LOSING WEIGHT REDUCE RISK HEART ATTACKS

OBESITY ALONE RAISES RISK OF 
FATAL HEART ATTACK, STUDY FINDS 

http://yourlife.usatoday.com - Obese men face a dramatically higher risk of dying from a heart attack, regardless of whether or not they have other known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, a new study reveals.  The finding stems from an analysis involving roughly 6,000 middle-aged men, and it suggests that there is something about carrying around excess weight that contributes to heart disease independent of risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and arterial disease.  What exactly that something is, however, remains unclear, although the researchers suggest that the chronic inflammation that typically accompanies significant weight gain might be the driving force behind the increased risk. 

“Obese, middle-aged men have a 60% increased risk of dying from a heart attack than non-obese middle-aged men, even after we cancel out any of the effects of cholesterol, blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors,” noted study author Jennifer Logue
 
Dr Logue is a clinical lecturer of metabolic medicine with the British Heart Foundation’s Cardiovascular Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland. “This means (that) obesity itself may be causing fatal heart attacks through a factor that we have not yet identified.” 
The team confirmed the well-established theory that being obese is linked to a greater chance for having all of the classic risk factors linked to heart disease. Logue cautioned that further research is needed to confirm the findings, and to uncover the exact mechanism by which obesity itself is a risk factor for fatal heart attacks.

To explore the subject, Logue and her colleagues spent nearly 15 years tracking 6,082 male patients who were diagnosed with high cholesterol but had no history of either heart disease or diabetes. Even after ruling out relevant variables such as age and smoking history, the risk of death among obese men was still 75% higher than it was for non-obese men. “We need to find easier and more effective ways to help people lose weight and reduce the risk of fatal heart attacks,” Dr. Logue said. Western civilization should search into the ancient science of Yoga a viable solution to the serious problem of obesity.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Obesity is one of the biggest health problems of the modern age. It is the main cause for many serious, incurable and fatal diseases. Blood pressure, heart problem, diabetes and other dangerous diseases are caused due to obesity. It can be cured permanently with the intake of balanced food, proper life style and regular practice of yoga asanas. A few asanas very useful for overcoming obesity are: “Dwichakrikasana”, this is the best exercise to reduce weight in a very short time. It gives proper shape to the stomach, activates the intestines and cures constipation, dysentery, acidity etc. “Padvritasana”, it reduces the fat accumulated in the hips, thighs and waist and gives proper shape to the stomach. “Ardha Halasana”, it is especially useful to reduce weight. It makes the intestines flexible and healthy, increases the fire of the stomach and cures constipation, gas and obesity.

IndiaDivine.org :
“Yogic Remedy for Obesity”
Posted by The Editor - Published on 06-21-2010
http://www.indiadivine.org/articles/325-yogic-remedy-obesity.html

LAWYER SUES CHIPOTLE OVER BEANS MADE WITH PORK

VEGETARIAN LAWYER SUES CHIPOTLE
RESTAURANT OVER BACON IN PINTO BEANS

New York (Reuters) - A vegetarian lawyer has sued Chipotle Mexican Grill for selling a bean dish that contains pork. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses the national fast food chain of duping the public into believing its pinto beans are vegetarian.  The plaintiff Kevin Shenkman “reasonably assumed Defendant’s ‘Pinto Beans’ were not prepared with and did not contain bacon and/or pork since there were no representations made to the contrary,” the complaint said.  In-store menus made no mention of meat in the beans. And when Shenkman asked, Chipotle servers told him that the beans did not contain bacon or pork, the suit said.  

“Throughout our 18-year history, our pinto beans have always been made with bacon, and we have not described them as being vegetarian,” said Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold.  He said a better option for vegetarian customers was the black beans, which are labeled as vegetarian on the restaurant’s menus and website.

To avoid any confusion, the company plans to roll out new menu boards that highlight the use of bacon in the pinto beans, Arnold said.  Shenkman, who is Jewish and a vegetarian, sued on behalf of a class of California customers who, like him, cannot eat pork because of “ethical, religious, moral, cultural, philosophical or health-related” concerns, according to the complaint.  The lawsuit alleges fraud and false advertising and requests unspecified damages, a corrective advertising campaign and an apology to class members.  This lawsuit is similar to the one against McDonald’s for its “natural flavored” fries - the additive is actually bovine meat.  The fast-food chain was sued by a Hindu and paid $10 million to several Hindu institutions.

A California lawyer is suing Chipotle Mexican Grill over the bacon in the restaurant’s pinto beans.  The plaintiff, Kevin Shenkman, is both Jewish and vegetarian, so the presence of pork in the beans is doubly offensive to him.  The average consumer probably wouldn’t expect to find pork in the beans, and these revelations probably wouldn’t matter to them.  However, they do matter to those with dietary restrictions, such as Jews and vegetarians.  The regulative principle of no meat eating is meant to promote the quality of mercy in a persons life.  Mercy is one of the four pillars of dharma (virtues).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

We should learn how to feel.  To love. We will be loved this way also and we will feel happy.  Be more sensitive, so others will do well to us.  Let's be kind to our younger brothers, and so we will be living in a big family and our hearts will get great benefit from it.  Love others as yourself.  If we are the children of the same Mother Earth, Mother Nature and of the Supreme Lord, then how can we deny our smaller siblings, the little animals, their right to live just as we claim it for ourselves.  We are all maintained by the Creator, thru Mother Earth.  We should feel gratitude for her and manifest compassion for those that need our help.  That will provide us with happiness and peace.  Who doesn’t consume neither meat nor eggs can understand what is compassion toward the other living beings.  While we put meat and blood on our plates we won’t be able to find peace in our lives.

House of Wisdom :  “Peace and vegetarianism - Advices”
http://www.houseofwisdom.org/english/advices_health_peace1.htm
http://www.houseofwisdom.org/english/index.html
http://www.houseofwisdom.org/

RED MEAT BOOSTS DIABETES RISK: US STUDY

RED MEAT CONSUMPTION MAY
INCREASE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES

AFP - Two slices of bacon, a hot dog or a serving of deli meat daily has been found to significantly boost the risk of getting type 2 diabetes, said a major US study published on Wednesday. The research by experts at the Harvard School of Public Health represents the largest study of its kind to date and appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Eating 50 grams of processed red meat every day increased a person’s diabetes risk by 51 percent, while eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat each day, about the size of a deck of cards, boosted the risk by 19 percent. However, those risks went down if the red meat was substituted with nuts, white meat, low-fat dairy or whole grain proteins. “Clearly, the results from this study have huge public health implications given the rising type 2 diabetes epidemic and increasing consumption of red meats worldwide,” said senior author Frank Hu. “The good news is that such troubling risk factors can be offset by swapping red meat for a healthier protein.”
 
The data for the study came from questionnaire responses from more than 204,000 people in US nurses and health professionals’ studies. The subjects were tracked for between 14 and 28 years. Researchers also updated a meta-analysis that included their data with other studies covering more than 442,000 participants. Diabetes affects nearly 350 million adults worldwide, and more than 11 percent of adults over age 20 - or 25.6 million people - in the United States have the disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that involves high levels of blood sugar, is often caused by obesity, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits.
 

Recently, a major study of the US conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health has found that routine consumption of meat could trigger Type 2 diabetes.  It is believed that the high iron content of red meat can increase inflammatory chemicals, which can destroy insulin- producing beta cells - could be the main reason of triggering Type 2 diabetes.  Due to their unnatural diet meat-eating human beings are far more susceptible to diseases and disorders as compared to their vegetarian counterparts.  

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Every day, several times a day, every living being, in whichever part of the world he may be, enjoys a universal ritual - eating.  Most people decide what they eat based mainly on taste, cost, habit, nutrition and convenience.  But for those who are a little more thoughtful, here are some other points worth considering. ... The Bhagavad Gita states that foods such as milk products, grains, fruits, and vegetables increase the duration of life and give strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction. Conversely, foods such as, meat, fish and fowl are putrid, decomposed and unclean. They cause numerous hazards to physical health. ... Apart from bringing severe sinful reactions, meat-eating also dulls the human intellect thus rendering it incapable of understanding the higher dimensions of life. Therefore real spiritual life, nay real human life, can not begin unless a human being stops killing his younger brothers, innocent animals, just for the satisfaction of his tongue.

Śrīpad Caitanya Caran das (BE E&TC) :
“Think Before You Eat”
“The Spiritual Scientist” - Vol. 1 Issue 8.
Bhaktivedanta Academy for Culture and Education (BACE), Pune
http://thespiritualscientist.com/

VEGETARIAN DIET GOOD FOR KIDNEYS

STICKING TO A VEGETARIAN DIET IS   
GOOD FOR KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS

http://www.thehealthage.com - A novel study reveals that taking a vegetarian diet regularly helps patients suffering from kidney disease by avoiding the accretion of toxic levels of phosphorus in the body. The higher level of phosphorus mineral can escort to heart disease and prove lethal for patients suffering CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease).  To investigate the effects of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet on the levels of phosphorus in the body, research team led by Sharon Moe, MD from Indiana University School of Medicine and Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Centre, examined phosphorus levels of body in nine patients suffering CKD.  All the patients were told to pursue vegetarian or non-vegetarian diet for the period of one week and then switch to opposite diet two to four week later. At the end of every week, the blood and urine samples of all the patients were collected by the research team.

The results of the study showed that both vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet had equal concentration of protein and phosphorus, however, patients who consumed vegetarian diet reported lower levels of phosphorus in their body. A whole grain based diet has a low phosphate-to-protein ratio and much of the phosphate is in the form of phytate.  Due to that it is not eagerly engrossed. The findings of the study show that the source of protein in diet has chief effect on the levels of phosphorus in patients of kidney disease, explained Dr. Sharon Moe. If these results confirmed in loner studies, give underlying principle for proposing a preponderance of grain-based vegetarian sources of protein to patients with CKD.  This diet would allow augmented intake of protein without unfavorably affecting levels of phosphorus in the body, wrote Dr.Moe in a press release.

A new study has suggested that sticking to a vegetarian diet can help kidney disease patients avoid accumulating toxic levels of phosphorous in their bodies.  Kidney disease patients must limit their phosphorous intake, as high levels of the mineral can lead to heart disease and death.  The study found that patients had lower blood phosphorus levels and decreased phosphorus excretion in the urine when they follow a vegetarian diet compared with a meat-based diet.  Undoubtedly, for humans, eating meat is unnatural.  

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

A piece of meat is just part of a corpse, and its putrefaction creates poisonous wastes within the body.  Therefore meat must be quickly eliminated.  For this purpose, carnivores possess alimentary canals only three times the length of their bodies.  Since human beings, like other non-flesh-eating animals, have alimentary canals twelve times their body length, rapidly decaying flesh is retained for a much longer time, producing a number of undesirable toxic effects.  One body organ adversely affected by these toxins is the kidney.  This vital organ, which extracts waste from the blood, is strained by the overload of poisons introduced by meat consumption.  Even moderate meat-eaters demand three times more work from their kidneys than do vegetarians.  The kidneys of a young person may be able to cope with this stress, but as one grows older the risk of kidney disease and failure greatly increases.

“The Higher Taste”
“A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet”
Chapter 1: “Health and Meatless Diet” - “Digesting Meat”
ISKCON - International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust - International (1983, 1997)

GROWTH CHEMICAL LEADS TO EXPLODING WATERMELONS

CHINA: “EXPLODING” WATERMELONS
PUT SPOTLIGHT ON FARMING PRACTICES

http://www.presstv.ir - Chinese farmers in the country’s eastern Jiangsu Province have lost acres of their watermelons after the fruits started exploding one by one.  A report by the China Central Television said farmers were using too much of the growth promoter chemical so that they could get their fruit to market ahead of the peak season and increase their profits.  According to the Xinhua, 20 farmers in a Jiangsu village planted imported seeds from Japan, from whom 10 households said their watermelons began exploding last month.  Farmer Liu Mingsuo told Xinhua that more than two-thirds of his crop had blown up after he used chemicals to boost their growth.  Liu is, however, the only farmer from the 10 households who used chemicals.  Experts cannot explain why the chemical-free watermelons have the same fate as the non-chemical ones.

Chinese regulations don’t forbid the drug, and it is allowed in the United States on kiwi fruit and grapes. But the report underscores how farmers in China are abusing both legal and illegal chemicals, with many farms misusing pesticides and fertilizers.   China has approved the use of growth chemical - like the growth accelerator forchlorfenuron - under certain quotas and tests conducted so far show that the chemical is safe.  
People, however, are more concerned about food safety and experts believe a quality tracking system should be introduced to ensure food safety and inform the public about all stages of the food chain.

Watermelons have been bursting by the score in eastern China after farmers gave them overdoses of growth chemicals during wet weather.  Prices over the past year prompted many farmers to jump into the watermelon market.  The aim of gaining more profit leads farmers to depend on chemical fertilisers and many have no choice but to cut down their trees and to poison their soil with cheap fertilisers to produce cash crops for sell.  People have been taught to want more and more, and the result is pollution, hunger and war. 

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?  

You have to feed 16 pounds of grain and soybeans to a cow to produce one pound of edible beef. In other words, to produce 500 pounds of meat on a 700 pound cow requires that the cow consume 8,000 pounds of grains and soybeans. ... In environmental matters, for instance, the largest culprit against the environment is the farm industry. Because it takes 16 times more food to feed cattle than what we receive in return, that means we are using 16 times more land than is necessary to produce food. And this land is mostly cleared forests and drained wetlands, which are growing in short supply, and are essential for the biological diversity of nature. ... The largest polluter of rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers (for water wells) is not the manufacturing industry, but the agriculture industry, by the runoff from chemical fertilizers, manure and pesticides.

Śripad Yajnavalkya Dasa :
“Defending Dharma”
http://stephen-knapp.com/defending_dharma.htm
http://es.scribd.com/doc/46973472/DefendingDharma