A LITTLE SPICE, AND EVERYTHING NICE
I know many of you out there in the Moebius community love to cook--you love recipes, trying new things, and maybe cooking with a little spice in your food.  Well, good news--not only does a little spice make the grub taste good, it can also be good for you:"We often hear about the health benefits of eating more fruits and veggies, getting a little more exercise, or getting our weight down, but did you know that adding more spices and herbs to your food can reduce inflammation and also reduce your risk of chronic disease?
In the past 50 years, we have come to understand that cancer and other chronic illnesses may be due to damage or dysregulation of some of our genes. It has only been in the past decade, however, that scientists have discovered that many nutrients in foods, including spices, can prevent these genetic changes and reduce our risk for some of these diseases.
Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, an oncologist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, is one of the leading researchers in the world looking at the health impact of spices and herbs. In many recent scientific publications and studies, he and his colleagues have uncovered the health benefits of these food ingredients and shown how they may prevent and even help treat chronic diseases.
One of the powerful ways that spices and herbs exert their protective effect in the body is by inactivating a protein complex in cells that's known as NF-kappa B.
NF-kappa B acts like a master control switch for inflammation and cell growth. When it's activated, it turns on hundreds of genes that are involved in abnormal cell growth and inflammation; this can allow a cancer cell to continue growing, or it can promote ongoing inflammatory responses in the body that can fuel chronic disease.
Blocking NF-kappa B can reduce cancer cell growth and the inflammation that leads to a number of chronic diseases, including coronary artery disease, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, arthritis and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.
Populations that consume lots of these spices seem to have less chronic disease than we do in the United States. For example, in India, turmeric is frequently consumed in curries. Turmeric contains the phytochemical curcumin, and curcumin is a particularly powerful inhibitor of NF-kappa B.
In India, Alzheimer's disease is far less common than it is in the U.S., and scientists suspect that it is the frequent consumption of turmeric that has resulted in this difference.
In addition to turmeric, beneficial spices include mint, rosemary, garlic, basil, ginger, fenugreek, cumin, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper and red chile pepper.
Scientists are still trying to determine which of these spices would be useful if taken by capsule to prevent or treat disease, and the data is very intriguing and encouraging.
Before you run out to buy these in pill form, though, we encourage you to include and enjoy these spices in your food on a daily basis: Add some cinnamon to your breakfast cereal, enjoy mint-ginger tea with your lunch, and top your dinner pasta with a little garlic and rosemary. If you're really adventurous, try making your own curry -- a great way to experiment with fresh or dried turmeric.
Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden are medical directors of Sutter Downtown Integrative Medicine program in Sacramento, Calif."

AND NOW ON TO...NFL PLAYOFF PICKS!
Let's see if I can go 4-0!!

Denver at New England.  LINE:  Patriots by 13.5.  MY PICK:  PATRIOTS.  Hey, don't get me wrong; Tim Tebow and the Broncos played well last week, and their upset of the Steelers was a great story.  But...they burned the Steelers often because of Pittsburgh defensive lapses, especially against the deep ball.  The Steelers bunched up too close to the line to stop the run.  Look for the wily Bill Belichick to play safe, to take away the deep stuff, and to force Tebow and Denver to undertake long, time-consuming drives, forcing Tebow to execute well on play after play, instead of relying on quick strikes.  And look for Tom Brady to have another good day--remember, he put up 41 points on Denver in a game earlier this year.  Impossible not to go with Brady and the Pats in this one.

New Orleans at San Francisco.  LINE:  Saints by 3.5  MY PICK:  SAINTS.  I know, everyone says the Saints don't play well away from home.  But remember--this game is in San Fran--not exactly the icebox of the nation at this time of year.  The field conditions should be decent; no blizzards.  Drew Brees in my view is playing as well as anyone; and I just think that in this game, when it comes down to crunch time,  Brees will out-perform Alex Smith of the Niners, and the Saints will get the job done.

Houston at Baltimore.  LINE:  Ravens by 7.5.  MY PICK: RAVENS.  I love Houston's defense, and it's run game.  But--you're asking a rookie QB, T.J. Yates, to go on the road and beat that very tough Ravens defense.  I just don't think it will happen.  The Ravens should roll here.

NY Giants at Green Bay.  LINE:  Packers by 7.5.  MY PICK:  GIANTS.  This is one road "dog" (underdog)  I'm picking.  The Giants are peaking at the right time.  They're healthy; their defense line can pressure Aaron Rodgers; their run game can chew up some clock; Eli Manning is playing well.  Now, look for the Packers to pull this game out late, and to win narrowly.  Aaron Rodgers has simply played too well this year to see his team lose this game at home.  I'm not picking him to lose.  But the Giants are playing well enough to keep this game very close.  Look for them to do so. 

"You are an extremely valuable, worthwhile, significant person
even though your present circumstances may have you feeling
otherwise." -J Newman