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Divorce Rates Skyrocket in Lebanon

Complete Guide to Fasting

SPECIAL

Issue 16 May 2017

P 02

Between Love and Lust

Father Tony El Khoury

A Man of Valor The reelection of Riad Salameh

P 10

Divorce Rates Skyrocke Lebanon DR. LAURENCE AJAKA

ket in

Divorce rates have sky-rocketed in Lebanon during the vention of parents contributes to divorce as they begin last decade foretelling a change in the very fabric of to play a negative role after the parents were playing our society. With all its negative implications on so- the role of the reformer in the event of disagreement. ciety, we sat with Father Habib Khalaf, a Judge at the The physical dimension and economic pressure have Appeal Court of the Greek Melkite Catholic Church become very influential factors in the conduct of mariin Lebanon - Sabtié - Beirut – Lebanon, to explore this tal life and its requirements. issue that could reshape our society forever.

2. Are there any statistics about the di1. What are the main reasons for increased vorce cases in Lebanon? divorce rates in Lebanon?

In the tribunal of the first instance of the Unified RoAs far as the Catholic Church is concerned, these di- man Catholic Court: In 2015, 102 cases were recorded vorces are not called divorce, but rather a nullity of on the subject of nullity of marriage except for submarriage and have the same effects of divorce known cases such as arraignment, custody, and compensato the people. That is, both parties have the right to tion, and 79 cases were referred to the appeal stage. In a second marriage unless the judge prevents them 2016, 96 cases were registered in the Court of First Insfrom doing so for various reasons such as spending, tance, 21 of which were referred to appeal. The exact guarding children and visitation rights. The reason for statistics are for 2015. At the beginning of 2016, the the invalidity must be prior to marriage and the court new laws promulgated by His Holiness Pope Francis must verify the reason presented by the plaintiff after began under the name of the Apostolic Patronage "Jeviewing the evidence presented before declaring the sus the Compassionate and the Merciful”. Some cases validity of a nullity.

have been facilitated, including a single ruling on the annulment of marriage without appeal if both parties

As for the common reasons for the invalidity of mar- are satisfied with this ruling. This is evident from the riage in Lebanon, they are due to the lack of effective decline in the transfer of cases to the appellate stage. communication between the spouses, which is reflec- The new law also allows the couple to file a claim dited negatively, especially on the daily sexual and em- rectly with the diocesan court; so far, I do not have a otional relationship, the heart of marital life, on one definite number of the cases presented before the diohand and the psychological reasons and the sharp cesan courts. difference in the impression in the first degree on the other hand, according to Law 818, 3rd item in the laws 3. Divorce and separation have a direct impact of the Eastern Churches.

on children’s development. Can you lessen these effects through various interventions?

Additional reasons include cheating, deception, lack of desire to have children and what is called in the le- Certainly, the weakest link in the issue of separation of gal language "ornament of boys", a desire to have boys the couple are the children, especially when the parents above all. Because of the close familial ties, the inter- enter into the heart of the marital dispute about the is-

5. Can the Church Take the Lead: Saving in addition to the subject of maintenance and school Marriages and Preventing Divorce? sue of guardianship, observation, and accompaniment

fees. Perhaps the biggest problem is that children view their parents as role models. Being dragged through According to the laws, the law cannot prevent a spouse courts and marital disputes, children suffer the loss of from applying for a marriage void in court because it control over the psyche of children and many of them undermines the sacred right of defense mentioned start hating marriage and exclude the idea because of in article 24 of the Eastern Church Code of Laws. what they have witnessed between their parents.

The laws allow the lawyer of the bondage, who is the defender of the secret, to make a claim for nullity of

I advise to parents who resort to the courts to try as marriage. This subject was well known and publicized. much as possible to keep the children away from ma- However, the Church tries by any means to make the rital problems and to avoid speaking badly about the couple's risk of filing a lawsuit be well understood beother party. In the end, if the separation occurs, the fore the courts through premarital sessions, in which former husband will remain the father of the children. they attempt to explain the concepts of marriage in all The former wife will be the mother of children. A dis- its theological, social, sexual, and emotional dimentorted image of a parent will be reflected only on child- sions to the applicants for marriage through many speren. It is possible that one of the separated partners cialists and courses (Law 783). will return to the marriage again and complete his new life with joy after having filled the lives of the children In addition, the first session of the court is called a and their future in misery.

reconciliation session, in which the judge and his assistants try to gather the parties of the dispute and try to

4. What Does the Bible Say About Di- bring the views closer before proceeding with the case (Law 1362). In most of the parishes, they have estavorce? When Is It Allowed? blished listening and follow-up centers in the event of The Bible says in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5 problems in cooperation with psychotherapists, marverse 32: "And whoever divorces his wife except for riage and family specialists. the cause of adultery makes her an adulteress." The

6. How Should a Christian View Marconquered this: "For your hardness of heart, Moses riage and Divorce? law of Moses did not condone adultery, and Jesus authorized this" (Matthew 19: 8) St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 7: 10-11), said: Christian men’s view on marriage must be the incep"But as for the Catholic Church, as we have mentio- tion of living the sacraments of the Church and exerned above, there is no mention of the word Divorce, cising faith and not in terms of social duties and the but the word proved the invalidity of marriage. The need to marry after attaining a certain age or to please reasons for the invalidity of marriage are specified in their parents. You cannot live all the sacraments of the the collection of the laws of the Eastern Churches in Church away from Christ and faith, and the mystery Articles 790 to 827.

of marriage is a sacrament by both parties linked to

the sacred bond not to mention being a contract accor- the psychological, emotional and social levels on both ding to Law 776. It is a bond held by the knowledge sides, especially on children, dioceses have become the that it is one bond with one person forever. Wedding subject of these mandatory courses. The applicants rethese days has become an opportunity for lavish and ceive a written affidavit at the end of the session to be extravagant celebrations that ignore the real meaning submitted to the relevant church authorities to obtain of marriage. The church, of course, does not prevent the permission of marriage which is not given in the celebrations but rather favors these joyful manifesta- absence of the completion of this session. In my opitions. Jesus himself shared the joy of the wedding in nion, this is not enough; we need to educate our youth Qana, but we must not forget the ecclesiastical dimen- in more ways and hold an even more intensive session sion and the need to prepare for marriage spiritually to allow them to understand the foundations of marfor after marriage, the two sides will be a family, and riage and its social and spiritual requirements. the first thing that must be transferred to the children is the flame of faith, which must be kept burning and Unfortunately, our young people today lack a sense of not extinguished.

responsibility and the replacing of a husband or a wife has become as easy as replacing a mobile telephone.

As for the issue of separation, one must be careful and We must return to the ecclesiastical and social assets think and pray deeply before taking the step of filing that we have been raised on. The freedom that became a claim before the competent courts. It is necessary to available to young people today is irresponsible. My know the great damage that will be inflicted on both appeal to all priests, especially the priests of parishes parties, especially the children, as a result of this sepa- and those working in universities with young people, ration. Some ask why the trials are sometimes lengthy. is to give enough guidance in their sermons and guiThis is because the dispute is intractable and both par- dance to the concept of marriage. Parents should give ties try to extract even a false victory in the court. It is a good example to their children by showing love, resnatural that the trial is prolonged. The judge is bound pect, and understanding to one another. by the force of the law and under the danger of annulling the sentence according to the Laws 1303 and 1304 It seems that the freedom young people enjoy have to listen to all the requests of the parties, and he is not compromised the sacred bond of marriage. We have entitled to rule what is not requested of him to avoid abandoned our values, and that has brought on these any bias.

harsh times we face. Only by returning to Church and its teaching can we restore the sacrament of marriage

7.

Is the church leading any compul- and preserve the unity of our family units and hence our society. sory marriage awareness campaigns?

In the past, the preparation period for marriage was

To be continued

limited to some meetings with the parish priest. To- Why don’t we apologize while scowling at the floor? day, however, with the increasing incidence of mari- Such an action does not lower our standards; on the tal separation with the consequent repercussions on contrary, we did the harm and we have to admit it.

Cardiac Catherization DR. LAURENCE AJAKA

Zakhia Saliba is a pediatric cardiologist with an ex- be delayed until late on life due to the lack of severe pertise in cardiac catheterization for congenital heart symptoms. One of the most frequent issues is having diseases in children and adults. He was trained in Pa- a defected pulmonary artery that is responsible for taris at “Necker Enfants Malades� Hospital and left for king the blood to the lungs to become oxygenated.

Lebanon in 2001 to take the leadership of the Cardiac Catheterization for congenital heart diseases in Hotel This was previously restored surgically in an open Dieu de France Hospital. He performs more than 200 heart surgery until 1999 when Dr. Zakhia Saliba and cardiac catheterizations per year in congenital heart Dr. Philipp Bonhoeffer revolutionized the process by patients, most of them being therapeutic procedures: implanting through a catheter a bovine valve without closure of undesirable heart communications, balloo- surgery at the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in ning of stenotic valves, and percutaneous implanta- Paris, France. This technique modifies valves from the tion and replacement of defected valves. In 2012 he calf and other animals to, later on, be transplanted into received the title of Professor in Pediatrics and Pedia- humans using the catheter technique. tric cardiology as an achievement of his implications in education and research. Over the years, he upgraded the level of the teaching program at the Saint Joseph University Faculty of medicine to excellence almost by his own and is recognized as an expert in the field worldwide.

Dr. Zakhia Saliba commenced our talk by revealing that the heart works exactly like a pump with attached valves responsible for steering the blood in the right direction to the right organs in one direction with no backflow in the opposite direction. This is particularly important because any change in the volume or direction of the pumped blood can compromise the heart and the rest of the circulatory system. He explained that most of the cardiac anomalies that children suffer from are congenital, conditions that are already found at birth. These malformations can be diagnosed even during pregnancy but sometimes the diagnosis can

By 2000, the team successfully managed the first worldwide operation for a 10-year-old boy. The modified valve is attached to a catheter that is slowly inserted within the blood vessels until it reaches its appropriate position in the heart. When asked for risk assessment, he replied that every medical procedure has its risks especially when it comes to infant and juvenile patients; however, seeing that it involves no cutting, the risks are significantly lower. This technique is possible for any child weighing 30kg or more. It has many advantages, most importantly not putting a child through a lengthy and dangerous surgery under anesthesia to be followed by a long recovery process. Even more importantly, older procedures did not use biological valves capable of growing as the child grows up, so often several operations are needed. The more surgeries performed, the higher the risks become.

This technique lasts much longer than prosthetic valves, sometimes more than five years. Worldwide, over 100,000 percutaneous valve implantations have been made, but the numbers are still very low in Lebanon, less than 5 seeing as it costs more than 65,000 dollars. Dr. Zakhia went on talk about “Heartbeat�, an NGO organization that formed in 2005 with aim of providing every child with congenital heart disease with the medical care they need. He adds that there have been talks about getting a government funding to help families in need of such expensive procedures.

He is optimistic that soon, that those in need will not have to resort to drastic measures or opt for the much riskier, but cheaper, option.

A MAN OF VALOR DR. LAURENCE AJAKA

Riad Salameh, the newly reelected governor of the National Bank of Lebanon, is a highly respected and renowned financial figure on national and international levels. Under his tenure, Lebanon successfully weathered some of recent history ’s worst financial catastrophes in 2008 and 2011 with very few losses.

His accomplishments have been exalted and rewarded by numerous officials and financial figures. However, what has come together to shape such a remarkable individual? Riad Salameh has had a passion for the economics and finance since his early adulthood, and he immersed himself in an illustrious career that ultimately got him to his current position at the head of the financial hierarchy in Lebanon.

That passion is still a key component of his personality; he is one of the few who has managed to make a living practicing that which brings them joy and fulfillment. This drive is what keeps him on tenterhooks about even the minutest details. Couple that with a natural affiliation for order and methodology and you get the remarkable mind of the man that has maintained the financial security of one of the most turbulent countries in the world. What makes him even more remarkable is his ability to remain politically neutral and still maintain high office.

This is almost unheard of in a nation where nepotism is shamelessly paraded around. It is perhaps the ultimate testimony of his excellence and competency.

His appeal and trust goes beyond party

lines and contributes to his success as he faces virtually no adversary; a crucial factor in a country that remained without a president for more than two years as result of the political deadlock.

His work is a legacy that all Lebanese feel honored to claim and he is a name the nation is pride to resonate.

Complete Guide to Fasting

predominantly, is what's causing the kidney disease,

Interview with Dr. Jason Fung

you're not going to be able to do anything about the kidney disease until you get rid of the diabetes.

Fasting is one of the oldest dietary interventions in the world, and modern science confirms it can have a pro- That was kind of where I started. Then I thought, foundly beneficial influence on your health. Dr. Jason 'Everybody says type 2 diabetes is this chronic kind of Fung, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) with a practice progressive disease … It only goes forward, one way.' in Canada, has written an important landmark book But actually when you think about it, type 2 diabetes on this topic.

isn't like that at all …

"The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body [I]f you want to get rid of the type 2 diabetes, you have Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended to get rid of the obesity … That's how you're going to Fasting," co-authored with Jimmy Moore, details how help people get better. I started thinking about what to implement fasting and overcome some of the most causes weight gain … It's certainly not calories. common challenges that might arise, including per- That's our big mistake. That's why we've been unsucsistent fears and myths associated with extended water cessful at creating weight loss, because we've got the fasting.

wrong kind of target …

For the first decade of his practice, Fung was — like It's really about the hormonal balance and predomimost doctors — conventionally oriented. As a kidney nantly about insulin. We have to reduce insulin. Lowspecialist, many of his patients had type 2 diabetes as carbohydrate diets are a way to lower insulin … In the primary cause of their kidney failure.

some people, that'll reverse their diabetes …

Fasting Helps Reverse Diabetes — And Related I started using low-carbohydrate diets and it didn't really work. The problem was that it was a little comHealth Conditions plicated for people …

It became clear to him that the conventional treatment of type 2 diabetes was seriously flawed.

I had to make it simpler … I thought, 'Why not fasting?'

Despite patients' best efforts to manage their diabetes, … It's been used for thousands of years … I started taking their insulin and following the recommended looking at some of the science … There are actually diet and so on, they would still end up with compli- huge benefits that we weren't recognizing. cations such as kidney disease, requiring dialysis, or they'd need amputations, or they'd go blind.

Part of it was also we've always been trained, 'You have to eat. You have to eat.' But in fact, that's not true. If

"As a doctor, we got trained to give medications, but you think about it, in the old days … there would be obviously it wasn't working," he says. "The answer is lots of days where people didn't eat … actually pretty obvious. Because if diabetes, type 2

That's really what [body] fat is [for]. It's really simply much, much healthier," he says. stored fuel; stored food energy. We're using it [when we fast]. That's it. That's all that happens. There's no "This is all without medications. We're trying to take serious side effects or consequences to fasting.

away medications. It's an all-natural solution. You're really letting your body just clean itself out from all of

If there was, we would have known about it several that excess sugar and fat. thousand years ago. But there wasn't. That's where I started from."

The Clinical Use of Fasting

There's nothing wrong with that. It's free. It's available.

All we have to do is give people the knowledge and they can make themselves better, which is incredible."

Fung went on to implement fasting in his practice, and If you're obese, nutritional ketosis is another excellent the results, he says, have been "unbelievable." He's been dietary protocol. I recently interviewed Dr. Jeanne able to take many patients off all medications; they're Drisko, head of the University of Kansas Integrative losing weight, report increased energy, and their dia- Medical Center, who has used a ketogenic protocol in betes is reversed.

a clinical setting for many years now.

"This is why we go into medicine: To make people bet- The challenge is implementation and compliance. ter. For the first time, this was what was happening. Nutritional ketosis is more complicated than fasting.

Before, for 10 years, all I did was watch people get Fasting can also be a more rapid process. Rather than worse until I put them on dialysis. That was really not waiting weeks or months for your body to upregulate the way to go," he says.

and be able to effectively metabolize fat again, fasting really jumpstarts this process.

When he first sought to implement this program clinically, there was no formal guide to follow, which is

Breaking Down Myths About Fasting

what inspired him to write "The Complete Guide to Fasting." Using his own clinical experience, he created Fung's book is so helpful because it provides easy-toa guide that anyone can use to their benefit.

follow basic guidelines for fasting, and reviews some of the most common myths and fears that keep many

"When people start, they're super skeptical. They from implementing a fasting regimen. think it's [a] terrible [idea]. But then they come back and they're total converts. They're like, 'This is the best One common myth is that fasting will lead to loss of thing.'

muscle mass. The book clearly describes the process of protein catabolism, explaining how your body actual-

Because they're losing weight, they're seeing that their ly downregulates protein catabolism and upregulates medications are going down, their sugars are going growth hormones in response to fasting. down. It's obvious to them that they're actually getting

Another common fear is that fasting equals starvation, "If you follow the biochemistry, your body stores ener- which is not true. First of all, starvation is a forced gy as glycogen in the liver, which is links or chains of situation that you have no control over whereas fasting sugar, and then it stores [it as] body fat.

is optional. You have complete control. Many also believe they cannot or should not fast because it will send

During fasting, you start by burning off all the glyco- their body into "starvation mode" — a situation where gen in the liver, which is all the sugar. There's a point the body starts holding on to fat rather than burning it there where some of the excess amino acids in your off. body need to get burnt as well.

"What they're talking about is where the body's metaThat's where people say, 'That's where you're burning bolism starts to slow down so significantly that instead muscle.' That's not actually what happens. The body of burning 2,000 calories a day, your body might burn never upregulates its protein catabolism. Never is it 1,000 calories a day. In that case, even if you're eating burning muscle; there's a normal turnover that goes only 1,500 calories a day, for example, you're going to on.

gain your weight back. That's actually what happens when you reduce your calories. We know that … as

There is a certain amount of protein that you need for you cut your calorie intake, your calorie expenditure a regular turnover. When you start fasting, that starts goes down as well. to go down and then fat oxidation goes way up. In essence, what you've done is you switched over from Starvation mode actually is guaranteed if you just try burning sugar to burning fat. Once you start burning and cut your calories. But what's interesting is that fasfat, there's almost an unlimited amount of calories ting doesn't do that. What happens during fasting is there. You could go for days and days.

that … after four days of fasting, the basal metabolic rate is actually 10 percent higher than when you star-

What's interesting is that if you take a pound of fat, ted. The body has not shut down at all. In fact, what that's roughly 3,500 calories. If you eat somewhere it's done is it switched fuel sources. It switched from around 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day, it takes two full burning food to burning [body] fat. Once it's burning days of fasting to burn a single pound of fat, which is [body] fat, it's like, 'Hey, there's plenty of this stuff. very surprising to people. If you're trying to lose 100 Let's burn our 2,000 calories'…" pounds, you could theoretically go 200 days of fasting just to burn all that fat … People worry about fasting This is also why fasting tends to increase energy opfor 24 hours. I'm like, 'You could go 200 days.' Then posed to leaving you feeling drained. If you're oveit's like, 'OK. Maybe it's OK to go 24 hours without rweight and lethargic, fasting helps unlock all that eating.'"

energy already lodged in your body that you previously had no access to. Fasting forces your body to start

The 'Starvation Mode' Myth

accessing those stores of energy, and once that happens, your body suddenly has a near unlimited supply

of energy!

are always surprised about. When they come back, they say, 'Hey, I'm not actually that hungry.' I'm like,

Fasting also helps improve other biochemical systems 'That's no surprise, because your body is burning fat. in your body. There's interplay of hormonal systems If it's burning [body] fat, it doesn't need to eat," Fung like the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), explains.

AMPK, leptin and IGF-1 — all of which are optimized in the right direction when fasting. It also improves "We talk a lot about what you should eat and what you your mitochondrial function, allowing your mitochon- shouldn't eat. But people never talk about meal timing dria to regenerate. So it's not just simply turning on an — making sure you have long periods where you're enzyme switch to burn fat; it's a very complex process not eating. Look at the word "breakfast" in English. that upregulates in the direction of health.

That's break fast. That's the meal that breaks your fast.

That implies two things: One, fasting is a part of eve-

Understanding the Role of Insulin

ryday life. We've forgotten that. We think it's some sort of Herculean effort, but it's not. We should be fasting

Insulin is the primary hormone that tells your body every day. whether to store energy or burn it. When you eat, you're taking calories in and insulin goes up. Higher levels of If you balance your periods of feeding and fasting, you insulin signal your body to store energy. When insulin will stay in balance. If you are always in feeding phase, falls, it tells your body to release energy. When you then you're not going to be in balance and you're going develop insulin resistance, your insulin levels remain to gain weight. The second thing it means is that you chronically elevated, hence your body is in constant can break your fast at any time. It doesn't have to be fat-storing mode.

8:00 in the morning. You can break your fast at any time of the day or you can eat two days later.

Without the signal to burn energy, you end up feeling tired and sluggish. You have plenty of fuel available, It's not that important … People, even when they're but it's all "locked away" in your fat cells, and it will not hungry, are forcing themselves to eat something … remain unavailable until your body receives the appro- Forcing yourself to eat when you're not hungry is not priate signal — a drop in insulin. This is also why it's so a winning strategy for weight loss. Logically, it doesn't difficult to lose weight when you are insulin resistant.

make sense. But these sort of illogical thoughts get

The key to breaking this cycle is to have sustained low propagated and then it becomes conventional dietary insulin for periods of time, and this is why fasting can advice." be so tremendously beneficial. Fasting lowers insulin more powerfully than any other strategy, which then Variations of Fasting allows the stored energy (body fat) to be used again.

"That's why you start to use up some of your fat stores There are many ways to do an extended fast. Following and you're not hungry, because you're, in essence, ea- are some of the most common variations: ting your own fat. That's the other thing that people •Water fasting. This is exactly what it sounds like: You

don't eat; you only drink water, for several days in a bability of success I'm all for." row (typically no less than 24 hours).

I'm personally quite intrigued with the fat fast. I re•Water plus non-caloric beverages. A slight variation commended water fasting to my landscaper, but after on the water fast is to include other non-caloric beve- three days she felt really fatigued. While this is a norrages, such as herbal tea and coffee (without milk, su- mal response in the initial stages, I made her a "fatgar or other sweetener, including artificial non-caloric bomb drink," which perked her right back up. I use sweeteners).

Pau d'arco tea as the base.

•Bone broth variation. Another variation Fung often It contains beta-lapachone, which upregulates NAD+, recommends for longer fasts is to allow the use of an important electron transfer mechanism and mitobone broth. In addition to healthy fats, bone broth also chondrial signaling molecule. To that, I add some contains lots of protein, so it's not really a true fast.

coconut oil, MCT C8 oil, butter and a little stevia. It contains about 400 or 500 calories per cup.

Still, in his clinical experience, many who take bone broth in addition to water, tea and coffee experience Part of the key is to avoid protein to inhibit mTOR. good results. "If you're getting the results you want While the level of protein at which you'll counteract and it's making it easier for you to stick to the program, the benefits of fasting is individual, Fung believes then you should do it," he says. "If you start getting you'll likely see results as long as you stay below 10 bad results with fat fasting or bone broth fasting, you or 20 grams of protein per day. As a reminder, protein can go to classic water-only fast."

raises your insulin, although not to the same degree as net carbs do. Excess protein is likely more damaging

•Fat fasting. Here, you allow healthy fats during the metabolically than excess carbs. fast in addition to water and/or non-caloric beverages.

While you probably would not eat a stick of butter, "I was looking at some data recently where they you could have bulletproof coffee (black coffee with graphed where your blood sugars are in relation to butter, coconut oil or MCT oil), for example. Alterna- where your ketones are. Ketones start to go up as your tively, you could add the fat to your tea.

blood glucose falls [but] that slope changes in different people," Fung says. "If you look at, for instance, type

Dietary fat produces a very minor insulin response, 2 diabetics, they have a very steep slope. That is their and since you're keeping your insulin levels low, you're blood glucose — even as it falls — ketones don't go up. still getting most of the benefits of fasting even though That's probably why they feel like crap, because they're you're consuming plenty of calories. Adding healthy not getting the ketones. The blood glucose is going fats such as butter, coconut oil, MCT oil and avocado down, which it should, but the body should be procan make the fasting experience a lot easier. "Lots of ducing ketones for their fuel for the brain, but it's not. people have done very well with this sort of fat fast," In those cases, some of the fat bombs, some of the Fung notes, adding "Anything that increases your pro- exogenous ketones, may actually make it a lot easier

for people to get through that. As your body becomes ply too risky for the child. [fat] adapted, which can take two weeks to a month, that shouldn't happen anymore …

Use Caution If You're on Medication

If you have never fasted and you do a three-day fast, If you're on medication, you need to use caution when you may feel pretty lousy. We tell people to expect that. fasting, as some may need to be taken with food. This You can either continue or you can take a break and let includes metformin, aspirin and any other drugs that your body become more adapted to it."

might cause stomach upset or stomach ulcers. Risks are especially high if you're on diabetic medication.

The same applies to hunger pangs, which tend to kick If you take the same dose of medication but don't eat, in the hardest on the second day of a fast. By the fifth you run the risk of having very low blood sugars (hyor sixth day, however, hunger practically disappears.

poglycemia), which can be very dangerous.

Important Contraindications

So, if you're on diabetic drugs, you must adjust your medication before you fast. If your doctor is adverse

While 80 percent of the population would likely benefit toward or unfamiliar with fasting, you'd be wise to find from water fasting, there are several absolute contrain- one that has some experience in this area so that they dications. If any of the following apply to you, you can guide you on how to do this safely. should NOT do extended types of fasting: Keep in mind that hypoglycemia is best diagnosed by •

Underweight, defined as having a body mass symptoms alone, opposed to any specific blood glu-

index (BMI) of 18.5 or less.

cose number. I wear a 24-hour continuous glucose monitor. Sometimes when I'm really pushing my carbs

•

Malnourished (in which case you need to eat low, I'll go down to 35 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl)

healthier, more nutritious food).

at night, yet I'm not symptomatic at all. For someone who's hypoglycemic or used to having blood sugar le-

•

Children should not fast for longer than 24 vels of 180, dropping to 35 could put them in serious

hours, as they need nutrients for continued growth. If trouble. your child needs to lose weight, a far safer and more appropriate approach is to cut out refined sugars and Also be aware that if you have high uric acid, fasting grains. Fasting is risky for children as it cuts out ALL can precipitate gout. Fasting tends to increase your uric nutrients, including those they need a steady supply of. acid level because your kidneys increase their reabsorption of uric acid when you don't eat. Most people will •

Pregnant and/or breastfeeding women. The not experience a problem, but if you have gout you

mother needs a steady supply of nutrients in order to may need to consult with your physician about this. assure the baby's healthy growth and development, so fasting during pregnancy or while breastfeeding is sim-

Interesting Facts About Fasting and Meal Timing There are so many advantages to it: It's not compliYour body is a marvel of ingenuity, and the more you cating your life. It's actually simplifying your life. It can work WITH it rather than against it, the healthier doesn't cost any money. In fact, this saves you money. you're likely to be. Consider the following: Intermit- It doesn't take any time. In fact, it saves you time betent fasting involves scheduling your meals in such a cause you don't have to cook, you don't have to eat, way that you get a period of fasting each day. Typi- you don't have to do anything. You don't have to plan cally, you'll eat all of your meals within a six- or seven- for it. hour window. When I first started intermittent fasting, I decided to skip breakfast.

There are so many different ways that it's beneficial.

You can add it to any diet. If you're vegetarian, you

However, in studying mitochondrial function, I rea- can still fast. If you don't eat nuts, if you have an allized it's not a good idea to eat late at night, because lergy to meat, if you can't cook, you can still fast. Any that's when your body is readying for rest, regenera- diet can be improved by fasting. It's so powerful. You tion and repair. Eating in the evening creates surplus can continue fasting as long as you want until you get ATP, which will simply generate excessive amounts the benefits that you want. The world record is 382 of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS). At that days. You can go a long time powered on your own point, I began avoiding food for a minimum of three body fat." hours (and typically it's closer to five or even six hours) before bedtime.

Yes, Fasting Is Safe and, Yes, You Can Do It

"There's some interesting data on that," Fung says. Barring you fall into any of the contraindicated groups, "If you look at insulin response, insulin drives a lot fasting is safe. Even very sick patients have done it and of weight gain. But if you take the same meal close to improved their health in the process. Fung has been bedtime versus in the middle of the day, you actual- using water fasting and variations thereof in his clinily get a higher insulin response at the end of the day, cal practice for the past five years. which is interesting and which is not good.

In that time, he's placed well over 1,000 patients on I actually think it's best to take your biggest meal so- various fasting regimens. Some do tremendously well. metime [around] lunch to early afternoon, and then One man in his mid-50s had struggled with diabetes go easy at [your] night time meal and into the next for two decades. Within two weeks, he was able to quit day. I think there's something in that ‌ There's not a taking all of his diabetes medications. His blood sugar lot of science out there, but I think it really makes a was back to normal without them. lot of sense. In terms of the advantages of fasting, the key thing to understand is that fasting is almost the "Then his sister saw he was doing really well. She opposite of every diet that's out there. That's why it's comes in. She's on three pills for diabetes. Within a so successful.

month, we took her off all three. She takes herself off

the other two blood pressure medications and choles- You can also learn more by visiting Fung's website, Interol pills. We took her off six medications in a month tensiveDietaryManagement.com. It has a weekly blog and a half. That's amazing. Obviously, they did very and provides a lot of information about fasting and well. But that just goes to show you what can happen related topics. when you try some of these things," Fung says.

"Initially, there was a huge amount of skepticism. Everybody thought I was crazy. But now I have so much support from my own local area because everybody has seen the results. I have lots of doctors at my hospital who are doing it. Once they see it themselves, they're like … 'This is amazing.' They start referring me patients and say, 'I want these benefits for my patients.'

Because they know they can't provide that kind of supportive environment that we can provide; that we set up in our clinic, where we kind of anticipate their problems, give them the support, the online resources, the books … to be able to do it successfully. That's the key: To have the acceptance. There are so many naysayers out there who say, 'You shouldn't do this. You can't do this.' But within my own local area now, we're really seeing a lot of strong support for this, because it's undeniable."

More Information I believe Fung has written an excellent, if not the best, book on how to implement extended fasting. If you're overweight or struggle with chronic illness, I highly recommend getting "The Complete Guide to Fasting," as it will really guide you through the process. Most likely — unless you're taking medications — you will not require a professional healthcare consultant help you. It's nice to have, but you can likely manage on your own.

Get Healthy Now Y7 Staff

You do need some fat, of course. Plant-based foods like olive oil,

You don't have to overhaul your entire diet to get a big health

nuts, seeds, and avocados contain healthy fats that are essential

boost. Here are five simple changes you can put into action to-

for energy and cell growth. To add more good fats to your diet,

day for high-impact results.

snack on almonds instead of chips, cook with olive oil instead of butter, and top your sandwich with a slice of avocado instead of

1. Load Up on Fruits and Veggies

cheese.

You know fruits and vegetables are good for you, but did you Also, some fish (such as salmon) is high in good-for-you omeknow they should fill half your plate at every meal? That's what

ga-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends

the the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends, and

eating fish at least twice a week.

for good reason: Packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, fruits and vegetables make you less likely to get heart disease, high

3. Drink Water, Not Lattes

blood pressure, and some cancers.

If most of what you're drinking every day isn't plain water (think Your daily goal: 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of veggies.

soda, coffee drinks, sports drinks, and juices), you're probably

Sound like a lot? "Think about eating them all day," says Cheryl overloading on added calories and sugar. "People think juice Forberg, RD, author of Flavor First: Cut Calories and Boost Flavor. bars are great, but if you're having a jumbo you're not doing yourself a favor," Forberg says.

Top your morning eggs with salsa (yes, it counts!), lunch on vegetable soup or a sandwich topped with sprouts, snack on a

Water, on the other hand, goes a long way in boosting health.

strawberry-banana smoothie, and for dinner add chopped-up Every cell in your body needs it to work properly. Water also veggies to your meat loaf or pasta sauce.

helps your digestion.

2. Choose Better Fats

Trade sugary drinks for water. Aim for about six to eight glasses a day. To help reach that goal, start and end your day with a tall

Saturated and trans fats can raise your bad cholesterol level

glass of water and keep a water bottle with you during the day.

and your risk of heart disease. By cutting back on animal-based

Need more flavor? Drop a slice of lemon or lime into your glass.

foods like butter, bacon, and untrimmed meats, as well as pantry staples like cookies and crackers, you can keep these at bay.

4. Eat More Fiber

Eating less bad fats can be as easy as switching from whole milk

Want to reduce belly fat, have more energy, and lower your risk

to fat-free milk, eating a turkey burger instead of a beef burger, of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer? and switching from peanut butter to a lower-fat nut butter, Forberg says.

Simply bump up your fiber intake.

Fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans can also lower your cholesterol and boost digestion. Plus fiber makes you feel fuller longer, which is great for keeping off extra pounds, says Jessica Crandall, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

To get more fiber, replace refined breads with whole-grain breads, choose brown rice instead of white rice, and switch to whole-wheat pasta.

Start your day with a bran muffin or oatmeal. Snack on an apple, a cup of berries, or popcorn.

You can also add fiber to your usual foods. "Sprinkle high-fiber cereal on top of your yogurt or add flaxseeds to your salad to give it a flavor pop as well as a high-fiber benefit," Crandall says.

5. Keep Portions in Check Reaching for a smaller plate may be the easiest thing you can do for a healthier diet. A study by Cornell University found that people eat less that way.

Why? It's an optical illusion. "Your mind is tricked into eating less by being visually satisfied," Crandall says.

"Portion control is good for many different things, whether it's obesity, high cholesterol, or diabetes," she says. If you're trying to lose weight, portion control is key.

More strategies for keeping your portions in check: •

Eat from a plate (not out of a bag).

•

Avoid nibbling in front of the TV.

•

Buy single-serve portions.

•

Eat slowly, enjoying the flavors and aromas of every

bite.

Bury the Hatchet Dr. Zeina Zeidan Maalouly

The debate for gender inequality reverberated into center stage after Hilary Clinton lost the American elections last year.

There was a genuine surprise stemming from her failure despite the fact that the general pu- Some of the most successful multin

blic chose her. In spite of the validity of the circumstances, her loss posed a very important women as board members which e question of whether or not women are still discriminated against when one of the shrewdest

men and women. Initially, this me

politicians was stopped short as if the mythical glass ceiling still holds. Is it paranoia or are we the characteristics of both gender still under the influence?

training and promoting them. Such

ring women haven’t shown real ap In the Middle East, for example, it wasn’t until recently that women were considered worth

different approaches for leadership

of obtaining a higher education that allows them to break through the higher echelons of

Companies are now paving the w

the corporate world. They were homemakers. When women were allowed into the workplace,

boost their profits. In an ironic twis

they were there to supplement the man’s work by taking on the routine and mundane roles.

curious about transformational lea

Even though they have done much to dispel this distorted image, some societies have yet to

uses feministic approaches such as

come around to accept such changes mainly because a few decades are not nearly enough

in eliminating centuries of misconceptions. However, this is not impossible to achieve. As we So the key for real integration is no have seen around the world, there are women in leading positions in politics and business,

women are complementary, not co

be it in Chile, Germany or Britain. It took a long time for this to happen in Europe and North

the differences should be assimilat

America, and there is still much to be improved. Women still receive lower wages than men. I represent a unique woman empo

Why is this? We must push for equality and more women in leadership. Such support should financial institution in the country. I

come from everyone, but especially women themselves, as we do, after all, represent half the corporate leadership for gender eq

world’s population. Look at what happened in Iceland in 1975. The UN had declared 1975 a and societies. Hopefully I can insp

Women’s Year. Inspired by this, 90 percent of Icelandic women went on strike, refusing to work, and make their operational and ma cook or look after children for the day. It profoundly changed the country, and led to Europe’s first female president.

Unfortunately, the workplace has been designed exclusively for male dominance with no regard for the special needs of women. If women are to thrive, they need the settings and privileges that men already have and not convenience tokens done to create the impression of equality. True equality was never about forcing women to morph into a halfway hybrid that caters to the whims of male dominance. There should be a radical destructuralization of the status quo to accommodate for the new blood entering the marketplace.

nationals have come to recognize the importance of having

entail the creation of an environment that is equal towards

eant creating a strategy that gave special consideration to

rs to be implemented when it comes to recruiting, hiring,

h a strategy would not have even been considered if pionee-

ptitude for businesses. At the end of the day, the drastically

p styles have been a key factor for breakthrough innovation.

way because they see an untapped resource that can help

st, the world of management is now very eager and equally

adership as the leading style of management, a style that

s nurturing and positive reinforcement.

ot forcing either gender to yield in favor of another. Men and

ontradictory, so a genuine understanding and acceptance of

ted in order to bury this pointless conflict.

owerment case in Lebanon, being the first chairwoman of a

It should not be an exception. I strongly believe in high-level

quality, which leads to building strong and stable economies

pire other businesses and sectors to change their mindset,

anagerial environment to be more open to women.

Say Goodbye to Antibacterial Soap

Y7 Staff Antibacterial soaps have all the same properties as regular soap, but with an extra ingredient added that is intended to UNDERCOVER stop the bacteria remaining on your skin from replicating. The idea is that this additive will further protect the handwasher from harmful bacteria as compared to regular soap. It is important to mention that these ingredients generally have no effect on viruses, so the focus is to reduce the risk from bacterial germs. The most common antibacterial additive found in consumer hand soaps is a compound called triclosan.

Triclosan: the good, the bad, and the unknown A Swiss company called Ciba-Geigy was the first to synthesize and patent triclosan in 1964, and, by 1970, it was in use around the world as a surgical scrub in hospitals. Today, it is estimated that 3 of every 4 antibacterial liquid soaps sold to the typical consumer contains triclosan as the active ingredient.

While it is a useful part of many consumer products such as toothpastes, there are some concernsregarding the use of triclosan. Studies done on cells and animals in labs suggest the chemical can impact hormone signaling and other biological processes. There is also evidence that accumulation of triclosan in the environment negatively impacts organisms like algae in aquatic ecosystems. However, it is also important to point out that, to date, triclosan has not been directly linked to negative health effects in humans. On the other hand, some of the other additives recently banned by the FDA, like hexachlorophene, have been directly shown to be harmful to humans, especially with high or repeated exposure. Fortunately, for chemicals like these, the FDA has had limitations in place for years to ensure over-the-counter exposure to consumers is within safe limits.

Lastly, there are concerns that triclosan use may increase the risk of generating drug-resistant bacteria. It is well documented that bacteria normally found on your skin can become resistant to triclosan itself. Specifically, triclosan-resistant bacteria typically have mutations in proteins called enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductases (ENRs), which are important for the biosynthesis of cell membranes and are also targets for other clinically used antibiotic drugs like Isoniazid.

Thus, when bacteria populations are continually exposed to triclosan, especially from environmental accumulation, they develop mutations in their ENRs to survive the exposure. The major public health concern is that these ENR mutations can also make these bacteria resistant to other antibiotics prescribed by doctors (Figure 2). If this is the case, limiting the use of triclosan to only products where it is most effective could be very important.

Figure 2: Environmental exposure to triclosan helps bacterial populations develop resistance mutations to triclosan and other important antibiotics The FDA’s Position Perhaps the most important role of the FDA is to protect public health. One way it can do so is by ensuring compounds in consumer products are “generally recognized as safe and effective.” While there is little evidence to suggest triclosan and other antibacterial additives are directly unsafe for humans, the actual effectiveness of these additives in household soaps had still not been proven as of a few years ago. With that in mind, the FDA issued a ruling in 2013 that required manufacturers to provide direct evidence that household soaps marketed as antibacterial are better at reducing germs and chances of infection compared to plain soaps. Companies had one year to submit their studies.

To date, there has been no conclusive evidence to suggest household antibacterial soaps are an improvement over non-antibacterial soaps. In fact, one study found it didn’t matter whether a household used plain or antibacterial soap containing triclocarban, a compound that is closely related to triclosan and is a part of the FDA ban: both cut the incidence of childhood pneumonia and diarrhea in half.

This means that if you are washing your hands with antibacterial soap, you are exposing yourself and the environment to increased amounts of these chemicals without any measurable benefit. It is for this reason that the FDA has banned adding triclosan and 18 other common antibacterial agents to household soaps, and manufacturers will have until September 2017 to comply with the ruling.

Nonetheless, there are still consumer uses for triclosan that have been proven extremely beneficial, and these are not banned by the FDA. For instance, toothpaste with triclosan has been shown to significantly reduce plaque formation, cavity formation and gingivitis compared to toothpaste without triclosan. Additionally, there are some antibacterial additives in soaps that are not subject to the FDA’s recent ruling. Many companies have replaced the banned ingredients, like triclosan, with one of these three not banned ingredients, and the FDA has granted these companies another year to demonstrate these additives are safe and effective.

“Handwashing is like a do-it-yourself vaccine,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Washing with plain soap and water has been shown to reduce bacterial presence on hands by 82%, and studies upon studies point to the beneficial health impacts of washing with plain soap. Clearly the chemical properties of plain soap and its tendency for increasing handwashing time are enough to dramatically increase the health of consumers without adding antibacterial compounds. So, while the FDA has banned household soaps containing many common antibacterial ingredients, handwashing with plain soap will remain a cornerstone of public health and should continue to be a major part of your daily hygiene.

27

It is Not a Matter of Inhumanity

DR. LAURENCE AJAKA

When the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, hundreds of people who aren’t its own citizens. thousands of Syrian refugees flooded the surrounding countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan fleeing The money and samples donated from the United Nathe war. Naturally, this has created a refugee problem tions are not enough. And even that is being slashed that has worsened during the last few years as the war even as more refugees enter. The influx also created continued to wage on and even more people had to an even more challenging economic situation where flee their homes. Ironically, the heaviest burden of re- owners are opting for the cheaper Syrian labor. More fugees fell on the shoulders of the Lebanese people.

and more Lebanese people are losing their jobs. There

There are no clear statistics about the number of Sy- are numerous social problems such as rape and marrian refugees in Lebanon, but they are estimated to be riage of minors. The Lebanese people feel as if they more than 1 million people. These numbers are mis- have lost control over their own countries. leading because they only account for those who entered the country legally. The long borders between Those who challenge this decision must look into the the two countries have historically been easily pene- premise that led to this decision. Unless some meatrated at many stretches where no formal border lines sures are taken, the possibility of the Lebanese soil were put in place. With this overwhelming influx, the being completely “occupied” by refugees is a distinct Lebanese government is trying to stop this flow and possibility. Whether you like it or not, something has has issued orders to stop renewing the visas and en- to be done and it was due yesterday. trance permits of more refugees into the country. This was met with uproar both nationally and internationally, citing the decision as a barbaric and non-humanitarian one. How accurate is that?

It is to be noted that initially, the Syrian refugees were welcomed with open arms. Unlike most countries, they were allowed to live anywhere they want as well as finding employment. This is unavailable in any other country except for the wealthy upper middle classes.

Having just came out of a grueling civil war as well as numerous ones against the Israeli, the Lebanese economy and infrastructure have taken a gruesome blow. Even prior to the Syrian crisis, the country was under considerable burdens that caused most of its intellectuals to flee and find better opportunities elsewhere. The government barely had enough to support its own citizens and is now under the obligation to spend even more money it doesn’t have to support

Between Love and Lust Father Tony El Khoury After years of marriage, love turns into respect, and the coexistence of couples is inevitable. It imposes itself on them. Many of them do not have the ability to change the situation because of their cultural, social and religious heritage. Isn’t that true?!

teous.

The first is merciful, and the second is vindictive.

The first is understanding, and the second is indifferent.

The first is honest, and the second is elusive.

I was asked by a young man who spoke on The first is liberating, and the second is enslabehalf of a youth group. I asked him, 'What love ving. are you talking about? Are there any kinds of love?” They all answered with one united voice: The first is permanent, and the second is tem“No, no, there are no two kinds of love but only porary. one love, and there is what is called love and lust. We often confuse love with lust, so we attri- The first grows, becomes rooted and exalts with bute the second to the first, but it is not. There time, the second grows weaker and collapses was silence… with time.

Let me explain further to understand the diffe- If you really want love; love that does not fade rence between the two: away, the love that makes you say to your partner or partner after long years of marriage: The first gives and the second takes.

"Thank you seventy times seven times", you The first is free, and the second is usufructuary. should look for it, not in books, magazines, cineThe first is endued, and the second is consu- mas and other social media, but in the Book of ming.

Life: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is The first is patient, and the second is irascible. of God, and everyone who loves is born of God The first is modest, and the second is arrogant. and knows God. He who does not love does not The first is sensitive, and the second is harsh. know God, for God is love" (1 John 4: 7-8).

The first is gladdening, and the second is the green-eyed.

The first is agreeable, and the second is discour-

t

It’s Meant to Be Enjoyed and Experienced!

By Dr. Laurence Ajaka

Adults do not like to be uncertain about anything. They like to be in full control of everything in their lives. Uncertainty is not an option for them because every decision they make, they have to take responsibility for. This can be very frustrating for everyone involved.

But these do not have to be great trails because they are the opportunities to allow them to take an intuitive decision that may change the rest of their lives. They are the chance to rise beyond the mediocrity they were in.

But then the question arises about where to go from here. It’s useful to stop for a bit and contemplate the future. They should realize that the end isn’t necessarily here and now. They should realize that there are unexplored pastures waiting. They should be open to the possibility that the edge is only a starting point to soaring higher.

Above all, they should be adamant that the best is yet to come.

The alternative is never a choice. It’s just a slow death where they would spend the time obsessing and pondering the future. They are afraid that what was gained could easily be taken away again. It’s a life with no joy and no hope; it is a death within a life. Instead, they should let go and trust in the Divine, in the Maker that shaped this universe. Only then can joy enter their lives and prosperity be savored. The end is not finality but a chance to rejoice.

People lecture others about the merits of bravery failing to realize that it’s not a choice that one can easily make. It’s a leap of faith that requires a commitment to mind, heart, and spirit to plow on against the crashing tides. It’s letting go of the cloak of self-victimization and accepting all shortcomings.

So when you next admire the bravery of others, realize that you too have the makings of courage within. It’s the ability to get knocked down and still be able and willing to rise up and fight for one’s beliefs and convictions.

Life will happen to all of us even if we barricade ourselves behind closed doors.

It’s messy, complicated and downright intriguing. Accept the risk you take with every step you make. Bravery is painful, but it’s the secret formula for turning the ordinary into legendary.

Unearth it DR. LAURENCE AJAKA

t Within

Behind the Window

Nohad Habib

She contemplated why her friends insisted on keeping her identity a secret. Besides, who even reads her articles?

The situation was turbulent and the government will not be stupid enough to give any attention to her, someone who amounts to less than nothing screaming for freedom of speech or demanding bread and jobs for the poor.

So she decided to stop living like a rat wasting her years hiding from the sun when she could be luxuriating under a tropic sun, rich and famous.

At that moment a suffocating wave of fear invaded her whole body.

What about her love? What would James do?

She inhaled a deep breath.Just yesterday, he took her into his arms whispering words of love in her ears and gently calling out her name, "Nour, Nour, my love". to be continued

Do You Really Know?

By Dr. Laurence Ajaka

It never fails to unnerve me when I see people speaking with eloquence and passion about a topic only to have those listening answer back with a dismissive and curt “I know� when they have no notion about what is being said. Why undermine the toll it took for those individuals to process these concepts? Why not listen politely and acknowledge their efforts? After all, you are being offered something precious to enrich your own personal life experience given freely. At least give them some credit; a few kind words is a small price to pay for a chance to widen your horizons beyond the silly knick knacks cluttering your brain.

Professor Hoda Nehme

Middle Easterners, Christians and lon's Hanging Gardens into a scorMuslims alike, you are urged to ched battlefield full of the debris of shed your cocoon of fear to step past regrets. into the light you once basked in.

Remember whence you came from; from the cradle of all heavenly religions and land of ancient civilizations. You were humanity's first spark of intelligence and progress.

You were the beacon that leads the rest of the world into a brighter future.

Let go of the petty prejudices that have alienated you from your true identities as pioneers. Seek the knowledge of your ancestors to break the shackles of an era that has molded you into nothing but mindless tools serving gluttonous masters. For you is the legacy of Middle Eastern wisdom and torch carriers of those who brought the written letter and changed the face of civilization.

Turn the page over this shameful episode; redefine the future you were meant for. Delve into history and restore your culture of acceptance and enlightenment, a beautiful amalgamation of ideas and beliefs. Do not allow antiquated and senseless ideologies to affect your lives and turn the home of Baby-

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Ramadan Karim!