In the town of Vladimir lived a young merchant named Ivan Dmitrich
Aksionov. He had two shops and a house of his own.

Aksionov was a handsome, fair-haired, curly-headed fellow, full of
fun, and very fond of singing. When quite a young man he had been
given to drink, and was riotous when he had had too much; but after he
married he gave up drinking, except now and then.

One summer Aksionov was going to the Nizhny Fair, and as he bade
good-bye to his family, his wife said to him, "Ivan Dmitrich, do not
start to-day; I have had a bad dream about you."

Aksionov laughed, and said, "You are afraid that when I get to the
fair I shall go on a spree."

His wife replied: "I do not know what I am afraid of; all I know is
that I had a bad dream. I dreamt you returned from the town, and when
you took off your cap I saw that your hair was quite grey."

Aksionov laughed. "That's a lucky sign," said he. "See if I don't sell
out all my goods, and bring you some presents from the fair."

So he said good-bye to his family, and drove away.

When he had travelled half-way, he met a merchant whom he knew, and
they put up at the same inn for the night. They had some tea together,
and then went to bed in adjoining rooms.

It was not Aksionov's habit to sleep late, and, wishing to travel
while it was still cool, he aroused his driver before dawn, and told
him to put in the horses.

Then he made his way across to the landlord of the inn (who lived in a
cottage at the back), paid his bill, and continued his journey.

When he had gone about twenty-five miles, he stopped for the horses to
be fed. Aksionov rested awhile in the passage of the inn, then he
stepped out into the porch, and, ordering a samovar to be heated, got
out his guitar and began to play.

Suddenly a troika drove up with tinkling bells and an official
alighted, followed by two soldiers. He came to Aksionov and began to
question him, asking him who he was and whence he came. Aksionov
answered him fully, and said, "Won't you have some tea with me?" But
the official went on cross-questioning him and asking him. "Where did
you spend last night? Were you alone, or with a fellow-merchant? Did
you see the other merchant this morning? Why did you leave the inn
before dawn?"

Aksionov wondered why he was asked all these questions, but he
described all that had happened, and then added, "Why do you
cross-question me as if I were a thief or a robber? I am travelling on
business of my own, and there is no need to question me."

Then the official, calling the soldiers, said, "I am the
police-officer of this district, and I question you because the
merchant with whom you spent last night has been found with his throat
cut. We must search your things."

They entered the house. The soldiers and the police-officer unstrapped
Aksionov's luggage and searched it. Suddenly the officer drew a knife
out of a bag, crying, "Whose knife is this?"

Aksionov looked, and seeing a blood-stained knife taken from his bag,
he was frightened.

"How is it there is blood on this knife?"

Aksionov tried to answer, but could hardly utter a word, and only
stammered: "I--don't know--not mine." Then the police-officer said:
"This morning the merchant was found in bed with his throat cut. You
are the only person who could have done it. The house was locked from
inside, and no one else was there. Here is this blood-stained knife in
your bag and your face and manner betray you! Tell me how you killed
him, and how much money you stole?"

Aksionov swore he had not done it; that he had not seen the merchant
after they had had tea together; that he had no money except eight
thousand rubles of his own, and that the knife was not his. But his
voice was broken, his face pale, and he trembled with fear as though
he went guilty.

The police-officer ordered the soldiers to bind Aksionov and to put
him in the cart. As they tied his feet together and flung him into the
cart, Aksionov crossed himself and wept. His money and goods were
taken from him, and he was sent to the nearest town and imprisoned
there. Enquiries as to his character were made in Vladimir. The
merchants and other inhabitants of that town said that in former days
he used to drink and waste his time, but that he was a good man. Then
the trial came on: he was charged with murdering a merchant from
Ryazan, and robbing him of twenty thousand rubles.

His wife was in despair, and did not know what to believe. Her
children were all quite small; one was a baby at her breast. Taking
them all with her, she went to the town where her husband was in jail.
At first she was not allowed to see him; but after much begging, she
obtained permission from the officials, and was taken to him. When she
saw her husband in prison-dress and in chains, shut up with thieves
and criminals, she fell down, and did not come to her senses for a
long time. Then she drew her children to her, and sat down near him.
She told him of things at home, and asked about what had happened to
him. He told her all, and she asked, "What can we do now?"

"We must petition the Czar not to let an innocent man perish."

His wife told him that she had sent a petition to the Czar, but it had
not been accepted.

Aksionov did not reply, but only looked downcast.

Then his wife said, "It was not for nothing I dreamt your hair had
turned grey. You remember? You should not have started that day." And
passing her fingers through his hair, she said: "Vanya dearest, tell
your wife the truth; was it not you who did it?"

"So you, too, suspect me!" said Aksionov, and, hiding his face in his
hands, he began to weep. Then a soldier came to say that the wife and
children must go away; and Aksionov said good-bye to his family for
the last time.

When they were gone, Aksionov recalled what had been said, and when he
remembered that his wife also had suspected him, he said to himself,
"It seems that only God can know the truth; it is to Him alone we must
appeal, and from Him alone expect mercy."

And Aksionov wrote no more petitions; gave up all hope, and only
prayed to God.

Aksionov was condemned to be flogged and sent to the mines. So he was
flogged with a knot, and when the wounds made by the knot were healed,
he was driven to Siberia with other convicts.

For twenty-six years Aksionov lived as a convict in Siberia. His hair
turned white as snow, and his beard grew long, thin, and grey. All his
mirth went; he stooped; he walked slowly, spoke little, and never
laughed, but he often prayed.

In prison Aksionov learnt to make boots, and earned a little money,
with which he bought The Lives of the Saints. He read this book when
there was light enough in the prison; and on Sundays in the
prison-church he read the lessons and sang in the choir; for his voice
was still good.

The prison authorities liked Aksionov for his meekness, and his
fellow-prisoners respected him: they called him "Grandfather," and
"The Saint." When they wanted to petition the prison authorities about
anything, they always made Aksionov their spokesman, and when there
were quarrels among the prisoners they came to him to put things
right, and to judge the matter.

No news reached Aksionov from his home, and he did not even know if
his wife and children were still alive.

One day a fresh gang of convicts came to the prison. In the evening
the old prisoners collected round the new ones and asked them what
towns or villages they came from, and what they were sentenced for.
Among the rest Aksionov sat down near the newcomers, and listened with
downcast air to what was said.

One of the new convicts, a tall, strong man of sixty, with a
closely-cropped grey beard, was telling the others what be had been
arrested for.

"Well, friends," he said, "I only took a horse that was tied to a
sledge, and I was arrested and accused of stealing. I said I had only
taken it to get home quicker, and had then let it go; besides, the
driver was a personal friend of mine. So I said, 'It's all right.'
'No,' said they, 'you stole it.' But how or where I stole it they
could not say. I once really did something wrong, and ought by rights
to have come here long ago, but that time I was not found out. Now I
have been sent here for nothing at all... Eh, but it's lies I'm
telling you; I've been to Siberia before, but I did not stay long."

"Where are you from?" asked some one.

"From Vladimir. My family are of that town. My name is Makar, and they
also call me Semyonich."

Aksionov raised his head and said: "Tell me, Semyonich, do you know
anything of the merchants Aksionov of Vladimir? Are they still alive?"

"Know them? Of course I do. The Aksionovs are rich, though their
father is in Siberia: a sinner like ourselves, it seems! As for you,
Gran'dad, how did you come here?"

Aksionov did not like to speak of his misfortune. He only sighed, and
said, "For my sins I have been in prison these twenty-six years."

"What sins?" asked Makar Semyonich.

But Aksionov only said, "Well, well--I must have deserved it!" He
would have said no more, but his companions told the newcomers how
Aksionov came to be in Siberia; how some one had killed a merchant,
and had put the knife among Aksionov's things, and Aksionov had been
unjustly condemned.

When Makar Semyonich heard this, he looked at Aksionov, slapped his
own knee, and exclaimed, "Well, this is wonderful! Really wonderful!
But how old you've grown, Gran'dad!"

The others asked him why he was so surprised, and where he had seen
Aksionov before; but Makar Semyonich did not reply. He only said:
"It's wonderful that we should meet here, lads!"

These words made Aksionov wonder whether this man knew who had killed
the merchant; so he said, "Perhaps, Semyonich, you have heard of that
affair, or maybe you've seen me before?"

"How could I help hearing? The world's full of rumours. But it's a
long time ago, and I've forgotten what I heard."

"Perhaps you heard who killed the merchant?" asked Aksionov.

Makar Semyonich laughed, and replied: "It must have been him in whose
bag the knife was found! If some one else hid the knife there, 'He's
not a thief till he's caught,' as the saying is. How could any one put
a knife into your bag while it was under your head? It would surely
have woke you up."

When Aksionov heard these words, he felt sure this was the man who had
killed the merchant. He rose and went away. All that night Aksionov
lay awake. He felt terribly unhappy, and all sorts of images rose in
his mind. There was the image of his wife as she was when he parted
from her to go to the fair. He saw her as if she were present; her
face and her eyes rose before him; he heard her speak and laugh. Then
he saw his children, quite little, as they: were at that time: one
with a little cloak on, another at his mother's breast. And then he
remembered himself as he used to be-young and merry. He remembered how
he sat playing the guitar in the porch of the inn where he was
arrested, and how free from care he had been. He saw, in his mind, the
place where he was flogged, the executioner, and the people standing
around; the chains, the convicts, all the twenty-six years of his
prison life, and his premature old age. The thought of it all made him
so wretched that he was ready to kill himself.

"And it's all that villain's doing!" thought Aksionov. And his anger
was so great against Makar Semyonich that he longed for vengeance,
even if he himself should perish for it. He kept repeating prayers all
night, but could get no peace. During the day he did not go near Makar
Semyonich, nor even look at him.

A fortnight passed in this way. Aksionov could not sleep at night, and
was so miserable that he did not know what to do.

One night as he was walking about the prison he noticed some earth
that came rolling out from under one of the shelves on which the
prisoners slept. He stopped to see what it was. Suddenly Makar
Semyonich crept out from under the shelf, and looked up at Aksionov
with frightened face. Aksionov tried to pass without looking at him,
but Makar seized his hand and told him that he had dug a hole under
the wall, getting rid of the earth by putting it into his high-boots,
and emptying it out every day on the road when the prisoners were
driven to their work.

"Just you keep quiet, old man, and you shall get out too. If you blab,
they'll flog the life out of me, but I will kill you first."

Aksionov trembled with anger as he looked at his enemy. He drew his
hand away, saying, "I have no wish to escape, and you have no need to
kill me; you killed me long ago! As to telling of you--I may do so or
not, as God shall direct."

Next day, when the convicts were led out to work, the convoy soldiers
noticed that one or other of the prisoners emptied some earth out of
his boots. The prison was searched and the tunnel found. The Governor
came and questioned all the prisoners to find out who had dug the
hole. They all denied any knowledge of it. Those who knew would not
betray Makar Semyonich, knowing he would be flogged almost to death.
At last the Governor turned to Aksionov whom he knew to be a just man,
and said:

"You are a truthful old man; tell me, before God, who dug the hole?"

Makar Semyonich stood as if he were quite unconcerned, looking at the
Governor and not so much as glancing at Aksionov. Aksionov's lips and
hands trembled, and for a long time he could not utter a word. He
thought, "Why should I screen him who ruined my life? Let him pay for
what I have suffered. But if I tell, they will probably flog the life
out of him, and maybe I suspect him wrongly. And, after all, what good
would it be to me?"

"Well, old man," repeated the Governor, "tell me the truth: who has
been digging under the wall?"

Aksionov glanced at Makar Semyonich, and said, "I cannot say, your
honour. It is not God's will that I should tell! Do what you like with
me; I am your hands."

However much the Governor! tried, Aksionov would say no more, and so
the matter had to be left.

That night, when Aksionov was lying on his bed and just beginning to
doze, some one came quietly and sat down on his bed. He peered through
the darkness and recognised Makar.

"What more do you want of me?" asked Aksionov. "Why have you come
here?"

Makar Semyonich was silent. So Aksionov sat up and said, "What do you
want? Go away, or I will call the guard!"

Makar Semyonich bent close over Aksionov, and whispered, "Ivan
Dmitrich, forgive me!"

"What for?" asked Aksionov.

"It was I who killed the merchant and hid the knife among your things.
I meant to kill you too, but I heard a noise outside, so I hid the
knife in your bag and escaped out of the window."

Aksionov was silent, and did not know what to say. Makar Semyonich
slid off the bed-shelf and knelt upon the ground. "Ivan Dmitrich,"
said he, "forgive me! For the love of God, forgive me! I will confess
that it was I who killed the merchant, and you will be released and
can go to your home."

"It is easy for you to talk," said Aksionov, "but I have suffered for
you these twenty-six years. Where could I go to now?... My wife is
dead, and my children have forgotten me. I have nowhere to go..."

Makar Semyonich did not rise, but beat his head on the floor. "Ivan
Dmitrich, forgive me!" he cried. "When they flogged me with the knot
it was not so hard to bear as it is to see you now ... yet you had
pity on me, and did not tell. For Christ's sake forgive me, wretch
that I am!" And he began to sob.

When Aksionov heard him sobbing he, too, began to weep. "God will
forgive you!" said he. "Maybe I am a hundred times worse than you."
And at these words his heart grew light, and the longing for home left
him. He no longer had any desire to leave the prison, but only hoped
for his last hour to come.

In spite of what Aksionov had said, Makar Semyonich confessed, his
guilt. But when the order for his release came, Aksionov was already
dead.

Laugh for five minutes in
the mirror each morning. Steve Martin does. Laughter activates many beneficial
chemicals within the body that place us into a very joyous state. Laughter also
returns the body to a state of balance. Laughter therapy has been regularly
used to heal persons with varied ailments and is a wonderful tonic for life's
ills. While the average 4 year old laughs 500 times a day, the average adult is
lucky to laugh 15 times a day. Revitalize the habit of laughter, it will put
far more living into your life.

Super Foods for Men and Women

Guess what? You
have different nutritional needs than the opposite sex. Discover the best foods
for you both.

The Guys

One in five women
have a history of painful urinary tract infections. "I had three in one
year," says Patty Buxton*, a Colorado middle-school teacher. Reading that
cranberry juice may help prevent these infections, Buxton went on a regimen a
year ago, and since then she's been infection-free. She thinks cranberry juice
did the trick.


Cranberry juice isn't the only food that offers protection from specific
illnesses. Here's a list of disease-fighting foods for men and women.



Foods for Men



1. Tomato Sauce. Men who eat a lot of tomatoes, tomato sauce, or pizza smothered
with the stuff may be giving themselves a hedge against prostate cancer. So say
researchers at Harvard, who studied the eating habits of more than 47,000 male
health professionals. They found that men who ate tomato sauce two to four
times per week had a 35 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than
men who ate none. A carotenoid called lycopene, which tomatoes contain in
abundance, appeared to be responsible. But scientists were puzzled: tomato
juice didn't seem to have a protective effect. Other research showed why. For
best absorption, lycopene should be cooked with some kind of fat. So pizza may
be just what the doctor ordered.



2. Oysters. Myth has it that oysters are the food of love. Science may
agree. Just two to three oysters deliver a full day's supply of zinc, a mineral
critical for normal functioning of the male reproductive system. Scientists are
divided over reports that sperm counts have declined over the last 50 years and
that environmental factors are to blame. Nutritional deficiencies do seem to be
the cause of certain cases of low testosterone. Getting adequate zinc is
sometimes the answer (11 mg per day is recommended for men; more than 40 mg can
pose risks). In one trial, 22 men with low testosterone levels and sperm counts
were given zinc every day for 45 to 50 days. Testosterone levels and sperm
counts rose.



3. Broccoli. A recent Harvard study finds that cruciferous vegetables, like
broccoli, may protect against bladder cancer. It's one of the most common
cancers in this country, and affects two to three times as many men as women.
Scientists analyzed the diets of nearly 50,000 men and discovered that those
who ate five servings or more per week of cruciferous veggies were half as
likely to develop bladder cancer over a ten-year period as men who rarely ate
them. And broccoli and cabbage were singled out as the most protective foods.



4. Peanut Butter. If you want a healthy heart, spread your morning toast with
peanut butter. Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women, but men
fall victim at an earlier age. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University compared the cholesterol-lowering effect of the American Heart
Association's Step II Diet with a higher-fat diet based on peanuts. The AHA
plan included more carbohydrates. The peanut regimen was 36 percent fat. After
24 days both diets lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol. But the peanut plan
also caused a drop in blood fats called triglycerides and did not decrease HDL,
the "good" cholesterol. The AHA diet raised levels of triglycerides
and lowered levels of HDL.



"Peanut butter is a little higher in fat," says Penny Kris-Etherton,
Ph.D., the lead author of the Penn State study. "But it's the type that's good for you --
monounsaturated fat." Researchers have predicted that the peanut diet
could reduce heart-disease risk even more than could the AHA diet. Just don't
go nutty plastering on the tasty spread, since it is high in calories.



5. Watermelon. Until the age of 55, more men suffer from high blood pressure
than do women. Research suggests that foods rich in potassium can reduce the
risk of high blood pressure and stroke. The evidence is so convincing that the
Food and Drug Administration recently allowed food labels to bear a health
claim about the connection between potassium-rich foods and blood pressure. "There
isn't a dietary requirement for potassium," says Kathleen Cappellano,
nutrition-information manager at Tufts University in Boston. "But a good goal is about 2000 milligrams or more a
day." Watermelon, a rich source of this mineral, has more potassium -- 664
mg -- in one large slice than the amount found in a banana or a cup of orange
juice. So cut yourself another slice and enjoy the taste of summer.

The Girls

Foods for Women



1. Papaya. This tropical fruit packs about twice the vitamin C of an
orange. Add it to your arsenal against gallbladder disease, which afflicts
twice as many women as men.



After analyzing the blood of over 13,000 people, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, found that women who had lower levels of vitamin C were more
likely to have gallbladder illnesses. One medium papaya (about ten ounces),
with its 188 mg of vitamin C and a mere 119 calories, is a refreshing source of
the vitamin. The once exotic fruit now can be found in most supermarkets.



2. Flaxseed. Bakers use this nutty-flavored seed mainly to add flavor and
fiber. But scientists see the tiny reddish-brown seed, rich in estrogenlike
compounds called lignans, as a potential weapon against breast cancer. An
exciting report at last year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showed that
adding flaxseed to the diet of women with breast cancer effectively slowed
tumor growth. You can flavor your muffins with flaxseed, but the easiest way to
get the beneficial lignans is to sprinkle a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed
on your morning cereal. Look for the seeds in health food stores or in
supermarkets on the flour aisle. They're easy to grind in a blender or coffee
grinder. But get seeds -- there are no lignans in the oil.



3. Tofu. Foods high in soy protein can lower cholesterol and may
minimize menopausal hot flashes and strengthen bone. Isoflavones, plant
chemicals in soybeans that have a structure similar to estrogen, may be the
reason. Though animal studies form the bulk of the evidence, a human study found
that 90 mg of isoflavones was beneficial to bone (specifically the spine). And
two other studies suggest that 50 to 76 mg of isoflavones a day may offer some
relief from hot flashes. A half-cup of tofu contains about 25 to 35 mg of
isoflavones.



4. Buffalo Meat. Due largely to menstruation, women tend to be anemic more than
men. And low iron levels in blood can cause severe fatigue. To get a good dose
of iron, try bison. Bison, or buffalo, meat is lean and has what diet-conscious
women want -- lots of iron and less fat than most cuts of beef. "The iron
content is about 3 milligrams in a 3 1/2-ounce uncooked portion," says
Marty Marchello, Ph.D., at North Dakota State University. "That portion contains less than 3 grams of fat." Buffalo meat can
help boost energy and lower weight. And you don't have to have a home on the
range to get some bison anymore. You can pick it up at many supermarkets across
the United States, or through mail order or on the Internet.



5. Collard Greens. This humble vegetable may help fight osteoporosis, which
afflicts many women late in life. In addition to getting adequate amounts of
calcium and vitamin D, some studies suggest that vitamin K may have a
bone-protective effect as well. Based on data from one of the largest studies
of women, the Nurses' Health Study, researchers discovered that women who ate
enough vitamin K-rich foods (at least 109 micrograms of the vitamin daily) were
30 percent less likely to suffer a hip fracture during ten years of follow-up
than women who ate less. Researchers point out that dark-green leafy vegetables
-- Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli -- are all good sources of the vitamin.
But collard greens, with about 375 micrograms per half-cup, are among the best.



There you have it: five great foods for women and for men that can keep both of
you well fed and healthy too.

What's the difference between viruses and bacteria?

There
are many differences. Viruses are the smallest and simplest life form
known. They are 10 to 100 times smaller than bacteria. The biggest difference
between viruses and bacteria is that viruses must have a living host -- like a
plant or animal -- to multiply, while most bacteria can grow on non-living
surfaces.

Also,
unlike bacteria, which attack the body like soldiers mounting a battle,
viruses are guerilla fighters. They don't attack so much as infiltrate. They literally
invade human cells and turn the cell's genetic material from its normal
function to producing the virus itself.

In
addition, bacteria carry all the machinery needed for their growth and
multiplication, while viruses carry mainly information -- DNA or RNA, for
example. Viruses harness the host cell's machinery to reproduce. In a sense,
viruses are not truly "living," but are essentially information
floating around until encountering a suitable living host.

THE CHEMICAL COMPONENTS OF CIGARETTE SMOKE!

Nicotine

Nicotine is a
powerful insecticide and poisonous for the nervous systems. Furthermore, there
is enough (50 mg) in four cigarettes to kill a man in just a few minutes if it
were injected directly into the bloodstream. Indeed, fatalities have occurred
with children after they had swallowed cigarettes or cigarette butts.

When diluted in smoke, nicotine reaches the brain in just seven seconds, it
stimulates the brain cells and then blocks the nervous impulse. This is where
addiction to tobacco arises. Nicotine also causes accelerated heart rate, but
at the same time it leads to contracting and hardening of the arteries: the heart
pumps more but receives less blood. The result is twice as many coronary
attacks. Nicotine thus also increases the consumption of lipids (which is why
it has a weight-loss effect) and induces temporary hyperglycaemia (hence the
appetite suppressing effect).



Carbon monoxide (CO)

This
is the asphyxiating gas produced by cars, which makes up 1.5% of exhaust fumes.
But smokers inhaling cigarette smoke breathe in 3.2% carbon monoxide - and
directly from the source.

Oxygen is mostly transported in blood by haemoglobin. When we smoke, however,
the carbon monoxide attaches itself to the haemoglobin 203 times more quickly
than oxygen does, thereby displacing the oxygen; this in turn asphyxiates the
organism. This causes the following cardiovascular complaints: narrowing of the
arteries, blood clots, arteritis, gangrene, heart attack, etc. . . . but also a
loss of reflexes and visual and mental problems. It takes between six and 24
hours for the carbon monoxide to leave the blood system.



Irritants

These
substances paralyse and then destroy the cilia of the bronchial tubes,
responsible for filtering and cleaning the lungs. They slow down respiratory
output and irritate the mucus membranes, causing coughs, infections and chronic
bronchitis.




Tars

As
the cilia are blocked (see paragraph above), the tars in the cigarette smoke
are deposited and collect on the walls of the respiratory tract and the lungs,
and cause them to turn black. So, just because a smoker is not coughing, it
doesn't mean that he or she is healthy! And this fact merely serves to pour
water on one of the most common and poorest excuses given by smokers. The
carcinogenic action of the tars is well known: they are responsible for 95% of
lung cancers. It takes two days at least after cessation of smoking for the
cilia to start functioning properly again, albeit only gradually. By smoking
one packet of cigarettes every day, a smoker is pouring a cupful of these tars
into his or her lungs every year (225 grams on average)!



Chemistry of Tobacco Smoke

No less
than 4000 irritating, suffocating, dissolving, inflammable, toxic, poisonous,
carcinogenic gases and substances and even radioactive compounds (nickel,
polonium, plutonium, etc.) have been identified in tobacco smoke. Some of these
are listed hereafter: Benzopyrene, dibenzopyrene, benzene, isoprene, toluene
(hydorcarbons) ; naphthylamines; nickel, polonium, plutonium, arsenic, cadmium
(metallic constituents) ; carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, nitric oxide,
nitrogen dioxide,

hydrogen sulphide (gases); methyl alcohol, Š›anol, glycerol or glycerine,
glycol (alcohols and esters); acetaldehyde, acrolein, acetone (aldehydes and
ketones); cyanhydric or prussic acid, carboxyl derivatives (acids); chrysene,
pyrrolidine, nicoteine, nicotinine, nicoteline, nornicotine, nitrosamines
(alkaloids or bases)cresol (phenols) etc.

In this world of hurry, everybody is striving to find a balance.
We are under pressure of time, so we want our choices to be fast as well: we
eat fast food, we learn how to type fast, we drive fast, we talk fast, we are
in such a hurry, that we barely have time to think about our bodies and the
effect of this rush on them. More and more people become health-conscious and
even though they cannot change their lifestyle for the better, at least they
try to minimize the effects of modern society on their health, by trying those
advices they can easily integrate in their daily schedule. Such a method is
choosing the food by blood types.


Type O



Highly
Beneficial: Beef, lamb, liver, eggs, whitefish, olive and flaxseed oils,
onions, garlic, spinach, plums and prunes, pineapple juice, etc.

Neutral: Chicken,
shrimp, lobster, butter, goat cheese, cod liver oil, almonds, string beans,
rice, many vegetables, most fruits, most juices, most spices, mustard,
mayonnaise, beer, red and white wine.

Avoid:
Pork, ham, bacon, milk, goat milk, cheese, peanuts, cashews, lentils,
wheat, oats, corn, white potato, cabbage, olives, oranges, melons,
strawberries, apple juice, orange juice, vinegar, black peppers, ketchup,
coffee (even decaffeinated), tea, and sodas.

Type O's have a hardy digestive tract and thrive on animal protein. Organic,
free range meats are preferable.



Type A



Highly
Beneficial: whitefish, soy cheese, soy milk, olive and flaxseed oils,
peanuts, lentils, black eyed peas, buckwheat, amaranth, rice cakes, broccoli,
carrots, kale, spinach and many other vegetables, apricots, grapefruit,
pineapple, juice of these fruits, ginger, garlic, mustard, rose hips tea,
coffee, red wine, and green tea.

Neutral: Chicken,
swordfish, goat cheese, yogurt, cod liver oil, almonds, green peas, rice,
corn flakes, wild rice, spelt noodles, cauliflower, celery, corn, apples,
grapes, melons, peaches, pears, apple and grape juice, very many spices,
pickles, jelly, and white wine.

Avoid: All
red meats, American cheese, cottage cheese, buttermilk, corn oil, peanut
oil, brazil nuts, cashews, navy beans, kidney beans, red beans, shredded wheat,
granola, whole wheat bread, white and whole wheat flour, cabbage, all potatoes,
bananas, oranges, tomatoes, black pepper, catnip tea, beer, and distilled
liquor.

Type A's flourish on somewhat more vegetarian diets.



Type B



Highly
Beneficial: Lamb, cottage cheese, goat milk, skim milk, olive oil, navy
beans, oatmeal, rice, cabbage, carrots, and many other vegetables,
bananas, grapes, pineapple, grape juice, cranberry juice, ginger, and green
tea.

Neutral: Beef,
liver, whitefish, buttermilk, cod liver oil, flax oil, walnuts, white
beans, grape nuts, granola, oat bran muffins, brown and white rice,
garlic, cucumber, white potatoes, and very many other vegetables, apples,
peaches pears, apricot juice, orange juice, most spices, mayonnaise, mustard,
many herbal teas, coffee, and red and white wine.

Avoid:
Bacon, ham, chicken, duck, pork, shrimp, lobster, American cheese, ice cream,
peanut oil, safflower oil, peanuts, cashews, filberts, lentils, wheat
cereals, corn flakes, multigrain bread, yellow corn, all olives, coconuts,
rhubarb, tomato, black pepper, ketchup, distilled liquor, and cola.

This type diet represents "the best of the animal and vegetable kingdoms."



Type AB



Highly
Beneficial: Lamb, salmon, mackerel, sardine, cottage cheese, goat milk, olive
oil, peanuts, walnuts, chestnuts, green lentils, oatmeal, white and brown
rice, broccoli, celery, garlic, grapes, figs, pineapple, grape juice,
carrot juice, ginger tea, coffee, and green tea.

Neutral: Liver,
skim milk, soy milk, cheddar cheese, peanut oil, cod liver oil, cashews,
almonds, brazil nuts, green beans, northern beans, domestic lentils, cream of
rice, whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, asparagus, carrots, red
cabbage, white potatoes, and many other vegetables, apples, peaches, pears,
various melons, apple juice, pineapple juice, prune juice, very many spices,
mustard, mayonnaise, jelly from appropriate fruits, catnip tea, peppermint tea,
beer, red and white wine.

Avoid:
lobster, lbacon, beef, pork, ice cream, whole milk, buttermilk, sherbet, corn
oil safflower oil, filberts, sesame seeds, lima beans, garbanzo beans, kidney
beans, all white and yellow corn, red and yellow peppers, bananas,
oranges, white vinegar, cayenne pepper, ketchup, relish, fenugreek tea,
senna tea, distilled liquor, diet and other sodas.

Butter vs Margarine
This is interesting . . . . .

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the
turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a
payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this
product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal
so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of
butter. How do you like it?

They have come out with some clever new flavorings.

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and
butter?

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated
fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams. Eating margarine can increase heart
disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a
recent Harvard Medical Study.

-Eating butter increases
the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

-Butter has many
nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!

-Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of
other foods.

-Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less
than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine..

-Very high in trans fatty acids.

-Triple risk of coronary heart disease .

-Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers
HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol)

-Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.

-Lowers quality of breast milk.

-Decreases immune response.

-Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY
INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC. This fact alone was
enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated
(this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the
substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within
a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit
flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently
because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny
weeny micro organisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly
plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends.....(If you want to "butter them up")!

Chinese
Proverb:

"When someone shares something of value with you and you

benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.

So..., DO IT !

Quotes

Don't complain about others; change
yourself if you want to have peace.
Its easies to protect your feet with slippers than to cover the entire
playground with a carpet.

Every king was once a helpless baby and
every great building was once a blueprint. It's not where you are today, but
where you'll reach tomorrow. Plan your future.

Never tell your problems to anyone except
the one who genuinely loves you. Because 20 % people just don't care and the
rest 79 % are glad that you have problems.

[source: mail]