AFVOA Newletters of Year 2006

Page 30 of 77 ones and like-minded friends and veterans. After which, the enclosed format at Annexure 3 may please be filled in with due deliberation and forwarded to us by the 25 May 2006 latest. 56. For further information on this subject please contact: Maj Gen R Karthikeyan – 22491704, Brig NB Subramanian – 24903934, Brig SP Balachandran – 42184916, Col A Krishnaswami, VrC, VSM** - 24911233. 57. Annual General Meeting (AGM). The next bi-monthly meeting will be held on 04 Jun 2006 which will be the AGM. The meeting will commence with Tambola sharp at 1730 hrs at the Palm Grove Ecological Park & Sports Complex, Island Grounds, Chennai-600009. Notice to the AGM along with copy of audited accounts for the year 2005-06 and nomination form for election of office bearers is under issue. Points if any, for discussion during the AGM may please be forwarded to reach the Secretary positively by 25 May 2006. Matters Health 58. 8 Ways to Guard against Dementia. Research shows that your lifestyle could affect your risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s: (a) Drink alcohol. In moderation, that is. A US study of older women found that those who reported drinking ( typically 1-2 drinks a day ) had a 40% lower risk of cognitive decline that those who claimed to drink nothing. (b) Eat Apples. Fresh Apples have high concentrations of Quercetin, an antioxidant that, lab studies suggest, may fight the damage done by free radicals to brain cells. (c) Broccoli. A study of men aged 50-85 in Boston found that those with more folate in their blood showed less decline in verbal fluency. Folate turns up in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli, kale, etc. (d) Oily fish. Experiments on mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s show that feeding them DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in mackerel, halibut, salmon and sardines ( and also almonds, walnuts and soya) reduced by 70% the build-up of blood plaques that are a hallmark of the disease. (e) Eat less. It’s generally considered that obese people are at greater risk. And another mouse study found that animals who have their food restricted by 40%, compared with mice who can eat all they want, again have reduced level of blood plaque. (f) Take Exercise. It doesn’t need much: a Hawaiian study found that elderly men who walked three or more kilometers a day halved their risk of dementia compared with men who walked less than half a kilometer. (g) Look after your ticker. High LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes are well known to be risk factors for heart disease, but a study of 9000 Californians found that they also raised the risk of dementia-by46% for diabetes, 42% for high cholesterol, 26% for hypertension. These are cumulative; if you have got all four then your risk is boosted by 237%. (h) Get religion. A small Canadian study found that people with higher levels of spiritual or religious belief and practice had a slower progression of cognitive decline. Laugh it Off ! 59. A Pastor phoned the municipal office to ask that a dead mule be removed from the front of the church. Said the young clerk who took the call, “I thought you clergymen took care of the dead,’ he remarked flippantly.