Health- ten good habits for lengevity.

10 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100

By DEBORAH KOTZ, Posted: February 20, 2009

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The biggest factor that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A new study published in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following four things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.

While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits. Follow these 10 habits, and check out Perls' lifetime risk calculator to see how long you can expect to live.

1. Don't retire. "Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.

2. Floss every day. That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," stresses Perls.

3. Move around. "Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.

4. Eat a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast. Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging," he says.

UFOs in Los Angeles.

Ring-Shaped UFO Over Los Angeles VIDEO!

Posted by liamw on May 30th, 2010 (TPI news Daily update.)

UFOs in the sky! That’s what happened yesterday in Los Angeles. People were able to see this strange light hovering in the sky and they even got the chance to film it. In the video we can see the “ring of light” dancing everywhere in the sky and is definitely not a plane or other known flying machine.

Sightings of this type over LA have been reported before in different places in Los Angeles.

If you know something about the UFO phenomenon you may know that it is very strange to see these types of ring-shaped UFO lights in the sky. Most of the time in an UFO sighting, you see a light like a star, only bigger, doing the same dance above.

Nobody know what this light is, and probably we won’t know in a very long time!

Nature's secrets.-wonders will never cease.

Money based on butterfly colors could prevent bank fraud

By Boonsri Dickinson | May 31, 2010

Let us learn from Nature

• nt2

Bank fraud might soon be a crime of the past thanks to butterfly wings. Using the wing scales of Papilio blumei for inspiration, British researchers have created microstructures structures that can bounce light off the same way it would reflect off butterflies.

Butterflies don’t have pigments like our skin does. Instead, its wings have tiny structures that look like “the inside of an egg carton” — which allows it to shine light in a peculiar way.

University of Cambridge researchers created identical copies of the butterfly-like scale structures using nanofabrication techniques.

While the colors are pretty, the complex reflections also help the insects survive. Butterflies have evolved this brilliant optical design so they can hide from predators, but still remain visible to nearby butterflies.

In the future, if researchers can mimic the optical structures of butterflies and print them onto bank notes, security printing would be so much smarter. Mathias Kolle of the University of Cambridge said in a statement:

“These artificial structures could be used to encrypt information in optical signatures on banknotes or other valuable items to protect them against forgery. We still need to refine our system but in future we could see structures based on butterflies wings shining from a £10 note or even our passports,” he says.

If the butterfly-like structure ever makes its way into the banking system, it would be harder for forgers to use fake money or commit credit card fraud.

Credit: Mathias Kolle, University of Cambridge

Married Life - The Auz report.

Hidden epidemic of women beating up men

• By Stephen Lunn
• From: The Australian
• May 22, 2010 12:00AM

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Many men are reluctant to report abuse by their partners Source: AP

• Women hit men psychologically
• Victims reluctant to report abuse
• Men fear stigma of "being a wimp"

WOMEN beating up their men - physically, emotionally or financially - has become a hidden epidemic because men are too scared of being labelled wimps if they cry for help.

A new study has found for male victims of "intimate partner abuse", the cumulative effect of repeat "knees in the nuts" or being heaped with scorn is a damaging erosion of self-worth.

But a typical response to men who do complain is, "C'mon, you're a bloke - get over it".

Similar to the pattern of abuse of women by men, it often starts with verbal, financial and psychological abuse, but over time escalates to physical and sometimes even sexual abuse.

The issue is even more under-reported for men than women, because men fear either being seen as wimps or not being believed, the study says.

Support services for abuse victims are skewed towards females, it adds.

Alfred Allan, Professor at Edith Cowan University and co-author of Intimate Partner Abuse of Men, said: "Physical abuse isn't as big a problem for males as females, and when a male assaults a female, it's generally more severe, but there are male victims out there who are falling through the cracks."

The study is based on interviews with male victims and service providers working in the field of domestic abuse.

"She would actually hit him with the pan . . . throw reasonably large objects at him . . . punch him to the point of bruising," one service provider recalled of a client's interview.

"I've lost count of how many times she's kneed me in the nuts," a male victim said.

The report notes the growth in abuse of men by their partner.

Psychologist and author in men's mental health Elizabeth Celi describes the abuse of men by their spouse as a "silent phenomenon".

She says women perpetrators tend to combine verbal and emotional abuse of their partner with any physical violence.

"Given women's verbal and emotional literacy, a viper tongue can really maim a man's sense of self-worth," Dr Celi said.

"Men also face the social stigma of being a victim. Not only is he questioning his own masculinity and identity, unfortunately he is more often than not disbelieved or disregarded."

Read more at The Australian.

Megafauna cave painting could be 40,000 years old

By Emma Masters

Slideshow: Photo 1 of 2

Australia's oldest painting? A red ochre depiction of two emu-like birds with their necks outstretched (User submitted: Ben Gunn)

• VIDEO: Rock art unearthed near Kakadu(ABC News Breakfast)
• MAP: Darwin 0800

Scientists say an Aboriginal rock art depiction of an extinct giant bird could be Australia's oldest painting.

The red ochre painting, which depicts two emu-like birds with their necks outstretched, could date back to the earliest days of settlement on the continent.

It was rediscovered at the centre of the Arnhem Land plateau about two years ago, but archaeologists first visited the site a fortnight ago.

A palaeontologist has confirmed the animals depicted are the megafauna species Genyornis.

Archaeologist Ben Gunn said the giant birds became extinct more than 40,000 years ago.

"The details on this painting indicate that it was done by someone who knew that animal very well," he said.

He says the detail could not have been passed down through oral storytelling.

"If it is a Genyornis, and it certainly does have all the features of one, it would be the oldest dated visual painting that we've got in Australia," he said.

"Either the painting is 40,000 years old, which is when science thinks Genyornis disappeared, or alternatively the Genyornis lived a lot longer than science has been able to establish."

Mr Gunn says there are paintings of other extinct animals right across the area including the thylacine, or tasmanian tiger, the giant echidna and giant kangaroo.

"It does give you a window back to a time that you can pinpoint, and in the case of the Genyornis it's a very long picture," he said.

The traditional owners of the land in the Northern Territory say they are excited the painting could be Australia's oldest dated rock art.

The Jawoyn Association's Wes Miller says the painting is one of thousands rediscovered across Arnhem Land in recent years.

"It verifies that the Jawoyn people were living in this country for a very, very long time," he said.

"People say it, but once again this is clearly a demonstration of how long Jawoyn people have been in this country and other Indigenous groups. It's great from that point of view. It's pretty exciting stuff."

Health - “Smoking while pregnant can have long-term effects on the health of a baby."

Doctors issue new warning to pregnant women who smoke

• 
  

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Barry McDonald

31 May 2010

Health chiefs in Scotland have voiced concern about the number of women who continue to smoke throughout pregnancy, warning them the health of their unborn babies is at risk.

It follows a study last month which revealed just three out of 100 women smokers in Scotland quit when pregnant. Research for the NHS by Glasgow and Stirling universities showed that thousands of mothers are ignoring the advice of health professionals by continuing to smoke.

The British Medical Association today warns that despite the number of mothers smoking at the start of pregnancy having dropped since 1995, numbers remain high at around 20%. The BMA in Scotland is urging parents to mark World No Tobacco Day by giving up smoking for the sake of their family’s health.

Dr Sally Winning, deputy chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said: “Around one in five women smoke during pregnancy and, although this is an improvement on previous years, it reflects the lack of knowledge among Scots about the health risks of smoking, not only to themselves, but to the health of their children.

“Smoking while pregnant can have long-term effects on the health of a baby. Maternal smoking in pregnancy is a cause of low birth weight in babies and has been linked to cot death. We would urge women smokers who are pregnant or who are considering becoming pregnant to discuss ways of giving up with their GP, pharmacist or health visitor.

“Children whose parents smoke are twice as likely to become smokers themselves. We must act now to break this cycle of tobacco addiction.” The warnings come on the day a campaign is launched to highlight the marketing of tobacco to women.

Maoists in India- the Bengal Massacre

Damage-control by Maoists; say won't attack trains

Caesar Mandal & Subhro Niyogi, TNN, May 31, 2010, 04.12am IST

KOLKATA/SARDIHA: The Maoists are in desperate damage-control mode, trying to distance themselves from a rogue unit of the PCPA militia that sabotaged the rails and caused the Gyaneshwari Express crash, killing 148 people.

On Sunday, the rebels issued a statement denying their involvement in the massacre and urging the government to resume passenger train services at night that have been halted since the derailment.

Senior intelligence officers believe that the rebels might even murder the leaders of the village militia to repair the damage to their image.

"In typical Maoist style, the rebels may execute the men responsible for the derailment, branding them class enemies or traitors," said a police officer, pointing out several recent murders where PCPA men were killed by Maoists.

Maoist state committee member Akash issued a second press statement on the sabotage on Sunday, saying that they "never target the common people". "The government can resume train services on the section at night. No harm will be done from our side," he said.

However, it will be very difficult for the red brigade to wash their hands of the incident as it happened in their core zone and the modus operandi has all the hallmarks of a Maoist attack. PCPA, too, has denied any involvement in the sabotage, but police refuse to buy the rebels' claim of innocence.

Like other top state police officers, including state DGP Bhupinder Singh, ADG CID Raj Kanojia on Sunday hinted that the sabotage was the handiwork of Maoists or their local militia group active in the area.

On Sunday, a team of CID officers and forensic experts visited the accident site again and collected samples of the removed pandrol clips and stone chips from the track.

The CID report is expected in a week. Kanojia confirmed that the rail track had been cut and did not mention any explosion.

The FIR lodged with Jhargram GRP by the driver of Gyaneshwari Express was amended on Sunday to add 'murder', 'attempt to murder' and 'grievous hurt' charges.

Stop massacre of Innocent people.! Stop anti-people atrocities!

Life

Handbook for Life… 2010

Cross Posted (& Edited) from Linda’s Yoga Journey

HEALTH:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is
manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to meditate.
6. (Breathe)

7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

PERSONALITY:

11. Comparing our lives to others is fruitless. We have no idea what their journey is about.

12. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones especially about things out of our control. Invest energy in the positive present moment.
13. Try not to over do. Understand limits.
14. Why take ourselves so seriously. No one else does.
15. Gossip drains precious energy.
16. Dream more while we are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. We already have all we need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Let go of our partners mistakes of the past. Focus on our

present/future happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Make peace with our past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of our happiness except us.
22. Realize that life is a school and we are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the

curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons we learn will last a

lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. We don’t have to win arguments. It’s ok to agree to disagree.

SOCIETY:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is insignificant compared to what you think of yourself.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends & family will. Stay in touch.

LIFE:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. (Higher powers) heal everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how we feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When we awake alive in the morning, be thankful.
39. Our Inner most is always happy. Release your “Inner Happy” on the world every day!

Threat within - Maoist Terrorism.

Maoists biggest internal threat to India: Pranab Mukherjee 30 May 2010, 1425 hrs IST,ANI

GULBARGA/ BENGALURU: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the Maoist menace is the biggest internal threat to the country.

"Of course, the Maoist menace and Naxalites activities are biggest threat to the internal security of the country, and therefore constant efforts are needed by both central and state government to tackle this problem," said Mukherjee.

"We are providing from the centre all necessary steps including the supplementing of forces, state police forces by central paramilitary forces," he added on the sidelines of a function in Karnataka's Gulbarga district.

India's Maoist nightmare.

India grapples for response as Maoists grow bolder

Agence France-Presse New Delhi, May 30, 2010

Stop killing innocent people!

India's struggle to find an effective strategy against an increasingly violent Maoist insurgency has taken on an air of desperation as the rebels ramp up the scale and potency of their operations.

Maoist saboteurs were blamed for Friday's derailing of a high-speed passenger train in West Bengal that collided with an oncoming goods train, killing 138 people.

Coming after a landmine attack earlier this month that killed 35 people, including 24 civilians, it suggested the rebels' strategy has changed from one that in the past had almost exclusively targeted the security forces.

The rising civilian death tolls have intensified public and political scrutiny of India's counter-insurgency policy, which until now has placed the operational onus on individual states rather than the central government.

An offensive launched in November in the worst-affected areas with nearly 60,000 paramilitary and state police was coordinated by New Delhi, but it has produced little in the way of tangible results and Maoist attacks have continued unabated.

After Friday's train wreck, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya made it clear that the states felt it was time for a new approach.

"We have to find ways to counter this menace," he said. "Innocent people are being killed."

Analysts say the government is hamstrung by internal disagreement over how to proceed, with some urging a more aggressive policy and others favouring a long-term strategy that addresses the plight of landless tribespeople and impoverished farmers from whom the Maoists draw support.

"There is a conflict between the so-called hawks who want to crush the rebels and the so-called doves who call for development in Maoist-dominated areas to wean away their support," said Ajai Sahni, a counter-terrorism expert.

Home Minister P Chidambaram is seen as belonging to the former camp, while Congress party chief, Sonia Gandhi, has stressed the need to combat the "root causes" of the insurgency.

"But the conflict is essentially one of slogans because neither side seems to have any idea how to flesh out their respective plans," said Sahni.

"There is utter incoherence, whether one is talking about development or security. There is no talk or agreement on the content of either approach," he added.

It is not as if India is inexperienced in countering insurgencies.

Rebellions of varying size and intensity have waxed and waned in different parts of the country for decades, including the 20-year separatist battle in Kashmir that has claimed at least 47,000 lives.

But most have been restricted to a particular state. The Maoists, by contrast, are spread over a vast area and operate out of some of India's most remote and least-developed regions -- making counter-insurgency coordination a severe challenge.

"The Maoists are prevalent in areas where the administration and police are in a state of degradation," said KPS Gill, the former police chief of Punjab who was credited with crushing a violent Sikh militancy in the 1990s.

Gill, who has advised the government in the Maoist-infested state of Chhattisgarh on security issues, said state administrations lacked the resources to combat the rebels.

"The police simply don't have the will and the numbers they need. You need to better equip the men and train them to take on the Maoists," he said.

Meanwhile, grassroots activists working in areas where the Maoists hold sway say the government is paying the price for years of indifference towards dispossessed, marginalised communities left behind by India's economic boom.

"I am against violence and I think the killing of common people is not going to endear the Maoists to the masses," said Medha Patkar, a tribal rights campaigner.

"Having said that, we want the government to be more responsive to the needs of the people, to hold a dialogue to address the genuine problems the tribals and the poor face.

"We have been waging a non-violent struggle for tribal rights for decades and the government has turned a deaf ear to us. So it's no wonder some people think violence is the only way to make the government listen," Patkar said.

Stop violence. Stop killing innocent people!