Stroke warning sighs

If you felt the side of your face go numb or were unable to move your arm - would you know what to do?
According to the National Stroke Foundation you could be experiencing the signs of stroke.
Stroke is Australia's second biggest killer and a leading cause of disability. A stroke occurs in Australia every 10 minutes.

FAST is an easy way to recognise the signs of stroke.
FAST stands for Facial weakness, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to act. Call 000 immediately if you experience even one of the signs of stroke or recognise them in someone else.
In the 2007 National Stroke Foundation survey asked Australians aged over 40 what they know about stroke. Fifteen per cent said they did not know any of the signs of stroke.
This represents at least 1.3 million Australians aged between 40 and 90 may not recognise the signs of stroke in themselves or a loved one.

As part of National Stroke Week (15-21 September), the National Stroke Foundation aims to distribute 1.3 million FAST wallet cards. The wallet cards allow people to carry the FAST message with them at all times.
"There is a simple test for stroke that everybody should know - it's called the FAST test," said Dr Erin Lalor, Chief Executive Officer of the National Stroke Foundation.

The FAST test involves asking three simple questions:
Face - Can the person smile, has their mouth drooped?
Arms - Can the person raise both arms?
Speech - Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
Time - Act FAST and call 000 immediately.
If the person has difficulties with any of these, act FAST and call 000. Getting urgent medical attention could mean the difference between death or severe disability and a good recovery from stroke.

National Stroke Week is 15-21 September.
For more information about the National Stroke Foundation, FAST and preventing stroke visit http://www.strokefoundation.com.au/ or call StrokeLine 1800 787 653.

(Source: National Stroke Foundation: September 2008.)

Fwd: Broccoli - the anti cancer veg that could do your heart good

If there's a poster veggie for healthy eating, it has to be broccoli - in fact you could paper the walls with good news stories spruiking it's health benefits. There's the one that says broccoli puts the brakes on prostate cancer in mice, and another that names broccoli as a source of glucosinolates - a compound that can help protect the brain from Alzheimer's.

Broccoli's latest triumph is a new report from the University of Warwick in the UK, suggesting that another compound in broccoli called sulphoraphane helps reverse the harm that high blood sugar levels can do to the blood vessels of people with diabetes. Sulphoraphane seems to work in two ways - one is by boosting the production of enzymes that protect the blood vessels, and the other is by reducing the levels of molecules which damage the cells of blood vessels.

Sulphoraphane is the same compound that's been found to reduce bladder cancer in rats and, in other lab studies, to help protect against cancer of the colon and pancreas, according to the American Cancer Society.

(Source: smh)

Fwd: Spicing up meat for a safer barbecue

If spring is here, outdoor eating isn't far behind - so if you're buying for a barbecue put some rosemary and mint on the shopping list too.

New research published in the latest issue of The Journal of Food Science has found that marinating meat in spice blends containing the antioxidants rosmarinic acid (found in mint) and carnasol and carnosic acid (both found in rosemary) reduced the formation of potentially harmful chemicals by up to 80 per cent. The chemicals are HCAs, short for heterocyclic amines, which are suspect carcinogens created when muscle foods - from meat, poultry or fish - are cooked at high temperatures.Barbecueing seems to produce the most HCAs, followed by pan-frying and grilling. 'Suspect' means there's evidence from animal studies that HCAs are carcinogenic and have been linked to cancer of the colon, but the evidence in human studies isn't clear, according to the Cancer Council NSW.

The idea that pre-barbecue marinating can reduce HCAs isn't new - but what's reassuring is that this new study is building the evidence that how we cook and prepare meat might reduce any risks of HCA - and do so in a way that makes the food more enjoyable, not less. An earlier study from Lawrence Livermore University in the US found that marinating chicken in a mix of olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and salt reduced HCAs too, while research from the University of Hawaii gave the thumbs up to two marinades - one with teriyaki sauce and another with turmeric and garlic.

(Source: smh)