Thursday, September 6, 2007
www.winetastingtrips.com
wine,health benefits
What do the French know to help you heart?
Does red wine protect against heart disease? Maybe. Many studies investigated the benefits of red wine suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. The compounds found in red wine that are responsible for its healing powers are antioxidants. Red wines contain several antioxidants beneficial to good health. Different antioxidants have different functions, but the key feature of all these antioxidants appears to be one of protection and prevention of disease.
Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease.
Here is something very interesting. The French seem to know something about the health benefits of red wine. In a study that compared French and German red wines, the French red wines delivered a greater health benefit due to their higher level of antioxidants. This may partially account for the "French paradox," where studies show that in areas of France where the diet is high in fat those who drink red wine with meals have a lower incidence of heart attack than other parts of the world. Due to vast differences in diets, the evidence is inconclusive, but experts believe that red wine contains certain compounds that help protect the heart. This has opened the door for other researchers to study the components in red wine that may be responsible for its health benefits.
Researchers at Northwestern University Medical School have found that a chemical in red wine believed to help reduce risk for heart disease is a form of estrogen. The substance, resveratrol, is highly concentrated in the skin of grapes and is abundant in red wine. Resveratrol protects grapes and some other plants against fungal infections. It has been shown previously to have a number of potentially beneficial properties, including antioxidant, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.
Should I start drinking more red wine now? The answer is no. Studies showed that alcohol drinking may increase triglycerides (another bad blood lipids) and result in weight gain due to its empty calories. Other studies also suggested that alcohol consumption is associated with cancer risk. The American Heart Association cautions people NOT to start drinking if they do not already drink alcohol.
Interested on this subject? Try this link for more of the same
Hello from Vancouver (3) - The Grouse Mountain Experience
Monday, August 8, 2005, UBC Student Union Building, Vancouver, 5:10 pm
Hello from Vancouver (3) - The Grouse Mountain Experience
No visit to Vancouver could be complete without a real mountain experience. So after covering the Servas conference I left at 2 pm for downtown. To get to Grouse Mountain was quite an experience in itself, I got to take 2 buses downtown, then I boarded Vancouver's light rail rapid transit system, the Skytrain, which runs underground downtown, just like a subway. Then I hopped on the Seabus, a regular ferry that connects downtown with North Vancouver. Buses were waiting for passengers right when the ferry docked and I jumped on the #236 which takes you right to Grouse Mountain, passing the famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. At the base of Grouse Mountain I entered into another means of transportation: the Skyride, a 6 minute gondola / tram ride to the main complex at the top of the Mountain.
Grouse Mountain is also called the "Peak of Vancouver", and it offers recreational possibilities all year long. The elevation at the top is 4100 feet and in the winter Grouse offers 22 runs for skiers and snowboarders as well as 13 lit runs for night-skiing. The top base of the gondola features a fine dining restaurant, contemporary dining, a more casual cafe as well as a gift shop and a store called "Outfitters" that provides all sorts of outdoor gear. The dining areas have sweeping views of the city all the way down to Washington State.
I decided to check out the mountain attractions and walked past a number of huge wooden carved statues, finally arriving at the Lumberjack Show. Two young strapping lads go at it in a variety of woodsman's competitions, including target throwing of a double-sided axe, aiming for the bull's eye, speed-sawing competitions involving a single-handled saw and later a speed-sawing contest with a double-handled saw that includes 2 female audience participants.
There is all sorts of humorous competitive banter between the two guys, all coordinated by a female emcee that tries to keep the (staged) competition under control. Then the 2 young lumberjacks climb 2 large poles where they have to ring a bell at the top and of course only one of them can be a winner. The show climaxes with one of the lumberjacks being pushed into what appears like a deep well, water splashing out of the well as he apparently hits the liquid. Then the other lumberjack tosses a stick of dynamite into the well, followed by a big bang and a huge splash of water that reaches the front rows of the audience, usually accompanied by some socks or a torn shirt as evidence of the unfortunate lumberjack' s demise, all of the debris landing in the startled and delighted audience.
To everybody's relief, the second lumberjack climbs out of the well, wet but intact, and the two guys embark on their final competition: the log-rolling. A round piece of wood is located in the middle of a small pond and the two guys each have a designated side for themselves. Then they start to roll the log, spraying and splashing each other, performing all sorts of acrobatics while turning the piece of wood. The final winner is the guy that pushes the other guy off the log into the water most often in 3 tries.
I talked to the young fellows afterwards, 2 nice young men by the name of Mason Bischoff, a BC native, and Darren Hudson, of Nova Scotia. Both guys come from families of real lumberjacks and they often compete in lumberjack competitions. Mason has only been doing the show for 5 days, very surprising since he performed so professionally, and Darren has been at it for 5 years, working at Grouse in the summer, and doing some lumberjack shows in Australia in the winter. It was evident that both of them are having an absolute blast doing this job - performing a rather strenuous half-hour show 3 times daily, 7 days a week. I found the show very entertaining, a great combination of physical strength, endurance, slapstick, and witty repartee between the lumberjacks and the emcee.
Following this I checked out the famous bear habitat, which has proven to be a refuge for 2 orphaned bears that found a permanent spacious 5 acre home on Grouse Mountain. Unfortunately the two animals, Koola and Grinder, were sleeping somewhere under the trees and I only caught a peek at one of them when he stretched and rolled over to continue sleeping. Right next to the bear habitat is an area for timber wolves and I was a little luckier getting a peak at these white canines.
Staying along the animal theme, I checked out the "Birds in Motion" Show that features 4 different types of birds: two Harris hawks, a red-tailed hawk, a great horned owl and peregrine falcon. The birds have names like Arwin, Frodo, Chinook and Rusty and they perform various maneuvers, often sweeping closely over various audience members' heads. The show was hosted by a young woman who also injected a dry sense of humour into her performance.
The peak of Grouse Mountain, about 100 m up from the tram station, still remained to be climbed. It's not a far distance, but it takes a solid 20 or so minutes to get up to the top, which also features a chairlift station. The view from the top is astounding, and the snow covered peak of Mount Baker, an inactive volcano in Washington State, mesmerized me. I heard that it is about 150 km or 90 miles away from Vancouver and with its snow-covered peak it appeared like a mirage in the distance.
Of course with all this mountain activity, hunger set in and I went to the self-serve cafe which has a beautiful patio overlooking the city. I splurged on of my favourite sinful indulgences: poutine, i.e. French fries with gravy and cheese curds. I tampered down my nutritional guilt with a Mediterranean salad and figured that the nutrients and low caloric content of the salad might counterbalance the potato and fat-based calory bomb. Well, not great nutritional decision-making, but I savoured it anyways.
I ended up talking to a local couple on the terrace who said I should check out a little neighbourhood called Ambleside, which is part of West Vancouver. So off I went, down the mountain with the tram and back on the bus. At the bottom I had to connect onto another bus, and during the wait I ended up chatting with a local young man who explained all the different residential areas of Vancouver to me and also shed some light on the real estate boom that has caused Vancouver's housing prices to sky-rocket over the last few years. The escalation of prices is not surprising, since thousands of new people every year seek out the relaxed West Coast lifestyle. With the Olympic Games coming to Vancouver / Whistler in 2010, the situation can only become tougher.
While waiting for bus number 3 I chatted to another local, asking him for directions to Ambleside. He said that close by there was a local arts and craft festival and if I wanted he could show me where it is. So with his guidance I arrived at the Harmony Arts Festival, held annually, which apparently now attracts over 60,000 visitors and showcases more than 250 visual and performing artists. A band was performing Motown songs in a bandshell and hundreds of people were camped out on their folding chairs and beach towels in front of the stage. I decided to walk westwards along West Vancouver's Seawall, a much quieter version than that of Stanley Park. I sat down to soak in the sunset, watching the sun roll down behind the mountain chain northwest of Vancouver.
At about 9:15 I decided to head back to UBC and took a bus back downtown across the famous Lions Gate Bridge. The sky was pink and dark purple and a sliver of a moon was hanging low in the western sky. And a bright star was located right next to the moon on the left hand side. Somebody on the bus pointed it out and another person said that this was an extremely rare astronomic constellation, as a matter of fact this particular constellation had never happened before. It was almost as if magic had blessed this evening.
Downtown I changed buses again and slowly made my way to the UBC Campus. I noticed how different groups of people were getting off the bus, shouting out "Thank You" loudly to the bus driver. Now that is something that I have never seen before: people thanking the driver on a public bus. I checked with the bus driver as I got off and asked him if this happens regularly. He said it doesn't happen all the time, but he appreciates it when people express their gratitude. A magical evening indeed.......
Hello from Vancouver (4) - A Walking Tour through The Downtown East Side
UBC Building, Vancouver, August 8, 2005, 5:15 pm
Hello from Vancouver (4) - A Walking Tour through The Downtown East Side
The University of British Columbia has a drop-in centre downtown in Vancouver's East side called the Learning Exchange where it provides educational opportunities to people who live and work in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and other inner-city communities.
Vancouver's Downtown East Side is an inner city neighbourhood that has been experiencing problems with drug addiction and prostitution for many years. The area consists of several diverse neighbourhoods, including Strathcona, Chinatown, and Gastown, as well as the central area around Main and Hastings. The Downtown Eastside is currently facing significant social, economic and health-related issues. While there are undeniable problems, the community also has significant strengths. And, important community-building work is being undertaken and some of this important work is done by the UBC Learning Exchange.
The Learning Exchange provides opportunities for UBC students to develop an understanding of society through first-hand volunteer work and promotes the formation of partnerships between people at UBC and people in the Downtown East Side and other inner-city communities that make the sharing of expertise and resources possible. The program started very small and still has a very tight budget, but today more than 800 UBC students volunteer here in a variety of community assistance groups.
10 people from the Servas conference went downtown to participate in a learning experience involving a self-guided tour, and our young local expert Francy spent about 90 minutes with us, exploring what we knew or had heard about the neighbourhood, the various media stereotypes, what type of people lived there and why and what was being done to help this community.
We learned that the community is actually quite diverse, not only does it include people dealing and using drugs as well as sex trade workers, the area also houses new immigrants, social service personnel, artists and students. Even seniors and families live here and in one coop housing project, built around a central courtyard, the single and older people live on the outside of the complex to provide protection, while the families with young children live on the inside so the young ones can play safely in the courtyard .
The Downtown East Side is one of the few areas in Vancouver that still has affordable housing prices. We found out that many of the people in the area take on short-term or transient type of work assignments in labour pools, and many of them work as "binners", collecting metal cans and glass bottles from garbage containers which then get reclaimed in local recycling facilities. In Vancouver the sight of people going through garbage bins is very common, even in the pristine suburban campus of UBC, and this activity is also referred to as "dumpster-diving". We realized that these people perform an important societal service by diverting recyclable materials away from the landfills back into reprocessing facilities.
The main drugs represented in this area are heroine, crack and crystal meth, and Francy explained that many of the area's inhabitants live very nocturnal lives and that the mornings can be fairly quiet. After exploring the socio-economic background of this neighbourhood we were given a safety briefing which included practical advice such as treating people respectfully and looking them in the eye, even if they are requesting money from you, politely declining if someone mistakes you for a sex-trade worker, keeping valuables out of sight and similar issues. I decided to leave my entire purse and camera at the drop-in centre as did several other members of our group.
We then headed off in small, inconspicuous groups of 3 or 4 people, with a small unobtrusive map. The map pointed out local sights such as buildings, housing coops, community centres, churches and parks. The first thing we did was we headed north out to the bridge at the top of Main Street from where you have a gorgeous view of downtown Vancouver, including Canada Place. It strikes you as ironic, how so much beauty and opulence can be located right next to an area with immense economic and social problems.
We headed west on Alexander Street and promptly arrived on a beautiful little square that is part of Vancouver's historic restored Gastown area. From there we headed south along streets like Pender and Carrall, many of which have boarded up main floors, and former retail areas that were closed a long time ago. Occasionally you see local homeless people and at one building we saw two young people on a couch in front of a building, and beside them a young woman who was stretching and contorting her body in strange ways. We were later explained that this woman was probably coming down from taking drugs the night before and was experiencing excruciating pain in the process.
We snaked our way through the neighbourhood past various parks that according to our guide book were described as gathering spots for drug activity during the night. Most of these areas were fairly empty, but we did pass a number of people whose appearances had been ravaged by years of drug use. On Pender Street we passed by an astounding building, the Sun Tower, built in 1912, that housed the offices of The Vancouver Sun newspaper from 1924 to1964 and is crowned by a by a three-story beaux arts copper roof.
Pender Street took us further east towards Vancouver's Chinatown, which compared to the chaotic hustle and bustle of Toronto's Chinatown, seemed very orderly and organized. Our map told us to make a brief detour into the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, opened in 1986, the first full-size authentic Chinese garden built outside of China. From there we went through a mixed neighbourhood with a variety of Chinese or Korean community centres and seniors residences. We also passed by a community centre that offered free showers, Internet access, mailbox and various other services to many of the homeless people in this area. Many of the local churches provide shelter and other services to this community in need.
One particularly haunting image for me was a very young woman, maybe in her late teens, early twenties. She had bleached blond hair, blue eyes and dark rims of smeared mascara under her eyes. She was leaning into the recesses of a building and had obviously been crying. Something was in her hand, but I was unable to see what it was. She appeared to be in a great deal of physical and emotional pain, and her face was still so young and pristine. I thought how powerfully addictions affect people and how difficult it must be to extricate oneself from this way of life.
My two walking partners commented on another older woman, whose face had been scarred and they commented that the blank look in her eyes was a very haunting experience. Since I was in charge of figuring out the map I did not see this individual, but the ravages of drug use were plainly obvious in so many of the residents' faces. Ironically enough, as we were looking at our map, we were asked twice by different people if we were lost and if they could help redirect us. We had been prepared for being accosted and asked for money, and instead we were offered some help by the locals - ironic indeed.
After we completed our walk we headed back to the UBC Learning Exchange for a debriefing and we shared our experiences. We noted that the neighbourhood was much more mixed and less consistently run down than we had expected. A comment was also made that relatively few people were on the streets and that we didn't witness any drug-related or sex-trade transactions at this time of day. Overall it had felt quite safe for us 3 women to walk through this neighbourhood, and during morning hours this area didn't look all that different from other urban neighbourhoods.
Our learning experience was capped off by a visit at the Carnegie Community Centre, built in 1908 as a Public Library. The Carnegie Centre provides a range of social, recreational and educational programs for the residents of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. It is often described as the community's living room—a place where people can come to participate in programs or to simply relax and socialize with others, particularly important since many of them live in one-room dwellings where they don't have the luxury of a living room to relax in.
The Carnegie Centre offers a variety of facilities: a Public Library reading room, a seniors centre, weight room, a learning/literacy centre, a kitchen that offers 3 nutritional meals a day, an art gallery, an auditorium and gym as well as a dark room and pottery room. Our group did indeed sample the Carnegie's cuisine, and I had a vegetarian lunch with veggie spring rolls, salad and rice, as well as one of the most delicious mushroom soups I have ever eaten. Together with a lemon pop this lunch came to $3.40.
The meal was delicious and completing this learning experience in Vancouver's Downtown East Side truly enriched my understanding of the city and this neighbourhood, and I gained a real appreciation for the efforts of the many hundreds of people who try to bring about positive change in this area. Francy indeed summarized it succinctly: the best way to make a difference is through individual engagement, and the small efforts of many can bring about huge change to the community as a whole.
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