Is It True What They Say About Soy?

Is It True What They Say About Soy?

from http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/wl/2002/wlFeatured1102.html

Soybeans and their products, such as tofu (soybean curd) and soy milk, enjoy a reputation as very healthy foods, and they have risen in popularity in this country. Certain soy foods have earned the right to be labeled "heart-healthy." Yet not everybody is on board, judging by a recent spate of queries from our readers. "I won't allow soy in the house," one writes. Others ask if soy can fuel breast cancer, cause thyroid disease, or promote Alzheimer's. One unnerving report suggested that soy milk damages infant immune systems. A lot of people these days are afraid of soy.

Soybeans contain a complex mix of phytochemicals, including isoflavones. Some of these may act as estrogens or as anti-estrogens (the latter may block the effects of estrogens in the human body). Soy isoflavones may also act as antioxidants and have other beneficial effects on blood vessels and the heart. There's still a lot to learn about soy.

Soy and isoflavone supplements are in another category entirely. Since they concentrate the hormone-like substances in soy, they may well have a downside. Moreover, you have no guarantee as to what's in the supplements, and too little is known about them. We hope you will cross them off your list.

But what about soy foods? First, here are the potential problems and the conclusions so far:

Breast cancer: The high intake of soy foods in Asian countries has long been credited, at least by some researchers, for the lower rate of breast cancer among Asian women, compared with women in countries where little soy is consumed. But some confusion arises when you look at genistein, the main soy isoflavone and a plant estrogen. Does it protect against breast cancer or, on the other hand, promote the growth of existing cancer cells? Some studies have suggested the latter. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently reviewed all the evidence and concluded that soy has not been shown to fuel breast cancer cells. "If breast cancer patients enjoy soy products," they concluded, "it seems reason-able for them to continue to use them."
Whether soy actually protects against breast cancer is still unknown.

Soy milk and infants: A study published last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the highly concentrated phytoestrogens in soy formula might weaken the immune systems of babies. The formulas have more of these compounds than soy foods do. But researchers emphasized that this risk is largely theoretical. There's no evidence that soy formula is unsafe, or that infants drinking it have been harmed. Breast milk is still the first choice, however, followed by milk-based formulas. Only infants allergic to milk should drink soy formula.

Thyroid disease: One study suggested that soy protein supplements can interfere with the absorption of thyroid medications. Other research tentatively showed that soy foods may actually interfere with normal thyroid function, perhaps leading to goiter (swelling of the thyroid gland, located in the neck). But there's no risk of goiter in healthy people consuming soy who are not deficient in iodine. Strict vegetarians, who eat no iodine-rich fish or dairy products, might be at risk—and eating lots of soy might boost the risk. The answer is not to give up soy, but to increase iodine intake. One way is to use a small amount of iodized salt. And vary your diet as much as possible.

Alzheimer's disease: As we reported two years ago, a study of middle-aged Japanese-American men showed that those who ate at least two servings of tofu a week had a faster decline in mental ability as they aged and were more prone to Alzheimer's than men who ate no tofu. But this study raised more questions than it answered. No such effects have been seen in Japan, where life expectancy is high and tofu is a staple of the diet. Indeed, soy foods may actually protect the brain. The findings of this study are questionable and should not lead you to avoid tofu or other soy foods.

Kidney stones: If you've ever had calcium-oxalate kidney stones, the most common type, you should limit your intake of soy. Many soy foods are rich in oxalates and thus may promote the formation of such stones in those at risk, according to a study last year.

Now, a look at the positive side of soy foods. Not much is certain, but the outlook is promising:

Heart disease: Many researchers believe that the high intake of soy in Asian countries helps explain the lower incidence of heart disease there, and the FDA has okayed a "heart-healthy" claim for soy foods. Those that contain at least 6.25 grams (about one-quarter of an ounce) of soy protein per serving can claim on the label to reduce the risk of heart disease, when consumed as part of a healthy diet. Soy helps lower high blood cholesterol and may work in other ways to benefit blood vessels and the heart. So far, of all the potential health benefits of soy, this one has the most solid evidence.

Prostate cancer: In countries where soy is a dietary staple, men are less likely to develop prostate cancer. In animal studies, soy has slowed the growth of this cancer. This anti-cancer effect is still only hypothetical; more research is needed.

Menopausal symptoms: Soy supplements (capsules or pills) containing high levels of isoflavones, as well as soy foods with lower levels, have been promoted as effective remedies for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, irregular sleep patterns, and vaginal dryness. But no one knows how effective these plant hormones are—the evidence is contradictory—or whether they are safe. If isoflavone supplements act like hormones, they could pose some of the same dangers. Soy foods, on the other hand, may not have enough plant hormones to combat menopausal symptoms, but at least they aren't harmful. It can't hurt to try them, as part of a healthy diet.

Osteoporosis: According to research in Japan, women who consume a lot of soy tend to have greater bone mass. Japanese women also have a lower rate of hip fractures than American women, but that might be because of genetics or other factors. So far, there's reason to think that consuming soy is beneficial to bones, but long-term studies are still needed.

Keep in mind: Soy foods are well worth adding to your diet, since they may reduce the risk of heart disease. Other possible health benefits—not so well established—include protection against breast and prostate cancer and osteoporosis. Soy is not magical; it cannot fix up a poor diet. On the other hand, there is no convincing evidence that soy foods are harmful. People have been eating them for millennia, particularly in Asia. Remember that not all soy products are created equal—soy sauce, for instance, contains no soy protein. Even soy foods with a heart-healthy label may be high in salt, sugar, and calories. Be sure to read the labels.

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, November 2002

almond pasteurization

from the Almond Board (responsible for promoting almonds):
What types of pasteurization technologies are available?
While the Action Plan standard for treated almonds is a minimum 4-log reduction, a number of technologies have already been identified which result in a 5-log reduction – these include fumigation with propylene oxide  (PPO), blanching and oil roasting.  To review the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for PPO, please  click here.
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Propylene oxide is a highly toxic flammable chemical compound. It was once used as a racing fuel, but that usage is now prohibited under the US NHRA rules for safety reasons. It is also used in thermobaric weapons, and microbial fumigation. It is an epoxide.

from the Department of Health and Human Services:
We would not object to the use of the term "pasteurized" on the label of bulk almonds that have been treated with PPO.

Greyjing's million car experiment

from http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2007/08/28/close_to_punching_a_ticket/

Pollution solution?

Though the skies of "Greyjing" became a little bluer this month when more than a million cars were taken off the road during a four-day experiment, the capital city's air pollution still is a concern for next year's Summer Olympics. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has said that certain endurance events, like the marathon and cycling road races, could be postponed until conditions improve. Holding the Games in August, with its oppressive heat and humidity that keep things hazy, doesn't help

Try almond milk instead of cow, soy, or rice milk

Say No to Soy Milk and Rice Milk

By Dr. Ben Kim
DrBenKim.com

With greater awareness of the many health problems associated with pasteurized dairy products, many people are turning to vegetarian milk substitutes like soy milk and rice milk. I'm not a big fan of either. Here are some reasons why I don't think soy or rice milk should be staples in your diet:

1. Many brands of soy and rice milk contain polyunsaturated vegetable oils which can contribute to an imbalance of essential fatty acids in your body. As harmless as this might sound, I am convinced that a chronic imbalance of essential fatty acids caused by regular consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils is a major cause of cardiovascular disease. Polyunsaturated fats that contribute to this harmful imbalance are found in safflower, corn, soybean, sunflower, and cottonseed oils. I recommend that you stay away from these oils completely.

2. Some brands of soy and rice milk contain rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, or some other natural sweetener. Natural or not, most sweeteners put significant stress on your pancreas and liver. They also raise your insulin levels, which significantly increases your risk of suffering from unhealthy weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, premature aging, and several other negative side effects.

3. While fermented forms of soy like miso, tempeh, and natto can be healthy choices for some people, non-fermented soy products can cause a variety of health problems if consumed in large quantities on a regular basis. I will discuss the details of when soy can be good and when it can be bad in a future newsletter.

Ready for some good news?

You can make a rich and creamy alternative to cow's, soy, and rice milk with raw almonds and a good blender. Here is how we make it at our clinic:

All-Natural Almond Milk

1 1/2 cups of raw almonds, soaked in water overnight
4 cups of filtered or spring water
3-5 dates (optional)

Blend 1 ½ cups of raw almonds that have been soaked overnight in 4 cups of water. Blend with dates if you like your milk with a hint of sweetness. Strain once to remove almond granules. The result is a delicious, creamy milk that is free of harmful vegetable oil, concentrated sweeteners, and the problems associated with cow's milk and soy. It can be stored safely for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Re: Concerns Regarding Soybeans

Kaayla T. Daniel, author of Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food has an article at http://www.jcrows.com/soy.html

Re: Concerns Regarding Soybeans

John Robbins claims to give a "balanced response to many of the specific allegations made against soy" at http://www.foodrevolution.org/what_about_soy.htm

Here's a quick summary of the article below

• fermented soy products (e.g., miso, natto and tempeh) are generally beneficial when combined with other elements of the Oriental diet including rice, sea foods, fish broth, organ meats and fermented vegetables
• precipitated soybean products (e.g,. tofu, bean curd) is problematical, especially when they form the major source of protein in the diet
• modern soy products (e.g., soy milk, artificial meat and dairy products) made from soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein pose a number of serious problems    

What do you think of issues with soybeans raised in the article?
--pws

from http://www.mercola.com/1997/archive/soybean_concerns.htm

Concerns Regarding Soybeans

History of Soybeans

Soybeans come to us from the Orient. During the Chou Dynasty (1134-246 BC) the soybean was designated one of the five sacred grains, along with barley, wheat, millet and rice. However, the pictograph for the soybean, which dates from earlier times, indicates that it was not first used as a food; for whereas the pictographs for the other four grains show the seed and stem structure of the plant, the pictograph for the soybean emphasizes the root structure. Agricultural literature of the period speaks frequently of the soybean and its use in crop rotation. Apparently the soy plant was initially used as a method of fixing nitrogen. The soybean did not serve as a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques, sometime during the Chou Dynasty. Thus the first soy foods were fermented products like tempeh, natto, miso and shogu (soy or tamari sauce).

At a later date, possibly in the 2nd century B.C., Chinese scientists discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate (plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make a smooth pale curd -tofu or bean curd. The use of fermented and precipitated soy products soon spread to other parts of the Orient, notably Japan and Indonesia. Although the highly flavored fermented products have elicited greater interest among scientists and epicures, it is the bland precipitated products that are most frequently used, accounting for approximately 90% of the processed soybeans consumed in Asia today. The increased reliance on bean curd as a source of protein, which occurred between 700 A. D. and the present time, has not necessarily been a beneficial change for the populations of the Orient and Southeast Asia.

Fit for Human Consumption?

The Chinese, did not eat the soybean as they did other pulses (legumes) such as the lentil, because the soybean contains large quantities of a number of harmful a substances. First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors which block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion.

These"antinutrients" are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. The soybean also contains hemagglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and hemagglutinin have been rightly labeled growth depressant substances. Fortunately they are deactivated during the process of fermentation. However, in precipitated products, enzyme inhibitors concentrate in the soaking liquid rather than in the curd. Thus in tofu and bean curd, these enzyme inhibitors are reduced in quantity, but not completely eliminated.

Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates. This is an organic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, which blocks the uptake of essential minerals-calcium, magnesium, iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract. Although not a household word, phytates have been extensively studied. Scientists are in general agreement that grain and legume based diets high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in third world countries.

Analysis shows that calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant foods eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of soy and rice based diets prevents their absorption. The soybean has a higher phytate content than any other grain or legume that has been studied. Furthermore, it seems to be highly resistant to many phytate reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans. Thus fermented products such as tempeh and miso provide nourishment that is easily assimilated, but the nutritional value of tofu and bean curd, both high in phytates, is questionable.

When precipitated soy products are consumed with meat, the mineral blocking effects of the phytates are reduced. The Japanese traditionally eat tofu as part of a mineral-rich fish broth. Vegetarians who consume tofu and bean curd as a substitute for meat and dairy products risk severe mineral deficiencies. The results of calcium, magnesium and iron deficiency are well known, those of zinc are less so. Zinc is called the intelligence mineral because it is needed for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. It plays a role in protein synthesis and collagen formation, it Is involved in the blood sugar control mechanism and thus protects against diabetes; it is needed for a healthy reproductive system.

Zinc is a key component in numerous vital enzymes and plays a role in the immune system. Phytates found in soy products interfere with zinc absorption more completely than with other minerals. Literature extolling soy products tends to minimize the role of zinc in human physiology, and to gloss over the deleterious effect of diets high in phytic acid.

Milk drinking is given as the reason second generation Japanese in America grow taller than their native ancestors. Some investigators postulate that the reduced phytate content of the American diet-whatever maybe its other deficiencies-is the true explanation, pointing out that Asian and Oriental children who do not get enough meat and fish products to counteract the effects of a high phytate diet, frequently suffer rickets, stunting and other growth problems.

Marketing the Soybean

The truth is, however, that most Americans are unlikely to adopt traditional soy products as their principle food. Tofu, bean curd and tempeh have disagreeable texture and are too bland for the Western palate; pungent and tasty miso and natto lose out in taste; only soy sauce enjoys widespread popularity as a condiment. The soy industry has therefore looked for other ways to market the superabundance of soybeans now grown in the United States.

Large scale cultivation of the soybean in the United States began only after the Second World War, and quickly rose to 140 billion pounds per year. Most of the crop is made into animal feed, soy oil for hydrogenated fats margarine and shortening. During the past 20 years, the industry has concentrated on finding markets for the byproducts of soy oil manufacture, including soy "lecithin", made from the oil sludge, and soy protein products, made from defatted soy flakes, a challenge that has involved overcoming consumer resistance to soy products, generally considered tasteless "poverty foods".

"The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said a soy industry spokesman, " ... is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society." Hence the proliferation of soy products resembling traditional American foods-soy milk for cows milk, soy baby formula, soy yogurt, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy flour for baking and textured soy protein as meat substitutes, usually promoted as high protein, low-fat, no cholesterol "health foods" to the upscale consumer increasingly concerned about his health. The growth of vegetarianism among the more affluent classes has greatly accelerated the acceptability and use of these artificial products. Unfortunately they pose numerous dangers.

Processing Denatures and Dangers Remain

The production of soy milk is relatively simple. In order to remove as much of the trypsin inhibitor content as possible, the beans are first soaked in an alkaline solution. The pureed solution is then heated to about 115 degrees Centigrade in a pressure cooker. This method destroys most (but not all) of the anti-nutrients but has the unhappy side effect of so denaturing the proteins that they become very difficult to digest and much reduced in effectiveness. The phytate content remains in soy milk to block the uptake of essential minerals. In addition, the alkaline soaking solution produces a carcinogen, lysinealine, and reduces the cystine content, which is already low in the soybean. Lacking cystine, the entire protein complex of the soybean becomes useless unless the diet is fortified with cystine-rich meat, eggs, or dairy products.

Most soy products that imitate traditional American food items, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk, are made with soy protein isolate, that is the soy protein isolated from the carbohydrate and fatty acid components that naturally occur in the bean. Soy beans are first ground and subjected to high-temperature and solvent extraction processes to remove the oils. The resultant defatted meal is then mixed with an alkaline solution and sugars in a separation process to remove fiber. Then it is precipitated and separated using an acid wash. Finally the resultant curds are neutralized in an alkaline solution and spray dried at high temperatures to produce high protein powder.

This is a highly refined product in which both vitamin and protein quality are compromised-but some trypsin inhibitors remain, even after such extreme refining. Trypsin inhibitor content of soy protein isolate can vary as much as 5-fold. In rats, even low level trypsin inhibitor soy protein isolate feeding results in reduced weight gain compared to controls. Soy product producers are not required to state trypsin inhibitor content on labels, nor even to meet minimum standards, and the public, trained to avoid dietary cholesterol, a substance vital for normal growth and metabolism, has never heard of the potent anti-nutrients found in cholesterol-free soy products.

Soy Formula Is Not the Answer

Soy protein isolate is the main ingredient of soy-based infant formulas. Along with trypsin inhibitors, these formulas have a high phytate content. Use of soy formula has caused zinc deficiency in infants. Aluminum content of soy formula is 10 times greater than milk based formula, and 100 times greater than unprocessed milk. Aluminum has a toxic effect on the kidneys of infants, and has been implicated as cause in Alzheimer's in adults.

Soy milk formulas are often given to babies with milk allergy; but allergies to soy are almost as common as those to milk. Soy formulas lack cholesterol which is absolutely essential for the development of the brain and nervous system; they also lack lactose and galactose, which play an equally important role in the development of the nervous system. I would strongly discourage the use of soy formulas.

Nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens, are often found in soy protein foods, and are greatly increased during the high temperature drying process. Not surprisingly, animal feeding studies show a lower weight gain for rats on soy formula than those on whole milk, high-lactose formula; similar results have been observed in children on macrobiotic diets which include the use of soy milk and large amounts of whole grains. Children brought up on high-phytate diets tend to be thin and scrawny.

Fabricated Soy Foods

A final indignity to the original soy bean is high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to product textured vegetable protein (TVP). Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to TVP products to mask their strong "beany" taste, and impart the flavor of meat. Soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are used extensively in school lunch programs, commercial baked goods, diet beverages and fast food products. They are heavily promoted in third world countries and form the basis of many food give-away programs. These soy products greatly inhibit zinc and iron absorption; in test animals they cause enlarged organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver.

Human feeding tests to determine the cholesterol lowering properties of soy protein isolate have not shown them to be effective. Nevertheless, they are often promoted as having beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.

Cancer Preventing or Cancer Causing?

The food industry also touts soy products for their cancer preventing properties. Isoflavone aglycones are anticarcinogenic substances found in traditionally fermented soybean products. However, in non-fermented soy products such as tofu and soy milk, these isoflavones are present in an altered form as beta-glycoside conjugates, which have no anti-carcinogenic effect. Some researchers believe the rapid increase in liver and pancreatic cancer in Africa is due to the introduction of soy products there.

The fatty acid profile of the soybean includes large amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (compared to other pulses legumes); but these omega-3 fatty acids are particularly susceptible to rancidity when subjected to high pressures and temperatures. This is exactly what is required to remove oil from the bean, as soybean oil is particularly difficult to extract. Hexane or other solvents are always used to extract oil from soybeans, and traces remain in the commercial product.

While fermented soy products contain protein, vitamins, anti-carcinogenic substances and important fatty acids, they can under no circumstances be called nutritionally complete. Like all pulses, the soybean lacks vital sulfur-containing amino acids cystine and methionine. These are usually supplied by rice and other grains in areas where the soybean is traditionally consumed. Soy should never be considered as a substitute for animal products like meat or milk. Claims that fermented soy products like tempeh can be relied on as a source of vitamin B12, necessary for healthy blood and nervous system, have not been supported by scientific research.  Finally, soybeans do not supply all-important fat soluble vitamins D and preformed A (retinol) which act as catalysts for the proper absorption and utilization of all minerals and water soluble vitamins in the diet.

These "fat soluble activators" are found only in certain animal foods such as organ meats, butter, eggs, fish and shellfish. Carotenes from plant foods and exposure to sunlight are not sufficient to supply the body's requirements for vitamins A and D. Soy products often replace animal products in third world countries where intake of B12 and fat soluble A and D are already low. Soy products actually increase requirements for vitamins B12 and D.

Are soy products easy to digest, as claimed?

Fermented soy products probably are; but unfermented products with their cargo of phytates, enzyme inhibitors, rancid fatty acids and altered proteins most certainly are not. Pet food manufacturers promote soy free dog and cat food as "highly digestible"

Only Fermented Soy Products Are Safe

To summarize, traditional fermented soy products such as miso, natto and tempeh, which are usually made with organically grown soybeans, have a long history of use that is generally beneficial when combined with other elements of the Oriental diet including rice, sea foods, fish broth, organ meats and fermented vegetables. The value of precipitated soybean products is problematical, especially when they form the major source of protein in the diet. Modern soy products including soy milks and artificial meat and dairy products made from soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are new to the diet and pose a number of serious problems.

The above information was abstracted from an article written by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph.D. (an international expert renown in the field of lipid chemistry) for Health Freedom News in September of 1995.

from http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/08/26/amid_chinas_boom_pollution_reaches_deadly_extremes/

Amid China's boom, pollution reaches deadly extremes

By Joseph Kahn and Jim Yardley, New York Times News Service  |  August 26, 2007

BEIJING -- No country in history has emerged as a major industrial power without creating a legacy of environmental damage that can take decades and big dollops of public wealth to undo.

But just as the speed and scale of China's rise as an economic power have no clear parallel in history, so its pollution problem has shattered all precedents.

Environmental degradation is now so severe, with such stark domestic and international repercussions, that pollution poses not only a major long-term burden on the Chinese public but also an acute political challenge to the ruling Communist Party. And it is not clear that China can rein in its economic juggernaut.

Public health is reeling. Pollution has made cancer China's leading cause of death, the Ministry of Health says. Ambient air pollution alone is blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water.

Chinese cities often seem wrapped in a toxic gray shroud. Only 1 percent of the country's 560 million city dwellers breathe air considered safe by the European Union. Beijing is frantically searching for a magic formula, a meteorological deus ex machina, to clear its skies for the 2008 Olympics.

Environmental woes that might be considered catastrophic in some countries can seem commonplace in China: industrial cities where people rarely see the sun; children killed or sickened by lead poisoning or other types of local pollution; a coastline so swamped by algal red tides that large sections of the ocean no longer sustain marine life.

China is choking on its own success. The economy is on a historic run, posting double-digit growth rates. But the growth derives, now more than at any time in the recent past, from a staggering expansion of heavy industry and urbanization that requires colossal inputs of energy, almost all from coal, the most readily available, and dirtiest, source.

"It is a very awkward situation for the country because our greatest achievement is also our biggest burden," said Wang Jinnan, one of China's leading environmental researchers. "There is pressure for change, but many people refuse to accept that we need a new approach so soon."

China's problem has become the world's problem. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides spewed by China's coal-fired power plants fall as acid rain on Seoul and Tokyo. Much of the particulate pollution over Los Angeles originates in China, according to the Journal of Geophysical Research.

The International Energy Agency has said China could become the world's leading producer of greenhouse gases by the end of this year, and the Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency said China had already passed the milestone.

For the Communist Party, the political calculus is daunting. The country's authoritarian system is addicted to fast growth. Delivering prosperity placates the public, provides spoils for well-connected officials, and forestalls demands for political change. A major slowdown could incite social unrest, alienate business interests, and threaten the party's rule.

But pollution poses its own threat. Officials blame fetid air and water for thousands of episodes of social unrest. Healthcare costs have climbed sharply. Severe water shortages could turn more farmland into desert. And the unconstrained expansion of energy-intensive industries creates greater dependence on imported oil and dirty coal.

China's leaders are vowing to overhaul the growth-first philosophy of the Deng Xiaoping era and embrace a new model that allows for steady growth while protecting the environment.

Yet most of the government's targets for energy efficiency, as well as improving air and water quality, have gone unmet. And there are ample signs that the leadership is unwilling or unable to make fundamental changes. 

Fwd: [nebc] Re: World Champion?

When I learned an NEBC member won the World Bike Messenger Championships, I did some google research and found the following articles.  Each one in turn gets more descriptive and the last makes these Championships sound even more exciting than Cyclocross.
--pws


from Scott Brooks
Well, I waited a week, now I am going to out Peter Bradshaw.  A recent cat 2 upgrade from the men's team, Peter went to Ireland earlier this month to compete in the World Bike Messenger Championships.  From the snippets that I have heard, it was quite a competition.  Please congratulate Peter with me, and prod him for a race report!!!


from http://thepedalwrench.blogspot.com/2007/08/cycle-messenger-world-championship-2007.html

You make it to Dublin this year for the Bicycle Messenger World Championship? Yea neither did I, so vicariously we have to experience the phase through pics and vids posted on the WWW. Look to Canada next year for the event followed by in 2009 moving the CMWC all the way to Tokyo.

Congrats to Peter Bradshaw of Boston and Jaimie Lusk of Denver as the new Male and Female WORLD CHAMPS! Yea that's right both Americans! Thank goodness it wasn't held in France or of course French scientist would have "found" EPO in Peter's and Jaimie's urine. Check out the vid below.



from http://www.nybma.com/

Peter Bradshaw, VeloCity Winner, is now your world Champion

Kym P. takes 2nd (plus other prizes); Austin disqualified!

The americans took home their first World Championship at this year's Cycle Messenger World Championships in Dublin, Ireland. It was controversial though. The top three finishers were disqualified for various reasons. Had those DQ's not happened, America STILL would've taken home the championship, and it would've gone to New York's Austin Horse. As it was, the rules were the rules, and Dublin's organizers stuck to their decision. It's not NYBMA.com's place to speculate, challenge, or editorialize. Our intrepid reporter didn't even qualify for the rain-soaked, off-road, finals, and spent the day in museums instead. All of the conversation around the results is second-hand hearsay, and none of the sources have the same story anyway. The top prize couldn't have gone to a better person, and he GOT there by winning the New York leg of Squid's VeloCity tour!

from http://www.movingtargetzine.com/article/more-on-the-cmwc-xv-dqs

More on the CMWC XV DQs
13.08.07 by Buffalo Bill

This year's Cycle Messenger World Championships in Dublin was probably the wettest since Edmonton, the drunkest since, oh, the last one, and maybe the most controversial since the very first one in Berlin. As I pointed out before , it's not unusual to have one or even 2 disqualifications amongst the top 10 finishers. So when I left after the finish of the main race, I was not unduly surprised to have seen a possible double dq amongst the leading 3 men. However, I was a little surprised to find on my return to London that all top 3 male finishers had been dq-ed.

This left Peter Bradshaw of Boston as the Cycle Messenger World Champion (Male) 2007. I think he is a worthy champion. I heard from Steve C (SF) that Pete got right royally w&nkered that night, stripped to his waist in the rain and was last seen looking for his prizes and his messenger bag.

The official results of the final are here. All the results from the side-events are here (if you got myspace log in).

However, as I like a good stir, and I know that it wasn't only me that was curious about the DQs, I have decided to publish Gar's account of what he saw, and how Jumbo, Austin and he himself were binned from the final standings. If you read the messengers mailing list, I apologise for reprinting messages that have come from there. Anyway, here's Gareth's totally subjective, biased and unofficial account of how it happened. happened.

Let's call this story:

How I Came to Be World Champion For Less Than A Day

Sooooo, we had some notable d.q.'s this year in the main race final, with first, second and third over the line deemed by the lads to have all overstepped the mark in one way or another. And I've read with interest this week anonymous comments on various websites and forums (fora?) either dissing the Dublin crew or the guy who wound up with the winner bag. One idiot even hoped for a new potato famine to strike the auld sod in the event of Austin not being retrospectively awarded the title. I am going to find out who that one was from and ram spuds up his hole till he loves me , but only cos he's rooting for the wrong guy ha ha! Joke, joke .

Seriously though, what went down? It seems many people are unclear on this, and I'm kind of in the know, so briefly:

Austin: seen during the race travelling with arguably non-good intentions to a checkpoint in the wrong direction around the one-way course. A d.q. offence? According to the written rules, it would seem so. This said, having spotted him in the act myself, I (perhaps selfishly) decided that as long as he finished behind me, I wouldn't be too bothered. How much of the course he got to skip through his actions isn't immediately obvious to me, certainly a tough lap, possibly more.

Roughly, his defence was – "I was on foot". roughly my reply was – "this is a bike race, not a f&cking running race and it's taking place on a one-way f&cking course", but I think I cursed more.

Fact: if me and Jumbo got d.q.'d and Austin had bitten the bullet, done his proper laps, and not had punctures or any mishaps, he still would have finished ahead of the eventual recipient of the main race winner bag [Peter]. Had me and Jumbo not got d.q.'d, Austin could have done his laps and would still have probably been on the podium. We were all a good bit ahead of fourth [this would be the eventual winner, Peter – Ed].

Jumbo: repeatedly ignored requests from marshalls to park his bike in designated areas, repeatedly jumped over cordons instead of running around them, repeatedly displayed the manners of a pig in his dealings with checkpoint people when looking for stamps, pick-ups, his manifest back etc. A d.q. offence? On paper, yes. Politeness was an absolute minimum requirement when it came to time spent with volunteers (and rightly so in such weather – some of these people got colds and worse for our benefit) at Dublin; the organisers had it written on the list of rules in the registration pack, and in Rubber-side Down too, I think.

I would still [have retained] some small jot of sympathy for him. These complaints had been communicated from an early enough stage in the race but he was let ride his ass off (and in fairness he had nothing left in the tank on the last lap) to the finish before getting the bad news ha ha! When do we get to see him on youtube firing his bike into space like an olympic hammer thrower, then cracking wooden stakes in two against his head!? Somebody definitely got it .

(for what it's worth, he later expressed to me sincere, deep regret . . . for disrespecting . . . . . . . his fucking bike – no joke)

Me: got a look at the first manifest shortly before the race actually started. Took some hurried, sketchy, ultimately non-helpful notes on its nature. A d.q. offence? Not, it turns out, covered in the written rules. I was, however, later informed of certain unwritten rules regarding the "out of bounds"-ness of the course and its checkpoints before the start of the final. I wish now, of course, that these had been written down, or, at the very least, enforced.

Nor was it me who noted that the same manifest could be looked at on the start line before the race actually started by anyone caring to look at their nearest bike wheel.

Now, while the lads were satisfied that no advantage had been gained by my seeing it (I was way down the pecking order after the first manifest), they were by the same token not so satisfied that it if this all got out, say, it wouldn't among other things look like favouritism for a local boy, what with them having the previous day d.q.ed Austin and all. For about 20 hours Sunday going into Monday, I was semi-officially world champion. Is this a record? bill will know [20 hours is the longest that anyone has ever been a world champion semi-officially – Bill].

I pointed out that I had already two years ago made my peace with the notion that some people were always going to say something like that when faced with a good showing from me in dublin, no matter what , but the lads remained unmoved . . . ( insert smiley here as mood dictates )

So what's the upshot?

I don't know for sure. If I was ever again offered a sneak preview of a manifest, I think I'd still find it hard to avert my eyes.

I think Austin shouldn't have saved himself a lap, certainly not at my f&cking expense, and most certainly not on an unmissably fluorescent orange bike.

I think Jumbo could benefit from a few terms at a good finishing school, though it may already be too late.

I think we still don't have a winner (how self-involved does that sound? Of course we do, just not to my satisfaction, and I can be notoriously picky about these things ha ha! Well done Peter, and f&ck the begrudgers, me included), but my intention is to try to rectify that at toronto next year. Maybe.

I think I'm going to go see Transformers, then the Simpsons, then watch Dublin kick Derry's arse and hopefully West Ham do the same to Man City. In Dublin it's raining a lot worse than it was last week ;-).

grains and sugar weaken your immune system

Excerpt from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/07/27/echinacea-really-works.aspx

Boosting your own immune system, which is your toughest line of defense against cold viruses and other illnesses. The likelihood of you becoming a victim of the cold virus increases if you are overtired, stressed out, or eating an unhealthy diet, as all of these things can weaken your immune system.

To build your immune system to the point where it can easily fight off cold and flu viruses:

• Cut out grains and sugar from your diet (they weaken your immune system)
• Get plenty of sleep
• Exercise
• Keep your stress levels in check

These are all effective strategies -- especially when practiced in combination.

Now cutting out grains might seem extreme, and it certainly isn't for everyone.  However, if you are a protein nutritional type, or struggle with excess weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, there is a strong chance that you will benefit by significantly reducing or eliminating grains.  I know that seems like a radical statement, but that has been my experience.  I also know that if you are hooked on grains, this can be a very difficult choice.  It was for me, but once I did it, it became very easy.

Of course this, like any recommendation, needs to be individualized.  For example, if you are doing massive cardio workouts then you will certainly need extra carbs to balance your energy expenditures.  But generally speaking, limiting grains, even whole grains, is one of the best food choices you can make.

Researcher Discovers Anti-Viral Properties of Cinnamon

excerpt from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/07/30/researcher-discovers-anti-viral-properties-of-cinnamon-with-a-hint-from-the-bible.aspx

just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day was shown to significantly reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Cinnamon's other benefits include:

• Supporting digestive function
• Relieving congestion
• Relieving pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
• Anti-inflammatory compounds that may relieve arthritis
• Helping to prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
• It's a powerful anti-microbial agent that can kill E. coli and other bacteria

The Health Benefits of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Other Favorite Holiday Spices
Cinnamon Can Help Control Your Blood Sugar

Energy Bill Includes Bike Commuters

Wow!  I could actually get paid to ride my bike to work.
--pws

From: American Bicyclist Update

House Passes Energy Bill, Includes Bike Commuters

On August 4, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) joined a majority in the House of Representatives to pass landmark energy independence legislation that includes a provision to extend fringe benefits to bike commuters. The Commuter Benefit for bicyclists amends section 132(f) of the IRS code to include "bicycles" in the definition of transportation covered by fringe benefits. Included in the Ways and Means energy bill is a benefit of $20 per month for employees who bike to work. This is great news for cyclists.

 

GRILLED HALLOUMI equals Really Grilled Grilled Cheese

from http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2007/08/12/really_grilled_grilled_cheese/

COOKING

Really Grilled Grilled Cheese

Forget the bread - fire up the charcoal and cook up a batch of hot halloumi.

(Photo by Jim Scherer)

By Adam Ried  |  August 12, 2007

Ask an American "What is a grilled cheese?" and they'll tell you it is a sandwich with melted cheese and toasted bread. Ask the same question of a Cypriot, though, and the answer would likely be "halloumi."

Ha-what? Halloumi (pronounced "ha-LOO-mee") is a sheep's-milk cheese - or, sometimes, a sheep's- and goat's-milk cheese - from Cyprus made in a process similar to that used for mozzarella. The curd is submerged in hot liquid, which both heats and softens it, and then it's stretched. The result is a fairly firm, springy, low-moisture cheese that can be sliced, grated, and, most notably, grilled. On the grill, halloumi develops a rich, golden, flavorful crust, while the inside softens without melting. Bite into a slice of grilled halloumi, and it will squeak against your teeth.

The flavor is mild, salty, and a little tangy - assertive, yet less sharp than many fetas. Halloumi generally comes in half-pound pieces about the size and shape of an overstuff ed man's wallet. Around Boston, it is available at Formaggio Kitchen and Pemberton Farms, both in Cambridge, Sevan Bakery in Watertown, and at Whole Foods markets.

GRILLED HALLOUMI WITH LEMON AND HERBS
SERVES 4 AS AN APPETIZER

Lemon and dried oregano are a typical garnish for grilled halloumi, but fresh herbs taste livelier. Pita bread is a nice accompaniment, and it's even better if you throw it on the grill along with the cheese.

1/2 to 3/4 pound halloumi, patted dry with paper towels
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano, parsley, basil, or mint, or a combination
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. While the grill heats, stand the halloumi on end and cut it lengthwise into four planks, each 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick, then cut each plank in half crosswise. Brush both sides of the halloumi slices with olive oil and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning as necessary, until the cheese is grill-marked and deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer from the grill to a plate, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with chopped herbs, and serve hot with lemon wedges.

CYPRIOT SPIEDINI
SERVES 5

Spiedini, pieces of meat or fish grilled or broiled on a skewer, belong to Italian cuisine, but we are taking some cultural liberties with this appetizer by using halloumi in the mix. If you use bamboo skewers, soak them in water for an hour or so before putting them on the grill.

1/2 loaf crusty French or
Italian bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, each with some crust
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 pound halloumi, patted dry with paper towels and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano, parsley, basil, or mint, or a combination

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. While the grill heats, thread 10 skewers with bread cubes, cherry tomatoes, and cheese cubes, starting and ending with bread on each skewer. Brush liberally with olive oil and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning frequently, until bread and cheese are grill-marked and deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from grill, sprinkle with chopped herbs, and serve hot.

GRILLED HALLOUMI AND WATERMELON SALAD
SERVES 4

This salad is a riff on the classic combination of watermelon and feta. Not only do you have a sweet and salty flavor combination, you get contrasting hot and cold. On that note, keep the watermelon slices in the fridge, or even in the freezer, while you grill the halloumi.

1/2 to 3/4 pound halloumi, patted dry with paper towels
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound chunk watermelon, very cold, rind removed and flesh cut into pieces about
2 inches by 2 inches and 3/4-inch thick
1/4 sweet onion, such as Maui, Vidalia, or Walla Walla, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. While the grill heats, stand the halloumi on end and cut it lengthwise into four planks, each 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick, then cut each plank crosswise into quarters.

Brush both sides of halloumi slices with olive oil and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning as necessary, until cheese is grill-marked and deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, and working quickly, arrange on a large serving platter alternating with watermelon pieces to make a shingle pattern.

Sprinkle with sliced onion and mint, and serve immediately with lime wedges.

© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.

Diabetes clue found in bones

I believe the best way to control blood sugar level is to control what you eat.  But it sure is seductive to think scientists will develop a hormone-based medicine that normalizes our blood sugar level and prevents us from gaining weight even when we overeat.

And speaking of overeating, I spent 7 months losing 28 pounds for Fatty's B7 Challenge.  After my final weigh-in on August 1, I began a systematic program of overeating and gained 15 pounds in 11 days.  Time for me to start eating healthy again.
--pws

from http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2007/08/13/surprise_diabetes_clue_found_in_bones/

Surprise: Diabetes clue found in bones

By Alice Dembner, Globe Staff  |  August 13, 2007

As medicine struggles to halt the nation's diabetes epidemic, scientists have found a potential new weapon in the most unlikely place -- the skeleton.

Bone cells, they discovered, generate a hormone that helps regulate the body's metabolism. And the lack of that hormone appears to contribute to the development of diabetes.

The work, conducted in mice, has a long way to go before it could be used to help diabetics. But a previous study showed that the substance, called osteocalcin, is found in lower quantities in people with untreated type 2 diabetes, scientists said.

"One could hope and certainly we will test if it could be a treatment for type 2 diabetes," said Dr. Gerard Karsenty, senior author of the paper in Cell magazine and chairman of the department of genetics and development at Columbia University Medical Center. "What makes osteocalcin attractive is that we all have it in our bodies and we tolerate it very well."

The study, which is the first to provide evidence for a skeletal hormone, is generating excitement among diabetes researchers. But they cautioned that it is only one of a number of substances that appear to interact to control blood sugar in the body, and scientists must learn much more before osteocalcin could be considered a medicine.

"It has opened up a new area" of research, said Dr. C. Ronald Kahn, head of obesity research at the Joslin Diabetes Center, who was not involved in the work. "But it's so unexpected, it's going to take a number of studies to figure out if this applies to humans."

In type 2 diabetes, sugar can rise to dangerous levels in the blood because the body loses sensitivity to insulin and may eventually not produce enough insulin. The body needs insulin to move digested food into cells to fuel activities. About 20 million Americans have this type of diabetes, which can lead to serious complications or death if not properly treated.

Scientists have known for years that osteocalcin is produced by osteoblasts, cells that help build bone. But the Columbia researchers are the first to show that it is also an endocrine hormone -- a substance that acts through the bloodstream to affect metabolism.

In their experiments, they inactivated mouse genes that produce osteocalcin. The osteocalcin-deficient mice grew abnormally fat and developed symptoms of diabetes, even when eating a normal diet. When the researchers gave the mice osteocalcin, the rodents' blood sugar normalized. Presence of the hormone also prevented mice from gaining weight when they overate.

Karsenty said the hormone appears to work in multiple ways to counter diabetes: it increases the body's production of the pancreatic cells that make insulin, it directly increases the secretion of insulin, it enhances the body's sensitivity to insulin, and it reduces storage of fat. No drug on the market carries that kind of punch.

Kahn called that multiple effect "particularly striking" and one of the goals for any new treatment. But another specialist, Dr. Michael A. Lazar, director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania, said two of those effects seem contradictory and raise questions that need to be explained.

Typically, he said, if the body becomes more sensitive to insulin, other mechanisms would kick in to shut off insulin production and vice versa. That makes it important to understand how osteocalcin interacts with other hormones as a next step, he said.

The diabetes specialists said that mice have proved to be a useful model for learning about human metabolism because of many similarities in genes, hormones, and functions. In this case, one of the genes that affects osteocalcin function in mice is not active in humans, but Karsenty said he believes there are other genes that serve the same purpose.

Karsenty, however, acknowledged "the possibility that osteocalcin function has been lost in evolution" and is not present in people.

The next steps, he said, are to study its effect in monkeys and then in humans over the next few years.

Karsenty's group discovered the new bone-based hormone because they were looking for the symmetry that often exists in the body. They knew that most hormones are part of a feedback loop and that a fat cell hormone called leptin helps controls bone mass. So they searched for a corresponding bone hormone that controls fat, and found osteocalcin.

"As proof of the concept that the skeleton makes molecules that act as hormones, this is the first of its kind, convincing and interesting," said Lazar. "It adds another candidate to the list . . . that could help us combat diabetes. But it's premature to be giving osteocalcin injections at this time."

Alice Dembner can be reached at Dembner@globe.com.  

© Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

What a surprise!  The chemical industry disagrees with scientists that claim plastic is harming people.
Should we throw out all our Gladware plastic storage containers?  What about water bottles?
--pws

from http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2007/08/13/federal_panel_issues_warning_on_chemical_found_in_plastic?mode=PF

Federal panel issues warning on chemical found in plastic

By Marla Cone, Los Angeles Times  |  August 13, 2007

A federal panel of scientists concluded last week that an estrogen-like compound in plastic could be posing some risk to the brain development of babies and children.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is found in low levels in virtually every human. A component of polycarbonate plastic, it can leach from baby bottles and other hard plastic beverage containers, the linings of food cans, and other consumer products.

Culminating months of scientific debate, the decision by the 12 advisers of the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction -- part of the National Institutes of Health -- is the first official, government action related to the chemical. Their recommendation will be reviewed for a federal report that could lead to regulations restricting one of the most used chemicals.

The scientists ranked their concerns about BPA, concluding they had "some concern" about neurological and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children, but "minimal" or "negligible" concern about reproductive effects. The findings put the panel roughly in the middle of the debate between the chemical industry, which has long said there is no evidence of danger to humans, and environmental activists and scientists who say it is probably harming people.

No study has looked for effects in people exposed to the plastic products, which have contained BPA for 50 years.

For fetuses, pregnant women, infants, and children, the panel reported there was "some concern that exposure to bisphenol A causes neural and behavioral effects." In studies of newborn animals, low doses of BPA cause structural changes in the brain that trigger learning deficits and hyperactivity.

For adults, they reported "negligible concern about adverse reproductive effects."

John Bucher, associate director of the National Toxicology Program, which oversees the reproductive health center, said the panel gave the most weight to neurological effects in children, infants, and fetuses because studies consistently have found those effects when newborn animals are exposed to low doses similar to what people encounter. Bucher said that because the science remains uncertain, it is up to individuals to decide whether they want to avoid products containing BPA.

"To me, we're still in that stage of scratching around at the surface of this issue," he said.

Two of the panel's scientists are from private pharmaceutical companies, six from universities, and two from federal agencies. The panel was chaired by Robert Chapin, head of developmental toxicology at Pfizer Inc. 

© Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
 

from http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/08/11/frances_model_healthcare_system/

 

France's model healthcare system

By Paul V. Dutton
August 11, 2007

MANY advocates of a universal healthcare system in the United States look to Canada for their model. While the Canadian healthcare system has much to recommend it, there's another model that has been too long neglected. That is the healthcare system in France.

Although the French system faces many challenges, the World Health Organization rated it the best in the world in 2001 because of its universal coverage, responsive healthcare providers, patient and provider freedoms, and the health and longevity of the country's population. The United States ranked 37.

The French system is also not inexpensive. At $3,500 per capita it is one of the most costly in Europe, yet that is still far less than the $6,100 per person in the United States.

An understanding of how France came to its healthcare system would be instructive in any renewed debate in the United States.

That's because the French share Americans' distaste for restrictions on patient choice and they insist on autonomous private practitioners rather than a British-style national health service, which the French dismiss as "socialized medicine." Virtually all physicians in France participate in the nation's public health insurance, Sécurité Sociale.

Their freedoms of diagnosis and therapy are protected in ways that would make their managed-care-controlled US counterparts envious. However, the average American physician earns more than five times the average US wage while the average French physician makes only about two times the average earnings of his or her compatriots. But the lower income of French physicians is allayed by two factors. Practice liability is greatly diminished by a tort-averse legal system, and medical schools, although extremely competitive to enter, are tuition-free. Thus, French physicians enter their careers with little if any debt and pay much lower malpractice insurance premiums.

Nor do France's doctors face the high nonmedical personnel payroll expenses that burden American physicians. Sécurité Sociale has created a standardized and speedy system for physician billing and patient reimbursement using electronic funds.

It's not uncommon to visit a French medical office and see no nonmedical personnel. What a concept. No back office army of billing specialists who do daily battle with insurers' arcane and constantly changing rules of payment.

Moreover, in contrast to Canada and Britain, there are no waiting lists for elective procedures and patients need not seek pre-authorizations. In other words, like in the United States, "rationing" is not a word that leaves the lips of hopeful politicians. How might the French case inform the US debate over healthcare reform?

National health insurance in France stands upon two grand historical bargains -- the first with doctors and a second with insurers.

Doctors only agreed to participate in compulsory health insurance if the law protected a patient's choice of practitioner and guaranteed physicians' control over medical decision-making. Given their current frustrations, America's doctors might finally be convinced to throw their support behind universal health insurance if it protected their professional judgment and created a sane system of billing and reimbursement.

French legislators also overcame insurance industry resistance by permitting the nation's already existing insurers to administer its new healthcare funds. Private health insurers are also central to the system as supplemental insurers who cover patient expenses that are not paid for by Sécurité Sociale. Indeed, nearly 90 percent of the French population possesses such coverage, making France home to a booming private health insurance market.

The French system strongly discourages the kind of experience rating that occurs in the United States, making it more difficult for insurers to deny coverage for preexisting conditions or to those who are not in good health. In fact, in France, the sicker you are, the more coverage, care, and treatment you get. Would American insurance companies cut a comparable deal?

Like all healthcare systems, the French confront ongoing problems. Today French reformers' number one priority is to move health insurance financing away from payroll and wage levies because they hamper employers' willingness to hire. Instead, France is turning toward broad taxes on earned and unearned income alike to pay for healthcare.

American advocates of mandates on employers to provide health insurance should take note. The link between employment and health security is a historical artifact whose disadvantages now far outweigh its advantages. Economists estimate that between 25 and 45 percent of the US labor force is now job-locked. That is, employees make career decisions based on their need to maintain affordable health coverage or avoid exclusion based on a preexisting condition.

Perhaps it's time for us to take a closer look at French ideas about healthcare reform. They could become an import far less "foreign" and "unfriendly" than many here might initially imagine.

Paul V. Dutton is associate professor of history at Northern Arizona University and author of "Differential Diagnoses: A Comparative History of Health Care Problems and Solutions in the United States and France," which will be published in September.  

© Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company
 

Fwd: the bloodletting begins...

from http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13071.0.html

Discovery gives up sponsor hunt

Armstrong: 'Things need to improve before you would see us venture back into cycling'

By Charles Pelkey
editor, VeloNews.com

Filed: August 10, 2007

Despite one of the sport's most impressive win records, the U.S.-based Discovery Channel team has failed in efforts to secure a new title sponsor and will cease operations at the end of the season.

Tour winner Alberto Contador was fending off doping allegations in Madrid, as Discovery was folding up its tent in Austin.

photo: Agence France Presse - 2007

Tailwind Sports, the parent company of the team, announced Friday that the program will end with the 2007 cycling season. Tailwind officials were apparently unable to parlay a series of eight Tour de France victories over nine years into a satisfactory sponsorship arrangement.

"Tailwind has had an amazing 10 years of success with U.S. Postal and more recently Discovery Channel as its title sponsor. This is arguably the most successful sports franchise in the history of sport," general manager Bill Stapleton was quoted as saying in a release issued Friday morning.

"This was a difficult decision, not made any easier by our recent Tour de France success," Stapleton added. "We were in talks with a number of companies about the opportunity and were confident a new sponsor was imminent. We have chosen, however, to end those discussions."

Tailwind spokesman PJ Rabice told VeloNews Friday morning that the decision was not based on "a failure to find a new sponsor."

Rabice declined to elaborate, but promised additional information later in the day.

A hunt in a difficult environment
Tailwind had been looking for a sponsor since February when a management shakeup at Discovery Channel ended with the television network announcing plans to end its support of the team. The firing of company CEO Billy Campbell, a strong advocate of the sponsorship, signaled the end of corporate support for the team and the announcement followed within days of the changes at company headquarters.

"This would not have happened if Billy Campbell was still there," Stapleton said in February. "This is about their change in management."

Stapleton and team director Johan Bruyneel had reportedly been close to signing sponsors on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, in a year punctuated by doping scandals, many potential sponsors might have been scared away by the risk of becoming mired in controversy.

One of the team's biggest strategic errors came late last year when Stapleton and Bruyneel signed 2006 Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso to a contract, despite the fact that he was still under investigation in the on-going Operación Puerto case. Basso later left the team, admitted to some involvement in the matter and was suspended from the sport for two years. Discovery's Campbell was also a big supporter of the Basso signing.

Indeed, Puerto suspicions have dogged the team ever since and, as Tailwind was issuing the announcement from Texas, Bruyneel and 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador were meeting with reporters in Madrid in an effort to fend off allegations that the Spanish rider, too, had been involved in the Puerto case.

Bruyneel, who signed on as director with the team in 1999, said the decision to close shop was not easy.

"When I came to direct this team in 1999 I never would have imagined that we could achieve this level of success. It was an amazing time in my life and the lives of all the staff and riders associated with this team," Bruyneel said in a statement released by Tailwind.

"I'm going to miss the staff, riders and the excitement of the races, but not all the infighting between the teams. This team has become my family and it is very sad to think that we will not be together next season. 2007 has been our most successful season ever and I expect the remainder of the season to continue on that same path."

A long history
The Tailwind program dates back to 1989, when the company ran the Sunkyong amateur team. In 1992, with the support of financier Thomas Weisel, the team made the transition to the professional ranks with Subaru-Montgomery.

In 1996, just as the old Motorola program faded out of existence, the U.S. Postal Service began a nine-year sponsorship run that moved Tailwind's little Subaru team up to Division 1 status (the predecessor to the current ProTour rank) and included six of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins.

Armstrong's seventh and final Tour victory came in 2005, when the team began operating under the Discovery Channel title. The team is also credit with Roberto Heras's 2003 overall victory at the Vuelta a España and Paolo Savoldelli's 2005 Giro d'Italia win.

Armstrong said Friday that the disbanding of an otherwise-successful ProTour team might be indicative of systemic problems in the sport.

"I do not think you have seen the last of this organization in the sport, but clearly things need to improve on many levels, with a more unified front, before you would see us venture back into cycling," Armstrong said in the team's release.

History, however, may be repeating itself in that as Discovery's fortunes fade, another U.S. team - operated by Slipstream Sports - is poised to step up its program in Europe.

Winding down
The Discovery team will continue to participate in the remaining events in this year's ProTour calendar and a selection of domestic events, including the upcoming Tour of Missouri.

Bruyneel confirmed Friday that he plans to leave cycling entirely at the end of the year.

"I've achieved everything that I could in the sport," the 43-year-old Bruyneel told AFP in Madrid. "I've always said that I wanted to stop on top and I think it's the right time."

Hincapie visits with T-Mobile manager Bob Stapleton at this year's Tour of California.

photo: Casey B. Gibson

The team's riders, who represent a considerable talent pool, will certainly be the subject of serious offers from other teams. American Levi Leipheimer, who began his European career as a member of the old Postal team, moved to Rabobank, Gerolsteiner and then back to Discovery, is likely to land on his feet. Contador, however, will need to quickly address the Puerto allegations if he hopes to secure a solid contract.

At least one rider - U.S. national road champion George Hincapie - has already found a new team for 2008. Hincapie is said to have signed a deal with the T-Mobile team, run by American telecommunications entrepreneur Bob Stapleton (no relation to Bill). In contrast, the T-Mobile team got good news this week, when its title sponsor, Deutsche Telekom, reaffirmed its support through 2010.

interval training results in more fat burned

The previous article I posted, said burn more fat by riding longer.  This article says burn more fat by doing shorter intervals with breaks in between.  Which is it?  Maybe both burn fat.  Who knows?
--Phillip

Want to Burn More Fat During Exercise? Take a Break

from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/07/20/want-to-burn-more-fat-during-exercise-take-a-break.aspx  

Allowing time for a rest period during your workout burns more fat than exercising for one continuous session, according to a Japanese study that could change the way we look at exercise.

The unprecedented study compared the workout sessions of seven healthy men with an average age of 25. Their respiratory gas and heart rate were monitored, and blood samples taken, while they performed the following scenarios:

• A 60-minute workout on a cycling machine, followed by a 60-minute rest period (single)
• Two 30-minute workouts on a cycling machine with a 20-minute rest in between, and a 60-minute recovery period at the end (repeated)
• A 60-minute rest period (for control purposes)

It was found that the participants had a greater amount of fat breakdown, or lipolysis, during the repeated session than the single session.

Meanwhile, the repeated trial caused a greater increase in free fatty acids and glycerol, which are released when stored fat is burned, than did the single trial. Also during the repeated session, levels of epinephrine increased and levels of insulin decreased much more than during the single session -- a combination that may have further contributed to fat breakdown.

Current recommendations by The American College of Sports Medicine to exercise for a duration of 45 to 60 minutes may therefore not be the most effective, the researchers say. Splitting up a longer exercise session with a rest period may be more beneficial, helping people to better manage and control their weight.

Journal of Applied Physiology 102(6):2158-64 June 2007

Science Blog July 18, 2007

Dr Mercola's Comments:

The evidence continues to mount that shorter bursts of activity with rest periods in between is one of the most effective ways to exercise. This alternating technique, known as interval training or high-intensity interval training, has been around for decades but is experiencing newfound popularity as its benefits are publicized.

This most recent study confirmed that interval training results in more fat burned -- even when the session was not done at an extremely high intensity -- and a study earlier this year found that it can improve your cardiovascular fitness and your body's ability to burn fat.

During my college years, and about 15 years after that, I used to do interval training, but stopped it and just did endurance training since I haven't regularly competed for 15 years. I had no idea that the interval training had so many other benefits.

Now however, as the benefits of interval training keep pouring in,  I have been reawakened to the importance of short bursts of activity done at a very high intensity to reach your optimum level of fitness. Therefore, I now incorporate interval training (sprints) with endurance cardio training (running), pull-ups, dips and singles tennis (when I can find someone to join me!) You certainly don't have to run to achieve these benefits, and can receive similar effects using properly supervised weight training.

I believe that incorporating interval training into your exercise routine will be a welcome relief for most, particularly those who dread hour-long cardio workouts.

Although interval training requires intense periods of exercise (more intense than you may have normally done), the session is broken up with periods of rest, so it really goes by much faster yet produces excellent results.  This technique should help just about everyone who uses it;  just be sure to start out at your own pace.

So remember, along with some endurance cardio training, be sure you are also incorporating interval-type training and strength training into your exercise routine.  As with many things in life, when it comes to exercise, having some variety built in will help you to get the most comprehensive results for your mind and body.

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