Eat Sugar With This Natural Insulin "Mirror"

By Shane "The People's Chemist" Ellison

Any bozo can tell you that fruit is better for you than cake. But since both are sweet, why is fruit the better choice? Some will say it is because the sweetness of fruit comes from fructose, a naturally occurring sugar. But fat-promoting energy drinks are sweetened with fructose too, so that's not the answer. What makes fruit the better choice is the tannins and fiber you get in it.

Fiber works by slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Tannins work by mimicking insulin, thereby helping the body process the sugar without having to rely on its own fat-storing hormone. In fact, tannins are so effective at this that the drug industry is trying to design a man-made copycat so they can promote it as an anti-diabetic drug. 

[Ed. Note: Shane Ellison is an internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition.]

Travel Tip: A New "Twist"

By Lori Allen

Slip a garbage bag twist-tie in your wallet before you begin your vacation, and you'll be prepared for all sorts of situations.

In a pinch, you can peel back the paper or plastic and use the wire to secure a loose button or pin, fix a broken hair clip, or temporarily replace a screw in your sunglasses.

Leave the paper on, and you can bundle computer wires and/or cords, close the disposable laundry bag you get at the hotel (should you need to pack your wet bathing suit or shoes), or even tie back your hair.

[Ed. Note: Lori Allen is Director of AWAI's Travel Division.]

It's Fun to Know: Robotic Assistants

Robots programmed with facial and voice recognition, basic manual task abilities, and 10,000-word vocabularies are ready to work as receptionists in the Tokai region of central Japan. In fact, a temporary staffing agency in Japan has put 10 bright-yellow Wakamura robots (manufactured by Mitsubishi) on its roster. The Wakamura robots have wheels, which allow them to escort visitors from an office building's reception area to their destination.

The $25,000 fee for "hiring" one of these robots for a year is comparable to what the agency charges for a human worker.

(Source: Live Science)

Word to the Wise: Frisson

"Frisson" (free-SOHN) - from the French for "a trembling" - is a moment of intense excitement; a shudder.

Example (as used in The New York Times): "When we stopped in traffic at the Plaza de la Cibeles on the Paseo del Prado, where a grandiose 18th-century statue of the goddess of fertility poised on a chariot seemed to be waiting for the light to change, a little frisson of pleasure jolted through me, because this part of Madrid reminded me of Paris."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2184, 10-27-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.