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Dear
Athena: We keep hearing about antioxidants, just how important are they? Jess
Dear
Jess: " Studies show that antioxidants can cut your risk of heart disease
up to 70%, diabetes 40%, lung cancer 30% and breast cancer 20%." USA TODAY
January, 18, 2004.
Key among antioxidants are carotinoids - phytonutrients
that give fruits and veggies their deep, vibrant rainbow of colors.
While
there are more than 600 known carotenoids, some of the more well-known ones include
beta-carotene, vitamin A, alpha-carotene, lutein, and lycopene.
Carotinoids
are the first line of defense for the body and are critical for the proper formation
and maintenance of cell membranes. They also help to boost your immune system,
protecting against organisms that may cause disease.
The real power they hold
is in their ability to protect against certain serious and frightening health
conditions - such as, heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration.
The
carotinoid lycopene, found in tomatoes, has been shown to reduce your risk of
cancer, particularly cancers of the reproductive tract in men and women.
Several
years ago, researchers unveiled the results of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study.
This one-year study was conducted at eleven different medical centers across the
country.
After testing 3,640 men and women aged 55 - 80, researchers found
that those patients who took daily antioxidant supplements (500 mg of vitamin
C, 400 IU of vitamin A, and 25,000 IU of beta-carotene) had a 17 percent lower
risk for developing age-related macular degeneration.
Similarly, antioxidants
have also been shown to help protect against the formation of cataracts. According
to an article in Archives of Ophthalmology, long-term antioxidant use may reduce
your risk of cataracts.
Carotinoid Content - Fruits/Vegetables
Spinach
- 11938
Carrots, baby - 7275
Red peppers - 2379
Broccoli - 779
Brussels
Sprouts - 450
Tomatoes - 393
Avocados - 53
Corn, yellow, canned - 30
Watermelon
- 17
Grapefruit, pink/red - 5
Well, I guess Popeye knew something most
of us did not - at that time!
Join Athena on "High Noon with Athena"
on 1460 radio on Fridays, 11 am - 1 pm. Athena will discuss how we can develop
a peaceful mind and body - at any age. Or, write her, P.O. Box 218, Holbrook,
MA 02343, or by e-mailAthenaPark@aol.com
| | | Dear
Readers: Last week, on Friday, during my 2-hour radio show, I had Larry Jacobs,
President and Founder of Age in Reverse/Body Slant, as my guest from Newport Beach,
California, who spoke quite extensively on gravity and our body.
We spoke
about the new slant on relaxation, health and beauty.
Why does age show first
on our faces?
Gravity is like an enormous magnet, pulling every part of
our body downward. When a person rests in the anti-gravity position with their
legs up and head down naturally, this increases the flow of blood and oxygen above
the heart.
Good blood and oxygen circulation is essential for these functions,
but they are located above the heart, where circulation is poorest to gravity.
Let gravity work for you, not against you by using the Body Slant.
Your
feet will be raised 17" off the floor, and it measures 30"W x 76"
L x 5" D.
We humans fight gravity every time we sit and stand, and as
we all know, this lifelong uphill battle represents a great strain on human energy.
There
are many professionals who feel that gravity is why our vision, hearing, memory,
gums, and skin texture, and complexion tend to deteriorate first in our earth-bound
life.
They are all located above the human heart, which is precisely where
circulation of blood and oxygen is poorest in heads-up humanity.
Gravity
and its effects of pulling negatively on our brain, heart, joints, organs, glands,
vision, hearing, gums, skin, nerves, feet, digestion, face, scalp, neck, back
or posture continues - as both mainstream and alternative healthcare people have
shown very little interest in Gravity.
As one of the people who has used
a slant board since the 1950s, I can attest to the wonderful results through the
years.
From an old-fashioned iron tubing frame, to an aluminum tubing,
to the current light-as-a-feather Body Slant,
I can say there is nothing
like it.
As a person lies down, with the legs and feet 17" higher
than your head, your insides shift dramatically. The rush of the organs and shifting
of the insides takes seconds, but once your are comfortable, you can feel a gentle
easing inside your body.
Each day I lie down. If I have had a busy day,
15 - 20 minutes is all it takes before getting into bed. There is no explanation,
there is just an unbelievable feeling within the body. A gentle shifting or rearranging
of the insides. I sleep more soundly, very quickly, never taking meds to relax
my mind and body. No matter how busy my days, or weeks have been, this is perhaps
the most stabilizing thing I have done for myself for over 50 years.
My
physical condition at that time was quite precarious. Surgeries, mental and physical
breakdowns left me no options. This was one step in the right direction, fixing
the physical and allowing the mental to develop and grow. Reversing gravity has
worked for me for decades.
If you would like some free literature on this
subject, (in color), Larry has provided some material. Please send a stamped,
self-addressed envelope to: Athena Parker, P.O. box 218, Holbrook, MA 02343.
Join
Athena on "High Noon with Athena" on WXBR 1460 AM radio on Fridays,
11 am - 1 pm. Athena will discuss how we can develop a peaceful mind and body
- at any age. Or, write her, or by e-mail AthenaPark@aol.com | | | Dear
Athena: I'm in construction and a friend complained about his shoulder the past
month. His wife made an appointment for him to see an Acupuncturist. Believe it
or not, his pain is gone after a couple of weeks. Just what is acupuncture? Bill
Dear
Bill: This is one of the alternative methods of helping ourselves, physically.
Chinese
practitioners believe that conditions such as stress block the free flow of qi
(pronounced chee) throughout the body through invisible channels, or meridians.
We all have them.
An Acupuncturist uses hair-thin needles inserted into
the skin to stimulate the flow of vital energy, or qi.
When acupuncture
needles are inserted into specific points along these meridians, blockages dissolve
and healing begins. The number of sessions is determined by a person's condition
and type of pain.
Western scientists surmise that acupuncture triggers
the release of natural pain-relieving elements in the central nervous system.
A
National Institutes of Health expert panel of scientists and health care providers
confirmed acupuncture's effectiveness for relieving both pain following oral surgery
and nausea related to cancer treatments, as well as headaches, cramps and other
painful conditions.
In an Norwegian study of 24 women with chronic neck
and shoulder pain, the 14 who received a 4-week course of 10 acupuncture treatments
had less pain after 4 years than did the 10 in the placebo group who received
sham treatments. Pain levels in the acupuncture group fell off 70% during their
treatment, and 4 years later, they reported being in about half as much pain as
they had been before getting acupuncture.
Women in the placebo group reported
feeling slightly less pain during treatment than they had experienced before it,
but after 3 years, they said they felt worse than they had prior to participating
in the study.
Alternative methods of caring for the body have been around
for several decades in this country.
In America, people come from all parts
of the world, bringing with them methods of treating their aliments. Belief in
the proper method is perhaps, the most important point of success.
Alternative
methods of treating body ailments are available in just about every section of
the country.
If a person is interested, why not begin with one's doctor?
They can refer you to a qualified person.
I find the source that watches
over our interests, medically, be informed about a step into alternative methods.
Ask
around, listen to the various ways people respond to their success or altered
condition. Word of mouth is sometimes the best advertisement.
Join Athena
on "High Noon with Athena" on WXBR AM 1460 radio on Fridays
11 am
- 1 pm. Athena will discuss how we can develop a peaceful mind and body at any
age. Or, write her, P.O. Box 218, Holbrook, MA 02343, or by e-mail AthenaPark@aol.com | | | Dear
Athena: I would like to have you explain exactly why we need to spend a great
deal of time in getting our body in shape? I know of some guys who are into sports,
spend a little time in the gym, but basically do not train, as such. Would love
to hear your opinion. G.R.
Dear G.R.: Let's look at the logical answer:
What happens when a person puts their body to the test - of putting out, more
than it can give: there are usually torn muscles or a strained back.
One
good reason to train the body, is because the body does not get enough physical
activity to be responsive, in this day and age.
Take a look at a man over
a hundred years ago when he had to do everything - with his body, no help with
machinery. They walked to a farm, worked hard to get lumber from the woods, stones
were hauled to build their homes. They had to work with their hands.
Today,
everything is made easy for us - even jumping into the car and driving a block
to the supermarket for a quart of milk.
This applies to men, as well as
women. When we don't use our muscles, they deteriorate.
Daily, we see people
around us with needless injuries. They pick up something heavy, lift a piece of
furniture to move it, and dislocate a shoulder. Our bodies, today, are not prepared
to perform the seemingly easy tasks, but often pay the price of ignoring the consequences.
The
human body has over 600 muscles, which are made up of approximately 100 billion
muscle fibers; we are not even aware of many of these muscles, muscles that make
the fingers close and give us a strong grip, muscles that open the eyelid, muscles
that work so automatically you've never even felt them before.
In fact,
the body is more than half muscle. They propel food along the digestive tract,
suck air into the lungs, tighten blood vessels to raise blood pressure when needed
to meet an emergency.
Many of us are not aware of what goes on in the body.
If
a person is interested in training the body, make up your mind and, just do it.
Ask yourself, "Why am I doing this, and what is it I am looking for, as a
result?"
Being honest has never been more important than in this area.
Our mind and body are the two areas that we own - free and clear of any attachment.
Nobody has a say in this matter. You make up your mind to take charge, and it
will be done.
My own suggestions begin with, slow and easy. When we get
charged-up, we sometimes get too ambitious. This is when trouble comes peeking
through. A small injury can set us back, and often, put us into a holding position,
which is one area we need to avoid.
Your driving ambition can sometimes
be "the heavy foot on the throttle" which spells trouble. You are not
a bump-on-the-log, you are just careful.
We know, the body needs training
in small spurts, not long detailed hours. Once the six week period of adjustment
is done, and in some cases, it may take 2 full months, the body becomes accustomed
to respond on demand.
Again, I suggest a person who is interested, male
or female, look into the areas where instructors are available. A good-standing
record will be a sign of finding someone who is right for you.
Join Athena
on "High Noon with Athena" on WXBR AM radio on Fridays 11 am - 1pm.
Athena will discuss how we can develop a peaceful mind and body - at any age.
Or, write her, P. O. Box 218, Holbrook, MA 02343, or by e-mail AthenaPark@aol.com | | | Dear
Athena: I come from a family of hairy people. I can say that, and really feel
uneasy. I need to find the right way to clean my skin of hair. Starting from my
facial hair, right down the body. Can you tell me the ways body hair can be eliminated,
at least temporarily? G.F.
Dear G.F.: We all look for that flawless
skin, from the facial contours, down the arms, down to our legs. In this culture,
we expect women to remove whatever clutters the body - and present the perfect
form. It becomes a major issue for a gal who needs to attend to this serious effort.
Finding the easiest, quickest and most effective way of removing body
hair starts early.
In many countries throughout the world, facial hair,
as well as hair all over the body, is accepted in women.
If you are less
than smooth, and want to be hair-free from facial to body hair, here are some
of the methods of removal:
Bleaching. Lightening body hair makes
it less noticeable, unless you have dark skin. Again, do a patch test, first.
Use a special body-hair bleach, not one for the hair on your head. This is very
important. Making the wrong selection can mean a disaster. I always suggest finding
a professional to show us the way, then the process becomes easier.
Shaving.
Most women use a hand razor because it's fast and quick. Prepare your skin with
shaving cream or foam created for this purpose. Run the razor head under water
after each stroke to avoid clogging - and razor nicks
.
Waxing. Spreading
warm wax on the skin, then pulling it off with a muslin strip removes hair from
the roots, which gives long-lasting results (about a month). But is can be painful
and difficult to master when doing it on yourself, except on small areas. If you
can become accomplished, you can do it systematically, small areas at a time,
making sure you do not miss an area. Many choose to have this hair removal technique
done by a professional.
Depilatory. Depilatories chemically dissolve
hair and offer this advantage: they can be used on arms, bikini line and upper
lip, too, since the leave no stubble. First, test for sensitivity on a small area
before applying.
Electrolysis. Using an electric current to kill
the hair follicle will stop hair growth forever. This is done by a professional,
with equipment, and it may be slow, considering a small area is done at one time.
Those who have chosen this method feel as though they have conquered a big problem
with their issue. Some may feel it is expensive and I always say, if it matters
it is easy to make a choice. Just how important is your appearance and how much
time and effort can you put into it?
Each female has her own stamp of uniqueness.
I mean by that, we have our own imprint. Notice how different each child is in
a family. We have our own code. Whether it is hair or no hair, too much hair,
or not enough, we are one of a kind - better believe it, and learn to care for
yourself as you are who you are - and will be.
Join Athena on "High
Noon with Athena" on WXBR AM 1460 radio, on Fridays, 11 am - 1 pm. Athena
will discuss how we can develop a peaceful mind and body - at any age. Or, write
her, P.O. Box 218, Holbrook, MA 02343, or by e-mail AthenaPark@aol.com | | | Dear
Athena: We are constantly told to eat fruit to be healthy. I am sorry to say,
I never got into the habit. Maybe you can open my eyes to the benefits we can
derive. Thanks, Liz
Dear Liz: Remember when human beings ate vegetables
and fruit, as this was their only source of food? Time has changed everything.
Now, we enjoy the various tastes in complex dishes with various odd names.
The
National Cancer Institute says that fruit can improve a person's general health.
They say that fruit is nature's pharmacy and guards against killer diseases in
many different ways.
Fruits contain chemical compounds that block cancer
cell growth, and their high fiber content is especially effective in protecting
against colon cancer.
Fruits are also high in natural vitamins that stop deadly
cholesterol from building up deposits in the arteries - which drastically cuts
the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Benefits of Fruit
Bananas.
The low-fat fruit's potassium keeps arteries healthy, slows cholesterol build-up
and lowers blood pressure. Bananas are also full of magnesium, which is vital
for healthy bones and heart.
Apples. You will look younger while
fighting cholesterol. The crunchy fruit is chock-full of healthy acids that dissolve
age spots, erase ugly wrinkles and prevent dry skin, acne and scaly patches. Scientists
have also discovered that the powerful pectin fiber found in apples blocks development
of deadly tumors.
Cantaloupes. This fruit is rich in vitamin C and
it protects against chronic respiratory problems like bronchitis. The carotene
in cantaloupe also slashes the chance of women having a stroke by nearly 50 percent.
Studies show cantaloupe greatly reduce the chance of heart attacks and help prevent
cancer of the stomach and mouth.
Grapes. Grapes and grape juice
guard against heart attacks because they keep arteries from clogging. The cholesterol-cutting
substance resverstrol is in the grape's skin. The low-cal fruit also contains
boron, a mineral that prevents osteoporosis, the crippling brittle bone disease.
Oranges.
Eating one to four oranges a day can dramatically lower high blood pressure -
and prevent strokes. Oranges are also full of vitamin C, which protects the body
from radiation during X-rays. The pulp has cancer fighting agents, too.
Strawberries.
Just one cup of strawberries has more fiber than two slices of whole-wheat toast,
and fiber cuts the risk of colon cancer. They're also full of allergic acid which
doctors say prevents lung, skin and liver cancer in lab animals, and probably
in humans, as well.
Join Athena on "High Noon with Athena" on
WXBR AM 1460 radio on Fridays, 11 am - 1 pm. Athena will discuss how we can develop
a peaceful mind and body - at any age. Or, write her, P.O. Box 218, Holbrook,
MA 02343, or, by e-mail AthenaParker@aol.com | | | | |
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