8 STEPS TO THE NEW GREEN DIET

If we are convinced enough that our diet can and will impact our helath and the environment here are some tips on how we can commence with a new lifestyle. Eating Green is empowering and is also one of the most effective means of Going Green and Saving the Planet!

(The following article from care2.com was posted by Annie B Bond on June 19, 2008)


Nowhere does the win/win of green living for health and the environment show up more than when one chooses to eat the foods of the new green diet. This diet is the old and timeless one of eating real food grown locally in well-tended soil, with some adaptations for modern life. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Eating Organically Produced Food
Organic agriculture strives toward being sustainable, meaning that which can be continued indefinitely, without depletion of resources beyond a rate that they could be renewed.

Step 2 and 3: Eating Local, Seasonal Food
Eating local, seasonal food supports local farms and saves the energy that would be used to refrigerate and transport food many miles.

Step 4: Eating a Variety of Food
“The loss of genetic diversity—silent, rapid, inexorable—is leading us to a rendezvous with extinction, to the doorstep of hunger on a scale we refuse to imagine,” writes Kenny Ausubel in the book Seeds of Change: The Living Treasure. Organic farms grow a wide variety of plants to keep the soil healthy and preserve diversity. Industrial farms, on the other hand, monocrop, meaning they grow nothing but a few commodities.


Step 5: Eating Low on the Food Chain
Humans can eat both high and low on the food chain and be adequately nourished. Residues of persistent chemicals such as DDT, PCBs, dioxin, and many pesticides concentrate in animal fat.

Step 6: Eating Whole Foods with Adequate Fiber
Whole foods are nutritionally complex and complete. Refined foods have had much of their nutritional value and fiber removed.

Step 7: Avoiding Processed Food
The average American eats 150 pounds of additives a year, much of which is sugar and salt. Three thousand additives are intentionally used in processed food. Many of these additives, such as hydrogenated oils, can cause health problems.

Step 8: Reducing Packaging for Public Health and Environment
Chlorine and dioxin are just two chemical compounds that are released in the manufacture of many packaging materials. Toxic chemicals can also migrate to your food from packaging.

Source:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/eight-steps-to-the-new-green-diet.html

4 SURPRISING EFFECTS OF FAST FOOD

The following article, originally by Molly Mann and published in Divine Caroline was selected and posted by Mel at care2.com on April 12, 2011. It contains some interesting information that we should be awared of where our diet is concerned. The food we eat plays an important role in our physical & mental health as well as our well-being. Choose wisely and eat green and healthy...

By Molly Mann, DivineCaroline
For some time now, the media has kept us aware of the link between fast-food consumption and obesity, but Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 film Super Size Me brought to our attention the other, overlooked side effects of biting into a Big Mac. Spurlock ate only food from McDonald’s for thirty days and not only experienced fat accumulation but also lost muscle mass, began to feel depressed and lethargic, and suffered from headaches. His nutritionist even pronounced him “addicted” to fast food. It seems a burger is more than just lunch these days.

1. Hamburger Hangover
One of Spurlock’s symptoms during the filming of Super Size Me was a recurrent, intense headache. It’s true that processed foods can trigger migraines. Processed foods, including those on the menus of fast-food joints, contain ingredients like nitrate or nitrite, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and artificial sweeteners that are all “head-bangers."

Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that increase blood flow, leading to head pressure and pain. Food processors add it to their meat products to protect against Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes food poisoning, and because it gives the meat that fresh, pink color and “cured” taste. Makers of fast food also add MSG to enhance flavor and to hide the metallic tastes incurred while processing. These additives may make your dish more palatable, but they leave you with pretty nasty hangovers.

2. Down in the Dumps? Blame It on the Junk
Spurlock also complained of debilitating depression during his fast-food experiment, and research shows that junk food does indeed have an effect on mood. Researchers at University College London in England found that people who regularly ate processed foods that were high in fat and sugar were 58 percent more likely to suffer from depression than those who ate a more balanced diet, according to a study that appeared in the British Journal of Psychiatry. “There seem to be various aspects of lifestyle such as taking exercise which also matter, but it appears that diet is playing an independent role,” Dr. Eric Brunner, lead author of the study, told the Daily Mail.

Brunner and his peers concluded that relative to their calorie density, junk foods lack nutrients, like antioxidants, folate, and omega-3s, that contribute to good mental health. These important dietary elements come only from eating “wholesome foods.”

According to HealthAssist.net, certain foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants to the body and therefore contribute to stress and mood disorders. These processed foods—which contain synthetic additives like preservatives, emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizers, and flavor enhancers—are called pseudostressors or sympathomimetics.

So it seems that fast food hits us twice when it comes to depression; we suffer from what we consume along with it, and from what we don’t.

3. Fast Food Kills the Mood
The foods we eat have a direct impact on our physical—and sexual—health. In their book Eat This, Not That!, David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding address the foods that affect libido for better and for worse. They write that fatty acids, most of which we consume from processed and fast foods, are the cause of a “national sex crisis,” not only because they contribute to weight gain, but also because they trigger biochemical changes that cause libido to take a nosedive, along with sperm count and ovulation. At the root of Zinczenko and Goulding’s argument: make babies, not burgers.

And because McDonald’s and other fast-food joints have franchises all over the world, this isn’t just a problem in America. The Italian Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (SIGO) has become so concerned about the prevalence of fast-food consumption killing women’s libido that it has published a book, Food and Sex, to address the issue.

“The increased pace of life means women who are working in the cities don’t have time to prepare fresh food and they are eating more fast food. Many cultural aspects of food are being lost, with consequences for their sexual health and libido,” said SIGO president Dr. Giorgio Vittori in an interview with Suite101.com’s Lee Anne Adendorff. Apparently, these women have forgotten the sage advice of the great Sophia Loren: “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.”

4. Hooked on the Junk
In Super Size Me, Spurlock’s general practitioner describes his patient as “addicted” to McDonald’s food. While that statement might sound hyperbolic, a fast food addiction is possible, according to Science Daily. The high levels of sugar and fat cause blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, making patrons dependent on the euphoric effects of those insulin surges from the processed ingredients in their supersized meals.

What Tastes So Good Can Be So Bad
Spurlock may have turned a generation off to fast food, but according to the McDonald’s Web site, the corporation serves more than sixty million people around the globe every day. That’s a lot of headaches and unhappiness to go!

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/4-surprising-effects-of-fast-food.html#ixzz1JMqJFj1G


MORE ABOUT DIVINECAROLINE.COM :
At DivineCaroline.com, women come together to learn from experts in the fields, of health, sustainability, and culture; to reflect on shared experiences; and to express themselves by writing and publishing stories about anything that matters to them. Here, real women publish like real pros. Together, with our staff writers, they’re discussing all facets of women’s lives from relationships and careers, to travel and healthy living. So come discover, read, learn, laugh and connect at DivineCaroline.com

National Environment Veg Day (Penang, Alor Star, Melaka)

JAPANESE BOY TEACHES LESSON IN SACRIFICE

A friend shared with me the following news article (ShanghaiDaily.com on 24/3/2011) about this 9-year old Japanese boy and what he did which made me want to reach out and give him a BIG, WARM HUG!

Please read and then allow yourself a moment of silence before sending out a message of love and compassion to all the victims of the recent unfortunate earthquake/tsunami...
Source of article: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=467066&type=Opinion

EDITOR'S note:
THIS letter, written by Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam, was posted on New America Media on March 19. It is a testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit, and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan's crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of "East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres." Shanghai Daily condensed it.

Brother,

How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was in chaos. When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open my eyes, I also see dead bodies.

Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were 48 hours in the day, so that we could continue helping and rescuing folks.

We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near zero. We barely manage to move refugees before there are new orders to move them elsewhere.

I am currently in Fukushima, about 25 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could write it all down, it would surely turn into a novel about human relationships and behaviors during times of crisis.

People here remain calm - their sense of dignity and proper behavior are very good - so things aren't as bad as they could be. But given another week, I can't guarantee that things won't get to a point where we can no longer provide proper protection and order.

They are humans after all, and when hunger and thirst override dignity, well, they will do whatever they have to do. The government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it's like dropping a little salt into the ocean.

Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being.

Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn't be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father's car away.

I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn't make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives.

The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That's when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. "When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here's my portion. I already ate. Why don't you eat it?"

The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn't. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.

I was shocked. I asked him why he didn't eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: "Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally."

When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn't see me cry.

A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people.

Well, a few lines to send you and your family my warm wishes. The hours of my shift have begun again.

Ha Minh Thanh

7 Pros and Cons of Drinking Coffee ....

I like this post by SAMANTHA (@ care2.com) which gives a fair view to the effects to drinking of coffee. Have a read and remember that MODERATION is the key to everything we do. Enjoy your cuppa!

P>S> The following article is selected from Planet Green and originally written by Sarah Novak.

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/7-coffee-pros-cons.html

Before I moved to South Carolina from Washington D.C., I used to enjoy a sizable Starbucks coffee each morning on my way to work. I started my day like the Tasmanian Devil, flying around my office like a child jacked up on sweet tarts. So after I moved south and my life began to slow down a bit, I gradually downgraded my caffeine intake. And just a few years later, I still enjoy a delicious cup o’ Joe, but today it’s the decaffeinated, organic, fair trade variety. It’s a pleasant morning ritual too painful to part with. But is coffee good for your health? Similar to alcohol, the studies seem to seesaw back and forth.

So when you’re considering your morning coffee, here are some health facts to keep in mind:


THE GOOD

1. Coffee Reduces Your Risk of Diabetes
In a 2005 review of nine studies, researchers found that for those that drank four to six cups of coffee per day, versus only two or fewer, their risk for Type 2 diabetes decreased by almost 30 percent. The number decreased by 35 percent when people drank more than six cups per day. And if you’re picturing yourself running around the office with your eyes bugging out of your head, no worries because caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees provided much the same results.


2. Coffee Fights Free Radicals
We often forget that coffee is actually a plant and like all plant foods, the coffee bean contains more than 1,000 naturally occurring substances called phytochemicals, which may help prevent disease. Many of these phytochemicals are antioxidants which protect the cells from damage from free radicals.

3. Coffee Improves Memory and Cognition
Researchers reported that volunteers who drank caffeinated coffee in the morning performed better than nondrinkers on tests that involved learning new information. Coffee can also improve cognitive function as we age. One study found that combining coffee with a sweet treat had an even bigger impact.

According to study researcher Josep M. Serra Grabulosa, from the Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology at Universidad de Barcelona:

Our main finding is that the combination of the two substances improves cognitive performance in terms of sustained attention and working memory by increasing the efficiency of the areas of the brain responsible for these two functions. This supports the idea of a synergistic effect between two substances, in which each one boosts the effect of the other.


THE BAD

4. Coffee Can Increase Osteoporosis
It’s true that coffee can cause the body to excrete calcium in urine. We don’t want the body to rid itself of calcium because this can lead to osteoporosis. According to The Diet Channel, about five milligrams of calcium is lost per every six ounces of coffee consumed. But these calcium losses can be counter balanced with two tablespoons of milk or yogurt per cup of coffee.

5. Coffee Causes Wrinkles
Even though coffee has antioxidants, if you drink too much of it, it can cause wrinkling of the skin. This is a result of dehydration which is the worst thing for your skin. So when you’re drinking that morning cup or two, make sure that you’re pairing it with water. Even better, add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds to your water and let them sit for 30 minutes. The chia seeds keep you even more hydrated than regular water.

6. Coffee Can Actually Cause Weight Gain
The blood sugar fluctuations that a caffeine high produces can contribute enormously to cravings, according to iVillage. Coffee is also socially connected to food. For example, we pair coffee with dessert or that morning powdered doughnut. Additionally, when we crash from our caffeine high that’s when we reach for all sorts of fatty snacks to keep us going.

7. Conventional Coffee Is Laden with Pesticides
The coffee plant is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. It’s coated with chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides, nothing you’d want to be ingesting. If you do drink coffee, make sure that it’s the organic variety, free from assorted chemicals that leech into our ground water and can make us sick down the road.

If you switch to decaffeinated coffee, make sure the caffeine is removed in a natural way without the use of chemicals to do it. Often times, conventional decaffeinated coffee has more chemicals that regular.

FOR FURTHER READING :
CAFFEINE : Myths and Facts
(http://www.care2.com/greenliving/caffeine-myths-and-facts.html

COFFEE : To quit or Not to quit
(http://www.care2.com/greenliving/wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee.html)

8 Reasons to Drink Coffee
(http://www.care2.com/greenliving/reasons-to-drink-coffee.html)

Great News for WHALES ???

The following recent post by JAKE RICHARDSON (@Care2.com dated 29th Mar, 2011) takes a look at how a shift from an old traditional way of life may allow man and animal to co-exist in peace and harmony. Let's all pray and hope that man will leave our animal co-inhabitants alone to enjoy their right to live in their respective and natural environment ... ... ...

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/whaling-in-japan-dealt-another-blow.html

Whaling in Japan Dealt Another Blow

Ayukawahama is a small whaling and fishing village located about 200 miles north of Tokyo. It was hit by the tsunami and experienced tremendous destruction, so much that it currently can no longer function as a whaling center. Ayukawa Whaling is the only whaling company left in the village of 1,400 but the tsunami moved their three whale hunting ships miles down the coast and left them grounded. There is currently no quick way to get them back in the water and functioning. Their whale meat processing factory was destroyed, as were their offices. The company’s chairman had to lay off all 28 employees. He wants to rebuild the company in time for the fall whaling hunt, but admitted it was unlikely to happen. Of course they will miss the April hunt, when they would have been able to take 50 minke whales which is allowed for “research” purposes, but eating whale-meat stew could hardly be called a scientific experiment.

The company can’t afford to move their hunting ships from their grounded locations to water without financial aid from the government. The whaling company’s chairman who is 74 said, “If we can fix the ships, then we’re back in business and should not be afraid, because another tsunami like that won’t come for another 100 years.” (Source: Staradvertiser.com) His father was a whaler, so it must be very difficult to let go of a business that has been in the family for decades, and is so interwoven into the local culture. Of course, in 100 years the village may not even exist any more because many of the residents are old, and may not live even thirty years. Whaling has been declining in Japan due to shifting cultural attitudes, meaning the young people are not nearly as interested in eating whale meat.

The government has been propping up the whaling industry there, and even giving free whale meat to school children to promote it. In January a similar whale meat promotion also did not fare well. They tried to sell meat from Minke whales, humpback whales, and sperm whales at half price. Also free whale meat stew was given away, but it mainly drew interest from about 100 seniors.

One of the Japanese whaling defenders said, “We will pass down the history of our ancestors to the next generation, preserve it. We have a strong sense of pride about this. So we are not going to change our plans for the town based on the criticism of foreigners.” (Source: weirdasiannews.com)

Some Japanese men go to the extent of dressing in red loincloths and chasing a mechanized whale for an annual whale festival. Most of the sentiment regarding a revival of whaling in the tiny town is coming from older males who are at retirement age, or are already retired.

While the disaster in Japan is tragic, and the loss of much of the whaling village is also, it must be said that many whales are now better off, as they won’t die to continue an absurdly out of touch and very destructive, pointless tradition.

Recently anti-whaling activists foiled a big Japanese whaling hunt and saved the lives of many whales. Will the whaling industry in Japan ever finally die out? It is looking more that way today.

WHAT NOT TO PUT DOWN YOUR DRAIN

The following post by Melissa Beyer (@ Care2.com on March 10, 2011) should alert us to how we can further help save the environment no matter which part of the world you happened to be. HELP SAVE OUR PLANET !!!

Our trash that goes in the can or recycling is waste we have no choice but to face. Whether it’s hauling the trash cans to the sidewalk, bringing recycling to a center–it’s a mass of garbage that we have to contend with. Liquid waste, on the other hand, simply gets rinsed down the drain and it’s “bye-bye never have to think about you again.” It’s a much more expedient process–one that’s hidden from the eyes of any sanitation departments–and one that can wreak waves of environmental chaos, not to mention what it can do to your pipes. We often don’t realize the harm we are doing by what we rinse down our kitchen sinks, bath and shower drains, and even what we flush down our toilets.

In a study published in 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and analyzed water samples from 139 streams in 30 states. The goal of the study was to measure concentrations of 95 wastewater-related organic chemicals in water. And guess what? One or more of these chemicals were found in 80 percent of the streams sampled. Half of the streams contained seven or more of these chemicals, and about one-third of the streams contained 10 or more of these chemicals. Pharmaceutical and personal-care products are to blame for many of the chemicals found in the USGS study. Research has shown that there can be effects on aquatic organisms like fish and frogs. Lesson here: don’t flush unwanted prescriptions and try to purchase all-natural personal care products.

But another area of concern is kitchen waste–namely fats, oils and greases which can not only clog pipes, but are terrible for sewage systems. According to the Watership Environment Foundation (WEF), sewer overflows and backups can cause health hazards, damage home interiors, and threaten the environment. An increasingly common cause of overflows is sewer pipes blocked by grease–this results in raw sewage overflowing in your home or your neighbor’s home; An expensive and unpleasant cleanup that often must be paid for by you, the homeowner; Raw sewage overflowing into parks, yards, and streets; Potential contact with disease-causing organisms; and an increase in operation and maintenance costs for local sewer departments, which causes higher sewer bills for customers.

Where does the grease that causes sewer overflows come from? Much of it from the kitchen sink.
Meat fats
Lard
Cooking oil
Shortening
Butter and margarine
Food scraps
Baking goods
Sauces
Dairy products

Grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the streets). Over time, the grease can build up and block the entire pipe. Note that home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system. These units only shred solid material into smaller pieces and do not prevent grease from going down the drain. Commercial additives, including detergents, that claim to dissolve grease may pass grease down the line and cause problems in other areas.


WEF suggests these tips to alleviate pipe blockage and sewer overflows:
• Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets.
• Scrape grease and food scraps from trays, plates, pots, pans, utensils, and grills and cooking surfaces into a can or the trash for disposal (or recycling where available).
• Do not put grease down garbage disposals. Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and empty the drain baskets/strainers into the trash for disposal.
• Speak with your friends and neighbors about the problem of grease in the sewer system and how to keep it out.
• Call your local sewer system authority if you have any questions.


Other things to never wash down your drain:
•Fats, oils or grease from cars or lawnmowers
•Coffee grinds
•Egg shells
•Produce stickers
•Chunks of garbage
•Feminine hygiene products
•Paper towels
•Flushable cat litter
•Rags
•Condoms
•Motor oil, transmission fluids, anti-freeze or other toxic chemicals
•Solvents, paints, turpentine, nail polish, polish remover
•Flammable or explosive substances
•Corrosive substances that are either acidic or caustic
•Prescription and over-the-counter medications

For more information on how to dispose of old medication and personal care products, read Medicine Cabinet Clean-Out.

Source:http://www.care2.com/greenliving/what-not-to-put-down-your-drain.html

BLOGGER'S NOTE : If you are making kitchen waste enzyme for use in your home, simply pouring it down your kitchen sink will help clean the drains/sewage too. Please read our previous postings on how to make the enzyme and its many environmental saving ways. A little effort from everyone will go a long, long way in helping to mitigate further damages to our planet.
Have a nice day!