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Archive for the ‘Good Environment’ Category

Low carbohydrate diets increase risk of bowel cancer

I know we are always being told to eat a balanced diet of good food and sometimes get fed up hearing about it, but there really is proof that this information really is beneficial for our good health, whatever our age.

Did you know that diets that are low in carbohydrates, such as the popular Atkins diet could increase your risk of bowel cancer? I find this quite alarming as several of my friends have used this diet.

Bowel cancer is a subject very close to my heart as my father was diagnosed with bowel cancer twice, the second unfortunately being fatal. Even so as a family we consider ourselves very lucky, as there was a gap of seventeen years between the bouts.

Nowadays there is not such a great taboo over bowel cancer, thanks to famous people in the media speaking out about their symptoms, the general public are more aware and prepared to talk about it and seek medical attention much sooner.

When my father had bowel cancer the first time in 1980 the word cancer was never mentioned at home, it was always glossed over and ‘stomach problems’ was the only mention of his illness, but on its reoccurrence in the nineties there was a much more openness to the disease and even more so today, thank goodness.

It is now known that one of the factors of bowel cancer is a poor diet, and in today’s society of us all wanting to be ever slimmer, several different diet fads have taken off all over the world.

Researchers have found a link between eating a low carbohydrate diet and lower levels of the cancer fighting acid that is in the gut called butyrate.

The chemical butyrate is produced by bacteria and helps to kill off cancerous cells. Scientists found that by eating a low carbohydrate diet can cause a fourfold reduction in the cancer fighting butyrate bacteria, and have said “in the long run it is possible that these diets could contribute to bowel cancer”.

The Atkins diet has been immensely popular worldwide with celebrities swearing by it to stay slim. However critics believe there are several potential risks with a diet regime that calls for such drastic cuts in carbohydrates, and has also been linked to heart disease and osteoporosis.

On this study, obese men were put on one of three different diets, eating either a low, medium or high level of carbohydrate.
The men on the high-carb regime consumed 400g of carbohydrate a day, which is the same as an average diet. Those on the low-carb diet only consumed 24g a day, this being equivalent to starting the Atkins diet.

It was this group, the low-carbohydrate diet that had a fourfold drop in the level of cancer fighting bacteria in their stomachs. Professor Flint said ‘The changes in butyrate production that we observed in this study are the largest ever reported in a human dietary trial.’ He also said that it was likely the results would be exactly the same in women.

I believe we should all eat a varied diet to maintain good health, and even when trying to lose weight should still continue eating a good balanced diet. Good Food really is beneficial for continuous good health and should be a priority for all of us.

Eating a healthy diet has become the golden rule in our house – ‘good food good health’, and even our children recognise the benefits now they are older, although it was difficult to maintain at times.

Annie Anderson, nutritional adviser to the Bowel Cancer UK charity, said ‘there is little merit in low carbohydrate diets, apart from the fact that they can help people to lose weight.’

‘Cutting down long term on fruits and fibre- for example in bread, as this report shows doing so is likely to have a negative impact on your bowel health and may increase the risk of bowel cancer’.

Previous studies have blamed the Atkins diet for causing constipation through the lack of fibre eaten during the diet, which can raise the risk of bowel cancer. This is caused through the lack of fibre, meaning that the food moves much more slowly through the gut.

The Atkins diet is based on the theory that cutting carbohydrates changes the body’s chemistry, turning it from a carbohydrate burning machine in to one that burns fat instead.

This low-carb diet craze became popular in the 1990′s when Dr Robert Atkins wrote and published his book Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, and still is one of the top ten diets used today.

Scientists and medical professionals say that bowel cancer is on the rise and fear that this diet could have an input on this, but with greater awareness of the disease and early detection, more people are surviving.

So remember, all foods can be eaten in a small amount or as a treat, and some should be treated only as that, and that continuously eating one type of ‘foods’ can only do us harm.

So why not make our ‘good food good health’ slogan yours as well, and put it into practice next time you are in the supermarket. Now is a great time of year for local fresh produce, you will be surprised
how much fresher fruit and vegetables are at you local farm shop, and better for the environment with less carbon trail and packaging.

I am a great believer that we should all eat a balanced diet, to keep our bodies in tiptop condition. We all know that bowel cancer is on the increase in the UK, but let’s get our diets right and give ourselves a greater fighting chance to keep bowel cancer at bay

Do not forget good food is good health

Sandra & Ted

“Today I have grown taller walking with the trees.” Karle Wilson Baker

We all know that exercise is good for you. And walking is probably the easiest form to get into.

But did you know that walking plays a part in helping improve your environment?

Walking improves our quality of life because it helps to protect the living environment and natural resources. It can also be built into transportation systems.

Added health and environmental benefits come from the fact that walking is a pollution free activity. It’s also a quiet pastime. So we benefit from cleaner air and there’s a reduction in traffic noise too.

“Walking is highly efficient in its use of urban space and energy, it rarely causes injury and it gives streets vitality and personal security. Many car trips are quite short, less than 2 km, indicating that walking could be a feasible alternative and contribute to reducing the pollution from a cold-start vehicle travelling only a short distance.”
C. Mason, Transport and health: en route to a healthier Australia? Medical Journal of Australia 2000

In North America and in Europe, there are active groups who canvass for better walking facilities in the urban communities. They argue that walking opens up communities and adds to the quality of life for all.

In 1996, Dan Burden formed Walkables Communities (http://www.walkable.org) in Florida. Walkable Communities purpose is,

“… helping whole communities, whether they are large cities or small towns, or parts of communities, i.e. neighbourhoods, business districts, parks, school districts, subdivisions, specific roadway corridors, etc., become more walkable and pedestrian friendly.”

In the UK, Living Streets (http://www.livingstreets.org.uk) is a similar organisation who state their aim as being,

“… the champions of streets and public spaces for people on foot. We work on practical projects to create safe, vibrant and healthy streets for all.
Local streets are a service that we all use. But for decades, traffic priorities have been allowed to overwhelm them, and they have been left dirty and unsafe. Vibrant streets help to revitalise neighbourhoods and reconnect people.”

These organisations and their campaigns to free our communities from excess traffic appear to make sense. It is true that motor vehicles create a large amount of the pollution we find in the air.

The pollution created by vehicles can contribute to ill health. Illnesses such as asthma, lung cancer, increased stress and disturbed sleep have been found to be due to increased air pollution.

Walking on the other hand improves health, because every walk reduces air pollution.

So, do you want to take a walk today? Every step you take plays a part in improving your local community.

Questions about the environment weigh heavily on people’s minds these days. Reports of new disasters flood the airwaves. This year the United States had been thrashed by a record 905 tornadoes by May 11, 2008. Statistics reveal the US averaged a total of 1270 tornadoes per year during the past ten years.

The American honeybee is disappearing and predicted to go extinct.

It is not just our external environment that concerns us. Recent published findings of treated waste water revealed contamination of antibiotics, birth control, and chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics.

Meanwhile, health conditions we cannot explain, including ADHD, autism, and fibromyalgia are on the rise. It is natural to ask ourselves if environmental factors are at play here.

A major soft drink manufacturer recently jumped on the “green bandwagon” announcing its line of recycled plastic clothing under the label rPET

If you’re wondering about health supplements for cats, you are not alone. A recent poll of pet owners revealed that seventy percent were thinking about giving supplements to their pet. In this article, you’ll learn why a good supplement is essential and how to find one that will help build immunity and increase the quality of your pet’s life.

When pet owners ask me if their cats really need a feline health formula, I talk to them about how the quality of our environment, water and food has changed over the past one hundred years. In today’s world, our environment is full of toxins and pollutants that get stored in our organs and tissues. Second, much of the food we eat is laced with pesticides, even if we buy organic because pesticides that are sprayed on crops can spread for miles via the wind, through water runoff and on the bodies of birds and bugs. Finally, over farming means that our food is not as mineral-rich as it used to be.

It would be naive to think that our pets are immune to the toxic world that they live in. Like us, their bodies get stressed out by the chemicals and pollution. Just like us, they need daily supplements. Health supplements for cats can help detoxify the vital organs, pull toxins from the tissues, build immunity and help prevent disease.

To achieve these ends takes a three-pronged approach with good food, clean water and a daily supplement designed specifically for cat health. First, let’s talk about food. No matter which pet food you feed your cat, make sure to read the label. Many trusted commercial brands are full of dyes, preservatives and fillers. The first ingredient in cat food should be meat since cats are carnivores. You can find healthy brands at your grocery and health food store. Although it may be more expensive than a brand with chemicals and fillers, in the end it will cost less because your cat will get more nutrition in every bite.

Next, support good cat food with a daily supplement. Look for one that contains proven ingredients that cats chew on in the wild when feeling sick or trying to boost their health. This includes herbs like Mistletoe, Cat’s Claw, Echinacea, Milk Thistle and Astralagus. Together, these herbs detoxify the body (in particular, the liver), build immunity, fight disease, increase cardiovascular and respiratory health and fight disease. Health supplements for cats that contain these herbs are the most effective way to ensure your pet’s good health.

Finally, make sure that your pet gets plenty of fresh clean water. Since tap water can be full of chemicals, install an inexpensive tap filter. Drinking plenty of water will keep your cat hydrated and help the supplements flush out stored chemicals.

Let’s face it: we live in a toxic world. Animals are unwitting victims of human greed and modern conveniences. As such, it is a must to give your cat a daily feline health formula in addition to providing clean water and good food.

If you are raising chickens in your backyard and you just let them move freely on their own there is a big chance that you already lost some of them to predators. Chickens are attractive to hawks, foxes, dogs, rodents and snakes. If left free to run around they become easy prey. This is why a lot of chicken growers prefer to keep them is a structure so that they can be kept safe against attacks of predators. Building a chicken house is very practical because it is easy to do. Besides, being a controlled set-up you can ensure health and safety. You can also prevent doing harm to the environment.

You have two options in building a chicken house in your backyard. You can choose to have a fixed chicken coop or you can go for a portable chicken coop.

If you choose to have a fixed chicken coop – the first thing that you have to decide on is where you are going to put it. You have to choose a spot where the chickens can get proper ventilation. If the place is too stuffy, the chickens may get suffocated. However you also have to avoid locations where the wind can be too strong. Chickens have to be protected from wind drafts. Always remember that drafts are fatal.

The location that you will choose should also be near a water source. This is not only for their drinking needs. Chicken coops should also be cleaned regularly. If wastes accumulate, they could get diseases like coccidiosis and roundworms. It could also lead to air pollution. You wouldn’t want to smell animal manure everyday, would you? Surely you wouldn’t also want your neighbors complaining.

Lastly, you would need to select a location – that will lessen if not totally prevent attacks of predators. It would be very helpful if your chicken coop will be placed in an area with fence. This would ward off a lot of predators.

If you choose to have a portable chicken coop – you have the option to transfer it from one place to another depending on the time of the day or where natural source of food is. Selecting a suitable location is not really a problem. What you need to focus on are these requirements.

The chicken coop should be easily moved by hands. It should be made of materials that are lightweight. PVC pipes are good frames because they are not as heavy as wood. They are also cheaper.

It should ensure that the chickens do not get injured during transfers. Ends of wires should be properly wound so as not to hurt the chickens. It should be stable enough so that it will not be blown away when strong winds pass. It should be sturdy enough to prevent damage during transfers.

What we need in our lives is more eco friendly water bottles, and less of the disposable ones that have become so popular.