Chater's Blog Lounge

Intense Garlic Bread Surprise

2005-06-19T20:43:00.000-04:00

Note: This recipe is quick to make. You can use rolls of any size. Use two rolls per serving (or more). For two or three servings of garlic bread, mix 1/3 cup butter with 8 Teasps crushed garlic or 4 Teasps powdered garlic. (1 Teasp crushed garlic has 1.0 gram of carb; 1 Teasp garlic powder has 2.3 grams of carb.)

Ingredients:
¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important)
6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick)
¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour (see Note)
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose wheat (white) flour
trace of salt (two light shakes or to taste)
8 Teasps crushed garlic or 4 Teasps powdered garlic
3 eggs *
1 egg white
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 420F. Have ready one large, nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet. Put the water and the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, preferably with a rounded bottom, over medium heat. Occasionally stir the mixture while you wait for the butter to melt.
Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the two flours, and a pinch of salt in a medium-mixing bowl.
As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer, add the dry mix all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Within just a few seconds, the dough will become smooth and leave the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep stirring until no flour shows. Cook for about 10 seconds longer and remove from heat.
Put the hot saucepan on a cold burner or other safe surface. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. At first the dough will appear lumpy. When the whole eggs have been added, the dough will be smooth. It should be creamy and hold peaks with almost no settling. Work in the egg white. Now the dough will be just right; it will still hold its shape, but in softer peaks. It should form mounds that do not spread on the cookie sheet, but sink back and broaden out slightly. Occasionally, you may need to make a judgment call. Depending on the size of the eggs, the dough may be sufficiently soft even before you add the final egg white. In that case, omit the egg white or add it by the Tablesp. The right consistency makes the best rolls. Dough that is too stiff results in smaller rolls; dough that is too soft (i.e., spreads out wide on the cookie sheet) may result in flat rolls.
If you like, use your electric mixer to work in the eggs. Simply transfer the hot dough from the saucepan to the mixer bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not over beat because if you do, the rolls may develop large air pockets. Use a flat beater if you have one.
Put spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet, choosing the size you prefer. Use large Teasps or even soupspoons to drop the dough. Place them fairly close together.
Bake the rolls for about 25 to 28 minutes or until they are golden brown and crusty on top.
Preheat oven to 300F or 325F. Slice each roll into four or five pieces and spread the garlic butter on one side only. Set the slices on a nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet, garlic side up. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top of the garlic bread slices, using about 1 ounce. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the slices have turned a golden color; the underside of the slices will also turn golden.
Promptly freeze rolls that you do not plan to use the day they are baked. Take them out of the bag to thaw at room temperature. You can also put the frozen rolls in the oven, set at 350F (no need to pre-heat), and bake for 5 minutes. You can toast rolls (slice in half), but you need a wide-slot toaster or toaster oven. The rolls toast rapidly, so use the lowest setting.
Garlic and cheese add 9.0 grams of carb. A single serving (based on two 3 ½-inch rolls) has 11.1 grams of carb.
Save unused rolls in a dry place until rock hard. They will be used for Magnificent Bread Crumbs.

Raisin Roll Delight

2005-06-14T09:37:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important)
6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick)
¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose wheat (white) flour
trace of salt (two light shakes or to taste)
1 ½ ounces of raisins
3 eggs *
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 425F. Have ready one large, nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet. Put the water and the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, preferably with a rounded bottom, over medium heat. Occasionally stir the mixture while you wait for the butter to melt.
Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the two flours, and a pinch of salt in a medium-mixing bowl.
As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer, add the dry mix all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Within just a few seconds, the dough will become smooth and leave the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep stirring until no flour shows. Cook for about 10 seconds longer and remove from heat.
Put the hot saucepan on a cold burner or other safe surface. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. At first the dough will appear lumpy. When the whole eggs have been added, the dough will be smooth. It should be creamy and hold peaks with almost no settling. Work in the egg white. Now the dough will be just right; it will still hold its shape, but in softer peaks. It should form mounds that do not spread on the cookie sheet, but sink back and broaden out slightly. Occasionally, you may need to make a judgment call. Depending on the size of the eggs, the dough may be sufficiently soft even before you add the final egg white. In that case, omit the egg white or add it by the Tablesp. The right consistency makes the best rolls. Dough that is too stiff results in smaller rolls; dough that is too soft (i.e., spreads out wide on the cookie sheet) may result in flat rolls.
If you like, use your electric mixer to work in the eggs. Simply transfer the hot dough from the saucepan to the mixer bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not over beat because if you do, the rolls may develop large air pockets. Use a flat beater if you have one.
Once all eggs have been worked into the dough, stir in 1 ½ ounces of raisins. The raisin rolls will not rise as high, but they will taste terrific.
Put spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet, choosing the size you prefer. Use large Teasps or even soupspoons to drop the dough. Place them fairly close together.
Bake the rolls at 425F to 450F for about 15 to 18 minutes and check early until they are golden brown and crusty on top. Promptly freeze rolls that you do not plan to use the day they are baked. Take them out of the bag to thaw at room temperature. You can also put the frozen rolls in the oven, set at 350F (no need to pre-heat), and bake for 5 minutes. You can toast rolls (slice in half), but you need a wide-slot toaster or toaster oven. The rolls toast rapidly, so use the lowest setting.
Save unused rolls in a dry place until rock hard. They will be used for Magnificent Bread Crumbs.

Allergies

2005-06-10T20:15:00.000-04:00

What is an allergy?
An allergy is a sensitivity to a substance that does not usualy cause people any discomfort or harm. Hay fever, which is caused by a sensitivity to pollen, is a well known example. Asthma, eczema, rashes and a variety of other complaints can be caused partly or entirely by an allergy. In fact, allergies can affect almost any part of the body and be caused by a vast range of natural and artificial substances.
Allergies are a reaction to allergens, a name given to those substance such as pollen that spark off symptoms of an allergy in someone who is sensitive to it.

An allergy is everything from a runny nose, itchy eyes and palate to skin rash. It aggravates the sense of smell, sight, tastes and touch causing irritation, extreme disability and sometimes fatality. It occurs when the body's immune system overreacts to normally harmless substances.

Allergy is widespread and affects approximately one in four of the population in the UK at some time in their lives. Each year the numbers are increasing by 5% with as many as half of all sufferers being children.

Symptoms
Symptoms of an allergy tend to show up in/on the parts of the body that are exposed to the allergen. An airborne allergen like pollen, makes it severest impact in the eyes, nose and air passages.

Skin allergies
There are three basic forms of allergic reaction affecting the skin. The most common especially among children is eczema. Dermatitis is a particular type of eczema affecting adults. This is caused by direct skin contact with certain allergens.

Eye and ear allergies
Allergic reactions can also affect the eyes. Theses generally show up as irritation and redness in the white of the eye. Severe swellings can occur but, but more often then not the symptoms are watering and soreness.
The ears are also often affected by allergens, when this happens the fluid will build up inside the ear and may temporarily affected your hearing.

Nasal allergies
Hay fever can affect the eyes and ears though the its principal target is the nose, which becomes stuffy, runny or sneezy.
Some people suffer from symptoms which are similar to those of hay fever, and will suffer with them all year round. They may have a stuffy, runny nose virtually all the time, although it will often be worse indoors, particularly at night and early morning. This condition is called Perennial rhinitis and can be the result of an to the common house dust mite.

Food allergies and food intolerance
These have a wide variety of symptoms. The most obvious symptoms of an acute food allergy are a stomach upset followed quickly by nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. People who are acutely sensitive to a food may also get a swollen tongue and lips. Sometimes the suffer gets 2 kinds of symptoms; for instance a child who is allergic to cow`s milk may get diarrhoea and a skin rash. Apart from skin rashes, which may appear hours or even days later after eating the food these symptoms become apparent almost imediatley after eating, usually within an hour. This makes it quite easy for the sufferer to identify the allergen.
Recurrent tummy pains and hyperactivity in children have been attributed to food allergies.

The most severe - though fortunately, quite rare - symptom caused by allergy is anaphylaxis. In this instance, the patient`s air passages swell and close and the blood pressure falls abruptly. This is an acute and life threatening condition, though it can be reversed very quickly by an injection of adrenalin.

Causes
The basic difference between people who suffer from allergies and those who do not is still not known. Allergies do tend to run in familiesn - and it is very common for people to develop hay fever, childhood eczema and asthma (a combined condition known as atopy). This may be due to an inherited characteristic in the cells which make up the immune system, which is the body`s defence system against desease.
Most allergies are are the result of an error in the imune system. The body`s defence forces react to the allergen as if it were a dangerous infected organism. White blood cells called lymphocytes are one of the most important elements of the immune system. Theses cells are constantly on the look-out for foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses and proteins which are different from the body`s own proteins and which may present a threat. When these white blood cells come across a potentially dangerous foreign protein they form a substance called an antibody, which combines with the foreign protein and neutralizes it.
By some highly complicated process, which is not yet understood by scientists, the immune system of a normal healthy person knows how to tell the difference between a dangerous foreign protein (like a virus) and a harmless one, such as food protein. But in an allergic person the imune system reacts to a harmless foreign protein as if it were a dangerous one, and starts forming an antibody. This antibody attaches itself to cells called mast cells. Mast cells contain a number of chemicals the most important of which is histamine.
When the body is exposed to the protein again, the antibody attached to the mast cells comines with the foreign proteins and tries to neutralise them. But in so doing, it upsets the structure of the mast cell, which falls apart and releases its load of histamine. The surge of histamine produces an effect very much like the inflammation which follows a wound; it makes tiny blood vessels dilate and they dilate their walls become leaky, so that fluid from the blood escapes into the surrounding tissues. The dialation of the tiny blood vessels causes redness and itching, and the escaping fluid makes the surrounding tissues swell. In hay fever the mocous glands in the nose and sinuses are also stimulated to produce fluid, which causes stuffiness and a runny nose.

Diagnosis
Skin prick test

In this test a small needle is used to gently prick the skin through a drop of fluid containing a known allergen. It is usually done on the forearm, although with young children it may be done on the back so they don't have to see what is happening. The test is not painful and results are immediately available.

Blood test
In this test, a sample of your blood is taken and sent to a specialist laboratory for what is known as the RAST test (Radio AllergoSorbent Test) or CAP-RAST. This measures the amount of specific Immunoglobulin E antibodies (IgE) in your blood to various environmental and food allergens. House dust Mite IgE will be raised if you have an allergy to house dust mites and this is then graded 0 to 6 depending on the level of that IgE in the blood.

Patch test
This test is used to diagnose delayed allergic reactions such as Contact Dermatitis. It involves taping traces of various known contact allergens on the skin underneath special aluminium discs and keeping them there for 48 hours. It can test for allergy to Rubber, Nickel, Lanolin, dyes, cosmetics, solvents, preservatives, and medication. The test patches on the skin are then assessed for allergic eczematous changes by a dermatologist.

A specil diet called the elimination diet is sometimes used to identify which foods are the cause of a food allergy. At first a very plain diet is provided often consisting of little more than water and one vegetable such as potatoes and one meat such as lamb. All possible allergens are excluded.

Treatment
If you have the acute kind of allergy that makes you sick whenever you eat say, strawberries or shellfish, you hardly need a doctor to diagnose your complaint. The cause and effect are obvious, and the simplest way to deal with the allergy is to avoid the allergen.
If your doctor carries out prick tests, he/she will be able to tell you which substance you should avoid. So if, for example you are allergfic to wool, then you should avoid contact with it.

Several kinds of drug are prescribed to deal with the symptoms of allergy.
Antihistamines combat the inflammatory effects of histamine when it is released. They come as tablets, liquid medicine, nose drops or eye drops, and there are injectable antihistamines which can be used to deal with serious attacks. Antihistamines are particularly useful for hay fever, urticaria and perennial rhinitis.
Another drug Disodium cromoglycate (bettter known as Intal), works by preventing the mast cells from exploding. This drug can be given in the form of an inhalant (for asthma), eye drops (for allergic symptoms in the eyes), tablets (for stomach allergies) or by a nose spray for hay fever or perennial rhinitis.
Corticosteriod drugs such as Cortisone, which are very powerful and anti-inflammotary, are some times prescribed for skin allergies or via an inhaler, to combat asthma.

Food allergies can sometimes be relieved by drugs, but some doctors prefer to recommend diets which ensure that you eliminate all the foods to which you have an allergic reaction. This can be quite difficult in the case of peanut allergy, which can be severe and most usually occurs in children. You should inform your childs school if your child has an allergy to nuts as peanut oil is a commonly used cooking ingredient in many foodstuff.

Self-help
There is quite a lot you can do to help yourself or your child. Obviously if you sufer from a food or chemical allergy you should make every effort to avoid your allergens. (Reading the labels on food packets to see if the product contains the allergen you are alergic to).

Hay fever sufferers should be careful about going out in the open air during the pollen season, especially in mid-afternoon when the polen count is highest. Dark glasses can protect your eyes against pollen or spores.

Prostate Cancer and Flaxseed Rich Diet

2005-06-10T19:47:00.000-04:00

A diet rich in flaxseed seems to reduce the size, aggressiveness and severity of tumors in mice that have been genetically engineered to develop prostate cancer, according to new research from Duke University Medical Center. And in 3 percent of the mice, the flaxseed diet kept them from getting the disease at all.

"We are cautiously optimistic about these findings," said Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., associate professor, division of urology and senior author of the study that appears in the November 2002 issue of the journal Urology. "The amount of flaxseed given to each mouse was 5 percent of its total food intake, which would be a very difficult amount for humans to eat, but it does signal that we are on the right track and need to continue research in this area."

According to Demark-Wahnefried, planned clinical trials must be completed before it can be concluded that dietary flaxseed is a useful protective against prostate cancer in humans.

The research was sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, the National Cancer Institute and the Committee for Urologic Research Education and Development at Duke University Medical Center.

Clinical studies by other researchers have suggested that dietary fiber reduces cancer risk, and omega-3 fatty acids also have shown a protective benefit against cancer. Flaxseed is the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids and is high in fiber. Also, flaxseed is a source of lignan, a specific family of fiber-related compounds that appear to play a role in influencing both estrogen and testosterone metabolism. Since testosterone may be important in the progression of prostate cancer, lignan could help inhibit the growth and development of the disease.

In the Duke study, 135 mice genetically engineered to develop prostate cancer were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The experimental group received a regular mouse diet, but 5 percent of the diet was in the form of flaxseed. Half of the mice in both groups were fed their respective diets for 20 weeks and the remainder for 30 weeks. At the 20- and 30-week end points, the mice were autopsied to check for tumor growth and progression of the disease to other organs.

"Tumors in the untreated control group were twice the size of tumors in the flaxseed group," said Xu Lin, M.D., research associate, division of urology and lead author of the study. "The tumors were also less aggressive in the flaxseed group, and two of the mice in the flaxseed group did not develop prostate cancer at all. The rates of apoptosis (tumor cell death) were also higher in the flaxseed group. And while it was not statistically significant, the flaxseed group had fewer rates of the cancer spreading to other organs. "

While the results are promising, the researchers say they are not surprising. The study is the third in a series by the Duke Medical Center researchers to show the benefits of flaxseed in reducing the growth and development of prostate cancer.

The first study, published in July 2001 in Urology, demonstrated that a low-fat diet supplemented with flaxseed was associated with slower tumor growth. In this pilot study, 25 men with prostate cancer began adding ground flaxseed to their diets for 34 days. At the end of the study, the men saw a drop in testosterone levels and a trend toward lower prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, a marker for prostate cancer. The diet also was tolerated well and gave the authors hope for this dietary intervention.

The second study, published in the November-December 2001 issue of Anticancer Research, examined the effect lignans have on prostate cancer cell lines. This study showed that flaxseed-derived lignans inhibited the growth of three distinct human prostate cancer cell lines through hormonally dependent and independent mechanisms.

"So far we have observed the suppression of prostate cancer in humans, mice and at the cellular level," said Lin. "It's not a fluke or a coincidence. It's an encouraging line of research."

Demark-Wahnefried adds, "Our results are encouraging. However, before we can truly state that flaxseed is beneficial in humans, larger well-controlled trials are needed. The National Cancer Institute has provided us with the support to conduct a randomized clinical trial in 160 men with prostate cancer that will examine whether a low-fat diet, flaxseed supplementation or a combination of low-fat diet and flaxseed supplementation will be most effective in stopping prostate cancer cells from dividing. That trial is currently under way."

Keep an eye on prostate cancer to avoid treatment

2005-06-09T18:25:00.000-04:00

A strategy of active surveillance is a feasible approach to managing men with low-risk, early prostate cancer, and may help many men appropriately avoid radical treatment for their cancer, British researchers report.
Prostate cancer is the only human cancer which is curable but which commonly does not need to be cured, researchers say. The challenge of managing early prostate cancer is to separate patients with clinically important cancers from those whose "disease" is unlikely to ever become clinically important.

The goal of active surveillance is to individualize treatment for prostate cancer by selecting only those men with significant cancers for radical curative treatment. With this approach men are closely monitored using prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and curative treatment is undertaken only when PSA levels rise.

Active surveillance differs from so-called "watchful waiting" in which men are observed and undergo palliative treatment only when they experience symptoms suggestive of disease progression.

In their study, Dr. Chris C. Parker and colleagues from The Royal Marsden NHS Trust in Surrey, followed 80 patients with early prostate cancer. Surveillance included serial PSA testing and digital rectal exams every 3 to 6 months for the first 2 years then every 6 months thereafter.

After roughly 42 months, 64 men were still being followed by active surveillance, while 11 underwent radical treatment and 5 had died. None of the deaths were due to prostate cancer and there was no evidence that the prostate cancer had spread to other organs.

The investigators note that the median PSA doubling time -- a measure of tumor activity -- in the group was a full 12 years, which "suggests an indolent course of disease in most patients."

The team also evaluated outcomes for 32 men with localized prostate cancer who were considered unsuitable for radical treatment and who underwent watchful waiting. They also were followed with serial PSA tests and digital rectal exams every 6 months.

In the watchful waiting group, 20 continued to be watched while 8 were treated with hormone therapy and 4 died, one from metastatic cancer.

"While the long-term prostate cancer mortality associated with (active surveillance) in young, fit men with favorable-risk early prostate cancer is unknown, in the worst possible case it will be as good as that associated with (watchful waiting) in such patients," the authors conclude.

SOURCE: BJU International May 2005.

Get the Latest News about Prostate Cancer

Hospital to Promote Prostate Cancer Awareness at Barbershops

2005-06-07T16:15:00.000-04:00

Pittsburgh (AP) Officials at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Minority Health and the Cancer Institute want to spread awareness about prostate cancer and cancer screenings.

So they are taking their message to four barbershops in predominantly black Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

The events will take place on June 18th.

Anyone at the barbershops that day will be offered an opportunity for a free prostate screening.

Researchers say black men experience both higher incidence and mortality rates from prostate cancer than any other ethic group.

It is recommended that all black men over 40 be screened for prostate cancer.

Low-Carb Pastry Pizzazz

2005-06-06T19:59:00.000-04:00

This delicious treat adds only 1.9 grams of carb for a Superb Roll of any size. Just add a glaze to the rolls once they are baked. While the rolls are baking, make ½ or ¼ of the below mentioned glaze. Apply the glaze thinly with a pastry brush to the tops of the hot rolls. It will set within minutes. The rolls will freeze well, even with the glaze. Thaw at room temperature or follow directions for heating in the oven.

Glaze

SERVING SIZE ,icing for 1 cookie. Carbs per serving 0.5 gram of carb.
Number of servings: 280
Ingredients:
1 egg white (or 3 Tablesps sterilized egg white)
1 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)
3 Teasps vanilla extract

Put the egg white and powdered sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer and beat on high speed until the sugar is absorbed and the mixture thickens a bit: scrape sides of bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla extract. Apply icing with the tip of a knife or a small brush. The icing dries quickly, particularly over freshly baked cookies, rolls, and so forth. Store unused frosting, covered, in the fridge. Always stir well before using.

Ingredients:
¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important)
6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick)
¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose wheat (white) flour
trace of salt (two light shakes or to taste)
3 eggs *
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 420F. Have ready one large, nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet. Put the water and the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, preferably with a rounded bottom, over medium heat. Occasionally stir the mixture while you wait for the butter to melt.
Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the two flours, and a pinch of salt in a medium-mixing bowl.
As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer, add the dry mix all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Within just a few seconds, the dough will become smooth and leave the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep stirring until no flour shows. Cook for about 10 seconds longer and remove from heat.
Put the hot saucepan on a cold burner or other safe surface. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. At first the dough will appear lumpy. When the whole eggs have been added, the dough will be smooth. It should be creamy and hold peaks with almost no settling. Work in the egg white. Now the dough will be just right; it will still hold its shape, but in softer peaks. It should form mounds that do not spread on the cookie sheet, but sink back and broaden out slightly. Occasionally, you may need to make a judgment call. Depending on the size of the eggs, the dough may be sufficiently soft even before you add the final egg white. In that case, omit the egg white or add it by the Tablesp. The right consistency makes the best rolls. Dough that is too stiff results in smaller rolls; dough that is too soft (i.e., spreads out wide on the cookie sheet) may result in flat rolls.
If you like, use your electric mixer to work in the eggs. Simply transfer the hot dough from the saucepan to the mixer bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not over beat because if you do, the rolls may develop large air pockets. Use a flat beater if you have one.
Put spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet, choosing the size you prefer. Use large Teasps or even soupspoons to drop the dough. Place them fairly close together.
Bake the rolls for about 25 to 28 minutes or until they are golden brown and crusty on top. Promptly freeze rolls that you do not plan to use the day they are baked. Take them out of the bag to thaw at room temperature. You can also put the frozen rolls in the oven, set at 350F (no need to pre-heat), and bake for 5 minutes. You can toast rolls (slice in half), but you need a wide-slot toaster or toaster oven. The rolls toast rapidly, so use the lowest setting.
Save unused rolls in a dry place until rock hard. They will be used for Magnificent Bread Crumbs.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

2005-06-05T19:49:00.000-04:00

Men with prostate cancer who take supplemental lycopene in addition to surgical removal of the testicles may experience less active disease, less bone pain, and live longer than those who only have surgical removal of the testicles, according to a new study in British Journal of Urology International (2003;92:375–8). This is exciting news for millions of men who have to undergo aggressive treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men over the age of 50 years, with more than 200,000 new cases each year in the United States. The cause of prostate cancer, like many other cancers, is unknown; however, some studies suggest alterations in testosterone metabolism may play a role in its development. Prostate cancer is generally slow growing and may not cause any symptoms until late in the disease. Symptoms may include frequent or painful urination, dribbling after urination, sensation of incomplete emptying of the bladder, or blood in the urine. The symptoms of prostate cancer are similar to those of a non-cancerous condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), so men experiencing these symptoms should consult their physician for an accurate diagnosis.

In the new study, 54 men with advanced prostate cancer were randomly assigned to have surgical removal of the testicles (orchidectomy) alone or orchidectomy plus oral supplementation with 4 mg of lycopene a day. Measurements of PSA (a blood marker of prostate cancer activity), bone scans, and urinary flow were taken initially and every three months for two years. Men receiving lycopene started on the day of their surgery.

After six months, PSA had significantly decreased in both groups, indicating a reduction in prostate cancer activity. However, PSA levels in those receiving lycopene were more than 65% lower than in those who did not receive lycopene. After two years, PSA levels in the lycopene treatment group had fallen into the normal range, while those who only underwent surgery still had PSA levels more than twice the upper limit of normal. Urinary symptoms significantly improved in both groups, but better improvement was again observed in the lycopene group. The lycopene group also experienced less bone pain.

The survival rates after two years in the lycopene-plus-surgery group and surgery-only groups were 87% and 78%, respectively, a statistically significant difference. No adverse side effects were observed in men taking lycopene.LycopeneLycopene is one of a group of compounds called carotenoids. It is found in high amounts in tomatoes.

The findings of this study corroborate the findings of other similar studies examining the effectiveness of lycopene in the treatment of prostate cancer. However, the amount used in the current study (4 mg per day) was substantially less than the amounts used in other studies (30 mg per day). It may also help stimulate the immune system and has been shown to cause cancer cells to die on their own. Although more research is needed to clarify what amount of lycopene is most effective, men with prostate cancer may benefit from taking daily lycopene supplements. Eating one moderately sized tomato a day also provides approximately 4 mg of lycopene. Other tomato products, such as an 8-ounce portion of tomato juice or tomato paste may provide up to 25 mg of lycopene.

Get the latest Prostate Cancer news

Stop Smoking

2005-06-05T18:57:00.000-04:00

You have probably heard this more times, than you can count but facts are facts! There is no other way to say it – smoking is not only bad for your health, it is deadly! One woman in her late thirties had smoked for 10 years. She had tried everything from watering down her cigarettes, throwing them away, wearing a patch, chewing gum, you name it, she tried it. She really wanted to quit but the addiction was so strong she was finding it impossible.

The mother of an 11-year old daughter and a 13-year old son, she was taken by surprise when something happened that made her quit smoking in one day. Her son told her that he had something very important to tell her. With a quick response of, “Okay, what is it?” he said, “No, I really need to talk to you.” She knew by the look on his face and the tone of his voice that this was something important. Her son looked her square in the face and without wavering said, “I want you to quit smoking because I don’t want you to die. I want a mother in my life.” With that, she walked over to an ashtray, put out her cigarette, and now almost seven years later, she still does not smoke. While this will not work for everyone, the next time you pick up a cigarette; take a minute to consider how your child or family would feel if you were no longer around.

All-Wheat Superb Rolls

2005-06-04T14:36:00.000-04:00

Note: The stone ground whole-wheat flour adds only 1.3 Teasps of flour to each roll (our of a total of 18 rolls). You only gain 6.2 grams of carb for the batch; each whole-wheat roll, based on a count of 18, has 3.1 grams of carb.

Ingredients:
¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important)
6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick)
¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour
1/2 cup stone ground whole-wheat flour
trace of salt (two light shakes or to taste)
3 eggs *
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 420F. Have ready one large, nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet. Put the water and the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, preferably with a rounded bottom, over medium heat. Occasionally stir the mixture while you wait for the butter to melt.
Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the two flours, and a pinch of salt in a medium-mixing bowl.
As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer, add the dry mix all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Within just a few seconds, the dough will become smooth and leave the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep stirring until no flour shows. Cook for about 10 seconds longer and remove from heat.
Put the hot saucepan on a cold burner or other safe surface. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. At first the dough will appear lumpy. When the whole eggs have been added, the dough will be smooth. It should be creamy and hold peaks with almost no settling. Work in the egg white. Now the dough will be just right; it will still hold its shape, but in softer peaks. It should form mounds that do not spread on the cookie sheet, but sink back and broaden out slightly. Occasionally, you may need to make a judgment call. Depending on the size of the eggs, the dough may be sufficiently soft even before you add the final egg white. In that case, omit the egg white or add it by the Tablesp. The right consistency makes the best rolls. Dough that is too stiff results in smaller rolls; dough that is too soft (i.e., spreads out wide on the cookie sheet) may result in flat rolls.
If you like, use your electric mixer to work in the eggs. Simply transfer the hot dough from the saucepan to the mixer bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not over beat because if you do, the rolls may develop large air pockets. Use a flat beater if you have one.
Put spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet, choosing the size you prefer. Use large Teasps or even soupspoons to drop the dough. Place them fairly close together.
Bake the rolls for about 25 to 28 minutes or until they are golden brown and crusty on top. Promptly freeze rolls that you do not plan to use the day they are baked. Take them out of the bag to thaw at room temperature. You can also put the frozen rolls in the oven, set at 350F (no need to pre-heat), and bake for 5 minutes. You can toast rolls (slice in half), but you need a wide-slot toaster or toaster oven. The rolls toast rapidly, so use the lowest setting.
Save unused rolls in a dry place until rock hard. They will be used for Magnificent Bread Crumbs.

* If possible, weigh the eggs for this recipe. They should weigh between 62.0 grams and 64.0 grams (2.2 to 2.3 ounces). You can find these eggs among large and extra large eggs. If you have no scale, pick the smallest of the eggs in the carton.

Superb melt in your mouth Rolls

2005-06-03T15:53:00.000-04:00

SERVING SIZE,one roll (of 18). CARBS PER SERVING,: 2.8 grams of carb.
SERVING SIZE,one roll (of 16). CARBS PER SERVING,: 3.1 grams of carb.
SERVING SIZE,one roll (of 12). CARBS PER SERVING,: 4.2 grams of carb.

Ingredients:
¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important)
6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick)
¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour)
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose wheat (white) flour
trace of salt (two light shakes or to taste)
3 eggs *
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 420F. Have ready one large, nonstick, heavy-gauge metal cookie sheet. Put the water and the butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, preferably with a rounded bottom, over medium heat. Occasionally stir the mixture while you wait for the butter to melt.
Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the two flours, and a pinch of salt in a medium-mixing bowl.
As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture begins to simmer, add the dry mix all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Within just a few seconds, the dough will become smooth and leave the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep stirring until no flour shows. Cook for about 10 seconds longer and remove from heat.
Put the hot saucepan on a cold burner or other safe surface. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. At first the dough will appear lumpy. When the whole eggs have been added, the dough will be smooth. It should be creamy and hold peaks with almost no settling. Work in the egg white. Now the dough will be just right; it will still hold its shape, but in softer peaks. It should form mounds that do not spread on the cookie sheet, but sink back and broaden out slightly. Occasionally, you may need to make a judgment call. Depending on the size of the eggs, the dough may be sufficiently soft even before you add the final egg white. In that case, omit the egg white or add it by the Tablesp. The right consistency makes the best rolls. Dough that is too stiff results in smaller rolls; dough that is too soft (i.e., spreads out wide on the cookie sheet) may result in flat rolls.
If you like, use your electric mixer to work in the eggs. Simply transfer the hot dough from the saucepan to the mixer bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Do not over beat because if you do, the rolls may develop large air pockets. Use a flat beater if you have one.
Put spoonfuls of dough on the cookie sheet, choosing the size you prefer. Use large Teasps or even soupspoons to drop the dough. Place them fairly close together.
Bake the rolls for about 25 to 28 minutes or until they are golden brown and crusty on top. Promptly freeze rolls that you do not plan to use the day they are baked. Take them out of the bag to thaw at room temperature. You can also put the frozen rolls in the oven, set at 350F (no need to pre-heat), and bake for 5 minutes. You can toast rolls (slice in half), but you need a wide-slot toaster or toaster oven. The rolls toast rapidly, so use the lowest setting.
Save unused rolls in a dry place until rock hard. They will be used for Magnificent Bread Crumbs.

Making Your Presence Felt With Blog

2005-06-02T13:50:00.000-04:00

With so many amateurs and professional writers who write compelling and useful pieces, blogs enable new idea entrepreneurs to explore their conceptual niches. To make a compelling presence on the web, bloggers should be able to identify what’s hot and what’s not. They should be able to capture new idea floating in the web-space and should think of ways of its best utility. In other words, bloggers can build their online presence by delivering high in demand information.

Bloggers should ensure that a blog as a diary of events should capture things missed by the computerized information-sorting schema. It should present it as a record of the events as they happened.

To ensure a compelling web presence the design of the website should also be considered, as the look and feel of the site also attracts visitors to the site. The site design of a blog should reflect the tastes of the users rather than the designers. It should be user friendly and should have the context and interactive features.

To have a constant online presence a blogger should not:

• Write entries to just please readers or advertisers

• Post entries for the sake of posting or to get paid

• Ignore checking facts while pushing things in under deadlines

• Create a situation that leads to conflicts of interest

• Disclose who is paying and why

For an effective online presence advertisements can play a major role. Advertisers can reward Bloggers who inspire large or passionate audiences. Advertisements establish a clear space and format on the site. It also enables blog readers to buy goods and services from companies or individuals who appreciate blogs, who support their beliefs. Moreover, ads are themselves interesting to read.

Deciding A Name For The Blog

2005-06-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

Save the situation where the whole weblog ready except indecision on the blog name. Bloggers may consider browsing through hundreds of weblogs for ideas. The most common names range from:

The lame - "Pete’s Weblog," "JamieJ’s Weblog," "Darren S’s Blog" to
The inane - "Fumes n’ Flames," "My Random Thoughts," "SomePlaceElse", to
The sublime but already taken - "Wordridden," "Colossal Waste of Bandwidth", “The Unseen World”

Naming a blog after an individual’s name, may be blogger’s name, reflects that the weblog might focus on none but himself. It is recommended that personal names should be kept out of the blog title.

Name, undoubtedly, may bring hundreds, if not thousands, of web denizens to a weblog. A weblog should have name that strikes the right note.

Designing Compatible Blogs

2005-05-31T20:48:00.000-04:00

As the web is considered to be a fluid medium, it is important for the blog to be viewable under all circumstances - with any browser or on any computer. Also it should look and function as close to the same way as possible. That is why it is advised to design for maximum compatibility.

Inevitably, choices will need to be made between compatibility and design. For example: whether to use or not to use flash animation as splash page. For it to run in all circumstances it is advised to test it extensively with many different browsers and computers. The work should be tested on both Macs and PCs.
Achieving a successful design requires inspiration, careful planning, and hard work. Besides this, of course, a few softwares are required. Here is a list of software that can be used for the various phases of the designing project:

Graphic Design

• Photoshop 7

• Adobe Illustrator 10

• Adobe LiveMotion

• Macromedia Flash 5

• Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004

• Macromedia Freehand 10

• Graphic Converter

Web Page Construction

• Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004

• BBEdit

• Lots of Trader Joe's coffee

Starting Your Own Blog

2005-05-30T16:27:00.000-04:00

As we have discussed earlier, blogs are posts that are short, informal and sometimes deeply personal no matter what the topic of discussion is. They can be characterized by their conversational tone. If you think the concept is new and you have not done anything like blogging before, think again.

Whether a professional journalist or a teenage high school student, they all have been doing the same thing: using blog to link to their friends and rivals and comment on what they are doing. So, everybody blogs.

If a person has a web presence but is disappointed with static homepage - if an elegant treatment of posts on a global platform is what they require, then ‘blogging’ is what they require to do. One may also consider to blog if feedback is required from people you have never heard of.

Weblogs, definitely, are the mavericks of the online world. Two of its greatest strengths are their ability to filter and disseminate information to a widely dispersed audience, and their position outside the mainstream of mass media.

Blogs & The Worldwide Web

2005-05-29T03:16:00.000-04:00

Both personal sites and lists of links have existed since the web was born. Indeed, the ability to link one document to the other that existed on the global network drew early enthusiasts to the Web. They published pages and eagerly perused the pages published by others. That was the time when the accessibility to the pages from any computer with a modem and a browser was more important than the content of that page. For a while, webpages became an interesting addition to the cyberspace. Then the space got crowded. As a result the web grew at an exponential rate and search for the required information became difficult and simultaneously more time consuming.

Until, a few of these enthusiasts decided to put the links they collected daily onto a single webpage. These people placed their stuff – descriptive text and link/s, for example: their travel records, on the web. The text enabled the reader to know why they should click the link and wait for the page to download. And so a particular type of website was born.

The New York Times article about a website named ‘LemonYellow’, published in July 1999, didn’t say a word about weblogs, but affirmed the notion that webloggers were onto something.

Most of the early weblog editors designed or maintained websites for a living. Few of these editors just knew HTML - the simple coding language used to create webpages.

With Weblogs becoming popular, the personal websites became extensions of their day-to-day lives. Webloggers started rolling personal journals — ongoing links-laden riffs on a favorite subject. Soon they linked to general interest articles to online games, and often to Web-related news.

Identifying Stress in your Life

2005-05-28T18:54:00.000-04:00

Many people go through their days not aware of the stress in their lives. They might think, “Well, how serious can it be if I don’t even know it exists?”

Regardless of how little or how much stress you have in your life, being able to identify it will be a big help to you. Once you are able to identify the stress in your life for what it is, you can then go about the business of dealing with it more effectively.

Make no mistake about it – if there is stress in your life, chances are you are reacting negatively to at least some of it.

How Not to Sell Your Car -- The 7 Deadly Sins

2005-05-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

Deadly Sin 1 -- Not doing research

This is the actual source of much of the difficulty with selling your own car. Research is the reason the car dealer has the advantage. He knows his business. The private seller usually has little to do with car prices until they want to sell their car. The main benefit of research is that you will know a realistic price that you can charge for your vehicle. This means that you will most likely sell it more quickly and easily. A dealer sets his price by charging whatever the market will bear. Proper research will allow you to quickly estimate the market for your vehicle in a private sale.

Deadly Sin 2 -- Listening to unfounded advice

This follows on a little bit from No. 1. There's often financial pressure at the time of selling a car - which leads others around the seller to give their opinions as to the price or the desperation to sell. It is often given with the best intentions. If someone is giving you advice as to the value of your car you shouldn't necessarily ignore it but it is best to do your own assessment. If you do your own quality research you will find that you are less likely to be concerned about doomsayers.

Deadly Sin 3 -- Not preparing your car for sale

It is amazing, but some people will try to sell a car with a full ashtray of cigarette butts. At the very minimum you should vacuum the car and give it a wash. If you really want to maximise your price putting some time into the presentation of the vehicle is essential. The best way to approach this is to imagine you are the buyer. See yourself viewing the car for the first time. What impression does it give you? Now make a list of things that you can inexpensively fix or handle and attend to them. Properly detailing your car is highly recommended.

Deadly Sin 4 -- Trying to hide known faults from a buyer

Well it's fairly clear that this is dishonest and should not be done. Some states actually have laws which hold you liable if it is found that you sold a car with known faults. A used car may have some faults. The best way to handle this situation is to know exactly what the fault is and how much it will cost to fix it. You can then reflect that in the price you ask for the vehicle. The principle is to repair only what will be paid back in the sale price.

Deadly Sin 5 -- Selling to a professional buyer

There are people that make their living buying cars at bargain prices. For this reason you should learn to recognize them. They will make you a very low offer. The best way to protect yourself is to do the research step thoroughly and be prepared to say no. They are basically trading off the fact that most people don't really know the market and are sometimes just desperate to sell.

Deadly Sin 6 -- Not doing your paperwork

You absolutely must complete all the DMV or vehicle authority paperwork to fully transfer the title. Otherwise you may receive parking tickets or other nasties from the other party.

Deadly Sin 7 -- Letting yourself be bullied by tyre-kickers

Many buyers will make a list of all the things they have found wrong with the car and then tell you the price that all this costs to repair. Don't assume that their figures are correct because they appear to be an expert. It is often the case that if they are truly an expert they know how to get the repair done themselves for a much cheaper price. You will find that two of these experts have two totally different ideas about the price. As you can see, it gets back to research again -- if you have priced your car correctly -- you won't be overly disturbed by tyre-kickers.

Graeme Sprigge -- Author of The 90 Minute Car Salesman Graeme Sprigge makes makes his living buying and selling cars in the private market. He is trained and experienced in direct sales to the public mostly in their own homes, having marketed such diverse products as energy, telecommunications and financial products. Using the skills and unique insights he developed - he has created other income sources that allow him to lead an enjoyable life and now works entirely for himself. He lives in Sydney, Australia

The 90 Minute Car Salesman is Graeme's first book in which he reveals his unique approach to advertising and selling your car. He reveals all the methods that he uses to maximize the sale price and make the whole process a win-win for every party.

You Wanna Buy A Car?

2005-05-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

The first thing that you should know when you want to buy a new car is that both you and the dealer are looking to get the better end of the deal.
A good deal is a win, win situation for both parties. Most of the time it is the buyer that leaves unsatisfied.

In this day and age a car is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. You will likely have to purchase a new car more than once in your life, so you might as well learn to do it in a way that will make buying the cars less painful.

If you are looking to buy a car you should begin with these tips:

1. You should purchase your new car at or around Christmas time because with everybody buying their Christmas presents, not many of them are looking to buy a new car, and it forces dealerships to up their sales strategies.

Salesmen are more willing to haggle down to your prices to close the deal.

2. You can also get a good deal from July to October because that is the time of year when dealerships are trying to get rid of their inventory to make way for the new models.

3. Purchasing a car online is becoming a great way to get a new car. Just wait for good rebates and incentives online and shop around.

Print out your information from the best quotes and bring it to the dealer that you are most willing to work with.

Bringing in lower quotes from another company might be your best bet in getting a good deal.

4. You should visit http://www.FightingChance.com if you are hoping to find new car prices, dealer incentives, and the best rebate offers.

This site is the first place that you should go for great advice on buying a car. It’s even more informative than the Kelley Blue book. This program for buying new cars can literally save you thousands of dollars.

5. A good place to start when going into a dealership is to bring a copy of your credit score with you.

It can lower your interest rates on your car loan. Your car dealer should not know more about you than you do.

6. You can avoid a common scam that dealerships pull. You will often hear that your financing fell through and that you have to respond by paying more money on your loan.

Don’t believe it. It’s another reason for you to get a copy of your credit score.

7. Another common scam by dealership salesmen is for them to tell you that they have found you a lower rate, but that they want you to re-sign your loan papers.

Usually, that is a downright lie. Once they pull up your financing information, they have the upper hand if you don’t know the details about your credit information.

You can get a copy of your credit information online at http://www.equifax.com for about $10-$15. It’s better to pay $15 now than thousands later.

8. Don’t bring in a car for trade in if you still owe money on it.

The dealership rarely pays the rest of the loan on time which will result in you having to pay a great deal of late fees to the bank.

If you do decide to bring a car in that you owe money on, get it in writing from the dealership that they will pay the balance on the car within 10 days.

9. Sometimes a dealership may not have all of your options and must order the car directly from the dealership.

If this happens they will often ask you to pay $500-$1000 for a deposit on the car.

Try not to pay more than $500 and be sure to pay with a credit card because sometimes the dealership will tell you that there was a price increase on the vehicle and will want more money.

If you pay with a credit card you have room to dispute the amount being taken from you. If you pay by check, you can just consider the money gone.

10. You should never buy a car when you are in desperate need for one because a dealer will see that and take advantage.

You should never wait until an old car is dead before searching for a new one because you should give yourself time to shop around for one and get the best deal possible. Desperation often clouds your judgment.

Tips For Losing 10 Pounds

2005-05-27T16:28:00.000-04:00

1.Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of water so give in to water. Water is not just way to flush out toxin but if you have more water in your body you will generally feel healthier and fitter. This it self will discourage any tendency to gorge. The best thing about water is that is has no calories at all.

2.Start your day with a glass of water. As soon as you wake up, gulp down a glass of cool water. It’s a wonderful way to start you day and you only need a lesser quantity of your breakfast drink after that. A glass of water lets out all your digestive juices and sort of lubricates the insides of your body. You may have your morning cup of tea but have it after a glass of water. It is good for you.

3.Drink a glass of water before you start the meal. Water naturally needs some space so that you feel fuller without actually having to stuff yourself.

4.Have another glass of water while you are having the meal. Again this is another way of making yourself full so that you can actually rise from the table eating less but feeling full just the same. Instead of drinking it one gulp, take sips after each morsel. It will help the food to settle faster so that you get that feeling that you are full faster.

SIDENOTE: Water is such a remarkable thing, but seldom do we give it the credit that it deserves. Did you know that over 66% of your body weight is nothing but water? It’s amazing!

Water also plays a vital role in weight control, which is why I donated so much space to it, above.
5.Stay away from sweetened bottle drinks, especially sodas. Hey all those colas and fizzy drinks are sweetened with sugar and sugar means calories. The more you can cut out on these sweetened bottle drinks, the better for you. So if you must drink sodas, then stick to diet sodas.

6.Include in your diet things that contain more water like tomatoes and watermelons. These things contain 90 to 95 % water so that there is nothing that you have to lose by feasting on them. They fill you up without adding to the pounds.
7.Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice is often sweetened but fresh fruits have natural sugars. When you eat fruit, you are taking in a lot of fiber, which is needed by the body, and fruits of course are an excellent source of vitamins.

8.If you do have a craving for fruit juice then go for fresh fruit juice instead of these that contain artificial flavors and colors. Or even better, try making your own fruit juice taking care not to sweeten it with too many calories.

9.Choose fresh fruit to processed fruits. Processed and canned fruits do not have as much fiber as fresh fruit and processed and canned fruits are nearly always sweetened.

10.Increase your fiber intake. Like I mentioned, the body needs a lot of fiber. So try to include in your diet as many fruits and vegetables as you can.