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War is Not the Answer

Waste of Blood, and waste of Tears,
Waste of youth’s most precious years,
Waste of ways the saints have trod,
Waste of Glory, waste of God,
War!
Studdert Kennedy G.A. (1883-1929)

The war in Iraq is underway. It is generating a great amount of emotions amongst people all over the world. Some show signs of satisfaction that finally Saddam Hussein will be taken care of. Some are worried about the human cost of the war. Others are worried about the political and economic fallout.

War does not determine who is right – only who is left – Anonymous.

This war is affecting millions of people all over the world – it is the fear factor. Of course, the biggest brunt will be borne by the people of Iraq. Many thousands will die. Millions are or will be without food, water, electricity, and medical help. How many of us can tolerate few hours without these necessities?

Sweet is war to those who have never experienced it – Marcel Proust (1871-1922).

It is easy for us to sit in the comfort of our homes, watching on big screen television sets Baghdad sky lit up with “shock and awe” bombing, and say that it is okay to kill thousands of innocent people in order to get rid of one tyrant. And this is okay as long as our children and family members are safe; our economies are thriving and have cheap gas available to keep us comfortable.

We make war that we may live in peace – Nicomachean Ethics.

This is the best argument advanced by people who support war in Iraq. We wish that would be true. But very few wars are brought to an end tidily (Lord Owen). How many wars have been fought since God put man on earth? If wars solved all our problems then we should have had peace many years ago.

Under conditions of tyranny it is far easier to act than to think – Hannah Arendt (1906-1975).

Dictators who inflict tyranny on their citizens are entrenched in that position by a strong army. There are no democratic means to get rid of them. Historically, most dictators have met their match within the system or have been removed by popular uprisings. But
Saddam has been a tough ruthless dictator. Is war the only option to remove him? Isn’t that a sign failure?

When war enters a country, it produces lies like sand – Anonymous.

If Iraq’s main export would have been sand or dates then I wonder if President Bush would send his young soldiers and spend billions of dollars to liberate the people of Iraq.

A war regarded as inevitable or even probable, and therefore much prepared for, has a very good chance of eventually being fought – Anais Nin (1903-1977).

It is now well documented that the Iraq war was scripted well before Bush became President. The script was written by many of the current members of the Bush administration.

When the rich wage war it’s the poor who die – Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980).

The war and the reconstruction in Iraq is going to cost 100 to 200 billions of U.S. dollars. More billions will be required to keep happy the countries who have agreed to support the U.S. position.

If these billions were used to provide clean water, electricity and food to the poor in Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America then I believe this war would have been unnecessary.

Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind – John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).

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Healthy Diet

“Experts estimate that, in Canada, poor diets and physical inactivity together are responsible for $6 billion to $10 billion in health care costs and lost productivity due to premature death and disability annually,” says the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

Poor diets and physical inactivity? Yeah, you have heard it all before.

You will hear more about it this month – because March is Nutrition Month.

March is also Kidney Month. February was Heart Month. And April is going to be something else.

In February, we also had Valentine’s Day. That means chocolates, dinners and flowers. Then there was Family Day and a week of school holidays. Followed by a spell of cold weather and snow. Not to mention the flu season.

Come to think of it, none of these events are good for an average family to be consistent in providing good nutrition and promoting physical activity amongst family members.

Easter is coming soon and there will be Easter Eggs and more chocolates and more dinners and more school holidays. This will be followed by Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. I think there is Grandmother’s Day as well but nobody talks about it.

Then comes summer holidays and Christmas shopping and more holidays. More chocolates, more food, more booze and more parties. By the time we recover from our hangover, we will be staring at 2004 and a bulging mid-riff.

It will be time for more New Year’s Resolutions!

Some people find this scenario very depressing. I think there is a conspiracy to keep us fat and unfit. The conspirators want us to suffer from multiple medical problems like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and depression.

Now, is there a way out of this?

Sure. You don’t have to be James Bond or Tiger Woods to know that there is always a way out of any situation. Only John Turner would go on national television and say, “Sir, I didn’t have a choice!” That is why nobody remembers him or talks about him.

But we talk about James Bond and Tiger Woods – and pay big bucks to watch them. But when was the last time you saw John Turner on television? Do you know he is our former Prime Minister?

So, we have a choice to make – either we succumb to the overbearing pressure from the conspirators (our co-workers, friends, families and the greedy food industry) to keep us fat and sick or be strong and independent and find freedom in eating healthy and exercising regularly.

If you choose the path of freedom then I would suggest you seek professional help to guide you through a well planned program of healthy eating and exercise within your limitations. A program which can be sustained over a long period of time.

There are many organizations in Medicine Hat who provide such professional help. For example, YMCA has special financial assistance program for those who cannot afford to pursue healthy lifestyle due to difficult economic situation.

I would also encourage you to look at the following two books which I try to follow:

-Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease
-Dr. Shapiro’s Picture Perfect Weight Loss

I also liked the flyer (Healthy Living for a Healthy U) in March 10th Medicine Hat News. There are many books in the market or at the local library. Try to stick to one or two and don’t get confused or too ambitious. Rome was not built in a day!

What to eat? I like the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid. Unlimited fruits (minimum three) and vegetables (minimum four). Carbohydrates – four to eight daily servings. Protein/Dairy products – three to seven daily servings. Fats – three to five daily servings. Sweets – up to 75 calories daily. Combine this with daily physical activity.

How much physical activity? Any where from half-an-hour to an hour daily – gentle or brisk activity as your health and physical condition allows. Check with your doctor.

Success is yours, if you believe in it. Otherwise, don’t waste your time and money.

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Tea

“Tea, tea, for you and me
me and you
lets have a brew
ooh ooh ooh.”


Each year, Canadians drink more than 7 billion cups of tea. A survey shows that nine out 10 Canadians drink some type of tea.

Tea is an all-natural beverage, containing no additives, no artificial flavors or colors.

If taken without milk or sugar, tea has no calories. It is a good way to increase fluid intake – with some taste and style.

It has vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Antioxidants rich foods may help in reducing the risk of cancers, heart disease and stroke.

Black and green teas have comparable health benefits. Adding milk to tea does not compromise its healthy benefits.

Green or regular black teas contain about one-third the caffeine found in coffee, Most of us can drink 10 to 12 cups of regular tea a day and stay within the 400 to 450 mg daily caffeine limit recommended by Health Canada.

A cup of black coffee has 99 mg of caffeine. A cup of green or black tea has 34 mg of caffeine. Decaffeinated black tea has only 4 mg of caffeine.

Legend has it that tea was first discovered in 2737 B.C. by Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, when a tea leaf accidentally fell into the bowl of hot water he was drinking.

In 1644, the East India Company, an importer chartered by Britain’s Elizabeth I, had its first tea dealings with Chinese merchants. Sailors brought back the packets of tea as presents, leading to its introduction into London’s coffee houses.

Now tea is consumed all over the world and amongst different cultures and nationalities.

Tea Council of Canada (www.tea.ca) and the British Tea Council can provide you with wealth of information on the subject of tea. Some time ago, the Globe and Mail had also published several articles on tea. Following information is taken from these sources.

How can you brew a perfect cup of tea?

-Use a good quality loose leaf or bagged tea
-Tea must be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature
-Always use fresh boiling water
-In order to draw the best flavor out of the tea the water must contain oxygen, this is reduced if the water is boiled more than once
-Measure the tea carefully
-Use one tea bag or one rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup to be served
-Allow the tea to brew for the recommended time (generally three to five minutes) before pouring

The three main categories of tea are green, black, and oolong. All three kinds are made from the same plant species. The major differences between them are a result of the different processing methods they undergo. Black teas undergo several hours of oxidation in their preparation for market; oolongs receive less oxidation, and green teas are not oxidized at all. More than 3,000 varieties of tea come from the three major types of tea.

What about herbal teas?

Hundreds of different herbs have been used in beverages. These are sometimes called herbal teas. Tea professionals and connoisseurs usually prefer to restrict the name ‘tea’ to real tea, so you may see the following terms used as well:

-‘Herbal infusion’, which simply means a drink made by steeping an
herb in hot water. (Tea itself is an infusion of tea leaves.)
-‘Tisane’ [pronounced tee-ZAHN], which in French means any herbal
drink.
Some common herbs that are used as tisanes are peppermint, chamomile, rose hips, lemon verbena, and fennel.

Some exaggerated claims have been made for the medicinal properties of herbal infusions. Even so, some herbs do have generally recognized benefits. For instance, rose hips contain vitamin C; chamomile helps many people relax; and peppermint has a noticeable soothing effect on the stomach. Herbs can also cause problems. Chamomile, for example, can cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to ragweed.

For many people, tea is a cup of life. As somebody has said, “Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn’t try it on.” And a Japanese proverb says, “If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty”

I presume, some women know how to choose their men, with just a cup of tea!

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Premenstrual Syndrome

“Emotional and physical symptoms are common during the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle,” says an article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

This is called premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The symptoms can be mild to moderate. About 75 per cent of all menstruating women have had some symptoms of premenstrual syndrome during their lives.

About three to eight per cent of all menstruating women have severe form of premenstrual syndrome. This is called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

PMDD includes severe physical, emotional, and quality-of-life problems. Severe symptoms, such as anger that is out of control, seriously disrupt daily life.

The article says that the PMS usually starts when women are in their early 20s. But usually they do not seek help until they are in their 30s – usually in a progressively worsening situation.

Sometimes PMS or PMDD may continue into menopause. This makes it difficult to distinguish symptoms of early years of menopause from PMS and PMDD.

PMS and PMDD are related to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. A single cause has not been found. Some scientists think PMDD may be caused by an imbalance of a chemical in the body called serotonin.

Often the symptoms start a few days before a menstrual period, but they may start as much as 2 weeks before a period. Physical symptoms are the same for PMS and PMDD. With PMDD, however, the emotional symptoms are much more serious. One may feel very depressed and hopeless.

Physical symptoms may include: bloated stomach, swollen feet or hands, tender, enlarged breasts, crampy pain in the lower abdomen, weight gain, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, appetite changes, joint or muscle pain, and acne.

Emotional symptoms may include: irritability, anger, depression, anxiety, tension, fatigue, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, crying spells, feeling overwhelmed or out of control, and lack of or decrease in sex drive.

Many women who have PMS also experience difficulties in their relationships with families and friends. With PMDD, these difficulties are severe.

PMS or PMDD cannot be diagnosed from any one physical examination or laboratory test. You will be required to keep a daily log of your mood and physical symptoms for 2 months. For you to be diagnosed with PMDD, your monthly symptoms must significantly interfere with work, school, or relationships.

Diagnosis can be difficult and may take several months of careful observation.

Treatment for this problem is difficult. The NEJM article says that the efficacy of lifestyle interventions such as diet, exercise, and vitamin supplements (vitamin B6), calcium carbonate therapy as well as psychotherapy for PMDD remains unclear.

Outcome of drug therapy remains uncertain – although it is worth trying. There are three groups of medications: selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors, alternative psychotropic agents, and hormonal interventions.

There are anecdotal reports that aerobic exercise, rest, stress reduction, and less salt, caffeine, and refined sugar in diet may help.

Counseling may help with emotional or relationship difficulties.

Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can help most premenstrual cramping and headaches. A mild diuretic (water pill) for bloating and swelling may be helpful.

Unfortunately, not an easy problem to fix. Especially, for young mothers with young children, life becomes very difficult. She needs all the support she can get from friends and families – and from a sympathetic physician.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!