Feb. 8, 2013 Rabbi Berel Wein: Lofty ideals must be followed with grounded applications Clifford D. May: Letter from the West Bank Steve Rothaus: Judge OKs plan for gay man, lesbian couple to be on girl's birth certificate Gloria Goodale: States consider drone bans: Overreaction or crucial for privacy rights? Environmental Nutrition Editors: Don't buy the aloe vera juice hype Michael Craig Miller, M.D.: Harvard Experts: Regular exercise pumps up memory, too Erik Lacitis: Vanity plates: Some take too much license The Kosher Gourmet by Susie Middleton: Broccoflower, Carrot and Leek Ragout with Thyme, Orange and Tapenade is a delightful and satisfying melange of veggies, herbs and aromatics Feb. 6, 2013 Nara Schoenberg: The other in-law problem Frank J. Gaffney Jr. : A see-no-jihadist for the CIA Kristen Chick: Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran Roger Simon: Ed Koch's lucky corner Heron Marquez Estrada: Robot-building sports on a roll Patrick G. Dean, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: How to restore body's ability to secrete insulin Sharon Palmer, R.D.: 3 prostate-protecting diet tips The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen 7 principles for to help you make the best soup ever in a slow cooker Feb. 4, 2013 Jonathan Tobin: Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel? David Wren: Findings of government study, released 3 days before Newtown shooting, at odds with gun-control crusaders Kristen Chick: Tahrir becomes terrifying, tainted Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon: US keeps building new highways while letting old ones crumble David G. Savage: Supreme Court to hear case on arrests, DNA Harvard Health Letters: Neck and shoulder pain? Know what it means and what to do Andrea N. Giancoli, M.P.H., R.D.: Eat your way to preventing age-related muscle loss The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington Baked Pears in Red Wine and Port Wine Glaze: A festive winter dessert Feb. 1, 2013 Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: Redemption Clifford D. May Home, bloody, home Christa Case Bryant andNicholas Blanford Why despite Syria's allies warning of retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, the threats are likely hollow Rick Armon, Ed Meyer and Phil Trexler Ex-police captain cleared by DNA test is freed after nearly 15 years Harvard Health Letters: Could it by your thyroid? Sharon Palmer, R.D.: When 'healthy food' isn't Sue Zeidler: Coke ad racist? Arab-American groups want to yank Super Bowl ad (INCLUDES VIDEO) The Kosher Gourmet by Nealey Dozier The secret of this soup is the garnish January 30, 2013 Allan Chernoff: Celebrating 'Back from the Dead Day' America isn't a religious country? Don't tell Superbowl fans! Mark Clayton Cybercrime takedown! Germany remembers Hitler rise to power Israel salutes U. N. --- with the one finger salute Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Get cookin' with heart-healthy fats Ballot riles Guinness World Records The Kosher Gourmet by Elizabeth Passarella Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin January 28, 2013 Nancy Youssef: And Democracy for all? Two years on, Egypt remains in state of chaos Fred Weir: Putin: West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback' Meredith Cohn: Implantable pain disk may help those with cancer Michael Craig Miller, M.D. : Ask the Harvard Experts: Are there drugs to help control binge eating? David Ovalle Use of controversial 'brain mapping' technology stymied Jane Stancill: Professor's logic class has 180,000 friends David Clark Scott Lego Racism? The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali The celebrated chef introduces us to PANZEROTTI PUGLIESI, cheese-stuffed pastry from Italy's south

Jewish World Review The vanishing mineral: The more essential magnesium proves for well-being, the harder it is to consume enough By Hara Estroff Marano Psychology Today Magazine JewishWorldReview.com | The mineral magnesium is an essential nutrient that sustains every cell of the body. It helps power all cell functions and is critical to over 300 biologically active enzymes. Plants can't do without it, either; it regulates photosynthesis and chlorophyll production. The more it is studied, the more important the mineral proves to be for general health. New research stresses the value of magnesium in averting heart disease and stroke and calls outright for clinical trials of the mineral in preventing cardiovascular disease and curbing the rise in metabolic disorders such as diabetes. FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO INFLUENTIAL NEWSLETTER Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". In addition to INSPIRING stories, HUNDREDS of columnists and cartoonists regularly appear. Sign up for the daily update. It's free. Just click here. Despite magnesium being one of the most abundant minerals in our bodies, deficiency is on the rise. At most, 40 percent of us get enough from the foods we eat. Deficiency manifests in symptoms as diverse as insomnia, muscle spasms, arrhythmias, insulin resistance, and anxiety. Magnesium levels in foods are declining, but your best bet for getting enough is still to make a deliberate effort to consume a magnesium-rich diet. HEAD STRONG The less magnesium in your diet, the greater your risk of stroke, say Swedish researchers who conducted a meta-analysis of several studies that enrolled nearly 250,000 participants and followed them for up to 13 years. Magnesium protects the brain against reduced blood flow in several ways, the investigators report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It lowers blood pressure, diminishes the risk of diabetes, a known contributor to stroke, and slows the oxidation of fats in the bloodstream. BRAIN SAVER A study of more than 14,000 middle-aged men and women in different parts of the U.S. shows that increased levels of magnesium in the blood--a more precise measure than dietary intake--are inversely associated with the incidence of ischemic stroke. Those with the lowest blood levels of the mineral had the highest rates of hypertension and diabetes, an association that held through the 15-year follow-up. Those who had higher levels of magnesium had a 36 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke. INSULIN LINK What public health officials call an "alarming rise" in Type 2 diabetes may begin in childhood with low intake of magnesium. Researchers find that magnesium deficiency directly creates insulin resistance in obese children. Magnesium is a co-factor for multiple enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, and mineral lack impairs insulin uptake by cells. One study showed just how prevalent magnesium deficiency has become; it affects 27 percent of healthy children and 55 percent of obese ones. GENE SCENE Give healthy people a four-week trial of magnesium supplements and what happens? There are widespread shifts in many metabolic and inflammatory markers and changes in the expression of 58 genes, report researchers from UCLA and Harvard University. The pilot trial of magnesium in 14 healthy overweight volunteers suggests that the mineral increases the body's insulin sensitivity and directly affects pancreatic cells to reduce insulin secretion. The pattern of gene effects parallels improved insulin sensitivity. HIT LIST In general, the best food sources of magnesium are whole grains, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. Specific foods with high magnesium content include: pumpkin seeds, spinach, swiss chard, soybeans, sesame seeds, halibut, black beans, cashew nuts, almonds, and many more. Yet a number of studies suggest that the magnesium content of foods, especially vegetables, is falling and has been doing so for decades. Experts point to mineral depletion of soil by pesticide use; fertilizer magnifies the effect. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Interested in a private Judaic studies instructor — for free? Let us know by clicking here. Comment by clicking here. © 2013, SUSSEX PUBLISHERS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

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