achieve it. Persistence is far more valuable in weight loss.
While all weight loss is difficult thousands of people have been successful in achieving and maintaining normal weight while using these simple but effective methods.