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Benefits of regular fasting

by Ben Fuchs

One of the healthiest lifestyle strategies is easy and won’t cost you anything. In fact you’ll probably end up making money in the long run. I’m talking about intermittent fasting (IF), a healthy idea that’s been practiced for thousands of years. Intermittent fasting turns on genes that stimulate growth and repair and anti-aging, especially in combination with exercise. If done correctly it can help keep the body in fat burning mode. And it’s got important effects on stimulating motivation and drive and brain power. After all when someone is young and ambitious we often say that they are… “hungry”

In a famous experiment in the 1940’s scientists from the University of Chicago showed that they could increase the lifespans of animals by up to 20 percent simply by denying them food every 3rd day. And in a review by that was published in 2007 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from U C Berkeley found that alternate day fasting could save lives by decreasing risks for heart disease and cancer, and diabetes, the three leading causes of death in the United States, Moreover they found that they’re important for the nervous system and the brain, improving cognitive function and providing protection from Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

There’s also an important insulin connection to the benefits of fasting. Insulin is a type of Master hormone, in the sense that it up-regulates many different cell activities; and it affects every single cell. The prime stimulus for insulin secretion is food. When we eat any carbs our protein cells get drenched in insulin. In addition to feeding cells, insulin tells cells to divide and grow. Insulin turns on cellular activates. Biochemists call that up-regulation, which, while important, is helpful only in the right context. For instance, if we’re lifting weight and we’re building muscle, exercising etc. If we live the typical American sedentary lifestyle, this up regulation is not necessarily a good thing. Elevated blood fats, hypertension, skin problems like acne and psoriasis, cysts and growths and endometriosis are all possibilities if cells are stuck in overdrive from too much exposure to insulin.

Even worse if we’re constantly eating and insulin is constantly being secreted eventually cells become immune to insulin’s effects on cell nourishment and feeding.
Unfortunately, you’ll still have enough insulin around to stimulate cell growth and division, and up-regulation activates, except now cells will be upregulated in state of starvation that’s VERY, VERY BAD!! This unfortunate insulin issue is behind every single chronic degenerative disease you can name. Doctors call the various breakdowns in the body that are associated with dysfunctional, messed up insulin, Metabolic Syndrome. Which means basically everything or anything can go wrong. High blood pressure, elevated blood fats and cholesterol, heart disease, cognitive breakdown etc. eye diseases, and osteoporosis are all examples of Metabolic Syndrome symptoms that can be traced back to elevated insulin secretion.

Of course using nutrients to potentize insulin is always a good idea. Vitamins like niacin, thiamine, Vitamin A and minerals, like chromium, vanadium and zinc can be helpful. You want make sure you’re getting some regular exercise too. But there is no quicker way to get insulin back in line and to improve longevity, increase muscle growth and generally slow down the aging process, than to reduce caloric intake and make it habit to fast once or twice a month. (Natural News)>

Carrots are the best veggies to eat for eye health

by Mary Miller

It’s no wonder carrots are a staple of most salads and dishes around the world, cakes included. Eating just one carrot a day can provide a person will multiple benefits, chief of which is maintaining excellent eye health.

The common carrot, also known by its scientific name of Daucus carota subsp. sativus, is a member of the carotenoid family. Like many other carotenoids, carrots contain beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant which the body converts to vitamin A during digestion. The vitamin, in particular, is crucial to ocular health. Without it, a person is at risk of developing eye problems such as xerophthalmia, a progressive condition that can lead to impaired vision and night blindness. In small children, it could even result in possible blindness.

The average carrot has around 12,000 international units or IU of vitamin A or over 241 percent of what the body needs in a day. That means, that a cup of carrots has well over the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for both men and women, both of whom only need 900 and 700 micrograms, respectively.

The uses of vitamin A

The vitamin A that’s found in carrots isn’t just limited to protecting your eyesight. It’s also beneficial to other parts of the body as well. For instance, vitamin A boosts the immune system and promotes cell growth. It is also necessary for the proper function of your heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs.

The peels of the carrot, which most people discard, is a treasure trove, especially when it comes to antioxidants. In particular, beta-carotene — as well as half of the carrot’s antioxidant contents — is found in the outer layer. These antioxidants prevent oxidation and fight the free radicals in the body, which cause tissue damage and oxidative stress. What’s more, antioxidants like beta-carotene reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as prostate and gastric cancer. In the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates that over 160,000 cases of prostate cancer and 26,000 cases of stomach cancer will be diagnosed this year alone. It also could lower a person’s risk from coronary heart disease.

Other nutrients found in carrots

More than just vitamin A, carrots are loaded with many other nutrients. They are low in calories, saturated fat, and total fat, but rich in fiber. Fiber promotes healthy digestion and absorption. Soluble fibers help prevent the buildup of cholesterol in your blood vessels, additionally protecting you from high blood pressure and other heart diseases.

Other nutrients found in carrots are potassium, magnesium, vitamins A, E, K and vitamin C, which is also an antioxidant. Carrots also come in a variety of different colors other than orange, such as yellow, red, and purple carrots. These kinds of carrots contain amounts of lutein, lycopene, and anthocyanins, respectively. These nutrients all aid in combating a host of health problems and chronic diseases. (Related: Carrots over cough medicine! Discover why this veggie is a natural solution).

The humble carrot is truly a versatile vegetable. They complement nearly every meal without having an overpowering flavor. They can be chopped, shredded, steamed or boiled, and then some. Cooked or raw, the possibilities are endless. Even eaten on their own, they make the perfect healthy snack for kids and adults alike. (Natural News).

Stem juice from bananas a potential natural cure for diabetes

by Ellaine Castillo

Bananas (Musa × paradisiaca L.) are some of the most common fruits in the world. Aside from its fruit, other parts of the banana plant, which are usually just thrown away or ignored, also have their own uses. In a study, published in Czech Journal of Food Sciences, they observed that juice extracted from banana stem contains antidiabetic compounds.

Diabetes is a metabolic condition wherein blood sugar levels are above what is considered normal. This is caused either by insufficient insulin production or reduced sensitivity to insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for keeping blood sugar levels in check and without its effects, blood sugar will build up.

In past studies, phytochemicals in bananas have been observed for their potential in treating diabetes. Some of the ways through which these phytochemicals work are by inhibiting carbohydrate-digesting enzymes and glucose adsorption, as well as promoting antioxidant activity. However, these phytochemicals have not been studied and developed into phytomedicines or products that possess antidiabetic activity. In addition to this, not all bananas are the same. This means that these phytochemicals and their corresponding bioactivities might not be present in all bananas. These variations can be attributed to factors, such as environmental conditions.

For this study, the researchers determined the effect of environmental conditions on antidiabetic compounds found in stem juice extracted from bananas planted either in Vietnam or a greenhouse in the Czech Republic. They performed metabolite profiling and discovered that there were variations in the compounds in the samples. It was observed that stem juice from bananas grown in the greenhouse only had nine out of the 17 compounds that were screened for, while stem juice from bananas grown in Vietnam had 12.

In addition to this, antidiabetic activity was also determined based on the inhibitory effect on alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, which are carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, as well as their ability to inhibit cells from turning into adipocytes. Researchers observed that stem juice from both sources had the same level of inhibition for alpha-glucosidase. This inhibitory activity was also shown to follow a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, there was no significant inhibition of alpha-amylase for both samples, although stem juice from the bananas grown in Vietnam did have a slightly higher level of inhibition. Lastly, the researchers also saw that neither of the samples was able to prevent cells from turning into adipocytes.

The results of this study show that juice from the banana stem, which is typically considered waste, contains phytochemicals that exhibit antidiabetic potential. Although environmental conditions affect the phytochemicals that are present, the level of alpha-amylase inhibition remains constant regardless of where the banana was planted. These results show that bananas can also serve as a natural source for potential diabetes treatments, reducing the need for harmful antidiabetic drugs in the future. (Natural News).

How vitamin D supports brain health and works to reduce depression risk

by Vicki Batts

Recent research has shown that vitamin D supports overall brain health, and that this vital nutrient can even help relieve depression. Estimates suggest that at least one billion people struggle with vitamin D deficiency worldwide, and another 350 million suffer with depression. While it may not be a cure-all, ensuring that you are getting enough vitamin D can help take the edge off of a depressed mind — and can help support better overall health, too.

Multiple studies have shown that there is a direct link between vitamin D deficiency and depression, but vitamin D is needed for much more than that. The “sunshine vitamin,” like other nutrients, plays multiple roles in the human body. For example, vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, as well as a healthy brain.

Understanding vitamin D and depression

As Be Brain Fit reports, ensuring your brain is healthy is the “first line of defense” when it comes to keeping depression at bay. Vitamin D is essential for brain health across the lifespan. It’s essential for proper brain development in the womb and early childhood, and it helps keep your brain healthy as you age by fending off cognitive decline. The benefits of vitamin D can be felt regardless of age.

In seniors, the benefits of vitamin D are especially notable. As sources explain, vitamin D deficiency in older adults is linked to multiple brain disorders including depression, dementia, borderline disorder and schizophrenia.

Conversely, studies have shown that supplementing with vitamin D can boost mood, improve memory and support overall brain function.

How vitamin D works in relationship to depression is not yet fully understood but researchers know that it helps. As a study published in 2017 concluded:

“Clearly, eating food that is rich of vitamin D, taking dietary supplements to improve vitamin D deficiency, and spending time in the sunshine and/ or exercising outdoors may improve mental well-being in patients with depression. Although several issues in the relationship between depression and low levels of vitamin D remain controversial and are in need of further studies, the literature is already providing enough data to recommend screening for and treating vitamin D deficiency in subjects with depression, which is easy, cost-effective and may improve depression outcomes.”

In their research, the study authors note that treating depression with vitamin D supplementation can take time and that it’s not an instantaneous remedy. The team also notes that there are many factors which can contribute to depression beyond just vitamin D deficiency.

Be Brain Fit reports that while the mechanisms by which vitamin D works to fight depression are not yet confirmed, it is believed that vitamin D increases production of brain chemicals called monoamines. Monoamines include “feel-good” neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Science has also shown that vitamin D deficiency may also promote inflammation in the brain –leading some to posit that perhaps inflammation is the true cause of depression.

More about vitamin D

In the United States, it’s estimated that 42 percent of people don’t get enough vitamin D. The daily recommended intake of vitamin D is 400 to 800 IU (International Units), but some research indicates that vitamin D needs may be much higher than that — especially for people who aren’t regularly exposed to sunlight.

Experts say that blood levels of vitamin D should be between 20 and 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).

There are a few ways in which one can get vitamin D. Sun exposure is a great way to get your vitamin D, but it can be an unreliable source due to differences in sunlight across seasons and time of day, as well as differences in absorption from person to person. Foods that contain vitamin D include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, along with pastured eggs, mushrooms and yogurt.

Vitamin D supplements are a great option to help ensure you’re getting enough, but you should always speak with a naturopath or other trusted holistic care professional before beginning a new supplement. (Natural News).

Why you should reject all those low-fat eating plans

by Gary Harvey

I love this subject.

You know why?

Because for too long we’ve relied on health officials — and they get things wrong. And many times they’re slow to admit it.

It’s time “we the people” were more informed about health matters and stopped relying blindly on what the doctor or some other presumed expert tells us. It’s time we took responsibility for our own health decisions.

And that’s what this article is inviting you to do. As well as that, I’m sharing some vital information that reverses the WRONG advice these health managers have been giving us for decades.

WHEN THE TROUBLE STARTED

This low-fat gospel started to become mainstream dogma back in 1977.

After that, a whole slew of health problems proliferated around the world, especially in the affluent West. These problems include “The Obesity Epidemic” and “The worldwide diabetes epidemic.” Yes, that’s exactly how the NIH website describes the plight we’re now in. (For our non-American readers, NIH is the US government’s National Institutes of Health).

Healthline.com has a stunning graph that shows that the obesity rate started to climb from 1977, and it hasn’t stopped yet.

One of the most important recent studies that upset the low-fat apple cart was reported in The Lancet, a prestigious British medical journal. The report said, “Diet is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease[…] and current guidelines recommend a low-fat diet.” This report on the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study goes on to recommend those guidelines be changed.

Yep, that low-fat diet was a big fat problem. It helped produce the present set of human health tragedies.

And it’s hard to knock this study. It assessed a decade of eating patterns by 135,335 people from 18 countries. They were looking for any connections between carbs and fats on the one hand and heart disease and death on the other.

CONCLUSIONS?

In plain language (mine!), they found:

Eat more fat – and live longer.

Eat more carbs – and die sooner.

Or as The Telegraph put it in the UK, “Low-fat diet could kill you.”

The study found that it doesn’t make any difference if it’s saturated fat or unsaturated fat. You need both, my friend… as well as fruit and veggies every day.

The British food guidelines are very clear about this. They say that processed foods that are labeled as low-fat, lite or low-cholesterol “should be avoided.”

One more reason: Low-fat food tends to taste bland, so manufacturers add sugar, HFCS (corn syrup), and salt to pep up the flavor so consumers will buy their stuff. All that salt and sugar is bad for you.

So… I’m done with low-fat yogurt, skim milk, low-fat cheese and the like because eating fat doesn’t make you fat. It may in fact save your life.

Just don’t go overboard. Your best choice is a balanced diet, with about one third of your energy coming from foods with healthy fat like meat and dairy. And make sure you eat around 4 serves per day of fruit and veggies (including legumes).
***
Question: Which fats are good? The unsaturated ones like vegetable oils (olive, sesame, sunflower, but NOT palm oil), nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, walnuts), seeds (flaxseed, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame), oily fish (salmon, herring, sardines, trout), and avocado. As well as those unsaturated fats, here are some healthy saturated fats: coconut products, carob, Brazil nuts, peanut butter.

Question: What about trans fat? Bad, even dangerous. So read the ingredients list on the back of the pack, not just the “no trans fats” advertising on the front. Labeling laws permit manufacturers to round down.

Question: What’s the difference between unsaturated fat and saturated fat? A simple yardstick that gets it right most of the time is that one type stays liquid at room temperature (the unsaturated fats, such as olive oil). The other type doesn’t. For example, beef and cheese.

Question: What about sausages, salamis and processed meats? No good. It’s all the additives. (Natural News).

Louisiana’s undocumented seafood workers unite to fight workplace abuses

by Mike Elk

In the bayous of Louisiana, fear is running high for the thousands of guest workers that staff the state’s $2bn a year seafood industry.

Seafood work is so dangerous that workers often lose fingers and suffer debilitating carpal tunnel injuries on the industry’s high-speed assembly lines. Many Latinas working in the industry endure sexual harassment at the hand of white southerners.

“They stay quiet about [the harassment] because they know that the owner won’t bring them back if they speak up,” says Julia, who wished to use only her first name.

Worse, many recently-arrived guest workers find themselves in rural isolated parts of Louisiana where fear of law enforcement is compounded by the belief that police brutality against undocumented workers is commonplace. In many rural municipalities, the owners of large seafood processing companies often know the police on a personal level and workers live with the fear of owners calling the police to have them deported if they cause trouble.

In 2012, when the National Guestworker Alliance tried to organize seafood workers, the owner of crawfish supplier CJ’s Seafood even threatened workers with violence if they spoke up about poor conditions including sometimes locking workers in the plant and forcing them to work 24 hours straight to meet demand.

Now seafood workers in Louisiana are beginning to lose that fear as they organize under the banner of the Seafood Workers Alliance. “The company has all the power, but with organizing, we are going to attack their power,” said Jesus Andres, president of the Seafood Workers Alliance.

At a recent meeting of workers, Andres quickly slathered a thick coat of mayonnaise on a tortilla with fried shrimp and habanero sauce as he rushed to take his seat at the head of a table where three dozen seafood worker gathered in the community room of the Lafayette public library.

All of a sudden, 34-year-old Danilo Balladares, an organizer with the Seafood Workers Alliance, stood in front of the room and began to clap. Soon, the rest of the room, black, white and brown alike, joined in the clapping. Gradually the clap got louder and more upbeat as cries of “rrrrrr” broke out. Balladares stopped the clapping and called the meeting to attention.

“All the people here could be fired,” said Balladares, pointing to Andres and the leaders of Seafood Workers Alliance seated at the front of the room. “They could be fired and sent back to their country if their employer knew they were here.”

Formed in 2017 as an offshoot of organizing being done by the National Guestworker Alliance and the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice the Seafood Workers Alliance has hundreds of members in 15 different plants throughout Louisiana.

The organization has focused heavily on suing employers and building alliances with local communities so that workers can help push back when they face abuses in the workplace. They’ve built deep ties in particular with the African American community. Often, low wage employers have attempted to pit low wage African American workers against Latino workers, who many saw as coming to Louisiana to take their jobs.

Through combined struggle, the workers have learned that, while their struggles are different, their problems both with local employers and enforcement are similar.

“Look, we understand now that when they say deportation that’s incarceration for black people,” said Alfred Marshall, a middle-aged African American activist with Stand with Dignity, also a project of the New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice.

“When they say undocumented, we know that there are over 50,000-60,000 people in New Orleans who have outstanding warrants on them that can’t even go get a job because of the fear they have,” said Marshall.

“The language they use is different, but the problems are the same and now we understand that better than ever.”

As a result of the growing solidarity and power of the Seafood Workers Alliance, the workers have been able to win the reinstatement of over a dozen workers who feared they would be blacklisted; creating a sense of momentum. In March, the union successfully won the reinstatement of seven workers at D & G Frey Crawfish in Iota, Louisiana.

At the catfish plant in Guidry’s Catfish in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, many were fearful that Andres would not be allowed to come back for another season after he laid out a campaign to raise wages at the plant from $9 an hour to $12 an hour.

However, in March, Andres and his co-workers organized and forced their employer to agree to bring him back. This win, on the heels of winning other reinstatements, has given workers a new sense of power. Andres says that now he sees more and more of his co-workers overcoming their fears and putting pressure on the boss to improve their workplace.

“Through the Seafood Workers Alliance, we have learned how to assert our rights and take on the boss and its changed so much,” said Andres. (The Guardian).

Canada is in: new 3-way trade agreement described as win-win-win

All three countries upbeat about accord, which will be called USMCA

by Mexico News Daily

The United States and Canada reached a last-minute deal yesterday to maintain a trilateral trade accord in North America, ending negotiations that dragged on for over a year.

Under the updated pact, the United States will have greater access to Canada’s dairy market and both Mexico and Canada will be protected from any future auto tariffs that their neighbor imposes on imports up to a quota of 2.6 million passenger vehicles annually.

To be known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) instead of NAFTA, the new accord will preserve a dispute resolution system that Canada fought to maintain to protect its lumber industry and other sectors from United States anti-dumping tariffs, Canadian and U.S. sources told the news agency Reuters.

However, United States tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum were not lifted as part of the agreement.

The deal also requires a higher proportion of auto content to be made in high-wage areas where workers are paid at least US $16 per hour, in order for vehicles to qualify for tariff-free status.

The rule is designed to bring more auto sector jobs to the United States as it will make it harder for large manufacturers to operate cheaply in Mexico.

Its inclusion in the revised pact is seen as a big win for United States President Donald Trump, who called NAFTA “one of the worst trade deals ever made” and has pledged to return auto sector jobs to the U.S.

In a joint statement, the United States and Canada said the updated pact, which will govern more than US $1.2 trillion worth of trade between the three countries, would “result in freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth in our region.”

Most of its provisions, however, won’t start until 2020 after legislatures in Mexico, Canada and the United States have approved the new deal.

The announcement of the new agreement ends more than a month of uncertainty about whether Canada would join the pact that Mexico and the United States reached on August 27.

Leaders of all three countries were upbeat about the new trilateral treaty.

“The modernization of the trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the United States ends 13 months of negotiations and achieves what we proposed in the beginning: a win-win-win agreement,” Mexican President Peña Nieto wrote on Twitter.

After a late-night cabinet meeting in Ottawa to discuss the new deal, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters “it’s a good day for Canada.”

Trump, who repeatedly threatened to terminate the 24-year-old pact, posted a glowing two-part assessment of the updated agreement to his Twitter account early this morning.

“Late last night, our deadline, we reached a wonderful new Trade Deal with Canada, to be added into the deal already reached with Mexico. The new name will be The United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA. It is a great deal for all three countries, solves the many . . . deficiencies and mistakes in NAFTA, greatly opens markets to our Farmers and Manufacturers, reduces Trade Barriers to the U.S. and will bring all three Great Nations together in competition with the rest of the world. The USMCA is a historic transaction!”

At a later press conference, Trump said that “this landmark agreement will send cash and jobs pouring into the United States and into North America.”

It’s “good for Canada, good for Mexico,” he added, praising both Trudeau and Peña Nieto who he called a “terrific person.”

Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo, Mexico’s chief negotiator in the drawn-out and often-contentious talks, also took to Twitter to praise the new deal.

“The new trilateral trade agreement in North America is a state-of-the-art instrument that will bring great economic benefits to Mexico, Canada and the U.S.,” he wrote.

Jesús Seade, who participated in recent negotiations as the trade representative for president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador, added his support for the new deal.

“We celebrate the trilateral agreement. It closes the door on trade fragmentation in the region. NAFTA 2 will provide certainty and stability to Mexico’s trade with its partners in North America . . .” he wrote on Twitter.

Speaking in Madrid, Spain, Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Videgaray said the inclusion of Canada in the agreement was “fundamental” in order to maintain the advantages of having a common North American market.

“It’s important for the economic relationship and competitiveness to have the same rules, in that sense it’s something we’re delighted with, we’re excited,” he said.

Videgaray also said that it was pleasing that a so-called sunset clause was not included in the new agreement.

The proposal was pushed by the United States and would have seen a modernized pact automatically expire after five years if it wasn’t renegotiated.

“This five-year idea eliminated certainty but now this [six-year] revision mechanism is good because it eliminates uncertainty,” Videgaray said.

The foreign secretary said that a deal had been reached in time for the current government to sign it but added that the ratification process would take place in the Senate next year.

He also said he was proud of having worked with Mexico’s negotiating team, including López Obrador’s representatives.

“It’s remarkable how Mexico closed ranks [to achieve] something good for the region and particularly for Mexico,” Videgaray said.

Both the Mexican peso and the Canadian dollar made small gains against the U.S. dollar on news of the updated agreement.

Source: Reuters (sp), El Economista (sp).

Marriott Hotel workers on strike stay tough on the picket lines

Essay by David Bacon

Three weeks on the picket line will either weaken a strike or make it stronger. But workers at the Marriott hotels in eight cities around the US show no signs of wanting to go back to work anytime soon, at least not without resolving the reasons why they went on strike to begin with. Instead, the noise on the picket line is getting louder. Workers bang on pots, drums — even old folding chairs — making a racket loud enough to penetrate thick walls and double-paned windows. As a result, many hotel guests not dissuaded by their initial encounters with picketing workers are giving up and leaving.

“Over 20 guests have told me they’re checking out and moving to the Waterfront Hotel,” said Kenneth Walker, the veteran head doorman at the Marriott City Center Hotel in Oakland, California. The Waterfront Hotel, just a dozen blocks down Broadway, is not on strike.

It’s not just happening in Oakland. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Roland Li reports that organizers of the 2018 ComNet conference (a network of foundations and non-profits discussing better communications), which normally draws 1,000 attendees, moved their events out of the struck St. Francis Hotel. The St. Francis used to be a Westin property, but became part of the 700-hotel Marriott empire when Westin was bought out by what is now the world’s largest hotel chain.

Other organizations pulling out of commitments at the Bay Area Marriotts include the Human Rights Campaign, the Shanti Project, the Chicana Latina Foundation and Bay Area Wilderness Training. In response, a huge wave of robocalls is hitting thousands of people in the region, trying to lure them into the Marriotts with offers of special deals.

However, not everyone is avoiding the hotels where workers are on strike. For instance, in Boston, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers did not cancel hotel reservations for their baseball teams. Instead, ballplayers, themselves members of a union, snuck into the rear entrances of struck hotels as workers yelled questions to them about their apparent lack of solidarity.

Nevertheless, the picket lines and the creative tactics used by the workers and their unions have largely been the reasons hotel customers have turned away. The impact of housekeepers walking picket lines, instead of making beds, has been hard for the company to deny. According to Tonya Lee, a PBX(AYS) operator on the hotel telephone switchboard for the Oakland Marriott for 28 years, “If our manager had to clean seven rooms, he couldn’t do it. Right now he just strips the bed, which is the easy part. He doesn’t then make it or do what comes next. The managers have told me that the strike has made them respect what we just do every day.”

That’s also how Walker describes his experience as a member of the negotiating committee of his union, Unite Here Local 2850. “We’re going to win,” he said. “I feel the people across the table have learned to respect us.”

To get Marriott’s directors to pay attention to the union’s demands, the picket lines have been augmented by street actions and marches. Forty-one hotel strikers and supporters were arrested on October 12 for sitting on Fourth Street in front of Marriott’s San Francisco flagship, the Marquis. In Oakland, on the coordinated national day of marches a week later, hundreds of strikers and supporters took over the intersection of 10th Street and Broadway, outside the hotel entrance. As the police stood without intervening, children painted the strike’s slogan in huge letters on the asphalt: “One Job Should be Enough.”

Workers want protection from the increased use of automated equipment for doing jobs from checking in guests to mixing cocktails. The hotel chain has implemented a “green hotel” program, encouraging guests on cards left in the rooms not to ask for new linen and towels. Although it sounds like an environmentally friendly idea, workers accuse the hotels of using it to reduce the need for housekeepers, speeding up the work and putting their jobs in danger. Instead, the union seeks to reduce a punishing workload, especially for the housekeepers who clean the rooms and make the beds.

While Unite Here locals in each city holds bargaining talks for the hotels located there, the strike has coordinated actions by more than 7,700 workers in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, Detroit, Boston, Maui and Honolulu. Seattle Marriott workers have also voted to authorize a strike.

At some hotels, workers are veterans of strikes like this. In 2004, a strike by Local 2 in San Francisco became a lockout by the city’s swankiest establishments. The struck corporations tried to force workers to return under their terms by ending their health coverage. Even after the union defeated the lockout and the workers returned without a contract, hotels refused to deduct workers’ dues payments, thinking this would force the union to agree to concessions. Instead, for two years, the workers paid their dues voluntarily, and at the end, won agreement on the contract they sought.

Since then, what was once a network of large hotels and the companies managing them has become much more of a monopoly. Marriott owns six hotels in San Francisco where workers are striking. At two non-union ones — Airport Marriott Waterfront near the airport and the downtown JW Marriott — workers have declared their open support for joining Unite Here Local 2. They are demanding that managers agree to a fair process for recognizing the union.

Local 2’s strategy, helping workers organize in the middle of a strike, contradicts accepted wisdom among some organizers, who fear managers will use strike threats to discourage workers from union support. Local 2 organizers say their experience is the opposite — that the strike shows that the union is willing and able to fight for improvements against their employer.

In Oakland, Marriott workers are experiencing their first strike. At the beginning, they were unsure if the rest of the workers would support them, even though the strike vote was 98 percent in favor. “We weren’t really prepared for this on the first day,” said Tony Scott, a bellman for 35 years. Lee adds, “I came to work on Friday [October] 5th, and when it was time, I went in and told my coworkers to come out. I wasn’t sure they would. When they all did, I felt I was 10 feet tall.”

Strikes are an education in power, and its lessons haven’t been lost on the picket lines. “Numbers are always important,” Walker explains. “Marriott has used its numbers — how much money they make and how many hotels they own. Now we’re using our numbers to show them they can’t do it without us.”

“This is my first time being on strike, and I see the union is a very powerful force if we stick together,” said Scott. “We have to stand for something. I’ll stay on the line until this is over.”

Keiko Fujimori was held in the Annex Prison for Women in Chorrillos

The leader of Fuerza Popular in Perú will ramain in prison for 36 months by order of judge Richard Concepción

by El Comercio

The leader of Fuerza Popular, Keiko Fujimori, must serve preventive detention by decision of Judge Richard Concepción Carhuancho.

The leader of Fuerza Popular, Keiko Fujimori, was detained this morning in the Annex Prison for Women of Chorrillos, after being transferred, under strong security measures, from the jail of the Judicial Power, located in the Center of Lima.

A caravan of the National Police guarded the van of the National Penitentiary Institute (INPE), in which Fujimori Higuchi was traveling, along the Expressway of the Av. Paseo de la República and the Costa Verde. leaving the jail showed a smile for his supporters, who were in the outskirts.

Keiko Fujimori spent his first night of preventive detention on Wednesday, following the order of Judge Richard Concepcion Carhuancho in the framework of the investigation that is followed for allegedly receiving and laundering illegal contributions of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. It was visited by the congressmen Úrsula Letona and Karla Schaefer.

The place where the leader of Fuerza Popular will remain is next to the Chorrillos Women’s Prison and it is the same center where the former first lady Nadine Heredia was held for nine months when Concepción Carhuancho also ordered preventive detention against her and the former president. Ollanta Humala

The former presidential candidate must serve preventive detention for 36 months by order of the investigative judge Richard Concepción Carhuancho, who responded to the request made by prosecutor José Domingo Pérez to apply this measure against Keiko Fujimori and ten others investigated.

Although they have not yet finished discussing all the cases of the defendants (six were missing at the time that was ordered in custody against Keiko Fujimori), the magistrate decided to evaluate case by case and had enough elements to determine the case of the leader of Fuerza Popular.

Before this resolution, the defense of Keiko Fujimori presented an appeal that they expect to be heard within a period of about three weeks, after it is determined whether or not the recusations that have been filed against Richard Concepción Carhuancho and the National Chamber of Appeals filed by lawyer Giulliana Loza and prosecutor Rafael Vela Barba respectively.

Taking a multivitamin every day could prevent vision loss from a common eye disease

by Isabelle Z.

Most of us take our vision for granted. We don’t really give our eyesight a second thought… until something is wrong with it. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that you will run into vision problems as you age as a result of macular degeneration, and this can negatively affect your quality of life. Luckily, scientists have found a great way you can try to hold on to your vision even when this condition sets in, and it’s as easy as consuming the right types of vitamins in the right quantities.

A progressive disease that can rob you of your sight, age-related macular degeneration affects the retina and causes you to lose your central vision. Your peripheral vision might be normal, but you eventually lose the ability to see fine details. It’s said that being overweight, older than 50, and consuming a diet high in saturated fat raises your risk of age-related macular degeneration, but it’s incredibly common overall. One out of every three people aged 80 or older have signs of the disease.

Among those with age-related macular degeneration, eight out of ten will have the dry form, which is caused by a thinning in the macula. It usually starts when tiny deposits form beneath the retina, and it often causes a blurry spot in central vision.

A team of researchers from the Cochrane Review recently carried out a study to assess whether vitamins and minerals can slow the progression of the disease in those who have it. They analyzed data taken from 19 different studies in the U.S., Europe, China and Australia. While some had mixed results, one very large study with a six-year follow-up period showed that a combination of vitamin E, carotenoids, zinc, and vitamin C could make a difference.

One of the biggest and most famous studies on the matter is known as the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2, or AREDS 2. This study followed patients to determine how nutritional supplements could help lower the risk of the disease progressing and causing vision loss.

The combination that they found to be effective was made up of 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E, 80 milligrams of zinc, 10 milligrams of lutein, 2 milligrams of copper, and 2 milligrams of zeaxanthin.

Eating the right foods can make all the difference

While taking these supplements can be useful, studies indicate that nutritional supplements on their own won’t prevent or delay advanced age-related macular degeneration. That’s why experts recommend that you eat a healthy diet full of vision-enhancing nutrients.

For example, leafy greens like spinach and kale are excellent sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, while avocados and broccoli also contain high amounts. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruits, with their high vitamin C content, can also reduce the risk of macular degeneration in the first place. Experts recommend that you look for yellow and orange vegetables in particular as they tend to be high in carotenoids, which support eye health – and yes, carrots do help your vision, although they’re not quite as magical as some people believe.

If you have dry eyes as well, eat plenty of foods that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, like salmon, sardines, mackerel and nuts.

The Cochrane Report researchers say that the vitamins can be helpful to those with the disease, and they suggest that eye care practitioners discuss this option with their patients in depth. Because vitamins are generally safe, there is little to lose and everything to gain. (Natural News).

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