Slash salt intake, Canadians advised
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/07/29/salt-sodium-limits-canada.html
By CBC News - July 29, 2010

Canadians should consume half the sodium they're now taking in from foods and drinks as part of a multi-pronged approach to cutting salt intake, according to new federal guidelines.

Canadians should consume only half the sodium they're now taking in from foods and drinks as part of a multi-pronged approach to cutting salt intake, according to new federal guidelines. The Sodium Working Group, chaired by Health Canada, released its guidelines in Ottawa on Thursday, after 2½ years of work.

"This strategy has the potential to save thousands of lives over the coming years that would otherwise be lost to cardiovascular disease, stroke and other ailments," said Mary L'Abbé, vice-chair of the working group and a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. On average, Canadians consume about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day. The guidelines aim to reduce that to 2,300 mg by 2016. For adults, 1,500 mg of sodium per day is considered an adequate intake and 2,300 mg - about a teaspoon of salt - is the upper limit.

Research suggests reducing the amount of dietary sodium to recommended levels could prevent premature deaths from heart disease and strokes in 30 to 40 Canadians a day - saving 11,000 to 15,000 lives a year.

The report contains six overarching and 27 specific recommendations, including:

• Support for research.

• Education and awareness for consumers, industry, health professionals and other key stakeholders.

• Structured, voluntary reduction of sodium levels in processed foods and foods sold in food service.

• Developing a plan to monitor and evaluate implementation.

The 25-member panel includes representatives of the food manufacturing and food service industries, health-focused organizations, scientists, consumer groups and government.

The recommendations include:

• Reduce the Nutrition Facts table's "daily value" for sodium from 2,400 mg to 1,500 mg, mandate standardized serving sizes for reporting nutrition information and improve labels on the front of packages.

• Mandate sodium and calorie information to be placed prominently at chain restaurants serving standardized fare.

• Ensure regulatory standards for products like cheese and pickles that include low-sodium salt substitutes.

• Limit sodium for foods purchased under contract, such as at schools, hospitals and the military.

Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq welcomed the report, saying in a statement that the government will work with its partners to assess the recommendations and determine how they can best be addressed in the coming months.

A major Canadian food industry group called the strategy "the right approach."

For years, the food industry has been developing new products with reduced sodium chloride and reformulated processed foods to reduce sodium levels, said Phyllis Tanaka, vice-president of scientific and regulatory affairs-food policy for Food & Consumer Products of Canada.

"But it's important for Canadians to know that lowering sodium to the interim target level set by the working group is uncharted territory for the industry, so it is going to take time," Tanaka said in a statement.

The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, which represents more than 30,000 members across Canada, also said it supported the strategy.

Quick response needed

The report offers sound expert advice that could save lives and protect the public purse, said Bill Jeffery, national co-ordinator for the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, in Ottawa.

To show dividends, the advice needs to be acted on by government and food industry, he said.

"There are lots of policy changes that have to be made," Jeffery said. "Health Canada has to finish setting sodium reduction targets and start ponying up."

The food industry uses sodium not only to add flavour, but also as an antibacterial and preservative, said Michael Adams, a professor in the department of pharmacology and toxicology at Queen's University in Kingston.

"We want to have a food supply which nobody has to worry about," Adams said. "To say to somebody overnight to change it down to something that's very, very low and to ask them to engage technologies that they're just not aware of I think is just too much to ask. So this group did the right thing."

Asian women face marriage balancing act
By Virginia Saldanha | Article printed from ucanews.com: http://www.ucanews.com
Posted By pramual On July 20, 2010 @ 3:33 pm In Analysis & Opinion, Asia, Countries, Daily Service

Toward the end of the 20th century, after the UN’s 1995 World Conference on Women and Decade for Women (1976-1985), women the world over were becoming aware of their rights.

States were propelled by the UN meeting to make laws to support and protect women’s rights. Women’s studies became a part of their higher education. Women began making changes in their worldview as well as their lives. The empowerment of women in villages and urban slum communities through the formation of women’s groups brought change in their lives even without formal education. Gone are the days when women felt the social pressure to marry and have a family as soon as they attain the legal age for marriage. Many women are postponing marriage and ending up not marrying or deciding not to marry.

“The increase in the percentage of educated and career-driven women has led to a shift to a whole new era of independent, self-sufficient women,” says Juvenka Roberts of India. “Women are now as conscious about building their own identity as men. She is focusing more on her career and establishing an identity for herself.”

Thankfully, society is finally accepting this to be “normal,” adds another woman, Serena Vora.

A Korean woman who grew up in the US says, “Career goals preoccupied my mind. I never saw a good, happy marriage in my environment to believe love was real.”

Women experience a double burden

There is another section of young women who go out to work to support their natal family. Their responsibility of seeing a brother through university or younger siblings through school and later establishing themselves takes them into middle age when they find it is then too late to marry. This was corroborated by Sister Immaculate D’Alwis of Sri Lanka and a young woman from Mumbai.

Women in Asia who have married and started a family carry the double burden of working outside the home for an income and also within the home. Most Asian cultures still see the man as the bread winner and the one who has to be served by his wife at home. A woman’s income, even if it is higher than the man’s income is seen as supplementary.

Sister D’Alwis confirms: “Women look on marriage as an added burden because in our culture, the burden of housework and children often falls totally on the wife, and the husband does not play his role in contributing to the housework even though both contribute to the family income.”

“Why should I give myself the trouble of serving someone or the responsibility of raising a family?” has been a pretty common remark among young women, says Mariam Chung of Taiwan. Few women have husbands who will share 50 percent of the household chores and care of children. Women are thinking hard before they marry and start a family. Women who replied to my questions on marriage described men as “not sharing equally in family responsibility,” “insecure and weak,” “great philanderers,” “overpowering,” “violent,” “unduly critical and humiliating.”

Suffering domestic violence

Women’s struggle with the double burdens of work is often coupled with domestic violence. The reports on the status of women, presented in successive meetings by the Women’s Desk [1] of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences’ Office of Laity and Family, reveal that domestic violence is widely prevalent.

Several respondents affirmed that violence is a big deterrent to young women getting married. Almost all respondents were unanimous about education playing a vital role in women’s empowerment.

“Financially, young women can support themselves, so there is no need to get married for the sake of ‘a meal ticket’ as women used to before, when women were not educated and had no way of supporting themselves,” points out Chung from Taiwan and confirmed by respondents from Hong Kong.

“Education brings about a great change in thinking. Women enjoy their independence without the impediment of a domineering husband,” says Liz Rego from Mumbai. The research of Stella Quah a sociologist at the National University of Singapore reveals: “Women in urban settings who have a good job and career prospects generally experience a drop in their standard of living after marriage.

“Their health is less good while the health of the men improves greatly; they are expected in most cases to manage both the home and the workplace; they are discriminated against in the workplace if they become pregnant and have the full brunt of child rearing as well.”

Women empowered in villages

The empowerment of women in the villages has also made them more discerning when it comes to marriage.

In February 2009, a young woman, Punam Kumari, in Bihar, India, refused to marry her prospective groom because he arrived at the marriage venue in an inebriated state. Fortunately, she was supported by the police and her father.

In the past, a woman was expected to marry anyone her parents chose for her. Due to the inability to give a dowry (in South Asia), women were sometimes compelled to marry illiterate, old, alcoholic or handicapped men. But that is changing for women. With the ability to choose, marriage is no longer being accepted as the ultimate goal of life. Several respondents, including a male, retorted with a counter question: “Marriage? Why do women need to get married?”

The Asian woman seems to have hit breaking point with domestic violence, humiliation, infidelity, work at home, work outside for an income and being still dependent on the man!

“We have progressed,” one young woman wrote to me. “Breaking pre-marital taboos, education, choosing a career, the ability to live the life we’ve been dreaming of, exuding a new kind of wonderful confidence, is like a sudden rush of all things you’ve always wanted. Give that up for marriage? Hell, no!” she continued.

Embracing the single life

One respondent confided: “I advise my friends to stop desperately hoping to get married and to embrace their single situation. A lot of my friends who got married when I was young are now getting divorced even with children.”

Divorce and bad experiences of married life is a common reason cited for putting women off marriage. Another young woman who discussed my question with her Japanese friend replied: “Why do we need a husband? We are financially independent and sexually liberated, so marriage is no big deal.”

The majority of respondents confirm that Asian women are not against marriage. If they marry, they would like to have a stable marital relationship, children and a happy home – but this often turns out to be wishful thinking.

“We have high standards for the men we wish to be with. Either the guy has all the qualities we’re looking for or we are not going to bother with marriage! Unlike in the past, we are actively looking for someone who is good enough for us, a man with a healthy body, mind and soul. We are looking for love and compatibility,” one young woman asserted.

While there are a lot of women out there who remain tradition bound, my own experience has shown that in time, several of these women end up divorced or as single mothers. The others just stick with the marriage to save face. There are good men out there who make wonderful marriage partners, but they are few. Several women from different countries said that they need to work at their careers first and by the time they want to marry, the good partners are already married!

Enlightened women are throwing up a lot of challenges that are forcing change. Men can no longer take their “superior” status for granted. Radical change is imperative. Marital relationships have to be loving, mutually enriching, a sharing of all responsibilities, sans violence, to come up to the expectations of women in the 21st century.

To retire comfortably, under-40 workers need to seriously bulk up savings
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/16/AR20100733.html
By Jonathan Kern | Special to The Washington Post | Sunday, July 18, 2010

If you plan to retire at 65 and hope to have at least 30 years in retirement, you'll probably need something like $1.5 million in today's(US) dollars.

If your junior-high soundtrack was more Bangles or Britney than Beatles, I am going to try to scare some sense into you with three words about life in retirement, based on personal experience: The paychecks stop.

I retired last year after 30 years as a broadcast journalist. Unlike most baby boomers who have retired, I do not receive a pension. This surprises and appalls my fellow early retirees, who are either enjoying income from a spouse who's still working or receiving checks from old employers. If you're, say, under 40 -- and especially if you're under 30 -- you probably have worked only at firms or agencies that offered 401(k)s or their nonprofit cousin, the 403(b). That means that when you finally do retire 25 or 35 years from now, you will be responsible for providing for your own income. No pension for you!

Much has been written telling you how to prepare for that day -- namely, to save every cent you can.

A recent study shows that most people ignore that advice. In the wake of the recession, the Employment Benefit and Research Institute found that, among other things, fewer workers are saving for retirement, a quarter of those surveyed have nearly no savings (i.e., less than $1,000), most workers don't know how much they'll need to retire and more than half say their total savings is less than $25,000. Clearly, all those thoughtful lectures about the need to prepare are falling on deaf ears.

So I'll say it again: The paychecks stop. Every day, every week and every month of your retirement, you'll use up some of the money you accumulated while you were working.

Specifically, imagine that every week you have to pay for food with cash from savings. And it's the same with your electricity, cable, phone, gas, credit card and other recurring bills. Because your health care is no longer subsidized by your employer, you write a big check each month to an insurance company as well. If you earn a few bucks on the side, even the taxes have to come out of your savings; no one else withholds federal and state tax from every paycheck.

Sure, if you work until you can collect Social Security, you'll get some money from the government, but it's a fair bet that your No. 1 source for retirement is going to be you. If you are not saving assiduously now, you are going to be much, much poorer in retirement. Restaurants, cable TV, BlackBerry service, travel abroad -- even things like beer, fast food and haircuts -- all will be fond memories of youth.

Retirement does not have to be this way.

I glimpsed my own future more than 20 years ago, when my wife and I worked for the federal government. In 1987, it introduced the Thrift Savings Plan -- basically a 401(k) for government employees. When we left government service, we withdrew our contributions and invested the money ourselves. My next employer offered no pension, only a 403(b).

In other words, although we are both baby boomers -- born in 1946 and 1953, respectively -- we are living the Gen X or Gen Y retirement.

First, take a moment to think about how much money you will need each year after you stop working. Start by itemizing your usual expenses. Estimate your rent or your mortgage and property tax. Make reasonable assumptions about what you spend on food, utilities, essential travel, clothing, car repairs and so on. I assumed that my single biggest expense would be health insurance and budgeted more than $10,000 a year. Whatever figure you come up with -- let's say, $50,000 -- consider it a minimum. Divide it by 26 to come up with your biweekly retirement income -- about $1,925. Your figure will probably be much less than the usual 80 percent of your current income that most financial advisers say you'll need. We're talking about getting by; any extra will only make life better.

So without a pension, how much do you need to get $50,000 (before inflation) each year? Simply put: a bundle. If you plan to retire at 65 and hope to have at least 30 years in retirement, you'll probably need something like $1.5 million in today's dollars. Even a little inflation could push that to $3 million if you're two or three decades from retirement. For the moment, let's leave inflation out of the calculation.

In other words, if you have saved just $25,000 -- and remember, that describes about half of all workers -- you are less than 2 percent of the way toward your goal. Your future definitely doesn't include cable.

Here's more bad news: Just saving a lot isn't going to be enough. Let's say you're 30 years from retiring, you earn $100,000 now and you guess that your income will go up by about 3 percent a year. Even if you earmark 10 percent of every paycheck for your retirement and your employer adds another 5 percent, you'll have set aside only about $713,000 by the time you stop working. That's half of what you'll need for that $50,000 annual income.

To live comfortably in retirement, whatever you save has to grow -- and its growth has to beat inflation by at least a percent or two. Here's where time is your ally. Take the example above, where you're earning $100,000 a year: That first $10,000 you set aside in 2010 will have become more than $30,000 in 2040 if it grows by 4 percent each year. If it grows by 6 percent, you'll have more than $50,000. And whatever your employer put in will have tripled or quintupled as well.

The bottom line is that the only way to ensure that decades from now you will have enough money to live on is to invest wisely.

So it's imperative to educate yourself. You should understand what a bond is, how to select a mutual fund, how inflation affects your investments and so on. Even if you turn to a financial planner, you'll need to evaluate the advice and make your own decisions about where to put your money. Bernie Madoff's clients wouldn't have been so easy to scam if they'd understood that it's simply impossible to get 12 percent returns, year after year, in vastly different economic climates.

That's a key point: Economic conditions change, and you will need to take advantage of those changes. If the next 30 years are even remotely like the past 30, inflation will swing from low to high and back. There will be stock market booms and crashes. As an investor, I've endured the crash of 1987, the bursting of the tech bubble in 2000 and the terrible bear market of 2008-09. I've also seen 13 percent annual inflation, which gave us 16 percent mortgages but also money markets with yields of 15 to 20 percent.

So do a little research about when it's smart to buy bonds -- and whether they should be Treasuries, corporate bonds or municipals -- and when it's better to invest in stocks, bank certificates of deposit or commodities. Learn how to recognize when investments overseas are strong. Over 20 or 30 years, you'll want to diversify and rebalance your investments so that the inevitable market tsunamis create relatively small waves in your portfolio. You're surrounded by this information. Read books about how the markets work, go to Web sites with primers on stocks and bonds or just watch business channels on TV. Finally, even when times are tough -- especially when times are tough -- don't ignore that quarterly 401(k) statement. That's when you can see whether all your planning is working -- cushioning the blow of a bad stock, bond or real estate market -- or whether you need to explore different investments.

Think of all these do's and don'ts as a warning from your (not-so-distant) future. You can't just cross your fingers and hope that things turn out, or that someone else will take care of it. Start thinking about retirement now. Your life -- or at least your future standard of living -- depends on it.

The middle class retirement income problem - The case for a voluntary pension plan
To see the Social Media Release, click here

CALGARY, July 22 /CNW/ - There is a looming shortfall of retirement income for lower middle and middle class Canadians, according to Prof. Norma Nielson, who has called on regulators to carefully consider the role of government in providing a new way for Canadians to save for retirement.

In a research paper released today by The School of Public Policy entitled "Should Government Facilitate Voluntary Pension Plans?," Nielson examines the benefits of creating a regulated Voluntary Pension Plan (VPP) that would allow earners and employers to contribute to a large, co-mingled investment pool. The VPP would face the same regulation as employer sponsored pensions (RPPs), but would bring the benefits of being able to invest in a wider variety of instruments to a wider audience, thereby mitigating risk.

"The current pension system in Canada, while protecting many employees, is sufficiently complex that it serves as a barrier to middle-class individuals, especially this who work for small- and medium-size employers," says Nielson, a Professor in the Haskayne School of Business. "The VPP could be a solution that allows professional investment services to be more readily accessible to solve what is solidly a middle-class Canadian problem."

Nielson's review of recent research argues that the CPP and other programs provide adequate retirement income for low income earners, and that high income earners use the opportunities they are afforded under the current system to save and invest adequately for retirement. However, those in the middle do not have sufficient disposable income to adequately save enough to provide a middle class retirement.

A copy of the paper is available at www.policyschool.ca, by linking to Recent Publications.

Lentils: The Canadian Advantage

CHICAGO, July 15 /CNW/ - Move aside deep dish pizza, Canadian lentils are making their way into the diets of North Americans. The health benefits of Canadian grown lentils as a nutritious, whole food ingredient are attracting attention this week in Chicago at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo.

"Lentils are an excellent whole food ingredient that are a part of a healthy and balanced diet," says Dr. Kofi Agblor, Director of Research at Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. Research has shown that lentils grown in Canada are high in fibre and protein, and micronutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium, and beta carotene. "In one serving of a 1/2 cup of cooked lentils, consumers get 36% of their daily recommended fibre intake and 38% of their daily recommended protein intake."

"These little seeds from a legume plant are packed with power and are a low cost, healthy food choice that are quick cooking," explains Agblor. "They are low in fat, and contain zero cholesterol or sodium, making them a heart healthy food choice and an excellent source for weight management."

"One of the ways to increase lentils into the diet is the use of lentil flours in food applications. Research has been conducted on the use of lentil flours in foods with results showing that these flours can be successfully incorporated into a variety of foods such as crackers, pasta and puffed snacks."

Lentils, the edible seed of a legume or pulse plant, are grown mostly in Saskatchewan and contribute to sustainable food production because they are nitrogen-fixing grain legumes that make their own nitrogen fertilizer through symbiosis with soil microorganisms.

For more detailed information about the health benefits of lentils, please visit our website at www.saskpulse.com or visit us at the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Booth No. 5474.

For further information: Amanda Olekson, Communications Manager, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Tel: (306) 668-0032, Cell: (306) 230-6606, Email: aolekson@saskpulse.com; Rachel Kehrig, Communications Specialist, Saskatchewan

Don't Scream Over Ice Cream

The ODA has tips to treat sensitive teeth

TORONTO, July 23 /CNW/ - The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) wants to protect your sensitive teeth this summer. Ice cream headaches and tooth pain from cold treats can put a chill on summer fun.

"An ice cream headache, though momentarily painful, is a harmless condition that lasts about 30 seconds to a minute, " says Dr. Lynn Tomkins, President of the ODA. "While ice cream headaches should not incite worry, a real concern is tooth sensitivity, sometimes making eating an unpleasant experience."

Tooth sensitivity can occur from consuming cold food and liquids and breathing cold air. Tooth sensitivity often occurs because the gums start to recede and tooth roots are exposed.

In order to protect gums and teeth from sensitivity, the ODA recommends the following measures:

• Apply gentle pressure when brushing teeth. Too much pressure over time from tooth brushing can cause significant gum recession and wearing down of the teeth.

• Take two to three minutes to properly brush all tooth surfaces.

• Make sure you floss. Flossing reaches 35 percent of tooth surfaces where brushing cannot reach.

• Use toothpaste for sensitive teeth. Over time, this will help to reduce sensitive tooth nerves.

• Use a fluoride mouthwash, which can help to reduce tooth sensitivity.

• Cut down on acidic foods. Foods such as citrus, pop, and tea can increase sensitivity and work against sensitivity toothpaste.

"If these measures don't relieve the pain, you may be experiencing signs of deeper decay," says Dr. Tomkins. "If you're experiencing pain, it's important to go see a dentist who will do a full exam, and give you a diagnosis and treatment plan."

Click here for more information about tooth decay and other oral health conditions.

Green up your cleanup with borax
Lindsay Coulter | From: CNW | 19 July 2010 09:00

Green cleaning recipes call for borax, but when my father was a pediatrician, he recalls diagnosing children with borax poisoning. Is borax safe?
Suzanne from Winnipeg, Manitoba

Borax (sodium borate) is an alkaline mineral salt. It’s a naturally occurring compound, but even things from nature can be harmful (like asbestos or mercury).

Not unlike conventional cleaning products, homemade or store-bought green cleaning solutions should be stored safely away from children and pets.

Borax is very effective, versatile, affordable, and eco-friendly compared to petroleum-based ingredients in conventional cleaning products. Handled with respect, borax is a great addition to your cleaning arsenal. Mix solutions in your kitchen, away from food, and clearly label your finished product.

My favourite green cleaning recipe is Queen of Green All Purpose Cleaner Spray. Combine all ingredients and pour into spray bottle.

• 1/2 tablespoon borax

• 1/4 cup liquid castile soap (found at organic grocers)

• 1/4 cup white vinegar

• 2 litres warm water

It’s excellent for cleaning countertops and bathroom tiles, and washing floors. It even tackles the gunk in your microwave.

Lindsay Coulter gives you the straight goods on living green. Send your questions to queenofgreen@metronews.ca. For more great tips, visit The David Suzuki Foundation at davidsuzuki.org