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Chavez ally elected as potential caretaker

Assembly selects Diosdado Cabello as speaker, putting him in line as caretaker president if Hugo Chavez cannot recover. Last Modified: 06 Jan 2013 05:36

Venezuela's National Assembly has re-elected the ruling party's Diosdado Cabello as its speaker, putting him in line to be caretaker president if Hugo Chavez does not recover from cancer surgery. Cabello was retained as legislative leader in a vote by a show of hands on Saturday. Chavez's allies hold a majority of the 165 congressional seats. "We will never defraud the people and we will get on our knees to defend the proposal made by comandante Chavez, I swear it," Cabello said as he took the oath of office. The vote came as it appeared almost certain that illness will prevent Chavez from being sworn in on January 10 to a new six-year term. Controversial moves by the government have cleared the way for him to retain his powers anyway. Hundreds of supporters, dressed in the red colour symbolising his socialist revolution, chanted for Chavez outside the National Assembly in a show of unity. "We are all Chavez! Our comandante will be well! He will return!," they chanted.  If Chavez had to step down, or died, Cabello would take over the running of the country as Assembly president and a new election would be organised within 30 days. Chavez's heir apparent, Nicolas Maduro, would be the ruling Socialist Party candidate. Chavez, who is recovering in Cuba from his fourth and most difficult round of cancer surgery, has not been seen in public nor heard from in more than three weeks. Constitution debated Maduro signalled on Friday that Chavez would not be able to take the oath of office on January 10, a date established by Venezuela's constitution. Arguing for continuity, Maduro laid out a legal rationale for indefinitely delaying Chavez's swearing-in without him giving up the powers of the presidency, even on a temporary basis. The country's main opposition coalition insists that Chavez must take at least a temporary leave if his health keeps him from taking the oath on time. Under the constitution, new elections must be held if the president dies or is permanently incapacitated either before he takes office, or in the first four years of his six-year term. "There is ongoing debate about the articles of the constitution," Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo, reporting from Caracas, said. "Whether they will benefit the government or benefit the opposition will be resolved by the National Assembly or Supreme Court - both of which are filled with Chavez loyalists."  "But it is the president of the National Assembly who would become president if something were to happen to Hugo Chavez." The government said this week that since undergoing surgery last month in Havana the president has developed a "serious pulmonary infection" that has led to a "respiratory insufficiency." "The official version of what is happening is unsustainable," the head of the main opposition coalition, Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, said. Aveledo said it would make more sense for the government to acknowledge "the truth" and use it to prepare the country for what is to come. But it "doesn't want to admit that the president is absent". Chavez, 58, was re-elected on October 7 despite his debilitating battle with cancer and the strongest opposition challenge yet to his rule.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Americas

Honduras ambassador resigns over sex party

Ambassador to Colombia asked to step down after bodyguard held party with prostitutes at mission. Last Modified: 06 Jan 2013 02:48

The Honduran ambassador to Colombia has been forced to resign after his bodyguard reportedly held a Christmas party with prostitutes at the mission, the foreign ministry in Tegucigalpa said. Ambassador Carlos Rodriguez quit his post on Saturday, Honduras' foreign ministry said in a release, after the government requested his withdrawal. "In order to safeguard national interests and good relations with the Republic of Colombia, we asked for the ambassador's irrevocable resignation and Mr Rodriguez stepped down, effective immediately," the foreign ministry said. According to Honduran media reports, the ambassador's bodyguard and close friend Jorge Mendoza organised a party at the embassy to celebrate Christmas that turned into a booze-fueled orgy with prostitutes. Reports said the prostitutes stole embassy computers and cell phones, and defecated on the desks of the ambassador and the commercial attache, after they were asked to leave without being paid. "A scandal in our foreign service is a stain on the country's name. Diplomatic missions are sacred," said legislator Rodolfo Zelaya. Colombian police said they were also investigating the incident at the embassy, which is located in an upscale Bogota neighbourhood. The police chief for the northern part of Bogota, Jose Baquero, said officers were seeking to question two prostitutes who were taken to the embassy in a vehicle about the party and the alleged theft. The party began around 22h00 pm and ended at almost 05h00 am the next morning, according to police. The US Secret Service was embroiled in a similar scandal involving prostitutes and its agents last April in the Colombian city of Cartagena, where President Barack Obama attended the Summit of the Americas. More than two dozen Secret Service agents and military personnel, tasked with preparing security for Obama's high-profile visit, were sent home. Nine have since left the agency as it seeks to repair its tarnished reputation.

The Real Cause of Most Diseases

Confirmed – Your Digestive System Dictates Whether You’re Sick or Well

By Dr. Mercola

More and more, science is finding that teeny tiny creatures living in your gut are there for a definite purpose. Known as your microbiome, about 100 trillion of these cells populate your body, particularly your intestines and other parts of your digestive system.

In fact, 90 percent of the genetic material in your body is not yours, but rather that of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms that compose your microflora.

True, some of these bacteria can make you sick; for example, the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases recently found Crohn's Disease may be caused by immune responses to certain gut microbiota.

But the majority are good, and they work together as helpmates to aid your digestive system and keep you well. Beneficial bacteria, better known as probiotics, along with a host of other microorganisms, are so crucial to your health that researchers have compared them to "a newly recognized organ." For example, we now know that your microflora influence your:

• Genetic expression
• Immune system
• Brain development, mental health, and memory
• Weight, and
• Risk of numerous chronic and acute diseases, from diabetes to cancer

According to the featured article in Time Magazine:¹

"Our surprisingly complex internal ecology has been a hot topic in medicine lately. Initiatives such as the Human Microbiome Project², an extension of the Human Genome Project, have been working tirelessly to probe potential links between the human microbiota and human health, and to construct strategies for manipulating the bacteria so that they work with us rather than against us.

...They've been linked to a range of nasty conditions, including obesity, arthritis, and high cholesterol. Now, two newer areas of research are pushing the field even further, looking at the possible gut bug link to a pair of very different conditions: autism and irritable bowel disease."

Microflora Being Investigated to Ascertain Links with Autism and IBS

This is precisely what Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's work centers around, and her Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) nutritional plan is designed to reestablish proper gut flora in order to heal and seal your gut – thereby reversing and eliminating ailments running the gamut from autism, ADD/ADHD, learning disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, just to name a few possibilities. It's exciting to see science is starting to take this more seriously, as autism has reached epidemic proportions.

According to the featured Time article:³

"Up to 85 percent of children with autism also suffer from some kind of gastrointestinal distress such as chronic constipation or inflammatory bowel disease. Research published in 2005 in the Journal of Medical Microbiology and in 2004 in Applied Environmental Microbiology⁴reported that the stools of autistic children contained higher levels of the bacterium Clostridium,while two 2010 studies in the Journal of Proteome Research⁵ and Nutritional Neuroscience⁶ reported unusual levels of metabolic compounds in autistic children's urine consistent with the high bacterial levels found in the stools of autistic patients.

In 2011, a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that mice with essentially germ-free guts showed abnormal movement and anxiety symptoms, suggesting that at least some active intestinal biome is essential for normal development.

'Until a little while ago it was outlandish to suggest that microbiomes in the gut could be behind this disease,' University of Guelph assistant professor of biology Emma Allen-Vercoe said. 'But I think it's an intersection between the genetics of the patient and the microbiome and the environment.'"

Recent research published in the journal Science⁷ may shed much needed light on the persistent and hard-to-treat nature of irritable bowel disease (IBD). The researchers infected mice with Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite associated with lethal food-borne illness.

Interestingly, when the immune system of the mouse reacted to the presence of the parasite, it also began overreacting to beneficial bacteria. In fact, while about 10 percent of the T cells in the GI tract attacked the parasite, approximately 45 percent of the T cells began attacking other gut microbes. Furthermore, once the parasite had been successfully cleared, the immune system continued to misidentify beneficial bacteria as a foreign agents, preventing the mice from ever fully recovering from the infection. As stated by Time:

"If something similar happens in humans – either with Toxoplasma gondii or another invader – it could go a long way to explaining both the existence and persistence of all of the IBD conditions."

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases:⁸

"The team's findings are among the first to demonstrate that T cells in the gut mount an immune response to commensal bacteria [normal microflora] during an infection. They also are the first to show that commensal-specific T cells remain in circulation after the infection is cleared. Based on their observations, the investigators speculate that, when uncontrolled, commensal-specific T cells may contribute to development of Crohn's disease, but more research is needed."

Who Would Have Known? Breast Milk Boosts Beneficial Growth of Gut Flora

Adding more weight to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's insistence that breastfeeding is crucial to help normalize an infant's microflora (hence protecting against disease and developmental problems), a first-of-its-kind study on human breast milk and its impact on infants' gut flora gives new insight on why breast milk is better than formula at protecting newborns from infectious illness.⁹

The study's author, William Parker, explained that breast milk appears to promote a healthy colonization of beneficial biofilms. Previous research has already established that breast milk reduces diarrhea, flu, and respiratory infections in babies, as well as lowers their risk of developing allergies, Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other diseases.

According to Duke University:¹⁰

"'This study is the first we know of that examines the effects of infant nutrition on the way that bacteria grow, providing insight to the mechanisms underlying the benefits of breast feeding over formula feeding for newborns,' said William Parker, PhD, associate professor of surgery at Duke and senior author of the study.

Only breast milk appears to promote a healthy colonization of beneficial biofilms, and these insights suggest there may be potential approaches for developing substitutes that more closely mimic those benefits in cases where breast milk cannot be provided."

The researchers grew bacteria in samples of three popular brands each of milk- and soy-based infant formulas, cow's milk, and breast milk. All samples were incubated with two strains of beneficial E.coli bacteria (while some E.coli cause violent disease, other 'friendly cousins' actually serve helpful roles). While the bacteria rapidly multiplied in all the specimens, there was one major difference. In the breast milk specimens, the bacteria formed biofilms, whereas the bacteria in the whole milk and the different infant formulas grew as individual organisms and failed to form into a biofilm.

This is indeed important. Biofilms are essentially thin, sticky bacterial "sheaths" that adhere to your intestinal wall, where they serve as a shield, effectively blocking out pathogens and infectious agents. This is an essential part of the "healing and sealing" of your gut that Dr. Campbell-McBride's GAPS protocol accomplishes.

According to Duke University:

"...This study adds even more weight to an already large body of evidence that breast milk is the most nutritious way to feed a baby whenever possible," said Gabriela M. Maradiaga Panayotti, M.D., co-director of the newborn nursery for Duke Children's and Duke Primary Care. "We know that babies who receive breast milk have better outcomes in many ways, and mother who breast feed also have improved health outcomes, including decreased risks of cancer. Whenever possible, promoting breast feeding is the absolute best option for mom and baby."

How to Optimize Your Gut Flora

A healthy diet is the ideal way to maintain a healthy gut, and regularly consuming traditionally fermented or cultured foods is the easiest way to ensure optimal gut flora. Healthy options include:

Fermented vegetables of all kinds (cabbage, carrots, kale, collards, celery spiced with herbs like ginger and garlic)	Lassi (an Indian yogurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)	Tempeh
Fermented raw milk such as kefir or yogurt, but NOT commercial versions, which typically do not have live cultures and are loaded with sugars that feed pathogenic bacteria	Natto	Kim chee

Just make sure to steer clear of pasteurized versions, as pasteurization will destroy many of the naturally occurring probiotics. For example, most of the "probiotic" yogurts you find in every grocery store these days are NOT recommended. Since they're pasteurized, they will be associated with all of the problems of pasteurized milk products instead. They also typically contain added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, dyes, and/or artificial sweeteners; all of which are detrimental to your health.

Consuming traditionally fermented foods will also provide you with the following added boons:

• Important nutrients: Some fermented foods are excellent sources of essential nutrients such as vitamin K2, which is important for preventing arterial plaque buildup and heart disease. Cheese curd, for example, is an excellent source of both probiotics and vitamin K2. You can also obtain all the K2 you'll need (about 200 micrograms) by eating 15 grams, or half an ounce, of natto daily. They are also a potent producer of many B vitamins
• Optimizing your immune system: Probiotics have been shown to modulate immune responses via your gut's mucosal immune system, and have anti-inflammatory potential. Eighty percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system, making a healthy gut a major focal point if you want to maintain optimal health, as a robust immune system is your number one defense system against ALL disease
• Detoxification: Fermented foods are some of the best chelators available. The beneficial bacteria in these foods are very potent detoxifiers, capable of drawing out a wide range of toxins and heavy metals
• Cost effective: Fermented foods can contain 100 times more probiotics than a supplement, so just adding a small amount of fermented foods to each meal will give you the biggest bang for your buck
• Natural variety of microflora: As long as you vary the fermented and cultured foods you eat, you'll get a much wider variety of beneficial bacteria than you could ever get from a supplement

When you first start out, you'll want to start small, adding as little as half a tablespoon of fermented vegetables to each meal, and gradually working your way up to about a quarter to half a cup (2 to 4 oz) of fermented vegetables or other cultured food with one to three meals per day. Since cultured foods are efficient detoxifiers, you may experience detox symptoms, or a "healing crisis," if you introduce too many at once.

Learn to Make Your Own Fermented Vegetables

Fermented vegetables are easy to make on your own. It's also the most cost-effective way to get high amounts of healthful probiotics in your diet. To learn how, review the following interview with Caroline Barringer, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) and an expert in the preparation of the foods prescribed in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional Program. In addition to the wealth of information shared in this interview, I highly recommend getting the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, which provides all the necessary details for Dr. McBride's GAPS protocol.

Although you can use the native bacteria on cabbage and other vegetables, it is typically easier to get consistent results by using a starter culture. Caroline prepares hundreds of quarts of fermented vegetables a week and has found that she gets great results by using three to four high quality probiotic capsules to jump start the fermentation process.

Download Interview Transcript

Caroline prepares the vegetables commercially and I used hers for a month before I started making my own. So, if you just want to put your toe in the water and see if you like them, you can order a jar or two and try them out. You can find her products onwww.CulturedVegetables.net or www.CulturedNutrition.com.

AVOID This to Optimize Your Gut Flora!

Along with eating naturally fermented foods and/or taking a high-quality supplement, it's essential that you avoid sugar, including fructose. Sugar nourishes pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi in your gut, which may actually harm you more than its impact on insulin resistance. One of the major results of eating a healthy diet like the one described in my nutrition plan is that you cause your beneficial gut bacteria to flourish, and they secondarily perform the real "magic" of restoring your health.

Remember, an estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut, which is just one more reason why "tending to" your gut microflora is an essential element of good health. A robust immune system, supported by your flourishing inner ecosystem, is your number one defense against ALL disease, from the common cold to cancer. I feel very strongly that if we can catalyze a movement to get more people to implement this ancient dietary wisdom to their normal eating patterns, then we'll start seeing a radical change in health.