If you find telemarketing calls at dinner time a frustrating nuisance, you can join the National Do Not Call Registry. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission), a consumer protection agency, has provided the initiative for this service. The service began on schedule on October 1, 2003, despite legal maneuvering by the telemarketing industry.

The procedure for adding your phone number is simple. Go to the National Do Not Call Registry and click on “Register a Phone Number.” You will be asked only for the phone numbers you wish to register (up to three) and a valid email address. The email is part of the registration procedure, designed to prevent abuse. If the FTC abused your privacy by misusing your email address, that would be quite a scandal, so it seems safe enough.

It takes up to three months before your number is added to the Registry. Telemarketers are required to update their list of Do Not Call numbers quarterly. Telemarketers must pay a fee to buy the list, and these fees fund the program.

Adding your number to the Do Not Call list will not eliminate all unsolicited calls. If you already do business with an organization that has your phone number, they are allowed to continue calling you. Charities, political organizations, pollsters, and businesses that offer "call this number for a free trip to Hawaii” are also exempt.

If you call a store to ask for directions and they capture your phone number, that's considered doing business with the company. In that case, you'd need to make a specific request not to be called.

Read the fine print when entering contests and sweepstakes. Sponsors have started to add the clause "By completing this form, you agree that sponsors and co-sponsors of this sweepstakes may telephone you, even if your number is found on a do-not-call registry."

If you believe a telemarketer has violated your Do Not Call request, you can file a complaint at the Do Not Call site. You must supply either the name or the phone number of the company that called you. You also need to specify the date you were called and your registered phone number. It's not necessary to provide your name and address, although you have that option.

Eliminating email spam is a much more difficult problem, primarily because the majority of spam is not sent by legitimate businesses. For an interesting story on this, see Anti-Spam Law Good, Do-Not-E-Mail List Bad.

The Federal Trade Commission has a page with advice about spam. If your email address can be found on the Internet, it will be "harvested" by spammers. If you post to newsgroups or use chat rooms, you may want to create an account (such as a Yahoo address) that you use only for that purpose.

You can send spam email to the FTC (see the section What Can I Do With the Spam in my In-Box?), which keeps a database used for legal action against spammers. The FTC also recommends sending a copy of the email to the abuse desk of your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and the sender's ISP.

Unfortunately, this probably provides more personal satisfaction than actual results. It's estimated than over half the email traffic on the Internet is spam, and the task of eliminating it is enormous. If you're serious about efforts to eliminate spam, check out the websites Spam.Abuse.Net and The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email.

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If you're concerned about avoiding osteoporosis, check the label of your multi-vitamin for vitamin A content. An increasing number of controlled studies (see below) have shown a correlation between excess vitamin A consumption and decreased bone density. One theory is that excess vitamin A inhibits the ability of vitamin D to help the body absorb calcium.

The body needs 600 to 700 micrograms of vitamin A a day. Multivitamins typically contain 1500 micrograms or more. Milk, bread, and other products are often fortified with additional vitamin A. Beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body as needed, is not a problem. It's excess retinol that's associated with reduced bone mineral density and increased risk of hip fractures.

For more information, see the following:

  Harvard Medical School study

  Journal of Bone and Mineral Research article

  New England Journal of Medicine article (2/6/03)

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Did you know that seaweeds (sea vegetables) are high in calcium? Especially recommended are hijiki, wakame, and kombu. It's easy to add them to soups and vegetable dishes. If you need to watch your sodium intake, check the package labels for sodium content.

There's a wide selection of seaweeds at Imahara's Grocery in Cupertino, 10725 Stevens Creek Boulevard (a block west of the Sears at VallCo). They also have great fresh produce (although it's not organic).

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Many foods contain natural toxins (built-in pesticides) that are destroyed by simple cooking. Alfalfa sprouts, for example, contain canavanine, a natural toxin harmful to the immune system. Button mushrooms contain agaritine, a natural carcinogen. (Some anti-organic food folks argue that there are more natural carcinogens in food than are added by pesticides.)

Our bodies do have defenses against the natural toxins in food, but our immune systems can get overwhelmed with poor quality air and water. Cooking beans, sprouts, and mushrooms gives our immune system a break.

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The skin is the largest organ of the body, and its primary purpose is to help us eliminate wastes. Under normal circumstances, the skin eliminates two pounds of waste each day (that's eight sticks of butter).

Dry brushing is a skin care technique that assists the skin in waste removal. Using a natural bristle brush, you stroke the legs, arms, and torso, always moving in the direction of the lower abdomen. Brush the armpits (a lymph gland drainage site) before the arms and the inner thigh before doing the legs.

Dry brushing before an aerobic workout will open the pores and allow the sweat to remove more debris. Or make a habit of dry brushing before you take a shower -- it takes only a few minutes and feels great.

In addition to stimulating the skin and activating the pores to remove more waste, brushing has other benefits. It stimulates hormone function, stimulates the nervous system, contributes to better muscle tone and better distribution of fat deposits, and stimulates blood circulation in the underlying organs, connective tissues, and the lymphatic system.

Skin brushing is especially valuable as we age. Aging skin does not shed its outer layer of dead cells as efficiently as younger skin. The build-up of this outer skin layer accounts for the thick, dry, "leathery" look of older skin (along with too much sun exposure). Skin brushing exfoliates this layer. It also stimulates the sweat and oil glands, providing more moisture for older skin.

Before you decide to buy a brush, sample what's available by brushing your arm. It should feel as satisfying and comfortable as scratching an itch. If it feels worse than wearing a hair shirt, this is not for you.

Whole Foods carries natural bristle dry brushes. I recommend one with a removable handle, so you can hold it comfortably in your hand, then add the handle to reach your mid-back.

(Note: Since skin brushing promotes the flow of lymph through the lymphatic system, cancer patients should consult their oncologist before considering skin brushing.)

Here are a few websites that discuss skin brushing:

  Body Wellbeing

  A whole book on skin brushing

  Dr. Berkowsky's Vital Chi Skin-Brushing System

  A tasteful site from the UK

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Here's a series of stretches you can do under the covers before leaving your nice warm bed (especially welcome in colder months). These are all done lying on your back.

  Start with a few pelvic tilts -- flatten the small of your back into the bed, then arch your back (raising your stomach).
 

  Pull your bent right knee towards your chest (leave your left leg long). Alternate sides. If you can reach, hold your foot.
 

  Bend both knees and pull them towards the chest. You can place your forearms behind your knees and hold one wrist with the other hand. This is a good stretch for the low back.
 

  Extend your arms to the sides (bend your elbows if necessary), let your bent knees fall to one side, and turn your head to the other side. Alternate sides.
 

  Stretch your right arm up overhead and your right leg down and away. Alternate sides. This stretch is especially good for the torso, so it's OK to bend your elbow if you don't have enough room over your head. Luxuriate in this one.

Check with your body each day to see how many stretches you feel like doing. Always be gentle - never stretch to the point of pain.

Because these stretches improve the flow of energy in the back and spine, they not only benefit the immediate area you're stretching, but affect the entire body.

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You’ve probably come across the idea that chocolate is actually good for you. Is this propaganda from the candy industry based on scanty evidence? Not exactly. Some of the scientific studies have been sponsored by Mars Inc. (manufacturer of Snickers, Milky Ways, and M&Ms), but the research from a variety of universities seems valid.

Just like wine, tea, and grape juice, chocolate is touted these days because it contains antioxidants called flavonoids. Studies show that the flavonoids in chocolate are associated with higher levels of HDL (good cholesterol), lower levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), a slower rate of blood clotting, and increased production of nitric oxide (good for flexible arteries and blood pressure control).

Not all chocolates are equally rich in flavonoids. Pure cocoa powder has the highest level (not instant hot chocolate, which loses most of its flavonoid content through processing.) Dark chocolate with a high cocoa content comes next. Milk chocolate has the lowest level and possibly has no bioavailable flavonoids at all.

You can’t determine the amount of pure cocoa powder by reading the ingredients or nutritional facts printed on a chocolate bar. However, extensive information is available on one particular brand – Dove Dark chocolate from Mars. Dove Dark has twice the level of flavonoids as other typical dark chocolates. The product is made with a proprietary cocoa and is specially processed to reduce the loss of flavonoids.

Before indulging in chocolate to enhance your health, you need to consider the refined sugar that's added to chocolate to disguise its naturally bitter taste. Sugar itself is not bad -- our bodies need it for fuel. When the sugars in whole foods are gradually broken down and assimilated by the digestive process, they supply the body with a continuous source of the fuel we need. Sugars in whole foods are also balanced with minerals.

Refined, concentrated sugar, on the other hand, enters the blood stream so quickly that this event is a shock to the stomach and pancreas. The internal milieu of the body becomes acidic, a condition that quickly consumes minerals, including calcium needed by the bones.

With regular consumption of refined sugar, the digestive system weakens and either food is not digested or its nutrients are not assimilated. When digestion is not working properly, blood-sugar levels become imbalanced. This leads to further cravings for sugar.

Overconsumption of refined sugar is associated not only with excess weight and diabetes, but high blood pressure, heart disease, hypoglycemia, anemia, immune deficiency, tooth decay, and bone loss.

If you stop eating refined sugar, you can expect to experience a better state of mind, emotional stability, improved memory, more restful sleep, healthier teeth, fewer colds, improved concentration and endurance, and generally better health.

Although eliminating refined sugar from your diet may seem like an excellent idea, it's easier said than done. Many people experience withdrawal symptoms, such as tiredness, anxiety, or depression. Sugar cravings can take up to two weeks to subside.

In addition to the physiology of sugar withdrawal, you're up against the psychology of comfort foods. If you were rewarded with sugar as a child, it's natural to feel deprived when you deny yourself this pleasure. If you reduce your sugar intake gradually and replace sugar with satisfying substitutes, you have a much better chance of eliminating or at least reducing your sugar consumption.

Dietary and lifestyle habits such as excess sugar, too much stress, and too little sleep bring the body out of balance. When your body is sending signals that something's not right (fatigue, headaches, indigestion, menstrual pain), there's a limit to what you can accomplish through discipline and will power. When the body comes back into balance through regular acupressure sessions, you find yourself naturally attracted to healthy foods and healthy habits.

A good way to reduce sugar consumption is to limit the amount of sugar you consume each day. Here's where Dove Dark chocolate can be helpful. Dove Dark is available at supermarkets and drugstores in a bag of bite-sized pieces called Dove Promises. One piece has 40 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.

If you limit yourself to one a day, Dove Dark can be a good way to make the transition to less sugar without feeling deprived. Refined sugar such as Dove Dark should always be eaten at the end of a balanced meal that includes complex carbohydrates, as this helps reduce the shock pure sugar presents to your digestive system.

Once you're successful at limiting yourself to one piece per day, you can set new goals. Don't give yourself an absolute ultimatum, such as "I will never eat chocolate or sugar again." This is psychologically difficult and counterproductive.

Try limiting yourself to one "sugar day" a week, then see if you can go even longer. Even if you don't end up eliminating refined sugar from your diet, you're much better off with an occasional "sugar day" than with sugar as a daily habit.

For abstracts of scientific articles on chocolate, you can visit the Chocolate Information Center, but keep in mind that the site is sponsored by Mars Inc.

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