Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Pax et bonum !

Merry Christmas to all GE-GLE Worldwide

Happy Holidays

The 10 Best Foods You're Not Eating

By MSN Health & Fitness

There are many superfoods that never see the inside of a shopping cart. Some you've never heard of, and others you've simply forgotten about. That's why we've rounded up the best of the bunch. Make a place for them on your table and you'll instantly upgrade your health—without a prescription.

Beets

These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor underneath their rugged exterior.

Why they're healthy: Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye's powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments - called betacyanins—that give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.

How to eat them: Fresh and raw, not from a jar. Heating beets actually decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.

You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They're now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Guava

Guava is an obscure tropical fruit that's subtly acidic, with sweetness that intensifies as you eat your way to the center.

Why it's healthy: Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene—an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer—than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. In addition, 1 cup of the stuff provides 688 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you'll find in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There's almost 9 grams (g) of fiber in every cup.

How to eat it: Down the entire fruit, from the rind to the seeds. It's all edible—and nutritious. The rind alone has more vitamin C than you'd find in the flesh of an orange. You can score guava in the produce section of higher-end supermarkets or in Latin grocery stores.

Cabbage

Absent from most American kitchens, this cruciferous vegetable is a major player in European and Asian diets.

Why it's healthy: One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22 calories, and it's loaded with valuable nutrients. At the top of the list is sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body's production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, Stanford University scientists determined that sulforaphane boosts your levels of these cancer-fighting enzymes higher than any other plant chemical.

How to eat it: Put cabbage on your burgers to add a satisfying crunch. Or, for an even better sandwich topping or side salad, try an Asian-style slaw.

Swiss chard

Hidden in the leafy-greens cooler of your market, you'll find this slightly bitter, salty vegetable, which is actually native to the Mediterranean.

Why it's healthy: A half cup of cooked Swiss chard provides a huge amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin, supplying 10 mg each. These plant chemicals, known as carotenoids, protect your retinas from the damage of aging, according to Harvard researchers. That's because both nutrients, which are actually pigments, appear to accumulate in your retinas, where they absorb the type of shortwave light rays that can damage your eyes. So the more lutein and zeaxanthin you eat, the better your internal eye protection will be.

How to eat it: Chard goes great with grilled steaks and chicken, and it also works well as a bed for pan-seared fish. Wash and dry a bunch of Swiss chard, and then chop the leaves and stems into 1-inch pieces. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan or wok, and add two garlic cloves that you've peeled and lightly crushed. When the oil smokes lightly, add the chard. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leaves wilt and the stems are tender. Remove the garlic cloves and season the chard with salt and pepper.

Cinnamon

This old-world spice usually reaches most men's stomachs only when it's mixed with sugar and stuck to a roll.

Why it's healthy: Cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease. In fact, USDA researchers found that people with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1 g of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks (about 1/4 teaspoon each day) significantly reduced not only their blood sugar but also their triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Credit the spice's active ingredients, methylhydroxychalcone polymers, which increase your cells' ability to metabolize sugar by up to 20 times.

How to eat it: You don't need the fancy oils and extracts sold at vitamin stores; just sprinkle the stuff that's in your spice rack (or in the shaker at Starbucks) into your coffee or on your oatmeal.

Purslane

Although the FDA classifies purslane as a broad-leaved weed, it's a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.

Why it's healthy: Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin - an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth - than any other fruit or vegetable tested.

How to eat it: In a salad. Think of purslane as a great alternative or addition to lettuce: The leaves and stems are crisp, chewy, and succulent, and they have a mild lemony taste. Look for it at your local farmer's market, or Chinese or Mexican market. It's also available at some Whole Foods stores, as an individual leafy green or in premade salad mixes.

Pomegranate juice

A popular drink for decades in the Middle East, pomegranate juice has become widely available only recently in the United States.

Why it's healthy: Israeli scientists discovered that men who downed just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for a year decreased their systolic (top number) blood pressure by 21 percent and significantly improved bloodflow to their hearts. What's more, 4 ounces provides 50 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.

How to drink it: Try 100 percent pomegranate juice from Pom Wonderful. It contains no added sugars, and because it's so powerful, a small glassful is all you need.

Goji berries

These raisin-size fruits are chewy and taste like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. More important, these potent berries have been used as a medicinal food in Tibet for over 1,700 years.

Why they're healthy: Goji berries have one of the highest ORAC ratings—a method of gauging antioxidant power—of any fruit, according to Tufts University researchers. And although modern scientists began to study this ancient berry only recently, they've found that the sugars that make goji berries sweet reduce insulin resistance—a risk factor of diabetes - in rats.

How to eat them: Mix dried or fresh goji berries with a cup of plain yogurt, sprinkle them on your oatmeal or cold cereal, or enjoy a handful by themselves. You can find them at specialty supermarkets or at gojiberries.us.

Dried plums

You may know these better by the moniker "prunes," which are indelibly linked with nursing homes and bathroom habits. And that explains why, in an effort to revive this delicious fruit's image, producers now market them under another name.

Why they're healthy: Prunes contain high amounts of neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, antioxidants that are particularly effective at combating the "superoxide anion radical." This nasty free radical causes structural damage to your cells, and such damage is thought to be one of the primary causes of cancer.

How to eat them: As an appetizer. Wrap a paper-thin slice of prosciutto around each dried plum and secure with a toothpick. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the plums are soft and the prosciutto is crispy. Most of the fat will cook off, and you'll be left with a decadent-tasting treat that's sweet, savory, and healthy.

Pumpkin seeds

These jack-o'-lantern waste products are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin.

Why they're healthy: Downing pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume more magnesium. That's important because French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. And on average, men consume 353 mg of the mineral daily, well under the 420 mg minimum recommended by the USDA.

How to eat them: Whole, shells and all. (The shells provide extra fiber.) Roasted pumpkin seeds contain 150 mg of magnesium per ounce; add them to your regular diet and you'll easily hit your daily target of 420 mg. Look for them in the snack or health-food section of your grocery store, next to the peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

Compiled from the email of:


Major Dennis Artil
Firearms and Explosives Division
Phil National Police, Camp Crame, Quezon City
Email: raptor_cz98@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.pnp.gov.ph/

10 steps to keep your memory sharp

Keeping health in mind: 10 steps to keep your memory sharp

From MayoClinic

After 20 minutes of searching, you finally find your glasses resting on your forehead. You've gone to the basement three times in hopes of remembering why you went there the first time. You just poured orange juice into your cereal. Are you losing your mind? Probably not.

Memory loss is a common complaint, and it's typically blamed on aging. People fear that memory lapses are signs of what's in store.

But take note: Dementia - a mental decline advanced enough to affect daily activities, the most common form of which is Alzheimer's disease - is more than forgetfulness. Only about 10 percent to 20 percent of people older than 65 get dementia, so most people who occasionally forget things simply have too much on their mind.

Though it's impossible to predict memory loss, you can do your best to prevent it. To keep your noggin nimble as you age, follow these 10 steps suggested by Paul Takahashi, M.D., a specialist in geriatrics at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and an expert on cognitive decline.

Step 1: Exercise your mind

Just as physical activity keeps your body strong, mental activity keeps your mind sharp and agile.

"It is important to experience new frontiers, " says Dr. Takahashi. "Excitement is an important part of learning."

If you continue to learn and challenge yourself, your brain continues to grow, literally. Regardless of age, an active brain produces new dendrites - connections between nerve cells that allow cells to communicate with one another. This helps the brain store and retrieve information more easily, no matter what your age.

How can you challenge yourself? Try:

• Learning to play a musical instrument
• Playing Scrabble or doing crossword puzzles
• Interacting with people
• Switching careers or starting a new one
• Starting a new hobby, such as crafts, painting, biking or bird-watching
• Learning a foreign language
• Volunteering
• Staying informed about what's going on in the world
• Reading

Step 2: Stay physically active

Daily physical activity can help improve blood flow. Some people find it's easier to get motivated when they exercise with a friend. Some choose a favorite pet to accompany them on walks. However you choose to get moving, include these three activities - as important fitness components - in your routine:

• Aerobic activity. Activities such as brisk walking, bicycling or swimming slow the age-related loss of aerobic capacity - the ability of your heart, lungs and blood vessels to deliver adequate oxygen to your muscles during physical activity. The net result of aerobic activity is increased stamina and endurance. It also can decrease high blood pressure, which may reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and other related conditions.

• Strength training. Increasing your strength by using weights or elastic resistance bands can slow or even reverse the loss of muscle mass associated with aging. Strength training also can slow bone loss, cut your risk of injury and make you feel more energetic.

• Stretching . Stretching increases the range in which you can bend and stretch joints, muscles and ligaments, helping to decrease stiffness and prevent injury.

"Exercising also helps your mood," says Dr. Takahashi. "People who exercise briefly each day - maybe get some sunlight - certainly have better moods." During the day, you'll be more awake, more alert and quicker on the mental draw. And chances are if you're exercising regularly, you'll sleep better, too.

· Aerobic exercise: Why and how

· Strength training: Why and how

· Stretching: A key component of your exercise program

· Starting an exercise program? Take these 6 steps

Step 3: Eat, drink and be healthy

Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. These contain antioxidants - substances that protect and nourish brain cells. As an added bonus, these foods may reduce your risk of cancer, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

And - you've heard it before - drink water. Water is essential to the human body. Water practically is the human body - making up about 70 percent of your body weight. Lack of water leads to dehydration, which can leave you feeling tired, making it hard to concentrate. So drink up. Here are some tips:

• Take a sip at every drinking fountain you see.
• Fill up a water bottle and keep it close at hand.
• Have a glass of water at lunch instead of soft drinks, coffee or other beverages that may dehydrate you. It's cheaper on the pocketbook and better for your body.

Step 4: Develop a system of reminders and cues

Information comes at you from all directions all the time. Sometimes it's necessary to take extra steps to remind yourself of what's important. Work through the information overload with these memory triggers:

• Write it down. Keep a diary, use calendars and make lists.
• Establish a routine. Store easy-to-lose items in the same place. Complete tasks in the same order. Change is difficult and takes extra effort.
• Set up cues. For instance, put your keys on the ironing board. That way you're more likely to remember to turn off the iron before walking out the door.
• Practice repetition. "To help remember a person's name, I'll work it into the conversation several times after being introduced," says Dr. Takahashi. "Repetition ingrains the information in your mind. It's a great habit to get into because it works."

Step 5: Take time to remember things

Normal aging changes the brain, which makes your mind slightly less efficient in processing new information.

But Dr. Takahashi emphasizes that wisdom can compensate for physical changes. "It's true that we lose some capacity for new memory," says Dr. Takahashi. However, experience compensates for this loss. "Older adults can still operate at an extremely high functional level despite

physiologic changes."

Forgetfulness may indicate nothing more than having too much on your mind. Slow down and pay full attention to the task at hand, whatever it may be.

Step 6: Learn relaxation techniques

Do you sit at the table with your shoulders hunched?

Do you catch yourself clenching your teeth? Do you tap your foot or your finger while you're idle? If you find yourself fidgeting or feeling tight, even when you're sitting still, chances are you're not relaxing.

Stress and anxiety can interfere with concentration, so it's important to take time to relax - really relax.

One technique involves taking a mental break from the world:

• Lie down or sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed.
• Check in with your body mentally. Is it tense? Sore? Imagine the discomfort melting away.
• Take a relaxation tour of your body. Start with your toes and work your way up. Tighten every muscle group you come across for a few seconds before relaxing and moving on to the next section: toes to feet, ankles to knees, thighs to buttocks, back to shoulders, arms to fingertips, neck to head, and finally all the muscles in your face.
• Breathe slowly, regularly and deeply.
• Once relaxed, imagine you're in a favorite place or in a spot of beauty and stillness.
• After five or 10 minutes, rouse yourself from the state gradually.

· Managing workplace stress: Plan your approach

· Meditation: Calming your mind, body and spirit

Step 7: Keep a positive attitude

"Happiness plays an enormous role in your outlook on life," says Dr. Takahashi. "Happiness makes you more alert - and when you're alert, your senses are more open to receiving information."

And there's research to back it up. Studies show

that optimists tend to live longer. According to a study published in the August 2002 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, people who scored high on optimism had a 50-percent-lower risk of premature death than did those who scored more pessimistic.

· What's your outlook? The benefits of positive thinking

Step 8: Talk to your doctor

Many factors unrelated to aging or genetics can contribute to memory problems. These include the use of certain medications, poor vision and hearing, vitamin deficiencies, fatigue, depression, stress and illnesses unrelated to Alzheimer's disease.

Depression in particular can cause problems with memory and concentration and often is mistaken for Alzheimer's disease in older adults. Depression can be treated, improving memory and concentration.

If you or your family worry about your memory, get evaluated. Your doctor may be able to determine whether the cause is treatable.

Step 9: Check your levels

Know your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Also make sure your thyroid gland is functioning normally. These tests are relatively easy to take and are good indicators of what's going on inside your body. Older adults who keep their blood pressure in check - and who don't smoke - reduce their risk of stroke.

Healthy blood pressure
An optimal blood pressure level is 120 or less systolic (top number) and 80 or less diastolic (bottom number). Be alert to sustained elevations in either systolic or diastolic pressure.

Healthy cholesterol
Have your cholesterol checked by your doctor every five years - more often if you have a problem with your cholesterol level.

To see if your lipids are at a healthy level, cross-check your cholesterol or triglycerides numbers with the corresponding risk rankings....

· High blood cholesterol

Step 10: Keep your perspective

You're not the only one who's placed a coffee cup on the roof of your car and then driven away. You're not the first person to dial a number only to forget whom you're calling. It happens. Take note of it, but unless you feel it's unusually frequent, don't be concerned.

"We all lose a little bit of memory over time," says Dr. Takahashi. "But years of experience often make up for the little bit of mental sharpness we've lost."

Everyone has difficulty remembering things at times. So don't lose sight of how much you do remember. Wisdom is built from a lifetime of memories.

Compiled from the email of:

Sis Rachelritz Valenzuela
Venlenzuela City
Email: rockyritz513@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.valenzuela.gov.ph/

GE Canada Fellowship

With the help of our Founder, Brod Amor Garbono, we were able to get a spot in the local newspaper to advertise Gamma Epsilon / Gamma Lambda Epsilon. There are more ads to come including a spot on local Filipino TV show..... stay tuned..... we will be updating the website as we move forward.

In the ad, we were trying to get the attention of our brothers/sisters to come out and join our fellowship. We are positive that this ad will finally send the message across. We, Gamma Epsilon Fraternity are back in circulation and we will be bigger and better.

Fraternally Yours,

Brod Sonny Montojo
IBM Canada
Email: smontojo9012004@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.ibm.com/ca/