TUESDAY MARCH 1, 2011 DOES A CAT HAVE NINE LIVES?

"May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten." - An Irish Blessing



This seems like sound advice. Who could argue with the Irish and St. Patrick? I try to the best of my ability never to forget what is worth remembering...birthdays, anniversaries, sober anniversaries, holidays. These are just a few important dates. Also worth remembering are special events. The memory of my Yonkers City Championship for the one mile walk race with my mother cheering me on in the stands, the birth of my children, the 'One Enchanted Evening' on my first date with Rick, and my Dad, Aunt Mary and I on a cruise. I also remember what is best forgotten. I do not need to deal with what is best forgotten. Circumstances happen for a reason. I no longer question what happens in life.

I am an animal lover. As a matter of fact, both Rick and I love animals. We have three dogs, one parrot, and a large fish tank in my office. As a child I had dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, turtles, fish and birds. I also rescued any animal that needed help. I even had a chimpanzee loaned from the Department of Psychology during the summer of 1980.

Just as plants and insects have an internal security system, so do animals. The best example of this is the cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or house cat. Please remember that a cat has 9 lives for a reason. Cats have 244 bones compared to the 206 human bones. Cats also have more muscles than humans. What is interesting is that a cat has 5 more vertebrae than a human. Cats prepare themselves when they jump and even when they fall. I remember one of my childhood cats falling 20 feet off a ledge. He landed on his feet and scuttered away. It is not a myth of 9 lives - it is the cat's security.

You also have natural defenses. Not the same as a cat so do not try jumping or falling off a building. We have natural killer cells to fight off any cancers. You can take selenium to increase the numbers of these killer cells. A key phytonutrient called spirulina decreases the effects of free radical damage (that causes oxidative stress to the body). I would include daily spirulina in your dietary regimen. I have found that this supplement supports the immune system and can slow the progression of a cancer.

Caffeine can have the same effect of offsetting the immunosuppressive activity of certain cancers. The controversy : Is coffee good or bad for you ?

Until tomorrow...