Cracking Open A Handful Of Pistachios Releases Numerous Health Benefits

Adding to a growing body of evidence, several new research studies continue to demonstrate that a diet incorporating a moderate amount of healthful monounsaturated fat, like the kind found in pistachios, is more effective in preventing heart disease than simply reducing overall fat intake.

A Handful of Pistachios May Lower Cholesterol; Provides Source of Antioxidants
At the April 30, 2007 Experimental Biology Conference in Washington, DC, Pennsylvania State University graduate student researcher Sarah K. Gebauer presented data showing that a handful of pistachios may lower cholesterol and provide the antioxidants usually found in leafy green vegetables and brightly colored fruit.

In the study, volunteers with high cholesterol levels were asked to supplement a low-fat diet with pistachios. Subjects ate three different diets for a four-week period. The diets consisted of 1.5 ounces of pistachios a day, three ounces of pistachios a day or a Step-1 diet without pistachios. After just a month, cholesterol levels were significantly lower among the pistachio eaters: three ounces of pistachios reduced the amounts of total cholesterol in the blood by 8.4 percent and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called "bad" cholesterol, by 11.6 percent. The study also found that non-high density lipoproteins (non-HDL) decreased by 11.2 percent. Non-HDL levels are considered reliable predictors of cardiovascular disease risk.

"Our study has shown that pistachios, eaten with a heart healthy diet, may decrease a person's CVD risk profile," added Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition and primary investigator of the study. "We were pleased to see a difference between the doses of pistachios for lipoprotein ratios because it would appear that pistachios are causing the effect and that they act in a dose dependent way," added Gebauer.

Challenging the Traditional View, Pistachios Are a Part of a Heart Healthy Diet



A four-week diet consisting of a daily dose of about two to three ounces of pistachios may offer protective benefits against cardiovascular disease, according to another study published in the Volume 26, Number 2 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

The Inova Fairfax Hospital study found that in people with moderately high cholesterol levels, a daily diet consisting of 15% of calories from pistachios (about two to three ounces or one to two handfuls of kernels) over a four-week period favorably improved some blood lipid levels. Most likely, this is due to pistachios' content of healthful monounsaturated fat, according to lead researcher James N. Cooper, M.D. of George Mason University.

"This research challenges the previously-held belief that a low-fat diet is best for heart health. Studies now show that a diet with a moderate amount of healthful monounsaturated fat, like the kind found in pistachios, is a more effective way to prevent heart disease than reducing overall fat intake."

Thought to be rich in nutrients that reduce hardening of the arteries, pistachios may also protect against coronary heart disease through other mechanisms, one of which is arginine, according to Dr. Hu of Harvard's Department of Nutrition.

Pistachios May Calm Acute Stress Reaction; Source of Heart Healthy Fats
Eating pistachios may reduce the body's response to the everyday stresses of life, according to another study conducted at Pennsylvania State University, lowering the risk of developing hypertension. Dr. Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioral health, investigated the effects of pistachio consumption on standardized stressors on persons who had high cholesterol, but normal blood pressure. West and her colleagues found that those who consumed 1.5 ounces of pistachios each day reduced the stress effects of systolic blood pressure by 4.8 millimeters of mercury, with no effect on normal, resting blood pressure.

Most of the fat in pistachios - almost 90% - is "good" or unsaturated fat, which can lower blood cholesterol along with risk of heart disease, when they replace saturated fats in the diet. Of all snack nuts, pistachios offer the highest level of phytosterols, and are a powerful source of fiber, both of which reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the diet.

No Weight Gain with Pistachios; A Nutritionally-Wise Snack Choice
Participants in the Penn State pistachio study showed no changes in blood pressure, body mass index or weight gain, further supporting previous studies that have also demonstrated no weight gain from the addition of pistachios to the daily diet. Nut consumption, in general, is associated with a lower body mass index.

A 1-oz serving of pistachios, with 160 calories, offers an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper and magnesium; and are a good source of fiber, thiamin and phosphorus making them a wise snack choice. For more information on these studies, visit www.pistachiohealth.com

MJ Sterling’s Profit Co-pilot launch

MJ Sterling’s Profit Co-pilot launch is scheduled to launch on March 27, 2010. This is being eagerly awaited by all the enthusiasts. The pre launch is expected to be sold out in 60 minutes of the launch.

The affiliates of the MJ Sterling Profil Co pilot are expected to get a huge benefit.

MJ Sterling’s Profit Copilot is the most comprehensive internet marketing bootcamp and home business course created to date, containing videos, worksheets, planners and ebooks.

Members are given access to a straight-forward five step plan that takes first time home business owners from complete novice to intermediate and to advanced levels.

Experienced marketers are also invited to sign up for membership to the Profit Copilot affiliate program, which guarantees a residual six figure income, based on just a single sale a day.

Those who are willing to generate ten or more sales a day will receive a residual seven figure income within the first year.

One Profit Copilot member, Jason Walsh, reports an upwards income of $8,260 per month, and growing each month, after being a member for two months.

National Nutrition Month is upon us – why not make it a family decision by taking the 'Just One More for Healthy Living' pledge at www.eatjustonemore.com. The campaign is dedicated to encouraging families to incorporate an additional serving of fruits and veggies daily and lean protein weekly. They are manageable steps that produce big results. (Recipes below)

There are lots of small steps you can take to ensure you and your family is eating healthy amounts of the right foods.

• Be Creative. Try something different, like washing and clipping grapes into small bunches and putting them in the freezer. Try with bananas too!

• Cut Down on Fat. Try low-fat dairy products, poultry without skin and lean meats to get flavor without a lot of calories.

• Serve healthy snacks and have smaller meals. Stock your kitchen with healthy lunch and snack foods, such as raisins, popcorn, sliced vegetables and fruit.
• Don't use food as punishment or reward.

• Keep Track. Let your kids "eat the rainbow." Keep a chart on the fridge so your kids can record each color fruit or vegetable they have each day. You can also have then plan, shop for and prepare meals – they are likely to make better choices when they are involved in the process.

• Get Moving. Encourage informal play virtually everyday. If you can't participate with your kids during the week, plan on being active during the weekend. Go skating, walk your dog, clean the house…

• Turn off the TV. Never eat in front of the TV and encourage your children to do something active instead of watching TV.


Here are some delicious recipes to get you started and guaranteed your whole family will love!

FOR BREAKFAST TRY:
Sunrise Sunday
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients
• 1-1/2 cups low-fat granola or other dry cereal
• 1 cup low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 can (15.25 oz.) Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail, drained

Directions
In tall glasses, spoon alternating layers of granola or any other dry cereal, yogurt and fruit cocktail.
For easy variety use any 6 pack of single serving assorted dry cereals and Fruits.

Nutritional Information
Calories 360/ Total Fat 4g/ Saturated Fat 1.5g/ Cholesterol 5mg/ Sodium 11mg/ Carbohydrates 78g/ Fiber 4g/ Protein 9g





FOR LUNCH TRY:
Corn and Chicken Tostada
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 0 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
• 4 tostada shells or tortilla chips
• 6 or 1-1/4 oz or cups chicken strips, cooked
• 2/3 cup salsa or taco sauce
• 1 or 11 can or oz Del Monte Golden Sweet Corn, drained
• Lettuce, Shredded
• Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Directions:
Warm tostada shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine chicken, salsa and corn in medium saucepan. Heat through. Layer lettuce, cheese and corn mixture on tostada shells or over tortilla chips. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 320/ Total Fat 14g/ Saturated Fat 7g/ Cholesterol 65mg/ Sodium 570mg/ Carbohydrates 23g/ Fiber 4g/ Protein 24g


Fresh Mozzarella-Tomato Pizzettas
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
• 4 pizza crusts, individually prepared, pre-baked
• ¼ cup pesto
• 1 cup sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 or 14.5 can Petite-cut diced tomatoes with roasted garlic & sweet onion, drained
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place pizza crusts on baking sheet. Spread pesto over crusts. Bake 10 minutes.
Top with mozzarella and tomatoes. Bake 1 minute just to soften mozzarella (do not melt completely).
Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 580/ Total Fat 24g/ Saturated Fat 8g/ Cholesterol 25mg/ Sodium 1310mg/ Carbohydrates 70g/ Fiber 3g/ Protein 22g


FOR DINNER TRY:
Beef Macaroni and Cheese
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (14 ½ oz) Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions
Brown meat and onion over medium-high heat in skillet; drain. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Add tomatoes and 1 cup water; bring to boil.
Stir in macaroni. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until cooked.
Stir in cheese. Garnish with sour cream, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 430/ Total Fat 18g/ Saturated Fat 8g/ Cholesterol 95mg/ Sodium 780mg/ Carbohydrates 36g/ Fiber 4g/ Protein 34g


FOR DESERT TRY:
Caramelized Pineapple with Ice Cream
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
• 1 can (15-1/2 oz.) Del Monte® Pineapple Chunks in Syrup
• 2 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. melted butter

Directions
Spread pineapple with 2 tablespoons syrup in 2-quart baking dish. Top with sugar and drizzle with butter. Bake at 450°F 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon hot pineapple over ice cream. Serve immediately.

Office Desk in Paradise; Creative Writing / Blogging Contest

Whenever you've a high imagination and creativity, you should try this competition. The competition which is named Office Desk in Paradise; Creative Writing / Blogging Contest. It will give you challenge to think about office desk.

All you've do is imagine your self and office desk in a place that you like. You must describe it in a unique article. You are able to apply the mountains, beach or others view to be added in your writing.

You must to write about 300 words in your article and posted it before March 31, 2010. To be more interesting you are able to input your friends or family in your article. The winner of this competition will get a reversible laminate desk top computer by Safco.

Winning prizes and competitions online

While surfing in the internet, I came across a very good site in which you can win prizes by very simple means! Well,this involves no gambling! This is truly a very legitimate site! It is called the ImBrickingIt. Signing up in this site is 100% free and this is the largest virtual brick wall in the internet! You are given a set of bricks to choose from and when you choose one, your name gets engraved on the brick! Then, you are notified the prize that your brick carries! Playstations, Holidays, Vouchers , Games and a whole lot to be won!

PC World: Windows 7 Not Much Faster Than Vista

PC World have released Worldbench 6 benchmark results comparing the Windows 7 Release Candidate to Windows Vista Ultimate. Benchmark tests were performed on two desktop computer systems and one laptop. The general result of the benchmarks were that Windows 7 was beating Windows Vista in all tests but not by a margin expected by most users.

The largest difference was 4 points–102 for Vista versus 106 for Windows 7 on an HP Pavillion a6710t desktop. Our other two test machines showed similarly minor performance improvements: A Maingear M4A79T Deluxe desktop improved by 1 point (from 138 on Vista to 139 on Windows 7), and a Dell Studio XPS 16 laptop improved by 2 points, from 97 on Vista to 99 on Windows 7.

The test runs a series of ten commonly used applications including Microsoft Office, the Firefox web browser, Winzip, Nero Burning Rom and Adobe Photoshop on the computer system. The testers do acknowledge that they did not test areas like the boot time of the computer system where Windows 7 is clearly showing a much better performance than Windows Vista.

Any improvements to Windows 7's disk support will be more noticeable in an application like Nero, which uses the hard drive heavily. The test involving WinZip, another hard-drive-dependent task, also showed marked improvement under Windows 7.

It should also be noted that tests with the final version of Windows 7 might look different although likely not by a large margin. Benchmarks are on the other hand not comparable to first hand user experience which is why it is suggested to test Windows 7 first hand.

Apple Releases Mac OS X Update 10.5.7

There was a lot of buzz that it might come today, and it has. Apple just released Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.7 for download via Software Update. As one, let us install and restart our computers. Maybe the Internet will pause for a second in our absence.
Here are some highlights from the new release:
Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
Improves performance of video playback and cursor movements for recent Macs with NVIDIA graphics.
Improves the reliability and accuracy of Unit Converter, Stocks, Weather and Movies Dashboard widgets.
Addresses a situation that may cause issues when logging into Gmail.
Improves reliability when syncing contacts with Yahoo.
Improves network performance when connected to certain Ethernet switches that have Flow Control enabled.
Improves stability for network home directories hosted by Mac OS X Server v10.4.
Improves Finder search results for network volumes that may not support Spotlight searching, such as Mac OS X Server v10.4, Time Capsule, and third-party AFP servers.
Includes several improvements to Directory Service and Client Management, which are described in the About Mac OS X Server 10.5.7 Update article.
For a complete list of fixes and enhancements, check out Apple’s official support article detailing the release. As always, let us know if the update brings any unpleasant surprises.

LaCie Now Offering 10TB "5 Big" NAS

This week LaCie announced yet another addition to their line of network storage drives with the 2big Network and the 5big Network.

They both feature Gigabit Ethernet, seven RAID modes, as well as “improved performance, enhanced features, comprehensive backup support, and extreme capacity expansion.” The 2big will offer up to 4TB of storage, while the 5big can load up with up to 10TB of storage through five hot-swappable drives.

Both of these are available today, and will start at $319.99 (2big) and $799.99 (5big). However, if you want the whopping 10TB version of the 5big, it’ll run you $2099.99.

Microsoft Attacks Apple over iTunes Pricing

More specifically, Microsoft continues its advertising offensive against Apple with yet another commercial pointing out the cost of being hip, only this one targets iTunes and not MacBooks.

In the latest ad, financial planner (certified, of course) Wes Moss points out it would take $30,000 to fill the latest iPod using iTunes at a buck a pop.

"I don't know about you, but I don't have thirty grand laying around for music," Moss says.

His solution? A subscription service like Zune Pass, of course! "One costs a lot, and one costs a little," Moss adds, referring to the iPod with $30,000 worth of music and Zune Pass's unlimited subscription plan for $14.99/month. For those of you doing the math at home, $30,000 buys almost 167 years of Zune Pass.


There are obvious flaws in Microsoft's latest pitch, but the goal here isn't necessarily to discredit Apple's iPod/iTunes combination as a viable music platform (too late for that) as much as it is to promote Zune Pass. The question is, will it work?

Shoes from Jimmy Choo

If you are looking for the shoes that have a rare combination of style, elegance and femininity, you are looking for shoes from Jimmy Choo. They were favored by the late Princess of Wales (Princess Diana), who would buy one style in several colors for her evening wear and to coordinate with her daily wardrobe. Apparently, Jimmy Choo lost count of the number of shoes he made for Princess Diana. She could frequently be seen in his delicate high-heeled shoes. But a pair of shoes from Jimmy Choo worth around a thousand euros. What makes Jimmy Choo shoes that expensive? It's probably because it uses the best types of material and because of the good marketing that it has generated itself. In marketing for the high-end marketing, sometimes what you got to do is just to make your line sound so exclusive. Indeed, while Jimmy Choo engages in ready-to-wear clothing, the line only has a few stores, with its flagship store based in London. Aside from shoes, Jimmy Choo also designer bags.

Web is Like Bread

The Web has gone from being a boxed-up tool of the 90s into a dynamic environment. Now a days, web is like bread. Confused? Let me elaborate it, like a piece of bread can be presented in a manner that depends on how you like it (i.e. with peanut butter, butter and jelly, etc.) , you can customize your web experience depending on your taste by using applications and websites that are appropriate for your lifestyle.

New Hampshire Green Launching Pad

The University of New Hampshire and the State of New Hampshire have partnered to create the Green Launching Pad, an initiative that will bring new green technologies to the marketplace, help innovative clean technology companies succeed, and support the creation of "green" economy jobs in New Hampshire. Through the Green Launching Pad, companies, both established and start-ups, will receive extensive financial, operational, technical, and managerial support to launch and commercialize green energy products and services.

Weight Loss Tips for the Starbucks Drinker

When something goes down as smoothly and easily as the calories in Starbucks drinks, it's easy not to notice or think about them. It's true that loading up on mochas and Frappuccinos every day (especially in the larger sizes with whipped cream) can really pack in the calories. However, Starbucks drinks can be enjoyed for little to no calories, and yet still be very filling and satisfying. You can find the weight loss tips for the Starbucks drinker here. If you're a Starbucks regular – and you care about your waistline – you need to pay attention to the calories in Starbucks drinks.

C-Line Products

There is a manufacturer of plastic storage, organization items and office products called C-Line Products. Their many product offerings include sheet protectors, name badges and holders, shop ticket holders, media storage products, laminating film, report covers and project folders, photo holders, Memory Book page protectors, office accessories, transparency film and more.

Dual-Core ARM to Debut in 2010

Most smart phones now days are run off of ARM processors (that includes the iPhone and the Palm Pre), and while their performance is already pretty slick, a new dual-core ARM processor is set to hit next year that promises to greatly increase their capabilities.

The new processor, also known as the ARM Cortex-A9, is set to release early 2010. ARM is stating that while the chip is dual-core, it’ll offer users increased battery life in daily usage compared to their current generation of single-core chips.

Reportedly, the A9 will also give smartphones the ability to play 1080p, as well as record HD video.

Medical identity theft

Could identity thieves be using your personal and health insurance information to get medical treatment, prescription drugs or surgery? Could dishonest people working in a medical setting be using your information to submit false bills to insurance companies? Medical identity theft is a twist on traditional identity theft, which happens when someone steals your personal information. Like traditional identity theft, medical ID theft can affect your finances; but it also can take a toll on your health.

Toyota: Unintended Acceleration Still Present on Post-Recalled Vehicles

Due to the recent issue of death of a whole family whilst driving in their Toyota vehicle, the giant Japanese car maker recalled millions of their vehicles which were reported to have unintended acceleration problem. Check out the whole piece of information here. Toyota appeared to be sincere in their recall, but the drivers are complaining that their cars are still facing acceleration problems even after they were recalled.

Love Can Make You Lose Weight

Usually people try to lose the weight just because they are trying to find a partner. Now even believe that love can make you lose weight and it is much easier to lose weight for a person who is in love. Confused? The reason behind this is the chemicals that out body release when the person is in love, which are, dopamine and monoamine (You can get the more information regarding this here). But like they say all good things come to an end, people tend to gain weight when the relationship ends. We can always be love and lose weight.

Cubicle Zen: The Art of Office Serenity

This busy modern world has blessed us with compact office units, which is like second home to the workers especially to those who usually spend 10 hours there daily. And it is very important to turn those compact dull office units into a colorful home away from home and you can learn ways to to do so in this article.This would turn your workplace into a place where you would really love to work. Believe me, this could be motivational, help to center you and improve your productivity.

Desperate Ohio Homeowner Destroys House

Like many people, Terry Hoskins has had troubles with his bank. But his solution to foreclosure might be unique. Hoskins said he's been in a struggle with RiverHills Bank over his Clermont County home for nearly a decade, a struggle that was coming to an end as the bank began foreclosure proceedings on his $350,000 home. You can read the detailed news here. I can't believe Terry has no regrets over bulldozing house. Really, desperation really drives some people to extreme actions.

Windows 7 Build 7260 RTM Leaked

The primary source of Windows 7 leaks seems to be located in Russia. The latest of a long series of leaks is Windows 7 Build 7260 which made its way on the Internet just yesterday. The build is available as a 32-bit Windows 7 Ultimate VHD image (virtual hard drive image) with the build string 6.1.7260.0.win7_rtm.090612-2110 which indicates that the build was compiled on June 12.

MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.7.BUILD.7260.WIN7_RTM.X86.VHD.ENGLISH-WZT – NEW
FILE: 7260.0.x86fre.win7_rtm.090612-2110.client_en-us.ultimate.vhd
(the original VHD in packed RAR archive, size RAR file: 1,919,600,205 byte
SHA1: 0FF53F8ED2BBC0B1B174B47F80055BB3DACF2F01)
SIZE: 5,185,507,840 byte
CRC: 67C23FE0
MD5: 0703C259676D7E4C58E0EF2184369663
SHA1: 7540399601506675CF1B329CB3507875F64C555B
Microsoft is currently aiming for the RTM build which might raise the build number to 7300

No Windows 7 For Intel Atom N270 and N280 netbooks?

Monica Chen, a reporter for the Taiwanese news site Digitimes, is reporting that netbook manufacturers are considering to continue offering Windows XP with netbooks based on Intel Atom N270 and N280 processors. The main reason seem to be increasing costs that a switch from Windows XP to Windows 7 would cause as the prices for Windows 7 would double those of Windows XP. Netbook manufacturers are currently paying between $25-30 to put Windows XP on their netbooks. Latest quotes suggest that they would have to pay between $45-55 for Windows 7.

Negotiations seem to be still underway as netbook vendors are trying to convince Microsoft to reduce the price per unit for Windows 7 based netbooks. Most netbook manufacturers seem to plan to start offering Windows 7 on the upcoming Intel Atom processor generation

Check And Reply From Multiple Email Addresses In Gmail

It's that time of year when students are graduating, and in many cases getting yet another email address to check an alumni account as a graduation present.

Whether you have an alumni address, a work account, or your own domain that you like to use, rather than logging in and out of multiple accounts, you can set yourself up so all your mail ends up in your Gmail inbox. And you can send mail from any of the other addresses you own right from Gmail as well.

There are two steps to make this happen:
Set up mail forwarding or fetching: Many email providers offer free auto-forwarding to other accounts. Log into your non-Gmail account and set your Gmail address as the forwarding target. If your other account doesn't offer forwarding but supports POP3 access, you can use Mail Fetcher in Gmail to automatically check your other account for new mail and download it to Gmail.
Set up custom "From:" Gmail's custom "From:" feature lets you send mail with one of your other email addresses listed as the sender in place of your Gmail address. There's a good step-by-step for how to set this up in the Help Center, but the basics are adding the address you want to use and then verifying that it belongs to you. Once you have your custom "From:" set up, you can pick which address you want to reply from in the "From:" address drop down while composing messages.

Tasks, Now In Google Calendar Too

Ever since Google launched Google Calendar, people have been pretty vocal about a missing piece -- an integrated task list. "To-do would be tooo-rific," "I really, really, really need to use a to-do list," and my favorite: "I'll join your team to help you get it done!" The rumble turned into a roar a few months ago when they launched Tasks in Gmail Labs. Now we've integrated Tasks into Google Calendar as well.
To get started, open Calendar and click on the "Tasks" link on the left hand side. You'll see the familiar task list you're used to using in Gmail, with some Calendar-specific additions:
Tasks that have due dates will automatically appear on your calendar. To create a task with a due date in Calendar, click on an empty space in month view or the all-day section of week view, and be sure select the "Task" option.
To attach a due date to an existing task, click the right-arrow from within the task list, and then click on the calendar icon.
You can modify a task's due date by dragging it to a different date, just as you would with a regular calendar event.
To mark a task completed from within Calendar, just click on the task's checkbox. (Isn't that satisfying, overachievers?)
To keep track of due dates before they arrive, there's a nifty new "Sort by due date" feature available in the Actions menu at the bottom of your task list. While sorting by due date, you can reschedule a task by clicking on it in your list, then pressing control and the up or down arrow key.

First USB 3.0 Controller Chips Released

We like where this is going. NEC this week introduced the first USB 3.0 host controller chips for PCs and other digital gadgets, which should help accelerate the technology coming to market.

Checking in at 10X the speed of USB 2.0, NEC's µPD720200 chip ups the data transfer ante to 5Gpbs, while also maintaining full backward compatibility with previous generation USB protocols, NEC promises.

The USB Implementers Forum finalized the specifications for the USB 3.0 standard almost six months ago, which in addition to offering faster data transfer rates, will also provide more power output. That means you'll be able to recharge your MP3 player and other gizmos quicker than before.

Samples of NEC's chip will be available in June for $15 each, with production expect to hit one million units by September.

Import your Mail And Contacts From Other Accounts Into Gmail

Gmail users can be a passionate bunch. Many of us have, at one time or another, encouraged or cajoled friends and family to join us @gmail.com. But switching email accounts can be pretty painful. It's like getting out of a relationship. You have so much baggage — years of emails and contacts, memories of past Christmases and Valentine's Days — so the easier your new email account can make it, the better.

Gmail now migrates email and contacts from other email providers, including Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, and many more. It's much easier to make the transition now that you can bring along all your old email and contacts. You can even have your messages forwarded from your old account for 30 days, giving you time to take Gmail for a test drive while you make up your mind.

This new feature is available in all newly-created Gmail accounts, and it is slowly being rolled out to all existing accounts. It'll take longer than the few hours or days that most Gmail features take to get out to everyone. You'll know it's on for your account when you see the Accounts and Import tab (formerly just called Accounts) under Settings. Sorry, businesses and schools using Google Apps won't see these new migration options.

Everyone can still use POP3 mail fetching and upload your contacts in a CSV file, but this new way is much simpler for basic imports.

HONEY'S NUTRITION AND HEALTH FACTS

Honey is a source of simple carbohydrates. Its composition on average, is 17.1 percent water, 82.4 percent total carbohydrate and 0.5 percent proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The average carbohydrate content is mainly fructose (38.5 percent) and glucose (31percent). The remaining 12.9 percent of carbohydrates is made up of maltose, sucrose and other sugars.

Source of Energy
As a carbohydrate, honey supplies energy at 64 calories per tablespoon, providing fuel to working muscles. A limited study at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory found honey to be one of the most effective forms of carbohydrate gels to ingest just prior to exercise. According to Dr. Richard Kreider, the study's lead investigator, "honey appears to be a carbohydrate source that is relatively mild on its effects upon blood sugar compared to other carbohydrate sources." Continuing research is examining the effects of honey in comparison to different types of carbohydrate gels prior to weightlifting on the effect on glucose, insulin and markers of protein breakdown.

Other limited studies performed in Dr. Kreider's lab have shown that honey may comprise half of the secret to post-workout recuperation. Many post-workout products on the market combine a large amount of carbohydrates with protein. The most common carbohydrate source used is maltodextrin, a mildly sweet carbohydrate usually derived from corn. Upon comparison of a honey-protein vs. a maltodextrin-protein shake taken after a vigorous weightlifting workout, the honey-protein combination fared as well in promoting markers of muscle recuperation. The honey group's blood sugar was sustained for at least two hours post-workout. "Our data suggest that honey functions well in all of the aspects associated with post-workout recuperation and energy repletion. In addition, honey appears to stand out as perhaps a better source of carbohydrate to ingest with post-workout protein supplements. These findings support our previous study presented at the annual Experimental Biology meeting in April 2000," added Dr. Kreider.

"In addition to promoting muscle recuperation and glycogen [carbohydrates stored in muscle] restoration, honey-protein combinations also seem well suited to sustain favorable blood sugar concentrations after training."



Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids in Every Bite
Honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. The vitamins found in honey may include (depending on floral variety) niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid; minerals present include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Just as the color and flavor of honey varies by floral source, so does the vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and amino acid content.

Antioxidants in Honey
In addition to the nutrients that are involved in normal metabolic activity, foods contain components that may provide additional health benefits. These nutrients are referred to as nutraceuticals. Phytochemicals are one broad category of nutraceuticals found in plants that are actively being investigated by scientists for their health-promoting potential. Honey has a phytochemical profile which includes polyphenols that can act as antioxidants.

Antioxidants perform the role of eliminating free radicals, which are reactive compounds in the body. Free radicals are created through the normal process of metabolism and contribute to many serious diseases. Researchers at the University of Illinois, led by Nicki J. Engeseth, Ph.D. and May R. Berenbaum, Ph.D., are studying the antioxidant capacity of common honey varieties.

Honey's Antimicrobial Properties and Benefits to Wound Healing
The use of honey as a wound dressing goes back to ancient times and has now been 'rediscovered' by modern medicine, according to Dr. Peter Molan of the University of Waikato, New Zealand. "It is a common observation in the many reports in medical journals that numerous benefits result from using honey to dress wounds," says Dr. Molan. The antibacterial properties of honey may help clear infection in wounds, and the anti-inflammatory action of honey may reduce pain and may improve circulation which hastens the healing process. According to Dr. Molan, "Honey stimulates the re-growth of tissue involved in healing, making healing faster and reducing scarring."