Green Tea @ MindSay

So, I've been thinking way too much about my own life lately, as always.

A girl I fancy has recently gotten back with her ex, or so the rumour goes.  Maybe not the only girl I'm into, but it does bring to mind the fact that I had plenty of shots and took none of them.

The obvious answer was my crippling fear of rejection.  I've heard "no" from girls' lips far too often that I can't even ask the question unless some force has told me beforehand that the answer is yes.

I haven't actually asked a girl out since 2005.  She said yes, for what it's worth, but the deal fell through, only adding to my paranoia.*

*Of course, I actually DID recently ask a girl out, and she said sure, but needed a raincheck.  I'll count it when I'm actually sitting with her over drinks.

It's ridiculous.  I can chat up girls at parties when I know I won't see them again, no problem. I'm not a social retard.  I'm just motherfucking insecure.  Somewhere along the way, someone did a number on me.

True story: First time I told a girl I liked her, in Grade 5, she ran off crying.  Didn't really set a good tone for all that was to follow.

I'm just kind of an irreparable fuckup.  I just need the kind of girl who would be forward enough to take action.

I'm rambling.  I need a drink.  Good night blog world.
KOR-Scotto

"So save your prayers
For when your really gonna need 'em..."

All is quiet on New Year's Day
Eating ice cream is under way
I want to eat more, eat more
Night and day...

Another year has come and went here at the Flavour of the Week. It seems like only yesterday that it was 1996 and this was just getting started and was sent to five or so of my friends. OK dammit, it seems like an eternity ago, but that has absolutely nothing to do with this tale. It's been a very long time since the Flavour of the Week crawled from the primordial soup of the early Internet - so many gallons under the bridge. It is sort of groovy to look back over all the years, and then to realize that there is still much work to be done in the future...

For those who may not have been here from the beginning (yep, I know that there are only two of the original members of this merry band left though one may not even read this any more) as stated above, this original began as a mailing to a handful of friends and then evolved into an e-mail only publication. Then it became an e-mail and Internet thing with a text version being sent to one and all and a groovy graphic intensive version being part of my second web site (which is still there, the first one has long since disappeared via corporate acquisitions and mergers). Then it evolved into a mailing and a Yahoo! group though this move was not exactly successful though spammers did enjoy it greatly. And now it is what it is, a Blog-type thing with only an e-mail notification that the Blog thing has been updated. There has also been some experimenting over the years with limited editions going to a select few testers with full graphics embedded in the e-mails and a limited trial of a PDF version. And all this because we wish to remain on the cutting edge of technology...

It has been a long strange trip for which we have no roadmaps, and the road stretches before us and fades off into the distance. We have a full tank and we can keep on for quite some time before we have to stop to refuel...

Enjoy the New Year and carry on...

"Throw out your cares and fly
Wanna go for a ride?"

Need a web host? Go to:
http://www.philotronix.com
They's good folk...
Need a web designer? Go to:
http://www.vbwebdesign.com
He's good folks, and he actually reads this...

***NEW YEAR OF THE WEEK***
2008!!!
Woo-hoo!!!
It's like a new number that I'll have to remember for this year...
And I just finally acquired the skill to write 2007...

The Flavour of the Week Store:
http://www.cafepress.com/wsdesign

***MUSICAL INTERLUDE***
"If you want to arrange it
This world you can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thing last..." - T-SO

***CD OF THE WEEK***
"The Beginning Stages of..." by The Polyphonic Spree
It's a cult...
It's a band...
It's a cult that functions as a band...
Reach for the sun, bay-bee, and so much more...
Yep, I only picked it 'coz it's title seemed appropriate for the beginning stages of this year...
But it is good...

Eris' Temple of Delusion & Commerce!!!
http://www.cafepress.com/Erisian_Delight
It's like teatime for the soul!!!

***PERIPHERAL VISIONARIES***
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/anticrust/pv/index.html
(Please Note: this does NOT apply to anyone in particular)
Seems to be a lack of material to add to this (don't ya feel guilty)
but I am a patient boy, I wait, I wait, I wait...

***FLAVOUR OF THE WEEK***
Häagen-Dazs 
Green Tea
Yep, it's a limited edition, but... but...
Well, it sounded like an interesting concept...
I know I shall get complaints, but I ate it anyhoo...
And so should you...

Rings and Things!!!
http://www.ringsandthings.biz
for all the finest in all that sparkles!!!

***SITE UPDATE OF THE WEEK***
THE BOOK OF TOAST!!!
Genesis: The Story of Sodom and Gamera
3 Eris - A Letter from Eris to the Philistines
The Parable of Ms. Benefit
THE FLONK IMAGE SERVER!!!
http://www.meow.org/flonk/Fun-with-a-Zire71?page=15
http://www.meow.org/flonk/Fun-with-a-Zire71?page=16
http://www.meow.org/flonk/Fun-with-a-Zire71?page=17
http://www.meow.org/flonk/Fun-with-a-Zire71?page=18

***WORTHY CHARITABLE SITES & OTHER SITES***

***BUY A T-SHIRT SO I CAN AFFORD ICECREAM***
WS Design
And thanks to all who don't want to see me go without IceCream!

***HUH?***
SO SIMPLE EVEN A CAVEMAN COULD DO IT!!!
NEXT TIME DO A LITTLE RESEARCH!!!
THE SERVERS ARE OUR FRIENDS!!!
THEY WANT TO SERVE US!!!
YOU KNOW, TODD, RUMORS CAN BE HURTFUL!!!
WE DON'T AGITATE THE DOTS!!!
MASHED POTATOES, GRAVY AND CRANBERRY SAUCE!!!
EAT THE SANDWICH!!!
YOU'LL RUN THE BILL UP, KID, HO, HO ,HO!!!
MY PLACE IS HERE WITH THE SNOW PEOPLE!!!
NEVER QUESTION MR. NIBBLES!!!
LOOK A UNICORN!!!
PRIME RIB IS THE ÜBERMEAT!!!
SEE YA LATER CRAZY MUTANT DESERT GUYS!!!

***DISCLAIMER***
Due to international mailing of this feature
remember all brands and/or flavours are NOT
available everywhere!

***CRYIN' LIKE A GIRLIE-MAN***
If ya want to sponsor any section of this
mailing, let me know, I'm very cheap, dammit!
And it doesn't have to involve cash...

***LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO***
Everything here is in accordance with the WeeSaul
World, plc. Privacy Policy which can be found at:
http://www.angelfire.com/pa/anticrust/privacy.html
Ya understand? Sue me if you wish, bay-bee...

END

Long Life May Be Your Cup of (Green) Tea
This article courtesy of Anti-Aging Drugs
_____________________________________

 

Good news for people who love green tea.  Note that green tea is not caffeine-free.

 

For those hoping to live a long, healthy life, a cup of green tea may hit the spot, a large new study shows.

 

Adults who drank at least five cups of the brew daily had a lower risk of cardiovascular death and death from all other causes, except cancer, than those who drank less than one cup a day, according to a research team from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

 

They published their findings in the Sept. 13 Journal of the American Medical Association.

While many laboratory and animal studies have suggested that green tea protects against illness, its effect in humans has been less clear.

 

"Only four epidemiological studies have been conducted to date," said lead researcher Dr. Shinichi Kuriyama.

And those studies "included small sample sizes, and the results were inconsistent," he added.

 

However, "our study includes far more participants -- 40,350 -- than the previous studies," Kuriyama said. "I think our study would provide strong evidence regarding the benefits of drinking green tea in humans on cardiovascular disease."

 

Beginning in 1994, his team tracked the health of adults aged 40 to 79 living in northeastern Japan, where green tea is a popular beverage. The participants had no history of heart disease, stroke or cancer when they started the study.

 

The researchers tracked death from all causes for 11 years and also tracked deaths linked to specific causes for a 7-year period.

 

More than 4,000 of the participants died over the total 11 years of follow-up, the research team reported. During the 7 years of the study that focused on specific causes, 892 people died from cardiovascular disease and 1,134 from cancer.

 

Comparing death rates and green tea consumption, Kuriyama's team found that individuals who drank five or more cups per day had a risk of death from all causes that was 16 percent lower than people drinking less than one cup per day.

 

Deaths from cardiovascular disease were 26 percent lower for tea drinkers vs. those who avoided the beverage.

 

These effects were even stronger among women. Women who drank five or more cups of green tea per day had a 31 percent lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke death compared to women who drank less than a cup a day.

 

Green tea appeared to have no effect on cancer risk, however. The researchers also saw only a weak or negligible effect on death rates for people who drank black or oolong teas.

 

"The reason for the discrepancy between effects on cardiovascular disease and on cancer death in our study is uncertain," Kuriyama said. Other human trials have also failed to find any effect between green tea consumption and cancer, he noted.

 

How does green tea work its heart-healthy magic? Experts believe natural compounds called polyphenols -- particularly one substance called epigallocatechin-3-gallate -- provide the health benefits. These substances have strong antioxidant properties that may help prevent heart disease.

 

The study was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

 

Another expert, Dr. Kuang-Yuh Chyu, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a staff cardiologist at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, said the study, while interesting, is only "observational data."

 

One of the problems with this type of study, he explained, is that "you can't control for a lot of things."

"To be more definitive, we need a randomized trial," said Chyu. He said his lab's animal studies have found that green tea does have cardio-protective effects, especially if consumption commences before the onset of hardening of the arteries.

 

For those who might want to "go green" for health, "I'd probably take a neutral position right now," Chyu said.

"Tea is not harmful, that we know," he said. If you're a tea drinker, continue, Chyu said. If not, be aware that the habit probably needs to be long-term before you reap any real health benefit.

 

"I don't think I'd recommend people drink large quantities of green tea," added Dr. Robert Vogel, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland Medical School in College Park.

 

Like Chyu, he stressed that the study only showed an association, not any direct cause-and-effect. However, he said green tea consumption is certainly preferable to drinking beverages such as non-diet sodas, which are loaded with sugar.

 

U.S. government health agencies have so far backed away from recommending green tea as a health aid. Earlier this year, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration review of the available data found no evidence to support companies' claims that green tea eases cardiovascular risk. The agency released a similar statement in 2005, noting a lack of evidence that green tea fights cancer.

 

Experts at the U.S. National Cancer Institute have also reviewed data from human trials focused on tea's cancer-preventing effects but said the studies offered conflicting results. The NCI is funding its own rigorous studies on the subject, however.

 

The study's lead author was much more enthusiastic.

 

"I personally drink green tea, two or three cups per day," Kuriyama said. "On the basis of our study results, I would like to recommend the drinking of green tea at least one cup per day."

 

But Kuriyama added that the tea should not be steaming hot. "Drinking green tea at high temperature may be associated with increased risk of esophageal cancer and mortality," he said, citing two published studies.

 

More on cardiovascular health - preventing heart attacks

 

Yay! I finished my Ed. Psych homework assignment!  Usually my Educational Psychology homework takes forever. It's due Wednesday, but I wanted to get it out of the way early so I can focus on studing for my Ed. Psych midterm. Now all I have to do is type it up. 

 

I'm also happy because they started showing episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) late nights on Sundays on ABC. (At least they are showing it tonight in Houston). Tonight they aired the episode where Spock does the Vulcan Mindmeld on the Horta, a silicon based lifeform (rock creature). 

"Paaaaaaaaaiiiiiin.....so much paaaaaaiiiiiin" LOL! "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor not a brick layer!"  Gawd I love Star Trek: TOS! Does anyone else like to pretend their flip phone is a Starfleet communicator?

 

Spock performs the Vulcan mindmeld on the Horta.

 

 Most of you don't know this, but I have a very strong aversion to public restrooms.  The thought of having to use one makes me ill. I have been known to hold it for 5 hours straight on a road trip - denying myself anything to drink in order to avoid using a public restroom. 

 

Anyway, today I was studying at IHOP and absent-mindedly drinking cup after cup of coffee. I was determined not to lose steam while doing my homework because I wanted to have it DONE!.  In my moment of absent-mindedness, I also neglected to remember that I've been taking a vitamin supplement with EGCG - the active ingredient in green tea.  While I was finishing up my last question and preparing to pat myself on the back for being so totally awesome, I was overcome with the most pressing need! (I'm sure you can guess what it was).  I didn't want to stop writing in mid-thought. I was damn near finished! I buckled down and hurriedly finished my thoughts. I silently thanked God that I decided to go to the IHOP closest to my house rather than the one on Environgirl's side of town. I also thanked Him because fortunately, I paid the check earlier.  I high-tailed it outta there and thought of dry deserts the whole ride home.  Now, here's my question,  "How come the urge to go gets worse the minute you reach your front door?" Once you get to the front door you are in race that you do NOT want to lose! Thank goodness I won this time!

Most snack foods pack hundreds of calories into very small portions. Potato chips, carbonated drinks, and candy bars are all examples of "energy-dense" foods. And while they are convenient, they provide excess calories in a small volume of food that will not satiate hunger. That's part of the reason they can lead to weight gain.

 

Instead of snacking on energy-dense foods, add low-calorie foods that can be eaten in high volume to fuel your fat-loss nutrition plan. These "nutrient-dense" foods include most soups, fiber-rich vegetables, and lean sources of protein.

 

Researchers at Penn State University tested the ability of nutrient-dense foods to help weight loss. The study followed 200 men and women for a year. All subjects were instructed to follow a calorie-restricted diet. One group had two servings of nutrient-dense soup every day. Another group ate an equivalent number of calories in energy-dense snack foods. While both groups lost weight, the subjects who ate the soup lost twice as much. Why? Because their appetites were satisfied and that made them less inclined to "cheat" on the diet.

 

It should go without saying ... if you want to lose weight, focus on nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean sources of protein, and calorie-free beverages (like water and green tea). These foods will fill you up, but they won't make you fat.