'God hates fags' crowd to picket Ledger funeral

Actor Heath Ledger's funeral is to be held next week and guess who is going?

Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas has announced their plans to picket at Heath Ledger’s funeral because the actor “promoted homosexuality” by his film ‘Brokeback Mountain’ in which he played a gay man.
Fred Phelps leads the church, which demostrates their strong conviction against gays, lesbians and soldiers by picketing. "God hates the tacky bucket of slime seasoned with vomit known as Brokeback Mountain and he hates all persons having anything whatsoever to do with it,” the church wrote on a flyer

The full flier is here. Their blog post "Heath Ledger is in hell - way to go doomed America" is here.One thing they don't appear to be aware of: The funeral is to be in Perth, Australia.

Heh.Dumbasses. I hope they try to go the the funeral, get the wrong plane and end up in Wellington. I`ll be only too pleased to meet them at the airport.

GI News—February 2008

In this issue of GI News

• Debunking the carrot myth
  
• The blood-glucose-reducing pucker power of vinegar
• The Low GI Family Cookbook hits the stands
• Are chia seeds a magic food?
• Exercise builds brain health
  
• What’s on the menu when it comes to food for love?

We have the power to change the shape of things to come says Dr David Ludwig in his column this month. With time for physical education classes for our kids being gobbled up by other academic demands, he shares the story of how one inspirational teacher, Patty Nolan of Warren Point Elementary School in Fair Lawn New Jersey, took matters into her own hands and made a real difference to the children and families of her community. Also this month our chef Kate Hemphill has more fabulous fare including a Mango, passion fruit and lime fruit salad that your editor has made several times this summer already and Hermin Halim sorts fact from fiction in the GI or GL question.

Good eating, good health and good reading.



GI News Editor: Philippa Sandall
Web Design and Management: Scott Dickinson, PhD

Food for Thought

Debunking the carrot myth
Raw or cooked, carrots are good for you and they won’t send your blood glucose on a roller coaster ride. End of story. Why? Well, not only are they a low GI food (41), they have very few carbs. In fact, to get a hefty portion of carbs from carrots you’d have to crunch through at least 5 cups or 750 g (about 1½ lb) at a sitting – a pretty awesome achievement even for carrot lovers.



How did the high GI carrot myth happen. Well, they were first tested way back in the early days (1981) – only five people were included in the study, the variation among them was huge, the reference food was tested only once and the result was a high GI. And it was that early high GI result for healthy foods like carrots (along with watermelon) that became the stick to beat the whole GI concept with for years – and to this day for the anti-GI stalwarts.

By the 1990s, international standardised procedures producing really reliable results for GI testing were clearly established and the SUGiRS team decided to retest carrots. This time, ten people were included and the reference food was tested twice as per the standardised methodology for GI testing. The result was a mean GI value of 41 with a very narrow variation. Although this later and clearly more accurate value for carrots was published in the International Tables of GI Values (2001), the word just didn’t seem to get around. To this day, GI opponents still clobber us and the GI concept with the old value for carrots. Lesson: you can’t win ’em all. Lesson two: ‘A food’s GI value was never meant to offer the only criterion by which it is judged as fit to eat’ says Jennie Brand-Miller in The New Glucose Revolution. It’s a useful tool from the nutrition tool box to help you choose more of those smart carbs when creating a healthy eating plan.

‘So if carrots don’t have many carbs, how many did you make your volunteers crunch to get the GI value,’ a reader asked us recently? When we test any food, we calculate how much food we need to provide 50 grams of digestible carbohydrate (fibre’s not counted in this). If this represents an unreasonably large amount of food for anyone to eat, we scale down everything by half and test a 25 gram carbohydrate portion. In fact, MOST fruits and vegetables and some dairy products have been tested this way. In the case of carrots, our volunteers ended up eating about 350 g cooked carrots (3–4 large carrots). It was a big portion but manageable! In the case of raw carrot juice (GI 43), they drank 350 ml or just under 1½ cups (easy!). So what’s the take-home message? Well, because all fruits and vegetables are valuable additions to the diet, don’t dwell on their GI. With the exception of potatoes which are carb rich and have a high GI for the most part, tuck in to your heart’s content to make sure you get those 2 serves of fruit and 5 of veggies every day along with the fabulous fibre these healthful foods provide.

For a carrot recipe with the right amount of crunch for this piece we turned to Julie Daniluk, Toronto’s Big Carrot’s chief in-store nutritionist. You don’t need to peel the veggies and fruit, just wash and scrub them well before grating or chopping. Julie tells us that you ‘can make it ahead of time and store in the fridge if you prefer to give the flavours time to blend.’ She also recommends adding a clove of fresh chopped garlic as a booster.

Julie Daniluk’s Carrot and Beetroot Salad
Serves 4 as a side salad



2 cups roughly chopped romaine (cos) lettuce or your favourite salad greens
1 crisp green apple, washed but not peeled
2 medium carrots, scrubbed (or peeled) and grated
1 medium beetroot, scrubbed (or peeled) and grated
50 g (2 oz) natural almonds, halved or roughly chopped
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1. Line a large serving platter with the lettuce or salad greens. Chop the apple into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes and brush with lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. Combine the grated carrots, beetroot, chopped almonds and apple in a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Assemble this bright red and orange root veggie salad on top of the greens and enjoy.

News Briefs

Lower GI diet cuts inflammation even in well-controlled diabetes
One hundred and sixty two adults with well-managed diabetes took part in a Canadian study reported in AJCN (January 2008) to see if a low GI diet could offer any additional benefits. The authors found that the best measure of blood glucose control (glycated hemoglobin or A1c) showed no further improvement but C-reative protein levels (CRP – a protein produced in the liver and reportedly a good predictor of the onset of cardiovascular disease) was 30% less in those on a lower GI diet compared with those on two other healthy diets. That spells less inflammation and therefore lower risk of all diseases with an inflammatory component, including heart disease and osteoarthritis.



The researchers set out to compare the effects of changing carb quality (its GI) and carb quantity in managing type 2 diabetes. At the outset of the year-long trial, all the participants already had optimal glycemic control by diet alone (HbA1C 6.0–7.0). After 12 months, the researchers report that while long-term HbA1C was not affected by either the quality or quantity of carb in the diets, two hour post-meal glucose levels and CRP were significantly reduced in those on the lower GI diet.

GI Group: This study is one of the best of its kind, but what a pity the authors recruited subjects who were so well controlled that further improvements were unlikely. If we want to nit-pick, we could say that what the authors called 'the low GI diet' is not really a low GI diet at all. Its GI of 55 is not much lower than what the average person in the developed world eats right now (i.e. the average diet has a GI of 54–58, glucose = 100). What we now know from observational/cohort studies is that the GI of the diet of the people in the lowest quintile (20% of the population) is about 40–45. Similarly, the randomised controlled trials that have shown positive affects of low GI diets on the management of existing diabetes also have an average GI of around 45. Therefore, you need to lower the average GI of the diet to these levels to see a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, and to see significant improvements in their management. It’s achievable. How?

Substitute low for high GI foods in your everyday meals and snacks, especially in the breads and cereals you choose. Breakfast in particular is your opportunity to go for gold by selecting a low GI breakfast cereal. Don't assume that adding milk to crispy flakes makes it a low GI meal. If you don’t eat breakfast cereal, make sure you choose a low GI bread for your toast, and of course low GI breads are a must for those sandwiches at lunch.

6 healthy habits made easy
Should you be eating more of this or doing more of that for your long-term health and wellbeing? Japanese researchers have come up with a handy way to remember 6 key health habits to reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome. Just think ‘none of 1, less of 2, more of 3.’



The researchers tested these 6 healthy habits with over 18,000 people who attended the Health Science Centre at Jikei University in Tokyo and found that those who practised more of these 6 health habits had less risk factors of metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high blood fats and abdominal obesity). Here are the stats: 7% of those practising all 6 habits had no metabolic syndrome symptoms; of the people who did not practise any of the healthy habits, 20% had metabolic syndrome symptoms.
– Obesity Research and Clinical Practice, Vol 1, Issue 2, May 2007.

Seeds of success
Salba® (the trade name of a variety of white chia seeds cultivated through selective plant breeding) may help regulate blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease in people with diabetes report Canadian researchers in November 2007 Diabetes Care. Dr Vladamir Vuksan and a team at Toronto’s St Michael's Hospital in a single blind cross-over study assigned 20 otherwise healthy adults with well controlled diabetes to supplement their diet with Salba (or wheat bran as the control) for 12 weeks while maintaining their standard diabetes treatments. The Salba seeds were ground into flour and served in bread made by the team or sprinkled on food. Their total intake was approximately 37 grams or 3–4 tablespoons of Salba a day. Compared with the control, the Salba reduced systolic blood pressure, on average, by 6 points mmHg, reduced low grade body inflammation (as measured by C-reactive protein) and made blood thinner and less prone to clotting. There were no changes in body weight.



‘Salba seems to possess important cardio-protective properties in type 2 diabetes by reducing conventional and emerging heart disease risk factors that are associated with diabetes’ said Dr Vladimir Vuksan, research-scientist at the Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital and professor in the faculty of medicine, University of Toronto. ‘It is an exceptionally rich source of vegetable protein, calcium, magnesium and iron, with antioxidant levels higher than in some berries. Simple addition of Salba to one’s diet not only helps patients reach their target treatment goal but also allows patients to take their health into their own hands to improve their diet and health outcomes.’ While the study found no ill effects, Vuksan cautions that, because of Salba's ability to thin blood, anyone on anticoagulants, blood thinners other blood pressure medications should consult with their doctors before taking it.

You can eat the seeds raw or use ground seeds in baked goods such as breads, cakes and biscuits or made into a porridge. Soaked seeds make a rather gelatinous drink – Mexico’s chia fresca is chia seeds soaked in fruit juice. A number of websites have recipes. But remember, cooking with Salba or chia doesn’t necessarily make a recipe a healthy one. And a word of caution before you rush out and invest in a kilo of chia, it’s just a supplement not a magic bullet. You still have to stick with those healthy lifestyle habits described in the previous piece ('6 healthy habits made easy') including eating better (and probably less) and exercising more.

Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica), once a staple food of the Aztecs (along with corn and beans), are the seeds of an annual ‘herb’ from the mint family. Chia is grown commercially today for it is seriously rich in omega-3 seeds – they are currently the highest known plant source of this essential fatty acid. They also have heaps of dietary fibre (mostly insoluble), some protein and virtually no carbs. They are gluten free. GI News readers may be more familiar with chia than they think – those are chia sprouts growing on popular ‘Chia Pets’.
– Diabetes Care 30: 2804-2810 and the St. Michael’s Hospital press release & backgrounder.

Cooking boosts nutrients
Steaming broccoli increases its levels of cancer-fighting compounds say scientists from the Universities and Parma and Naples writing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (December 26, 2007).



Looking at the effects of boiling, steaming, and frying on the phytochemical content (polyphenols, carotenoids, glucosinolates and ascorbic acid) of carrots, zucchini (courgettes) and broccoli, they found an overall increase in antioxidant levels after cooking. Boiling and steaming preserved antioxidant compounds better, especially carotenoids in all the veggies and ascorbic acid in carrots and zucchini. Steamed veggies maintained their texture better than boiled ones. There was a higher loss of antioxidants in the fried veggies. ‘Our findings defy the notion that processed vegetables offer lower nutritional quality and also suggest that for each vegetable a preferred cooking method to preserve the nutritional qualities,’ say Nicoletta Pellegrini and colleagues. Download the PDF article.

What's New?

Norene’s Healthy Kitchen
Eat your way to good health with Norene Gilletz (Whitecap). The 600 recipes in the book are heart healthy and suitable for people with diabetes or wanting to lose weight. What’s special about this book compared with so many that come across the editor’s desk is that the recipes are extremely well written with clear guidelines about equipment and cooking times. Nothing is left to chance. There’s also a terrific introductory section covering the glycemic index, quick meal planning tips for people with diabetes, shaking the salt habit, how to grill it right, food safety and cooking/baking substitutions. There are chef’s secrets and variations with many of the recipes and all have a nutritional analysis. Norene Gilletz is a leading authority on kosher cooking, an IACP Certified Culinary Professional and freelance food writer. Her motto is ‘food that’s good for you should taste good.’ We completely agree!



http://www.gourmania.com/
Culinary Solutions Gourmania Inc, Toronto, Canada – ph: (1) 416-226-2466; fax: (1) 416-226-2512

The Low GI Family Cookbook
By Kaye Foster-Powell, Anneka Manning, Jennie Brand-Miller and Philippa Sandall (Hachette Australia).
The US/Canadian edition will be available March 2008.

Parents know that the benefits of healthy eating are enormous, but getting their kids to actually eat healthy foods can be another challenge altogether! Whether you have a toddler or teenager, this book has been written to make it easier for anyone to combine (deliciously) the essentials of healthy eating with the proven benefits of low GI carbs. It’s about parents and children cooking together, eating together and developing healthy eating habits for life say the authors in the introduction. There are over 100 easy-to-prepare recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, main meals and sides, desserts and sweet treats packed with healthy, low GI ingredients that the whole family will love.

But that’s not all. The comprehensive introductory section includes 7-day menu plans for pre-schoolers, school age kids and teens, plus tips on raising food-smart kids, everyday healthy eating guidelines, making mealtimes happier, the problem with drinking those kilojoules, treats and takeaways, fuelling active kids, coping with food allergies and intolerances, handling fussy eaters, filling hollow legs and what to do if your child is overweight, or underweight.



Flax, fiber and GI
If you want to learn more about the science and marketing behind GI products as well as the impact that fibre-rich flax has on lowering the GI of products, register for a free Webinar on 28 February HERE.

FebFast
Get started on one of those six healthy habits mentioned above with FebFast, an Australian community education and awareness campaign that invites people to do something good for their own bodies, and someone else's by sacrificing their alcohol intake for up to one month, during February. Participants are sponsored by friends and family, with funds distributed to organisations that support young people struggling with substance use. Don't be deterred if you are reading this on Feb 2, 3 or 10, the FebFast Team say you can join up anytime. For more information, check out www.febfast.com.au

Are you a young adult living at home
If you are a young adult in your 20s or 30s, still living in the family home (and possibly you don't know much about cooking and less about nutrition), Freehand TV would love to hear from you. They are producing a new TV show for SBS in Australia and looking for families with adult kids that aren't in any rush to move out of the family home. If you're interested in taking part or would like some more information, please email your story and contact details to: casting@freehandtv.com.au OR call Caroline on 02 8514 5431

Food of the Month

Vinegar: More than pucker power
Several research findings over the last decade have shown that having a realistic amount of vinegar or lemon juice in the form of a salad dressing with a mixed meal has significant blood glucose-lowering effects. In fact, as little as 4 teaspoons of vinegar in a vinaigrette dressing (4 teaspoons vinegar + 2 teaspoons oil) with an average meal lowered blood glucose by as much as 30%. We know from our own GI Group research shows that lemon juice is just as powerful. ‘The effect appears to be related to the acidity,’ says Prof Jennie Brand-Miller ‘because some other organic acids (like lactic acid and propionic acid) also have a blood glucose-lowering effect, but the degree of reduction varies with the type of acid.’ How does it do it? Essentially, the acidity puts the brake on stomach emptying, slowing the delivery of food to the small intestine. Digestion of the carbohydrate in the food is therefore slowed and the final result is that blood-glucose levels are significantly lower. Animal studies are also showing that acid may increase the storage of glycogen (the form that blood glucose is stored for future energy needs) in the skeletal muscles and liver, providing fuel for later use.



According to a small preliminary study recently published in Diabetes Care (2007; 30 (11): 2814-2815) downing a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed may help to reduce high fasting blood glucose levels the following morning, in people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers from Arizona State University, gave 11 people with type 2 diabetes, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar as a late night snack with cheese and compared the results with a pre-bed cheese and water snack. They found a small average reduction of 0.26 mmol/L (a 4% decrease) in fasting blood glucose levels with the cheese and vinegar snack compared to a 0.15 mmol/L (2%) reduction for cheese and water. ‘Finding ways to help those with type 2 diabetes maintain acceptable blood glucose through foods and diet patterns is far more appealing for many to manage their condition,’ said Dr Carol Johnston, Department of Nutrition chair. ‘Vinegar is widely available, it is affordable, and it is appealing as a remedy, but much more work is required to determine whether vinegar is a useful adjunct therapy for individuals with diabetes,’ the researchers conclude.

Swedish researchers from Lund University have found another benefit of pucker power – vinegar may also help dieters eat less and reduce cravings brought on by sugar spikes after meals. The more vinegar consumed (up to 2–3 tablespoons before a meal), the more satisfied people felt.

'I have read that the only benefits to be derived from vinegar are if it is "mother vinegar" or raw and unprocessed. Do apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar have the same effects? '
Yes they do. So will balsamic vinegar and white wine vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, some salad dressings and even pickled vegetables.

Low GI Recipes of the Month

Our chef Kate Hemphill develops deliciously simple recipes for GI News that showcase seasonal ingredients and make it easy for you to cook healthy, low GI meals and snacks. For more of Kate’s fabulous fare, check out: http://www.lovetocook.co.uk/. For now, prepare and share good food with family and friends.


Kate Hemphill

Mango, passion fruit and lime fruit salad
There’s no need to slave over a hot stove to wow family and friends. This dessert is absolutely delicious and truly made in minutes. Make sure your fruit is ripe and full of flavour. If it is a little under-ripe and the fruit salad tastes too tart you may need to add a little caster sugar. If you can’t get mango puree, substitute by pureeing a small can of mango pieces (without the juice) in the blender. As you only need a scant ½ cup, keep leftovers for your morning muesli.
Serves 2



2 medium ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into dice (about 2 cups mango dice)
2 ripe passion fruit

Dressing
½ cup (125 ml) mango puree
pinch of ground ginger
1 lime, juiced

• To make the dressing, combine the mango puree, ginger and lime juice in a small bowl.
• Place the mango dice into a serving bowl. Scoop out the passionfruit pulp and seeds and add to the mango dice, then gently stir through the mango-lime dressing.

Per serve
700 kJ/167 calories; 3 g protein; 0.6 g fat (includes 0 g saturated fat); 33 g carbohydrate; 6 g fibre

Cider, onion and gruyère toast
Everybody loves ‘melts’, especially when the weather is cold and wet! This one is basically a de-constructed French onion soup. You can also add extra chicken stock to the soft onion mix to make a soup and serve with toasted sourdough slices topped with a little melted gruyère. To reduce the fat and keep the flavour, use half the quantity of cheese (125 g) and grate it. It's a good one to make ahead for quick meals on chilly days. The best way to cut the onions finely is to use a mandolin. Keep any leftover cooked onion in the fridge.

Makes 8 pieces (depending on the size of the bread)



1 kg brown onions, peeled and sliced finely
1 bay leaf
sprig of thyme
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry cider
1/3 cup (80 ml) reduced fat chicken stock
8 slices (250 g) gruyère cheese
8 slices sourdough bread

• Place the onions, bay and thyme in a large saucepan over a very low heat and sweat for an hour, with a tight lid, stirring occasionally. The onions must be completely soft with no bite in them, but do not allow them to burn.
• Remove lid and herbs and increase heat. Add the cider and stock and stir until alcohol has evaporated and mixture has reduced with little liquid left.
• Lightly toast sourdough bread, pile with onions and top with a slice of cheese (or sprinkle over grated cheese). Place under a pre-heated grill until the cheese is bubbling.

Per slice (250 g cheese)
1120 kJ/266 calories; 14 g protein; 11 g fat (includes 6 g saturated fat); 24 g carbohydrate; 3.5 g fibre

Per slice (125 g cheese)
849 kJ/202 calories; 10 g protein; 6 g fat (includes 3 g saturated fat); 24 g carbohydrate; 3.5 g fibre

Busting Food Myths with Nicole Senior

Myth: Some foods are aphrodisiacs.


Nicole Senior

Fact: If aphrodisiac foods are those which get you in the mood for love (improve your libido), then the hype surrounding foods such as oysters may be more folklore and fun rather than scientific fact. Human desire is rather more psychological than nutritional. It is probably the care and devotion involved in sourcing, preparing and sharing special foods, and the sensuality of eating them that set the scene for love, rather than the nutrients they contain. However, if the spirit is willing, the equipment must also be in order and this is where food can help.

Physical problems in the bedroom are far more common in men, and erectile dysfunction (ED) is the most common culprit. Unfortunately, it occurs far too often. In a study of more than 31 000 men in the US (The Health Professionals Follow Up Study), moderate to severe erectile dysfunction was reported by 12% of men younger than 59 years; 22% of men aged 60 to 69 years; and 30% of men older than 69 years. So what can be done to avoid this distressing problem?

The blood vessels ‘down south’ become blocked just as they do in the heart because of atherosclerosis. Erectile dysfunction is an early warning sign of high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. It is also much more likely in men with the metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Young men take note: maintaining a healthy weight, lowering LDL (bad) blood cholesterol levels, maintaining ideal blood pressures and NOT smoking are important ways to look after your blood vessels and keep you loving for longer. And the same principles apply to reducing the problem once it occurs. Studies show that lifestyle changes such as lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, losing weight, and exercising can enhance sexual function by up to 70%!

So, a heart-friendly diet and lifestyle can keep your heart beating strongly in more ways than one. So what’s on the menu when it comes to food for love?

• Colour his world with plenty of different types of vegetables and fruits
• Make him whole again with plenty of wholegrains like oats, wholewheat breads, pasta and breakfast cereals, barley and brown rice
• Feed him like a Greek God with Mediterranean fare such as legumes, fish, fruit and nuts
• Grease his wheels by replacing butter, cream, pastries and fast foods with healthy oils and trans-free margarine spreads based on sunflower, canola, soybean and olive oils.
• Give him longer lasting energy with lower GI foods such as reduced-fat milk and yoghurt, grainy breads, pasta, legumes and fruits.

It’s official: men who ‘eat to beat cholesterol’ and exercise more have better sex. Oh, and gentlemen: surveys of women suggest if you help with the housework she’ll be more receptive to your amorous advances so don’t forget to help with the washing up!


Click on the cover to purchase

Dietitian Nicole Senior is author of Eat to Beat Cholesterol available online at: http://www.eattobeatcholesterol.com.au/

Dr David’s Tips for Raising Healthy Kids

We have the power to choose the shape of things to come
Here’s how Patty Nolan made a difference. Patty works at Warren Point Elementary School in Fair Lawn New Jersey. Noticing a rapid increase in the number of overweight kids, she launched a novel health and fitness program along with school nurse Kathy Szabo. Since the program began in 2003, it has been incorporated into the curriculum of every elementary school in the district and has won a state award. Here’s Patty’s inspirational story.



‘My main focus was to get the community moving. The plan we came up with had three different layers. First find activities most kids would like. Second get parents involved – kids are more likely to be active if they see their parents moving. Third put together a large event that involved the whole community. I started by getting the kids involved at lunchtime. Every lunch period, every day of the week, a different fitness activity takes place.

• On Moving Mondays, I run laps around school grounds with the kids cheering them on. The math teachers encourage children to log their miles and add up their results.
• Tournament Tuesdays have competitive games between teams; 85% of the students participate, and final winners earn awards at lunch.
• On Walkin’ & Wheelin’ Wednesdays, kids and parents walk, rollerblade or bike to school. Once kids do this 15 times, they get on the health and fitness honor roll.
• On thirsty Thursdays, everyone brings a water bottle to school and learns the benefits of staying hydrated.
• On Fat-free Fridays, healthy eating is encouraged, and the school doesn’t sell ice-cream or unhealthy snacks during lunch.

Since the program started the kids have been really excited about competing in tournaments, running laps and promoting healthy eating. Just about every student in the school has participated. And with the parents signing permission slips, they’re aware of the revolution going on in the lunch hour. The first year we also held a fitness expo for the school community. Another event that has continued annually is the run/walk involving families through the community.

Year after year the response to the program has been overwhelmingly great. It’s rewarding to hear the comments from the kids who ask me if they can still run on Mondays even if it is raining. Parents tell me they are walking more, watching what they eat and losing weight. The kids are starting to eat better, to get more exercise, and to do it as a family.’


Dr David Ludwig

– Dr David Ludwig is Director of the Optimal Weight for Life (OWL) program at Children’s Hospital Boston and author of Ending the Food Fight

Move It & Lose It with Prof Trim

Exercise builds brain health
In a recent review that would take slightly more space to do it justice than the paragraph devoted to it here, University of California-Irvine brain researchers have concluded that exercise is not just good for the body, but can also be good for the brain. It does this by allowing the production of growth factors which allow for neurogenesis in the part of the brain (hippocampus) associated with learning and feelings of well-being.


Dr Garry Egger aka Prof Trim

Growth factors are molecules that promote the health of specific cells; they are produced by cells other than the ones they nourish. Nerve growth factors (neurotrophins) play vital roles in nourishing and supporting nerve cells. A growth factor called BDNF (for brain-derived neurotrophic factor) increases significantly in the brains of animals that run voluntarily. Researchers have found that laboratory animals that voluntarily run on an exercise wheel show increases in the generation and survival of new neurons (brain cells) in the hippocampus This increased neurogenesis is associated with improved learning. ‘You're literally building the structure of the brain, just by moving your feet.’ says lead writer Carl W. Cotman, PhD.

Not only does regular exercise promote neurogenesis, it also:

• Improves concentration and attention
• Reduces loss of gray matter
• Strengthens synapses (in animals, running also increases the strength of synaptic connections), and
• Enhances blood flow

–Trends in Neurosciences (2007) Exercise builds brain health: key roles of growth factor cascades and inflammation Trends in Neurosciences 30 (2007) 9, 464–472

– Click for more information on Professor Trim.

Your Questions Answered

What’s the difference between GI, GL and ‘low glycemic’? Which should I use and does it really matter?
We are often asked this question. Hermin Halim who recently graduated MNutriDiet from the University of Sydney sorts out the confusion.


Hermin Halim

Many people’s lives have been better off with the low GI diet as the success stories published in GI News show month after month where we see people achieving weight loss, better blood sugar control, better overall health, better stamina, and so on. What makes GI stand out is that no real counting is needed (such as calorie counting) – by choosing a low GI food rather than a higher GI food, you see a lower and steadier rise in blood glucose while eating the same amount of food. Looks straightforward, but still, quite a few people find it confusing.

So what is GI all about? Principally, GI is based on the quality (the characteristics) of carbohydrate in food; that is, how quickly or slowly the blood glucose will rise with the consumption of this food. It is worked out from the increase in blood glucose after eating 50 g carbohydrate portion of the food, compared with 50 g pure glucose – the form of sugar that is present in our blood.

Yet some people are still quite resistant to GI – they say that they find it confusing and complicated, and point to ‘healthy’ foods with a high GI like watermelon. Well yes, watermelon does have a high GI, but this shouldn’t discourage anyone from eating it, because a typical serving size (a 120 g/4 oz wedge) only contains 6 g available carbohydrate so will have very little impact on your blood glucose levels. In fact, to get 50 g carbohydrate from watermelon, you would need to eat 1 kg watermelon – and that’s a lot!.



And this is where what’s called GL (glycemic load) come into the picture because it takes into account both the GI (carbohydrate quality) and the amount of carbohydrate in the portion size. Sounds more practical than GI, doesn’t it? But it’s not that easy. This is because there are two routes to a low GL – a food can either have a low GI or be low in carbs (like watermelon). So although watermelon has a high GI, its GL or glycemic impact is low because it has so little carbohydrate. So it won’t spike those blood glucose levels.

So why bother about GI if eventually you have to calculate both the total carbohydrate content and the GL? This is where one of the strongest objections to GI (and the best support for GL) came from. The proponents of GL even back it up with some ‘compelling’ evidence on the benefits of low GL diet in weight loss, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. And interestingly, the food doesn’t have to be low GI. Low carbohydrate, high protein diet was also effective in all these, even diabetes, so why should we have more carbohydrate? After all, people tend to prefer meat, chicken, cheese, and egg more than the tasteless grains and cereals. This adds fuel to the already heated controversy. So how do GI experts react to this?

Prof Jennie Brand-Miller makes the point that while there are lots of ways to lower the GL, ‘at present it is not clear that all will be equally beneficial.’ It is true that one could lower the GL by lowering the carbohydrate content, but is it achievable? Professor Brand-Miller points out two main flaws of low-carb diet. Firstly, that it may not be healthy because of its high saturated fat content – and this fat increases the risk of heart disease, so probably would cancel out the reported benefits of low carbohydrate diet anyway. Secondly it is not feasible as this involves limiting even moderate sources of carbohydrate (such as fruit and dairy products) which contain lots of important nutrients.

A low GI diet, on the other hand, is healthy and is in line with the Guide for Healthy Eating in Australia (and the Healthy Eating Pyramid elsewhere) which suggests that our everyday eating should be based on grains – high carbohydrate, low fat, nutritious foods – and with them, fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and protein foods that are low in saturated fats (including nuts and legumes). With the low GI diet, you’ll be eating the five food groups in the balanced amount without missing out on nutrients. You’ll also find it easier to follow, as it’s close to your usual eating pattern. For a diet to be easy to be effective in the first place, it has to be easy to stick to. That’s why Professor Brand-Miller concludes, ‘the GI appears to be more effective’.

Your Success Stories

‘This is such the right way to go! I am a completely different person now.’ – Adriana
I have tried everything in the past – you mention it and I have done it from high protein regimens to eating pineapple + tuna every day or simply starving. I did not understand what was happening in my body and what was making me eat so much of the wrong types of food. The low glycemic concept came to me around two years ago and my life changed since. I forgot what is like to be in the yo-yo cycle, what is like to crave for food, being moody or having regular headaches when I am hungry. I now have excellent control of what I eat and I am a healthy weight. There are two reasons for this: I am not longer addicted to the high GI carbohydrates and I do not have to rely on my will to make this one work. This is the best way to start a healthy life style, achieve a healthy weight, keep it forever and prevent many chronic diseases proven to be related to overweight and obesity. Eating mostly low GI and doing regular exercise was the way to go for me. Give yourself a chance to experience this amazing way of living!



‘I love it and can see myself eating this way for years to come.’ – Jade
I was a 16-year-old rather heavy athlete. I couldn’t get the right times and I was a rather unhealthy eater. One day my parents brought home a recipe book from a diabetic friend who was on the low GI diet and had accidentally ordered two copies. They paid no real attention to it using it less frequently than other books that we had. One day I was looking in the cupboard where it was kept and read the first few pages about losing weight the healthy way (not too fast) and the benefits of eating low GI with sport. I read everything I could and then got a copy of the other book that explained the whole concept. And that was the start of a new me. I stuck to it from day one and I have amazing results from it. I leaned up, lost a lot of excess weight and did really well in my cross-country season this year (2007) just from losing the extra weight. My parents don’t try to eat lower GI as I do, but they do help me in buying me whatever I need and have said repeatedly how proud they are of me, sticking to something and putting my whole heart into it. And not quitting. At times I didn’t eat what they would eat or I would take food from home instead of eating the higher GI foods that would be served at parties and functions. I run or work out and look forward to having my favourite snack that is higher GI, and it motivates me even more to work harder. And I love it and can see myself eating this way for years to come. I am 18 now and try to get all my friends to stop being as ignorant as I was about their food choices because they are such easy choices to change.

GI Symbol News with Alan Barclay

First formulated meal replacement product for the GI Symbol Program

The recent Cochrane review of six randomised controlled trials comparing low GI and low GL diets with other diets for overweight and obesity (reported in August 2007 GI News) determined that low GI diets were more effective at reducing total body weight and perhaps more importantly body fat, compared with conventional energy (Calorie/kilojoule) restricted diets over a 6-month period.

USANA Nutrimeal® balanced nutritional drink mixes combine the benefits of both energy restriction and low GI (23) to facilitate optimal weight loss when consumed as directed as a snack or meal replacement. High in fibre (8 g per serve), USANA Nutrimeal is the first formulated meal replacement product to join the GI Symbol Program. For more information see this page.



Alan Barclay

Contact
Alan Barclay, CEO, Glycemic Index Ltd
Phone: +61 2 9785 1037
Fax: +61 2 9785 1037
Email: awbarclay@optusnet.com.au
Web http://www.gisymbol.com.au/

The Latest GI Values

Where can I get more information on GI testing?
North America
Dr Alexandra Jenkins
Glycemic Index Laboratories
36 Lombard Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2X3 Canada
Phone +1 416 861 0506
Email info@gilabs.com
Web http://www.gilabs.com/

Australia
Fiona Atkinson



Research Manager, Sydney University Glycemic Index Research Service (SUGiRS)
Human Nutrition Unit, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences
Sydney University
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone + 61 2 9351 6018
Fax: + 61 2 9351 6022
Email sugirs@mmb.usyd.edu.au
Web http://www.glycemicindex.com/

New Zealand
Dr Tracy Perry
The Glycemic Research Group, Dept of Human Nutrition
University of Otago
PO Box 56 Dunedin New Zealand
Phone +64 3 479 7508
Email tracy.perry@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
Web glycemicindex.otago.ac.nz

See The New Glucose Revolution on YouTube

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At risk kids lose on Labour's policies

At risk teens on the Independant Youth Benefit (IYB), will have to be either in school or on training to continue to get the benefit under Labour's new policy.

And these kids will probably be slotted into usesless training schemes that dont provide sustainable employment merely to continue their entitlement. It is understood that around 1000 are on the IYB, many of whom are not in training or at school. Even more 16-17 year olds are on the invalids benefit - and that is probably, in some instances, because they live with their parents and cant get the IYB.

The UK has a similar school leaving age policy which has been criticised in a recent policy report

This is a badly conceived policy. It is likely to further disadvantage [marginalised young people]. Young people who are enrolled in courses they who not wish to attend will be unmotivated to learn. The greatest losers are likely to be the most marginal and disadvantaged

In other words, Helen Clark’s target group.This group prediminately have TOPs courses available to them - second chance low level training for school dropouts and those with low or no qualifications, whith an educational component of unit standards.

Yet recent reports from the Ministry of Education reveal that fewer than one in three students who go to TOP courses complete even one basic unit standard - even at level one. That rate will possible be higher for Maori as 42 percent of TOP trainees are Maori. TOP programmes that focus on teens will not be able to fill their programmes due to teens preferring to go to higher quality polytechs - when they are free of charge under National.

Under Labour, it will be interesting to see how many get a level three education if the aim of the extended education is to reduce the number of teens who achieve less than level three. Under National, it would be interesting to see how Polytech pass rates (and truancy rates) are affected by troubled teen freeloaders - many of whom don't live with their parents - who are going to polytechs either to ensure thay get benefits or because they have to go to some sort of training to avoid going to secondary school.

Clark borrows school leaving age policies from Downing St.

Helen Clark today announced a new age of 18, instead of 16, for students to either stay at school or be in approved vocational training. She is borrowing policies, not from Washington, but from Downing Street.

Raising the school leaving age to 18 in favour of giving young people "worthless" qualifications will destroy their job opportunities, said a think tank paper published as the education and skills bill gets its second reading in the Commons today.

I havent read the speech yet, but Clark is expected to comment on the school leaving age in line with this Guardian article. Here`s Ed Balls.

We must not give up on the young people who reach 16 and simply feel there is nothing out there for them. It's a shocking waste of talent and potential and it is virtually always young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds that slip through the net.

This legislation..will give those young people better skills and a better future, reducing their chances of getting on the wrong side of the law by giving them something worth working towards

The weird thing about Clarks policy is that we have a school leaving age of 16. Many students leave school before 16. What will change by raising the school age to 18 if students arent in training - apart from an increase in truancy? I`ll be doing a post on that soon.

Oh, and look who Radio Left Wing interviews to get a reaction: Youthlaws John Hancock, who criticises Key's speech and says people are being used as a political football and has no voice on the political process. They were the comments he made when he campaigned to remove Section 59.

update speech is here Even Labour supporters think it is bad.

How long will Helen be PM?

She'll lead Labour till the election Phil Goff will roll her before the election

National leader's speech

John Key's speech aiming to get all young people into work, training or education and off crime is noble.

I do have some reservations about the Fresh Start policy ( perhaps in another post) and could comment extensively about the speech but for this post I want to focus on youth training. The training announcement by Key is grounded in Labour policy like Gateway- but also extends to kids out of school, and funds the private sector to a greater extent with tougher sanctions. I suggest you read the speech.

Under the Youth Guarantee, National will provide a universal, no-cost education entitlement for all 16- and 17-year-olds so they can access school-level educational study at approved institutions. Most will remain at school, but some won't.

Labour has a similar training policy with sanctions - but its policy, in terms of targeting 16-17 year olds into training or work, is restricted to the 3125 regtistered with WINZ - and sanctions aren't applied enough and therefore there is no consequence for non compliance. And they don`t include Polytechs or Wananga.

Independant Youth Beneficiaries do not live with their parents, nor do they receive financial support from anyone. If they are in a training course that course must be less than 12 weeks or they don't qualify. Many criminals of that age live with their parents or are financially supported in other ways - so they are ineligible for the IYB and therefore not exposed to courses available from Work and Income even though they are entitled to be. These people should be registered as job seekers through WINZ and referred to such courses without going on the benefit. Legislation and allows for this such people are turned away by WINZ.

Why? Because Labour is neither enforcing or publicising current policies. National is broadening Labours policy with indications that it will be better implemented and enforced - and hopefully better publicised. Key's policy includes the 8,400 16 and 17 year olds who are not in work, education or training.

That means that most of those who are not in work, education or training are not receiving a benefit, primarily because they live with their parents - or are not sick, invalid or have kids themselves. These kids can enrol as job seekers with WINZ and access training schemes - but they don't - because WINZ doesn`t tell them to.

Some of these kids are so illiterate they cant fill in forms for the WINZ courses - so they need literacy and numeracy skills. There are no real sanctions for WINZ teens who don't turn up to these courses once referred.That's the real issue. It will be interesting to see how National will stop this pattern - and how teens who are currently not at work, training, education or recieving a benefit will be captured.

However, it's a better policy than Labour's - way better. If I had a 16 year old, who didn`t want to go to school, I`d rather he or she went to a Government funded polytech course than a TOPS course or rather than having to pay school fees, uniforms, and donations.

It's not cool, kids

The Dont Vote Labour website is back up. It's not cool to vote Labour, apparently.

We want to hear from you!

Posted by Greta Ghizzo Van Everen, News Support Team

If you're looking for an easy way to let us know what new features you'd like in Google News, look no further. Today, we're launching a new feature request form that will make this process a lot easier. We tried to include many of the most popular and interesting features that people have suggested. Whether it's a new standard section or new search functionality, we want to know what's important to you when you're using Google News. You can select up to 5 choices from this form and if the feature you want is not listed, suggest it with the "I have another idea" box at the bottom of the page. We'll use your ideas to help inform us about what changes to make to News in the coming months.

And for the entire News team, I'd like to thank you for all the feedback you've given us over the years. We hope the form will make this process easier for you to send in your suggestions. Stay tuned to find out which new features are coming soon.

Iran: two convicted of rape and murder publicly hanged

January 28, 2008: two men convicted of raping and murdering nine women were hanged in public in the central Iranian city of Arak, the Fars news agency reported.

State television showed Abutaleb Mohammadi-Nasab and Yazdan Karimi hanging from cranes in front of hundreds of onlookers after the pair were found guilty of raping, robbing and murdering the women in 2001 and 2002.

Source : Agence France Presse, 28/01/2008

Caffeine causes blood sugar to spike

Perhaps Dr. Atkins had a point when he said no caffeine and no diet sodas. Recently in a study of coffee drinkers amongst people who have diabetes, Duke University psychologist James Lane found that caffeine boosted blood sugar levels. A cutting-edge glucose monitor was embedded beneath stomach skin, which allowed them to monitor the subjects more closely.
All these subjects normally drank two or more cups of coffee a day. They were given capsules of caffeine, the equivalent of four cups of coffee. The results were that blood sugar was raised and especially after meals, by about 25 % after dinner, for instance.
It was unclear why caffeine increases glucose levels. Dr. Lane suggested that adrenalin and other stress hormones released upon drinking coffee could perhaps stimulate glucose secretion in the liver.


Here is a link to explain what happens to folks with diabetes when consuming lots of caffeine - blood glucose levels are higher by 8% on those days: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/95380.php


My conclusions: If glucose levels are increased, then insulin levels would be increased and that would make one hungrier, as insulin is the hormone that stimulates hunger. Perhaps that is why paradoxically diet coke seems to make people fatter. Drinking diet coke or coffee raises blood sugar and that means more insulin and that in turn means more energy is stored in the body in the form of fat. Seems like Dr. Atkins knew what he was talking about prohibiting caffeine and diet sodas.

Some General Health News

I believe we low-carbers are interested in general health news as well as low-carbing. So with that in mind, here are some interesting tidbits of information.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D can help prevent heart disease and stroke, especially in folks with high blood pressure. In fact the risk was double for people with high blood pressure and a deficiency of vitamin D. The findings were published in Circulation, a journal published by the American Heart Association. Vitamin D is also important for bone health as a deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults or rickets in children. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in parts of the world with long winters. Apart from getting vitamin D from the diet (salmon is a good source), and supplements (some people supplement with D3 which is the active form of the vitamin), 10 minutes of sunshine about 3 times a week should be sufficient, according to the experts. D3 in studies seems to show it is protective against cancer and multiple sclerosis as well.

Cholesterol in the genes

British researchers uncovered a genetic link to high cholesterol, which increases risk of heart disease. The next step would be to find the exact gene and find new ways to treat the problem.

High Protein Fends off Hunger

This is good news for low-carbers! I have found when I don’t have enough protein, I will be hungrier between meals. Apparently protein is the best inhibitor of hunger, even over fat and carbohydrates. Dr. David Cummings of the University of Washington in Seattle, who worked on the study said that suppression of ghrelin is one of the ways one loses one’s appetite. Carbohydrates suppressed ghrelin initially but there is a rebound effect, where that is negated and one becomes even hungrier than before. Fats apparently are a poor suppressor of ghrelin, which I find so hard to believe, but perhaps in combination with protein it is more effective.

Gastric Surgery and Remission of Diabetes

It has been found that gastric bypass surgery can lead to remission of diabetes. A popular type of gastric surgery in Australia which uses an adjustable silicone band on the upper part of the stomach to limit how much a person can eat leads to weight loss over the next year or two. Apparently the patients who lost the most weight were the most likely to eliminate their diabetes. Gastric bypass surgery is very expensive, sometimes costing around $20 to $30,000, so I’m wondering if losing weight on a low-carbohydrate diet wouldn’t be a simpler way of achieving the same thing, without the expense and physical pain? Certainly I have a friend who achieved remission of her diabetes by losing 90 lbs on a low-carbohydrate diet.

Rimonabant: A Miracle Fat-Fighting Drug

A new drug, Rimonabant, that was tested on over 3,000 volunteers placed on a reduced-calorie diet showed that people not only lost weight significantly over 2 years, but also their HDL increased by 25% on average. It also lowered triglycerides and improved insulin sensitivity. In smokers, it prevented weight gain. This drug may soon be available, but frankly, if one can lose weight without drugs following a low-carbohydrate diet, improving blood profiles similarly as aforementioned into the bargain, then that would be the better route to take, in my opinion.

Incendie du Reichstag: peine de mort nazie annulée contre l'incendiaire présumé

Agence France-Presse, Berlin

La justice allemande a annulé jeudi 10 janvier 2008 la peine de mort prononcée en 1933 contre le communiste néerlandais Marinus van der Lubbe (voir photo ci-dessus, prise lors de son procès), accusé d'avoir allumé l'incendie du Reichstag, qui a servi de prétexte à Hitler pour établir sa dictature.

L'annulation de la sentence par le parquet général allemand, près de 75 ans après cet événement clé de l'entre-deux-guerres et 74 ans jour pour jour après son exécution, repose sur une loi de 1998, qui vise à annuler les jugements iniques prononcés sous le régime national-socialiste.

Le verdict contre van der Lubbe reposait sur des «prescriptions injustes spécifiquement national-socialistes», a relevé le parquet.

Van der Lubbe a été condamné le 23 décembre 1933 à la peine capitale pour «haute trahison» et pour avoir mis le feu au parlement allemand. Il a été exécuté le 10 janvier 1934.

Le Reichstag en feu

Plusieurs thèses se sont affrontées sur cet incendie du 28 février 1933, qui a permis au régime nazi, peu après la désignation d'Adolf Hitler comme chancelier à la suite d'élections, de suspendre les libertés et d'engager une répression féroce contre la gauche en Allemagne.

Selon nombre d'historiens, Marinus van der Lubbe, personnalité au psychisme fragile, a effectivement incendié seul le Reichstag, sans être manipulé par les nazis. Il aurait déclaré après son arrestation avoir agi pour provoquer un soulèvement d'extrême gauche contre les nazis.

Pour d'autres historiens, ce sont les nazis qui l'auraient peut-être manipulé à son insu. La thèse du complot nazi a été celle notamment de la propagande du Komintern. Et le régime nazi a profité à fond de l'effet produit par l'incendie pour asseoir sa dictature.

Source : La peine de mort dans le monde

Iran: Firing squad executes man who raped 17 children

January 26, 2008: An Iranian firing squad executed a man who raped 17 children, the Fars news agency reported, in a rare use of this method of capital punishment which is usually carried out by hanging.

The man, identified as Reza Sharifi, was executed in the central city of Mobarakeh in Isfahan province for raping the children aged between seven and 11, the report said.

He preyed upon elementary school pupils by deceiving them and saying he would take them home. Then he would take his victims into nearby gardens and rape them before leaving them on the streets.

Sources: AFP, 26/01/2008

referendums, extremists and motley fanatics.

I`m not sure what Green MP Sue Bradford has got against Christians.

She is worried that National will " waver to get the Christian vote" if there is a referendum on physical discipline at the election. Just 30,000 signatures are required to force that referendum.

Furthermore, she wants to know how much groups like Family First ( which is headed by a Christian) is paying for newspaper advertisements in the papers during the weekend - the same day that the particular paper concerned, the Sunday Star Times, described Family First as " religious extremists.. gathering libertarians, Act voters and other motley fanatics of that kind.", adding that FF views the referendum as a vehicle to elect Labour, and it was a "significant player at the last election".

Ironic really. Family First didn't exist at the last election and had no hand in constructing the referendum. Yet,at the same time taking their money for advertising, the SST wants to smear Family First purely because another citizen unconnected with any of the groups the editorial mentioned exercised their democratic right to initiate a referendum.

I wouldn't stand for that abuse if I was an Act voter, a libertarian or the director of Family First.

It's enough to make you vote Libertarianz.

Greens rocket up in latest Herald poll

Two polls, two different results.

The Greens have 9.3 percent in the latest Herald poll. That is either an inflated percentage that won't last, or some on the left and centre left are deserting the main parties for the Greens. Some floaters initially deserted Labour for National and are deciding that supporting the left may be a good idea after all - but instead of supporting Labour, they would support its most likely coalition partner unless Labour changes its leader. Many Labour supporters have been turned off their perferred party because of Helen Clark well before this poll. Yet the gap betwen the two main parties has narrowed to 8.8 percent as a result of support to the left and away from National and the Maori Party, who are on 1 percent.

This poll further indicates that National needs to take the Maori Party more seriously than any other political party if it wants to Govern. Maori Party polling means nothing given that it will win most of the Maori seats.

On the other hand the earlier Roy Morgan Poll (which polled more than twice the number of the Herald poll) shows about a third of the electorate support Labour and the Greens on 6.5 percent. The Maori Party is on 2 percent and NZ First has only been higher than 5 percent once since April .

Translated to seats in the House, assuming the Maori party gets six seats (a four seat overhang with a 123 member parliament) and Anderton and Dunne narrowly win seats, and Act gets a litte more, the minor parties will have 17 seats ( Greens 7, Maori 6, UF, 1, Anderton 1, Act 2). Curently they have 24, meaning that National would have 108 seats betwen them - National on 59 and Labour 47 seats.

On these figures, if NZ First do not get re-elected to Parliament, National will govern and won't need the Maori Party.

I think the next poll will show a reduction of support for the left, and an increase for National in line with Roy Morgan.

Puerto Rico launches campaign against the death penalty

January 23, 2008: Puerto Rico's justice secretary said that his department will do "everything in his power" so that the US federal government will not institute the death penalty on the island, or impose it on Puerto Ricans in the mainland United States.

Accompanied by representatives of the Puerto Rican Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Roberto Sanchez Ramos announced the implementation of a series of measured recommended by that organisation to dissuade the federal justice system from using the death penalty in this US commonwealth.

Puerto Rico prohibits the use of the death penalty in its 1952 constitution as a Free Associated State, but the island's courts are subordinate, in the final analysis, to the federal courts. Sanchez Ramos said that the most important of the measures announced will be the one referring to cases of carjacking as a crime that could be punishable by death. In these cases, the federal prosecutors request that the state not try the accused because they want the case to be tried in federal court, where the death penalty can be sought.

To prevent that, the state Justice Department ordered all its prosecutors not to halt their prosecutions of the cases in local tribunals unless the federal justice system guarantees that it is not going to request the death penalty. In a like manner, it will try to prevent the extradition of Puerto Ricans to other US states where the death penalty could be requested.

Sanchez Ramos said that the death penalty as a punishment was "unnecessary and, in the final analysis, immoral."

Source EFE News Service, 24/01/2008

Maori Facebook

Kia Ora, here's the Maori version of face book

Living on $8.00 a week

Judy Turner makes an outrageous claim that the average student has $8.00 a week to live on after deducting rent.

She made this assumption on the basis that $150 is the amount of a student loan for living costs, less the average rent. She`s wrong. The average student on a student loan has access to more than $150 a week - or those that are eligible would be on a student allowance, possibly working for $150 at least until the allowance abates. The reason that the average student allowance is $70.00 is because of parental income and students having it abated due to working. They have to.

Instead of trying to score political points, Turner would be better off advising students that those eligible for student allowances can get $300 a week at least without having their allowance abated and they can access all the grants and allowances that beneficiaries can get.

Those on student loans can earn whatever they are able to. For example if you are working 30 hours a week and are sitting six papers, you can get the loan and invest it and live off your earnings and interest.

In fact, if any resident got $150 a week and paid $142 of it in accommodation, they would all be entitled to temporary accommodation assistance (TAS) from Studylink or Work and Income at the very least.

I will be writing to Turner about this. Students are getting a rough deal from this Government, but none have to live on $8.00 a week.

*MULLIGATAWNY SOUP* (GF)

Scientists say they have confirmed what grandmothers have known for centuries -- that chicken soup is good for colds.

Any chicken soup, even with vegetables added seems to have anti-inflammatory properties which could explain why it soothes sore throats and eases the effects of miserable colds and flu.

They found that chicken soup and many of its ingredients helped stop the movement of neutrophils which are white blood cells that consume bacteria and cellular debris. These are released in great numbers by viral infections like colds. Neutrophil activity can then also stimulate the release of mucous from the mucous membranes, which may be the reason for coughs and stuffy noses associated with colds.

I’ll share a great chicken soup from Splendid Low-Carbing which my son, Jonathan, really enjoys.

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

2 tbsp Healthy Butter, page 96

½ cup chopped onion

1 green pepper or carrot, finely chopped

1 apple, finely chopped

1 tbsp Thickening Agent, page 109

(or Thicken/Thin Not Starch)

2 tsp medium curry powder

¼ tsp salt

8 cups water

1 can tomato sauce

3 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled

1 tbsp Splenda Granular

2 tsp lemon juice

12 oz cooked chicken, cubed

In deep, heavy saucepan, melt Healthy Butter, page 96. Add onion, green pepper and apple. Saute 5 minutes. Stir in Thickening Agent, page 109, curry powder and salt. Gradually stir in water. Stir in tomato sauce, chicken bouillon cubes, Splenda Granular and lemon juice. Bring to boil and stir occasionally. Simmer at medium-low heat 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent vegetables from sticking to bottom of saucepan. Add chicken. Simmer 10 minutes longer.

Helpful Hints: A food processor makes short work of chopping vegetables and apple finely. For children, stir some cooked macaroni into their portion, if desired, or for adults use low-carb pasta, such as Dreamfields elbow macaroni.

Nutritional Analysis: 12 servings, 1 cup each, 95.3 cal, 9.7 g pro, 2.9 g fat, 7.1 g carbs

Western Diet or Prudent Diet Contributes to Metabolic Syndrome

A recent study discovered once again that our Western diet increases the risk of getting metabolic syndrome. Of course, this is not news to us, however, I was interested to see what the people in the study were eating and what the recommendations would be for a better diet. 9,000 people were studied for over 9 years. Some ate a diet of two or more servings of meat a day (the risk for metabolic syndrome was reduced by 26% if they ate meat only twice a week and 34% increased if they drank diet soda (aspartame) as opposed to sugar soda which apparently did not boost the risk significantly. Fried foods also boosted the risk (possibly because of trans fats at fast food places and restaurants?).

“The Western diet followers ate refined grains, processed meat, red meat, fried foods, eggs, and soda and not much fish, fruit, vegetables, or whole-grain foods.

The prudent diet followers ate more fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, poultry, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods.”

The big surprise was that there was not a big difference between the groups as far as developing metabolic syndrome, which was at about 40% of the participants. Metabolic syndrome is present if at least three markers of the following criteria are present such as a large waistline, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, elevated fasting triglycerides, or reduced levels of HDL (good) cholesterol .

A reduction in risk (13%) of metabolic syndrome developing was seen in people who consumed at least 3 servings of dairy products a day.

Fried foods and processed foods were flagged as the culprits.

My comments: I'm sure they were all eating a higher fat diet in conjunction with a high carb diet. That is the Western diet, right? Yes, we do know it leads to metabolic syndrome over time. Interesting though that dairy products were protective.

I don’t think I will give up frying my eggs or veggies, but I’ve never been a fan of processed foods. I do have bacon occasionally. I have finally given up diet coke, which I started drinking recently over the last year. I always felt uneasy about drinking it and tried to limit it to once or twice a week, but I feel better now for finally having given it up!

To say that diet soda contributes to metabolic syndrome is strange and this does not mean we should instead be downing sugar sodas. It could just be that this particular link to metabolic syndrome is related to overweight people preferring diet soda and that these people are more likely to load up on other things like a side order of fries. Very overweight people are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome and maybe that is the link. Who knows? Correlational evidence is not proof of causation.

British Airways

British Airways has announced that it will be flying new 5 weekly flights to HYD-Hyderabad, India effective October 27th 2008. All flights will be flown using a Boeing 777-200ER nonstop from Heathrow.

Flight timings are as follows :

BA 277 Dep LHR 1330 Arr HYD 0425+1

BA 276 Dep HYD 0715 Arr LHR 1300

Analysis :

An excellent strategic move by BA to gain a strong foothold in this niche market segment before others start flying there. They will have a lucurative monopoly on this sector as no other airline flies to HYD nonstop from LHR. Currently, only LH & KLM offer nonstop flights from Europe to HYD but with BA's B 772ERs having a superior in-flight product in all cabin classes compared to LHs A 343s & KLs MD 11s, one can expect them to take a decent chunk of the HYD-UK & HYD-USA/YYZ market share away from KLM & LH.

Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific & Dragonair have announced that they will be increasing their flights to India by adding 27 weekly flights to the country all flown nonstop from HKG. The main highlights are as follows :

BOM - increased from 4 weekly to 10 weekly flights i.e. 3 weekly terminators HKG-BOM-HKG using a 2 class A 333 + 4 weekly HKG-BKK-BOM-DXB using a 2 class B 773A + 3 weekly HKG-BOM-DXB using a 2 class B 773A. CX will now fly BOM-DXB-BOM daily with full 5th freedom traffic rights using a 2 class 410 seater B 773A. This flight increase comes into effect from 31st March.

DEL - increased from 4 weekly to double daily A 333s effective 30th March.

BLR - new daily nonstop service using an A 333 of Dragonair effective 1st May.

MAA - new 4 weekly nonstop service using an A 333 effective 1st June.

Analysis :

Many of you upon reading this might be thinking why is CX sending KA aircraft to fly the all important HKG-BLR route when it could have instead used KA's A 333 dedicated for BLR for the second daily DEL flight. One should not underestimate the business acumen of CX's management board as they are astute students of the game. FYI, KA's new J class product on board its A 333s seats 30 having a seat pitch of 63 inches and a seat width of 27 inches. Yes 27 inches which means that its J class seats are wider than most airlines first class seats!

All of CX's new flights to India connect very well in both directions with their Japan, China, LAX, SFO, YVR and TPE flights in both directions which is essential for the routes to be profitable.

Another very important element which AI, 9W, EK, IT & IC have to worry about is that CX will be flying daily the high density BOM-DXB-BOM route with a 2 class 410 seater B 777-300A. By using such a big aircraft (capacity & cargo wise) for this key route, it will definitely give few headaches to the above mentioned airlines for market share control purposes.

Thai Airways

Thai Airways's President has officially told the media yesterday that his airline has finalized a deal to introduce 2 new aircraft types into its fleet. TG will be leasing 14 Boeing 787-800s + 20 new Airbus A 321-200s which will be used to replace its entire fleet of Boeing 737-400s and Airbus A 300-600Rs from 2012 onwards. The B 788s will be delivered to the airline from 2012 onwards and many insiders indicate that these planes are coming from ILFC.

Gulf Air

Gulf Air has signed a MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding) with Boeing over the weekend for the purchase of 24 Boeing 787-800s + with Airbus for 8 A 320s. With regards to the Boeing order, 16 are firm orders whilst 8 are options. Boeing has informed GF that first delivery will be in 2016. However, GF is talking to leasing companies such as ALAFCO of Kuwait to lease out their fleet of B 788s from 2010-11 onwards until theirs are delivered from Boeing.

Source : http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/01/14/220804/gulf-air-ordering-787s-for-2016-but-considering-earlier-lease.html

Analysis :

Finally the much hyped order by GF is revealed to the public. Its a good move to stick to one airplane type for premium medium/long haul flights i.e. B 787 and one for short haul regional flights i.e. A 320 as that keeps operational and maintainance costs down.

However, what most people cannot phantom is why the B 789 wasnt ordered as you cannot replace a 3 class 270 seater A 343 with a 200 seater B 788! The answer to that is simple. BAH-Bahrain is a city that sees very little O&D traffic volume from all over the world unlike its neighbours such as AUH, DXB, RUH & JED. Hence, since GF's flights will be filled by 95% 6th freedom / transit traffic, it only makes sense to be safe by ordering medium sized aircraft rather than take the risky ambitious route by ordering 300 seater planes just for prestige purposes.

Yes only a handful of GF's B 788s will see a 3 class layout i.e. approximately 6 aircraft used for LHR/CDG/BOM/FRA/JED flights where as the remaining ones would be configured to accomodate 230 pax in a 2 class layout for high density Indian subcontinent & Far East flights.

GF's business model has now changed where by they are focusing on increasing frequencies to key markets such as SYZ, MHD, LHR, BOM etc rather than increase capacity. In this way, by offering more frequencies to key markets, it hopes to attract the business traveller i.e. high yielding pax more often than not.