An Argentine man accused of incest fathered seven children with his daughter, officials have said.
DNA tests showed that Armando Lucero, 67, was the father of the children, according to Ricardo Puga of the Mendoza provincial legislature.
The alleged incest with the 35-year-old woman started when she was eight.
Officials are waiting for the results of psychological tests on Mr Lucero, also accused of raping two of his other daughters. He remains in custody.
Mr Lucero faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison.
His daughter's seven children are aged between two and 19.
They all lived together, with Mr Lucero's second wife and stepmother, AFP news agency reported.
The daughter, who has not been publically named, went to local authorities for help after her father threatened to sexually abuse one of her daughters.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Taliban blamed for Lahore attack
Pakistan's government has blamed Taliban fighters for a bomb attack in Lahore which killed 23 people and left hundreds more injured.
A group of men shot at police officers before detonating a powerful car bomb, damaging buildings belonging to the police and intelligence agency the ISI.
Rescuers are searching the rubble and warn that the death toll could rise.
Officials said the Taliban carried out the attack in revenge for a military offensive against them in Swat valley.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters: "Enemies of Pakistan who want to destabilise the country are coming here after their defeat in Swat.
"There is a war, and this is a war for our survival."
A group calling itself Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab claimed responsibility for the bombing in a Turkish-language statement posted on jihadist websites, the SITE monitoring group said.
The claim could not be verified and the group's relationship to the Taliban, if any, was unclear.
'Attack on the state'
At least one ISI agent, 12 police officers and one child were reported killed in the attack, at about 1030 local time (0530 GMT).
Local officials have speculated that the military intelligence agency could have been the target.
The ISI's offices were damaged by the bombing, and a police emergency-response building was flattened.
The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones, in Lahore, says it is not clear which organisation the perpetrators were attacking - but it is clear that they were attacking the Pakistani state.
A least two arrests were made, but police officials later told the BBC that those detained appear to have been innocent bystanders.
Meanwhile, the military says it expects the main town in the Swat valley, Mingora, to be cleared of Taliban insurgents within two or three days.
The military said two other areas away from Swat which have also seen heavy fighting - Mohmand and Sultanwas - were now safe enough for residents to return home.
Sustained violence
Lahore, in Punjab province near the Indian border, is known as Pakistan's cultural capital and is far from the Swat valley.
But in March militants laid siege to a police compound in the city, killing eight people, and weeks earlier the Sri Lanka cricket team was attacked there.
The BBC's Shoaib Hasan, in Pakistan, says Lahore is facing a sustained campaign of violence unlike any it has seen before.
He says security officials believe the city is under attack because it is seen as a stable home for Pakistan's Punjab-dominated army.
The army is claiming sweeping victories against Taliban insurgents in the Swat valley, near the Afghan border - saying more than 1,000 militants have been killed in the past month.
Militants had threatened revenge attacks in Pakistan's cities after the military stepped up its operations in the Swat valley.
Global condemnation
After the latest attack, television footage showed rescue workers sifting through the debris, pulling half-conscious police officers from the rubble.
Bulldozers and other heavy lifting equipment have been brought in as many people are feared trapped under the debris.
Officials told reporters a car pulled up near the police headquarters and a group of gunmen got out and opened fire.
When police returned fire, the gunmen's car exploded.
BBC News website readers in the city described hearing a huge explosion.
Zubair Bukhari, who was in his office about 500m away from the blast, said it rocked the entire building.
"Glass windows shattered to pieces and the ceiling came down on the floor," he said.
Another reader, Matthias Gattermeier, said: "I ran out of the building and saw a surreal huge ring of white smoke rise into air."
Politicians from around the world have condemned the attack and offered condolences to Pakistan.
US ambassador Anne Patterson said the attacks "show the lengths extremist elements are willing to go to as they attempt to force their agenda on to a people who only wish to go about their daily lives in peace".
A group of men shot at police officers before detonating a powerful car bomb, damaging buildings belonging to the police and intelligence agency the ISI.
Rescuers are searching the rubble and warn that the death toll could rise.
Officials said the Taliban carried out the attack in revenge for a military offensive against them in Swat valley.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters: "Enemies of Pakistan who want to destabilise the country are coming here after their defeat in Swat.
"There is a war, and this is a war for our survival."
A group calling itself Tehrik-i-Taliban Punjab claimed responsibility for the bombing in a Turkish-language statement posted on jihadist websites, the SITE monitoring group said.
The claim could not be verified and the group's relationship to the Taliban, if any, was unclear.
'Attack on the state'
At least one ISI agent, 12 police officers and one child were reported killed in the attack, at about 1030 local time (0530 GMT).
Local officials have speculated that the military intelligence agency could have been the target.
The ISI's offices were damaged by the bombing, and a police emergency-response building was flattened.
The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones, in Lahore, says it is not clear which organisation the perpetrators were attacking - but it is clear that they were attacking the Pakistani state.
A least two arrests were made, but police officials later told the BBC that those detained appear to have been innocent bystanders.
Meanwhile, the military says it expects the main town in the Swat valley, Mingora, to be cleared of Taliban insurgents within two or three days.
The military said two other areas away from Swat which have also seen heavy fighting - Mohmand and Sultanwas - were now safe enough for residents to return home.
Sustained violence
Lahore, in Punjab province near the Indian border, is known as Pakistan's cultural capital and is far from the Swat valley.
But in March militants laid siege to a police compound in the city, killing eight people, and weeks earlier the Sri Lanka cricket team was attacked there.
The BBC's Shoaib Hasan, in Pakistan, says Lahore is facing a sustained campaign of violence unlike any it has seen before.
He says security officials believe the city is under attack because it is seen as a stable home for Pakistan's Punjab-dominated army.
The army is claiming sweeping victories against Taliban insurgents in the Swat valley, near the Afghan border - saying more than 1,000 militants have been killed in the past month.
Militants had threatened revenge attacks in Pakistan's cities after the military stepped up its operations in the Swat valley.
Global condemnation
After the latest attack, television footage showed rescue workers sifting through the debris, pulling half-conscious police officers from the rubble.
Bulldozers and other heavy lifting equipment have been brought in as many people are feared trapped under the debris.
Officials told reporters a car pulled up near the police headquarters and a group of gunmen got out and opened fire.
When police returned fire, the gunmen's car exploded.
BBC News website readers in the city described hearing a huge explosion.
Zubair Bukhari, who was in his office about 500m away from the blast, said it rocked the entire building.
"Glass windows shattered to pieces and the ceiling came down on the floor," he said.
Another reader, Matthias Gattermeier, said: "I ran out of the building and saw a surreal huge ring of white smoke rise into air."
Politicians from around the world have condemned the attack and offered condolences to Pakistan.
US ambassador Anne Patterson said the attacks "show the lengths extremist elements are willing to go to as they attempt to force their agenda on to a people who only wish to go about their daily lives in peace".
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Rahul knows that India’s real strength lies in villages
24 years have passed when Late Rajiv Gandhi dreamt of taking India into 21st century. Today, India is emerging as a strong country and Rahul Gandhi, who is following the footprints of his father, has tossed an important question and the question is; from where does India gets it' s strength?...
In the course of Lok Sabha election 2009, Rahul often raised this question and he tried to find the answer himself. He talked about his visit to Amethi with a British minister (David Milliband) where they had food and spent night with villagers. Rahul said, “The British minister asked me as to where do India gets it's strength? I told him that if he wanted to feel the strength of India he would have to go to villages. The strength of India could not be understood in an air-conditioned room in Delhi. Thereafter Rahul went on telling as to how he took Milliband to Amethi, had food, talked to people and spent a night. He said that a foreigner easily understood the strength of India but BJP could not understand it. He criticized opposition for not recognizing the hard labour, struggle, optimism and honest values of the villagers and said that the opposition was trapped in the complete hangover of India shining and urbane glitter.
When Rahul talks about the villages and hinterland, Rajiv Gandhi appears again before people in their mind. Due to IT revolution, Rajiv Gandhi is considered as the symbol of urban development but the silent revolution Rajiv Gandhi initiated through Panchati Raj has become Rahul’s main campaign plank.
Rahul Gandhi is showing the world how villages are being transformed through Panchayats. There is great similarity between the father and the son; both are great listeners as experienced by this correspondent during various tours with both leaders.
Rajivji listened to the villagers for hours as Manishankar Aiyyar a long time associate of Rajivji recalls. “When Rajivji talked to villagers it was difficult to guess how much time had passed. It is interesting that Rahul Gandhi does not tell one thing about his visit to Amethi with Milliband that he played the role of a translator for hours between Milliband and the villagers.
Rahiv Gandhi strengthened the base of grass root democracy by empowering villages through Panchayati Raj. On the same line, Rahul is making new experiments in Youth Congress and student organization of the party by bringing democracy within them. He has successfully conducted elections of Youth Congress and NSUI in Punjab and Uttarakhand under the supervision of ex-CEC J M Lyngodh. The party swept the election in both these states bagging all the five seats in Uttarkhand and 9 out of 13 in Punjab. However, Rahul’s strategy in winning these seats are yet to be analyzed.
excerpts from http://pressbrief.in/
In the course of Lok Sabha election 2009, Rahul often raised this question and he tried to find the answer himself. He talked about his visit to Amethi with a British minister (David Milliband) where they had food and spent night with villagers. Rahul said, “The British minister asked me as to where do India gets it's strength? I told him that if he wanted to feel the strength of India he would have to go to villages. The strength of India could not be understood in an air-conditioned room in Delhi. Thereafter Rahul went on telling as to how he took Milliband to Amethi, had food, talked to people and spent a night. He said that a foreigner easily understood the strength of India but BJP could not understand it. He criticized opposition for not recognizing the hard labour, struggle, optimism and honest values of the villagers and said that the opposition was trapped in the complete hangover of India shining and urbane glitter.
When Rahul talks about the villages and hinterland, Rajiv Gandhi appears again before people in their mind. Due to IT revolution, Rajiv Gandhi is considered as the symbol of urban development but the silent revolution Rajiv Gandhi initiated through Panchati Raj has become Rahul’s main campaign plank.
Rahul Gandhi is showing the world how villages are being transformed through Panchayats. There is great similarity between the father and the son; both are great listeners as experienced by this correspondent during various tours with both leaders.
Rajivji listened to the villagers for hours as Manishankar Aiyyar a long time associate of Rajivji recalls. “When Rajivji talked to villagers it was difficult to guess how much time had passed. It is interesting that Rahul Gandhi does not tell one thing about his visit to Amethi with Milliband that he played the role of a translator for hours between Milliband and the villagers.
Rahiv Gandhi strengthened the base of grass root democracy by empowering villages through Panchayati Raj. On the same line, Rahul is making new experiments in Youth Congress and student organization of the party by bringing democracy within them. He has successfully conducted elections of Youth Congress and NSUI in Punjab and Uttarakhand under the supervision of ex-CEC J M Lyngodh. The party swept the election in both these states bagging all the five seats in Uttarkhand and 9 out of 13 in Punjab. However, Rahul’s strategy in winning these seats are yet to be analyzed.
excerpts from http://pressbrief.in/
Monsoon clouds gather on Bengal
The monsoon is likely to hit Bengal in the next two or three days, at least 10 days earlier than usual, the Met office today said.
Before that, the next two days could see heavy rain in Calcutta and the south Bengal districts, raising the hope that this summer’s heat wave-like conditions may now be over.
The Met office issued a cyclone alert tonight, warning of heavy rain in south Bengal in the next 48 hours and asking fishermen not to go to sea. The expected cyclonic storm and the early monsoon onset are related.
A depression formed over the west central Bay of Bengal today and was 600km from Calcutta, Met officials said tonight. It is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and move towards Bengal and the Bangladesh coast, triggering the next two days’ rain.
“The rapid progress of the monsoon is also being caused by the depression, which is dragging the monsoon currents faster towards the state,” said G.C. Debnath, the director of the weather section at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore. “We expect the monsoon to set in within the next two or three days. We expect the depression to drag the monsoon into north and south Bengal on the same day.”
The monsoon usually hits north Bengal on June 5 and south Bengal three days later. The last time these rain-bearing winds had arrived in south Bengal so early was 10 years ago, on May 28, 1999.
A Met official said that once the monsoon currents set in, the maximum temperature is not expected to rise beyond 35-36°C. Debnath said the next two days’ rain “may cross 250mm at one or two places”.
The monsoon today moved into Kerala nine days before the normal arrival date of June 1. An early onset, though, has no apparent correlation with monsoon behaviour. The India Meteorological Department has predicted 96 per cent of the average rainfall this year.
Before that, the next two days could see heavy rain in Calcutta and the south Bengal districts, raising the hope that this summer’s heat wave-like conditions may now be over.
The Met office issued a cyclone alert tonight, warning of heavy rain in south Bengal in the next 48 hours and asking fishermen not to go to sea. The expected cyclonic storm and the early monsoon onset are related.
A depression formed over the west central Bay of Bengal today and was 600km from Calcutta, Met officials said tonight. It is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and move towards Bengal and the Bangladesh coast, triggering the next two days’ rain.
“The rapid progress of the monsoon is also being caused by the depression, which is dragging the monsoon currents faster towards the state,” said G.C. Debnath, the director of the weather section at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore. “We expect the monsoon to set in within the next two or three days. We expect the depression to drag the monsoon into north and south Bengal on the same day.”
The monsoon usually hits north Bengal on June 5 and south Bengal three days later. The last time these rain-bearing winds had arrived in south Bengal so early was 10 years ago, on May 28, 1999.
A Met official said that once the monsoon currents set in, the maximum temperature is not expected to rise beyond 35-36°C. Debnath said the next two days’ rain “may cross 250mm at one or two places”.
The monsoon today moved into Kerala nine days before the normal arrival date of June 1. An early onset, though, has no apparent correlation with monsoon behaviour. The India Meteorological Department has predicted 96 per cent of the average rainfall this year.
China now bigger threat than Pak: IAF chief
Taking China’s dramatic military expansion seriously, the Indian Air Force chief has said China poses a more real and potent threat to India than Pakistan, which remains caught in a vortex of conflict and instability.
Talking to HT, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said India was rapidly upgrading its fighter bases in the country’s northeast to boost its military deterrence against China.
“China is a totally different ballgame compared to Pakistan,” the air chief said. “We know very little about the actual capabilities of China, their combat edge or how professional their military is…they are certainly a greater threat.”
The comments are bound to lend urgency to the new government’s China agenda and the need to understand the security implications of the rapidly modernising Chinese military.
The Chinese air force is ridding itself of obsolete platforms from the 1960s such as the J-6 and J-7 (equivalent to MiG-19s and MiG-21s). The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is pushing full steam ahead with the induction of first-rate fighter jets such as Sukhoi-30s, JF-17 Thunder light combat aircraft, J-10 strike fighters, airborne early warning aircraft and midair refuellers to expand the operating radius of its fighter jets.
“The way he (China) is growing, he definitely has the capability. But we should neither put China on a pedestal and say it will chew us up nor lose sight of the fact that they have (acquired) huge capabilities,” Major said.
Talking to HT, Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said India was rapidly upgrading its fighter bases in the country’s northeast to boost its military deterrence against China.
“China is a totally different ballgame compared to Pakistan,” the air chief said. “We know very little about the actual capabilities of China, their combat edge or how professional their military is…they are certainly a greater threat.”
The comments are bound to lend urgency to the new government’s China agenda and the need to understand the security implications of the rapidly modernising Chinese military.
The Chinese air force is ridding itself of obsolete platforms from the 1960s such as the J-6 and J-7 (equivalent to MiG-19s and MiG-21s). The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is pushing full steam ahead with the induction of first-rate fighter jets such as Sukhoi-30s, JF-17 Thunder light combat aircraft, J-10 strike fighters, airborne early warning aircraft and midair refuellers to expand the operating radius of its fighter jets.
“The way he (China) is growing, he definitely has the capability. But we should neither put China on a pedestal and say it will chew us up nor lose sight of the fact that they have (acquired) huge capabilities,” Major said.
Choosing when to die was "truly what she wanted to do," says friend
With hands twisted by arthritis, Linda Fleming was no stranger to pain.
But the 66-year-old Sequim woman met the limits of her endurance when she was diagnosed last month with terminal pancreatic cancer.
Rather than die in agony or spend her final days in a drug-induced haze, Fleming swallowed a fatal dose of barbiturates in her apartment Thursday night — becoming the first person in Washington to end her life under the state's new "Death with Dignity" law.
Family members, her beloved Chihuahua, Seri, and a physician were with her when she died, according to Compassion & Choices Washington, the organization that sponsored the measure adopted by Washington voters in November.
Fleming's friend and neighbor, Sharon Lake, came out on her porch at the Vintage apartment complex for senior citizens when she heard medics and police arrive.
"They told me: 'Linda is gone,' " said Lake, who had signed legal documents weeks earlier witnessing Fleming's decision.
"It was very hard on me, but I know this is truly what she wanted to do," Lake said.
At first, Fleming didn't tell many people about her intentions, for fear that opponents might turn her into a cause célèbre, said her friend Virginia Peterhansen. "She didn't want people picketing in her yard."
But Fleming did discuss her situation with representatives from Compassion & Choices, and left behind a statement.
"I am a very spiritual person, and it was very important to me to be conscious, clear-minded and alert at the time of my death," she wrote. "The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my death. And I knew I would have to increase them."
She said she was grateful that Washington's law provided her "the choice of a death that fits my own personal beliefs."
One opponent of the law called Fleming's death a "sad day" and criticized her choice as "egotistical."
"It's saying: 'I want to go out of life on my own terms, even though the vast majority of us accept the natural conclusion of our lives,' " said Chris Carlson, of the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide, one of the groups that raised $1.6 million to fight the measure.
Supporters raised $4.9 million, making the initiative the costliest on last year's ballot.
Retired Seattle cardiologist Dr. Tom Preston, medical director for Compassion & Choices, said Fleming's experience shows that the law can work as intended to give dying patients another option.
"The prescribed medication gives patients peace of mind that they can take control of their dying if suffering becomes intolerable," he said.
Peterhansen watched her friend decline rapidly after her diagnosis in early April.
Fleming had loved walking all over town and on Dungeness Spit, Peterhansen said. She had recently bought a car — a 1982 Oldsmobile station wagon — and was looking forward to delving more into pottery and contra dancing.
"She was allowing herself to enjoy things," Peterhansen said.
But the cancer and pain drugs dulled her mind, and the disease made it hard to swallow and left her with stomach pain. She couldn't keep down her food and began to lose weight.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms, and the disease usually progresses quickly and relentlessly.
"It can be very painful," said Preston, who during his years as a physician has attended more than 100 patients in their final days.
Washington is only the second state to allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for terminally ill patients.
The state's law is modeled on a 10-year-old measure in Oregon, where about 400 people have ended their lives.
Washington's law applies only to people age 18 or older, who are able to exercise sound judgment and have been diagnosed with six months or less to live. Though the drugs are prescribed by a physician, the sick person must self-administer them.
The patient must make two oral requests for the drugs, 15 days apart, and also must present a written request witnessed by two people.
As of Friday, lethal drugs have been dispensed to six Washington residents, according to the state Department of Health. Physicians have 30 days to file documents reporting deaths under the law.
About a third of Washington hospitals have barred their caregivers and pharmacies from helping patients die. But most individual doctors are free to decide whether to participate.
Lake, a Lutheran, was reluctant at first to serve as a witness for Fleming.
"I wondered, would God forgive us for that?" asked the former dairy farmer. "I told her: This is really going to upset your family."
But after conferring with her minister and listening to Fleming's arguments, she agreed.
"There's a lot of people who are suffering and wasting all the money for the families," Lake said. "They know they're not going to live, so why prolong it?"
As Fleming's health deteriorated, her daughter adopted Seri, the dog — but brought the animal back for a final visit. Fleming also gave away most of her possessions, including her car.
"That was Linda," Lake said. "Always helping the other person."
But the 66-year-old Sequim woman met the limits of her endurance when she was diagnosed last month with terminal pancreatic cancer.
Rather than die in agony or spend her final days in a drug-induced haze, Fleming swallowed a fatal dose of barbiturates in her apartment Thursday night — becoming the first person in Washington to end her life under the state's new "Death with Dignity" law.
Family members, her beloved Chihuahua, Seri, and a physician were with her when she died, according to Compassion & Choices Washington, the organization that sponsored the measure adopted by Washington voters in November.
Fleming's friend and neighbor, Sharon Lake, came out on her porch at the Vintage apartment complex for senior citizens when she heard medics and police arrive.
"They told me: 'Linda is gone,' " said Lake, who had signed legal documents weeks earlier witnessing Fleming's decision.
"It was very hard on me, but I know this is truly what she wanted to do," Lake said.
At first, Fleming didn't tell many people about her intentions, for fear that opponents might turn her into a cause célèbre, said her friend Virginia Peterhansen. "She didn't want people picketing in her yard."
But Fleming did discuss her situation with representatives from Compassion & Choices, and left behind a statement.
"I am a very spiritual person, and it was very important to me to be conscious, clear-minded and alert at the time of my death," she wrote. "The powerful pain medications were making it difficult to maintain the state of mind I wanted to have at my death. And I knew I would have to increase them."
She said she was grateful that Washington's law provided her "the choice of a death that fits my own personal beliefs."
One opponent of the law called Fleming's death a "sad day" and criticized her choice as "egotistical."
"It's saying: 'I want to go out of life on my own terms, even though the vast majority of us accept the natural conclusion of our lives,' " said Chris Carlson, of the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide, one of the groups that raised $1.6 million to fight the measure.
Supporters raised $4.9 million, making the initiative the costliest on last year's ballot.
Retired Seattle cardiologist Dr. Tom Preston, medical director for Compassion & Choices, said Fleming's experience shows that the law can work as intended to give dying patients another option.
"The prescribed medication gives patients peace of mind that they can take control of their dying if suffering becomes intolerable," he said.
Peterhansen watched her friend decline rapidly after her diagnosis in early April.
Fleming had loved walking all over town and on Dungeness Spit, Peterhansen said. She had recently bought a car — a 1982 Oldsmobile station wagon — and was looking forward to delving more into pottery and contra dancing.
"She was allowing herself to enjoy things," Peterhansen said.
But the cancer and pain drugs dulled her mind, and the disease made it hard to swallow and left her with stomach pain. She couldn't keep down her food and began to lose weight.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms, and the disease usually progresses quickly and relentlessly.
"It can be very painful," said Preston, who during his years as a physician has attended more than 100 patients in their final days.
Washington is only the second state to allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medication for terminally ill patients.
The state's law is modeled on a 10-year-old measure in Oregon, where about 400 people have ended their lives.
Washington's law applies only to people age 18 or older, who are able to exercise sound judgment and have been diagnosed with six months or less to live. Though the drugs are prescribed by a physician, the sick person must self-administer them.
The patient must make two oral requests for the drugs, 15 days apart, and also must present a written request witnessed by two people.
As of Friday, lethal drugs have been dispensed to six Washington residents, according to the state Department of Health. Physicians have 30 days to file documents reporting deaths under the law.
About a third of Washington hospitals have barred their caregivers and pharmacies from helping patients die. But most individual doctors are free to decide whether to participate.
Lake, a Lutheran, was reluctant at first to serve as a witness for Fleming.
"I wondered, would God forgive us for that?" asked the former dairy farmer. "I told her: This is really going to upset your family."
But after conferring with her minister and listening to Fleming's arguments, she agreed.
"There's a lot of people who are suffering and wasting all the money for the families," Lake said. "They know they're not going to live, so why prolong it?"
As Fleming's health deteriorated, her daughter adopted Seri, the dog — but brought the animal back for a final visit. Fleming also gave away most of her possessions, including her car.
"That was Linda," Lake said. "Always helping the other person."
Leadership Long Delayed
Macrobiotic living -- a one-with-nature philosophy heavy on the whole grains and vegetables -- is riding the wave of interest in organic and healthy foods to new popularity.
The macrobiotic diet, part of a greater doctrine of living a happy, healthy life in harmony with the environment, was brought to the U.S. in the 1950s by Japanese philosopher George Ohsawa, and has cycled in and out of fashion ever since. Right now, it is riding high -- Los Angeles has even seen the opening of several new macrobiotic restaurants in recent months.
"My phone's ringing more, students are showing up for classes more," says David Briscoe, a macrobiotic consultant and co-founder of Macrobiotics America in Oroville. "It's definitely an increasing trend."
Practitioners credit their diet for preventing diseases including colds and cancer. "Our kitchen is our pharmacy," says Mina Dobic, a macrobiotic counselor and state-certified nutritional advisor in Los Angeles. "When you eat well and you also live well, then you live a longer life."
Dobic's personal enthusiasm for macrobiotic food dates back 22 years, to the time when she was diagnosed with cancer and, she says, given two months to live. She credits macrobiotic living for her recovery and subsequent stellar health -- not a single cold in two decades, she says.
But to suggest macrobiotics is a panacea is a step too far, says Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Assn. It does, however, have healthful features -- it is high in fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol. A diet packed with vegetables, fruits and whole grains is associated with reduced risk for heart disease and some cancers, according to the American Heart Assn. and American Cancer Society.
Macrobiotics categorizes foods as "expansive" or "contractive" -- the yin and yang, respectively, of macrobiotic eating. Cool, fresh expansive foods (such as apples) enhance relaxation; warm, salted contractive foods (such as fish) promote focus. Getting too much of one or the other can imbalance the body, Briscoe says, leading to health problems.
The primary macrobiotic prescription: whole grains. Vegetables and plant-based proteins, such as beans and soy products, are also key. The diet deemphasizes acid-forming foods such as dairy products.
Vegan principles -- no animal products at all -- are a common complement but not required; many macrobiotic menus include the occasional fish dish.
Macrobiotics' Asian origins also show in the recommended foods. Seaweed, high in minerals, is an essential component. Miso soup, made from a paste of fermented beans and grains, is also a top macrobiotic choice. Miso is the "bodyguard of the immune system," Dobic says.
Some research suggests that elements of the macrobiotic diet may have cancer- and infection-fighting properties, says Jane Teas, who studies seaweed and cancer at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
For example, in a 2001 study, Japanese scientists found that a seaweed extract suppressed breast tumor growth in rats and caused human breast cancer cells growing in a dish to commit cellular suicide. Another Japanese research group has reported that a starch from algae has antiviral properties and prevented death in mice infected with the influenza virus.
"In my opinion, in 20 years seaweed will be part of that dietary pyramid," Teas says.
Collecting data to link macrobiotics to cancer prevention or treatment in humans is difficult, Teas adds. That's because people interpret the tenets of macrobiotics in a variety of ways. When she interviewed macrobiotic eaters for one study, "the range of what people said was macrobiotics was incredible." That variability, combined with the fact that the population of macrobiotics followers is small, makes rigorous scientific study challenging.
Though a macrobiotic diet includes many healthy characteristics, it isn't the only diet that has those advantages. And Giancoli has a few reservations about macrobiotic eating. Macrobiotics recommends that people minimize members of the nightshade family, such as tomatoes and potatoes, as well as many fruits because of their sugar content. "That's just silly," Giancoli says. "People shouldn't be afraid of fruit."
People considering a macrobiotic diet, particularly if they are vegan, should be careful about getting enough vitamin B-12, which is found only in animal products. After giving up meat and dairy, a person can live off the body's B-12 stores for five or six years, Giancoli says, but eventually supplements would be advisable. The U.S. government recommends adults get 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 daily.
In many ways, macrobiotics has been ahead of the curve, says Lawrence Kushi, a cancer epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland. The son of macrobiotics leader Michio Kushi, he has watched as Americans have discovered the foods that he grew up with.
The government's dietary recommendations have certainly come to look more and more like macrobiotic guidelines, emphasizing plant foods and minimizing animal products. "Things that I thought were weird when I was in elementary school . . . now everyone has kind of moved in that direction," Kushi says
.
The macrobiotic diet, part of a greater doctrine of living a happy, healthy life in harmony with the environment, was brought to the U.S. in the 1950s by Japanese philosopher George Ohsawa, and has cycled in and out of fashion ever since. Right now, it is riding high -- Los Angeles has even seen the opening of several new macrobiotic restaurants in recent months.
"My phone's ringing more, students are showing up for classes more," says David Briscoe, a macrobiotic consultant and co-founder of Macrobiotics America in Oroville. "It's definitely an increasing trend."
Practitioners credit their diet for preventing diseases including colds and cancer. "Our kitchen is our pharmacy," says Mina Dobic, a macrobiotic counselor and state-certified nutritional advisor in Los Angeles. "When you eat well and you also live well, then you live a longer life."
Dobic's personal enthusiasm for macrobiotic food dates back 22 years, to the time when she was diagnosed with cancer and, she says, given two months to live. She credits macrobiotic living for her recovery and subsequent stellar health -- not a single cold in two decades, she says.
But to suggest macrobiotics is a panacea is a step too far, says Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietitian in Los Angeles and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Assn. It does, however, have healthful features -- it is high in fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol. A diet packed with vegetables, fruits and whole grains is associated with reduced risk for heart disease and some cancers, according to the American Heart Assn. and American Cancer Society.
Macrobiotics categorizes foods as "expansive" or "contractive" -- the yin and yang, respectively, of macrobiotic eating. Cool, fresh expansive foods (such as apples) enhance relaxation; warm, salted contractive foods (such as fish) promote focus. Getting too much of one or the other can imbalance the body, Briscoe says, leading to health problems.
The primary macrobiotic prescription: whole grains. Vegetables and plant-based proteins, such as beans and soy products, are also key. The diet deemphasizes acid-forming foods such as dairy products.
Vegan principles -- no animal products at all -- are a common complement but not required; many macrobiotic menus include the occasional fish dish.
Macrobiotics' Asian origins also show in the recommended foods. Seaweed, high in minerals, is an essential component. Miso soup, made from a paste of fermented beans and grains, is also a top macrobiotic choice. Miso is the "bodyguard of the immune system," Dobic says.
Some research suggests that elements of the macrobiotic diet may have cancer- and infection-fighting properties, says Jane Teas, who studies seaweed and cancer at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
For example, in a 2001 study, Japanese scientists found that a seaweed extract suppressed breast tumor growth in rats and caused human breast cancer cells growing in a dish to commit cellular suicide. Another Japanese research group has reported that a starch from algae has antiviral properties and prevented death in mice infected with the influenza virus.
"In my opinion, in 20 years seaweed will be part of that dietary pyramid," Teas says.
Collecting data to link macrobiotics to cancer prevention or treatment in humans is difficult, Teas adds. That's because people interpret the tenets of macrobiotics in a variety of ways. When she interviewed macrobiotic eaters for one study, "the range of what people said was macrobiotics was incredible." That variability, combined with the fact that the population of macrobiotics followers is small, makes rigorous scientific study challenging.
Though a macrobiotic diet includes many healthy characteristics, it isn't the only diet that has those advantages. And Giancoli has a few reservations about macrobiotic eating. Macrobiotics recommends that people minimize members of the nightshade family, such as tomatoes and potatoes, as well as many fruits because of their sugar content. "That's just silly," Giancoli says. "People shouldn't be afraid of fruit."
People considering a macrobiotic diet, particularly if they are vegan, should be careful about getting enough vitamin B-12, which is found only in animal products. After giving up meat and dairy, a person can live off the body's B-12 stores for five or six years, Giancoli says, but eventually supplements would be advisable. The U.S. government recommends adults get 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 daily.
In many ways, macrobiotics has been ahead of the curve, says Lawrence Kushi, a cancer epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente Northern California in Oakland. The son of macrobiotics leader Michio Kushi, he has watched as Americans have discovered the foods that he grew up with.
The government's dietary recommendations have certainly come to look more and more like macrobiotic guidelines, emphasizing plant foods and minimizing animal products. "Things that I thought were weird when I was in elementary school . . . now everyone has kind of moved in that direction," Kushi says
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