Should You Be Eating That Grapefruit?

For years doctors have been advising patients who take cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lipitor not to eat grapefruit. Most of us probably never knew why. A recent study in the journal of the Canadian Medical Association, CMAJ, suggests that grapefruit as well as other citrus fruits such as Seville oranges and limes contain something called furanocoumarins which can inactivate a certain enzyme in the body. When that enzyme is inactivated, certain drugs remain in the system longer than they should.Serious side effects may result, including kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding and even sudden death.

The CMAJ study, which was conducted by a pharmacologist from the Lawson Health Research Institute in London, Ontario, Canada, concluded that as many as 85 drugs may interact with grapefruit and the other citrus fruits in that way. As little as one grapefruit or a 7 ounce glass of grapefruit juice can be enough to cause these problems. Those over the age of 45 are believed to be the most at risk.

While grapefruit  and Seville oranges (which is sometimes used in marmalade) appear to be the worst culprits, fortunately, the two common varieties of oranges, Valencia and navel oranges are not implicated.

Bottom line: before grabbing that glass of  grapefruit juice in the morning, talk to your doctor and ask her whether you might have a problem with an interaction with one of your medications. It may save your life.

The Baby Boomer's Practical Guide to Everday Negotations

"The Baby Boomer's Practical Guide to Everyday Negotiations", a free e-book is now available on this blog at the entry dated November 24, 2012.  Let me know what you think.

Stand Up for Good Health

If your mother was anything like my mother, when I was a kid watching television, she was always chiding me to "sit up straight." Then it seemed like it was good healthful advice. Turns out mothers were wrong. We shouldn't be sitting at all. Recent research cited in The New York Times suggests that we should be standing, not sitting, when working on our computers or at our work desk or cubicle.

Reporting on two studies in the The British Journal of Sports Medicine and Diabetogia, the Times article, Taking a Stand for Office Ergonomics, quotes Dr. Toni Yancey, a professor of health services at UCLA,  as saying, "we believe that sitting is harmful in itself." According to the article, sitting at your computer for an extended period of time (over an hour or so) can significantly reduce the number of fat burning enzymes and can also lower the amount of good (HDL) cholesterol in the blood. It may even contribute to diabetes and heart disease.

So, what is the solution?  One answer is standing while working.  This usually involves some form of stand-up desk.  There are many models for sale ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands. There are even under the desk treadmills and stationary cycles that you can pedal while seated. An easier (and cheaper) solution is to put your laptop on a bookcase and work from that. I have tried it and it works quite well. I suggest you give it a try and let me know if it works for you.

The Benefits of Tea and Why Starbucks is geting into the Act

Starbucks announced recently that it was acquiring the pricey tea store chain Teavana for $620 million, Teavana seems to be found in just about every mall in the country. You know the store: they offer you free tastings of various exotic teas just outside the door and inside the store sell tea in bulk They seem to be doing quite well.  Obviously, Starbucks is onto something or it wouldn't be making this purchase.

 Now, I don't know about you, but I love tea. Most of the world agrees, as other than water, it is the most popular drink in the world. I drink it hot in the morning with my breakfast and iced at lunch. In the evening, I may have another cup. Black or green, loose or in bags, it's tea for me. Lots of people praise  coffee, but give me a good cup of tea every time. It has a certain warmth that no cup of coffee can offer. And cold, nothing can be more refreshing. I guess Starbucks is catching on. Is there anything more pleasant than the sound of the name of the play (and movie), The Tea House of the August Moon? And how about "Tea and Sympathy" or "Two for Tea."  Finally, we all have  heard of people "reading the tea leaves. No one sings the praises of coffee quite that way or tries to read the coffee grounds!.

How do you brew the perfect cup of tea?  There are a number of theories about that.
Some purists insist on using a tea ball filled with loose tea in a pot.  They then pour boiling water over the leaves and leave it to steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Others are content to pour almost boiling water over tea bags and let it steep.  Still others throw caution to the winds and pour some water into a cup, drop in a tea bag and put it in the microwave for a minute or so. Anyway you make it is fine with me.

And ice tea?  What better way than to throw a few tea bags into a pitcher, pour cold water over it and put it out in the sun for a few hours?  With a few lemon slices or sprigs of mint tossed in for good measure, it is heaven on a hot afternoon.

Most of the tea we drink comes from three countries, China, India and Sri Lanka. There are numerous varieties available. One of my favorites is Earl Grey a black tea with a distinct orange flavor to it.

What are the benefits of tea?  Plenty!  Whether black or green or even white, tea contains flavenoids which are known to reduce the risk of cancer. According toWebMD, there are quite a few other health benefits that may surprise you.  It may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes,  In addition, it may even help lower cholesterol.  Another side benefit is that it may also contribute to mental alertness. That may also be due to the presence of caffeine in the tea. A Starbucks Grande Tazo Awake contains about 135 mg. of caffeine, about the same as some coffees. Black tea, which is steeped for 3 minutes, contains 30-80 mg of caffeine. Snapple lemon tea contains about 60 mg.The caffeine in tea may also help in avoiding gallstones and maybe even dementia according to the Nutrition Action Health Letter. You might want to take your tea without milk as it is believed that tea loses some of its antioxidant qualities when milk is added.

So, feel free to drink up----and cheers!.

"Bond, James Bond": Skyfall

Ordinarily, I do not review movies on this blog.  But this time I will make an exception.  We just returned from seeing the new James Bond film, Skyfall.   It is in my opinion the best of the Bond films ever.

I have been watching the Bond films since the first one 50 years ago, Dr. No.  I thought no one could play 007 like Sean Connery.  I was wrong. In this film, Daniel Craig actually surpasses anything Connery had done with the character. Moreover, the script is by far one of the best in recent years. It has an easily understandable plot and all of the characters are well-played.  In addition to Craig, Judi Dench in her familiar role as M is nothing less than superb.  Indeed, most of the story line centers around her and the efforts of a former MI6 agent (played by Javier Bardem, who chews up the scenery when on screen) to track her down.

As usual, the action is nonstop with car and train chases around the world. Supposedly, Craig does most of his own stunts. If so, hats off to the man. Some of them were quite amazing. There is also quite a bit of nostalgia and humor in the film, including the resurrection of the original Bond car, the Aston Martin with the ejection seat.

As an added attraction, the music for the opening sequence is sung by Adele, who also co-wrote the song, also called "Skyfall".

Whether you are a James Bond fan or not, you have got to see this film. The almost two and one half hour film just flies by. 

Andy Warhol Museum

Andy Warhol was probably the first artist who turned art into a business. He was almost solely  responsible for creating the Pop art genre.  He is currently the subject of an exhibition of certain of his works at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)New York, NY 10028. Phone: 212-535-7710 (TTY: 212-650-2921  The show, entitled "Regarding Warhol, Sixty Artists, Fifty Years," runs until December 31, 2012.

Andy Warhol, in addition to being a painter and graphic artist, also produced a number of quirky movies, including his famous Chelsea Girls and Empire, which shows the Empire State Building in slow motion and runs for some 8 hours. In the late sixties and early seventies he hosted celebrities at his studio, The Factory, where he reportedly coined the phrase,  "In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes." Warhol died in New York in 1987.

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In addition to Warhol, the exhibit at the Met features many other well-known pop artists, including David Hockney, Keith Haring and Deborah Kass. But it is Warhol who is the featured artist.

For those of you who cannot make it to New York, there is a museum dedicated to Warhol in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, it features a number of his art works. In addition when we were there recently, the work of Deborah Kass was also featured.

In addition to his art, the Museum also showcases some Warhol memorabilia, including his high school graduation picture from the Schenley High School yearbook and his diploma from Carnegie Institute (now Carnegie-Mellon University).

The 7 story museum is located at 117 Sandusky Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212
(412) 237-8300. The museum is open every day except for Monday. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm except for Friday when the museum is open  until 10  pm.

How to Get the Best Deal: A Free E-book

For some time I have  been promising to publish a free e-book on negotiations. Well, here it is: The Baby Boomer's Practical Guide to Everyday Negotiaions.BoomerGuidetoNegotiations.