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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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-Healthy Perspective in the News
     -Selenium and Infertility
     -Beta Carotene and Prostate Cancer
     -Omega-3 Fatty Acids Get Special Attention
     -Psyllium and Cholesterol
     -CoQ10 Increases Vitamin E
-The Secret Weapon in the War Against Free Radicals!
-Healthy Recipe
-Nicole's Quick Bytes
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HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE IN THE NEWS
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Evening T.V. news broadcasts, newspapers, magazines - everywhere you look, health is in the news.  And for good reason - all of us are concerned about our health.  Of course, some of the "news" we hear or read hasn't been presented to us with the purest of motives.  The meat and dairy councils are profit-motivated and have big money and big business behind them.  But I digress.  There is a LOT of health info out there, and much of it is the result of good scientific studies, offering us insight about how we can better our own health.  And have you noticed that nutrition is being proven, again and again, to be a major player in improved health?  We would like to offer some healthy news tidbits that have come to our attention.

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Selenium and Infertility
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Scottish men attending a subfertility clinic were given a placebo, 100 mcg. of selenium, or selenium and vitamins for three months.  Results indicate that although selenium did not affect sperm density, it did increase sperm motility (movement).  Eleven percent of the men receiving selenium achieved paternity, compared to none in the placebo group.*
  British Journal of Urology 82 (1999).  Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients (December 1999).

Wannabe papas, this looks worth a try, doesn't it?  And selenium has been found, in other studies, to help prevent cancer too.  Our favorite selenium supplement is found in AIM Proancynol 2000 (which contains other powerful antioxidants as well).  For more info, please read the article, "The Secret Weapon in the War Against Free Radicals!" or go to http://www.healthyperspective.com/immuno.html.

And let's not forget that selenium is found in healthy foods too, such as potatoes (cooked with the skin), sunflower seeds, wheat germ, whole wheat bread, and cashews.

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Beta Carotene and Prostate Cancer
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A Harvard Medical School study indicates that men with the lowest levels of beta carotene in their blood were 45 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than those with a high level of beta carotene in their blood.  When the men with low beta carotene levels took 50 mg (30,000 IU) of beta carotene, their risk of prostate cancer dropped 32 percent.*
  Cancer 86 (1999): 1783-1792.

Look for beta carotene in dark green, as well as orange-colored fruits and veggies, such as carrots, winter squash, cantaloupe, mangos, and apricots.

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Omega-3 Fatty Acids Get Special Attention
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The January 2000 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition devotes a 229-page supplement to omega-3 fatty acids.  In 38 articles, the effects of these fatty acids on cardiovascular disease, infant nutrition, maternal nutrition, brain function, inflammatory diseases, and skin diseases is explored.  These articles indicate that "...views about dietary omega-3 fatty acids have moved from speculation about their functions to solid evidence that they are not only essential nutrients but also may favorably modulate many diseases."*
  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 71, S1 (January 2000).

In America, we get plenty of omega-6 fatty acids in the foods we eat, but we have to take care to get omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega-3 fatty acids are found in abundance in fish.  If you, like us, are avoiding eating animal products, it is also available from plant sources (after all, the fish gets its omega-3 from plants!).  The best and most readily available source of omega-3 fatty acids that we've found is flax seed oil.  Please do not cook the oil (great in salads) and keep the bottle of oil refrigerated (very perishable).  It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor.  (Can be found in most health food stores.)

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Psyllium and Cholesterol
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An analysis of eight clinical trials reinforces the recent health claim that the soluble fiber psyllium reduces levels of cholesterol in those suffering from hypercholesterolemia.  The results show that psyllium lowered total serum cholesterol concentration by 4 percent and serum LDL-cholesterol concentration by 7 percent relative to a placebo in those consuming a low-fat diet.  The study concludes that "Psyllium is safe, well accepted, and provides a useful adjunct to a low-fat diet for individuals with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia."*
  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 71, no. 2 (February 2000)

In last month's issue (Your Healthy Perspective - Vol 5 - March 2000) we discussed digestive health (go to http://www.healthyperspective.com/yhparchive.html if you would like to review this, or any other back issues).   Psyllium has long been used as a supplement for digestive health; it's wonderful to know that it can also help control our cholesterol levels!  We use AIM Herbal Fiberblend regularly.  It's not only a terrific source of dietary psyllium, but contains healthful herbs.  More information on Herbal Fiberblend is available at http://www.healthyperspective.com/digestive.html.

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CoQ10 Increases Vitamin E
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Proof of antioxidant cycling builds.  [Please see our article below, "The Secret Weapon in the War Against Free Radicals!" for more info on "antioxidant synergy" also called cycling.]  An animal study indicates that giving mice "massive amounts" of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) results in higher vitamin E levels in the heart, kidney, liver, brain, and skeletal muscles, as well as in the mitochondria.  This may be because CoQ10 reduces vitamin E free radicals, thus sparing vitamin E and making more of it available.*
  Free Radicals in Biological Medicine 26 (1999).  Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients (December 1999).

We talked at some length about CoQ10 in Vol. 4 of Your Healthy Perspective.  If you would like to review this information, go to http://www.healthyperspective.com/yhparchivevol4.html and check out the article, "Heart Stories."

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*Reported in the April 2000 issue of Partners Magazine.
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THE SECRET WEAPON IN THE WAR AGAINST FREE RADICALS!
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We recently received an e-mail from Dwayne, a Your Healthy Perspective reader.  Dwayne has given us permission to share this note with you.  (Words in brackets [ ] are editor's.)
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Enjoyed reading Vol 5.  I agree this is a subject [digestive health] not often talked about in such an open fashion.  Thanks for taking this on.  Drinking pure water is such an easy thing to accomplish and it does improve the quality of health! (I started doing this a couple of years ago) The Proancynol 2000 has also helped me tremendously.  Not sure what all is in it or why it has helped but let me share:

I sleep better, with less sleep required.
I FEEL better all over
Minor joint pain has all but vanished.
Much less gas! (Josh and Johnny [sons] also thank you)
Skin looks better [people are commenting he's looking younger]
Who knows what else it's doing but I'm going to keep taking it!

Thank you again.

-Dwayne
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Thank you, Dwayne.  The article below will help you understand why you feel so great!

Before we further explore this subject, "What exactly is a free radical?" you may ask.  Hint: It's not a political demonstrator out on bail.  Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines free radical as: "an especially reactive atom or group of atoms that has one or more unpaired electrons."  Now that we've identified the enemy, on with the article.

[The following information is found in the April 2000 Partners Magazine, and appears here with permission of the AIM Companies.]

   There's a war being waged in our bodies.  Every day, countless battles are being won or lost.  When we lose a battle, it may result in more wrinkles or "liver spots."  When we begin to lose many battles and the war goes badly, we open ourselves to disease.
   This war pits free radicals against antioxidants.
   Free radicals attack our cells.  When they attack blood vessels, it contributes to cardiovascular disease.  When they attack DNA in our cells, it may lead to cancer.  Free radicals also attack us from the outside.  When ultraviolet (OV) rays strike our skin, it can result in the creation of free radicals and lead to "aging" of the skin.  Experts say that free radicals can result in approximately 80 different age-related diseases, including cancer, heart attack, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, and Alzheimer's disease.
   Antioxidants are the defending army.  They "quench" free radicals by donating an electron to them.  Our body creates antioxidants naturally, and we get them from the foods we eat and supplementation.
   Most antioxidant formulas fight free radicals with one or two ingredients.
   That's like fighting a fire with a garden hose.
   Proancynol 2000 combines seven antioxidants to defeat free radicals, plus a secret weapon:  **Antioxidant Synergy**
   Each one of the seven ingredients in Proancynol 2000 not only is a powerful antioxidant in its own right but also works together with the other antioxidants to provide maximum protection against the ravages of free radical damage:

Alpha-Lipoic Acid
-Protects against stroke, heart disease, and cataracts
-Strengthens memory
**Recycles glutathione, vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, and itself

Selenium
-Protects against cancer and cardiovascular disease
-Enhances the immune system
**Recycles glutathione (through production of glutathione peroxidase)

Green Tea Extract
-Reduces risk of heart attack and cancer
-Enhances the immune system
**Recycles vitamin C

Lycopene
-Reduces risk of prostate cancer

Grape Seed Extract
-Contains powerful antioxidants known as oligomers of proanthocyanidins (OPCs)
-Maintains integrity of DNA
-Helps restore damaged skin
**As a flavonoid, recycles vitamin C

N-Acetylcysteine
-Enhances the immune system
-Detoxifies heavy metals
**Helps produce glutathione

Rosemary Extract
-Enhances activity of enzymes that detoxify carcinogens
**As a flavonoid, recycles vitamin C

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HEALTHY RECIPE
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**Nicole's Italian Breadsticks**
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian herbs
1/3 - 1/2 cup water
olive oil to spray or brush on

Combine dry ingredients and mix well.  Add water and stir and then knead until well blended.  The dough should knead easily yet hold its shape.  (Add a little more water or flour if needed.)  Divide into four large or eight small pieces.  Roll each into a stick shape and coat thinly with olive oil.  Bake on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Variations:
Pizza Crust - Bake the dough in a pizza pan at 450º for 10 minutes.  Add toppings and bake for 10 minutes more.
Instant Dry Mix - The dry ingredients make a wonderfully portable bread/ pizza crust mix.  Just add water!

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NICOLE'S QUICK BYTES
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Serpentine Motion.  A fossil of a snake was recently found which dates back to the time of the dinosaur.  What has amazed scientists about this fossil is that it has legs!  The only other place I recall reading about something like this is in Genesis 3:14.  It states (in NIV), "So the Lord God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life."  So snakes didn't originally crawl on their bellies!  Once again, God's Word is shown through scientific discovery to be on the forefront of reliable information.

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God bless you,
-Rev. Clarence Russell, Kimberly and Nicole
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The material in this file is provided for informational purposes only. We do not prescribe nor diagnose. If you use the information in this file without the approval of a health professional, you prescribe for yourself, which remains your constitutional right, but the author(s) assume no responsibility.
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Copyright (c) 2000 by Clarence Russell . All rights reserved. As long as this file is left intact, permission is granted for use on web sites or in newsgroups or mailing lists.