Wisdom from The Action Wisdom In Action

From AOL News.

"Around 130 B.C., a ship, identified as the Relitto del Pozzino, sank off Tuscany, Italy. Among the artifacts found on board in 1989 were glass cups, a pitcher and ceramics, all of which suggested that the ship was sailing from the eastern Mediterranean area.

Its cargo also included a chest that contained various items related to the medical profession: a copper bleeding cup and 136 boxwood vials and tin containers.

Inside one of the tin vessels, archaeologists found several circular tablets, many still completely dry.

"They were less than an inch in diameter and about a third to a half inch thick," said Robert Fleischer, an evolutionary geneticist with the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics in Washington, D.C.

He told AOL News that the tablets were "very tightly compressed vegetation in a very solid pill. In fact, you had to use a scalpel to cut pieces off of it."

Early horse pills? they certainly weren't meant to be swallowed.

"...under a microscope, you could see plant fibers in it. It probably wasn't something that was taken whole.

"It was assumed the pills were medicines that the physicians were using. There were things associated with this chest that led them to believe it was a physician's chest," said Fleischer.

Using DNA sequencing, Fleischer has identified some of the plant components in the tablets: carrot, radish, parsley, celery, wild onion, cabbage, alfalfa, oak and hibiscus.

This is similar to the recent archaeological discovery in China of a 2,400-year-old pot of soup in which the broth was found inside a sealed cauldron.

But the discovery of these tablets in the shipwreck marks the first time ever that archaeological remains of ancient medicines have been found and the first time DNA analysis has been used in the research.

So far, the various things observed in the pills are also found in ancient medical texts, according to Alain Touwaide, scientific director of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions in Washington.

"My job is discovering new texts or texts which have been overlooked in the past about the therapeutic uses of plants in all the cultures that flourished around the Mediterranean," Touwaide told AOL News."

See? Even way back then, they knew that veggies were good for you!

"What was a surprise to me was that there were so many things in each pill, and they weren't identical -- the pills had different things in them.

"These guys were putting all these different things together, and I don't know if this was a highly developed sense of what goes with what, to solve what problems, or if they were just mixing and matching in the hope that something would work. Or maybe adding some things merely to flavor what otherwise would be a bad-tasting concoction."

As Fleischer and Touwaide continue researching the tablets, they hope to determine their original purpose."

...

"When I look in my texts -- what these plants were used for -- the only common denominator I find is that they were used for gastrointestinal trouble," Touwaide theorized.

"I came up with the idea that these tablets might have been used to treat dysentery for the people on the boat, and this was quite a problem among sailors."

Both Fleischer and Touwaide hope their research signals a new paradigm in pharmacological studies as the ageless tablets seem to reach across thousands of years of history and medicine.

"We know there's a lot of traditional knowledge that is out there in cultures and has a lot of use and has been adopted in modern cultures -- things like aspirin where the active ingredient is derived from willow bark," said Fleischer.

"So I think there's potential to find things in these pills -- or combinations of things -- that might actually be useful."

...

"We have found uses of plants which have been forgotten for years. My point is that if ancient cultures, over the centuries, have spent time, energy and money to keep this information, it's not because this information doesn't work," said Touwaide."

Now for a modern-day look at what each ingredient is used for:

Carrot
• rich in Beta carotene which is a powerful antioxidant which helps in maintaining a healthy skin and also keep one away from many diseases.
• rich in alkaline elements which purify and revitalize the blood. They balance the acid alkaline ratio in the body.
• Carrots have Potassium in it which helps to balance the high levels of sodium associated with hypertension and keeps blood pressure under control.
• the high soluble fibre content in carrot reduces cholesterol by binding LDL, the bad cholesterol, and also increases the HDL which helps in reducing blood clots and heart diseases.
• great for dental health as they kill harmful germs in the mouth and prevent tooth decay.
• aid digestion by increasing saliva and supplying the minerals, vitamins and enzymes required for it.
• Regular consumption of carrots helps in preventing gastric ulcers and digestive disorders.
• Raw carrots are used as a home remedy for treating worms in children.
• Raw or grated carrots can be used for wounds, cuts and inflammation.
• rich in carotenoids which are beneficial to blood sugar regulation.
• Carrots contain a phyto-nutrient called falcarinol which helps in promoting colon health and a reducing the risk of cancers.
• Consuming carrots regularly are known to improve the quality of breast milk in mothers.
• It also helps in increasing the menstrual flow.
• Consuming Carrots regularly can improve the appearance of skin, hair, nails etc and also improve eyes health.

Radish
• Jaundice: Radish is very good for the liver and the stomach and it is a very good detoxifier too, that is, it purifies blood. It is miraculously useful in jaundice as it helps removing bilirubin and also checks its production. It also checks destruction of red blood cells during jaundice by increasing supply of fresh oxygen in the blood. The black radish is more preferred in jaundice. The leaves of radish are also very useful in treatment of jaundice.

• Piles: Radish is very rich in roughage, i.e. indigestible carbohydrates. This facilitates digestion, retains water, cures constipation (one of the main causes for piles) and thus gives relief in piles. Being a very good detoxifier, it helps heal up piles fast. Its juice also soothes the digestive and excretory system and this also relieves piles.

• Urinary Disorders: Radishes are diurectic in nature, i.e. increase production of urine. Juice of radish also cures inflammation and burning feeling during urinating. It also cleans the kidneys and inhibits infections in kidneys and urinary system. Thus it helps a great deal in curing urinary disorders.

• Weight Loss: Radishes are very filling, i.e. fills your stomach and satisfies your hunger easily without giving you many calories, as they are low in digestible carbohydrates, high in roughage and contain a lot of water. It is a very good dietary option for those determined to lose weight.

• Cancer: Being a very good detoxifier and rich in vitamin-C, folic and anthocyanins, radish helps cure many types of cancer, particularly those of colon, kidney, intestines, stomach and oral cancer.

• Leucoderma: The detoxifying and anti carcinogenic properties of radish make it useful in treatment of Leucoderma. The radish seeds are used in this case. They should be powdered and soaked in vinegar or ginger juice or cows urine and then applied on the white patches. Eating radish also aids treatment of Leucoderma.

• Skin Disorders: Vitamin-C, phosphorus, zinc and some members of vitamin-B complex, which are present in radish, are good for skin. The water in it helps maintaining moisture of the skin. Smashed raw radish is a very good cleanser and serves as a very efficient face pack. Due to its disinfectant properties, radish also helps cure skin disorders, such as drying up, rashes, cracks etc. and also refreshes it.

• Kidney Disorders: Being diurectic, cleanser and disinfectant, it helps cure many kidney disorders. Its diurectic properties help wash away the toxins accumulated in the kidneys. Cleansing properties clean kidneys up and lessens accumulation of toxins in the blood, thereby decreasing their concentration in the kidneys. Its disinfectant properties protect the kidneys from any infections too. Thus it is good for overall health of the kidneys.

• Insect Bites: It has anti pruritic properties and can be used as an effective treatment for insect bites, stings of bees, hornets, wasps etc. Its juice also reduces pain and swelling and soothes the affected area.

• Fever: It brings down the body temperature and relieves inflammation due to fever. Drink radish juice mixed with black salt. Being a good disinfectant, it also fights infections which cause fever, thereby helping cure it.

• Respiratory Disorders, Bronchitis and Asthma: Radish is an anti congestive, i.e. it relieves congestion of respiratory system including nose, throat, wind-pipe and lungs, due to cold, infection, allergies and other causes. It is a good disinfectant and also rich in vitamins, which protect respiratory system from infections.

• Liver & Gallbladder: Radish is especially beneficial for liver and gallbladder functions. It regulates production and flow of bile and bilirubin, acids, enzymes and removes excess bilirubin from the blood, being a good detoxifier. It also contains enzymes like myrosinase, diastase, amylase and esterase. It protects liver and gallbladder from infections and ulcers and soothes them.

• Other Benefits: Apart from above benefits, radish is a good appetizer, mouth and breathe freshener, laxative, regulates metabolism, improves blood circulation, is a good treatment for headache, acidity, constipation, nausea, obesity, sore throat, whooping cough, gastric problems, gallbladder stones, dyspepsia etc.

Parsley
A sprig of parsley can provide much more than a decoration on your plate. Parsley contains two types of unusual components that provide unique health benefits. The first type is volatile oil components-including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The second type is flavonoids-including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin.

Parsley's volatile oils-particularly myristicin-have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs. Myristicin has also been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke).

The flavonoids in parsley-especially luteolin-have been shown to function as antioxidants that combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules (called oxygen radicals) and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In addition, extracts from parsley have been used in animal studies to help increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood.

In addition to its volatile oils and flavonoids, parsley is an excellent source of two vital nutrients that are also important for the prevention of many diseases: vitamin C and vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene).

Vitamin C has many different functions. It is the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant, rendering harmless otherwise dangerous free radicals in all water-soluble areas of the body. High levels of free radicals contribute to the development and progression of a wide variety of diseases, including atherosclerosis, colon cancer, diabetes, and asthma. This may explain why people who consume healthy amounts of vitamin C-containing foods have reduced risks for all these conditions. Vitamin C is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, which explains its usefulness in conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. And since vitamin C is needed for the healthy function of the immune system, it can also be helpful for preventing recurrent ear infections or colds.

Beta-carotene, another important antioxidant, works in the fat-soluble areas of the body. Diets with beta-carotene-rich foods are also associated with a reduced risk for the development and progression of conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetes, and colon cancer. Like vitamin C, beta-carotene may also be helpful in reducing the severity of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. And beta-carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A, a nutrient so important to a strong immune system that its nickname is the "anti-infective vitamin."

Parsley is a good source of folic acid, one of the most important B vitamins. While it plays numerous roles in the body, one of its most critical roles in relation to cardiovascular health is its necessary participation in the process through which the body converts homocysteine into benign molecules. Homocysteine is a potentially dangerous molecule that, at high levels, can directly damage blood vessels, and high levels of homocysteine are associated with a significantly increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Enjoying foods rich in folic acid, like parsley, is an especially good idea for individuals who either have, or wish to prevent, these diseases. Folic acid is also a critical nutrient for proper cell division and is therefore vitally important for cancer-prevention in two areas of the body that contain rapidly dividing cells-the colon, and in women, the cervix.

While one study suggests that high doses of supplemental vitamin C makes osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative arthritis that occurs with aging, worse in laboratory animals, another indicates that vitamin C-rich foods, such as parsley, provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid arthritis involving two or more joints.

The findings, presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases were drawn from a study of more than 20,000 subjects who kept diet diaries and were arthritis-free when the study began, and focused on subjects who developed inflammatory polyarthritis and similar subjects who remained arthritis-free during the follow-up period. Subjects who consumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C-rich foods were more than three times more likely to develop arthritis than those who consumed the highest amounts.

Celery
Celery leaves has high content of vitamin A, whilst the stems are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty essential amino acids.

Nutrients in the fiber are released during juicing, aiding bowel movements. The natural organic sodium (salt) in celery is very safe for consumption, in fact is essential for the body. Even individuals who are salt-sensitive can safely take the sodium in celery, unlike table salt (iodised sodium) which is harmful for those with high blood pressure.

While many foods lose nutrients during cooking, most of the compounds in celery hold up well during cooking.

Celery has always been associated with lowering of blood pressure. When combined with other juices, it provides different formula that help other conditions.

Recent studies have shown that celery might also be effective in combating cancer.

Some of the health benefits of celery juice:
Acidity: The important minerals in this magical juice effectively balance the body's blood pH, neutralizing acidity.

Athletes: Celery juice acts as the perfect post-workout tonic as it replaces lost electrolytes and rehydrates the body with its rich minerals.

Cancer: Celery is known to contain at least eight families of anti-cancer compounds. Among them are the acetylenics that have been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells. Phenolic acids which block the action of prostaglandins that encourage the growth of tumor cells. And coumarins which help prevent free radicals from damaging cells.

Cholesterol: This humble pale juice has been shown to effectively and significantly lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Colon and stomach cancer: The phytochemical coumarins prevent the formation and development of the colon and stomach cancers.

Constipation: The natural laxative effect of celery helps to relieve constipation. It also helps relax nerves that have been overworked by man-made laxatives.
Cooling: During dry and hot weather, drink a glass of celery juice two or three times a day, between meals. It wonderfully helps to normalize body temperature.
Diuretic: The potassium and sodium in celery juice helps to regulate body fluid and stimulate urine production, making it an important help to rid the body of excess fluid.

Inflammation: The polyacetylene in celery is an amazing relief for all inflammation like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, asthma and bronchitis.
Kidney function: Celery promotes healthy and normal kidney function by aiding elimination of toxins from the body. While eliminating toxins, it also prevents formation of kidney stones.

Lower blood pressure: Drinking celery juice every day for a week significantly helps lower blood pressure. A compound called phtalides help relax the muscle around arteries, dilating the vessels and allowing blood to flow normally. To be effective, drink the juice for one week, stop for three weeks, and start over.
Nervous system: The organic alkaline minerals in celery juice has a calming effect on the nervous system, making it a wonderful drink for insomniacs.

Weight loss: Drink celery juice frequently throughout the day. It helps curb your cravings for sweets and rich food.

Urinary stones, breaking of: The diuretic effect of celery juice also aids the breaking and elimination of urinary and gall bladder stones.

You can expect many more healing benefits from celery juice as you consume its natural sodium.

Wild Onion
Onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs, bacterial infections, and breathing problems.

The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis. In addition, onion extracts are recognized by WHO for providing relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis. Onions are known to decrease bronchial spasms. An onion extract was found to decrease allergy-induced bronchial constriction in asthma patients.

Onions are a very rich source of fructo-oligosaccharides. These oligomers stimulate the growth of healthy bifidobacteria and suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon. In addition, they can reduce the risk of tumors developing in the colon.

Onions contain a number of sulfides similar to those found in garlic which may lower blood lipids and blood pressure. In India, communities that never consumed onions or garlic had blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels substantially higher, and blood clotting times shorter, than the communities that ate liberal amounts of garlic and onions. Onions are a rich source of flavonoids, substances known to provide protection against cardiovascular disease. Onions are also natural anticlotting agents since they possess substances with fibrinolytic activity and can suppress platelet-clumping. The anticlotting effect of onions closely correlates with their sulfur content.

Onion extracts, rich in a variety of sulfides, provide some protection against tumor growth. In central Georgia where Vidalia onions are grown, mortality rates from stomach cancer are about one-half the average level for the United States. Studies in Greece have shown a high consumption of onions, garlic and other allium herbs to be protective against stomach cancer.

Chinese with the highest intake of onions, garlic, and other Allium vegetables have a risk of stomach cancer 40 percent less than those with the lowest intake. Elderly Dutch men and women with the highest onion consumption (at least one-half onion/day) had one-half the level of stomach cancer compared with those consuming no onions at all.

Western Yellow, New York Bold, and Northern Red onions have the richest concentration of flavonoids and phenolics, providing them with the greatest antioxidant and anti-proliferative activity of 10 onions tested. The mild-tasting Western White and Vidalia onions had the lowest antioxidant content and lowest anti-proliferative activity. The consumer trend to increasingly purchase the less pungent, milder onion varieties may not be the best, since the onions with a stronger flavor and higher astringency appear to have superior health-promoting properties.

Cabbage
Rich in nutrition and fiber, cabbage is an absolutely phenomenal source of Vitamin C. Even more impressive is that cabbage is famous for a specialized, naturally occurring, nitrogenous compound known as indoles. Current research indicates that indoles can lower the risk of various forms of cancer.

Cabbage is rich in the following nutrients:
• Vitamin A: responsible for the protection of your skin and eyes.
• Vitamin C: an all important anti-oxidant and helps the mitochondria to burn fat.
• Vitamin E: a fat soluble anti-oxidant which plays a role in skin integrity.
• Vitamin B: helps maintain integrity of nerve endings and boosts energy metabolism.

Modern science has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the health benefits and therapeutic value of cabbage, which also plays a role in the inhibition of infections and ulcers. Cabbage extracts have been proven to kill certain viruses and bacteria in the laboratory setting. Cabbage boosts the immune system's ability to produce more antibodies. Cabbage provides high levels of iron and sulphur, minerals that work in part as cleansing agents for the digestive system.

Alfalfa
Alfalfa (leaves) has been seen to reduce cholesterol and reduces blood sugar levels, as well.

Alfalfa is enriched with fibers such that they facilitate digestion. Legumes are naturally good for the digestive system.

Alfalfa reportedly has the ability to improve liver health and detoxifies the body from harmful toxins.

Alfalfa alleviates symptoms of menopause and makes post-menopausal side effects such as hot flashes more manageable.

Supplementation with alfalfa is effective in relieving stiffness and pain caused by muscle problems, arthritis and bursitis.

Other Benefits. Alfalfa has also been reported to treat kidney, bladder and even prostate problems, and is seen to be effective for treating urinary track infection. It also has the ability to increase energy levels and reduce fatigue.

NOT FOR USE BY CELIACS OR THOSE WHEAT-ALLERGIC--my note. Alfalfa is a relative of wheat.

Hibiscus
In a study conducted by medical expert it has proven that drinking herbal hibiscus tea daily can effectively lower high blood pressure in as fast as one month.

Tea made from hibiscus flower contain antioxidant that may help reduced the build up of fatty deposits in arteries and reduced blood cholesterol levels, and therefore reduce the risk of heart disease.

Hisbiscus tea has a cooling effect in the body.

Dieters or persons with kidney problems often take hisbiscus tea without adding sugar as a natural diuretic.

The natives of southern India uses the Red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) as hair treatment. The red flower and leaves, extracts of which can be applied on hair to prevent and remedy hair-fall and dandruff on the scalp.

The dried hibiscus is edible, and it often use in some dishes in Mexico.

Oak: couldn't find a thing, so I figure it must have been used for flavoring or filler.

Could these have been the ancient equivalent of multi-vitamins, or some sort of broth/bullion cubes? I'm guessing both, and they may have been for trade, as well as personal use.

From the L.A. Times.

"...a growing number of top nutritional scientists blame excessive carbohydrates — not fat — for America's ills. They say cutting carbohydrates is the key to reversing obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension."

...

"Fat is not the problem," says Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "If Americans could eliminate sugary beverages, potatoes, white bread, pasta, white rice and sugary snacks, we would wipe out almost all the problems we have with weight and diabetes and other metabolic diseases."

It's a confusing message. For years we've been fed the line that eating fat would make us fat and lead to chronic illnesses. "Dietary fat used to be public enemy No. 1," says Dr. Edward Saltzman, associate professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University. "Now a growing and convincing body of science is pointing the finger at carbs, especially those containing refined flour and sugar."

Americans, on average, eat 250 to 300 grams of carbs a day, accounting for about 55% of their caloric intake. The most conservative recommendations say they should eat half that amount. Consumption of carbohydrates has increased over the years with the help of a 30-year-old, government-mandated message to cut fat."

So why does the Food Guide Pyramid tell us to eat 6-11 servings a day of carbs in the form of whole grains? They break down into sugar just like simple carbs, only slower! I believe that 1-2 servings/day of whole grains would suffice, but I'm no doctor.

"To understand what's behind the upheaval takes some basic understanding of food and metabolism.

All carbohydrates (a category including sugars) convert to sugar in the blood, and the more refined the carbs are, the quicker the conversion goes. When you eat a glazed doughnut or a serving of mashed potatoes, it turns into blood sugar very quickly. To manage the blood sugar, the pancreas produces insulin, which moves sugar into cells, where it's stored as fuel in the form of glycogen.

If you have a perfectly healthy metabolism, the system works beautifully, says Dr. Stephen Phinney, a nutritional biochemist and an emeritus professor of UC Davis who has studied carbohydrates for 30 years. "However, over time, as our bodies get tired of processing high loads of carbs, which evolution didn't prepare us for … how the body responds to insulin can change," he says.

When cells become more resistant to those insulin instructions, the pancreas needs to make more insulin to push the same amount of glucose into cells. As people become insulin resistant, carbs become a bigger challenge for the body. When the pancreas gets exhausted and can't produce enough insulin to keep up with the glucose in the blood, diabetes develops.

The first sign of insulin resistance is a condition called metabolic syndrome — a red flag that diabetes, and possibly heart disease, is just around the corner. People are said to have the syndrome when they have three or more of the following: high blood triglycerides (more than 150 mg); high blood pressure (over 135/85); central obesity (a waist circumference in men of more than 40 inches and in women, more than 35 inches); low HDL cholesterol (under 40 in men, under 50 in women); or elevated fasting glucose.

About one-fourth of adults has three or more of these symptoms."

...

"The take-home message from this study and others like it is that — contrary to what many expect — dietary fat intake is not directly related to blood fat. Rather, the amount of carbohydrates in the diet appears to be a potent contributor.

"The good news," adds Willett, "is that based on what we know, almost everyone can avoid Type 2 diabetes. Avoiding unhealthy carbohydrates is an important part of that solution." For those who are newly diagnosed, he adds, a low-carb diet can take the load off the pancreas before it gets too damaged and improve the condition — reducing or averting the need for insulin or other diabetes meds."

...

""Carbohydrates are a metabolic bully," Phinney says. "They cut in front of fat as a fuel source and insist on being burned first. What isn't burned gets stored as fat, and doesn't come out of storage as long as carbs are available. And in the average American diet, they always are."

Here's how Phinney explains it: When you cut carbs, your body first uses available glycogen as fuel. When that's gone, the body turns to fat and the pancreas gets a break. Blood sugar stabilizes, insulin levels drop, fat burns. That's why the diet works for diabetics and for weight loss.

When the body switches to burning fat instead of glycogen, it goes into a process called nutritional ketosis. If a person eats 50 or fewer grams of carbs, his body will go there, Phinney says. (Nutritional ketosis isn't to be confused with ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that can occur in diabetics.)

Beyond the fat-burning effects of ketosis, people lose weight on low-carb diets because fat and protein increase satisfaction and reduce appetite. On the flip side, simple carbs cause an insulin surge, which triggers a blood sugar drop, which makes you hungry again."

But when you counteract this with a high-protein diet, like the first stages of the Atkins diet, you put your kidneys at risk.

"Though the movement to cap carbs is growing, not all nutritional scientists have fully embraced it. Dr. Ronald Krauss, senior scientist at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute and founder and past chair of the American Heart Assn.'s Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism, says that while he fundamentally agrees with those advocating fewer dietary carbs, he doesn't like to demonize one food group.

That said, he adds, those who eat too many calories tend to overconsume carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates and sugars. "It can be extremely valuable to limit carbohydrate intake and substitute protein and fat. I am glad to see so many people in the medical community getting on board. But in general I don't recommend extreme dietary measures for promoting health."

...

"As nutrition scientists try to find the ideal for the future, others look to history and evolution for answers. One way to put our diet in perspective is to imagine the face of a clock with 24 hours on it. Each hour represents 100,000 years that humans have been on the Earth.

On this clock, the advent of agriculture and refined grains would have appeared at about 11:54 p.m. (23 hours and 54 minutes into the day). Before that, humans were hunters and gatherers, eating animals and plants off the land. Agriculture allowed for the mass production of crops such as wheat and corn, and refineries transformed whole grains into refined flour and created processed sugar."

My answer to all this health advice topsy-turvy. I'm already battling diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in the family, and have already been to the best doctor around for this stuff: a nutritionist. Doctors receive only 8 hours of nutritional classroom study, and it's quickly forgotten in the race to specialize--otherwise, there's no money to be made for paying back exorbitant student loans. You want the TRUE nutritional dirt on what you should eat? Go see a nutritionist, even if you have to pay out of pocket for it. My health care reform page is a collection of what I learned while at the nutritionist office, so I tried to save you some time and money, and I just might end up saving your life in the process.

UPDATE: an article about sugar and cancer. Also, a cookbook from 1976 mentions the low use of sugar because it causes heart disease.

From the Des Moines Register.

"Take a high unemployment rate. Add millions of uninsured Americans. Throw in a confusing, new health reform law. What do you get?

An environment ripe for scam artists peddling health coverage - specifically so-called "medical discount cards," which promise to reduce costs of care for customers. Such cards have long been problematic. Now some companies offering them may portray the plans as affiliated with federal health reform when they're not."

...

"These offers for discounts on medical care - dental, vision, prescriptions and doctor visits - are already proliferating and creating a "legion of problems" for Americans, according to a new report from an Iowa researcher. Colin Gordon, senior research consultant for the nonprofit Iowa Policy Project in Iowa City, released a report Thursday revealing problems with such plans.

They may come with cheap monthly rates, but they "make little difference" in reducing out-of-pocket costs. Advertisements lead people to believe the plans are "insurance" when they're not. (True insurance plans are regulated by state or federal authorities.) You may be offered access to "participating providers," but they may not include your doctor. Customers could be left with huge medical bills.

For example, a company may offer a discount on medical care of 10 percent. Treating a case of appendicitis - easily $10,000 - would leave you with a bill of $9,000. This is very little help for consumers. And that's assuming the company even helps cover the care you need.

Discount cards are a "sprawling and lightly regulated industry," according to the report. "At its worst, marginal and unscrupulous firms have prompted thousands of consumer complaints, state investigations and legal actions."

According to Gordon, 30 states have laws on the books that help protect consumers. They may require companies to state the plan is "not insurance" or register with state regulators. Iowa does not have such laws."

...

"The new health reform law will insure more people through newly-created programs, including insurance exchanges. Americans initially will be unclear about the details of how such opportunities work. And they could be unclear about what is being legitimately organized by the government.

Some private-sector entities will exploit this confusion the same way they did with government efforts to rescue people from home foreclosure. They'll put an image of the White House or President Barack Obama in the background and make a pitch about offering you affordable health coverage."

From Yahoo News. Why does this affect you? It could cut off your supply of cheap generic drugs in the future, making health insurance that more costly, and don't even mention what it does to Medicare!

"AIDS patients in Africa are nervously awaiting the outcome of talks launched Friday between Europe and India on a new trade deal that could slash the world's supply of cheap generics.

Health activists warn a new agreement that raises protection for intellectual property rights for European drugs could have dire consequences for millions of people in developing countries who rely on drugs to treat diseases like AIDS, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease."

...

"...leaked passages of the draft treaty, seen by The Associated Press, give health experts cause for concern. One is a clause known as "data exclusivity," which raises the bar for Indian companies trying to get their products to the market.

For years, generic producers have simply had to prove their medicines are equivalent to the original drug to be approved. Under new rules, they would have to conduct clinical trials, which cost millions of dollars, to duplicate the data produced by the original company.

Activists are also worried about attempts to extend patent protection to beyond 20 years and measures to seize generic medicines as they cross borders."

Oh great--so now medicine is intellectual property. I suppose patenting someone's DNA is next.

"For European drug makers, the ability of Indian generic companies to make knockoffs without respecting patent rights gives them an unfair advantage.

"It is in the interest of European pharmaceuticals to have a more balanced approach to intellectual property," said Colin Mackay, a spokesman for the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, which represents the continent's top 40 drug makers.

"For companies that have spent millions developing a new drug, it's only fair they should get a return on their investment."

Mackay added that there are adequate mechanisms in place when drugs are needed for a public health emergency, and European pharmaceuticals often grant local manufacturers licenses to make their medicines.

But some health officials say any increased protections for patented medicines could put many Indian pharmaceuticals out of business."

So Britain is moving from drug price controls to cornering the generics market-this is what socialized medicine get you.

"Generic medicines from India cost from one-third to one-tenth the cost of the original brand-name drug. Von Schoen-Angerer said the cost of medicines could skyrocket if the supply of knockoffs from India is slashed and that donors would only be able to afford a fraction of needed drugs.

Last year, dozens of shipments of generic medicines from Asia were seized as they passed through European ports, ostensibly because the drugs infringed copyrights. The new trade deal, some health activists say, is an escalation of Europe's continuing fight against generic drugs."

...

"There's no profit in selling drugs to poor people," said Ken Shadlen, a reader in development studies at the London School of Economics. "If you make that more difficult, they might start selling something else," he said, citing generic Viagra as a more lucrative possibility."

Having fewer generics on the market as a whole means YOUR access to them might be suddenly cut off. Here's a plan to prevent the need for drugs at all.

From Yahoo Health and me.

"A new report from British scientists suggests that long-term, low-dose aspirin use may modestly reduce the risk of dying of certain cancers, though experts warn the study isn't strong enough to recommend healthy people start taking a pill that can cause bleeding and other problems."

...

"While some experts said the analysis adds to evidence of aspirin's potential to cut cancer risk, others said it falls short of changing advice to healthy people, and it failed to show the benefits apply equally to women.

The trials mostly compared men who took a daily dose of at least 75 milligrams of aspirin for heart problems to people who took a placebo or another drug. On average, the studies lasted at least four years."

...

"No funding was provided for the new Lancet analysis but several of the authors have been paid for work for companies that make aspirin and similar drugs.

Scientists said it would take some time to digest the study results and figure out which people should take aspirin.

Eric Jacobs, an American Cancer Society epidemiologist, called it a "major contribution" and said the study results, in addition to previous research, suggested aspirin's effects on the risk of dying from several cancers "appear likely."

Others said the study wasn't strong enough for doctors to start recommending aspirin."

Now for my explanation:

I have many problems with this--mainly:

1. The study doctors was funded by aspirin manufacturers trying to boost aspirin sales.

2. Aspirin isn't good for anyone with any kind of gastro or digestive disorders, or already takes blood thinners, or is allergic or sensitive to salicylates (aspirin is salicylic acid). Salicylates can cause tinnitus.

3. The study came out of Britain--the same bunch of people who helped fuel the fire of Bird Flu, SARS, and other flu "pandemics" that weren't. They also helped reinforce the global warming theory.

4. This is not new news--for eons, people have been told to eat their fruits and veggies. Yes, they ward off cancer and in much the same way as aspirin does: with salicylin. Any food that is ANTI-INFLAMMATORY contains salicylin, and therefore fights cancer without rotting your gut from the inside like regular aspirin would. This is how people get anti-inflammatories without actually having to take them, and explains why the Mediterranean Diet is so good for our hearts (it's loaded with anti-inflammatory, or salicylate-loaded foods).

Have a headache? Eat fruits and veggies. Wanna ward off cancer, the flu, or common cold? Eat fruits and veggies. Have heart or blood pressure problems? Eat fruits and veggies. Need to hear more? See my D-I-Y Health Care Reform Plan.

Britain just wants to get back in the good graces of the medical community, and make it look like they're still relevant at peddling cheap placebos to cure serious ills. How long have our own doctors been preaching 5-a day? then it got moved up to 8-a day. Now I think it's 10 a day or more. At this rate, who the hell needs aspirin--made by Bayer, a European conglomerate?

From the Dollar Stretcher.

" 1. Don't buy food you do not like. I find a lot of vegetables and fruits in their original package. Why? Because obviously a lot of people try to eat healthy and then buy food they don't like/eat. Stop that! It is a waste of money. If you don't like apples and carrots, you will not eat them, so do not buy them.

2. Stop buying sweets/cakes/cookies. It is a totally waste of money to throw sweets/cake/cookies away because you decide to stay healthy or slim down. Don't buy them in the first place. If you do anyway, at least give them away (kids, work, friends).

3. Not liking a present does not mean throwing it away is a good option. Either sell it on eBay or wherever, give it to someone else or keep it and give it away as present (don't forget to write down who gave it to you, so you don't return it to the giver). Furthermore, tell the person who gave it to you that you did not like it or tell them what you like next time around. During Christmas season, I find presents still wrapped in the wastebasket. I am always happy about them, but they were not meant for me to be happy!

4. Christmas waste is most interesting. You not only find presents, but also you find tons of food and even more cookies and sweets, given by loving relatives. If you don't feel like eating them, why not bring them to work or freeze them. Someone spend a lot of money, time and love to make them! The same goes for chocolate Easter bunnies. The chocolate can be used for something else (cookies, cakes, etc.) or just give it to a kid/mother that you know.

5. Don't take hotel give-aways or samples if you won't use them. Why do people take shampoo, soap, sewing-kits, etc. from hotels and then throw them away unused? Give them to friends, family, or homeless shelters. Someone will enjoy them. The same is true for all samples.

6. Someone can always benefit from useable clothing. I understand that it is easier to throw clothes away, but why not give them to shelters, churches or other non-profit organizations when still useable or sell them on Internet. If it is new and you find out you do not like it, just bring it back to the store to get your money back instead of keeping it and then throwing it away with its tag still on it. I'll have towels and pillowcases till the end of my days (and they all had still tags on them) and I am not even 30!

7. Throwing away coins doesn't add up. I am aware that coins are somehow annoying, but do you have to throw them away? How about collecting them in a jar or give them to charity? Even if it is foreign money, some charities don't mind that at all.

8. Don't throw away half-empty bottles of cosmetics, shampoo and lotion. I find half-empty bottles all the time. You can always put the bottles upside down to get more lotion, shampoo, etc. out of it or cut them in half. You can really save a lot of money this way (and help the environment).

9. Children's toys can always find a new home. Except when broken, these should not end in the dumpster.

10. Old magazines shouldn't be thrown out. Maybe someone at work or a friend would like to read the newer/latest issue of a magazine? How about using them to wrap gifts (some ads are nicer than wrapping paper)?

11. Wrapping-paper can usually be used more than once. Ever considered that? And how about using newspapers or magazines instead?

12. Plants should be given away, not thrown away. When not dead, why not give them to someone that either likes plants or has a garden to put them in. My mother has a whole orchid collection by now and she did not buy one of them."

Regarding #11--my mother saved wrapping paper and bows every year, and we reused those things until there was nothing left of them. Then one year, my older sister got one of those bow making contraptions, and then saving ribbon became the name of the game. Saving boxes was ALWAYS part of the game.

Something I learned from apartment complex dumpster diving: residents sure are wasteful! I could've completely furnished (plus food) half the apartments there with the stuff these people threw out. A complete daycare center could've been outfitted with the kiddy stuff tossed out (but managed to save most of it, and washed it up and donated it to the thrift store). Whatever I could get into my car got washed up and donated, if it wasn't something I kept for myself.

Ask me when the last time was that I actually paid for a washcloth or a rug. I either found them in the dumpster, or they got left behind in the laundry room. As far as towels go, I haven't had to pay for a bath towel in 20 years--they keep finding me in the trash.

From MSN Money.

"If your child wakes up with a fever during the weekend and your family doctor isn't available until Monday, there are other ways to receive immediate medical care. A local shopping center may be an option."

...

"And because many regions suffer from a primary care physician shortage, making an appointment with a doctor is likely to get harder by 2014, when almost all Americans will be required to buy health insurance coverage.

Retail-based clinics aren't meant to replace primary care doctors."

...

"Access to health care is key," says Gabriel Weissman, a spokesman for Take Care Health Systems, which operates 350 clinics inside Walgreens drugstore chains in 19 states. "Over 40% of our patients tell us that if it weren't for our clinics they would go to the emergency room, urgent care clinic or wouldn't seek treatment."

...

"Retail clinics originally targeted uninsured and underinsured patients who paid for most health care out of their own pockets. Today, most health insurance companies contract with retail clinics, and the vast majority of patients -- up to 80% of Take Care clients -- use insurance to pay for their visits."

...

"But some health insurance plans, such as Blue Cross-Blue Shield and Health Partners, both in Minnesota, are dropping or reducing co-pays for retail clinic visits, which are generally less expensive than doctors' office visits."

...

"The landscape for retail clinics right now is quite positive. There's more support from the medical community and more awareness among consumers."

Clinics are also exploring new services, such as monitoring chronic diseases in coordination with primary care physicians. MinuteClinic added monitoring services this year for patients with diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In addition, it announced new affiliations, including those with Catholic Healthcare West in Phoenix, Allina Hospitals & Clinics in Minnesota and the Cleveland Clinic."

...

"Some health insurance systems, meanwhile, are opening their own retail clinics. Sutter Health operates three retail clinics in the Sacramento, Calif., area. The industry is also making inroads into other locations, such as airports. The AeroClinic operates clinics inside international airports in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C."

...

"But not everyone's a fan of retail-based clinics. Some physician groups argue that nurse practitioners and physician's assistants who staff the clinics may treat conditions beyond their scopes of practice. They also say the clinics could lead to fragmented care if vital information isn't reported back to patients' regular physicians. The American Medical Association says clinics should have on-site physicians to oversee treatment, and it questions whether there's a conflict of interest in joint ventures between clinics and pharmacies.

State laws affecting the industry vary widely, with some states making it easier than others for retail clinics to operate."

Hubby and I go to one about 2-3 times/year for physicals, blood pressure/blood sugar/cholesterol screenings, and followup (if any). We get blood and urine tested twice yearly just to make sure everything's okay, and so far, it is.

Why go to a big, fancy hospital or an over-decorated doctor's office just for that minimal level of care? Diet and supplementation do most of the heavy lifting, so why visit (and pay for) the glorified pill-pushers when we don't have to?

From HealthDay News. Didn't we already know this? Oh well--here it is again.

"Consuming high amounts of beta-carotene's less well-known antioxidant cousin, alpha-carotene, in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of dying from all causes, including heart disease and cancer, new research suggests.

Both nutrients are called carotenoids -- named after carrots -- because of the red, yellow and orange coloring they lend to a range of produce. Once consumed, both alpha- and beta-carotene are converted by the body to vitamin A, although that process is believed to unfold more efficiently with beta-carotene than with alpha-carotene.

However, the new study suggests alpha-carotene may play the more crucial role in defending cells' DNA from attack. This might explain the nutrient's ability to limit the type of tissue damage that can trigger fatal illness, researchers say."

...

"Risk of death for those with alpha-carotene blood levels in the range of between 4 and 5 mcg/dL, between 6 and 8 mcg/dL, and 9 mcg/dL or above dropped 27 percent, 34 percent and 39 percent, respectively, versus those in the 0 to 1 mcg/dL range.

The team also linked higher blood alpha-carotene levels to a lower risk for dying from the nation's two top killers: cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Li's team said that while more research is needed, the findings generally suggest that eating more fruits and vegetables can help lower your risk for premature death."

...

"This is very preliminary," she said. "There haven't been many clinical trials looking into this. And it's always tricky when you're singling out a single nutrient, because components in foods may work individually or synergistically. The question is: Is alpha-carotene acting in conjunction with something else? We don't really know," Sandon explained.

"The alpha-carotene itself is probably not the cause of longer life," she added. "But we can still say that if you're getting more of these kinds of phytonutrients found in foods, this may help you live longer and healthier."

The bottom line, according to Sandon: "I certainly think it would be wrong for people to take away from this that they should set out to specifically consume alpha-carotene. What people should take away from this is that they should go out and eat the foods that have alpha-carotene in them."

Worried about health insurance or the lack of it? You can have all the health insurance you can afford in the produce section of any store, or all you can grow in your garden. In the past, I've written this about produce and health insurance.

From Inforum. At the end, I'll tell you how to achieve the same thing without coupons at all, and eating better to boot!

"Some enjoy the thrill of getting free groceries with coupons. Others use coupons to free up money in the household budget for entertainment or leisure. Still others rely on coupon savings to put food on the table every week."

...

"Recently, a new coupon shopper asked me for help. After her spouse had been out of work for more than nine months, she began clipping coupons and trying to learn how to match them to sales to cut her weekly grocery bill.

Since she’d only been couponing for a few weeks, she didn’t have much of a grocery stockpile built up yet. During a particularly difficult week, she asked for help. She had less than $20 to spend on a week’s worth of lunches and dinners for her family. Could coupons help?

To achieve the biggest savings, coupons and low-priced sales go hand-in-hand. In a near-emergency situation such as this, I decided to focus on staples that would get her through the week and products and items that would last through several meals. The shopping list we came up featured all name-brand products that were hitting low points in the pricing cycle; we added coupons to cut the sale prices even further.

* Pasta sauce: On sale for 99 cents. Two $1 manufacturer coupons good for the purchase of two bottles. Purchase: $1.96 for four jars

* Pasta: On sale for 99 cents/box. Two $1 manufacturer coupons good for the purchase of two boxes; stacked with a $1 store coupon good for the purchase of four boxes. Purchase: 96 cents for four boxes

* Bologna: On sale for $1/16-ounce package. Two 50-cent manufacturer coupons. Purchase: $1 for two packages

* Bread: On sale for $1.19/16-ounce loaf. Two $1 store coupons. Purchase: 38 cents for two loaves

* Margarine: On sale for $1. $1 manufacturer coupon. Purchase: 1 package free

* 100-percent juice concentrates: On sale for $1. One $1 manufacturer coupon good for the purchase of four canisters. Purchase: $3 for four canisters

* Beef roast: On sale for $1.99/pound. $2 store coupon good for a $10 purchase of fresh beef. Purchase: $8.44 for a 5.25-pound beef round roast

Grand Total: $15.74."

Look what this lady considers food: bologna, margarine, sugar-laden juice, and pasta sauce? She even refers to these as STAPLES! Some coupon queen--getting you to load up on junk foods with little to no nutrition. She didn't even have peanut butter on her list, which would've been healthier than bologna, but what can you expect from the microwave generation?

~~Now for the dethroning~~

Wenchypoo's solution: do the commercial version of the Food Stamp Challenge Cheats. If I can do it organically for $30/week, then you can positively do it for substantially less than that (maybe even less than $20/week), beating the supposed Coupon Queen by a mile, and NOT HAVING TO RESORT TO COUPONS to do it!

A review:

Highest-Nutrition/Lowest-Cost Foods
Eggs
Organ meats
Peas/Beans
Rice/Quinoa (preferably dark-colored)
In-season fruits and vegetables (the darker, the better—growing them is cheapest)
Sprouts (self-grown is cheapest)
Potatoes
Milk (powdered dry)
Cottage Cheese (depending on liquid milk prices)

*pasta will be added back to this list as soon as wheat prices return to normal (fall 2011?)

*nuts are "in season" for the holidays--add some to your list if you can afford it.

Be prepared to find the cheapest source of some of these foods in unusual places: foreign grocery stores (Asian, Latino, Caribbean, Jewish, etc.), the international foods section of your grocery store, dollar stores, farmer's markets, or even health food stores and co-ops. If there are any damaged goods or grocery salvage stores in your area, don't hesitate to use them.

Instead of trying to squeeze in a little bit of lots of foods (as most people do), shorten the shopping list and load up on AFFORDABLE effective foods to fit your budget. It’s not the lack of variety that should bother you, but the chance for creativity with what you have. These ingredients above can turn out some wonderful soups, salads, casseroles, omelets, dips, you name it—creativity and imagination are all that limit you. As the seasons change, a new assortment of fruits and veggies to choose from will only increase your imagination when choosing ingredients for dishes to create.

Another way to stretch that food dollar and get foods for free: foraging--but don't do it unless you have a trusty experienced companion or good book, because some seemingly-edible foods have poisonous look-a-likes (like mushrooms). Right now, nuts, fall berries, wild onions, miner's lettuce, and dandelions (among other foods) are in season or about to be. Places to forage: parks (state/national/local), school and sports fields, open lands, vacant lots, your yard, yards of abandoned/foreclosed homes, along railroad tracks, in roadway medians...the list goes on.

How much can you create with pasta sauce, noodles, bread, bologna, and the rest of that hideous list the so-called Coupon Queen has in the article? She didn't even have CHEESE on it, for crying out loud! I don't even want to know what her cholesterol and energy levels are! The only thing I agree with on her list is the roast.

From WalletPop. See original article for details on each.

1. This is illegal in Canada

2. We added pulverized insects to your snack

3. Expiration date? There's no expiration date

4. That energy bar may exhaust you

5. There are pig bones in your pudding

6. "Natural" is naturally meaningless

7. We're spending billions to make kids fat

8. Our factories are filthy

9. Your candy bar habit is making us rich -- and infuriating retailers

10. When we say "enriched," we mean processed

From Yahoo Health.

"When it comes to our hair, most of us worry most about what to do with it: how short to cut it, how to style it, whether to color it once it begins to go gray. But experts say that our hair says a lot more about us than how closely we follow the latest styles. In fact, the health of our hair and scalp can be a major tip-off to a wide variety of health conditions."

Red flag #1: Dry, limp, thin-feeling hair

What it means: Many factors can lead to over-dry hair, including hair dyes, hair blowers, and swimming in chlorinated water. But a significant change in texture that leaves hair feeling finer, with less body, can be an indicator of an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism. Some people conclude that their hair is thinning because it feels as if there's less of it, but the thinning is due more to the texture of the hair itself becoming finer and weaker than to individual hairs falling out (though that happens too).

More clues: Other signs of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, slow heart rate, and feeling cold all the time, says Raphael Darvish, a dermatologist in Brentwood, California. In some cases, the eyebrows also thin and fall out. A telltale sign: when the outermost third of the eyebrow thins or disappears.

What to do: Report your concerns to your doctor and ask him or her to check your levels of thyroid hormone. The most common blood tests measure the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and T4. It's also important to keep a list of your symptoms -- all of them.

"A doctor's visit is best to work up this problem; he or she may choose to do a thyroid ultrasound and a blood test in addition to an examination," says Darvish.

Red flag #2: Scaly or crusty patches on the scalp, often starting at the hairline

What it means: When a thick crust forms on the scalp, this usually indicates psoriasis, which can be distinguished from other dandruff-like skin conditions by the presence of a thickening, scab-like surface, says Lawrence Greene, MD, a spokesperson for the National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis is the most common of all the autoimmune diseases and occurs when the skin goes into overdrive, sending out faulty signals that speed up the turnover and growth of skin cells.

More clues: Psoriasis, which affects nearly 7.5 million Americans, often occurs in concert with other autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. If you have another autoimmune disorder, it's that much more likely you'll develop psoriasis. In turn, the discovery that you have psoriasis should put you on the alert for more serious conditions. Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis develop a condition called psoriatic arthritis, which causes painful swelling of the joints.

What to do: There's a long list of ingredients that help relieve psoriasis, and treatment is often a process of trial and error. Topical treatments include shampoos containing coal tar or salicylic acid, and creams or ointments containing zinc and aloe vera. Hydrocortisone cream works to relieve inflammation. Prescription creams include vitamin D, vitamin A, and anthralin. Many patients also have great success treating the scalp with UV light therapy, and systemic medications such as cyclosporine work better for some people than topical medications.

It's a good idea to see a dermatologist for help sorting out the various treatments, rather than trying to do it on your own. One thing to keep in mind: Psoriasis puts you at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, certain types of cancer, metabolic syndrome and obesity.

Red flag #3: Thinning hair over the whole head

What it means: It's normal to shed approximately 100 to 150 hairs a day, the result of the body's natural turnover. It's when you notice considerably more hairs in your brush or on the towel after you shampoo -- or when hair appears to be coming out in clumps -- that it's time for concern. One common cause: a sudden psychological or physical stressor, such as a divorce or job loss. Another: having a high fever from the flu or an infection. Diabetes can also cause hair to thin or start to fall out suddenly; some diabetes experts say sudden hair thinning or hair loss should be considered an early warning sign that diabetes is affecting hormone levels.

A number of medications also cause hair loss as a side effect. These include birth control pills, along with lithium and Depakote, two of the most common treatments for bipolar disorder. More rarely, tricyclic antidepressants such as Prozac, and levothyroid -- used to treat hypothyroidism -- cause thinning hair. Hormonal changes can also cause hair to thin, which is why both pregnancy and perimenopause are well known for causing hair to fall out, while polycystic ovary disease can cause both hair loss and overgrowth of hair, depending on how the hormones go out of balance. Thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism, is one of the most common causes of hair loss.

More clues: Check for tiny white bumps at the roots of the hair; their presence suggests that this is temporary hair loss rather than male/female pattern baldness, says Chicago dermatologist Victoria Barbosa. Any medication that interferes with hormones can cause this type of hair loss; the list includes birth control pills, Accutane for acne, and prednisone and anabolic steroids. Physical stressors that can lead to temporary hair loss include iron deficiency anemia and protein deficiency; these are particularly common in those who've suffered from eating disorders.

What to do: If you have what experts call temporary hair loss -- to distinguish from hereditary hair loss, which is likely to be permanent -- you'll need to discontinue the medication or treat the underlying condition that's causing the problem. It can also help to take supplemental biotin, which has been shown to strengthen and thicken hair and fingernails, says Barbosa.

And while vitamin D deficiency hasn't been pinpointed as a cause of hair loss, research has demonstrated that taking vitamin D helps grow the hair back. "We don't know how vitamin D contributes to hair loss, but we do know the hair follicles need good levels of vitamin D to recover," Barbosa says. Recommended dose: 2000 IUs of vitamin D3 daily. In addition, talk to your doctor about getting your blood levels of iron checked for anemia, and take iron if needed.

Red flag #4: Overall hair loss that appears permanent, often following traditional pattern baldness

What it means: Both women and men are subject to what's formally known as androgenetic and androgenic alopecia. It's usually caused by a change in the pattern of the sex hormones, but diseases and other underlying conditions can cause this type of hair loss by affecting the hormones. In women, a derivative of testosterone is often the culprit, shrinking and eventually killing off hair follicles. Traditionally known as "male pattern baldness," this type of hair loss is often hereditary and is typically permanent if not treated with medication, says Larry Shapiro, a dermatologist and hair surgeon in Palm Beach, Florida.

Men's hair loss nearly always follows a pattern of thinning along the hairline, at the temples, and in the back of the scalp. Some women's hair loss also follows this pattern, but more typically women experience thinning over the entire head.

Diabetes also can cause or contribute to hair loss. Over time, diabetes often leads to circulatory problems; as a result, the hair follicles don't get adequate nutrients and can't produce new hairs. Hair follicles can eventually die from lack of nutrition, causing permanent hair loss.

More clues: Certain underlying conditions can cause this type of hair loss by altering hormones; these include thyroid disease (both overactive and underactive thyroid) and autoimmune disease, Shapiro says. Many drugs taken long-term to control chronic conditions can have a side effect, in some people, of causing or contributing to hair loss. They include beta blockers such as propranolol and atenolol, anticoagulants like warfarin, and many drugs used to control arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and other conditions.

What to do: If you suspect a medication is causing or exacerbating your hair loss, talk to your doctor about whether an alternative is available that's less likely to have that side effect. (But don't just stop taking your medicine.) Minoxidil, the generic name for the drug marketed as Rogaine, is the primary proven method of treating androgenic hair loss. It works by blocking the action of the hormones at the hair follicle. It's now available over the counter, so you don't have to have a prescription, and it's sold in male and female versions.

Another drug, finasteride, requires a prescription. Some women find that taking estrogen helps with hormonally triggered hair loss.

Red flag #5: Dry, brittle hair that breaks off easily

What it means: When individual hairs litter your pillow in the morning, this typically indicates breakage rather than hair falling out from the follicle, says Chicago dermatologist Victoria Barbosa. Breakage is most frequently the result of hair becoming over-brittle from chemical processing or dyeing. "Bleaching, straightening, and other chemical processing techniques strip the cuticle to let the chemicals in, which makes the hair shaft more fragile," Barbosa explains.

However, certain health conditions also lead to brittle, fragile hair. Among them: Cushing's syndrome, a disorder of the adrenal glands that causes excess production of the hormone cortisol. A condition called hypoparathyroidism, usually either hereditary or the result of injury to the parathyroid glands during head and neck surgery, can also cause dry, brittle hair. Overly low levels of parathyroid hormone cause blood levels of calcium to fall and phosphorus to rise, leading to fragile dry hair, scaly skin, and more serious symptoms such as muscle cramps and even seizures.

More clues: If the cause of your dry, brittle hair is an underlying health condition, you'll likely notice additional symptoms, such as dry, flaky skin. Overly dry hair also can signify that your diet is lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in salmon and fish oil, as well as many nuts and seeds, particularly flaxseed.

What to do: No matter what the cause of your dry, brittle hair, minimizing heat and chemical treatment are necessary for it to get healthy again. If an underlying condition is throwing your hormones out of whack and in turn affecting your hair, talk to your doctor. The symptoms of hypoparathyroidism, for example, are often reduced or eliminated with supplemental vitamin D and calcium.

Next, deep condition your hair to restore it to health. Hair oils can help restore flexibility to the hair shaft, Barbosa says; look for products made with natural oils such as coconut and avocado oil, which penetrate the cuticle, rather than synthetic oils made from petrolatum, which merely coat the hair. Take fish oil supplements to renourish your hair. And minimize breakage while you sleep by replacing cotton pillowcases, which tend to catch and pull at hair, with satin pillowcases, which are smoother.

Red Flag #6: Hair falling out in small, circular patches

What it means: The body's immune response turns on the hair follicles themselves, shrinking them and causing hair to fall out entirely in small, typically round patches. This kind of hair loss -- which experts call alopecia areata -- can also occur at the temples or at the part line. Diabetes can trigger the onset of such hair loss in some people. And it can continue to spread; in extreme cases, sufferers lose all their hair or lose hair over their entire body.

More clues: Alopecia areata can also cause the eyebrows or eyelashes to fall out, which in addition to the circular pattern can distinguish it from other types of hair loss. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition and has been shown to be more common in families with a tendency toward other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, early-onset diabetes, and thyroid disease.

What to do: The treatment most proven to work against alopecia areata is cortisone shots delivered directly into the scalp in the spots where the hair is falling out. "If you don't get steroid injections, the circular patches will get larger and more cosmetically noticeable," says California dermatologist Raphael Darvish.

Oral forms of cortisone and topical cortisone creams are also available, but topical cortisone is less likely to be successful unless it's a mild case. Many doctors will also suggest using minoxidil (brand name Rogaine) to speed the rate of regrowth. Treatment may need to be repeated a number of times over a period of months.

Red flag #7: Yellowish flakes on the hair and scaly, itchy patches on the scalp

What it means: What most of us grew up calling dandruff is now understood to be a complicated interaction of health issues that deserve to be taken seriously. Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the scalp that causes skin to develop scaly patches, often in the areas where the scalp is oiliest. When the flaky skin loosens, it leaves the telltale "dandruff" flakes.

Seborrheic dermatitis coexists in a "chicken-and-egg" relationship with a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of a yeast that's normally present on our scalps and skin. The yeast organism, Pityrosporum ovale, takes advantage of skin already irritated by dermatitis and inflames it still more. Some experts now believe that the yeast overgrowth may occur first, setting off the inflammatory reaction of the dermatitis, but that hasn't been proven.

More clues: One way to differentiate seborrheic dermatitis from plain dry skin: When skin is dry, you'll typically also see dry, scaly skin between the eyebrows and by the sides of the nose, says California dermatologist Raphael Darvish. Also, seborrheic dermatitis tends to be seasonal, flaring up during the winter and disappearing in the summertime. It may be triggered by stress as well.

What to do: See a dermatologist to make sure it's seborrheic dermatitis. If so, "there are great prescription shampoos and creams that can correct this," says Darvish. The most effective treatment for yeast overgrowth is ketoconazole, a newer drug that works by damaging the fungal cell wall, killing the fungus. It comes in the form of pills, creams, or shampoo under the brand name Nizoral. However, as an oral medication it has many side effects, so if you and your doctor decide on an oral treatment, an alternative antifungal, fluconazole, is preferable.

To calm flare-ups as quickly as possible, Darvish recommends using a prescription steroid cream. However, long-term use of these creams can thin the skin, particularly on the face, Darvish warns, so doctors recommend using them in short-term doses known as "pulse therapy."

To prevent recurrence, it's necessary to get the skin back in balance, and many experts recommend garlic for this purpose. You can either eat lots of fresh garlic, which might annoy those in close proximity to you, or take a garlic supplement.

Red flag #8: Gray hair

What it means: Many people perceive gray hair as a red flag, worrying that it's an indication of stress or trauma. And history abounds with stories like that of Marie Antoinette, whose hair was said to have gone snow white the night before she faced the guillotine.

Experts tend to dismiss such fears and stories, explaining that how our hair goes gray or white is primarily influenced by our genetics. However, in recent years research scientists have reopened the debate. While they can't yet prove or explain it, many researchers now believe that stress may trigger a chain reaction that interferes with how well the hair follicle transmits melanin, the pigment that colors hair. Researchers are looking at the role of free radicals, which are hormones we produce when under stress, and studies seem to show that they can block the signal that tells the hair follicle to absorb the melanin pigment.

Other experts argue that a trauma or stressful event causes the hair to stop growing temporarily and go into a resting phase. Then when the hair follicles "wake up" and begin turning over again, a lot of new hair grows in all at once, making it appear that a great deal of gray has come in all at the same time.

More clues: The schedule and pattern by which you go gray will most likely follow your parents' experience. However, if you suspect stress is graying you prematurely, keep careful track of stressful events. People who experienced a traumatic event that they believe caused them to go gray have reported that their hair eventually returned to its former color.

What to do: If you believe that stress or trauma is causing your hair to go gray, boost your coping strategies by working on your reactions to stressful situations. Yoga and meditation, for example, are effective stress-management tools.

If you see results, you'll know you're on the right track. In the meantime, you might want to talk to your parents about how their hair color changed over time, and learn what you can expect. After all, if Great-Aunt Eliza first developed her dramatic white skunk streak in her mid-30s, that might be something you want prepare yourself for.

If your hairdresser or stylist is worth the exorbitant amount of money they charge to cut your hair, they should already have knowledge of these and be ready to alert you to them as well.

From Terchnorati. Apparently, it's the ink used for the logo or other printing on the bags.

"For the moment, any kind of reusable bag made of material without sporting any printed logo or design would be the safest choice. I've not had to buy any reusable bags, either those made of recycled paper, recycled plastic bottles, or cotton canvass because I've been cutting up old curtains and turning them into grocery bags.

I find that old cotton shirts, denim, pillow cases, can all quickly be transformed into reusable grocery bags."

This is why I use an old laundry basket: easy to clean out, and no lead logo worries. It also doubles as other item carriers as well, like clothes waiting for ironing, bringing in firewood, weed corralling for disposal, etc.

From Yahoo News.

"Eating a healthy diet may be good for you, but it may be unintentionally slimming for the economies of some developing countries, a new study says. British researchers modeled what could happen if people in Britain and Brazil adopted healthier diets as defined by the World Health Organization, including more fruits and vegetables and less meat and dairy products.

In Britain, experts estimated that fixing the country's bad eating habits might prevent nearly 70,000 people from prematurely dying of diet-related health problems like heart disease and cancer. It would also theoretically save the health system 20 billion pounds ($32 billion) every year.

In Brazil, however, the rates of illnesses linked to a poor diet are not as high as in the U.K. So Brazilians would get relatively few health benefits while their economy might lose millions."

...

"We are not suggesting people not eat a healthy diet," said Richard Smith, a professor of health system economics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "We're just trying to point out that healthier eating can have unintended consequences."

...

"In an ideal world, we would all have a perfect diet," Smith said. "But it's also desirable that everybody has a job."

Smith said officials should consider nutritional guidelines more carefully. For countries like Brazil, which rely heavily on meat imports to the West and to Japan, global nutritional advice could potentially be devastating.

Others weren't so sure.

"There are things happening in the rest of the world that this model didn't account for," said Julian Morris, executive director of International Policy Network, a London-based think tank. "The increasing demand for meat in Asia is substantial, ongoing, and might counteract any reduced demand in developed countries."

...

"If you really want a dramatic change in consumption of meat and dairy products, you need a radical policy, like a tax or quota system," he said.

Robert Beaglehole, an emeritus professor at the University of Auckland not linked to the study, said scientific developments might help one day.

"The answer could be to breed healthier cattle and pigs," he said, adding that more research was needed on whether additional strategies were necessary to ensure healthy eating guidelines don't accidentally hurt developing economies."

...

"You could tell people to buy less meat and maybe they will buy bananas instead," he said. "But they could also buy more beer and wine."

Now we're expected to take THE GLOBE'S NEEDS into consideration when tending to OUR OWN needs? I, for one, am NOT my brother's keeper, but I will give him tips on how to keep himself.

Healthier cattle and pigs would help--maybe feeding them what they're supposed to eat, rather than what's more cost-effective for the farmer? Cows eat grass by nature, not grains!

So I'm supposed to eat meat so Brazilians have jobs? What about ME--I haven't had a job in 15 years! Besides, those meat-raising Brazilians will find something else to capitalize on--everyone finds a new occupation when out of a job (it may just take some time).

From the Atlantic.

"It's not as though consumers can't find health-friendly goods when they go to the supermarket. In a survey conducted for the report (with support from the Food Marketing Institute), 72 percent of respondents agreed that the store they go to "stocks a wide variety of healthful foods and beverages." They're less impressed, though, with the store's utility as a source of information and guidance on healthy eating -- particularly among shoppers who have kids in the household."

...

"Among all respondents, well under half (38 percent) said their store "provides information on foods and beverages that help manage specific health concerns." And that tendency isn't confined to consumers who may not be disposed to notice such information even if it's there. Even among those who claim to eat healthy meals "most days," just 44 percent said their supermarket provides information of that sort."

...

"One thing consumers do know about healthy foods -- or, at least, think they know -- is that such products are pricy. Seventy-seven percent of respondents to Catalina's polling agreed with the statement, "Healthy foods and beverages generally cost more." If anything, people have an exaggerated notion of the extent to which such a price differential exists. Sharon Glass, who led the study as Catalina's vp, health and wellness, speculates that respondents "may have had in mind the relative price premium of fresh fruits and vegetables or lower-fat packages of fresh meat," though she adds that the survey didn't inquire into attitudes about specific food categories.

In any case, she notes, there are plenty of healthy foods that don't cost more than the less-healthy alternative. "In many categories, the lower-calorie or lower-fat options marketed by a given product are [priced] the same," she says. "Examples include soft drinks, shelf-stable and refrigerated juices, hot dogs, milk and dairy products in general, salad dressing, mayonnaise and yogurt."

For many consumers, one deterrent to choosing healthy foods and beverages is the old assumption that if something is good for you, it probably isn't very tasty. Overall, 59 percent of respondents said they believe "healthy foods and beverages generally taste good."

...

"Sampling can be an effective way to overcome the barrier of negative taste perceptions."

...

"Coupons would also help consumers give healthy foods a fair try: More than four-fifths of respondents said coupons for such products would "encourage healthy shopping" on their part. Along with things like shelf labels that identify healthy products and reward programs for purchasing such goods, coupons could help get through to consumers who resist changing their diet because they believe (often for no good reason) that it's already healthy enough. Sixty-two percent of the survey's respondents said they "eat healthy."

Wenchypoo's take on this subject:

1. WE ALL have to make major adjustments in our tolerance and taste for sugar and salt. This is mainly what makes processed foods "taste" better than raw healthy foods. Processed foods are full of chemicals and flavorings that have completely altered what we've come to expect our food to taste like.

2. What makes us think the grocery store's going to give us different advice from the USDA Food Guide Pyramid or marketers?

3. You shouldn't be seeking nutritional advice from a grocery store--get it from your doctor or (better yet) a nutritionist. Grocery stores exist TO SELL US FOOD PRODUCTS, and they don't care about our health. They just want to sell us stuff.

4. Regarding the cheapness or expense of healthy foods: You can either pay the cost up front (and come away with fewer doctor bills), or you can pay later (by buying the cheaper food and paying the doctor to clean up after them). Consult my Food Stamp Challenge Cheats to get a sense of how to eat more cheaply and effectively.

Once again on the news last night, another "consumer detective" wandered around a convenience store and found TONS of food that had expired MORE THAN A YEAR AGO! She grabbed a can of green beans that expired TWO years ago, and took it to the clerk, pointing out the expiration date. The clerk took the can from her and set it on the back counter behind her. The "detective" had marked the can with invisible ink before bringing it to the clerks attention.

The next day, the can was found right back on the shelf where it was originally found--no effort had been made to round up the expired food, and no effort was made to isolate even the one can the "detective" had found!

CONSUMER WARNING: Whatever store you go into for groceries, make sure you aren't buying expired food--check the dates, and when possible, always grab from THE BACK OF THE SHELF. Stores stock oldest goods in front, and newer goods behind it.

From Chicago Botanical Garden.

From WHEC-10 (Rochester, NY).

"The reusable bags many of us use when we go to the grocery store are good for the environment, but they might not be good for your health.

Many of us never think to clean them, which means we're toting a lot more than groceries.

It got us thinking and we decided to put bags to our own test.

We collected several bags from shoppers at random and tested them.

The results we found were gross.

"They were very, very germy. Some bags were definitely worse than others," said Dr. Rolf Knoll, the chief medical officer at St. Francis Hospital.

Technicians used swabs to test five bags for bacteria and one of them tested positive for fungus.

Others had dozens of colonies of bacteria inside.

"Specifically we found diphtheroids, bacillus, staph epidermidis," Dr. Knoll said.

In layman's terms, it's the same stuff you'd find on a dirty countertop.

"I've never washed them before. That's a really good point," said shopper Marzena Mocarski."

...

"Doctors recommend washing your reusable bag or wiping it out with bleach after each use.

"Even more importantly, wash the food that comes out of them before you eat them. That's the most important thing," Dr. Knoll said."

My own personal experience with these bags is that they AREN'T MADE TO BE WASHED. One of those $1.99 ones available in any grocery store are made with material that's used to cover the undersides of box springs--NOT MEANT FOR WASHING.

The material shrinks badly, then semi-melts in the dryer.

Better alternatives: boxes, plastic crates, backpacks, laundry baskets, or make your own bags out of fabric meant to be washed (like denim). A pillow case will do in a pinch--you can toss that in with the regular laundry.

From PopSci.

"Any immunology textbook will tell you that once a virus enters a cell, the only way to knock that virus out is to kill the entire cell. But a new study from the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge has shown a way to kill a virus from within the cell, leaving the virus defeated and the cell victorious and intact. This could be huge--not just a cure for the common cold, but for all kinds of other viruses as well.

The study, which will be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tackles a fundamental of immunology. It has long been assumed that the body's last chance to eliminate a virus is before it enters a cell--once it's inside, it's game over. You can kill the cell, but doing that too often is harmful to the body's health. But this new study shows that the body actually has its own in-cell defense mechanism that can attack viruses once they've entered a cell--and they're hopeful that this defense mechanism can be enhanced through external means, making the cells even stronger.

Antibodies in the bloodstream attach themselves to free-floating viruses, and are taken intact with the virus once it enters into a cell. Before that virus gets a chance to hijack the cell, a naturally occurring protein called TRIM21 recognizes the antibody, and further notices that there's an interloper (the virus) attached to it--which, according to the strict bouncer-like rules of the TRIM21 protein, is not allowed. (Antibodies can't roll one-virus deep, is what I'm saying.) The TRIM21 protein then triggers the cell's defense mechanisms, which can destroy the virus in as little as one or two hours--long before the virus has a chance to take over the cell.

The research further speculates that that TRIM21 protein could be used as a sort of booster shot, perhaps delivered through a nasal spray (we do love inhalable medicine). The scientists have only experimented on cultured human cells, not whole animals, but are very confident that this kind of medicine could boost the cells' own defenses and give them the ability to kill viruses even after they've entered the cell. Assisting the cell's natural defenses allows the cell to remain functional after it's destroyed a virus--the best kind of medicine.

These scientists believe that this sort of cure could be ready to go to clinical testing in as few as two to five years--not soon enough to stop the onset-of-winter colds we're all about to contract, but encouragingly soon nonetheless."

I did find some rather interesting and questionable things about unplugging or downsizing the fridge:

1. Questioning what we actually put into the fridge--some things really are non-perishable even after opening. If the product doesn't say "keep refrigerated" or "refrigerate after opening" on it anywhere, then it's safe for cupboard storage.

2. Fruits and veggies are safe on the counter for about a week, then they need refrigeration for further storage. If you're buying more than a week's worth of perishable produce, you're buying too much. Remember--the best place for food storage is on the vine, so garden to cut that produce bill.

3. Some people (in an effort to go green) are living without refrigeration altogether, and substituting a cooler or ice chest for the refrigerator. I'd think the ice bill for keeping that thing going would easily exceed the annual electricity costs of an energy-efficient refrigerator.

4. Some people are putting the weather to good use, as in snow, and storing foods in snow. As long as it doesn't attract bears, I say go for it!

5. I found an article about insulating your refrigerator with shag carpeting, but don't think this applies to today's efficient ones. Someone actually glued shag carpeting to the sides and top of his refrigerator, and glued carpeting to panels which then got applied to the doors.

6. This same article also mentioned insulating the refrigerator alcove with rigid foam insulation (ice chest material)--even though we're told refrigerators need room around them to expel heat, this article says refrigerators need to be "built in," even if it's just a frame around it. Then the frame should be insulated with this thin rigid foam stuff.

7. A refrigerator Albert Einstein invented, which runs on propane, is supposedly more efficient at expelling heat than our electric fan system we use today. Old Al's refrigerators are making a comeback, but I'm not sure the cost of propane plus the lost interior space due to hyper-insulation would be a good trade-off for electricity cost savings.

8. We get in our own personal way-back machines and visit the world of traditional food storage before refrigeration existed: root cellars, drying, curing, smoking, salting in brine, and storing in a spring (items would be corralled in a net, then dropped into a cool spring, then tied off for future retrieval).

9. The Amish had two methods for storing leftovers and perishables: pigs and buckets of water. Pigs would eat leftovers not designated for short-term future use, and buckets of water were for submerging jars of food intended for short-term future use.

This is just what I've been able to sleuth out so far. As I mentioned before, my own odyssey with condiments* began with the discovery that most of them are bread-related, and once I gave up bread due to allergies to wheat, I found I could get rid of and cease buying peanut butter, jelly/jam, butter/margarine, ketchup, relish, and could even get rid of the toaster--at last, some free counter space!

*I noticed that living without bread (for me) meant not having a reason for all the things that go on it: butter/margarine, peanut butter, jelly, mayonnaise, mustard, etc., as well as a toaster. This is causing me to pause and reflect on all those things everyone keeps in their refrigerator doors, and wondering if we really need them at all. Are condiments really “condemn-ments”? And how many of us lose valuable counter space to a 1-function machine? What would a refrigerator look like WITHOUT those in-the-door shelves, anyway? It would look like those old, short, very thickly-insulated ones our grandparents had (that experts now say was the most efficient refrigerator ever built). I remember when Dad got one of these and kept it in the garage for his beer.

Oh wait--there's one more thing:

10. Location, location, LOCATION! The refrigerator or freezer has to work harder the closer it is to a heat source, so if the stove or dishwasher and fridge are next to each other, consider moving the fridge/freezer (if it isn't built in)...to the outside in winter, or even downstairs to the basement (if you have one). If you can't move it, then find ways to insulate it from the heat source (move the stove, move the dishwasher, add rigid foam insulation between heat and cold, add cupboards between heat and cold, etc.). If a radiator is in your kitchen, make sure the fridge/freezer are nowhere near it. Turn down your thermostat or close off vents in the kitchen near the fridge/freezer if you have to--this minimizes the temperature difference between hot and cold, and this means the cooling appliances work less trying to maintain temperatures.

Something else just popped into my head.

11. Color. White reflects heat, while black absorbs it, and stainless steel reflects heat back into the room, so the best color of appliance is the one that won't sell your house for you any time soon: white, or the 60's colors (avocado, harvest gold, or brown). Each color has it's own drawbacks, such as white is hard to keep clean, stainless steel shows fingerprints, black shows dust and lint, and those 60's colors are unappetizing and out of fashion with today's home buyers (assuming you leave the appliances in the home when selling). Black sells houses, and goes with virtually any cabinet, floor, or counter top, yet absorbs light and heat.

My advice: go with what you like, and plan to take it with you when you sell.

12. Style. The most efficient style of refrigerator isn't made any more--the old 40's ones with the compressor on top. The modern-day equivalent is the freezer-on-top, one split door model, no ice maker, and manual defrost. Since we don't hack away at built-up ice in freezer compartments any more, most are frost-free, which takes heat to constantly defrost. Heat against refrigeration causes...well, you know. Some things we just have to live with, I guess.

I think I'm going to go out and look at bar-sized refrigerators to see how they're outfitted inside--most of them have soda can holders (intended for college dorms), which I don't need. If I can find one that holds what I need it to hold, I may consider buying it, because I have the feeling my 20 cubic foot Sears refrigerator is suddenly going to become WAYYYY too big!