the healthy happy: septembre 2013

mardi 17 septembre 2013

Getting Off A Train Is Better When Greeted By This Friendly Russian Boy (VIDEO)

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This Russian kid doesn't know any of these people, but that doesn't stop him from greeting every single one of them as they leave the train, and it's pretty cute. He definitely has a future as a politician.

But, uh, what's with that shirtless guy?

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The Republican Plot To Kill Obamacare -- New York Magazine

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New York:

The Republican party has voted unanimously against establishing the Affordable Care Act in the Senate and then in the House of Representatives, then voted some 40 times to repeal or cripple it; it has mounted a nearly successful campaign to nullify it through the courts and a failed presidential campaign that promised to repeal it; and it has used its control of state governments to block the law's implementation across vast swaths of the country, at enormous economic cost to those states. Yet somehow, in the wake of all this, the party is consumed with the question Have we done enough to stop Obamacare?

Read the whole story at New York

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Space Tourist Dennis Tito On Using Bathroom In Space: 'I Hadn't Had Toilet Training In 60 Years'

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NEW YORK – As microgravity makes even the most mundane tasks tricky, going to the bathroom in space can be a chore. How astronauts take care of that basic human necessity while in orbit has been a point of perennial fascination for the Earth-bound public.

For a moment during a Sept. 4 talk here at the Explorers Club, two of the world's first space tourists who paid their way to the International Space Station traded stories about their space toilet training, or actually the lack of training.

The Explorers Club was holding an event with former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott and his son, gaming legend Richard Garriott, perhaps best known for creating the Ultima role-playing series. They are the only American father-son team to have both gone to space. [Photos: Space Tourist Richard Garriott, an Astronaut Legacy]

While Owen Garriott flew with NASA aboard U.S. space station Skylab and the space shuttle Columbia, his son became a spaceflyer in his own right in 2008 after using his gaming fortune to buy a multimillion-dollar ticket to the space station aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule.

Adventurer and journalist Jim Clash interviewed the duo in front of a small audience and afterwards gave the night's first question to another private spaceflyer in the room: American businessman Dennis Tito.

A longtime space enthusiast, Tito made his millions in the world of finance, but was once an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Widely considered the first space tourist, Tito paid the Russians a reported $20 million for his 2001 flight to the space station.

The younger Garriott earlier in the night said he used to look at Tito and think, "That's the guy that got my seat!" Garriott's long-held aspirations to go to space — first dashed when he learned his eyesight was below NASA standards — had to be postponed for a few years after his wealth took a hit in the dot-com crash.

space toilet A view of the toilet compartment in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station (ISS).

Tito stood up to ask his question and paused before saying, "One experience that people always ask me about is, 'How do you go to the bathroom in space?'"

As the audience laughed, Owen Garriott jumped in to add: "Elementary school children, usually."

But Tito continued, saying that despite his eight months of training with the Russians, he wasn't all that prepared to go the bathroom in space.

"I guess the Russians really don't like to talk about these things — they have funny attitudes," Tito said. "So I got on board the station and the first thing that happened was Jim Voss, an American astronaut, gave me toilet trailing."

"Now, I hadn't had toilet training in 60 years," Tito added. "So I was wondering, did you get toilet training on the ground?"

Richard Garriott, who trained with the Russians, too, corroborated Tito's story.

"It is hilarious because every other system — everything except the toilet — you use the exact hardware you will use in space on the ground," Garriott said.

Garriott said he had a cheat sheet for which switches to turn on for when he needed to use the space commode, the toilet does not work the same way as it does on the ground.

"Gravity's actually really important for how to separate yourself from your waste and there's no discussion of that," Garriott said.

Richard Garriott as seen in "Man on a Mission," a film by Mike Woolf.

His father chimed in to give a perspective from the U.S. side, and discussed his training with NASA ahead of his 60-day stint in space during the Skylab 3 mission in 1973.

"We did receive proper training," the elder Garriott said. "For urination it's a very simple thing ... Urination is not a problem. Defecation is what you're concerned about."

Garriott said the Skylab astronauts used a simulator toilet mounted over a camera so that they could check their positioning on the ground before using the commode in space. All three Skylab crews out also brought home all of their waste to be examined by scientists, Garriott added, remarking that they never had a single toilet failure while in flight.

"One thing NASA did right," he quipped.

Follow Megan Gannon on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @SPACEdotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com.

Health Care Polls Find Obamacare Unpopular On Eve Of Rollout

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The Affordable Care Act is more unpopular than ever, with those who disapprove divided over whether the law should be reformed or scrapped, according to a Pew Research/USA Today poll released Monday.

Forty-two percent of Americans approved of the law, while 53 percent disapproved. That's the highest rate of disapproval that Pew has found since the law's passage in 2010. Attitudes among the uninsured were somewhat more positive, with 49 percent approving and 46 percent disapproving.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, also released Monday, found similar opposition, with 44 percent of Americans calling the health care law a bad idea and 31 percent calling it a good idea. NBC posted a range of respondents' explanations for their opinions, from fears about "death panels" and rising costs, to happiness that preexisting conditions are covered and young adults can be covered by their parents' insurance.

HuffPost Pollster's average of all available public polls puts disapproval of Obamacare at about 53 percent.

In the Pew survey, those who disapproved of the health care law split on what lawmakers should do next: 27 percent of all respondents said lawmakers should try to make Obamacare work as well as possible, and 23 percent said they seek to make it fail.

"This strategic question is a particular point of conflict within the Republican Party," the Pew report says. Republicans as a whole were just slightly more likely to want the law to fail than to want it improved, while 64 percent of tea party Republicans wanted the law to fail.

Americans were almost evenly split on which party they trusted more to handle health care. Forty percent said they believe the Republican Party would do a better job dealing with health care, while 39 percent preferred the Democrats. It's the first time a Pew poll has found the GOP ahead on health care since at least 1990. While the size of Democrats' edge has varied widely in the past, a December 2012 poll put them 10 points ahead of Republicans on the issue.

More than three years after the Affordable Care Act was passed, 34 percent still said they didn't have a good understanding of how the law affects them. Just 51 percent knew that a health insurance exchange will be available in their state. Awareness of the exchanges was significantly higher in states that chose to run their own exchanges or partner with the federal government than in states where the exchanges will be run by the federal government.

The NBC/WSJ poll similarly found that only 30 percent said they understand the health care law "very well" or "pretty well."

"As it turns out, that 30 percent has more positive opinions about the health-care law (42 percent good idea, 45 percent bad idea), versus the 34 percent who don't understand it very well (17 percent good idea, 44 percent bad idea)," NBC's Mark Murray wrote.

The Pew/USA Today poll surveyed 1,504 adults between Sept. 4 and Sept. 8, while the NBC/WSJ poll surveyed 1,000 adults between Sept. 5 and Sept. 8. Both used live telephone interviews.

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How World Bank Plans To Eliminate Extreme Poverty, Boost Incomes Of Poorest By 2030

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By Anna Yukhananov

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The World Bank, faced with a tight budget and greater competition for development funds, aims to become more selective in its lending, focusing on fragile states, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and other areas where it can have the greatest impact, according to a draft strategy paper obtained by Reuters.

The 42-page paper, presented to the bank's executive board last week, is the first major strategic review under World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

It offers the first concrete details of how the World Bank plans to fulfill his twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting the incomes of the poorest 40 percent of the population in each country.

However, the strategy paper is still vague about what exact programs the bank will cut or bolster, and how it will change its budget to reflect new priorities and falling revenue.

When asked for comment, World Bank spokesman David Theis declined to elaborate further on the plan.

Founded after World War II to help rebuild Europe, the World Bank later focused on lending money to developing countries in order to improve the lives of poor people.

The global lender is praised for its worldwide reach, stringent standards and long-term focus. But it has also been criticized for avoiding risks, delaying approval of projects, not responding enough to what countries want, and focusing more on pushing money out the door rather than program outcomes.

Kim, who came to the helm of the multilateral development institution a little over a year ago, has launched a major reorganization to change all that, driving an emphasis on flexibility, measurable impact, and evidence, or what he calls "the science of delivery."

The draft strategy acknowledges the World Bank has become less important to the growth of many middle-income countries, which can rely more on private funding and bilateral loans from emerging markets like China.

The World Bank also admits it has limited funds to tackle the needs of the developing world, where new infrastructure projects alone will require $1.5 trillion in funding a year.

Instead, the World Bank wants to reposition itself as a "solutions" bank, offering not only financing but also its knowledge of how to solve common development challenges.

"The World Bank Group's role in knowledge, convening and global advocacy has increased relative to its role in providing finance," the paper said.

Keeping the bank relevant means focusing on areas where other donors are reluctant to go, such as fragile and conflict-affected states, by 2015 home to half of the world's poorest people.

The World Bank said it also plans to use its projects and global presence to share data and promote better policies in areas like climate change.

To help address countries' needs and better coordinate development policies, the bank also plans to work more closely with other development agencies like the United Nations and with philanthropic organizations.

And it wants to promote more private-public partnerships for basic services like health, education and housing - to the consternation of some non-profit organizations that argue such programs have mixed records for helping the poor.

BUDGET CUTS

As part of the new strategy, the World Bank also plans to make some cuts to its budget. Operating in fragile states, collecting data to measure countries' progress, and ensuring a global presence have strained the bank's administrative funds.

And less lending to middle-income or stable countries also means less revenue, as the bank has made money from interest-bearing loans.

"Maintaining a minimum scale of operations is important if the World Bank Group is to influence the policy agenda and support clients in delivering effective development solutions," the paper said.

"Although the World Bank Group does not face immediate financial concerns, its financial capacity will need to be strengthened," the paper added.

The bank said it will have to be selective in what it does and make cuts to certain programs, without specifying further. It is also considering relying more on fees for advisory services and on money from trust funds, or earmarked funds from governments for specific projects.

Trust funds already account for one of every 10 dollars the bank disburses to governments, according to the paper.

The new budget will be implemented for the next fiscal year, which begins in July 2014, and may be one of the thorniest issues for the bank to resolve as it decides which departments and programs must shrink.

Changing the bank's internal culture may also pose a threat to the success of the new strategy, according to several outside analysts who reviewed the paper.

Part of the new focus means integrating the work of the bank with the activities of its private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation, and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, which insures investments in difficult environments.

The three agencies work with different clients and may have different approaches to specific projects, creating conflicts of interest.

The details of how the bank will change its internal organization to align with the new strategy will be presented later in an "Implementation Paper."

For now, the draft strategy will go to the governments of the World Bank's members for approval, before being formally presented during the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in early October. (Reporting by Anna Yukhananov; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

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lundi 16 septembre 2013

Thousands Cited For Having Pot On Federal Land

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TACOMA, Wash. -- Karen Strand didn't think she'd get in trouble for having a small container of medical marijuana when she went hiking in Olympic National Park this summer.

President Barack Obama, she remembered, had said the federal government had "bigger fish to fry" than people who follow state marijuana laws, and Washington state had just legalized pot.

But a ranger pulled her over on a remote gravel road, and Strand wound up as one of at least 27,700 people cited for having pot on federal land since 2009, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal court data. The number of citations is small compared to the hundreds of millions of visitors to national parks, forests and monuments each year.

But it nevertheless illustrates one of the many issues Washington, Colorado and other states face in complying with last month's Justice Department memo that requires them to address eight federal law enforcement priorities if they want to regulate marijuana. Among those priorities is keeping marijuana use and possession off federal property.

State officials have no plans to license pot gardens or stores on federal land, but beyond that, they say, it's not clear what they can do to discourage backpackers or campers from bringing a few joints into Rocky Mountain or Mount Rainier National Park.

"It's not one of the big topics we've talked a lot about," said Jaime Smith, a spokeswoman for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Other concerns on the DOJ's list include keeping marijuana away from kids and cartels, preventing drugged driving and pot-related gun violence, and keeping unregulated marijuana grows from spoiling federal land.

Thousands of people receive tickets every year charging them with having pot on U.S. property – a federal misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. The charges typically don't result in jail time, but often do require at least one court appearance. They are frequently negotiated down to an infraction, akin to a traffic ticket, and a fine of up to a few hundred dollars.

Through the first seven months of this year, at least 146 people had been cited in Washington for having pot on federal land, which makes up nearly one-third of the state. At least 135 had been cited in Colorado. Washington's figure is slightly below the same period for the past few years, while Colorado's is roughly on track.

The number of people cited nationally has dropped, from 6,282 in 2009 to 5,772 in 2012, and is on pace to hit about 5,300 this year, according to data from the U.S. Courts Central Violations Bureau. The citations were issued at national parks, seashores, forests, military bases and monuments. There were even 10 tickets issued at the Pentagon.

Officials say the actual numbers are likely greater: Park rangers and other federal agents sometimes simply write on the ticket that the offender had a controlled substance, without specifying the drug.

Defendants say being prosecuted for having tiny amounts of pot on U.S. land – especially in Washington, Colorado and states with medical marijuana laws – belies the administration's assertions that going after people who comply with state marijuana laws is not a priority. The DOJ first announced that position in a 2009 memo, though the fine print also made clear that pot isn't welcome on federal property.

Strand, 36, was pulled over for having a broken taillight, and the ranger reported that he could smell fresh pot. She was ticketed for having 2 grams – far less than the ounce, or 28 grams, allowed by Washington's recreational pot law, or the 24 ounces allowed by the state's medical marijuana law.

"It is exceptionally confusing," she said.

One morning this month, Strand sat in a small, crowded room at the federal courthouse in Tacoma for her initial appearance on charges of marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia – a pipe.

Near her sat her husband as well as several other people caught with weed on federal land, including a 21-year-old man who was accused of having 0.1 grams during a traffic stop on a highway that skirts Mount Rainier National Park.

"I just thought it was legal now," Jonah Hunt said. "I didn't know I was on federal land."

Barbara Sievers, the assistant U.S. attorney handling the cases, informed the defendants their charges would not be dismissed.

"Regardless of whatever happened in the state, it's federal law, and it's federal property," she said.

Former school teacher Melanie Cease, of Seattle, said a park ranger approached her one day in June at a secluded campsite in Olympic National Park. He came to make sure her dog was on a leash, but then saw an empty pipe on the picnic table.

With his hand on his gun, she said, the ranger demanded she turn over whatever pot she had. Cease, 48, was cited for having a "trace amount," according to the ranger's report.

"I've never been arrested in my life, and now I'm being threatened with six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for using my medicine?" she said. "It was my understanding the government was not going to mess with individual patients."

Strand and Cease both pleaded not guilty, and their cases were set for trial in October.

Strand and her husband, Thomas, said they remain troubled by what they said felt like harassment from the park ranger. He repeatedly placed his hand on his gun when speaking to them, they said.

"It's a beautiful place up there," Thomas Strand said. "And I don't know if I'll ever go back."

___

Follow Johnson on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

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James Franco Gay Jokes During Comedy Central's Roast Discussed On 'The Rubin Report'

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Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" took Comedy Central to task over the barrage of gay jokes directed at James Franco during its roast of the Academy Award-nominated actor earlier this month. (WARNING: contains graphic language)

Joining Rubin were comedian Erin Foley and producer Jayar Jackson, both of whom were critical of the event.

"This was just was another example of what happens in comedy clubs across the country -- it's just stupid straight dudes making stupid gay jokes," Foley said. "They don't know James Franco ... honestly, it's absolutely ridiculous."

Jackson minced even fewer words, noting, "Call it a written sh*t talk night rather than a roast."

For his part, Franco doesn't seem to mind the gay speculation. Last week, he told The Daily Beast: "I don’t even care if people think I’m gay, so it was like, 'Awesome!' I mean, I wish I was. … I wish I was gay."

For more on "The Rubin Report," click here.

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samedi 14 septembre 2013

How Good Is Your Doctor?

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vendredi 13 septembre 2013

The Reason Why Sweets Lift Your Spirits

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strawberry-chocolate

There's a reason some of us crave gooey desserts when we're feeling low: They're rooted in happy associations, explains Susan Bowerman, RD, assistant director of UCLA's Center for Human Nutrition. "These kinds of cravings come from long-established patterns," she says, "like memories from when we were kids and were soothed with cookies or rewarded for doing well with ice cream." Tastes, textures and aromas that summon these positive personal memories all have the ability to make us smile, and sweet treats—especially chocolate—are top happiness triggers.

The downside

Going too far in indulging nostalgic cravings can backfire: A new study from Harvard Medical School suggests that eating high-glycemic foods that spike your blood sugar can cause strong cravings for more just hours later. And it isn't a mild kind of hankering, either: Researchers at Yale University demonstrated with MRI scans that the same reward circuits were activated in the brains of women shown pictures of milk shakes as those seen in addicts craving drugs or alcohol.

The solution

To get your sweet fix without getting trapped in this cycle, opt for fragrant treats with lots of flavor but less sugar, plus fiber or protein to slow digestion for maximum staying power, Bowerman says. Try a bowl of strawberries dipped in two squares of melted dark chocolate, a cup of low-fat yogurt with a tablespoon of honey or cinnamon-spiced tea with skim milk.

Eat your way happy the healthy way with these mood-boosting foods.

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5 Medical Tests to Think Twice About

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Choose wisely

By Nancy Rones

You may assume your doc is being thorough when she runs a gazillion tests, but there's a downside to being too proactive. New studies show that many people don't benefit from costly screening tests that come with pitfalls such as false positives and excessive radiation. So doctors tend to do fewer of them. Here are some tests you may be able to skip (for a full list, go to choosingwisely.org).

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jeudi 12 septembre 2013

8 Easy Ways to Get Healthy Today

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Easy lifestyle alterations

By Valerie Frankel

Think it's time to make some healthy lifestyle adjustments? Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, is right behind you. Buettner is crossing Iowa in a bus, attempting to change American towns into healthier places. "More than 40% of Americans smoked in the ’60s, and only 20% do now," he points out. "We can turn around our diet and lifestyle, too."

One thing we Americans have going for us: We are always up for a challenge. So try these healthful ideas inspired by healthy women around the world.

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7 Tricks to Improve Your Memory

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I used to have a memory that amazed people, but in the last few years I've had trouble remembering names and movie titles. ("You know, the one about the guy who goes somewhere? It won that award...") I hope to have many years of sharp thinking ahead of me—I'm in my mid-40s, nowhere near senior-moments territory—so I got to wondering: Is there something I should be doing now to counteract the lapses that already seem to be taking place?

There's no way around the fact that memory erodes as we get older. The hippocampus, the area of your brain responsible for building memory, loses 5 percent of its nerve cells with each passing decade. Plus, aging slows production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital to learning and memory. Based on these facts, scientists once believed that a person's mental ability peaked early in adulthood, then went downhill from there. But over the last few decades, research has found that adults' brains are still able to form new, memory-building neural networks in a process known as neuroplasticity. The reassuring latest thinking: With a little effort, anyone can boost their power of recollection.

To test this theory in the real world, I tried an array of research-backed brain-sharpening techniques over one six-week period. Am I now able to list all 44 U.S. presidents? No. But can I more easily summon up where I put my keys? Yes. And I think being able to leave my apartment and lock the door is a more valuable life skill than remembering James K. Polk. Here's what worked for me—and what fell flat.

Technique #1: Play brain games

Puzzles like Sudoku and crosswords may improve memory and delay brain decline, though experts are not yet sure why. "My guess is that playing them activates synapses in the whole brain, including the memory areas," says Marcel Danesi, PhD, author of Extreme Brain Workout. Research so far is decidedly mixed: Some studies have found that, while doing crossword puzzles may make you better at remembering the capital of Burkina Faso, there's little evidence they'll boost your performance at more general tasks, like remembering where your car is parked. But a 2011 study showed that participants who played a computer game called Double Decision for six years improved their concentration so much that they had a 50 percent lower rate of car accidents.

So I decided to try an online brain-training program called Lumosity, which neuroscientists from Harvard, Stanford and the University of California at Berkeley have used in their own studies; its creators claim that 97 percent of users improve their memory in just 10 hours of playing time. First I answered a series of questions at lumosity.com to identify which of my cognitive processes, including memory, could use a little help. Then I received a personalized training regimen. A 10-minute daily series of games is free, and a more advanced program is available for $12.95 a month. (Being cheap, I stuck with the former.) The games are pure fun—remembering a pattern of blocks, spotting a bird in a field—and are based on what research has found to improve concentration and other cognitive skills.

My grade: B- By the end of a month, my "brain performance index" score rose 6 percent—not amazing in the Lumosity world, but respectable. The main problem: You have to play the games every day, forever, to keep up the benefits. I've mostly kept up. (Except on weekends. Or if I've had a busy week. OK, I haven't kept up.)

Technique #2: Eat the right foods

According to Gary Small, MD, director of the UCLA Memory Clinic, memory superfoods include antioxidant-rich, colorful fruits and vegetables, which protect your brain from harmful free radicals. He's also enthusiastic about low-glycemic carbs, like oatmeal, and anything with omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, a recent study published in Neurology found that people with low levels of omega-3s had brains that appeared to be a full two years older in MRI scans. That was incentive enough for me to follow the memory-enhancing diet from Dr. Small's book The Memory Prescription, which claims it works in just two weeks. Much like the Mediterranean diet, it's heavy on produce, legumes, nuts and fish. It's low on meat, since meat's omega-6 fatty acids may contribute to brain inflammation, a possible underlying mechanism for Alzheimer's. Refined sugars produce a similar effect, so they were also out. (That was the toughest for me.) I ate a farmers market's worth of blueberries, spinach, avocado and beets, and consumed enough fish to sprout gills. I also went beyond Dr. Small's advice and took 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12, the standard recommended daily amount—since studies show people with low levels perform poorly on memory tests—and 1,000 international units of vitamin D, discovered by Tufts University researchers to boost cognitive function. (My doctor signed off on the supplements.)

My grade: A It was difficult to eat meat only once a week, until I noticed how much less physically and mentally sluggish I felt. And my memory became markedly sharper over 14 days. (For instance, I quit using a bookmark because I could remember the page number I'd stopped on the night before.) Planning those meals took a lot of prep, but it paid off tremendously. I still try to use the diet as a guideline: I eat meat once a week, aim for five fruits and vegetables a day and pop omega-3 supplements (since I don't get as much fish as I did on the diet).

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19 Signs Your Thyroid Isn’t Working Right

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A thyroid disorder epidemic?

By Anne Krueger

The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, can have a dramatic impact on a huge variety of bodily functions, and if you're a woman over 35 your odds of a thyroid disorder are high—more than 30%, by some estimates.

At least 30 million Americans have a thyroid disorder and half?15 million?are silent sufferers who are undiagnosed, according to The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Women are as much as 10 times as likely as men to have a thyroid problem, says integrative medicine specialist Robin Miller, MD, co-author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to MidLife & Beyond.

Next: Thyroid 101

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