| Adventure Racing 101 at REI in Concord
Co-founders of Bay Area Adventure Racing Babes & Dudes, Jen Klafin and Galen Pewtherer, discuss the ins and outs of adventure racing at 7 p.m. Aug. 14 at REI in Concord. Free. At The Willows Shopping Center, 1975 Diamond Blvd. Call (925) 825-9400. Elephant Pharmacy Licensed acupuncturist and herbalist Tatyana Ryezvina teaches the basics of Chinese herbology from 7 to 8 p.m. Aug. 22. Learn about the history of Chinese herbal medicine and take a tour of the herbal pharmacy. All events are free. Berkeley events are at 1607 Shattuck Ave. Call (510) 549-9200 or visit http://www.elephantpharm.com. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Interventional cardiologist Eric Johnson speaks about the serious heart condition peripheral arterial disease from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Cactus Botanics On Fucoidan and Alginates extracted from Laminaria ...
Laminaria japonica has a long history of use in Asia, including Japan, China, South Korea and other countries. It has been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and possesses many physiological functions for human health and skin care. Since the middle of the 1990's, there have been several scientific studies which have exposed the secrets regarding Laminaria japonica efficacy. Fucoidan and Alginates are believed to be the key factors. Fucoidan, a class of natural sulfated heteropolysaccharides, isolated from the brown algae Laminaria japonica, is known to contain not only L-fucose residues as the main sugar constituent, but also galactose, mannose, xylose, glucuronic acid and so on. Some observations from selected studies include: Fucoidan is a sugar-based sulfated polysaccharide that retains moisture and has immunostimulating, anticoagulating, and antiaging activity.6-9
Two separate French studies published in Biomedical Pharmacotherapy show that fucose and fucose-rich polysaccharides penetrate the skin, decrease free radical scavenging, and increase the cell proliferation to slow down the aging of skin cells.10,11
In France, woman have traditionally use Fucoidan to increase hair growth and soften rough and damaged skin.12
It is been shown to be effective in breast cancer prevention.15 Cactus Botanics introduced Fucoidan in Aug 2005.
Chinese Medicine And Its Benefits
Whilst thought of, for thousands of years, as the primary medical system in China, Chinese medicine is considered as alternative medicine in the Western world. It is becoming increasingly popular in the Western world as people are attracted by the idea of natural healing as opposed to modern medicine and synthetically developed drugs. Said to have been practised for 5,000 years the history of Chinese medicine is anything but lucid. Considered 2,000 years old, Hung-Di Nei-Jing (Cannon of Internal Medicine) is thought to be the first written document concerning Chinese medicine and is attributed to the Yellow Emperor. But dates and author are still far from clear. The primary methods of Chinese medicine, and the ones people are most familiar with, are herbal medicine and acupuncture with massage, qi gong, or food therapy playing a secondary role.
Thanks to technology, home theater systems get some fresh air
It uses a wireless feed to stream TV, FM/Internet radio, personal video, slide shows and online services to a 26-inch flat-panel LCD-HD Sharp with zero-glare glass screen.
The system is insulated and temperature controlled. It comes with a floatable remote (in case it falls into the pool) and marine-grade speakers.
"Pool & Spa magazine has reported that people are dumping more money into their backyards since 9/11," said Lux's Andy Vaccaro. "But nobody was making a TV you could leave outside 24/7. So after two years of R&D, we started offering one." Pricing ranges from $5,500 to $7,300.
Richardson's parents, Gail and Frank Tondo, installed a slightly less ambitious pedestal-style model on their Allendale, N.J., patio. Essentially, it is an all-weather, permanent outdoor TV with cable feed.
'Madden 08' due Tuesday
Madden-ites, it's your week. And if you're a fan of the most popular football game series of all time, you're in for a treat. "Madden NFL 08" goes on sale at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, and good news, virtual football fans: Early word is that this year's title is a nice improvement over the previous game. .
Chinese women gain more respect in modern times
Professors, social activists and farmers gathered at a seminar in mid-July to talk about the changing role of women in Chinese society. According to some academics, Chinese women were venerated in ancient China, then were oppressed and enslaved, and in modern times, have gained more respect. As the seminar participants explored the past, there was discussion about how the development of Chinese characters reflected the status of women through the ages. There was discussion about secret women-written characters, and also talk about wedding dresses from various ethnic groups. But it was a speech by Ma Guirong, a 38-year-old farming woman from Weining County, Southwest China's Guizhou Province - one of China's poorest areas - that opened people's eyes and revealed the reality that some Chinese women face today.
Tiger by the tale
Wildlife enthusiasts will be elated to hear that 70 per cent of the participating nations, including India, at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meet being held in The Hague, have rejected China's proposal to lift the 14-year-old ban on trade of tiger parts. The decision also said that countries with intensive breeding operations should limit numbers to “a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers". Private tiger farms in China have bred nearly 5,000 tigers and were putting pressure on the government to legalise the trade in tiger parts. The argument is that the captive tigers will meet the demands of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) users. But TCM practitioners worldwide have rejected this. Experts have warned that if the big cats are to survive, governments must stop all trade in tiger products, as well as shore up efforts to conserve the species and their habitats.
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