Role of soy in menopausal health reported

Posted by Biomechanism

“Discussion of a scientific review of soy protein, soy isoflavones and soy metabolites for peri- and postmenopausal women at North American Menopause Society (NAMS)/Wulf H. Utian Translational Science Symposium.”

Soy has recently been reviewed and supported for introduction into general medical practice as a treatment for distressing vasomotor symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, but its use in other medical areas, such as heart health, requires further research, according to a new report reviewing the risks and benefits of soy protein, isoflavones and metabolites in menopausal health from The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)/Wulf H. Utian Translational Science Symposium, published in the July Menopause, the peer-reviewed NAMS journal.

Soy sauce, tofu and other soy products

“Although a significant amount of scientific research about soy and soy isoflavones exists, the adoption of soy isoflavones into the care of women in menopause has to date been recommended mainly by physicians and health care practitioners involved in integrative medicine. We believed that facilitating a robust review of the current scientific evidence about the benefits and risks of soy could yield a document useful to physicians to help them make decisions about soy use with their patients, particularly those in menopause,” said Belinda H. Jenks, Ph.D., director of Scientific Affairs & Nutrition Education at Pharmavite LLC. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Pharmavite LLC and the Allmen Foundation supported the development of the symposium and report via an unrestricted educational grant.

The report focuses on a review of soy’s mechanism of action and processing within the body (bioavailability and pharmacokinetics), as well as on several therapeutic areas, concluding that use of soy isoflavones for hot flashes is reasonable and that soy food consumption is associated with lower risk of breast and endometrial cancer. The report also recommended more research to further characterize the effects of soy isoflavones on bone and cardiovascular health as well as cognition, which involves thinking, reasoning, or remembering.

The report, approved by the NAMS Board of Trustees, was authored by 22 clinicians and well-respected scientific research experts in women’s health and botanicals who participated in the symposium in October 2010. They examined basic and clinical research findings from more than two hundred key published controlled trials as well as laboratory studies of the soy isoflavones genistein and daidzein and the daidzein metabolite, S-equol. A supplement containing Natural S-equol for the management of menopausal symptoms is in development by Pharmavite LLC, the makers of Nature Made® vitamins and minerals and a subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

About Soy Isoflavones and S-Equol

Soy isoflavones are compounds that can bind to estrogen receptors. The isoflavones genistein and daidzein are primarily found in whole soybeans and soy products. S-equol [7-hydroxy-3-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-chroman] is a compound resulting — when certain bacteria are present in the digestive tract — from the metabolism, or conversion, of daidzein.

S-equol binds to the same estrogen receptors as naturally occurring, endogenous estrogen, but with a stronger affinity for the estrogen beta receptor. On binding to these receptors, S-equol mimics some, but not all, activities of endogenous estrogen. Because of these actions, it has been proposed that S-equol alleviates some of the symptoms caused by diminished estrogen production during menopause.

However, not everyone can produce S-equol after soy consumption, as the production depends on the types of bacteria present in the large intestine and may be influenced by the amount of soy consumed. About 50 percent of Asians and 20 to 30 percent of North Americans and Europeans, who in general consume less soy than Asians, have the ability to produce high levels of S-equol. Controlled clinical trials have documented that a supplement containing Natural S-equol reduces the frequency of hot flashes as well as muscle discomfort associated with menopause, in women both in Japan and the United States.

Soy Isoflavone Bioavailability and Pharmacokinetics

Not all soy foods or supplements contain the same amount or percentage of the three primary isoflavones genistein, daidzein or glycetein. Soyfoods and supplements can vary in soy isoflavone amounts and forms which, in turn, may impact the way the body will metabolize the isoflavones and subsequently can impact their effectiveness in health care, the report states.

For example, the rates of absorption in the body of the isoflavones daidzein and genistein depend on their form. As glycosides, which have an attached sugar molecule, both isoflavones can reach a peak plasma concentration in four to 10 hours. However, the human body cannot use this form, and during digestion the sugar is removed. This resulting aglycone form can be absorbed faster. When consumed as aglycosides, both daidzein and genistein can achieve peak concentrations in just one hour, or up to three hours if eaten with a meal. When the daidzein metabolite S-equol is consumed, its peak plasma rate rapidly occurs in just one to two hours.

The time needed for the total plasma concentration of either isoflavone to decrease by half typically is six to 12 hours and for S-equol, six to eight hours. However, genistein takes significantly longer to leave the body than daidzein. S-equol is excreted almost exclusively in urine, with 75 percent excreted within 12 hours after consumption.

Soy-isoflavones Reasonable for Menopausal Symptoms

The NAMS report advises that in postmenopausal women with distressing vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, initial treatment with soy isoflavones is reasonable because of demonstrated modest effectiveness in early post-menopausal women who have at least four hot flashes daily. The report recommends a starting dose of 50 milligrams (mg) or more daily for at least 12 weeks. If a woman responds, the treatment can continue with monitoring for side effects, but for women who do not respond after 12 weeks, other treatment options should be discussed, the authors suggest.

However, the report points to increasing evidence that women whose gut bacteria have little or no capacity to covert daidzein to S-equol may continue to suffer from severe hot flashes despite daidzein supplementation. The report suggests that dietary supplements providing higher proportions of genistein or S-equol may provide more relief of menopausal symptoms than the modestly effective relief recognized by soy isoflavones alone. Also, the report recommends a supplement containing natural S-equol may be effective for some women who do not have the capacity to produce S-equol, which occurs only when certain bacteria are present in the digestive tract.

The authors’ menopause symptom treatment recommendations were based on a review of 14 studies that included data on soy isoflavone content and dosing, at least 12 weeks of treatment, women who experienced natural (not induced) menopause and the women’s average age, their prevalence of hot flashes at study start and their magnitude of symptom improvement.

Potential Protection for Breast and Endometrial Cancer

Soy foods, in populations that typically consume them, appear to protect against breast cancer. Therefore, the NAMS report advises that moderate life-long dietary soy consumption is recommended as part of a healthy lifestyle. The best evidence indicates that there are no adverse effects from this diet and it has potential for prevention of breast and endometrial cancer, the report states.

However, the authors note that specific recommendations regarding soy food or soy isoflavone consumption by breast cancer survivors cannot be made at this time, although such studies in humans indicate either no effect or a protective effect, but in contrast laboratory and rodent studies indicate a potential for risk.

The authors recommend studies of endometrial risk should focus on long-term, postmenopausal exposures to soy. The authors’ breast and endometrial cancer recommendations were based on a review of at least 18 studies.

Further Research about Soy Effects on Women’s Health

The NAMS report identifies several areas for further research on soy in midlife women. Specifically, the authors call for more studies that compare outcomes among women whose intestinal bacteria have the ability to convert daidzein to S-equol with those that do not to determine if equol producers derive greater benefits from soy supplementation. Also, larger studies are needed in younger postmenopausal women, as is more research to understand soy isoflavone supplement use in women. The authors also propose studies on the relationships of other dietary components as well as prescription and over-the-counter medications on soy isoflavones, consumed as a part of the diet or as a supplement, and S-equol production. And finally, the authors request greater standardization and documentation of clinical trial data regarding soy.

Localizing language in the brain

Posted by Biomechanism 

“New study pinpoints areas of the brain used exclusively for language, providing a partial answer to a longstanding debate in cognitive science.”

New research from MIT suggests that there are parts of our brain dedicated to language and only language, a finding that marks a major advance in the search for brain regions specialized for sophisticated mental functions.

Functional specificity, as it’s known to cognitive scientists, refers to the idea that discrete parts of the brain handle distinct tasks. Scientists have long known that functional specificity exists in certain domains: In the motor system, for example, there is one patch of neurons that controls the fingers of your left hand, and another that controls your tongue. But what about more complex functions such as recognizing faces, using language or doing math? Are there special brain regions for those activities, or do they use general-purpose areas that serve whatever task is at hand?

Language, a cognitive skill that is both unique to humans and universal to all human cultures, “seems like one of the first places one would look” for this kind of specificity, says Evelina Fedorenko, a research scientist in MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and first author of the new study. But data from neuroimaging — especially functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures brain activity associated with cognitive tasks — has been frustratingly inconclusive. Though studies have largely converged on several areas important for language, it’s been hard to say whether those areas are exclusive to language. Many experiments have found that non-language tasks seemingly activate the same areas: Arithmetic, working memory and music are some of the most common culprits.

But according to Fedorenko and her co-authors — Nancy Kanwisher, the Walter A. Rosenblith Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, and undergraduate student Michael Behr — this apparent overlap may simply be due to flaws in methodology, i.e., how fMRI data is traditionally gathered and analyzed. In their new study, published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they used an innovative technique they’ve been developing over the past few years; the new method yielded evidence that there are, in fact, bits of the brain that do language and nothing else.

Forget the forest, it’s all in the trees

fMRI studies of language are typically done by group analysis, meaning that researchers test 10, 20 or even 50 subjects, then average data together onto a common brain space to search for regions that are active across brains.

But Fedorenko says this is not an ideal way to do things, mainly because the fine-grained anatomical differences between brains can cause data “smearing,” making it look as if one region is active in two different tasks when in reality, the tasks activate two neighboring — but not overlapping — regions in each individual subject.

By way of analogy, she says, imagine taking pictures of 10 people’s faces and overlaying them, one on top of another, to achieve some sort of average face. While the resulting image would certainly look like a face, when you compared it back to the original pictures, it would not line up perfectly with any of them. That’s because there is natural variation in our features — the size of our foreheads, the width of our noses, the distance between our eyes.

It’s the same way for brains. “Brains are different in their folding patterns, and where exactly the different functional areas fall relative to these patterns,” Fedorenko says. “The general layout is similar, but there isn’t fine-grained matching.” So, she says, analyzing data by “aligning brains in some common space … is just never going to be quite right.”

Ideally, then, data would be analyzed for each subject individually; that is, patterns of activity in one brain would only ever be compared to patterns of activity from that same brain. To do this, the researchers spend the first 10 to 15 minutes of each fMRI scan having their subject do a fairly sophisticated language task while tracking brain activity. This way, they establish where the language areas lie in that individual subject, so that later, when the subject performs other cognitive tasks, they can compare those activation patterns to the ones elicited by language.

A linguistic game of ‘Where’s Waldo?’

This methodology is exactly what allows Fedorenko, Behr and Kanwisher to see if there are areas truly specific to language. After having their subjects perform the initial language task, which they call a “functional localizer,” they had each one do a subset of seven other experiments: one on exact arithmetic, two on working memory, three on cognitive control and one on music, since these are the functions “most commonly argued to share neural machinery with language,” Fedorenko says.

Out of the nine regions they analyzed — four in the left frontal lobe, including the region known as Broca’s area, and five further back in the left hemisphere — eight uniquely supported language, showing no significant activation for any of the seven other tasks. These findings indicate a “striking degree of functional specificity for language,” as the researchers report in their paper.

Future studies will test the newly identified language areas with even more non-language tasks to see if their functional specificity holds up; the researchers also plan to delve deeper into these areas to discover which particular linguistic jobs each is responsible for.

Fedorenko says the results don’t imply that every cognitive function has its own dedicated piece of cortex; after all, we’re able to learn new skills, so there must be some parts of the brain that are both high-level and functionally flexible. Still, she says, the results give hope to researchers looking to draw some distinctions within in the human cortex: “Brain regions that do related things may be nearby … [but] it’s not just all one big mushy multifunctional thing in there.”

Language speed versus efficiency: Is faster better?

 Other Sciences / Other 

A recent study of the speech information rate of seven languages concludes that there is considerable variation in the speed at which languages are spoken, but much less variation in how efficiently languages communicate the same information. The study, "A cross-linguistic perspective on speech information rate," to be published in the September 2011 issue of the scholarly journal Language, is co-authored by Francois Pellegrino, Christophe Coupe, and Egidio Marsico.

Their research sheds new light on the ways in which languages ensure the efficient communication of information. The study is based on 20 short texts (each consisting of five sentences) translated into seven languages (Mandarin Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish) and pronounced by about 60 native speakers.

Dr. Pellegrino outlined the major findings of the team's research: "Languages do need more or less time to tell the same story – for instance in our study, the texts spoken in English are much shorter than their Japanese counterparts. Despite those variations, there is a tendency to regulate the information rate, as shown by a strong negative correlation between the syllabic rate and the information density." In other words, languages that are spoken faster (i.e., that have a higher syllabic rate) tend to pack less information into each individual syllable (i.e. have a lower information density).

As Dr. Pellegrino notes, "this result illustrates that several encoding strategies are possible. For instance, Spanish is characterized by a fast rate of low-information syllables, while Mandarin exhibits a slower syllabic rate with more informative syllables. In the end, their information rates are very similar (differing only by four percent)." Furthermore, Dr. Pellegrino concluded, "we discovered a strong relationship between the information density of the syllables and the complexity of their linguistic structure." Pellegrino and colleagues' result confirms the existence of distinct linguistic ways of packing information into syllables which eventually interact with the actual speech rate to result in a tendency toward a uniform information rate.

The origin of the speech regulation remains unclear and the team explores several hypotheses in the article involving cognitive or social factors for potential follow-on research. Whether this variation involves cognitive or social factors, it also affirms our appreciation for the richness of languages and their power of expression across different cultures and peoples.

More information: A preprint version is available on line at http://lsadc.org/info/documents/2011/press-releases/pellegrino-et-al.pdf.

Provided by Linguistic Society of America

"Language speed versus efficiency: Is faster better?." September 1st, 2011. http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-language-efficiency-faster.html

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

What is the HCG Diet Plan?

Posted by Troy in Diet Plan

Human chronic gonadotropin or the HCG healthy diet plan is an effective way to lose weight. This substance was initially discovered in the year 1927. It was found in the urine of pregnant women. HCG is only present in pregnant women to help in te proper development of the baby’s genitals.

It was during the 1950’s when Dr. A. T. W Simeons discovered that HCG does not only help children with under developed genitals but can also help manage weight problems. He observed that patients using HCG had lost a lot of weight and had reduced eating appetite.  To confirm his observation Dr. Simeons did some more studies and found out that HCG has the ability to stimulate the body to lose unnecessary fats.

After this discovery the people began using HCG as a weight loss solution. Today, HCG daily injections are combined with a HCG-diet plan, also known as the Very Low Calorie Diet, and are highly commercialized as one of the top weight loss programs with very promising results.

The Very Low Calorie Diet

The Very Low Calorie Diet is an essential part of HCG weight loss treatment. HCG users are advised to limit their daily calories intake to 500 calories right after the third shot of HCG. Once the HCG is injected into a dieter the body will begin to burn all accumulated fats inside the body thus providing more than enough calories to help the dieter get through the day, which explains rapid weight loss. The 500 calorie diet is enough to quench the dieter’s daily appetite.

After losing the excess fats the dieter must immediately stop the HCG treatment as well as the 500-calorie diet. Note that it would be useless to continue after losing excess fats as HCG burns only accumulated body fats. Since there are no more excess fats to burn the dieter’s appetite is expected to automatically return to normal which is more than 500 calories daily diet.

The Original HCG Diet Protocol

Dr. Simeons formulated the original HCG diet protocol, which is now the Very Low Calorie Diet. This was included in his “Pounds and Inches” manuscripts. The original protocol contains a recommended diet plan from breakfast to dinner.

During breakfast, tea or coffee is recommended. The amount of sugar was not specified however the amount of milk was limited only to one tablespoonful, which is the maximum amount of consumable milk in 24 hours. Artificial sweeteners such as saccharin or herbs such as stevia may be used. I recommend ybuy your own espresso machine if you can afford to as it will make drinking healthy coffees a lote easier.

For lunch Dr. Simeons suggests 100 grams of beef, veal, fresh white fish, crab, or shrimp, lobster, chicken breast. Fatty parts of the meat that are showing must be removed before cooking.  All the meat must be weighed raw.  To cook the meat dieter may grill or boil them without adding fats.

The dieter may prepare only one kind of vegetable from the following choices: chard, chicory, spinach, green salad, beet-greens, tomatoes, fennel, celery, red radishes, onions, cabbage, asparagus, and cucumbers. Only one Melba toast or bread stick can be prepared. For fruits: one apple or half a grapefruit or a handful of strawberries can be consumed during lunch. Dr. Simeons recommends the lunch menu for dinner as well.

The New HCG Diet Manual

Today, the HCG diet plan was further developed and improved to bring out the best results from this weight loss program. Kevin Trudeau is among the many people who have furthered the studies of HCG based on Dr. Simeons original HCG diet protocol. Trudeau modified the HCG diet protocol to fit to today’s advanced health improvements. HCG manuals now contain an overview of the HCG diet protocol presented using Kevin Trudeau’s HCG Diet Phases. The phases explain when to start and when to stop using the HCG.

HCG Diet Recipes

Many HCG diet recipes are now available online to help HCG diet plan users successfully follow the 500-calorie daily diet, which is an essential part of the entire HCG program.

HCG kits can also be purchased online or offline. This kit is advisable for first time users. Since these kits are usually complete, new users do not need to worry about forgetting or missing out any HCG supply.

Not all weight loss programs are reliable and safe and most of the victims of these unsafe products are usually those who did not take the time to know more about the product before giving it a try. Remember a good product will explain to you what their product is in 1 to 2 pages and they will always make sense but a product that is giving false promises with a 3 to 10 page explanation of their product will never make sense. Take time to know the product you are buying to see if they make sense – to you!

HCG Diet Plan

Day 1-3

• Eat whatever foods you like as often as you like throughout the day. This will accustom your body to a higher concentration of fat calories in the blood and prepare you for the 500 calorie/day HCG Diet.
• Drink plenty of water, tea, or coffee.

Important Points

• Starting at day 1, hold eleven drops of HCG under your tongue for three to five minutes before eating or drinking anything. Eleven drops is just under 0.25 ml if you are using a measured syringe.
• Starting at day 1, check and record your weight every morning at the same time after using the bathroom.
• After day 3, the HCG Diet consists of 500 calories per day. The HCG hormone stimulates your body to release stored fat into the bloodstream so you will have much more than 500 calories available to your system and you should not be hungry.
• After day 3, avoid all high glycemic index foods. These include sugars (white, brown, and any ingredients ending in -ose such as sucrose, fructose, lactose, etc) and starches (flour, bread, pasta, rice, corn, potatoes, etc). These foods stimulate the release of insulin, which allows your body to store excess calories as fat. No alcohol is allowed on this diet because your liver converts alcohol into the same compounds produced by high glycemic index foods. Melba toast is the only bread on this diet.
• You may use a small amount of cooking spray but no oils, butter, margarine, or spreads.
• Any additional calories or consumption of foods not explicitly listed as allowed will interrupt the action of HCG and you will see no weight loss for at least three days.
• You are allowed two fruits per day from the following list: apples, oranges, half-grapefruits, or strawberries. You may have one of the fruits for breakfast, if desired. You may not save your fruits and consume them at the same meal. The second fruit may be consumed at any time throughout the day as long as it is at least three hours after consuming the first fruit and at least three hours before bedtime. In addition, you are allowed the juice of one lemon per day to use as you wish (add to foods or water, use as salad dressing, etc).
• Acceptable vegetables are asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, fennel, lettuce, onions, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, and salsa. Do not consume other vegetables, regardless of calories, because they will interfere with the metabolic processes that allow you to lose weight on this diet.
• If you need between meal snacks, we recommend sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, or Melba toast. These calories count toward the daily 500 calorie total.
• If you eat fewer than 500 calories in a day, you cannot add the difference to another day.
• Up to two cans (24 ounces total) of diet soda (must be zero calories) may be consumed each day.
• Use a food scale to weigh meal ingredients. It is very difficult to accurately estimate the weight of meats and vegetables by volume and it is easy to consume too many calories on this diet. We recommend that you divide whole or cubed meat portions into 100 gram, precooked portions and freeze them in zip lock bags for easy future use.
• Find and use a calorie counter that you like. There are many free online sites and free or inexpensive applications for your smartphone or PC that record your food intake, calculate the calories, and allow you to access nutritional information for raw, cooked, and restaurant foods.

Diet Tips After Day 3

Breakfast:

• Drink plenty of water, tea, or coffee (no sugar, milk, skim milk, cream, or artificial creamers).

Lunch and Dinner:

• Eat no more than 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of lean protein such as chicken breast, lean beef, lean pork, cod, crab, shrimp, tilapia, trout, or bass. Oily fishes such as tuna or salmon are not allowed. The 3.5 ounce limit is the precooked weight.
• Vegetables can be eaten raw, steamed, or grilled.
• Use apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or low-sugar salsa for salad dressing.

Deciphering Enthusiasm

“(Hanuman did not see Sita) who was firmly situated on the eternal path of devotion to her husband, had her gaze always fixed on Rama, was always possessed by love for Rama, had entered the glorious mind of her husband, and was always the most exceptional of women.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 5.24) sanātane vartmāni samniviṣṭām | rāmekśaṇāṃ tāṃ madanābhiviṣṭām | bharturmanaḥ śrīmadanupraviṣṭām | strībhyo varābhyaśca sadā viśiṣṭām || “Do I have to? I really don’t want to. Can’t I do it later? Can’t we go some other time?” The dependent compelled to act will be reluctant to take up their assigned duties. The chances of enthusiasm being absent increase when force is applied. As such, the success of the mission, and the enjoyment experienced while performing it, will also be notably missing. But nevertheless, these tasks are sometimes very helpful, for Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita that those things which at first seem like poison but then later on turn into sweet nectar are in the mode of goodness, which is the level of material activity most conducive towards realizing the highest system of knowledge. Some tasks are more difficult than others; thus making it harder for the leader to find able bodied persons willing to take them up. With one combination of individual and task, however, there was no need for a pep talk. Because of the nature of the mission and its targeted beneficiaries, this worker was full of enthusiasm and conviction, so much so that he felt tremendous dejection anytime it seemed like success wouldn’t come. Because of this emotional response he is the most endearing person to those who are trying to find the true light in life, the spiritual sunshine that provides unending comfort. Unwanted tasks are introduced during childhood. The child is a bundle of energy; it can play for hours on end and find ways to stay amused. The child has no worries about where they are in life, how they will pay the monthly bills, or what their future goals should be. The new blood that joins this earth is after preyas, or immediate satisfaction of the senses. It is therefore up to the guardians to instill some discipline, to get the child to follow some regulated behavior so that they can reach a higher end. It is likely that in our childhood our mother and father gave us specific chores that required completion on a regular basis. Taking out the garbage, washing the dishes, and cleaning the room are not jobs accepted with enthusiasm, but they are nevertheless necessary responsibilities because of our parents’ insistence. Then there are the infamous family trips. Though the child may not know this, their parents are no different than them in terms of how they choose to enjoy. The parents have siblings and friends of a similar age that they enjoy spending time with, though these people may not live very close by. When the weekend arrives after a difficult work week, the parents may just want to get out of the house and see their loved ones and close friends. For the children, such trips aren’t always welcome because the impetus for the visit is rooted in the parents’ interests. It is not surprising therefore for the child to put up opposition. “Why do I have to go? They’re your friends. Why can’t I just stay home by myself?” If the child is not old enough to take care of itself at home or if the parents want to maintain a strong family presence during their visit, they will compel the child to go. Left with no other choice, the child reluctantly follows, all the while refusing to have a good time. While these difficulties must be endured during childhood, adults have more independence. There is a choice with every action, an up or down vote whether to accept or reject. In the business world the motivation, the driving force influencing the outcome of the mental poll, is the benefit received by the worker. Employees show up to work on time because they expect compensation from the employer. While at work, different tasks are undertaken, some of which are not so pleasant, simply to satisfy the boss, who will in turn pay a salary. For the employer, the person assigning the tasks, it is beneficial for the employees to have enthusiasm while working. This will make them more invested in the outcome. With every action there is the initial work applied and the corresponding result. The employee’s primary obligation is to apply the work. The results are not always guaranteed, nor can they be predicted. Obviously for the employer the priority system is reversed. The person assigning the task is more interested in seeing the intended result. The actual work undertaken certainly shows effort on the part of the employee, but if there is failure encountered on a regular basis, the work applied isn’t very effective. Without a successful outcome, the employer is essentially wasting money on fruitless work. The employer loves to see enthusiasm in his workers, because they know this will increase the chances of success, of reaching the intended outcome. The child forced to go to grandma’s house on a Saturday will not be very happy; they will not be a pleasant person to be around. Similarly, a worker just going through the motions will not have anything invested in the outcome. If there is no fear of failure, the chances of not succeeding increase all the more. When there is enthusiasm, however, there is an emotional attachment to the job. The worker desperately wants to see a successful outcome, as it will please both them and the person distributing the task. For the employer, gauging the level of enthusiasm in the field of candidates is often difficult. In the beginning, the qualities belonging to each candidate will be reviewed. “Okay, this person has done such and such in the past. It looks like they are dependable and take orders very well. This other person looks like they can work independently and handle difficult situations. This other person has every skill necessary for the job.” When all the relevant factors have been taken into consideration, a final judgment is made. A high enthusiasm level will naturally put a prospective candidate into a better position, but how do we judge this? Surely a candidate can verbally express how desperate they are to undertake the task in question. “Please give me the job. I’m ready. I’m up for the task. I won’t let you down.” If these statements are to be accepted, the employer must invest some faith in the worker, as they will have to assume that the candidate is being honest about how they feel. A way to get more assurance, however, is to get references, i.e. talk to people who know the worker and can vouch for their enthusiasm and ability to carry out specific tasks. With Shri Hanuman, the Vanara warrior asked to find a missing princess, all of the necessary qualifications were there. Sita Devi, the wife ofLord Rama, had gone missing while she was residing in the forest of Dandaka. Her husband was the strongest bow warrior of the time, but when He was temporarily lured away from the couple’s cottage, a fiendish character swept in and forcibly took Sita with him. No one was really sure where she had gone, or if she was even still alive. Sita was fixed in a vow of dedication to her husband, so she could never survive long without being in His company. Indeed, it would be learned later on that she only kept her vital breath within her body by keeping her thoughts fixed on her husband, His qualities, and the time they previously spent together. Since outwardly there was not even a hint as to where Sita had been taken, Rama thought it wise to enlist the help of others. Who better than the Vanaras of Kishkindha, who were monkey-like creatures beaming with enthusiasm for pleasing Rama? A monkey is especially known for being hyper and capable of jumping from tree to tree without exhaustion. These monkeys were more human-like, as these events took place in an ancient time. The Darwinists believe that man descended from monkeys, but the Vedas correctly reveal that dull matter is incapable of causing shifts in species. Without a spiritual injection, no form of body, which is nothing more than a machine, can do anything. Without a driver an automobile just remains stationary. Even in advanced airplanes that can fly themselves, there must be the human influence of a programmed computer or remote pilot available. Species are crafted according to specific combinations of the material elements of earth, water, fire, ether and air, along with mind, intelligence and ego. No life form is capable of creating a new permanent species on its own; as nature has full control over the human being. Just as we can’t stop the sun from rising and setting, we can’t suddenly generate a new race of human beings having three hands or some other advanced feature set. While the bodies themselves don’t evolve, the souls that reside within them can travel from one form to another. This is known as transmigration, or reincarnation. In the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation, conditions on earth were so pure that even the monkey race had advanced characteristics. When the presence of the mode of goodness is strong, the abilities of a species are enhanced. The Vanaras, who were forest dwellers more than anything else, were predominantly monkey-like, but they nevertheless had the ability to think rationally at times and converse with human beings. The leader of the Vanaras in Kishkindha was Sugriva, and he had a massive army of monkeys at his disposal. To find Sita, however, required great effort, courage, resourcefulness, intelligence and humility. This last quality would come in handy because the worker would have to follow specific instructions and not alter the objectives of the mission. Whoever would find Sita would certainly be praised for their accomplishment, but if their ego got too large, if they suddenly felt they were superior to others, they might violate the orders given. Rama wanted Sita to be found, but He was going to rescue her Himself. Shri Rama was of the princely order, so it was His duty to protect the innocent. If He had to rely on others to rescue His wife, His and His family’s stature would immediately be deprecated. Though Sugriva dispatched thousands of monkeys to scour the earth in a frantic search, he knew that only Hanuman had any real chance of succeeding. Hanuman was Sugriva’s trusted aide, and he had many times prior proven the worthiness of his high position. Seeing his qualities personally and trusting Sugriva’s words, Rama had full confidence in Hanuman’s ability to succeed in the task. Indeed, the Vanara would go on to perform amazing feats, such as leaping across a massive ocean and defeating several powerful forces obstructing his path. Hanuman’s enthusiasm didn’t need to be proven, as he was always devoted to Rama. Though he barely knew the prince of the Raghu dynasty or His younger brother Lakshmana, Hanuman could decipher their divine natures. Thus when he was told to find Sita, Hanuman took the mission as his life and soul. As if there were any doubt on the matter, when on the precipice of finding the divine princess, Hanuman would once again show us his terrific enthusiasm, his undying love for Rama and his eagerness to please Him. Sita Devi had been taken to the island of Lanka, which was inhabited by Rakshasas headed by their leader Ravana. These creatures were similar to ghoulish monsters, almost like ogres. They were attached to sinful behavior and thus lived mostly in the mode of darkness. Hanuman reached the shores of Lanka and then entered the city in a guise difficult to spot. Since he had mastery over every yogic siddhi, or mystical perfection, Hanuman could change the size of his stature at will. Taking on a form having the dimensions of a cat, Hanuman scurried through the city and searched different places looking for Sita. But he could not find her. Instead, he found many beautiful women, all dedicated to their ogre-like husbands. The women were looking very nice, but Hanuman could not be distracted. Normally, seeing such opulence and beauty would bring some pleasure to the mind. After all, the entire aim of sightseeing is to gaze at amazing wonders, things that are not seen in ordinary life. Living in the forest his whole life, Hanuman was not accustomed to the wonderful opulence found in Lanka. But from the above referenced passage from the Ramayana, we see that he was still dejected even after having gone on a most wonderful visual tour. Since he was searching for Sita, it’s safe to assume that Hanuman noted every inch of space within Lanka. Therefore he was well acquainted with the city and its inhabitants; yet he was still unhappy. To give us an indication of why Hanuman was not pleased, some of Sita Devi’s foremost qualities are listed. These stand in stark contrast to the qualities possessed by any normal person, let alone the queens in Lanka. Sita was eternally chaste, as Ravana had tried to win her over many times, but she flat out refused. Sita Devi is actually the goddess of fortune and her husband the Supreme Lord Narayana. Their time on earth was like the showing of a play, with the actors playing their roles perfectly. If Sita and Rama weren’t divine figures, the Ramayana would be no more important than any ordinary poem. Hanuman’s stature and endearing nature are further enhanced by the fact that he was ever devoted to the Supreme Lord and His wife. Hanuman doesn’t dedicate his life and soul to just ordinary people who have no relation to God. It is also said that Sita always kept her eyes fixed on Rama. Even when not in the company of her husband, she simply kept her mind’s eye fixed on the Lord, whom yogis, mental speculators and ascetics undergo trials and tribulations to understand. God is always there for those who love Him, and amongst such lovers none can be more dedicated than Sita. These facts were well known to Hanuman, as it is also mentioned in the above passage that Sita was the very mind of her husband and that she was the most exalted woman. God is atmarama; He is in need of nothing. The general tendency for the illusioned soul is to try to see God or find Him in different places. Yet the devotees are so wonderful that the Lord always sees them. Sita Devi, through her devotion and divine qualities, etched a permanent mark in the mind of her husband. Hanuman was fully enthralled just by thinking of Sita’s qualities and her strong devotion. She was the only person he wanted to meet. Even if he saw the most beautiful women and greatest level of opulence, he would still not be deterred in his mission. Hanuman’s dejection over not having found Sita shows that his enthusiasm for serving Rama was unmatched. While the eagerness to serve can be measured by the behavior shown at the beginning of a task, it can be more accurately ascertained later on down the line. If there is temporary failure or things don’t go as planned, the reaction of the worker provides the best indication of their interest in the mission. Hanuman showed eagerness at the beginning of the task, and he also had references to his qualities given by Sugriva. Yet when he felt such strong dejection after having not found Sita in Lanka, Hanuman showed that he took the mission as seriously as Rama did. Sita and Rama are Hanuman’s very life and soul, and his enthusiasm towards pleasing them is unmatched. Because of this eagerness, he would eventually succeed. Hanuman only wants to think of God and sing His glories. Through accepting difficult missions assigned to him, Hanuman further glorifies the Supreme Lord by showing the benefits ofdevotional service. While Sita and Rama are worshipable for their divine qualities, wonderful nature and kind-heartedness, their glories are further increased by the brilliance of their most enthusiastic servant, Shri Hanuman. Whoever is fortunate enough to remember Hanuman for who he is and honor and respect his level of dedication will never be out of favor with God. To them will come the rarest, most unique and most valuable gift of all: divine love.

"Shiva moon" - Prem Joshua