JULY 9, 2012 CHOCOLATE

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate." - Linda Grayson

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz

"The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain." - Thomas Jefferson

We all love chocolate. Cocoa ( Theobroma cacao) has been studied several times. It has been shown to have blood pressure lowering effects. I do not think conclusively I can comment on chocolate's effects on lowering the risk of coronary artery disease. Chocolate has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease by 38% and diabetes by 31-26%. A German study concluded that those individuals that consuming little no no chocolate had the highest incidence of myocardial infarction ( heart attacks) and stroke. Similar studies were found in Dutch men and postmenopausal American women.


The health-benefits of chocolate have been known to us for some time now, but there is more to chocolate that we need to know. For instance, did you know that chocolate and cacao are not the same? True, there is a clear distinction between commercial chocolate which has no health benefits and organic dark chocolate, ideally with no added sugar. Yet if you're a chocolate lover, consider small amounts of raw cacao as a better option. The reason why raw cacao is the best choice for healthy benefits is because raw cacao contains the antioxidants , like flavinoids that make raw cacao a super food. I would start to investigate why you should be eating cacao. The flavanols have been shown to positively impact cardiovascular disease as atherosclerosis, platelet function and endothelial function.

Cacao is derived from Theobroma cacao beans, which literally means "Food of the Gods". Cacao contains over 300 compounds including: protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, iron, zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium. Magnesium helps to build strong bones and is a muscle relaxant associated with feelings of calmness. Cacao is also high in sulfur, which helps form strong nails and hair. In addition, cacao also contains the chemicals phenylethylamine (PEA) and anandamide. PEA is an adrenal-related chemical that we create naturally when we're excited. The role of these neurotransmitters is an exciting field. In the same vain, I educate individuals that the neurotransmitter, serotonin is made in the small intestines (90%) and in the brain (10%) I discuss the role the small intestines ( I call it the gut) and emotions as melancholia, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and memory/focus and concentration issues.

Another chemical found in chocolate is the lipid anandamide. It's there in our brain when we feel great. Anandamide is also called "chocolate amphetamine" as it causes changes in blood pressure and blood-sugar levels, leading to feelings of excitement and alertness.  Anandamide works like amphetamines to increase mood and decrease depression, but it is not addictive like caffeine or illegal with undesirable side-effects like amphetamines. Anandamide is quite unique in its resemblance to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a chemical found in marijuana.The good news is that even though the anandamide in chocolate helps to create feelings of elation, the effect is not the same as the THC in marijuana. It would take approximately twenty five pounds of chocolate to achieve a 'high' similar to marijuana and the nausea would overpower any feelings of bliss at all. I do not know anyone that could consume that much chocolate, but I am sure The Guinness Book of World Records has the answer.

A study published in Curr Hypertens Resp in December 2011 concluded that the consumption of chocolate ( Theobroma cacao) is inversely related to Cardiovascular Heart Disease in the United States. Thus, the more dark chocolate the less risk of heart disease. These studies are hard to interpret. For one subjects can taste which chocolate is the better one by the bitterness. This gives away which chocolate is better. It would be difficult thus to do double blind studies.

I also feel what is the right dose of theobroma one should be studying ? Is there too much chocolate that can be dangerous to oneself ?
I do know this --If you want chocolate it should be dark chocolate NOT milk chocolate.

Until tomorrow. ..

JULY 7-8, 2012 UNSTABLE BLOOD SUGAR

When you feel Lonely
When a person you love passes away
Look to the night sky on a clear day.
The star that to you, appears to be bright,
Will be your loved one,
Looking upon you during the night.
The lights of heaven are what shows through
As your loved one watches all that you do.
When you feel lonely for the one that you love,
Look to the Heavens in the night sky above.
~ Author Unknown

I do not feel lonely any longer when a loved one passes away. I feel grateful for the time I have spent with him/her during my years. I am blessed. I smile. July- the stone is ruby. It is sometimes confused with January's Garnet. Death tries to break the golden chain of remembrance but all in vain. Holland said, " Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile , think of me, pray for me." I do just this and there is absolutely unbroken continuity. As Miss Peggy Lee stated, " Is that all there Is" Life is beautiful as long as it lasts. In my journey of life I will have no regrets whatsoever. I live every day as if its the last day on Mother Earth. I miss my own 'Archie Bunker' . He Loved Life.


The term hypoglycemia is an odd term. It literally means an abnormally low blood sugar. It is dangerous because the brain is dependent  on this constant supply of glucose. In my practice I often do a 5 hour glucose tolerance test to determine if someone has diabetes, pre diabetes or an unstable blood sugar.I often find a dip in the blood sugar. This used to be called hypoglycemia. This would mean the patient has a diagnosis of low blood sugar. This term should be called unstable blood sugar. It all depends on what you eat. If you start the day with a toasted bagel you might have a low blood sugar in 2 - 3 hours. This could even happen with a bowl of oatmeal. Both of these are carbohydrates. If you start the day at breakfast with a carbohydrate you will certainly have ups and downs of blood sugar. These can occur 2-3 hours after a meal. The usual 3-4 pm coffee, donut, chocolate or a snack is a sign that your blood sugar is beginning to drop. Some symptoms of unstable blood sugar ( old term: hypoglycemia) are headache and faintness, rapid heart beat ( as the adrenal gland sitting on top of the kidney will release epinephrine when a sugar level decreases) mental confusion, brain fog , irrational and disorderly behavior, slurred speech and numbness. If the sugar drops too low < 20, coma and death can ensue.

How to prevent these lows in blood sugar is to eat the right breakfast. The right breakfast is to eat protein: a protein shake ( preferably no whey) This can be brown rice protein, hemp, or pea protein. Other choices would include whole eggs ( with the yolk) , rice cake with almond butter or chicken/fish. There are herbs which help regulate sugar as rosemary, fenugreek, gymnema and hoodia. There are trace minerals which regulate blood sugar levels. These are chromium and vanadium. Folk remedies tell us that eating onions and garlic regulate blood sugar.
Lotus seed and Chinese yams regulate blood sugar. For the individual who already has a diagnosis of unstable blood sugar ( hypoglycemia) I would carry in your bag, Rescue Remedy by Bach as one dropperful under your tongue during a hypoglycemia episode can relieve its severity.
Happy Birthday Karen- Thank you for your love, friendship and your quotes through the years

Until tomorrow...

                                                       PASQUALINO FRATELLONE
                                                                   (PAT, PATSY)
                                                       July 8, 1921 - November 21, 2005

JULY 6, 2012 CEMETERY HUNTING

The only real equality is in the cemetery

- German Proverb

We are all equal in a cemetery. This is such a true statement. We all have different opinions on whether one should be cremated or buried. For years I have said I wanted to be cremated. I want my ashes scattered on the Corona Grounds, which was the site of the 1939 and 1964 New York World's Fair.
Right now I am unsure. I do not know why, but my mind seems unsettled. I will have to meditate on my remains. We are all human beings. We all should be treated equal.



There are many places to find peace and quiet in New York City. One of my hobbies has been finding those places. These places range from the Lotus Garden to St Lukes Garden. I find no one mentions cemeteries as a peaceful place. I am odd , but I do find resting places to be quiet, serene, and peaceful. I can think of 3 different hobbies in regard to cemeteries: 1. finding cemeteries within your city; 2. famous people buried in that cemetery; 3. photos of statues/gravestone; 4. finding wild flowers that grow in the cemetery. I could go on and on. I do not find this creepy, nor grotesque. I find it different !

Yesterday while walking down 2nd Avenue in the East Village/Bowery, Rick and  I came across a cemetery on 2nd Avenue that I never knew existed.

The New York Marble Cemetery is an historic cemetery founded in 1830, and located in the interior of the block bounded by East Second and 3rd Streets, Second Avenue, and The Bowery, in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is entered through an alleyway with an iron gate at each end, located between 41 and 43 Second Avenue. About 2,100 burials are recorded in the cemetery's written registers, most from prominent professional and merchant families in New York City. The New York Marble Cemetery, which was New York City's first non-sectarian burial place, should not be confused with the nearby New York City Marble Cemetery one block east, which is entirely separate, and was established one year later. ( I never knew NYC Marble Cemetery existed either)  Both cemeteries were designated New York City landmarks in 1969,and in 1980 both were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Do you want to this visit this cemetery ? I know I do ! It is open on the 4th Sunday of each month April to October.

During my childhood I recall Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, near the #4 Green Subway Line and Cavalry Cemetery in Queens. My great grandparents and many other family members are buried at Cavalry.
 Woodlawn Cemetery, established in 1863 is internationally known as the resting place of a host of history's greats. Non-sectarian and multicultural from its inception, those interred here include giants in the fields of business and industry, civic life, the arts, entertainment, and more. One of the nation's distinctive "garden cemeteries," Woodlawn provides a spectacular setting to honor the three hundred thousand individuals memorialized on its grounds. Its monuments represent some of the finest examples of memorial architecture and art in the nation, including over thirteen hundred private mausoleums.
Woodlawn will celebrate its 150th anniversary which began this year. It is a must visit. .It is home to the largest and most distinguished collection of historic mausoleums in the United States, and it remains an active property. There is a memorial to the RMS Titanic from 1912. Duke Ellington, Fiorella La Guardia, Jay Gould and Geraldine Fitzgerald are all buried here. The cemetery's designation recognizes its outstanding landscape design and collection of art and architecture. I know Rick would want to go to photograph the many monuments and statues, and I for the famous historians.

I have never looked for gravestones in the New York area. Some years ago, my trip to Paris had to include
Pere Lachaise Cemetery The cemetery is on Boulevard de Ménilmontant. The Paris Métro station Philippe Auguste on line 2 is next to the main entrance, while the station called Père Lachaise, on both lines 2 and 3. The cemetery is near the Museo de Edith Piaf which is maintained by a friend. It is in her original apartment. At the cemetery I wanted to find the graves of the following which are all buried there. These include Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Alice B Toklas and Gertrude Stein, Simone Signoret, Sarah Bernhardt and  Maria Callas. I accomplished my mission.

In NYC and its surrounding boroughs there are many well known individuals buried.


Where is famous magician, Harry Houdini buried? He is buried in New York City which was his home for most of his life until his death in 1926. The cemetery is across the river in Queens, near the Brooklyn border. It is very private cemetery and none are allowed in unless they are related to those died and are buried in that cemetery. I know on Halloween ( the day he died Oct 31, 1926)  many gather at his grave site- but where is it ?

There are many cemeteries in Queens and Brooklyn. " Come up and see me sometime.", Miss Mae West is buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn with her family members. She died in her Los Angeles home, but her remains are in her birthplace, NYC.

Until tomorrow...

JULY 5, 2012 SOY ALERT

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”


― Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
Every day is a new day. After my morning meditation, later than usual, I felt very peaceful. I hadn't heard from our son Grgeory, but I knew he was just fine. I knew he would be among the animals at the Belize Zoo today living his dream. How many of us live out our dreams and hopes ? I thought of those smiling children gazing at the sky last night as firworks ablazed the Hudson. I remember 10 years ago, Rick and I watching
the fireworks from the south tip of Roosevelt Island. I remember 15 years ago taking Alyssa and Gregory to the 41st Street East Terrace to watch the fireworks. I have learned to live each day to the fullest regardless of what happens. To the best of my ability I make no blunders. I am a blessed man.




Are you allergic to milk, egg yolks and whites or poultry? If so you are not alone, but is it the egg yolk you are allergic to or the soy residues from the soy based chow that is fed to the chickens who produce the eggs ?
Yes it is getting confusing, but the bottom line is are the chickens who supply your organic eggs being fed soy? If so you need to know that. You might not be allergic to eggs at all but the soy residues ?
Kayla Daniel, PhD wrote in 2005, The Whole Soy Story. It gave America the first chance to look at in writing the bad side of soy. To this day there is always a debate on soy.
There has been studies since 2001 on the amount of soy found in eggs, when hens were fed high concentrations of a soy isoflavone feed. Researching continued until a great study by a graduate student enlightened us. This young mans conclusion is that isoflavone content in eighteen different brands of eggs whether organic or not, had soy isoflavones.  The range per egg was 33ug to 139ug per 100 g of egg yolk.

Why am I telling all this ? I am now confused myself. Who do we trust when it comes to our food ? I feel like Ms Daniel that having any amount of soy in eggs is a threat to those allergic to soy. Also do you ever wonder why young females are having their first cycle so young and also have early breast development.? We need to stop this and avoid over estrogenization of young boys and girls.

Imagine this - if this happening to our eggs, what about the organic fruit and vegetables. Is everything you read truly organic. I know you are paying for that, but what does this mean.? There seriously needs to be a change in the Food and Agricultural Industry.

I urge you to take action. Join http://www.westonaprice.org/ for information. There are conferences for you to attend. There is the Wise Traditions from Weston A Price for you to read for yourself.
I have been given the opportunity to perform this G.O.D. chosen profession . I am the messenger . I want all patients to educate themselves.
I want people to take action - be an advocate--

Until tomorrow...

JULY 4, 2012 BON VOYAGE GREGORY - BELIZE

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity...and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself. -William Blake

Some individuals have a sense of nature, animals, insects and plants. I am one of those individuals. I am passionate about saving Earth Mother. I am passionate about honeybees and its declining populations. I always helped animals when growing up. This past Friday I was walking home from the office and I noticed a small sparrow that could not fly. I picked him up placed him on my shoulders and down 57th street we went. People were staring at me and pointing. I didn't care and didn't stop. My goal was to get 'the little sparrow' in Central Park among the grass and the trees. I was tempted to take him home. It was a long way out of the way, but well worth it.

Like father, like son.  Gregory has the passion, patience, love and compassion for animals. Not only small animals like cats and dogs, but he is interested in large animals as gorillas, tigers, monkeys, birds et al.

Today at 5am, Rick and I drove our son, Gregory to the airport. He is leaving for Belize to volunteer for two months. He has worked hard during the school year. He is applying for Vet School in September 2012. He will be graduating earlier than expected. We are excited about his 2 volunteer positions in Belize. I didn't cry at the departing but shed the tears in the car.Then Rick started to cry and then we were both crying I couldn't help it.Rick said, " Honey, he is living out his dreams and his life." These were tears of joy. Two greatest joys in my life were the birth of my children. I was given a second chance in life... I got sober. Today, sobriety has allowed me to be present. I am responsible because of a twelve step program. It was not the abstaining but rather the 12 steps . Both children didn't have a golden spoon childhood. They moved many times, attended different schools, and had what I say an adjustment period. It is beyond my wildest dreams when I see the dimples of Alyssa's smile and Gregory's grin. I am one lucky man.

The first is at the Caribbean Wildlife Centre, which is also known as ‘The Best Little Zoo in the World’. The centre is a zoo that houses 125 different native species, many of which are rescued or rehabilitated animals. It also provides visitors to the facility with a great deal of education concerning wildlife in Belize. My duties there will include food preparation, animal husbandry practices, animal encounters/introductions, animal infant/orphan care and visitor education. The second is at Wildtracks, a non-profit conservation that participates in primate and manatee rehabilitation. The primate rehabilitation center focuses on providing care and re-introducing both the howler and spider monkeys into their natural habitats. These monkeys are endangered due to the pet trade and decrease in forest coverage. The manatee rehabilitation center duties include behavior monitoring, manatee companionship in the water during early development, calf rescues, public awareness discussions and pool maintenance.

 He set up a web site to get funding. During the last month through the generosity of friends/family he exceeded his goal of raising $1,500 for his trip. Rick and I want to thank all for you for your kindness, love and generosity towards his volunteer project. We are proud of him--very proud of him. We will miss him, but look forward to all the photos, adventures and of course, the animals.

Until Gregory and I meet again, may the good lord hold him in the palm of his hands.

Until tomorrow...

JULY 3, 2012 HONEY BEES AND DIABETES

A bee is never as busy as it seems; it's just that it can't buzz any slower.

Kim Hubbard

"Concerning the generation of animals akin to them, as hornets and wasps, the facts in all cases are similar to a certain extent, but are devoid of the extraordinary features which characterize bees; this we should expect, for they have nothing divine about them as the bees have."


~ Aristotle 384 BC – 322 BC

It is true. Honmeybees are divine. These creatures are God's creatures. Both Aristole, Plato and Socrates commented about honey bees. The honey is pure gold. As humans we cvan learn a lot from these little creatures. Their socialization is beyond reproach. Their skills are amazing. What is more amazing is that every everything a bee creates, can be used by man. The bees are our friends. We should save them by protetcing them.
Save the bees !
Can bees teach us anything? I know they can teach you how to breath and meditation. One of my best meditations happen in front of the beehives. I go into a trance that is overwhelming. I look forward to this weekend to opening the beehives on Fire Island.

Scientists at Arizona State University have discovered that honey bees may teach us about basic connections between taste perception and metabolic disorders in humans. By experimenting with honey bee genetics, researchers have identified connections between sugar sensitivity, diabetic physiology and carbohydrate metabolism. Bees and humans may partially share these connections.
In a study published in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics (Public Library of Science), Gro Amdam, an associate professor, and Ying Wang, a research scientist, in the School of Life Sciences in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, explain how for the first time, they've successfully inactivated two genes in the bees' "master regulator" module that controls food-related behaviors. By doing so, researchers discovered a possible molecular link between sweet taste perception and the state of internal energy.

"A bee's sensitivity to sugar reveals her attitude towards food, how old the bee is when she starts searching for nectar and pollen, and which kind of food she prefers to collect," said Wang, lead author of the paper. "By suppressing these two 'master' genes, we discovered that bees can become more sensitive to sweet taste. But interestingly, those bees also had very high blood sugar levels, and low levels of insulin, much like people who have Type 1 diabetes."

In Amdam's honey bee lab at ASU, scientists suppressed two genes including vitellogenin, which is similar to a human gene called apolipoprotein B, and ultraspiracle, which partners with an insect hormone that has some functions in common with the human thyroid hormone. The team is the first in the world to accomplish this double gene-suppressing technique. Researchers used this method to understand how the master regulator works. "Now, if one can use the bees to understand how taste perception and metabolic syndromes are connected, it's a very useful tool," said Amdam, who also has a honey bee laboratory at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. "Most of what we know about deficits in human perceptions is from people who are very sick or have had a brain trauma. We know shockingly little about people in this area."

The researchers are now considering how, exactly, the bees' sweet taste was enhanced by the experiment. The most metabolically active tissue of the bee, called the fat body, may hold the key. The fat body is similar to the liver and abdominal fat in humans, in that it helps store nutrients and create energy.

Amdam explains that taste perception evolved as a survival mechanism, for bees as well as for people. For example, bitter foods may be poisonous or sweet taste may signal foods rich in calories for energy. For all animals, taste perception must communicate properly with one's internal energetic state to control food intake and maintain normal life functions. Without this, poorly functioning taste perception can contribute to unhealthy eating behaviors and metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

"From this study, we realized we can take advantage of honey bees in understanding how food-related behaviors interact with internal metabolism, as well as how to manipulate these food-related behaviors in order to control metabolic disorders," added Amdam. The biggest metabolic disorders we have in this country is Diabetes. Diabetes is one of the epidemics in this country. Both diabetes and obesity contribute to the #1 killer in the United States:  Cardiovascular Heart Disease

You have to admit that this is fasicnating information. This was published in The American Bee Journal which I read every month. I look forward to receiving my journal every month. It is amazing how many journals I used to get, but since the advancement in technology most of my journals are on-line. I still like to read the journal in hand , as I do with hard cover books.
 
Until tomorrow...

JULY 2, 2012 ALLIUM

" Love all, trust a few." - William Shakespeare

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved" - J MacDonald


Do you trust ? I know I trust less these days, than I have in the past. I trust my Rick. I trust my best friend, Patrick. I trust my family, but that is also selective. When you have been 'burned' or 'taken' you begin to trust less and less. Some of these issues happened after I got sober, when I was just starting to trust. I have trust in G.O.D. ' A man that trusts G.O.D. is the man who should be trusted." Trust is one of those character defects or personality traits I work on a daily basis.

I believe next to Green Tea, Garlic is the second most studied herb. Garlic is one of the few herbs that is both famous for its culinary and medicinal benefits. Studies have proven its anti bacterial, anti fungal, anti amebicidal and even anti insecticide potential. It is a confirmed expectorant; has diuretic properties, and can induce sweating.
Studies have been written on its lipid lowering effects, its treatment against high blood pressure and well as 'blood thinning effect. I co authored a paper on the Benefits of Garlic which reviewed at that time, some 120 papers written on Garlic.
One of the largest plant genera, the genus Allium includes some 600-700 species. So the leek, onion and garlic are all of the genus Allium.  I love the diversity of garlic. The interesting fact to me about garlic is the extensive history dating back to Ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean Basin. It also dates back to Ancient India, China and Medieval Europe. There is even literature on linking garlic and its relatives to the underworld as in seeking their protection or eliminating the evil.  Remember garlic and vampires never get along.

In a very unique book by Eric Block, " Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science" the outline of the history of garlic is most remarkable. There is scrutiny of historic documents about garlic. I was intrigued by the cultivation of garlic and the other allium species. I feel the book tied in all aspects of garlic and the alliums in pictures,photographs, poetry, art and literature. I have never seen this in a book unless you are inclined to read, James Dukes, " Medicinal Plants from the Bible. "
Some parts of the Garlic book can get very technical. For me, it is the first time I have read a complete book with everything you needed or wanted to know about a herb.
Regardless whether you read this book or not, I urge you to use garlic both as a culinary spice, or as a medicinal herb if inclined. Garlic is great for sore throats and infections.
The book is available at RSCPublishing  or at www.rsc.org/books.
Remember if used in cooking. Cut and mince and allow the garlic to sit for 10 minutes to activate the allicin is the garlic. If you cook it in olive oil --add it to the end of the preparation.

Until tomorrow...