A Mood-Boosting Mineral

By Kelley Herring

Can you blame your bad mood on your food? New research says yes. That's because soil levels of selenium - an antioxidant micronutrient involved in over 400 biochemical functions - are greatly depleted. And because foods grown in that soil are coming up seriously short in selenium.

Selenium is required for the proper function of the thyroid, which plays an important role in mood and behavior. As a result, people with a selenium deficiency may have an increased risk for depression.

A recent study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal found a connection between mood and selenium intake. Men who boosted their intake of dietary selenium to 220 mcg daily felt less anxious and more energetic, pleasant, and confident. And those with the most selenium in their blood felt the best. What's more, the men in the study who initially had the lowest moods saw the biggest improvement.

Put a smile on your face and get your fill of this mood booster. Brazil nuts are the richest food source of selenium. In fact, just one Brazil nut - if you buy it shelled and crack it yourself - averages 100 mcg. (A Brazil nut that you buy already shelled averages 12-25 mcg.) Other excellent sources of selenium include button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, cod, shrimp, snapper, tuna, halibut, calf liver, and salmon.

The Language Perfectionist: A Word That Actually Isn't Needed

By Don Hauptman

This is the first in a series of tips on how to avoid common mistakes in grammar and usage. Follow this advice and your writing will be clearer, more powerful, and more persuasive.

The word actually is routinely misused. Here are a few examples I found in the media:

• "It sounds simple but it was actually difficult and expensive to fix."

• "Blaming society actually absolves everybody."

• "Portable home video cameras were actually introduced in the early 1980s."

In each case, the word is intended as an intensifier. The writer or speaker wants to convey the message "I'm not exaggerating. This is the truth!" But it's actually (see what I mean?) superfluous. With rare exceptions, actually is unnecessary, redundant, and an irritating "filler" in both writing and conversation.

[Ed Note: Don Hauptman, a direct-response copywriter for more than 30 years, may be best known for the space ads he wrote with the classic headline "Speak Spanish Like a Diplomat!" He also writes books and articles on language and wordplay.]

It's Good to Know: The Destruction of Art in India's History

When the Muslims conquered India in the 12th century, they damaged many beautiful carvings of human figures on Hindu and Buddhist temples. They did it because, at the time, their religion banned the depiction of the human form in art. As a result, we have the words deface and iconoclast in the English language.

To "deface" (dih-FASE) is to disfigure. Literally, it refers to ruining the face (usually the nose) of a stone figure.

An "iconoclast" (eye-KON-uh-klast) is someone who attacks traditional or popular institutions or ideas. The word is ultimately from the Greek for "smasher of religious images."

More Indian Words to the Wise...

Inspired by Michael Masterson's trip to India, we've been featuring familiar words that have their origins in India: mogul (Mughal), bungalow, jungle, pajamas, khaki, pundit, and cheroot. And there are lots more. So let's finish up "India week" with this list of words - some of which may surprise you...

• dungarees (from the Hindi for a kind of coarse cloth)

• bandana (from the Hindi for "tie dying")

• shampoo (from the Hindi for "massage")

• bangle (from the Hindi for "glass")

• chintz (from the Hindi for "shiny, variegated")

• dinghy (from the Hindi for "float, raft")

• cummerbund (from the Persian for "waist" + "band")

• cheetah (from the Hindi for "tiger/leopard")

• loot (from the Hindi for "plunder")

• catamaran (from the Tamil for "tied wood")

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2214, 12-01-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Healthy Aging: Liver Disease Is Linked to High Glycemic Index Diets By James B. LaValle

Fatty liver is a medical condition that can occur from drinking too much alcohol. New research shows that that it can also occur with eating too many high glycemic index foods.

Deposits of fat in the liver harm the organ's capacity to filter blood. This can progress to cirrhosis of the liver and permanent liver failure. Fatty liver is very dangerous. And it comes on silently.

There are drugs that help re-sensitize the body to insulin. And studies show that they significantly reduce fat deposits in the liver. However, the drugs also caused further weight gain. So scientists are still looking for other options.

You can prevent and even reverse insulin resistance with proper nutrition and exercise. If you can get insulin working again, existing fatty liver can be reversed.

What can you do?

1. Stop eating refined sugars and carbohydrates, especially if you are already overweight or have insulin resistance.
2. Stop eating or drinking foods with high fructose corn syrup. Fructose converts easily to triglycerides, the fats that store in the liver and fat cells.
3. Exercise regularly. Exercise helps burn excess glucose to remove it from the blood before it's converted to fat.
4. Take chromium supplements. This essential trace mineral helps insulin receptors to do their job. USDA studies found that chromium histidine and chromium picolinate were the best-absorbed forms of chromium. Make sure you are getting at least 100 to 200 mcg per day for prevention. Anyone who has a history of high sugar consumption may benefit from higher initial dosages of 200 to 400 mcg. In existing insulin resistance, studies show that 1000-1200 mcg is needed to improve blood glucose and insulin levels and improve lipid profiles. (If you are currently on medication for blood sugar and want to try chromium, work with a medical professional who can help you monitor your blood sugar levels and medication needs.)
5. Try milk thistle (80 percent silymarin). It helps to keep the cells of the liver regenerating and helps detoxify the liver. It can also help protect the liver from daily insults from the environment or medications. I recommend 300 to 600 mg per day.
6. Take probiotics (good flora). A recent study showed that alterations in gut flora could improve insulin resistance and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]

Healthy Eating: Lack of Omega 3’s May Make You More Aggressive By Dr. Jonny Bowden

Nobody doubts the benefits of omega 3's on heart health anymore. But these important fatty acids also affect mood and behavior. New research shows that low levels of omega-3 fatty acid can make both depressive and aggressive disorders worse.

Depression and aggression are frequently found together. The common factor may be a low level of serotonin. It's well established that omega 3 supplementation may improve depression. Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism wanted to see if omega 3's might have a positive effect on aggressive behavior as well.

They examined dozens of studies. "In human adults and children, clinical studies suggest that supplementation with omega 3 fatty acids may reduce aggressive, impulsive and depressive behaviors," they write.

This only adds to previous research, which has demonstrated:

• Hostility and depression scores were reduced by a high fish diet over the course of five years.
• Greater seafood consumption is associated with lower scores on a test of hostility.
• A greater number of behavior problems, temper tantrums and sleep problems occur in 6-12 year old boys with lower total omega-3 fatty acid concentrations.

You can get plenty of the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA by eating fish a few times a week or by taking fish oil capsules. Flax and flaxseeds don't provide EPA and DHA, but they do provide alpha linolenic acid. This also has health benefits. A good over-the-counter brand is Barlean's Forti-Flax or Barlean's Flaxseed Oil.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology. Dr. Bowden is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of the award-winning book, Living the Low Carb Life. For more information, click here.]

Exercise & Fitness: Selenium -- the Secret to Strong Muscles? By David Levine

It's considered normal to lose muscle mass and strength as we age. But why? One reason may be related to a mineral called selenium. A recent study reports that older adults with the lowest levels of this trace element in their blood were twice as likely to have muscle weakness around the hands, hips, and knees as those with the most selenium.

The body uses selenium to create proteins called selenoproteins, antioxidants that protect cells from damage. The researchers suspect that low levels of selenoprotein may lead to loss of strength. They published their study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

More research needs to be done to see if increasing selenium consumption will help ward off weakness. For now, it wouldn't hurt to be sure you get the recommended daily allowance of selenium, which isn't much -- just 55 micrograms a day. Good food sources include meat and seafood, such as beef, chicken, turkey, cod and tuna.

Recipes & Nutrition: Arugula, Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad By Kelley Herring

This arugula salad is great way to get the health benefits of cruciferous vegetables without eating broccoli. A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition found sulforaphane, a phytonutrient found exclusively in cruciferous vegetables, stopped the growth and division of human breast cancer cells and boosted the body's production of a cancer-protective protein within 24 hours. Because sulforaphane is destroyed by heat, enjoy your cruciferous veggies, like this sumptuous salad, raw to get the maximum benefit.

Serves: 4

Time to Table: 50 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight

• Sulforaphane
• Good source of calcium, folate, riboflavin, copper

Ingredients
2 whole (2-inch diameter) organic beets
4 ounces organic goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp organic red wine vinegar
4 cups organic baby arugula (try Earthbound Farm)
2 Tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1 dash sea salt (preferably Celtic Sea Salt)
1/2 cup organic lemon juice

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 F. Scrub beets and slice into 1-inch slices. Sprinkle with salt. Heat a heavy, oven-proof pan over medium heat. Add one teaspoon oil to pan to coat. Add beets in a single layer. Cover with a lid or foil and transfer to oven. Roast 45 minutes or until beets are tender.

Meanwhile, prepare dressing by mixing remaining oil with vinegar, lemon juice and basil. Cool beets and slice in half. While beets can be peeled, we prefer leaving their fibrous skin on. Arrange cleaned arugula on plates or serving dish. Top with beets and goat cheese (about 1 ounce per serving). Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Nutritional Information
195 calories, 16 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 7 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 279 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 7 g protein

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet, a multimedia company that educates on how foods promote health and protect against disease. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet's Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill, including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility. For more information, click here.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 11-23-07] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/

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"Salesmanship, too, is an art; the perfection of its technique requires study and practice."

- James Cash Penney

Lessons From a Persian Rug Merchant in Jaipur

By Michael Masterson

He had an oversized mustache, a beard, and a substantial pot belly. He was wearing Gucci loafers, Armani jeans, a red Izod shirt, and a big, red turban tied Sikh style. His name was Betu. K had spent some time in his shop the day before, and told me I had to meet him.

When K meets and likes a man I don't know, the reptilian portion of my brain retracts in fear. "Who is this Mr. Adorable?" I want to know. "And what is he doing charming the wife of another man?"

In his defense, Betu was a rug merchant. And his job is to persuade people to buy from him.

Using charm to sell your product is legal. And, in fact, it's been a defining characteristic of the Indian merchants we've encountered. We've found them to be enthusiastic salespeople, though their techniques are subtler and less forceful than, say, merchants in Istanbul. When you buy a rug in Istanbul, you feel like you've been beaten up a little. When you buy a rug in India, you feel like you've had some good, playful fun.

This brings me back to the way my caveman brain reacted when K introduced me to Betu. I was very suspicious. After all, this is the guy who had been having some good, playful fun with my wife the day before.

"This is Betu," K said, beaming.

"Ah," he said smiling and extending his hand. "Now I get to meet you. I can see in your eyes, you have the confident look of a warrior and a wealthy man, and now that you smile I can see the smile of a Raj!"

And with that, he made a sweeping bow. "Welcome to my house, Raj Masterson!"

The confident look of a warrior and a wealthy man? The smile of a Raj? I was completely unprepared for such flattery. It was quick. It was unexpected. And it was effective.

I liked this man!

That's the wonderful thing about flattery. It can overcome great obstacles. In this case, with Betu, the primitive part of my brain had tagged him as a threat, somebody I should be leery of. So, as a potential buyer of his rugs, I was entering his store with a bad attitude. As a salesman who had probably encountered this situation several thousand times before, Betu knew just how to deal with me.

He knew he wasn't going to win me over with rational arguments - at least not yet. He had to destroy or neutralize the negative feelings I had about him before he could begin the selling process.

Instead of paying attention to K, who, he knew, was already 90 percent sold, he focused on me. K's bringing me back meant that I was the delegated decision maker for this purchase. How could he get me in his corner?

He chose flattery - a very genuinely expressed flattery - and it did the trick. With a warm smile, a deferential gesture, and a few dozen well-selected words, Betu broke down the wall I'd erected and had me liking him.

Three minutes later, sitting on a bench next to K and sipping tea, I was under his spell.

"Look at this beautiful rug your wife has picked out for you," he said. With a wave of his hand, two barefoot men scampered up a mountain of rugs, grabbed one, and scuttled back down. Holding one edge, they unfurled its coiled bulk by flinging it in the air. It clapped like thunder, and then rolled out in front of us.

"What do you think of your wife's selection?" Betu asked me. He seemed very excited - as if he expected me to like it as much as K did.

"It's very nice," I said.

"This is a very good quality," he told me. "All silk. Very easy to clean. It will last many lifetimes."

I turned to K and told her that I thought it might be too large for the space she intended.

"No problem," Betu said, as if I had been talking to him. "Let me show you the same rug in the next size smaller. See if you like that."

With another brief wave of his hand, the barefoot men rushed up and down another hill of carpets, and unrolled a smaller version of the same rug. Betu must have seen some hesitation in my eyes, for no sooner had that rug hit the floor than he turned to his assistants and shouted something in Hindi. Within seconds, similarly sized rugs were being presented to us, one after the other.

K and I liked them all. Betu explained how they were made - all the handwork involved - and had us examine them to see their quality. We were now a little confused about what to buy. Betu's men had thrown so many carpets in front of us that we felt both overwhelmed and a little guilty. They had done so much work to please us, and yet we weren't at all sure we wanted to buy anything at that point.

I glanced at an especially beautiful carpet that was hanging on the wall behind Betu. Immediately, he picked up on it.

"Ah, I can see that you have a good eye," he said, shouting something quickly in Hindi. This sent the barefoot men rushing over to grab the wall hanging and lay it down in front of us. K and I were struck by its beauty.

"You have recognized a masterpiece," he said. "This one is made by one of the finest families in India. It has 2,200 knots per inch."

Having bought a Persian rug in Istanbul several years earlier, I remembered that, generally speaking, the higher the knot count the better the rug. Although we had been happy with the rugs we had been looking at, they were disappointing in comparison to this much more tightly woven piece.

"How much more is this carpet?" I asked Betu.

He smiled at me playfully. "Of course, Mr. Masterson, now you are selecting a carpet fit for a Raj. The price will be much more."

He didn't tell me the price right away. Instead, he had his men toss out dozens of these higher-quality pieces. He made sure I saw them from every possible angle and under fluorescent lighting, natural lighting, and incandescent lighting. "I want you to know exactly how they will look in your house so you will never be disappointed," he said.

By the time he had a dozen of these superior rugs laid out - and had us examine them front and back and walk over them and even spill water on them to see how they don't absorb liquids - we were sold. I was fully expecting the price to be in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. When he finally said, "This beautiful carpet you have selected is $9,000," I felt almost relieved.

He must have been able to read my thoughts. "Okay," he said. "How many of these would you like to purchase?"

"Only one," I said. "We are just looking for one rug."

"Okay, no problem," Betu said. "Let us narrow down your choices. Tell me which of these rugs you are sure you don't want."

Thus began the weaning process, narrowing the selection from 20-something to a dozen and then to six and then to four and then to two and finally to one.

"So how much will this one cost me?" I asked.

And Betu answered: "This is the very finest quality you have selected. This rug took one family more than a year to create. With the other rugs, I can give a 20 percent discount. But for these masterpieces, I can take very little off. I can give this to you for $8,500."

"How about $8,000?" I asked him.

He smiled and put his hands together. "I honor you, my friend. But I cannot give you the price you ask. The best I can do is $8,400."

I put my hands together and smiled at him. "I honor you too, my friend, and the best I can now offer you is $8,100."

We settled, happily, at $8,200. He was smiling. I was smiling. K was smiling. Even the barefoot workers were smiling.

"He's a really nice man," I said to K as Betu left to write up the sale.

"What did I tell you?" she replied.

I had no intention of buying a rug when I walked into Betu's showroom. But an hour later, I had spent $8,200 on one... and felt very good about it.

Since buying it, I have looked at half a dozen other carpet stores in several Indian cities. Based on the price and quality of what I saw, I feel very comfortable with my purchase. Since I have no expertise in Persian carpets, Betu could have taken advantage of me. The fact that he gave me a good value for my money will only make him richer in the long run. The next time I want to buy a Persian rug, I will contact him. ...

It's Good to Know: The Jewel of Muslim Architecture

In 1631, Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal to honor the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Construction of the magnificent mausoleum - recently named one of the "new" Seven Wonders of the World - took 22 years and cost about 32 million rupees. (That would be the equivalent of $100 million.) The labor force included more than 20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants. The building materials included marble from Rajasthan, jade and crystal from China, turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, sapphire from Sri Lanka, and carnelian from Arabia.

(Source: TajMahal.org, Wikipedia)

Indian Word to the Wise: Cheroot

A "cheroot" (shuh-ROOT) is a cigar with square-cut ends. The word is from the Tamil for "roll of tobacco." (Tamil is a language of South India.)

Example (as used by Rudyard Kipling in the poem "Mandalay"): "An' I seed her first a-smokin' of a whackin' white cheroot, / An' a-wastin' Christian kisses on an 'eathen idol's foot..."
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2213, 11-30-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Here’s Why Last Week’s “Big News” Is Wrong

By Jon Benson

A study released last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association led the nightly newscasts and made for some interesting water-cooler talk over the next few days. But I can tell you flat out, this study's conclusions were way off base.

The study suggests that an extra 20 or 25 pounds of body fat -- the fat most of us try so hard to shed -- is not going to cause us any health problems that lead to death. (The study was based on new mortality figures for 2.3 million American adults.) The conclusion? While obesity, defined in the study as a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of at least 30, leads to early death and the onset of dozens of disease states, those with a BMI between 25 and 30 showed no increase risk of death from heart disease or cancer.

So, should you just forget about those love handles after all? Not so fast.

First, this study analyzed death, not life. Quality of life, or the state of living in optimum health and energy, was overlooked in favor of sheer mortality statistics.

These statistics can be vastly skewed. For example, there are millions of overweight Americans with heart disease, forced to live on medications and at a considerably slower pace, who do not die from the condition.

Also, the researchers used the rather inaccurate BMI to judge their findings. What's my problem with the BMI? At under 10 percent body fat, I have a BMI of 26. This would put me into the "overweight but healthy" camp, yet I am far from overweight. My additional muscle mass throws off the BMI scale. Other factors can cause the BMI to be less reliable than actual body fat percentage, ranging from water retention to bone density. The use of hydrostatic weight or calipers to measure body fat would have provided a far more accurate examination of the data.

The researchers also failed to take into account the fact that abdominal fat, also known as visceral fat, has been shown to lead to metabolic syndrome. A study presented at the 23rd Annual American Medical Association Science Reporters Conference in Washington, D.C. revealed that metabolic syndrome nearly triples heart disease risk, even in "non-obese individuals." Visceral body fat is the strongest of the predictors for the condition. Many people with a large amount of visceral fat are not technically obese when judged by the BMI.

As I said, this study fails to look at the quality of one's life, only the cause of death. Most of us would not want to spend the last 10 or 15 years of our life on drugs, machines and in a state of infirmity, even if it meant we would technically outlive the onset of heart disease or cancer.

I am not alone here. Dr. Robert Eckel, a spokesperson from the American Medical Association, also disagreed with the conclusions and the false impressions of the study. He stated that, for example, diabetes (found to be much higher among even moderately overweight individuals) often goes hand in hand with heart disease.

I have yet to meet one person who decreased their body fat in a healthy manner who did not also increase their energy and passion for life. And from personal experience, I can say with certainty that an extra 25 pounds of fat will rob that energy and vitality faster than you can say, "Pass the stuffing, please."

This prompts a question that no study can answer: What is the value of thriving, excelling and achieving our best in every area of our life, including our body? And what will this mentally empowered state do for our mortality?

Something tells me it will increase it far beyond what we can measure.

[Ed. Note: Jon Benson is a lifecoach and nutrition counselor who specializes in helping individuals discover a life-altering mind/body connection. His work in the field of post-40 fitness and mental empowerment has helped countless thousands rediscover their youthful body and positive outlook. Discover how you can do the same by clicking here or here.]

Alternative Eating: Love Your Guts – Use Probioitics By James B. LaValle

Did you know that, according to the book "Digestive Wellness," 70 percent of the cells that make up your immune system are located in your digestive system? That's just one of many good reasons to take care of your GI tract. A good place to start is with probiotics.

A lack of beneficial flora can cause or worsen many health problems:

• Constipation or diarrhea.
• Allergies and asthma. A recent study reported that children who were on antibiotics had more risk of developing these diseases.
• Environmental allergies. In another recent study, people with environmental allergies who took probiotics saw their symptoms improve significantly.
• Acne. A study from Australia reported that acne is due at least in part to a lack of friendly bacteria in the intestine.
• Intestine permeability. Probiotics create a substance called butyrate, which is the fuel for intestinal cells. Anything that harms gut flora also causes intestinal tissue to break down. Intestine permeability is suspected to lead to ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and autoimmune diseases. It also allows alfatoxin (a toxin from black mold on foods or in the environment) to get into your blood stream. This toxin can cause liver damage.

In addition, probiotics also control how you absorb vitamins, minerals, amino acids and even hormones.

A wide variety of prescription and over the counter drugs, including antibiotics, oral contraceptives, acid blockers, corticosteroids, pain medication and chemotherapy, can damage or destroy the good bacteria in your intestine. Unless you actively make the effort to build it back up, it may not recover.

Can you replace good bacteria with yogurt? Not by itself. Yogurt may help a little. But it takes probiotic dosages in the billions daily to keep the intestines colonized. That's far more than yogurt can supply. In addition, yogurts do not usually contain human strains of probiotics or contain adequate quantities.

If you are going to eat yogurt, makes sure that it has human-strain flora. Eating fermented foods like sauerkraut feeds the good bacteria in the gut. For the best results, find a practitioner to help you select a reliable probiotic supplement and take it daily.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]

Healthy Healing: Study: Nutrition Supplements Aid Breast Cancer Care By Dr. Ray Sahelian

Many women who need chemotherapy, surgery or radiation for breast cancer take a drug called tamoxifen. The hope is that this drug will reduce recurrence of the breast cancer. New research shows that nutritional supplements can help the drug do its job better.

Some background: Doctors monitor breast cancer recurrence or relapse by watching certain markers. Two breast cancer tumor markers are called CEA and CA 15-3.

Researchers from India studied 84 breast cancer patients. Some were not treated. Others were on 10 mg tamoxifen twice a day. And some of those on the drug also received a daily supplement of 100 mg CoQ10, 10 mg riboflavin and 50 mg niacin a day.

CEA and CA 15-3 levels were elevated in untreated breast cancer patients. Their tumor marker levels dropped with more than one year of drug therapy. But patients supplemented with CoQ10, riboflavin and niacin for 90 days also had significantly reduced marker levels.

I am not sure why the scientists chose these three particular supplements in these particular dosages to add to the drug regimen. The important point is that there appears to be nutritional factors that could reduce the risk for recurrence. Women on tamoxifen should ask their doctors about vitamin supplements.

[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D., is a practicing physician and best-selling author. He is a leading authority on natural supplements and nutrition. For the latest research on organic ways to improve your health and well-being, click here.]

Mind/Body/Soul: Do Low-Carb Diets Cause Depression? By Dr. Jonny Bowden

Quite a lot of research has compared the results of a low carb diet with a high carb diet on weight loss. But until now, no one has investigated the impact of low carb diets on mood and cognition. Since there's been a persistent myth about low carb diets making people depressed and foggy-brained, this is a great area of investigation.

A study was just published in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers from Australia decided to investigate diet and mood. They put 93 overweight or obese men and women on one of two diets: high carb, low fat or low carb, high fat. The diets ranged from 1400-1700 calories a day, about 30 percent less than what the participants were used to. The study lasted eight weeks.

At the beginning of the study and for every two weeks afterward they were weighed and tested on three different standardized assessments of mood. They were also tested on memory and how quickly they could perform simple mental tasks.

Here's what the researchers found. Not surprisingly, the low carb group lost significantly more weight. But everyone in both diet groups improved in mood. And there was no significant differences seen between the two groups. Memory was also the same in both groups. And both groups improved in mental tasking (though the low carb group improved slightly less).

So do low carb diets make people depressed? Any diet can affect mood in some people more than others. The exact outcome will depend on a host of circumstances way too complex and intertwined to reduce to a single simplistic statement. That said, the current study gives the lie to the myth that low carb diets cause bad moods. The low carb group improved in mood and overall well-being -- and lost more weight on top of it!

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology. Dr. Bowden is also a life coach, motivational speaker, former personal trainer and author of the award-winning book, Living the Low Carb Life. For more information, click here.]

Healthy Aging: Sunlight Cuts Cancer Risk by 47 Percent By David Levine

The evidence keeps mounting that the sun is good for you. In the latest study, high levels of sun exposure were associated with a 47-percent reduced risk of advanced breast cancer in women with light skin pigmentation.

The study, of 4,000 women living in the San Francisco Bay area, was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

"We believe that sunlight helps reduce women's risk of breast cancer because the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight," lead author Dr. Esther M. John said in a statement.

Other studies have shown that increasing vitamin D may lower the risk of prostate and colon cancers too. Sunlight is the best way to boost vitamin D levels.

[Ed. Note: Are you vitamin-D deficient? Most of the population is. Yet this powerful vitamin can help protect you from many of the life-threatening diseases that plague modern men and women. Fortunately, there's an easy way to up your vitamin D quotient. Better yet, it's free. To learn more, click here.]

Recipes & Nutrition: Mediterranean Baked Snapper By Kelley Herring

This delightful fish dish is a great way to enjoy the flavors of the Mediterranean. And you'll help protect your heart, too. In the Lyon Heart Study, heart attack patients given a Mediterranean diet had 70 percent fewer recurrent heart attacks than those following a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Researchers credit healthy fats (like those in fish, olive oil and nuts) plus the wide array of phytonutrients from fruits, veggies and herbs, for the heart-protective benefits seen in the study. Do your heart a favor and dine Mediterranean tonight with this simple and sumptuous seafood meal.

Serves: 4

Time to Table: 40 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
• Phenols
• Good source of calcium, thiamin
• Excellent source of protein, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, magnesium, potassium, selenium

Ingredients
1 16-oz can organic whole tomatoes
4 tsps organic orange peel, grated
1 whole organic bay leaf
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp organic dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp organic dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp leaves organic dried basil, crushed
2 Tbsps organic chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup organic dry white wine
4 fillets snapper, preferably yellowtail
1 clove organic garlic, minced
1/4 cup organic orange juice
4 Tbsps organic lemon juice
1 medium organic onion, sliced

Preparation
Heat broth in large nonstick skillet. Add onion and sauté over moderate heat 5 minutes or until soft. Add all remaining ingredients except fish. Stir well and simmer 30 minutes, uncovered. Arrange fish in 10x6-inch baking dish; cover with sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 375º F about 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Nutritional Information
312 calories, 3 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0.0 g trans fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 81 mg cholesterol, 306 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugars, 46 g protein

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet, a multimedia company that educates on how foods promote health and protect against disease. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet's Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill, including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility. For more information, click here.]

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These articles appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 11-16-07] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/

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For all your Real Estate Interests look at The New Real Estate Source here.

Got the Winter Blues? The Sun Will Make You Shine!

By Jon Herring

Do you get a little sadder in the winter, when darkness falls early and the sun is hidden in the clouds? If so, you're not alone. Seasonal changes cause more than 25 percent of the population to get the "winter blues" - technically known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The symptoms include increased cravings for sweets and carbohydrates, longer sleep patterns, lethargy, fatigue, irritability, weight gain, insomnia, lowered motivation, and decreased sociability. In some cases, the long dark winter can even bring on full-blown clinical depression.

But there are several ways to prevent and treat this common condition:

• The best way to conquer SAD is to spend time outside in bright, natural sunlight. It's especially good to go out and play in the snow. There is a lower incidence of SAD in regions that get regular amounts of snow, probably because the snow reflects light.

• Phototherapy can also help lift your spirits in the winter. It involves exposing yourself to a light box that approximates the spectrum of daylight for 30 minutes to two hours a day.

• Most important, be sure to take a vitamin D supplement during the winter months. In clinical trials, vitamin D has been shown to relieve depression more effectively than broad-spectrum light exposure. In fact, in one study that compared vitamin D supplementation with the daily use of a light box for two hours, the symptoms of depression in the vitamin D group were resolved completely. Meanwhile, the phototherapy group saw no significant improvement.

If you're not able to spend time in the sun during the winter, you will need a good bit more vitamin D than the government's recommended daily allowance of 400 IU. Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council suggests 5,000 IU per day for adults during the winter months, and 1,000 to 2,000 IU per day for children. I don't know of any multivitamins that contain this much vitamin D, but Carlson's makes a convenient 2,000 IU soft gel that you can find here.

By being proactive, you can fight back against seasonal depression and enjoy winter... and the holidays... just like you did when you were young.

[Ed. Note: Jon Herring, a copywriter for Early to Rise, is co-author, with Dr. Al Sears, of the book Your Best Health Under the Sun.]

It's Good to Know: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

The story of plucky Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a deeply ingrained piece of Christmas mythology. So it may surprise you to learn that it is not a traditional folk tale. A young copywriter named Robert May created Rudolph in 1939 as a promotional tool for the Montgomery Ward chain of department stores.

The company printed up the story, and gave away 2.4 million copies of the booklet to customers that Christmas. It was so popular that millions more copies were given away over the next several years. It wasn't until May persuaded his bosses to turn the copyright over to him that it became a financial success. Under May's direction, Rudolph appeared in cartoons, books, songs, and more over the years, securing both May's fortune and the story's place as a holiday staple.

(Source: Snopes.com)

Word to the Wise: Denizen

"Denizen" (DEN-uh-sun) is another way to say "dweller" or "inhabitant." The word is derived from the Latin for "from within."

Example (as used by Peter Gay in My German Question): "Goethe, who visited Berlin only once, found the 'wit and irony' of its denizens quite remarkable."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2231, 12-21-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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"There is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for."

- Paul Coelho

The Worst Calories

By Craig Ballantyne

What are the worst calories you can put in your body if you want to lose fat? Liquid calories. Not only do they add up quickly without suppressing your hunger, liquid calories often come in the form of sugar.

Researchers from Purdue University tested the appetite-suppressing effects of various liquid foods in lean and obese men and women. When the subjects were allowed to eat or drink as much as they wanted, they consumed 12 to 15 percent more calories in liquid form. For example, if given the choice between eating a piece of fruit or drinking the fruit juice, they consumed more calories when they chose the juice.

Liquid calories just don't fill us up as fast as real food does. So when it's a choice of an apple or apple juice, for example, always go with the solid source of calories.

Indian Word to the Wise: Pundit

In India, a "pandit" is a learned man, an expert or scholar. In the West, we adopted this word as "pundit" (PUN-dit).

Example (as used by Dutch athlete Ruud van Nistelroov): "Most of the pressure comes from myself, not from others. I don't need a manager or a pundit to put pressure on me. I do all that myself before others do it."
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2212, 11-29-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"Retire? I'm going to stay in show business until
I'm the only one left."

- George F. Burns

All Fat Loss Supplements Are Not Created Equal

By Anthony Colpo

Many people trying to lose weight try supplements to help burn fat and calories. And there are some legitimate, scientifically proven products out there that do just that. But all supplements are not created equal. Indeed, many weight loss supplement manufacturers will hate me for saying this, but it has to be said: Most of their products are worthless junk.

And even when their products do produce fat loss, the effect is typically so small that most people simply wouldn't notice any difference. Nor would most folks part with their hard-earned cash if they truly knew the tiny results they could expect.

To illustrate my point, let's take a quick look at three supplements currently being hyped for their alleged fat-burning properties.

CLA. A recent and widely publicized paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), "does have a beneficial effect on human body composition." Sounds great, until you look closely at the results. After averaging the results from various CLA trials, the authors concluded that CLA resulted in an average reduction in fat mass of 90 grams a week. At that snail-like pace, it will take you three months to shed a kilo (2.2 pounds)!

The longest-running double-blind trial compared the effects of two different CLA supplements with a placebo. After 12 months, the average body fat changes in the CLA groups were -1.7 and -2.4 kilograms, compared to +0.2 kilograms in the placebo group. For a trial that lasted a full year, these results are miniscule. Most people sticking to an intelligently structured diet and exercise program can easily lose this amount of fat in less than two weeks.

If you think the piddling fat loss effects of CLA are worth parting with hundreds of dollars, then go for it. If not, leave the CLA supplements on the shelf and get your intake of this fatty acid the way nature intended -- from animal fats. Fat from grass-fed animals, by the way, has a higher CLA content than that from grain-fed animals.

Green tea. Green tea has received a lot of press over the last decade. Deservedly so. An increasing volume of research suggests that this antioxidant-packed beverage has a whole host of important health benefits, including protection against cancer.

But don't let anyone convince you that drinking tea is the answer to your fat loss dreams.

Consider a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It reported increased fat loss in men taking a high-potency tea extract. Those who bothered to read the study for themselves quickly realized the results were little to be excited about.

For 12 weeks a group of Japanese men consumed, in double-blind fashion, one bottle daily of a "high-strength" oolong tea mixture or a bottle of low-strength oolong tea. After 12 weeks, the men drinking the high-potency oolong tea shed 1.4 kg of fat, compared to 700 g in the control group. Waist circumference decreased 3.4 cm in the treatment group and 1.1 cm in the control group. It goes without saying, but to lose an extra 700 grams of fat over three months is hardly an earth-shattering result. Folks, we're not exactly talking a dud-to-stud transformation here.

It should also be mentioned this study was conducted by the same company that produced and marketed the tea extract. Other trials, conducted by Dutch researchers, have failed to confirm a fat loss effect from green tea.

Green tea is a pleasant and potentially healthful beverage. Just don't expect it to help you lose a whole lot of weight. Current clinical evidence suggests the results will range from minimal to none.

Hoodia. Hoodia is being vigorously marketed as an appetite suppressant. I went looking for supportive data. I could only find research showing that rats injected or tube-fed with a glycoside extracted from Hoodia reduced their caloric intake and lost weight. What this means for humans taking oral Hoodia supplements is anyone's guess; I couldn't find any studies examining its use in real live humans. In other words, all the Hoodia hype is predicated entirely on rodent research.

Readers should be very careful when extrapolating the results of animal research onto humans. Calcium and DHEA, for example, produce significant weight loss in rodents but have no such effect in healthy Homo sapiens.

When presented with wild fat loss claims from marketers and media outlets, you should always ask the following question:

"Where's the tightly controlled clinical research with real, live humans to support these claims?"

If these sources cannot provide you with any such research, then keep your money in your pocket. And treat any future claims these folks make with the utmost suspicion. If these sources can provide you with concrete research citations, seek them out and read them yourself. See whether the results truly justify the fuss being made. With online resources such as PubMed and nutritional/medical journal web sites, this is actually a lot easier than it sounds. The few minutes you take to do this could easily save you hundreds of dollars.

[Ed. Note: Anthony Colpo is an independent researcher, physical conditioning specialist and author.]

Alternative Eating: Can a Low-Fat Diet Really Prevent Ovarian Cancer? By Dr. Jonny Bowden

A new study has been touted as showing that a low-fat diet can reduce the risk for ovarian cancer. But the results are a lot iffier than you might believe.

The data came from the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification trial. Women who decreased the amount of dietary fat they ate were 40 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who followed "normal dietary patterns."

Here's the problem. When people follow what they think is "healthy" advice (like eat less fat), they are also more likely to do other things that can have health benefits (like stop smoking or eat more vegetables or exercise more). There's no way to account for how much the results are due to outside factors (what researchers call "confounding variables") like these.

In addition, a lot of research has shown that even when people are counseled to "eat less fat," eventually their fat intake starts to creep up. In this study the women were counseled to eat a diet containing 20 percent fat. By the end of the first year they were in fact up to 24 percent. By the end of the study, it was 29 percent.

Most important, the "fat reducing" women also increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables. There's absolutely no way to know whether their lower rate of ovarian cancer had to do with the reduced fat or the increased anti-cancer compounds, anti-inflammatories and anti-oxidants from the plant foods.

There's no doubt that obesity puts you at increased risk for a host of diseases, including some cancers. But fat on the body isn't the same as fat in the diet. We need to we get over the idea that "fat makes you fat." Insulin makes you fat, and carbohydrates, especially processed carbs, drive up insulin. The real culprits in our diet are sugar, processed carbs and junk food.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. A board certified nutritionist with a Master's degree in psychology, he is the author of several best-selling books including "Living the Low Carb Life" and "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth."]

Healthy Aging: Aspirin Can Boost Your Risk of Stroke By Dr. Al Sears

Yesterday, my neighbor asked me if it was a good idea to take aspirin to avoid heart attacks and stroke. I responded with a question of my own: "Would you take a painkiller if you weren't in pain?"

TV commercials make it sound logical, but taking aspirin regularly just causes a new set of problems. What I call "the law of unintended consequences."

A new study published in Lancet Neurology found that older people who are taking aspirin "preventively" may be seven times more likely to have a stroke. The same researchers estimated that if the misuse of drugs like aspirin continues to increase, it may soon overtake high blood pressure as the leading cause of stroke in those over 75.

Instead of taking aspirin, take steps to lower your homocysteine levels. Your cells dump this "toxic waste" product into your bloodstream as they burn energy. Too much homocysteine is a serious health risk. In fact, homocysteine levels are a better predictor of heart disease -- and stroke, by the way -- than anything else, including cholesterol.

You can lower your homocysteine levels simply by supplementing with B vitamin. No harsh drugs are necessary. Here's what I recommend:
• Vitamin B6 - 75 mg daily
• Vitamin B12 - 400 mcg daily
• Folic Acid - 800 mcg daily

[Ed. Note: This article ran in a recent issue of our sister publication, Early to Rise. We thought it was so important, we wanted to be sure Total Health Breakthroughs readers didn't miss it! Dr. Sears, Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs, is a practicing physician and a leading authority on longevity, physical fitness and heart health.]

Exercise & Fitness: 10-Minute Workouts You Can Do at Home By Craig Ballantyne

No one is too busy for a fat-loss workout, because everyone has 10 minutes per day to work on burning belly fat. All you need to do is choose the right exercises. And that means total body, multi-muscle movements that you can do anywhere, including the comfort of your own home.

So here's my gift to you: 10-minute workouts you can do at home. You can find descriptions of these exercises by clicking here.

1. Bodyweight Circuit:
• Prisoner Squats
• Pushups
• Pullups or Inverted Bodyweight Rows

Do 10 repetitions per exercise. Do not rest between exercises. Rest 30-60 seconds after completing the circuit and repeat until 10 minutes have elapsed.

2. Dumbbell-Bodyweight Fusion Fat Loss Superset:
• Dumbbell Split Squats
• Decline Pushups

Do 10 repetitions per exercise. Do not rest between exercises. Rest 60 seconds after completing the superset and repeat until 10 minutes have elapsed.

3. Dumbbell Upper Body Workout:
• Dumbbell Chest Press
• Dumbbell Row

Do 10 repetitions per exercise. Do not rest between exercises. Rest 60 seconds after completing the superset and repeat until 10 minutes have elapsed.

4. Dumbbell Total Body Workout:
• Dumbbell Incline Press
• Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Do 10 repetitions per exercise. Do not rest between exercises. Rest 60 seconds after completing the superset and repeat until 10 minutes have elapsed.

5. The Ultimate Dumbbell Total Body Workout:
• Dumbbell Chest Press
• Dumbbell Squat

Do 12 repetitions per exercise. Do not rest between exercises. Rest 60 seconds after completing the superset and repeat until 10 minutes have elapsed.

If you find yourself with another 10 minutes, you can up the fat-burning ante by doing 10 minutes of intervals.

[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men's Health magazine.]

Recipes & Nutrition: Mixed Mushroom Mélange By Kelley Herring

This simple dish is low in calories but high in cancer-fighting nutrients. A recent study published in the Journal of Complementary Medicine proves it. It found that compounds in shiitake mushrooms destroyed both malignant breast cancer and myeloma cells. Researchers found that the compound in shiitake mushrooms caused "cell suicide" in 50 percent of these tumors. This mushroom medley works great as a topping for your favorite organic meats or serve alongside a salad.

Serves: 4

Time to Table: 10 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
• "Mycochemicals"
• Good Source of vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, potassium, selenium

Ingredients
1 cup organic chicken or vegetable broth
3 whole organic shallots
1 Tbsp organic Worcestershire sauce
3 cups whole organic mushrooms (try shiitake and baby Bella)
2 cloves organic garlic, minced
Truffle oil

Preparation
Preheat sauté pan to medium. Clean mushrooms and remove stems, set aside. Add shallots and garlic to sauté pan with 1 tablespoon broth. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, remaining broth and Worcestershire, then stir well to combine and cover. Let simmer for 3 minutes covered. Remove from heat, drizzle with truffle oil (if desired).

Nutritional Information
44 calories, 0.0 g total fat, 0.0 g saturated fat, 0.0 g trans fat, 0.0 g monounsaturated fat, 0.0 g polyunsaturated fat, 0.0 mg cholesterol, 172 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g fiber, 2 g sugars, 3 g protein

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet, a multimedia company that educates on how foods promote health and protect against disease. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet's Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill, including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility.]

__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 11-09-07] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/

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For all your Real Estate Interests look at The New Real Estate Source here.

THE ART OF DISNEY: MAGIC

Say "Disney" and the word "magic" springs to mind, along with visions of genies, sorcerers, and pixie dust - but Disney magic is more than mere fantasy. Its deeper meaning lies in the wonder, laughter, and hope that Disney characters bring to our lives, inspiring us to discover the magic of the dreams within our hearts.

- USPS

A workman is not

just a workman. A laborer is

not just a laborer. An office worker

is not just an office worker.

They are living, breathing, important

pillars on which the entire structure

of our civilization is erected.

They are not cogs in a mighty machine.

They are the machine itself.

- L. Ron Hubbard, from The Problems of Work

It's Good to Know: Cellphone Use in India

By Michael Masterson

Ten years ago, there were no cellphones in India. This year, there are 80 million. According to an International Data Corp. survey, that number is set to hit 500 million by 2010.

"Buy India telecom stock," our guide advised us.

(Source: News Post India)

Indian Word to the Wise: Khaki

"Khaki" (KAK-ee) is a dull yellowish brown. It is also a sturdy cotton cloth in this color that was first used for the uniforms of the British cavalry in India and is still used for military uniforms. "Khaki" is Urdu (a language widely spoken in India) for "dusty" or "dust colored."

Example (as used by Irish journalist Patrick MacGill): "One of the first things we had to learn was that our ancient cathedral town has its bounds and limits for the legions of the lads in khaki."

Michael Masterson
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2211, 11-28-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising."

- Mark Twain

It's Good to Know: India's Population Explosion

The population of India is about 1.1 billion, and is growing by just over 18 million a year. Based on its present 1.6 percent growth rate, it looks like India will surpass China to become the world's most populous country by 2050.

(Source: Population Reference Bureau)

Indian Word to the Wise: Pajamas

"Pai jamahs" are loose trousers tied at the waist that are worn by Muslims in India. The name was probably derived from the Persian for "leg clothing." Westerners adopted a similar garment - "pajamas" (puh-JAH-muz) - as sleepwear.

Fun example (as used by Groucho Marx in the movie Animal Crackers): "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know."

Michael Masterson
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2210, 11-27-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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For all your Real Estate Interests look at The New Real Estate Source here.

"I have a problem with too much money. I can't reinvest it fast enough, and because I reinvest it, more money comes in.
Yes, the rich do get richer."

- Robert Kiyosaki

"If you have ten thousand regulations you
destroy all respect for the law."

- Winston Churchill

Traffic Lessons From India

By Michael Masterson

"Oh m'god," Paula shouted. "Watch out for the cow!"

"The man's a professional," Rob said. "Let him do his job.

Rob was right. Without braking, our driver deftly maneuvered the van around the cow and between a rickshaw and two motorcycles. Our guide continued talking calmly as the driver raced the vehicle through the immensely crowded boulevard from our hotel to the old city of Jaipur.

If you have never driven down a crowded street in India, you can't really understand the capacity of people to solve problems for themselves.

Take traffic, for instance.

In the U.S., we keep traffic moving and safe with a combination of technology (traffic lights, radar, etc.) and law enforcement. It seems to work reasonably well - except on busy thoroughfares. And when it doesn't work, we attempt to fix it by adding more technology (computerized traffic scanners) and regulations. (According to a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures, nearly 1,500 new traffic laws were debated by lawmakers in 2006. Almost 200 became law, involving subjects such as aggressive and distracted driving, speed limits, and pedestrian safety.)

In India, they do things very differently. In the two cities I have visited so far, Udaipur and Jaipur, I haven't seen a single traffic light. Not even a stop sign. If they have rules, there are very few of them. And any rules that may exist are routinely ignored.

For example, this afternoon there were all of the following moving objects on the road we were using: cars, vans, trucks, and buses; rickshaws, bicycles, motorcycles, and oxcarts; plus horses, cows, bulls, camels, elephants, and thousands of pedestrians. All of them moving at their own pace without any regard to the indicated lanes. (Yes, there were very faint lane demarcations on the pavement.) Some were moving lethargically (the cows, in particular). Some were moving with a purpose. And some, like the van we were riding in, were whipping along at what seemed to be a reckless speed. Most were going in one direction, but some were crossing the flow. And some were moving against it.

"This is sheer insanity," Paula said. "But it works!"

The road was a ribbon of madness, to paraphrase Alfred Noyes, yet the traffic kept moving. A thousand near collisions were narrowly avoided as we sped along, yet none occurred. And nobody seemed the least bit flustered.

I have reported on this phenomenon before in ETR - when I was writing from Rome. But the chaos of Italy's roads pales compared to India's, if only because there are so few camels, cows, and elephants on them.

What is remarkable is not the chaos but how well traffic works in India. My guidebook says that traffic accidents are a problem in this country. But if that is so, I haven't seen it. What I see is an amazingly proficient system of getting from here to there - at your own pace and in your own way, without traffic lights or cops or any appearance of regulation.

How can that be?

There is only one possible answer: People (and animals) here are much better at avoiding accidents. Without vehicular permits or driving schools, Indians know how to get around without getting hit. They are adept at cutting in and out of traffic, accelerating quickly, and stopping on a dime. They are much more aware of the danger around them, because they have to be.

In the Western world, we expect others to follow the rules, and this allows us to relax our guard. We crank up the iPod and talk on our cellphone and don't worry so much about traffic. When other people violate the rules or ignore the technology that is designed to protect us, we are surprised by it. And then we have problems. Fender benders. Chain collisions. Cursing. Shouting. Road rage.

"In India, we don't get excited if we have an accident," our guide explained. "It doesn't happen very often, but when it does everyone is polite. We take our bumps and move along."

There is a school of thought that says the best government is that which governs least. In theory, I believe that to be true. In practice, I sometimes have trouble with the concept. When I hear news of some terrible thing that has happened - high school children shooting each other, for example - my first instinct is to pass a law. But my experience here in India demonstrates how unnecessary that may be.

Human life is so complex. Even more complex than city traffic. Believing that we can prescribe order with laws and technology is a sort of arrogance. Sometimes it's better to let people figure things out on their own.

This idea may seem loony to you, sitting as you are in a modern city. But there is science behind it. Studies have shown that animals as unintelligent as ants can devise enormously complex systems for navigation and commerce by simply doing, on a collective basis, what each particular ant wants to do on its own. As Bill Bonner always says to me when I suggest some new rule to settle some business problem: "Why don't we do nothing and see if they can figure out a solution on their own?"

And they usually do.

It's Fun to Know: India's Remarkable Bridges

India is home to two remarkable bridges:

• The Bailey Bridge. Located between the River Dras and the River Suru in the Himalayan Mountains, the Bailey is the world's highest bridge. It's only about 100 feet long, but is 18,379 feet above sea level.

• The Howrah Bridge. Spanning Hooghly River in West Bengal, the Howrah Bridge links the city of Howrah to its "twin" city Kolkata. 400,000 pedestrians and 150,000 vehicles cross this landmark every day, giving it the distinction of being the world's busiest bridge.

(Source: DidYouKnow.org)

Word to the Wise: Jungle

You know what a "jungle" (JUNG-gul) is - a tract of land densely overgrown with tropical vegetation. But you probably didn't know that the word is derived from the Sanskrit for "wasteland, uncultivated area." (Sanskrit is the ancient classical language of India.) We use "jungle" metaphorically to refer to a complex, confused jumble.

Example (as used by Duke Ellington): "Roaming through the jungle of 'oohs' and 'ahs,' searching for a more agreeable noise, I live a life of primitivity with the mind of a child and an unquenchable thirst for sharps and flats."

Michael Masterson
__________________________________________________
These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2209, 11-26-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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For all your Real Estate Interests look at The New Real Estate Source here.