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YOUR HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE
July 2002
http://www.healthyperspective.com
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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-Legacy of Kindness
-Eat the Rainbow
-10 Steps to Healthy Weight Control
-Healthy Perspective in the News
-Alzheimer's risk reduction
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We hope you're enjoying sunny summer days, outings, maybe a vacation, wonderful seasonal fruits and veggies - and how about school reunions and family reunions? If you have experienced a reunion this summer, you know the mixture of emotions that come with the territory.
Kimberly's 30 year high school reunion was this summer. She wasn't able to attend, but did manage to get in contact with a couple of former schoolmates (what a joyful time we had filling each other in on the last 30 years via email!). This prompted a plethora of memories, some poignant, some humorous, and some painful. She would like to share a grade school memory in the article below.
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LEGACY OF KINDNESS
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Children can be cruel. This is an adage I'm sure you've heard many times, and have probably experienced as well. In fact, we've heard it so much, I'm afraid we've come to accept it as normative behavior.
Mr. Jarrett, a fifth-grade teacher at Mission Hill Elementary School in 1960's Santa Cruz, California, had no such negative expectations. In his public school classroom, cruelty in any form was not acceptable. And children tend to live up to the expectations of those in authority.
Each group of children usually has at least one child who becomes the "whipping post" for the group. He or she may have a physical peculiarity, social clumsiness, or is in some way "different." Our class had a little boy who was nervous and socially clumsy. Looking back upon this childhood experience, I wonder if this child had ADHD or was perhaps going through some kind of trauma, such as a divorce in his family. In any event, this sweet little boy was somehow branded as the child most likely to be picked on. And, as invariably happens, he became friendless. Defending or befriending him amounted to social "suicide" - the fear of being ostracized and being perceived as "weird by association." Of course, this little boy didn't deserve such a rap; no child does.
Although every class and group I had been in had always operated with this type of "pecking order," Mr. Jarrett would have none of it. He was teaching us, through word and deed, to have respect for all people and to obey the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"). Our teacher wasn't afraid to talk about love and to show genuine emotion. He was candid with us about himself and encouraged us to be the same. He warmed all our hearts when he told us that he considered us "his children," as he was not married and had no children of his own. We loved him too.
Although Mr. Jarrett's lessons, stories, and lectures were being well received by the class, the cruel teasing of this little boy continued. One day, Mr. Jarrett could stand it no longer. He sent the little boy out of the classroom on an errand. When he called us to attention, we could see he "meant business." What followed was probably the most difficult lecture I had to endure up to that point in my young life. I don't remember exactly what Mr. Jarrett said, but he hit a nerve. The bullies and ringleaders in the class were soon convicted in their little hearts and repented. But Mr. Jarrett wasn't finished.
"The rest of you are just as guilty."
One child voiced what the rest of us were thinking, "But we didn't do anything. We didn't tease him or act mean to him."
"Yeah, that's right," murmured throughout the classroom.
We saw fire in our teacher's eyes.
"Maybe you didn't say or do anything mean, but you never stuck up for him either. When you stand by and watch others do something wrong and say nothing, you are just as guilty. Is there anyone here who was completely unaware that this little boy was being tormented?"
A little girl began to weep, and others joined her. We learned one of life's most important lessons that day.
The teasing stopped. The class began to include the little boy socially. By the end of the year, we saw transformation in the little boy's life. He was less nervous and gained social skills.
And I benefited personally as well. I was overweight and was used to enduring teasing and slurs such as "fatso." But the class seemed to apply these lessons to me as well. (Perhaps when Mr. Jarrett sent me out of the classroom on an errand the class got a lecture on teasing fat kids!) My confidence and self esteem grew. By spring of that school year, I had the emotional stamina to stick to a weight reduction diet, along with the support of my parents and doctor. When I returned to school the next year after summer vacation, the kids didn't recognize the new slender me!
Most of us have children in our lives, in one way or another. Perhaps you're a parent, grandparent, Sunday School or school teacher, youth leader, aunt or uncle. We can even affect the lives of the children of friends, neighbors, and fellow church members. Please take a lesson from Mr. Jarrett. Cruelty in any form is unacceptable. We mustn't let it "slip by," justifying it as a "phase" or "kids will be kids." Teach them kindness. They will benefit as much as their intended victims. This is Mr. Jarrett's legacy.
[We know of at least two "Your Healthy Perspective" readers who are teachers leaving their own legacies of kindness. God bless you, John and Jacquie.]
Here's what Jesus had to say about children:
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.' ... 'See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.'"
Matthew 18:1-6, 10 (NIV)
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EAT THE RAINBOW
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CBS "The Early Show" recently had a two-part series examining the wide array of color in fruits and vegetables, and their bearing on our health.
Dr. David Heber, author of "What Color is Your Diet" and Director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, in an interview with Russ Mitchell, recommended eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables across the spectrum of color.
The health benefits of a plant-based diet, rich in a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables have been widely accepted. We know that fruits and vegetables are generally low in fat and high in both fiber and phytochemicals (which nourish our bodies and help protect us from many degenerative diseases). Even though government health officials tell us we should eat a minimum of five servings of fresh produce each day (nine servings being optimal), it's been estimated that up to 80 percent of our population does not meet the minimum, with a full 50 percent of Americans not even eating a piece of fruit each day! It's no wonder cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases are on the rise!
Dr. Heber says the different colors in fruits and vegetables represent some 25,000 beneficial chemicals. These contain unique properties which affect human biology differently. Evidence suggests that these chemicals also interact to provide health benefits.
For simplification, Dr. Heber has grouped fruits and vegetables into seven color categories, listed below.
-Red Group
(eg. tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon)
These contain the carotenoid lycopene, which helps rid the body of free radicals that damage genes. Lycopene seems to protect against prostate cancer as well as heart and lung disease.
-Yellow/Green Group
(eg. spinach greens, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, yellow corn, green peas, avocado, honeydew melon)
These are sources of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These are believed to reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Lutein is a yellow-green substance that concentrates in the back of your eye. It may also reduce atherosclerosis.
-Orange Group
(eg. carrots, mangos, apricots, cantaloupes, pumpkin, acorn squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes)
These contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer. They also contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. It protects the skin against free-radical damage and helps repair damaged DNA. Beta-carotene is also good for night vision.
-Orange/Yellow Group
(eg. pineapple, orange juice, oranges, tangerines, peaches, papayas, nectarines)
These contain beta cryptothanxin, which helps cells in the body communicate and may help prevent heart disease. Also, an orange contains 170 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C. It's interesting to note that the skin of an orange is high in a protective fat that has been found to kill cancer cells in humans and animals, which highlights the fact that two-thirds of all drugs come from the plant world.
-Red/Purple Group
(eg. beets, eggplant, purple grapes, red wine, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples)
These are loaded with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins believed to protect against heart disease by preventing blood clots. They may also delay the aging of cells in the body. There is some evidence they may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
-Green Group
(eg. broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage or bok choi, kale)
These contain the chemicals sulforaphane and isocyanate and they also contain indoles, all of which help ward off cancer by inhibiting carcinogens.
-White/Green Group
(eg. leeks, scallions, garlic, onions, celery, pears, white wine, endive, chives)
The onion family contains allicin, which has antitumor properties. Other foods in this group contain antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol.
The above information is found at the CBS News website. You may read the entire article at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/19/earlyshow/health/main515724.shtml.
Just as Mom always said, "Eat your fruits and veggies!"
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10 STEPS TO HEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL
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As the temperature soars, we shed more clothing. Did the sight of your thighs in those shorts make you wish you had shed some pounds? You're not alone. But our main concern is health. Fad diets and starvation programs may help you shed unwanted pounds, but they can also take wanted years off your life.
The following advice is found at sfgate.com (a website affiliated with the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper). The following ten steps come from Dr. Alan Eshleman and were born from his personal experience with weight control issues.
1. Get a medical exam first.
2. Have realistic expectations.
3. Don't smoke.
4. Exercise.
5. Become a vegetarian.
6. Walk, walk, walk.
7. Don't super-size it.
8. Water is a fine drink.
9. Plan for the winter.
10. Avoid fad diets.
You may read the entire article, including more on Dr E's 10-step weight loss program at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2002/07/08/dresupersizept2.DTL.
Make healthy eating a lifelong habit and weight control will come more easily and naturally.
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HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE IN THE NEWS
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Alzheimer's risk reduction
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According to an Associated Press story, dated June 26, 2002,
"Eating nuts, leafy green vegetables and other foods rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, two studies suggest."
These two studies, recently published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" (JAMA), found that the group studied that had the highest intake of vitamin E- and vitamin C-rich foods were up to 70 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease!
Researcher Martha Clare Morris said that participants in the high intake group ate such foods as whole grain cereal for breakfast, a sandwich with whole grain bread for lunch, and a dinner which included a green leafy salad sprinkled with nuts.
"The idea that vitamin E and vitamin C might have beneficial effects on the underlying Alzheimer's disease process makes sense, and it seems unlikely that antioxidant-rich foods would negatively affect brain aging," Daniel Foley of the National Institute on Aging and Dr. Lon White of Pacific Health Research Institute in Honolulu said in an accompanying editorial.
You may read the AP article in its entirety at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/26/health/main513468.shtml.
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Enjoy this beautiful summer.
God bless you.
-Rev. Clarence Russell, Kimberly and Nicole
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