Polyphenol-rich cranberry juice may boost heart health by alleviating arterial stiffness, says a new study from the Boston and Tufts Universities.

Double-strength cranberry containing 835 milligrams of total polyphenols and 94 mg of anthocyanins was associated with improvements in a measure of arterial stiffness called carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, according to findings published in theAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition. On the other hand, the Boston-based scientists report no benefits from cranberry juice consumption were observed for other measures of vascular or cardiovascular function, including blood pressure or brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, a measure of endothelial dysfunction since a low value is indicative of a blood vessel’s inability to relax. “We did observe a highly significant effect of cranberry juice on stiffness of the central aorta, which is increasingly recognized as an important measure of vascular function with relevance to cardiovascular disease,” wrote the researchers, led by Boston University’s Joe Vita, MD. “Overall, our results may provide further support for the American Heart Association recommendation that cardiovascular disease risk may be reduced by a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, including cranberries,” they added. Established and emerging health benefits Cranberry is most famous for its ability to fight urinary tract infections, something that has led to almost one third of parents in the US giving it to their children, according to a recent study. In 2004 France became the first country to approve a health claim for the North American cranberry species Vaccinium macrocarpon, which states that it can‘help reduce the adhesion of certain E.coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls’. Other health conditions that may benefit from cranberry include stomach health, with several reports indicating that the berry’s constituents may inhibit the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach. H. pylori is the only bacteria that can survive in the acidic environment of the stomach and known to cause peptic ulcers and gastritis. In addition studies have suggested that proanthocyanidin-rich cranberry extracts may inhibit the growth and spread of human oesophageal adenocarcinoma (a cancer in glandular tissue), or may prevent colon cancer via an anti-inflammatory mechanism.

Study details The researchers performed two studies: The first was an acute pilot study with no placebo involving 15 participants; the second was a chronic placebo-controlled crossover study with 44 participants with coronary artery disease. In the acute, non-placebo controlled, pilot study, the researchers reported that cranberry juice (480 mL) was associated with improvements in both brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, from 7.7 percent before ingestion to 8.7 percent four hours after ingestion, as well as digital pulse amplitude tonometry ratio from to 0.10 to 0.23. However, in the placebo-controlled, cross-over study, no such changes were observed. Dr Vita and his researchers did record a reduction in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity from 8.3 to 7.8 m/s. “We emphasize that the research beverage contained twice the amount of cranberry juice in commercially available cranberry juice and that the amount of anthocyanins consumed during the study greatly exceeded the average daily intake in the United States,” noted the researchers. “Additional studies will be needed to determine how cranberry juice reduces central aortic stiffness, but our finding of improved pulse wave velocity without a change in endothelial function may be consistent with an effect at the level of the arterial wall or a change in sympathetic tone,” they added. The study was funded by cranberry giant Ocean Spray and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.004242
“Effects of cranberry juice consumption on vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease”
Authors: M.M. Dohadwala, M. Holbrook, N.M. Hamburg, S.M. Shenouda, W.B. Chung, M. Titas, M.A. Kluge, N. Wang, J. Palmisano, P.E. Milbury, J.B. Blumberg, J.A. Vita

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In response to the current crisis resulting from the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11th, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Board of Directors is galvanizing the fashion industry’s participation in a “Fashion & Friends for Japan” fundraiser to benefit the victims of the natural disasters.

Kicking off on Tuesday, April 5th, the CFDA is hosting an online auction at luxury charity auction site charitybuzz.com. All proceeds will benefit the Japan Society’s Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, which will funnel 100% of the monies to front-line organizations in Japan assisting in the short and long-term recovery.

“The crisis in Japan is something that has affected us all and as a community and industry we felt a responsibility to act,” said Steven Kolb, Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. “This initiative hits very close to home as many members of the CFDA community have close business ties and partnerships in Japan and we view this is an extension of the work we accomplished in the “Fashion for Haiti” initiative. The response we have received has been overwhelming and we continue to encourage donations and support.”

Motoatsu Sakurai, Japan Society President responded, “We are humbled by the generosity of CFDA members’ donations. We thank you for your support and for raising awareness of Japan in a time of crisis.”

Through an outpouring of support from the fashion community, the CFDA has already secured over 100 donations for the “Fashion & Friends for Japan” initiative. A sampling of the donations received include:

• Bid on a chance to meet Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour and attend a photo shoot for the magazine
• One full week’s stay at the private home of Diane von Furstenberg in the Bahamas
• Ralph Lauren’s Paris – Two Round Trip Business Class Tickets from NYC to Paris, two nights at the Bristol Hotel in a deluxe room, dinner for two at Ralph’s, the quintessential American restaurant in Paris, a 1,000 euro shopping experience at the Ralph Lauren store on St. Germain, and two tickets to visit “The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection,” an exclusive exhibit of Mr. Lauren’s vintage automobiles featured at the Musée des Arts décoratifs.
• Live like a Vanity Fair writer for a day—minus the torture of actually reporting and writing. The winning bidder will take a tour of the Vanity Fair offices, have lunch with one of the editors, sit in on a meeting in Graydon Carter’s office, and then finish off the day with a dinner for four at Mr. Carter’s restaurant, The Monkey Bar.
• Morning, Noon & Night with Tory Burch – Morning: $3,000 shopping spree at Tory Burch with a personal stylist; Noon: Lunch with Tory and the design team;
  Night: 2 tickets and backstage passes to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s concert
• Lunch and style consultation with celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, includes a tour of her offices and additional styling tips from her team
• Go behind the scenes with The Hilfigers at the Spring 2012 Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign shoot. Get prepped out in a full Tommy Hilfiger look at the brand’s Fifth Avenue store before having your photograph taken with the Hilfigers.
• A meet and greet with The Row designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen plus an entire wardrobe of Elizabeth and James and The Row Collections
• Two tickets to the Elton John Oscar’s Party
• The opportunity to intern for a day at Elle Magazine along with a personal fashion consultation with Elle Creative Director Joe Zee
• Have a Barbie custom made by Mattel in your likeness, valued at over $10,000
• Courtesy of DKNY, enjoy a “VIP” experience at Yankee Stadium for four guests. Experience includes a private tour of Monument Park followed by watching the Yankees’ batting practice from the field, followed by a meet and greet with Yankees Manager Joe Girardi. Afterwards, watch the Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays on July 9th, 2011, from four front row Legends Suite seats
• A lunch and style consultation with TV Personality and Project Runway Judge Tim Gunn
• Two tickets to the Vera Wang Spring Summer 2012 Fashion Show followed by a meet and greet with the designer and a $2000 shopping spree at the Vera Wang flagship store
• The opportunity to personalize a PS1 ‘it’ bag with Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez
• A “Made to Measure Experience” custom suit and fitting from designer Tom Ford
• Eight tickets to the Metropolitan Opera and dinner with Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy
• Two tickets to a live filming of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” along with private cocktails with host Andy Cohen following the filming
• And many, many more……….

The initiative will move forward with the support of the entire fashion industry and will be an ongoing effort. There is no current deadline for donation submissions and the CFDA encourages all members of the fashion community to continue to submit their donations and support.

To make a donation or to request more information about how you can make a contribution to the initiative please contact japan@cfda.com. For a full list of auction items, visit www.charitybuzz.com/FashionandFriendsforJapan.

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If your wallet isn’t agreeing with everyday beauty budgets, start searching your kitchen cabinets because you can find ingredients to create fresh, homemade, and even organic beauty solutions! Their more effective and cheaper then those expensive drugstore products and your skin and hair will thank you later! Do you have any natural beauty tips? If so, leave me a comment below

For Brilliant hair
- To mend split ends rub olive oil into the ends of hair. Leave in for 30 minutes and then shampoo as usual. The oil nourishes hair and adds moisture.

- To add brightness and a shiny gloss to hair, Julia March, owner and specialist at Julia March Skincare, recommends combining 2-3 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar with a cup of water. Use this mixture after shampooing, and be sure to rinse to avoid a lingering vinegar aroma!

- Done with that beer? Put it aside for the shower. After shampooing, rinse wet hair with a tepid beer for added volume and shine.

For a radiant face
- Problem skin? March suggests letting the face absorb the vapors from a steaming pot of 3 tablespoons of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar combined with a quart of filtered water. Raw apple cider vinegar can also be used as a tonic for oily skin when mixed with distilled water at a 1:1 ratio (not steamed).

- To combat puffy eyes, apply used black teabags to the swollen area.

- If slightly sunburned, apply cucumber slices to the face. Dry skin will draw moisture from the slices, in addition to being nourished by the many vitamins in cucumbers.

- For hydration and a radiant glow, March recommends applying a facial mask of raw honey and plain, full fat yogurt for 15- 20 minutes. The fats in the dairy and honey will moisturize and nourish the skin.

For smooth skin
- To exfoliate the body effectively and inexpensively, create a DIY body scrub with olive oil and sea salt. Pay special attention to rough areas like elbows, knees and feet. March notes that a few drops of lavender extract add a nice and soothing scent to this homemade concoction.

- All out of bath foam and in need of a luxurious bath? Adding a quart of full cream milk to bath water will help restore and calm skin’s lipids while milk proteins help maintain skin’s elasticity.

- For hard and white nails, spoil fingers with a lemon bath. Dip nails into one half of a lemon and turn them, squeezing out the juice. Let them soak for a minute.

For whiter teeth
- As a cheap alternative to whitening teeth, mix a teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt with a small glass of water until mixture is paste-like. Brush teeth as usual and rinse well. It is proven that baking soda will help lighten stains, but be careful not to use too often. Once every two weeks should be enough, as baking soda can be abrasive and erode tooth enamel.

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A number of previous studies report of science cardiovascular benefits of garlic. Karin Ried, from the University of Adelaide (Australia), and colleagues have found beneficial effects for aged garlic extracts in reducing high blood pressure (hypertension).  The team studied 50 people with treated but uncontrolled hypertension. Subjects either received a daily dose of aged garlic extract of 3.84 grams (equivalent to 2.5 grams of fresh garlic), or placebo, for 12 weeks.  They found a drop in systolic blood pressure of 10.2 mmHg, in the subjects who took the garlic extract, while no effects on diastolic blood pressure were observed. The researchers conclude that: “Our trial suggests that aged garlic extract is superior to placebo in lowering systolic blood pressure similarly to current first line medications in patients with treated but uncontrolled hypertension.”

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Bono is in Australia for World AIDS Day on December 1, and has praised the country’s leaders for helping fight HIV globally during the current economic recession.

“Times are hard in the Western world,” he said. “[Health agencies are] fighting hard for funding. In recessionary times, people have to tell their politicians this is important to them.

“Some people think that the pandemic is on its way out and it’s job done… It is really not so.”

Bono joined Prime Minister Julia Gillard at a special World AIDS Day launch in Sydney which saw the Opera House and Harbour Bridge lit up red in recognition of the U2 singer’s (RED) charity.

“I think, generally people like myself, you know, we’re good at raising the alarm, you know and calling the fire brigade,” he said. “You know we’re good at dramatising the situation and pointing out that this awful haemorraging of human life that doesn’t have to be.”

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What’s the best form of exercise to keep you fit over the holiday season?  Some you’ll actually do.  As long as your fitness program raises your heart rate, includes strength training and is done at least thirty minutes a day five days a week, you are on track to keep your fitness goals even over the holidays.

Variety is the spice of life; it keeps you motivated and works better for your body by working different muscle groups. You don’t need to go to a gym or fitness equipment to stay in shape.  Here are ten simple, effective exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home that can help prevent putting on extra weight this holiday season.

Jump
Act like your kids on Christmas morning!  Jump up and down, or do some jumping jacks. They’re a great way to get the heart pumping and the limbs loosened up. 15-20 repetitions with a minute or two of rest between sets for thirty minutes should be sufficient. This will increase endurance and work on toning your thighs.

Push-ups
Push-ups confer all the same strength-training benefits of bench presses with barbells – without the risk of handling heavy weights and need for a “spotter.” You can adjust the intensity by elevating your feet. Push-ups do more than work your arms, there a total body workout.

Leg Lifts
This provides a strength training workout for the thighs and adductors (muscles that attach the upper leg to the hip). If you can’t manage leg lifts with a straight leg, bend the knee.

Crunches
You may not get “ripped” by doing crunches, but you’ll definitely work your ab muscles – and this will award real benefits to your back as well, and you will see an improvement in toning your abs.

Run, Jog or Skip
This is an exercise you can do while watching TV, doing household chores or just decorating the house for the holidays.  Just have fun, be inventive, creative as if no one is watching you!
Squats
It’s what you do every time you sit in and get up from a chair.  Just do it several times until you “feel the burn”.

Weights
Household weights that is.  You can get in a good resistance workout by lifting cans of food, milk and water jugs, sacks of flour or even the kids!  You would be amazed at how much weight training equipment is just sitting in your pantry, refrigerator or around the house.

Stairs
Finally, you don’t have to buy a bench step and sign up for a step class to do step. Chances are you’ve got a step or two around your home. So while those cookies are in the oven, run the stairs a few times. The timers will make great intervals and keep you fit while baking!

Walk
It’s also simple, low-impact and easy on the joints – just put on a comfortable pair of shoes, step outside and walk at a fairly brisk pace around your neighborhood. It’s a great way to clear the head and improve your mood.  It may be cold, but it will give you an opportunity to enjoy all the lights and decorations for the holiday season.

Yoga
Yoga is a great total body workout that not only strengthen and tone your muscles but completely stretches you while leaving you energized and relaxed at the same time.  Opt for some yoga videos you can do from home.  Their not expensive, they usually run anywhere from $9 to $16 at Amazon.com.  Just pop a video in one in when you have twenty minutes to an hour to take some time for yourself so you can get out of your mind and back into your body.  Try Ultimate Power Yoga by Rodney Yee.

These are simple exercises anyone can do at home and they work.  Remember, be creative and do what works for you, when you can fit it in here and there.  While you may not be getting a workout on treadmills or elipticals, the end result is the same and you should have a little extra cash this season to go and spend it on holiday gifts, or even treat yourself!

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The NBA is joining Greater Than AIDS to mobilize NBA fans and local communities in response to AIDS in the United States and reduce the stigma associated with the disease.

The campaign builds on the league’s longstanding tradition of supporting social causes, including global HIV/AIDS, as part of NBA Cares.

The campaign includes new television and radio public service ads (PSAs) featuring NBA / WNBA players, including Pau Gasol (LA Lakers), Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx), whose father, former professional baseball player Alan Wiggins, died of AIDS in 1991. The PSAs, which debut across NBA media assets and other Greater Than AIDS media platforms this month, can be found here.

In addition, Greater Than AIDS is working with NBA teams across the league to initiate targeted activations, community events, and special “Greater Than AIDS” in-arena nights to bring attention to HIV/AIDS in priority markets, tipping off with a World AIDS Day game in Boston, where the Celtics will host the Portland Trailblazers. Additional team activations are scheduled in December and January.

“Joining with the Greater Than AIDS campaign underscores the NBA family’s longstanding commitment to address important social issues related to health and wellness,” said NBA Community Relations Vice President Todd Jacobson. “The league supports the fight against HIV/AIDS year-round in a variety of ways, including bringing awareness programs to youth from more than 100 countries and territories around the world, and we look forward to continuing these efforts around World AIDS Day.”

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In this excerpt from her book, Ellen Rogers explains how a trained capuchin saved her son’s sanity, and maybe his life.

I consider myself something of a tragedy snob.

Having lived through some pretty terrible losses, I’m not easily undone. When I was 24, I got married in a hospital sunroom down the hall from the surgical ward where my father fought for a few last months of life. My husband, Ted Sullivan, was diagnosed with cancer when our daughter Megan was 2 and I was pregnant with our second child, Ned. Our little family soldiered on through Ted’s grueling treatment and the long, sad hospice days before his death. When Megan was 4 and Ned 18 months, their father, my husband, was gone.

A second marriage brought two beautiful stepdaughters, Kerry and Mindy, plus my three youngest: Jake, Maddie, and Anna Kokos. But our blended family unraveled after Mindy died at age 23 of melanoma. That world-rocking loss was followed by a bitter divorce. Somehow I’d managed to get us into a new house, juggling everyone’s activities with the demands of my business. Things were looking up. The younger kids were doing well in school. Ned was thriving as a senior at the University of Arizona, and we had all been rewarded with the joy of Megan’s wedding to true-blue cop Ron Holsinger. A miracle of modern love and a high-flying trapeze act of daily logistics, the Rogers-Sullivan-Kokos-Holsinger family was doing okay.

And then the phone call.

“Are you Edward Sullivan’s mother?”

Something about the way she said it. I could tell our world was about to fall apart.

“Your son’s been in an accident.”

Extensive injuries. Condition grave. Come immediately.

Walking into the ICU late that night, after two insanely tight flights from my home in Boston to the hospital in Tucson, I expected the spiderweb of tubes and IV lines. The apparatus of life support was nothing new to me, so I figured I was prepared for what was to come. But when I saw the medieval torture device that encompassed Ned’s head, I had to steady myself on the bed rail.

“What…what is that thing?”

“It’s called a halo,” said the nurse. “They put it on in surgery to secure his head to his neck.”

I damn near fainted.

The doctors delivered the news: “Major brain trauma, C1-C2 fractures, shearing… There can be no expectation of functional recovery with a devastating injury like this.”

Devastating. The word hit like a wrecking ball: to overwhelm…to render desolate…to lay waste. I listened and nodded, but I couldn’t accept it.

Not for Ned. Not my son.

Ned was strong and fit, a lifelong athlete, and one of the most motivated people I knew. As a kid, he’d driven us crazy with his collection of hoo-rah! inspirational sayings.

“Mom,” he once admonished when he found me watching Project Runway instead of unpacking groceries. “Procrastination is the thief of time!”

Now, seeing him so damaged, I scrolled through my memory, searching for something from his catalog of wise sayings that approached the gravity of this situation.

I reached through the halo and stroked Ned’s stubbled cheek.

“Winston Churchill,” I whispered. “When you’re going through hell…keep going.”

High-risk surgery was required to secure Ned’s head to his spine. His body was so compromised that he might not survive the operation. “What would you do if this were your son?” I asked one of the doctors.

“I’d fly him back to Boston for the surgery to be near his family. He’ll need all your support. Then I’d get him to a spinal cord injury specialty hospital like the Shepherd Center in Atlanta as fast as I could.”

A few weeks later, I was face-to-face with the surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It went well,” he told me in the exhausted post-op hours. “He’s stable. Doing as well as we could have expected.”

“Thank God,” I said and released a breath. “So now…what?”

“Now we watch and wait,” he said.

My least favorite mandate. I’m neither a watcher nor a waiter. My response to any situation is Do something.

I spent every day at the hospital, and when I left at night I told myself that Ned was in the care of the best doctors and nurses, that he was not alone. But I knew better. Ned was utterly alone. This man who would forever be my little boy was adrift in the dark—unable to speak or move or breathe—one blink for yes and two for no was all he had. My boy—my articulate, charming, “I can do anything” boy—couldn’t even say anything.

Eventually the swelling from the injury and the surgery began to recede. Ned tried to mouth a few words when he had the strength, but the movement was so minimal, it was impossible to read his lips. The effort was excruciating, so we developed an alphabet card system where I’d run a finger across the letters until he blinked a “stop” signal, then start over again, running a finger to the next letter, spelling out brief, stilted messages:

M…O…M…

“I’m here, Ned. I’m here.”

H…U…R…T…B…A…D…

“I love you, Ned. We all love you.”

H…E…L…P.

Tiny signs of improvement gave us courage. One day Ned miraculously took a breath without the ventilator. It was a lifesaving device, and we had been so grateful for it, but when the day came that Ned could breathe on his own, we were happy to get rid of it. Ditto for the medieval halo. Once that was removed, Ned could be hoisted over to sit in a chair to look out the window. His world was expanding now. He even went outside to get his first breath of fresh air in weeks.

These steps forward, along with antidepressants, seemed to pick up his spirits. He’d give a little smile to the nurses and mouth “Thank you” when they came in to help him. One day, he made a “kiss” with his lips when I was leaving. Later, for the first time in many months, Ned would speak. It would be sudden and surprising and I would rejoice like I had when he uttered his first syllables some 20 years before. Though he didn’t sound like himself, the effort was pure Ned. It was the best “Hi, Mom” I’d ever heard.

Three months after the accident, we medevaced Ned to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Until now, the hospitals had been about saving his life; Shepherd was about getting on with it. He gave his all in physical and occupational therapies. Ned was introduced to a wide range of possibilities including assistive technology to access a computer, and a sip-and-puff device to drive his wheelchair. Meanwhile, I was learning to use a Hoyer lift to transfer him from his bed to his shower chair or wheelchair and to manage his feeding tube. It was hard for both of us. We tried to reimagine our lives. Ned was determined, and despite grueling days, nerve pain that no drug was able to beat down, and pockets of despair, we all kept pushing forward.

It’s funny how you get used to things, how after a while even the arduous routine of a hospital can seem reassuring. I had never thought of it in those terms, of course, until the day our Shepherd case manager told me we needed to firm up a discharge plan.

Discharge plan? Ned couldn’t walk, he could barely communicate, and his beautiful young body was racked with pain. How could we possibly take him home? I was the sole breadwinner, so I had to get back to work. We were running on empty as it was. There was no way I could take care of Ned myself. He needed to be fed, shaved, showered, transferred to his wheelchair, taken to therapy—wait, did I need a wheelchair van? Ramps to get in the house? Skilled people to help with his medical needs?

Check. Check. Check.

Suddenly, and not for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the foreverness of the injury. “Okay,” I told the administrator, without a glimmer of a plan. “We’ll bring him home.”

Home is where the heart is. It’s also where the teenagers live, the married daughter comes to visit, and the college son comes home with his dirty laundry. And let’s not forget the dogs. I’ve tried to maintain an attitude of There’s always room for one more, but—one what?

When we were at Shepherd, the hospital staff had introduced us to an organization that trained assistive dogs for wheelchair-bound people. They brought a magnificent trained Lab. Ned wasn’t interested.

“We…have…dogs,” he said flatly. His speech was slow and monotone.

“I know, but…” I had another idea. I knew it might sound ridiculous. Still, it was worth a try. “Didn’t we once see something about trained monkeys? I’m serious. I saw it on 60 Minutes or something.”

Ned rolled his eyes and rasped, “Mom, try to get…a couple of…those flying monkeys…from The Wizard of Oz. Maybe a cowardly lion, too.”

“You’re hilarious. See you later.”

Back at the hotel that night, I checked my e-mail. Scrolling through my in-box of encouraging notes, I came to a message from Maddie and Anna’s school.

“Oh!”

I read the message again. “Dear Parents, You are invited to Friday’s assembly where Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled will be visiting.”

I’m a pragmatist. But I couldn’t help thinking this might be a sign.

A little more than a year later—after an understandably long and intricate application process—Megan Talbert, the executive director of Helping Hands, was standing in our living room, introducing us to a 21-year-old capuchin monkey named Kasey.

“Bonding is the key to everything,” she said, as Kasey leaped gracefully to Ned’s shoulder.

“She’s beautiful,” he said softly.

“I never thought I’d use the word elegant to describe a monkey,” I said. We greedily soaked up every detail that we could about Kasey.

“She weighs about five pounds—the perfect size for her job. She was a star at the Monkey College, graduating with flying colors. Capuchins can live 35 to 40 years in captivity, so she is in the prime of her life.”

Just then Kasey jumped up on the bar and dove into a dish of cashews, then she launched herself over to the coffee table, where she paged through a copy of People magazine. Finding nothing of interest in the exploits of Lindsay Lohan, she returned to Ned’s shoulder, leaving us breathless. Suddenly, the air in the room seemed lighter, full of oxygen and joy. It was simply not possible to look at that funny little face without experiencing a feeling of pure happiness.

Still, there was much work to be done. That first day, Megan and an occupational therapist, Jill, showed us how to set up Kasey’s cage and position it in Ned’s room (a process that would continue to confound us for weeks). They also showed us how to prepare her chow (in Tupperware, shaken, not stirred) as well as her other seven meals each day, and, most important, how to talk to Kasey and ask her to do the things Ned needed her to do.

I was intrigued by Megan’s uncanny understanding of Kasey’s complex vocabulary; the monkey was really noisy. Every squawk, whistle, warble, and trill, every peep-peep and skee-kit was nuanced.

And she definitely had her preferences. “She has several polar fleece blankies she likes to snuggle with,” said Megan. “She also has her favorite toys”—a black pleather coin purse that Kasey zipped open and shut; a plastic bath book, Mimi’s Toes (about a monkey in a bathtub); and a little roller coaster unit with chubby beads (a miniature version of that toy in every pediatrician’s office).

Meanwhile Jill was outfitting Ned’s wheelchair with a treat dispenser so he could offer Kasey a dollop of peanut butter on his finger.

“The treats help train Kasey to come to you and do tasks,” Jill told Ned. “Everything should be followed by a peanut butter reward.”

“Okay…. It’s just…” Ned’s hand was pretty much immobile. He shook his head, discouraged.

“Relax. We’ll keep tweaking the position.”

Jill worked with Ned until he could bend his finger enough to grab some peanut butter.

“Excellent.” Jill squeezed his shoulder. “Over time, Ned, the exercise of giving her the peanut butter may help you gain mobility in this hand.”

I couldn’t help it; my mind leaped ahead to Kasey helping Ned regain full use of his left hand. Maybe his right hand, too. And then his legs, and then maybe someday, he’d&8212;

“Let’s start with the basics,” said Megan. “Ned, ask Kasey to ‘come, sit.’”

“Kasey,” Ned said eagerly. “Come sit?”

She shot him a blasé look and didn’t budge—like a strikeout at a singles bar.

“Try it with peanut butter,” said Megan.

He scooped up a dollop. “Kasey, come sit?”

That did it. Kasey flashed to Ned’s lap and greedily licked off the peanut butter, but then she was back on Megan’s shoulder within seconds. Ned couldn’t mask his disappointment.

“That’s it?”

“She’ll come around,” Megan reassured him. “Time and patience. Meanwhile, learning the basics takes repetition.”

Ned nodded tightly, but I could sense his frustration. By the time he and Kasey had finished practicing their task, he was riding waves of nerve pain triggered by the commotion. Time to call it a day.

“Don’t worry about Kasey,” Megan said, preparing to leave. “She’ll be curious tonight, following everything that’s going on. She’ll probably watch a little TV with you. Kasey loves TV.”

That evening, as predicted, Kasey perched on her bedroom shelf, watching as we transferred Ned to his bed. She seemed particularly fascinated with the workings of the cranky old mechanical lift that took up a huge amount of real estate and looked like it came from the same medieval torture chamber as the halo. I always held my breath when I saw Ned suspended in the contraption; it looked ready to topple at any moment. Kasey seemed to have the same reaction.

I positioned Kasey’s cage so she could keep one eye on Ned and the other on the TV, then went to get the monkey chow Megan had prepared. Kasey pinwheeled with joy when she saw it coming.

“Wow,” Ned laughed. “Dinner and a show.”

This felt like a precious step forward. I turned out the light and whispered, “Good night, you two.”

Thrusting Ned and Kasey together&8212;ready, set, bond!&8212;was like trying to build a cathedral out of Popsicle sticks. Small steps forward were almost always followed by noisy stumbles back. It didn’t help that our newest family member was something of a diva. She screeched at the dogs and my teenagers, and squawked if I moved her cage just a little bit too far or too fast. What’s more, she required a regimented routine of feeding, manicuring, and cleaning that added yet more stress to our household. On the upside, Kasey provided Ned with constant visual stimulation. Even when she wasn’t doing much&8212;playing with her toys, reading her book&8212;he watched her with endless fascination. They were interested in each other; that much was clear. But after the first few months of working together, Kasey was still acting like Ned was nothing but a boulder she had to climb over to get her peanut butter.

“This is normal,” Megan told us. “It takes time to build the relationship.”

“How much time?” I was afraid to ask.

At least Kasey was expanding the repertoire of tasks she could perform for Ned. She could fetch the remote, and bring him a bottle of water, put a straw into it, and bring it to his mouth, Ned rewarding her with peanut butter each time.

But repertoire was one thing. Rapport was quite another&8212;Kasey was often standoffish, aloof even. We were discouraged. Ned needed connection and engagement. Instead he would lie for hours staring at the “Welcome Home” sign that still hung on the fireplace.

Every so often, there were hopeful signs of friendship. Kasey would stay on his lap for an extra second before leaping back to her cage. One day she pounced on a big stuffed monkey Ned’s grandmother had given him, which perhaps Ned was getting “too friendly” with. Another day I watched in amazement as Kasey, who loved to scribble on any surface, dragged a pad of paper onto Ned’s lap, held a pencil in her hands and, using her feet to hold the paper securely in place, made some fine-looking hen scratches. When she had finished her first draft of Mimi’s Toes: The Sequel, she handed the pencil to Ned, in the monkey version of occupational therapy.

But the days were long, and despite all our efforts with Kasey and otherwise, Ned’s nerve pain wasn’t going away.

“There’s the constant, underlying, sucks to be you sort of pain,” he explained to me. “And then there’s the lightning bolt ripping through my entire body sort of pain. It’s like my tongue is on fire and my hands are stuck in an ice bucket.” On this particular day he was having the lightning bolt kind. We’d tried everything, in the hospital and at home. Medication, massage, hot packs, cold packs—nothing seemed to help. I was beside myself as I helplessly watched my son suffer.

“Mom,” he called out. “I’m on fire! Mom&8212;please do something!”

I didn’t know what I could do, but in that moment I looked to Kasey like I’ve never looked at another creature before. What did she see? Hope? Desperation? Somehow that dear little monkey understood just what was needed. As soon as I took her out of her cage, she clambered up on Ned’s chair and wrapped her tail around his neck. With a deep, guttural “hoo-hoo” that was more like a whisper, she carefully positioned herself on Ned’s chest, right over his heart. Both of them were very, very still. And then&8212;I don’t know&8212;the anguish that had been so visible in Ned’s face, his contorted expression, suddenly disappeared. His pain was beginning to recede.

Thank you, God. Thank you, Kasey.

“It’s amazing, Mom,” Ned said to me later that evening. “Kasey comforts and relaxes me like no drug. Do you think she actually knows how I feel?”

I looked over at Kasey, nonchalantly zipping and unzipping her purse. “I don’t know&8212;Kasey? What do you think?”

To which Kasey responded with a smug shrug and a “Skee kit.”

“Just doing my job.”

Adapted from Kasey to the Rescue: The Remarkable Story of a Monkey and a Miracle (Hyperion), by Ellen Rogers.

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Chronic inflammation is suggested to be a primary factor in progressive bone loss and bone structural deterioration, with oxidative stress and overproduction of pro-inflammatory compounds , most notably tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).   Previous studies have identified certain compounds as having the capacity to inhibit inflammation by suppressing TNF-alpha expression, and thus may offer therapeutic value in the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammation-induced bone loss. Chwan-Li Shen, from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Texas, USA), and colleagues investigated the effects of green tea polyphenols and alfacalcidol, a form of Vitamin D, on bone microstructure and strength along with possible mechanisms in a rat model.  The team found that both green tea polyphenols and alfacalcidol individually reversed lipopolysaccharide-induced changes in bone structure, and the combination of nutrients helped to sustain bone micro-architecture and strength.  The researchers conclude that: “A rotective impact of [green tea polyphenols]and alfacalcidol in bone microarchitecture during chronic inflammation may be due to a suppression of TNF-alpha.”

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The United Nations appointed Disney actress and youth activist Monique Coleman as a “Youth Champion” for the International Year of Youth at a Headquarters press conference yesterday.

Coleman is best known for her character Taylor McKessie in the “High School Musical” movies and her recurring role as Mary-Margaret on “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”. Most recently, she launched an online talk show, “Gimme MO’”, to empower youth.

The American actress, a long-time advocate for improving the social and economic well-being of young people,says “I am extremely passionate about youth and look forward to highlighting the amazing ways they are already making a difference.”

Assistant Secretary-General Jomo Kwame Sundaram in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs presented Coleman with a letter of recognition as a United Nations Youth Champion to promote the International Year.

The International Year of Youth was launched on 12 August 2010 and runs through 11 August 2011. Youth, defined by the United Nations as people between the ages of 15 to 24, represent 18 per cent of the world’s population, or 1.2 billion people.

The Year provides an opportunity to recognize that young people in all countries are a major human resource for development, positive social change, and technical innovation. It aims to advance their full participation on youth-related issues in global, regional and national development agendas.

To provide a vehicle to reach the young men and women who spend a great deal of time in cyberspace, Coleman hosts each online “webisode”, which facilitates safe conversation on important issues confronting young people and provides much needed positive information and content.

By taking the web show on the global road to Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, Coleman will broaden the scope of youth issues and engage in youth-related activities. She explains “The purpose of the tour is to see and share through social media first-hand what youth all over the planet are experiencing and, through streaming technologies, to connect people in the developing and developed worlds.”

As Youth Champion, Coleman says she intends to give a voice to young people, raise awareness about some of the most serious challenges they face and highlight the positive contributions they make in their communities. Through her online talk show, Coleman will host forums and conversations with young people centred around topics, such as their ideas for health care, similarities and differences between cultures, and what changes they believe would improve the world.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on International Youth Day was to “strengthen our efforts to include young people in policies, programmes and decision-making processes that benefit their futures and ours”. The theme of the Year, Dialogue and Mutual Understanding, calls for increased commitment and investment in youth, as well as to building bridges between generations and across cultures, religions and civilizations.

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