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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1998)
I AN. 21, 1998 Page BJ I ealth&GciGHCiE *. -?V Body: Mind and Spirit Martin Luther K ing's birthday has passed and his message is still pertinent. He was a remarkable vi sionary in furthering the concept of Unity in Diversity. Dr. King was a spokesman. He gave definition to our Self as having inherent rights, deserving of equal ity and respect. It was a loving re minder of who we are, having hu man rights, idealized by our Found ing Fathers. There were other times in history when mankind redefined Sell. The Renaissance period shaped our view of Self. Il was the idea of life as one's own creation, a work ol art. Rene Descartes, the French phi losopher of the 17lh century inllu- enced the evolution of Self to mean that we are a rational individual with adistinct and constant identity. Gal i leo, t he astronomer gave Sel I a relationship to the Universe. Through Martin Luther King, we took a leap in consciousness. We recognized the Self in importance to the Whole King gave us greater vision to embrace Diversity. He called for Diversity in schools, Diversity in business, Diversity in communities ..Everywhere! Il is now commonplace. The Portland Observer is a paper about Diversity. It has served the community for twenty six years. Martin Luther King was very pro gressive in his thinking. We are now recognizing K ing's message of Unity. This was not a prophecy. It was a realization that once we accept Di versity, we could spiritually progress to Unity. When Dr. King had Unity in mind, I doubt that he foresaw the coming of the Internet or economic globaliza tion. It is in our technological ad vances and leaps in consciousness that we can come together as One Mind, One Heart. Our next calling is to make our Neighborhood a Brotherhood. The direction we are taking is not clear We arc again, at a new time in history, redefining and reclaiming Self. W alter Anderson. Vice President o f Meridian International Institute further explains, "A changing world now forces all of us to become more open systems-taking in new informa tion, making new connections, m ov ing our boundaries, and even re-ex amining our ideas of w hat it means to be human. In the process, we become in some ways, less than the modern self-less permanent, less centered, less separate.” Collectively, we can go in several future directions with Diversity and Unity There are two i merest i ng paths before us. Advanced technological changes, Globalization and Low economic growth can steer us tow aril a return to communities, ancient ethnic identi ties, local economies and traditional sp iritu a lity. There is another way. A dvanced te c h n o lo g ic a l ch a n g e s, G lo b a liz a tio n and H igh ec o n o m ic grow th can c re a te a future c h e rish e d by p eo p le, v o l untary sim p lic ity and re v e re n ce foi tra d itio n a l so c ie tie s. M artin Luther King made his hopes clear: Honor the Self. E m brace Diversity and Live in Unity. We have taken the message to heart and given it direction. As Pro fessor Annelt Stanton put it, '‘Martin Luther King was a wise leader tor where our society was at the time. The next level is not up, but beyond.'' Cherrios Can lower Cholesterol A study published in the January/ February 1998 issue of Nutrition in Clinical Care concludes that Cheerios breakfast cereal, a 5 6 -y e a r-o ld American favorite, can be an effec tive weapon in the war against heart disease and for the m illionsof Ameri cans who have high-risk cholesterol. The study conducted by the U ni versity of Minnesota Heart Disease Prevention Clinic shows that eating one and a half ounces of Cheerios twice a day lowered cholesterol lev els of study participants by an aver age 3.8 percent, but Cheerios low ered cholesterol for some partici pants by as much as 18 percent. The publication of the study (alls on the heels of the announcement made in 1997 by the U S. Food and Drug Administration allowing food companies to say on packaging that "Diels high in soluble fiber from whole-grain oats may reduce the risk of heart disease." The FDA action was unprecedented because noclaim has ever before been approved for a specific food such as oats. Cheerios and oatmeal are among the few foods able to make the FDA claim, but the study to be featured in Nutrition in Clinical Care, a Tufts University publication, is unique since it is the firstever peer-reviewed published study showing that a lead ing ready-to-eat breakfast cereal can actually reduce cholesterol. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for developing heart disease, this country’s leading cause of death, and more than one of every two American adults (52 percent) have high-risk levels of blood cholesterol measuring 2(X) mg/dl or greater, ac cording to the Centers for Disease Control. Researchers in Minnesota studied 135 men and women ages 40 to 70 years for a 12-week period. About half of the participants were given an unidentified whole-grain oat cereal (Cheerios) to eat daily, and the other half were given an unidentified corn (lake cereal. On average, those who ate Cheerios achieved a significant reduction in blood cholesterol while those who ale the corn Hakes did not. After I began eating Cheerios for the study. my cholesterol dropped by 40 points." said study participant Dewey White. 60. of St. Paul. Minn. The study boasted nearly a 100 percent rate o f c o m p lia n c e from those who p a rtic ip a te d , w h ich is an indication that p eo p le had an easy tune follow ing the d aily e a t ing requirem ents D uring the first six w eeks of the stu d y , p a r tic i p an ts w ere placed on a low -fat lo w -c h o le ste ro l d ie t, w hich is a ro u tin e part o f this type of n u tri tio n re se a rc h , so that a baselin e level o f blood c h o le ste ro l could be d e te rm in e d fo r ea c h in d i v id u al. O nce the b a se lin e levels w ere re c o rd e d , C h e e rio s w ere p ro v id e d to one g ro u p and corn flak es w ere p ro v id ed to the o th e r g ro u p . Even w hile on a lo w -fat, low c h o le ste ro l d ie t, those w ho ate the C h e e rio s had ad d itio n al re d u c tio n s in total blood ch o le s tero l. Theeholesterol-redueing qualities found in Cheerios are consistent with results of studies done for oatmeal and oat bran. Cheerios is made with w hole-grain oats and was called “Cheeri Oats" when General Mills first invented it in 1941 to provide a more convenient and better tasting alternative to cooked oatmeal. Cardiovasculardisea.se is the lead ing cause of death in America. One million Americans are expected to dieofcardiovasculardisea.se in 1998. An American dies from cardiovas cular disease every 33 seconds, and the toll on this country’s economy exceeds $150 billion annually Cholesterol and Whole-Grain Oat Fact Sheet — One of every two American Adults (52 percent) has high-risk cholesterol levels of 2(X) milligrams per deciliter or higher, according to the Centers for Disease Control. — High cholesterol or hypercho lesterolemia is a major risk f actor for cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. — An estim ated one m illion Americans will die from cardiovas cular disease in 1998 and every year in the near f uture unless changes are made in the American lifestyle. — Each year cardiovascular dis ease costs the United States more' than $150 billion. — Oat consumption by humans dates back to 400 BC when oats were described as a "healing agent." — Oats came to America in 1602 and were used for relief of stomach discomforts and other ailments. — Cheerios is the number-one ready-to-eat whole grain oat cereal in the world. — Cheerios was called "Cheeri Oats" when General Mills first in vented it in 1941 to provide a more convenient and better tasting alter native to cooked oatmeal. — W hole grain oats contain more soluble fiber than other wholegrains, such as wheat, corn or rye. — Whole grain oats contain more protein and lipids than other grams. — According to the American D ietetic A ssociation, consum ers should eat at least three servings ol whole-grain foodsdaily. but on aver age most Americans eat less than one serving a day. — Cheerios meets the nutrition guidelines of the American Heart Association. — Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals account for about 90 percent ol the cereal market with hot cereals com prising about 10 percent. — O ats c o n ta in n atu rally o c cu rrin g p h y to c h e m ic a ls that have been a sso c ia te d w ith p ro tectio n from a v a rie ty o f c h ro n ic d is eases. W hole grains contain n atu rally o c c u rrin g p h y to e stro g e n s w hich have been linked to d e c reased risk of h o rm o n e -re la te d d ise a se s such as b reast cancer. ASTHKAA IS ON T U E RISE. Just ask a teacher Help us find a cure I-8ÛÔ-L9NG-USA Prostate Cancer: Getting Cheeked Out Could Save Your Life By Larry Lucas As 1 write this column. I’m home recovering after successful prostate cancer surgery— and thanking my lucky stars that I caught the disease in time. I want to share my good fortune with you by giving you this loud and cleat message. ,f you’re a male over 40 be sure to get checked out for prostate cancer. This is particularly important for African American men, who have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world. The American Cancer Society recommends that every man over 40 have a rectal examination as part of a regular annual physical. This exam allows the doctor to feel for any abnormality in the prostate, a walnut-sized gland located just below the bladder. And men 50 and older should have an annual blood test to check for prostate cancer. African American men or those with a family history of prostate cancer should start getting the blood test, known as the PSA or prostate specific antigen test, at age 40. These quick and painless tests can literally save your life. Nine out of ten men survive prostate cancer if it is diagnosed before it spreads to other areas. If you are diagnosed with Whcn'Tou Can't Breathe, Nothing Ebe M a tte rs * t ASSOCIATION. www.lungusa.org ease every day, and more than 300,000 new cases were diagnosed last year. Pharmaceutical company researchers are looking hard for a cure or a preventive vaccine. Bu, your best defense against prostate cancer is to catch it early— like I did— through a physical exam or a diagnostic test. For a free booklet, “Learning About Your Prostate Can Save Your Life,” write to PhRMA, 1100 15th Street NW, Washington, D C. 20005. Larry' Lucas is Associate Vice President o f the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers o f America (PhRMA). Do You Have Winter Depression? Research S tudy V o lu n te e rs N e ed ed Q u a lific a tio n s Do you feel down or sad in the winter, hut not during the summer? If so, you may qualify for a three-week research study treating winter depression with melatonin, which naturally occurs in the body. This is followed up with two weeks of standard treatment with bright lights. (You may choose to keep the light fixture at the end of the study.) The study will involve five visits to Oregon Health Sciences University; with blood draws on three You must be in good health and not taking any antidepressant medications. If you are interested, please call the Sleep ;uid Mood Disorders Lab at OHSl: occasions. (503) 494-1402 This project is under the direction o fO r Alfred./ Lein: Where Heal ¡ng, Teaching and Discovery Come Together Au rimili ouoortunltv. allinnntivt irtloii institution What can you ... ~ doaboutdiabetes.2 Gospel Recording Artists, The Clark Sisters Honorary Spokespersons, "Diabetes Sunday etes is devastating African American families. Heart attacks Blindness. Foot and leg Jations. Kidney problems. Strokes. Early death All caused by this serious disease. But abetes can be controlled, even prevented. cause we lost our mother to diabetes, we're raising our voices to spread th^ o s p e l of event.on Join us. Learn what you can do. For yourself. For your loved ones Be part of the ngregation on "Diabetes Sunday. ..t i knh 111 A B F T I S < U2-23H3) for more inform ation. ( all the Am ericun Diabetes Association at 1-888-IH Aiii. 11 ta-*- y ^ r ic \tn < \ , i V I 'i c 'i AMERICAN LUNG prostate cancer, there are several treatment choices. You and your doctor will decide on a treatment based on your age. the stage of the disease, and the possible side effects of the treatment. It will usu ally include one or a combination of the following: • Surgery to remove the prostate and stop the cancer from spreading • Radiation therapy • Hormone therapy, or treat ment with hormonal medicines. These medicines reduce or block the production of testosterone, thus slowing the spread of cancer cells. Pharmaceutical companies are currently testing 36 new medicines for prostate cancer. They are study ing ways to use hormones to elim inate or disable the “triggers” of prostate cancer, and they are look ing into vaccines to protect against diseases of the prostate. We’ve made a lot of progress against prostate cancer over the last 30 years. Thanks to increased public awareness, diagnostic tests and new medicines, the survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer has risen from 50 percent to 76 percent. And for cancer confined to the prostate itself, the five-year survival rate is 91 percent. Still, 113 men die of this dis- P 't . a program ol ¿A American Diabetes Association
