Silent but deadly: the body's hidden organ - the pancreas [2]

Type 2 diabetes can actually occur at any age. The body produces plenty of insulin, but the cells have become resistant to its message. Type 2 diabetic patients are, more often than not, overweight, leading some to postulate that the constant barrage of refined carbohydrates (which release glucose into the bloodstream quickly after ingestion of table sugar or white flour) is at the heart of the disease.

Under normal circumstances, before a meal, we should have about one to two teaspoons of sugar circulating in our bloodstream. After a meal that is rich in refined carbohydrates (which break down quickly into glucose), there is a significant spike.

For example, a person might eat a hamburger with a bun, a small order of "french fries," and even a diet cola for lunch. Because of the way he digests certain foods, his blood sugar (glucose) level spikes quickly; he has just dumped as many as 12 teaspoons of sugar into his system. As a result of that burst of sugar, a healthy pancreas releases a burst of insulin, telling the body to take up the overload.

A healthy liver responds by taking up as much of the overload as it can (about 30 percent for short-term storage). Another 30 percent is used immediately as energy. The rest of it (up to 70 percent, depending on the actual amount taken up by the liver) is stored as fat. You might recognize that feeling of a temporary burst of energy, accompanied by feeling really good, followed by a marked decline and usually a mild case of "the blues." (4)

As a result of chemical reactions, including the fact that our brains need blood sugar to function, the body and the brain signal for more food, and we crave, in particular, carbohydrates having a high glycemic index. Our body receives a "signal" to obtain more sugar immediately. About halfway through the afternoon, we might find ourselves picking away at just half that candy bar we saved. A quick sugar spike, an immediate insulin spike, and more frantic messages to take up that sugar.

Just for a moment, imagine a friend or a loved one who constantly barrages you with frantic demands, such as "Quick, do this," or "Hurry up, do that!" Perhaps this will give you an idea of why our bodies begin to turn a deaf ear to the constant insulin scream that we subject ourselves to by eating a diet tilted toward carbohydrates, especially highly refined carbohydrates.

The "good" carbohydrates are low on the glycemic index; they release glucose more slowly, and spikes are avoided. "Bad" carbohydrates are high on the glycemic index and create spikes.
Nutrition Health Review, Spring, 2003 by Gail Gorman

Silent but deadly: the body's hidden organ - the pancreas [1]

In human adults, the pancreas is a flattened gland, about six to eight inches long. It is buried deep in the abdomen behind the stomach, where it connects the small intestine at the duodenum, just under the stomach. Also called the "hidden organ," the pancreas is not readily accessible and is thus difficult to examine by conventional methods. It is hidden, too, from our understanding, to a large extent.

Symptoms of a pancreas disorder often mimic other common health problems, including simple indigestion. Little is known about the cause of such disastrous diseases as chronic pancreatitis, with as many as 40% of adult cases labeled "idiopathic," meaning of unknown origin. (1, 2) Even pancreatic cancer is not well understood; so far, the most consistently reported risk factor for tumor development is cigarette smoking. (3) We do know this type of cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and around the world. It is nearly always fatal; more than 98% of patients die, and its incidence is on the rise in industrialized nations.

Diabetes is, by far, the most renowned form of pancreatic disease wherein the pancreas either does not produce sufficient insulin, or, as is sometimes the case in adult-onset diabetes, the cells of the body simply do not respond to insulin's message. Other, even more silent and potentially more deadly disorders include (1) acute and chronic pancreatitis, each often very painful; (2) cystic fibrosis, which affects pancreatic function; and (3) organ tumors, either benign or malignant.

Finally, a little-known disease in which the symptoms might sound familiar is pancreatic enzyme insufficiency. This disorder can be mistaken for indigestion, and patients experience few or no symptoms at all while it slowly robs the body of important nutrients. When the disorder is left untreated, severe malnutrition can result.

Classification

There are two types of diabetes, type (juvenile onset) and type 2 (adult onset). In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces insufficient or no insulin. Patients must have daily insulin injections, and they live on the balance beam between diabetic coma (too much acid in the blood from an inability to use blood sugar) and insulin shock (too much insulin taken to protect against diabetic coma).

continue...

Red meat & the pancreas cancer

People who eat more beef or pork, especially in processed meats like hot dogs, sausage, and bacon, have a higher risk of pancreas cancer, says the largest study that has tracked healthy people for years before they were diagnosed with the deadly illness.

The Multiethnic Cohort Study followed more than 190,000 residents of California and Hawaii for seven years. Those who reported eating the most beef or pork (but not fish, poultry, dairy foods, or eggs) had a 50 percent higher risk of pancreas cancer than those who reported eating the least.

Those who said they ate the most processed meats (roughly one ounce a day for a 2,000-calorie diet) had about a 70 percent higher risk than those who said they ate the least (no more than around an ounce a week).

The researchers calculated that the pancreas cancer rate was about 40 out of 100,000 for those who ate the most processed meat in this study, but only half as high for those who ate the least.

They suggest that carcinogens caused by cooking red meat at high temperatures or the nitrites in processed meats may explain the link.

What to do: Until more studies are done, it's not certain that processed or red meat causes pancreas cancer. But it's worth cutting back anyway to reduce the risk of heart disease and colon cancer.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute 97: 1458, 2005.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Center for Science in the Public Interest
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Full-Featured Wireless Router, Print Server, and Audio Gateway

I've had the AirPort Express for over a year. I've used both Macs and PCs connected to it wirelessly with no difficulties. My AirPort Express is set up as both a print server and "AirTunes" audio gateway so that both Macs and PCs on my home network can play through my home stereo system using iTunes. It performs both these functions flawlessly. I have an HP ink jet printer connected to it via USB and print to it from my PowerBook and from my Sony Vaio desktop PC.

Wireless range while in 802.11g only mode is sufficient to reach throughout the entire 2 bedroom apartment (1100 sq. ft). Range is average to above average for a 802.11g access point. The AirPort Express automatically picks the wireless channel with the least interference and seems to do this successfully. It supports (and I use) WPA2 128-bit encryption and has a number of configurable options both for wireless routing and for wired routing of computers connected to it's 1 Ethernet port. If you're wondering how the AirPort Express compares to the AirPort Extreme Base Station or a Linksys (or other) wireless router, it is full-featured and competitive.

Overall, I've been very happy with the AirPort Express. I'd recommend it to any Windows or Mac OS user.

Written by Nathan, Fresno, CA

Sonos ZonePlayer ZP80 (UK Power cable)

This wireless digital music player seamlessly integrates your home theater, stereo, powered speakers, or any other amplified audio device into your multi-room digital music system. Comes with digital and analog out for connecting to external amplifiers. Includes Sonos System Setup software.

Wireless, Multi-room digital music
Built-in wireless capability
ZonePlayers can go anywhere and connect wirelessly when a wired Ethernet connection is not available. ZonePlayers and Controllers will establish their own secure wireless mesh network. The first ZonePlayer you install must connect to your home network using a standard Ethernet cable.
SonosnetTM
A secure AES encrypted, peer-to-peer wireless mesh network that streams music wirelessly to other ZonePlayers, avoiding sources of wireless interference.
Multi-zone synchronous playback
Plays the same song simultaneously in up to 32 different zones without echoes or delays.
Multi-stream playback
Plays different songs simultaneously in up to 32 different zones.

Home theatre integration
Designed to connect to an external amplifier
The ZP80 seamlessly integrates your home theater and other audio devices into your Sonos multi-room digital music system.

Superior audio quality with digital output
Analog and digital audio output
Enjoy your music anywhere by connecting to your home theater receiver or amplifier with analog, optical and coaxial digital audio outputs. We also provide fixed or variable audio output volume control.
Analog input with digital encoding
Music from an external audio source (such as a CD player, radio or MP3 player) can be connected to a ZP80 and played by all ZonePlayers in the system.
Tone and volume controls adjustable for each zone
Optimize sound performance for each zone using zone-specific bass, treble, balance, and loudness controls. Adjust volume by zone or group of zones.

Ease of set up and use
Automatic set up
Automatic wired or wireless set up. Initialize new ZonePlayers with one button-press.
Expandable system design
Allows you to expand your digital music system room by room.
Compact size
So small, it fits almost anywhere.
2-Port Ethernet switch
Enables multiple direct connections to routers, PCs, and other ZonePlayers. Ideal for houses with installed Ethernet wiring.
Front-panel volume controls Provides quick access to volume and mute controls when you don't have a Controller in hand.

Support for multiple music sources
Support for multiple music sources
Accesses music stored on up to 16 PCs, Macs, or NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices on your home network, as well as Internet radio and legacy A/V devices, such as CD players.
Playback of popular audio file types
Support for compressed MP3, WMA, AAC (MPEG4), Ogg Vorbis, Audible .AA (format 4), Apple Lossless, Flac (lossless) music files, as well as uncompressed WAV and AIFF files.
Native support for 44.1kHz sample rates. Additional support for 48kHz, 32kHz, 24KHz, 22kHz, 16KHz, 11KHz, and 8KHz sample rates.
Apple "Fairplay" and Microsoft "Plays-for-sure" DRM-encrypted and WMA Lossless formats not currently supported. Firmware upgradeable to support future audio formats.
Playback of Internet radio
Plays Internet radio stations using "streaming MP3 and WMA" format. ZonePlayer comes with over 100 pre-programmed radio stations and it's simple to add more via the Sonos Desktop Controller. **
Analog audio input with digital encoding
Music from an external audio source (such as a CD player, radio or MP3 player) connected to a ZP100 can be played by all other ZonePlayers in the system.
Audio services supported
Audible
Album Art Supported
JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
Playlists Supported
Rhapsody®, iTunes®, WinAmp®, Windows Media Player®, and MusicMatchTM
(.m3u, .pls, .wpl)

Privacy Policy | Site Map | unsubscribe | ©2004-2006 Sonos, Inc

JACKPOT ROULETTE

Attract new Players and Increase Roulette Revenues

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This innovative game can be easily fitted to any Roulette table without affecting the standard procedure and rules of the game.

Jackpot Roulette® introduces fantastic animated graphics to your Roulette games - attracting new players whilst retaining the loyalty of regular Roulette players.

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Easy for Operators and Players
By simply playing ‘straight up numbers’ players can win big money or token prizes if the jackpot hits at the same time as their winning wager.

Jackpot Roulette® is fully automated and only requires minimal dealer intervention when jackpots are paid. It maintains the normal pace of your Roulette tables because a mystery jackpot is only paid to a player who places a bet straight up on the winning number when the jackpot is triggered by the system.

The game works by means of a patented dolly device which uses radio signals and detection fields, installed underneath the table layout. Every time the dolly is picked up and moved out of the dealer’s home base and placed on the winning number in the betting detection area, the computer counts one game.

Increases Your Roulette Table Revenue
More straight up players create more spins, more tips and more profit per table. Predicted annual Roulette revenue will typically increase by approx. 5-10% as a result of installing Jackpot Roulette®.

©2006 TCSJOHNHUXLEY. All rights reserved. E&OE. design::netsight

Better double up on the spicy Asian food

Ginger can kill ovarian cancer cells while the compound that makes peppers hot can shrink pancreatic tumors, researchers told a conference on Tuesday. Their studies add to a growing body of evidence that at least some popular spices might slow or prevent the growth of cancer. Being a big fan of the above spices, I’m psyched. If they could only find that generic diet sodas reduced your chance of breast cancer, I’d be set.

30 Responses to “Better double up on the spicy Asian food

Published by Amanda Marcotte

Update on The Coast

A flurry of hurricanes raced through the South earlier this year. Here's the latest on your favorite coastal vacation spots.

You may wonder how some of the tourist destinations in Alabama and Florida are doing in the aftermath of the storms that whirled through this year. We've toured the areas hardest hit, seen the cleanup and repair efforts firsthand, and talked to people in the know.

Mobile, Dauphin Island, Fairhope, and Point Clear: Although many trees and limbs were downed, most towns and attractions fared well, including the Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, (251) 861-7500; the Battleship USS Alabama, 1-800-426-4929; downtown Mobile, 1-800-566-2453; Fairhope, (251) 928-6387; and Bellingrath Gardens and Home, 1-800-247-8420.

Foley, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach: "Recovery is well under way following Hurricane Ivan," says Bebe Gauntt, public relations manager for the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau. Bebe advises people to call the CVB at 1-800-745-7263, or visit www. gulfshores.com for updates on lodging and attractions.

Pensacola and Navarre Beach: Damage in these cities extended to the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's visitors information center at the foot of Pensacola Bay Bridge. Most of the hotels and all of the attractions are now operating. "We expect to be totally up and running by spring," says CVB director Ed Schroeder. For more information call 1-800-874-1234, or visit www.visitpensacola.com. For updates on Navarre Beach, call the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council at 1-800-480-7263, or visit www.beaches-rivers.com.

Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Okaloosa Island: Some of the damage to lodging and restaurants was extensive. For current information call the Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc., 1-800-322-3319, or visit www.destin-fwb.com.

Beaches of South Walton, Seaside, WaterColor, Grayton Beach, and Rosemary Beach: Damage was light except to walkways over the dunes, which are quickly being rebuilt. Contact the Walton County Tourist Development Council at 1-800-822-6877, or visit www.beaches of southwalton.com.

Florida peninsula: Most of the major tourist destinations, including Orlando, are operating as usual. Areas that did have damage-mainly Charlotte County and Lee County along the southwestern Florida coast and Vero Beach, St. Lucie County, and Palm Beach County on the southeastern coast-are rebounding with amazing speed.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Dec 2004