The Cholesterol-Lowering Power of Pistachios
By Jon Herring
Due to their high fat content, nuts received a bad rap during the low-fat/no-fat madness of the last few decades. But the negative press was entirely undeserved, because nuts are full of fats that promote good health. In Message #1760, I wrote about the heart-healthy benefits of peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans. But a new study has shown that pistachios might top them all.
Researchers in Turkey closely monitored nearly 50 men and women who made pistachio nuts 20 percent of their diet for three weeks. They found that the subjects' total cholesterol levels improved and their triglycerides dropped. But what was most impressive (besides the fact that these people ate so many pistachios) is that their levels of HDL cholesterol (the so-called "good" cholesterol) increased by 26 percent.
In addition to being good for your heart, nuts are slow to digest, so they satisfy your appetite longer than most foods. If you enjoy them, grab a couple of bags next time you're at the store, and snack on a few handfuls every day.
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It's Good to Know: A One-Stop Movie Review Shop
By Suzanne Richardson
Before you shell out $20 for a movie ticket and a sack of popcorn, you want some assurance that you're not going to be spending two hours squirming in your seat. And movie reviews in the newspaper aren't always a big help. I remember reading a very positive review of the movie Sylvia, a film I found sadly disappointing.
Instead, take a look at the RottenTomatoes website, which collects reviews from professional film critics all over the country. This site offers over 600,000 searchable reviews of nearly 130,000 films. Search for a particular title, and you'll find the Tomatometer - a quick visual summary of the critics' reactions to it. A ripe red tomato indicates that over half the reviews are positive; a green splat denotes a rotten movie with primarily negative reviews. (Sylvia got a dismal score of 38 percent on the Tomatometer, by the way, which is closer to what I think it deserves.)
You'll also find movie previews, recommendations, links to movie trailers, industry news, and access to The Fresh/Rotten Report, RottenTomatoes' weekly newsletter. And to satisfy your movie mania, there's an online store, stocked with DVDs, movie posters, and video soundtracks.
Of course, you wouldn't want to discount a movie just because an unknown critic panned it. And it might even be fun to try some of the "rottenest" movies on the site, to see for yourself what all the negative hype is about.
(Source: Information Outlook)
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1823, 09-01-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.
Due to their high fat content, nuts received a bad rap during the low-fat/no-fat madness of the last few decades. But the negative press was entirely undeserved, because nuts are full of fats that promote good health. In Message #1760, I wrote about the heart-healthy benefits of peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans. But a new study has shown that pistachios might top them all.
Researchers in Turkey closely monitored nearly 50 men and women who made pistachio nuts 20 percent of their diet for three weeks. They found that the subjects' total cholesterol levels improved and their triglycerides dropped. But what was most impressive (besides the fact that these people ate so many pistachios) is that their levels of HDL cholesterol (the so-called "good" cholesterol) increased by 26 percent.
In addition to being good for your heart, nuts are slow to digest, so they satisfy your appetite longer than most foods. If you enjoy them, grab a couple of bags next time you're at the store, and snack on a few handfuls every day.
______________________________
It's Good to Know: A One-Stop Movie Review Shop
By Suzanne Richardson
Before you shell out $20 for a movie ticket and a sack of popcorn, you want some assurance that you're not going to be spending two hours squirming in your seat. And movie reviews in the newspaper aren't always a big help. I remember reading a very positive review of the movie Sylvia, a film I found sadly disappointing.
Instead, take a look at the RottenTomatoes website, which collects reviews from professional film critics all over the country. This site offers over 600,000 searchable reviews of nearly 130,000 films. Search for a particular title, and you'll find the Tomatometer - a quick visual summary of the critics' reactions to it. A ripe red tomato indicates that over half the reviews are positive; a green splat denotes a rotten movie with primarily negative reviews. (Sylvia got a dismal score of 38 percent on the Tomatometer, by the way, which is closer to what I think it deserves.)
You'll also find movie previews, recommendations, links to movie trailers, industry news, and access to The Fresh/Rotten Report, RottenTomatoes' weekly newsletter. And to satisfy your movie mania, there's an online store, stocked with DVDs, movie posters, and video soundtracks.
Of course, you wouldn't want to discount a movie just because an unknown critic panned it. And it might even be fun to try some of the "rottenest" movies on the site, to see for yourself what all the negative hype is about.
(Source: Information Outlook)
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1823, 09-01-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.
posted by Oak Stone at 6:07 PM
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