MICHELLE OBAMA DEFENDS HER HUSBAND

First lady Michelle Obama offered a personal perspective on why her husband should be re-elected, telling the Democratic convention that the same values she fell in love with guide him each day in the White House.



"In the end, for Barack, these issues aren't political -- they're personal," Mrs. Obama said in the final speech of the opening night. "Barack knows the American Dream because he's lived it, and he wants everyone, everyone in this country to have the same opportunity."



Former President Bill Clinton headlines Wednesday night with a speech formally nominating President Barack Obama, and Obama concludes the convention with his acceptance speech on Thursday.

Source: CNN

HAPPINESS LINKED WITH A GENE THAT COMES IN LONG AND SHORT VERSIONS

Your overall happiness may depend in part on whether you drew the long or short version of a gene, say researchers...

In work that gives cranky teenagers another reason to blame their parents for all life's woes, researchers have uncovered a genetic link to happiness.
The study of more than 2,500 Americans revealed two variants of a gene that influenced how satisfied – or dissatisfied – people were with their lot.
Those born with two long versions of the gene (one is passed down from each parent) were more likely to declare themselves "very satisfied" with life than those who inherited two short versions.
The study marks a tentative step towards explaining the mystery of why some people seem naturally happier than others.
"This gives us more insight into the biological mechanisms that influence life satisfaction," said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, a researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
"If you're feeling down, your neurological circuitry could be partially responsible. By that I don't mean to say that one can hold biology responsible for a depression, but a better understanding of one's unique genetic make-up combined with willpower could help in surmounting a psychological dip."
A greater understanding of happiness genes might in future allow would-be parents to create a child who will be more satisfied with their life.
Happiness is only partly influenced by genetic makeup. Studies in twins suggest that genes account for roughly a third to a half of the variation in happiness between people. It is not yet known how many genes affect how cheerful we are.
De Neve looked at the genetic makeup of 2,574 people selected to be representative of the general population, whose medical histories were recorded for the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Among the records were answers to a question participants were asked in their early 20s about life satisfaction.
In response to the question, "How satisfied are you with your life as a whole", they answered either "very satisfied", "satisfied", "neither satisfied or dissatisfied", "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied".
Writing in the Journal of Human Genetics, De Neve describes how roughly 40% said they were "very satisfied" with life, and among these, 35.4% had two long variants of the gene and only 19.1% had two short versions. Of those who were "dissatisfied" with life, 20% had two long variants of the gene, while 26.2% had two short versions. That indicates a slight over-representation of the long variants in happier people.
The gene, known as 5-HTT, is involved with the transport of serotonin, a feelgood chemical, in the brain. The longer variant leads to more efficient release and recycling of the neurotransmitter.
De Neve calculated that, everything else being equal, having one long version of the gene increased the number of people claiming to be "very satisfied" with life by around 8.5%. Having two long versions raised the number by 17.3%.
In unpublished work, De Neve and other researchers have since replicated the result in a separate group of people.
De Neve urged caution over the result, however, and emphasised that inheriting two short versions of the gene did not condemn a person to a life of misery any more than two long versions would make someone impervious to sadness.
"This gene has an important influence, but you cannot say it causes happiness. Happiness is hugely complex and your experiences throughout the course of your life will remain the dominant force on that," he said.
A 2009 study by Elaine Fox at the University of Essex suggested that people who carried long versions of the 5-HTT gene had a greater tendency to focus on the positives in life. The "bright side" version of the gene might bolster people's resilience to stressful events, and protect against anxiety, depression and other mental health problems.
Ed Diener, a psychologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and author of the 2008 book, Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth, said: "We are just beginning to understand the actual genetics of happiness, and how genes might influence brain hormones and other physiology that influence our well-being.
"This exciting work offers insights that one day may help us counter disorders such as depression. Parents one day might have the choice of whether to choose genes that will create a child who is more satisfied with his or her life."

This article was corrected on 11 May. The original text stated that, of those who were dissatisfied with life, 26.2% had long variants of the gene instead of 20%.
• This article was amended on 12 May 2011. The original paragraph: '"If you're feeling down, you can say it's your biology telling you life is less rosy than it is," he added.' has been clarified at the request of the individual.

Source: The Guardian

THALIDOMIDE MANUFACTURER GIVES APOLOGY

A German manufacturer of a drug that caused thousands of babies to be born with disabilities about five decades ago is apologizing for the first time.

The drug, thalidomide, caused babies to be born with shorter arms and legs after their mothers took it during pregnancy in the 1950s and 1960s.

It was marketed to women to counter morning sickness, according to the Thalidomide Trust, a UK body set up in the 1970s to help those affected.

In addition to the disabilities, some children whose mothers took the drug suffered heart problems, damaged hearing or eyesight , and in some cases, brain damage.

The drug was pulled from sale in 1961 after doctors linked it to birth defects

Source: CNN

HANDLING HYPERTENSION, BEFORE IT HANDLES YOU

Is your blood pressure creeping up? ... Not quite in the high blood pressure range, but not normal, either?
That's prehypertension. And though it's not high blood pressure -- yet -- it may not be as harmless as you thought.
Here's what you need to know about prehypertension, and why you need to nip it in the bud.
First, the numbers:

• Normal blood pressure is below 120/80.
• Prehypertension is blood pressure that ranges from 120-139 for the top number or 80-89 for the bottom number.
• High blood pressure (hypertension) is 140 or higher for the top number, or 90 or higher for the bottom number, or you are taking a blood pressure medication.

The top number is your systolic pressure, which is the force of blood against your arteries as your heart beats. The bottom number is diastolic pressure, which is the pressure on your arteries when your heart relaxes between beats.

Stroke Risk

Having prehypertension may make you more likely to have a stroke, especially in people younger than 65, a recent study shows.
"If you have prehypertension, and you're under 65, it really matters," says researcher and neurosciences professor Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, of the University of California, San Diego. "Most people who get to 65 already have hypertension."
Ovbiagele's team also found that stroke was more likely for people at the upper end of the prehypertensive range. But even if your blood pressure is not that high, it's wise to take action if your blood pressure is heading in the wrong direction.
"No matter what you consider your break point, any increase in blood pressure is generally a bad thing," says Richard Stein, MD, who directs the exercise, nutrition, and cardiovascular program at New York University's Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.
"It's causing the heart muscle to beat against a higher pressure, so [the heart] is becoming thicker," Stein says, adding that high blood pressure is also stressful for the kidneys.

Stealth Threat

Prehypertension, like hypertension, doesn't show signs or symptoms. Many people don't know they have it, and doctors often overlook it.
How do you know if you have it? The only way to know is to check your blood pressure. In otherwise healthy people, elevated systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure on two separate occasions -- taken two or three days apart -- is enough to be diagnosed with high blood pressure. You can take your blood pressure at home with a blood pressure monitor, or use the machine at your local pharmacy or grocery store, if it has one.
If it's consistently within the prehypertension range, tell your doctor so that you can get it under control before it becomes hypertension.

Taking Charge of Your Blood Pressure

The good news is, you can slow the progression to hypertension. Here's what experts recommend:

• Eat healthfully. Consider following the DASH diet, which focuses on eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and less saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol. It also restricts sodium, which can raise blood pressure, and emphasizes foods rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium, minerals that help lower blood pressure.
• Watch the salt. Although a recent study showed that lowering your salt intake may raise cholesterol and triglycerides, most experts still recommend cutting back on salt. Be on the lookout for sodium in canned, prepared, and processed foods. Avoid sprinkling too much salt on foods. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your intake to 1,500 mg a day.
• Move more. Get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity every day, most days of the week.
• Get to a healthy weight. Extra pounds make prehypertension more likely. Physical activity and healthy eating can help you shed extra weight.
• Limit alcohol. Try to drink no more than two drinks a day if you're a man or no more than one if you're a woman. If you don't drink, don't start.
• Curb stress. It's unclear whether chronic stress, by itself, can raise your blood pressure in the long run. But it can make you more likely to overeat and to skip exercise, Stein says. So try to change your circumstances, or at least how you deal with them, by practicing stress reduction techniques such as meditation.
• Check your blood pressure. If you can, buy a home monitor, and take your blood pressure twice day: once in the morning and once at night, Stein says. "One very high reading is concerning, but one alone isn't enough," he says. "You want to see how it changes over time."

Source: WebMD

LACTOSE: HOW MUCH CAN YOU TAKE?

If your doctor has just broken the news that you’re lactose-intolerant, don’t jump to the conclusion that you’ll never be able to savor another bite of ice cream again.
At first, many people fear that they’ll have to give up all dairy products. But with some experimentation, most people with lactose intolerance discover that they can eat small amounts of dairy without triggering distressing symptoms, such as bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea or nausea.

Who Gets Lactose Intolerance?

Lactose intolerance occurs when the body doesn’t make enough of the enzyme lactase, which digests lactose, the sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Infants produce high levels of lactase in order to digest milk. After weaning, though, lactase levels decrease, meaning that eventually, as people age, many can no longer digest as much lactose.

Although lactose intolerance is viewed as a disorder, about 75% of all people around the globe have some degree of lactase deficiency. Lactose intolerance is much more common among Asians, Hispanics and blacks than in people of Northwest European descent.
Lactose intolerance is actually a misleading term, says Yuri A. Saito-Loftus, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Mayo Clinic’s division of gastroenterology and hepatology.
“The majority of the world population is lactose intolerant. It’s actually the people who are lactose tolerant that are the minority group.”

Find Out How Much You Can Eat

If you’re not sure which foods you can handle, or how much, start experimenting with one dairy food and see how much you can eat without prompting symptoms, Sandquist says. For example, start out by drinking a half-cup of dairy milk and see how well you tolerate it. If milk doesn’t agree with you, try other dairy products that have less lactose. For example, an ounce of American, Swiss, cheddar, or Parmesan cheese has 1 to 2 grams of lactose, compared to 10-12 grams in one cup of milk, she says.
Typically, any discomfort from lactose intolerance arises 30 minutes to two hours after a person eats milk or dairy products. If a food triggers symptoms, you can still try to cut back on amounts to see if you can handle a smaller portion. You can also try a variety of lactose-free dairy options or find a substitute non-dairy product.
Although some people keep a mental tally of foods or amounts to avoid, others might gain better understanding by jotting down notes. “A diary is extremely helpful because then they can log what symptoms they have, what they’ve eaten,” Sandquist says. “They can look back and see if there’s a pattern.”
To reduce symptoms, also try eating dairy products with other foods to slow digestion. “I think that makes a huge difference,” Saito-Loftus says. “If you eat [lactose] with other foods, it mixes and it empties out of your stomach at a slower rate. It’s not like eating ice cream and suddenly, you have all this lactose coming out all at once. If you eat dairy with meat or rice or other such things, it gets mixed in and diluted. It’s easier for your body to tolerate in that context.”


More reading: http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/how-much-lactose?src=RSS_PUBLIC

RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS

ONE IS HAPPY ONCE HE KNOWS THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS OF HAPPINESS: SIMPLE TASTES, A CERTAIN DEGREE OF COURAGE, SELF DENIAL TO A POINT, LOVE OF WORK, AND ABOVE ALL, A CLEAR CONSCIENCE.

WHAT DID JESUS SAY ABOUT "LOVE"?

 

 

Love was for Jesus probably the most vital ingredient in the way people should live. He said the two most important commands in the Hebrew scriptures were the one that said love God and the one that said love people.
This love, of course, is not to be confused with “lurve”. For Jesus, love was nothing much to do with feelings, but all to do with how you treat people. Neither was it a case of just being generally vaguely well-disposed to the human race. It meant actively doing for others what you would want if you were in their shoes. And more, it meant repaying evil with good.
Jesus made it clear that for himself love meant dying for the good of the world.
For Jesus love was not so much a nice feeling as a hard and often painful way of life…
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone hits you on the cheek, offer them the other cheek. If someone takes your cloak, don’t stop him taking your tunic. Give to everyone who begs, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. After all, if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them” (Luke 6:27-32).