State.....

My journey to State is going to be over. Day after tomorrow early in the morning im heading to Baltimore airport.
30 days stay in Washington DC was fun but more directed to came over with my officials. Next time... would be a longer experience to be as a permanent.

Salad sprouts are an easy way to upgrade a salad, a sandwich, wrap, or stir fry with extra nutrients and texture. It's been years since I sprouted a mung bean myself but I'm getting the habit again - partly because I can't always find salad sprouts in the shops when I need them - or when I do they're not stored where they're meant to be: in the fridge.
Sprouted beans like mung beans, chick peas and lentils have good things going for them - besides boosting their nutrient content, the sprouting process also makes them less wind-producing than unsprouted beans. The megastars of the sprout world are broccoli sprouts - researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the US have estimated that three day old broccoli sprouts contain 20 to 50 times the cancer fighting compounds as mature broccoli (great news for non-lovers of broccoli - compared to the vegetable itself, sprouts have a much milder taste). Meanwhile the anti- cancer potential of radish seeds may be even higher, according to Australian research from the Department of Primary Industries in Queensland. So where do you start if you want to grow your own?

-Soak your seeds/legumes in water . Alison suggests using a wide mouthed glass jar and filling up to one third of it with seeds. Fit a piece of mesh (or muslin/ curtain netting) over the mouth of the jar with a rubber band. Soak for 12 hours. Rinse three or four times, then discard the water. Find a cool place out of the sun to keep your jar tilted downwards at an angle (just prop it against something), so that air gets into the jar. Cover with tea-towel - seeds need darkness to germinate.

- Rinse seeds twice a day with fresh water. This is important. Seeds - like lots of other things - play host to good and bad bacteria. But regular rinsing with water oxygenates the seeds, preventing the bad bugs from growing, says Peter Rutherford. Missing a rinse can encourage bugs to grow. Use your nose as a guide - if the sprout 'farm' smells bad, toss it.

- When the sprouts are ready give them a final rinse. Store in the fridge in a plastic or glass container with a lid - put a layer of kitchen paper on the bottom of the container. Sprouting time depends on what you're sprouting -as a rough guide, chick peas can take as little as two days, lentils and mung beans two to four days, adzuki beans (small dark red beans about the size of a mung bean) around four days, and broccoli, alfalfa and fenugreek about seven days - the smaller the seed, the longer sprouting takes.

To sprout almonds - which become softer and sweeter with sprouting, and are wonderful in salads - just soak for 48 hours, changing the water every 12 hours, and they're done. Don't wait until they grow a 'tail' like other sprouts - otherwise they'll be too bitter.

How do you tame a food craving?

"If I crave a certain food, I can't rest until I have it," declared a friend, gripped by an urgent need for sushi rolls last weekend. "I can eat ten different foods to try and pacify the craving, but unless it's the food I really want, the craving won't go away."
Food cravings are common and while they're probably not a problem for most people, they can derail attempts to lose weight, says Professor Marika Tiggemann of the School of Psychology at Flinders University in Adelaide. Tiggemann and co- researcher Dr Eva Kemps are working on ways to help overweight people cope with cravings. What they've learned so far is that seeing mental images of the food or imagining yourelf eating it are an important part of cravings - but if you can somehow disrupt the mental imagery you can decrease the craving.
Tiggemann and Kemp's research, published in the June Issue of the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that rather than actively trying not to think about the food you crave, it's better to focus on an image of something completely different. "Instead of trying not to think about chocolate, we found it was better if people imagined a completely different object - like a rose, for instance," Tiggemann says.
There's no one explanation for what causes cravings, she explains. Some can be physically based like the cravings women sometimes get in pregnancy or before a period that are thought to be related to hormones.
"Cravings can also be caused by a nutrient deficiency - though these are less likely in our society," she adds. "Sometimes they're related to depression, but often cravings emerge spontaneously - they just come into your head."They are linked to restraint though - which may explain why chocolate is the most craved food - in our society at least.
"We crave it because it's delicious, but because we think we shouldn't eat much of it, we restrict it - and restricting things can make you crave them more," she says.
While there are women who pine for pizza and men who yearn for ice cream, women typically crave sweet foods while men are more likely to crave something salty and fatty. But it's also possible to crave healthier foods like salmon, a roast - or a sushi roll.
Other strategies for taming problem cravings? Some people find it helps to avoid the foods that trigger their cravings, or to have a healthier, less kilojoule dense version of the food they crave - like wholegrain bread with a little honey rather than cake. Or, given that restriction can be part of the problem, adds Marika Tiggemann, eating just a small amount of the food you want so badly may be enough to put a craving to rest.

can you skip dairy products and still get enough calcium?

Last year the recommended daily intake (RDI) for calcium took an upward turn. The guidelines are now 1000mg daily for men and women and higher still for teenagers, women past menopause and men over 70 who all need 1300mg a day. But while reaching these targets is possible with plenty of dairy products - 250 ml of calcium rich milk (around 350mg calcium), a tub of yoghurt (around 300mg), and a couple of slices of cheese (around 300mg) - how easy is it if you don't eat dairy products for some reason?

It helps if you're into sardines and salmon - thanks to their edible bones, 100g of sardines delivers around as much calcium as a serve of milk (and a dose of healthy omega-3 fat too) and 100mg red salmon provides another 200mg. But given that most of us don't stir sardines into our coffee, there's a limit to how much canned fish you can pack into one day. Being a vegan shrinks the options even further - so what other good sources of bone boosting calcium are there to eat?

The easiest way is with calcium-fortified soy products, says Sydney dietitian Kate Marsh - many have calcium contents similar to regular dairy milk and yoghurt (but check the label because the content can vary).

"Three to four serves of these daily (e.g. soy milk on cereal, a tub of soy yoghurt as a snack and a glass of soy milk before bed) could meet most people's calcium needs," says Marsh, an Accredited Practising Dietitian and co-author of the Low GI Vegetarian Cookbook (Hachette Livre) "There's also calcium-fortified rice milk for those who don't eat soy."

But even without these soy or rice products, there are other calcium sources, she says - and with the RDIs for calcium now so high, it's worth knowing where else to find this mineral, even if you do eat dairy foods. Some of her picks are:

-Dried figs - five figs deliver almost 200mg calcium - and almonds (1/4 cup has 70mg).

-Tofu is a good source of calcium if it's set with calcium sulphate (around 150mg per 100g)

-2 slices of wholegrain toast with 2 tablespoons of almond butter has about 120mg calcium.

- Green vegetables that are good calcium sources include broccoli (1 cup cooked = around 94mg); 1 cup of bok choy, cooked = about 150mg; a cup of kale (if you can get it), cooked = around 179mg.

- 1 medium orange = 50mg calcium.

If you find it hard to get enough calcium via food, should you take a supplement?
Athough it's best to get calcium in food (because food has other nutrients), research suggests that calcium from supplements is absorbed as well as calcium from cow's milk says Marsh.

"It's best taken with food in doses of 600mg or less because you can only absorb so much at a time. If you were taking two 600mg tablets daily, for example, take one at breakfast and the other at dinner. "

What things affect how much calcium you absorb - or lose?
Some research suggests a high intake of animal protein may increase calcium excretion - although the link between protein and calcium isn't clear, says Marsh. "Salt can also increase calcium loss, while alcohol, caffeine and soft drinks can all have a negative effect on calcium balance. Smoking also increases the risk of osteoporosis, though we don't know why," she says. "But potassium (in fruits, vegetables and wholegrains) can help - some studies show that increased fruit and vegetable intake is linked to better bone density and reduced bone loss."

Healthy bones also need vitamin D (without it, your body can't use calcium). Getting older reduces your ability to make vitamin D from sun - if you're over 50 or spend little time in the sun, you may need a vitamin D3 supplement. And don't forget weight bearing exercise - including strength training - essential for strong bones.

Are soy foods safe?
Most of the concern over soy has been for concentrated soy supplements, not foods, points out Marsh. "In general, research has shown many benefits from eating soy products including a lower risk of heart disease and some types of cancer.Having said that, it's not a good idea for anyone to eat too much of any one food - eating a wide variety of foods is an important part of healthy eating for everyone, whether they're vegetarian, vegan or otherwise. This applies to soy products as it does for other foods - vegetarians should get protein from a range of plant foods - legumes, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and soy products."

For more information about calcium foods go to Osteoporosis Australia at
http://www.osteoporosis.org.au/files/factsheets/OTH-7665-ENG.pdf or the Vegan Resource Group at http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm

A bad news week for bacon - but diet drinks and coffee in the clear

Things looked bleak for lovers of big breakfasts last week when the World Cancer Research Fund delivered its verdict on the link between cancer and bacon, but not all the news in this report was bad. While the media homed in on the increased risk of cancer from processed meats and alcohol, this epic report that reviewed 7,000 studies of diet, exercise, weight and cancer did have its positive side - coffee, for instance, was unlikely to 'have a substantial effect on cancer', it said.

Artificial sweeteners like saccharin, cyclamates and aspartame were let off the hook too - at least in terms of cancer. These sweeteners have been under suspicion for years, but although research has found that very high doses of artificial sweeteners, especially saccharin, increased bladder cancer in animals, the report points out that the studies used huge amounts that were far greater than anything humans would normally consume in food and drinks. What's more, the evidence from epidemiological studies (meaning studies of disease trends in different populations) shows no detectable effect on cancer risk, it concluded.

But back to breakfast. If you're looking for something to replace bacon with your eggs, you could do worse than cooked tomatoes: they're rich in carotenoids - the plant pigments also found in orange and yellow fruit and veg, spinach and Asian greens, and which the WCRF report says probably lower the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and lung. And stir in some crushed garlic too - likely to help prevent bowel and stomach cancer. Other good news?

-Foods containing folate - think liver, spinach, beans, broccoli, oranges, cos lettuce, avocado, asparagus and paw paw - get the thumbs up for probably protecting against cancer of the pancreas.

- Onions, chives, leeks - and more garlic may help prevent stomach cancer.

- Selenium, a mineral found in brazil nuts, sunflower seeds and fish probably protects against prostate cancer.

-Dairy products? A mixed verdict here - while milk probably lowered the risk of bowel cancer, the
report said, there was some evidence that diets high in calcium were a probable cause of prostate cancer.

By the way, if you want to replace bacon at breakfast, cooked mushrooms are hard to beat because of their strong flavour and meaty texture. They also make a good substitute in recipes - like pasta sauces - that include bacon.

Writer:Paula Goodyer

How to give yourself cancer in five easy steps

Here's an article launched by Mike Adams in news target, I found it useful. Please spend a few minutes and review your habits.

About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a maker of energy efficient LED lights that greatly reduce CO2 emissions. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a veteran of the software technology industry, having founded a personalized mass email software product used to deliver email newsletters to subscribers. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and pursues hobbies such as Pilates, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org

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Following with our ever-popular series on "How to Get Disease," this article discusses how to give yourself a raging case of cancer. It could be breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer or even something like leukemia. By following the instructions in this article, you can give yourself almost any form of cancer desirable and if you pursue these strategies to their fullest potential, you could end up with several different forms of cancer all at once. So, let's get started and learn how to give yourself cancer.

If you're aiming for a raging case of cancer, the first thing you've got to do is start consuming food ingredients that actually promote cancer. One of the most powerful cancer-promoting food ingredients of all is called sodium nitrate. This is an ingredient that is added to virtually all packaged meat products including hot dogs, pepperoni, ham, lunchmeat and other similar products. You'll also find it in bacon, sausages and most breakfast meats. It's listed right on the ingredients labels of all of these foods. In order to find sodium nitrate, all you have to do is walk around the grocery store, read the ingredients labels of various packaged meat products and purchase those products that contain it. Then, consume them on a frequent basis and before long, you will greatly increase your odds of being diagnosed with cancer.

There are other ingredients that are suspected of causing cancer. These include hydrogenated oils, aspartame, saccharin and artificial colors, to name a few. A diet that is very high in refined carbohydrates has also been clinically shown to increase your odds of being diagnosed with cancer, so be sure to get plenty of these foods in your pro-cancer diet. That means chowing down on white bread, sweetened breakfast cereals, white fluffy pancakes, candy bars, granola bars, cookies, crackers and sweets of all kinds.

The next thing you can do to give yourself cancer is one of the more obvious things: take up a smoking habit. The more you smoke, the more likely you are to get cancer, especially if you're eating cancer-causing foods and ingredients as discussed above. By smoking, you will multiply the carcinogenic effect of everything else in your life. Before long, you will succeed in your goal at being diagnosed with cancer.

If you'd like to move things along a little more quickly, you can also stay out of all sunlight and use plenty of sun block and sunscreen any time you go outside. This will prevent natural sunlight from touching your skin. Now, how will this give you cancer? It turns out that natural sunlight is powerful prevention for cancer. People who get plenty of natural sunlight have a greatly reduced risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, breast cancer and many other disorders that aren't cancer-related such as osteoporosis and mental depression. By staying out of the sun or using sun block and sunscreen every time you're under the sun, you can prevent your body from preventing cancer, thereby giving yourself a much greater risk for cancer with each passing day. If you find it difficult to avoid the sun, just get a night shift job where you work all night and sleep all day. That's a hugely successful pro-cancer strategy.

Another thing you can do is avoid all physical exercise. It turns out that moving your body helps you prevent cancer. Part of the reason is that body movement moves lymph fluid around, and this is an important function of your immune system that fights cancerous cells. If you refrain from all body movement, you will hamper your body's ability to fight off cancer, thereby further increasing your odds of being diagnosed with this chronic disease.

One thing to keep in mind in all of this is that everybody has cancer right now. In other words, there are cancerous cells in the human body of every person who is living and breathing right now, at this very moment. All you have to do to get diagnosed with cancer is make sure your immune system is sufficiently suppressed so that your body can't take care of the cancerous cells on a regular basis. In other words, if you destroy your immune system function through poor nutrition, nutrient depletion, smoking, lack of sunlight and lack of physical exercise, then it won't be able to do its job of cleaning up cancerous cells around the body and as a result, cancer will become a full-blown disease in no time.

In fact, all of these strategies for giving yourself cancer have one thing in common: the suppression of your natural immune system. Now, if you've been following along and you don't have cancer yet from doing everything mentioned here, and you want to increase your odds even further, the very best thing you can do is actually get chemotherapy or radiation therapy. All you have to do is go to an oncologist and tell them that you think you have cancer, and they may find some reason to put you on chemotherapy or radiation therapy. These therapies do such an outstanding job of destroying the human immune system that you might find yourself experiencing multiple cases of cancer at various sites throughout your body in the subsequent months and years. Chemotherapy is perhaps the most effective method known to modern science for destroying the human immune system other than working at Chernobyl during a nuclear accident. So, if you’re looking to contract cancer as quickly as possible, make sure that you get chemotherapy into your life as early as you can.

By combining all of these strategies, you should be able to give yourself cancer without much effort on your part and without having to wait too long. After all, it would be a shame to die from natural causes and not have the opportunity to "invest" in the R&D efforts of pharmaceutical companies who peddle anti-cancer drugs.

Are you crazy?

You might be asking me, "Why on earth am I writing an article that tells people how to give themselves cancer?" The answer is because virtually all Americans are following this plan right now, today. They are giving themselves cancer step by step by using precisely the detailed plan that I have outlined here. And when they are suddenly diagnosed with cancer, they have a puzzled look on their faces and ask, "Gee, why do I have cancer?" The answer is because they've been following the cancer plan as outlined in this article -- all the foods they've eaten, their lifestyle choices, lack of exercise, lack of sunlight, smoking habits and reliance on chemotherapy and other radical western medical procedures has, in fact, accelerated their cancer and put them in the position they're in today.

All I've really done here in this article is described the plan most Americans are already following. This is the pro-cancer plan that's actually promoted by brand-name food manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and most of conventional medicine. For example, how many doctors are still screaming for people to avoid sunlight like it was the plague? Practically all of them, last time I checked. It's almost as if the entire medical community actually wanted the population to get cancer. Sadly, the entire anti-cancer campaign of conventional medicine seems to be limited to three words: "Don't smoke tobacco."

Of course, most individuals aren't really interested in contracting cancer. They'd rather prevent cancer or even reverse cancer, and now after learning how to give yourself cancer, the process for avoiding that is fairly straightforward: don't do any of the things that have been mentioned in this article. That is, avoid smoking; get plenty of sunlight; get outstanding nutrition and avoid all food ingredients that are known to promote cancer such as sodium nitrite, hydrogenated oils, refined carbohydrates and chemical additives. Also avoid chemotherapy since it is the most powerful way we know of to destroy the human immune system, thereby leaving you more vulnerable to cancer.

I present this information as a unique way to get the point across to people that if they don't want to have cancer in their lifetimes, they need to get off the cancer plan and get on to a plan that actually prevents this terrible disease.