Recycling Myths

Recycling has become an important part of our lives, with the faithful assumption that disposing is bad and recycling is always good by definition. Pause to consider the science and the economics of every proposition, including segregating plastic containers, bottles, newspapers and metal cans and then placing them in colorful boxes at curbside. Without even questioning either the cost or the outcomes of the process that starts at the curb, or if recycling is economically or environmentally sound.


Saving Trees with Paper Recycling
People recycle paper to save trees. However, most paper comes from trees that are planted with the intention of eventually harvesting them to make things like paper. This means that if we all use less paper, there would be fewer trees planted. Maybe some people ought to use less paper anyway, but no one assume that the people who are in the business of growing and harvesting trees are going to continue to do so even if we don’t buy their products. For every 13 trees “saved” by recycling, 87 will never get planted. It is because of the demand of the paper that number of trees have been increasing in the world. Moreover, recycling newsprint creates more water pollution than making new paper. De-inking old news papers produces a lot of toxic sludge that requires special disposal.

Polystyrene Food Containers

Similarly, several cities, including New Jersey, and Portland, Oregon, have essentially banned polystyrene food packages, like the ones McDonald’s used to put burgers in until it was pressured into switching to paperboard container, because the paper used by McDonald’s is recyclable and polystyrene is not. But the truth is complicated.

Polystyrene is completely recyclable, which is not always true for the paper used in, for example drinking cups, especially if the paper has been wax coated or soiled with food residue. These paper cups cost the consumer about two and half times as much as polystyrene. Studies carried out by NCPA show that production of polystyrene hamburger shells used by McDonald’s actually used 30% less energy than paperboard and resulted in 46% less air pollution and 42% less water pollution. The average 10-gram paper cup consumes 33-grams of wood and uses 28% more petroleum in its manufacture than the entire input of the polystyrene cup.

Recycling is very useful when it is approached from perspective of sound economics, good science and voluntary cooperation, but unfortunately it is promoted as an end in itself without regard to whether it is worth the time and expense. Quite often, recycling expends more energy and resources than it saves or reclaims. Recycling however, doesn’t really happen unless all that plastic, glass, paper and metal from the sorted bins is turned into new, useful products that are generally in demand in the marketplace. Some of what we put out at curbside actually ends in a landfill or piled to the ceiling in warehouses with no place to go.

Source:http://www.greendivamom.com/author/savneet/

The Essentials of Vitamin D

Studies have shown that vitamin D intake reduces the chances of colon, breast and prostate cancer. In addition vitamin D helps maintain strong bones. Older adults can reduce their risks of falls by more than 20% by ensuring that they get enough vitamin D. A study recently reported in Journal of the American Medical Association noted that vitamin D may also improve muscle strength, thereby reducing fracture risk from falls.


Scientist are finding that when we avoid sunlight all the time by slathering ourselves with sunscreen to avoid the increased skin cancer risk from sun overexposure, or avoiding the outdoors altogether through an indoor sedentary lifestyle, we lose our most effective source of vitamin D. Our bodies make vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight. This does not mean that you have to be out in sun all the time, or lying out in the beach tanning. All you have to do is to expose your skin to sun for 10 minutes in summer and 15 minutes in winter.

Blood levels of vitamin D are low in one in five women living in America and North Europe. Post-menopausal women also get too little dietary calcium. But the former deficiency may be more important that the latter. In fact the recent studies suggest that higher than RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances) of vitamin D may be more important than RDA intake of calcium to bone health.
There is actually a tightly intertwined connection between vitamin D, calcium and lesser known substance called parathyroid (PTH). PTH regulates the amount of calcium in the bloodstream. When the level of calcium is low in blood , the thyroid gland secrets more PTH, which raises the level of calcium by taking it from the bone. If the pattern continues, bones will eventually become brittle and prone to more breakage.
High level of Vitamin D in blood inhibits the secretion of PTH, thereby preventing the loss of calcium from the bones. Conversely, low vitamin D level prompts loss of calcium from the bones and raises the risks of osteoporosis and fractures. This is one reason why most experts say the RDA for Vitamin D, which is 400 international units per day, is too low and should be increased to 600 to 800 international units per day.
The Food and Nutrition Board of Institute of Medicine of US National Academy of Science has recommended the following adequate daily intakes (AI) for vitamin D.


Infants, children and adults up to 50 years of age (includes pregnant and nursing women): 5.0 micrograms (200IU)
Men and women 51-70 years: 10.0 micrograms (400 IU)
Men and women older than 70 years: 15.0 micrograms (600 IU)
Studies have also shown that consumption of more than 800 milligrams of calcium per day may be unnecessary for bone health if there is enough vitamin D. Sufficient vitamin D levels an can ensure an ideal level of PTH, even when calcium intake is lower.

A few sources Vitamin D are cod liver oil, cheese, egg yolks, cream, fortified milk, margarine, oysters, fish, and butter. Get it from sunlight. A good solution is to spend fifteen minutes in the sun and then apply your sunscreen.

The Right Kind of Exercise for You

All of us understand the importance of staying fit and the role played by the exercise in keeping us fit. We have many energy saver system like drive through fast food points, banks, cleaners, pharmacies, elevators, escalators, moving walkways, television and music systems with remote controls, automatic washers and dryers etc. Our inactivity has increased actually because of spending long hours in working on internet, watching television, playing video games etc.This kind of sedentary lifestyle puts our longevity and health at risk. If you have not included exercise in your daily routine then you are at a high risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart diseases, obesity etc. Obesity is further associated with other diseases like heart failure,diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, stroke, degenerative joints, many types of cancer, gall bladder diseases and many more. Many of these disease are life threatening and may lead to premature death

We all have excuses and explanation for not doing exercise like lack of time, odd working hours, home, kids etc. But we must convince ourselves that the worldly possessions like money, power, status, image all are of no use if we do not have good health. Thus, it is very important to keep yourself healthy. Good eating and drinking habits and exercise keeps you fit for whole life. Exercise and workout will not only keep you healthy, increase longevity but will also give you mental peace because “A healthy body has healthy mind”.

But, before you think of making exercise an essential part of your life you should keep in mind following points :

1.Exercise should be enjoyable: Exercise must not be mind numbing and unnatural. If it is boring , nobody is going to do it for a long time. It has to be interesting so that you get motivate to do it regularly. So, choose the kind of exercise that you really find interesting and motivating. You should feel good physically as well as mentally after doing exercise.
2.Exercise should be easily accessible: It is easy to find reasons for not going or not doing exercise if it takes an inordinate amount of time and effort to get to that. If you have chosen exercise which is not readily available then the fever of exercise goes off after some days. Sustaining exercise under optimal conditions is difficult so better choose the exercise which is easily accessible.
3.Exercise should be injury free: Sometimes people get injured during exercise and hence give up exercise. Thus ,choose exercise which is natural and injury free.
4.Exercise should involve the muscle group from whole body: Exercise should be such that it involves the exercise of major muscle groups from our all body parts.
5.Exercise should give you an option to do it at high, moderate and low intensity: The exercise you take should give you an option to go at the level you need or can do. For example, for beginners, over-weight and old age it should not be very heavy or tough.

Read more: http://healthmad.com/fitness/the-right-kind-of-exercise-for-you/#ixzz0oUYH7j2n

Health Benefits of Fresh Juice

Fresh juices are a safe and inexpensive form of preventive medicine. A few glasses of juice each day increase nutrient density of our diet. There are very few people who can have a pound of raw carrots a day, but anyone can squeeze in an 8-ounce glass of carrot juice, which is rich in important vitamins A and C.

Juice’s main drawback is that it removes fiber, which is essential for healthy digestion and may even help in preventing certain type of cancer. An adult needs 20-35 grams of fiber everyday. A glass of eight ounce of carrot contains only 2 grams of fiber as compared to 14 grams in a pound of carrots. Thus, it is advisable to have raw and fresh vegetables and fruits in addition to juices. Most people do not have either juice or raw vegetables and fruits. Thus, adding a few glasses of fresh juices each day can do a lot to improve the average person’s diet.

It is very important to note that when experts recommend juice, they are not talking about the prepackaged juice which you get at supermarkets. These pre-processed juices have very little resemblance to fresh juice nutritionally as well as aesthetically. These processed juices undergo boiling at a very high temperature for the pasteurization, which is required to increase the shelf life of the juice. During this process of boiling many essential vitamins and enzymes are destroyed. Even these prepacked juices are much better than the carbonated sodas and energy drinks. If you really want to reap the health benefits of the juice, you need to put some extra effort and money. Bring home a juicer and spend a little extra time to prepare fresh juice for yourself and other family members.

It is very important to choose the right and best quality produce for making juice. The best choice is organic vegetables and fruits. Produce grown without pesticides and other chemicals gives more valuable nutrients for the money that you have spent, as will seasonal and local. Avoid imported produce as far as possible. If you use imported fruits or vegetables, peel it off before you take out juice. Locally grown produce is cheaper and fresher than those which are shipped from far off places. Explore local markets and road-side stands. There are pick-up-your own farms where you can select your own peas, apples, peaches, strawberries and other fruits.

To have maximum benefits, make juice only when you are ready to drink it. It is best to have juice within half an hour it is made. As soon as a fruit or vegetable juice is processed in your juicer, the natural enzymes in the juice begin to break down the nutrients it contains. Juice stored in refrigerators loses its nutritional value rather quickly. Once juice starts to thicken, it is only left with water, minerals and calories.

There are few important things to remember while you prepare juice:

Lighter Twice-Baked Potatoes

Kids and adults all enjoy eating baked potatoes, and stuffed potatoes can make any meal a special treat. This recipe for stuffed potatoes with Parmesan cheese and milk reduces fat by omitting the cheddar cheese, butter and cream.


Stuffed Potatoes
You need:
2 baking potatoes
1 leek, white and pale green part only, rinsed well, patted dry. You can also choose half medium onion, finely chopped
One tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup milk, hot
3 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons of chopped cilantro
Prick potatoes a few times with a knife and bake them at 425F for 1 hour or until tender. Let them cool. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the pulp into a bowl, leaving a one-fourth inch thick shell. Mash the pulp with fork.
Cook the leek in the oil in a skillet over medium heat for few minutes or until softened. Stir cooked leek or onion into the potatoes with milk, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Mound one-quarter of the potato mixture back into the shells. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top of each mound and bake the stuffed potatoes in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are hot. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Clear Skin From Within

Clear, glowing, gorgeous and blemish-free skin requires taking care of skin not only from the outside but also from inside. Skin glows if it is healthy, and if you are healthy. Lifestyle affects the appearance of our skin, particularly when it comes to acne.

Developing better skin habits like cleansing regularly, applying the right treatment products can prove to be helpful in maintaining your clear complexion clear to an extent, but it’s only when you target skin from both the outside and the inside that you’ll begin to see longer-lasting results. Healthy habits like eating the right foods, exercising consistently and taking out time for daily stress relief, are just a few measures to help your skin as well as your overall health.

Nutrient-Rich Diet

A healthy diet rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins - particularly vitamins A, C and E - is good for clear, smooth and softer skin. Vitamin A internally, helps to increase skin-cell turnover. Vitamin A is found in foods like broccoli, cantaloupe, cod, red peppers, spinach and watercress. The recommended dietary allowance is 700 micrograms. Limit intake of iodine-rich foods/medications like kelp and seafood like shrimp and other shellfish.

You can also help your skin by becoming a vegan or vegetarian. Fresh fruits and vegetables have a positive and long lasting effect on the skin, and are rich in vitamins that can have anti-aging properties.

Sleep well and have plenty of water. Water helps in detoxifying your body and eliminates all the toxins which brings natural glow to the skin.

Why Should You Include Fermented Food in Your Diet

We all know that there a large number of bacteria present in our gastrointestinal tract those are important to digestion. The beneficial bacteria present in our bowel try to protect us from the massive number of harmful bacteria those might have been ingested while consuming food and water. We need certain bacteria in our digestive system in order to have proper digestion. When bacteria are removed because of prolonged use of antibiotic , it creates breeding ground for illness. Our immune system weakens and we lose our ability to digest, absorb food and assimilate. The harmful bacteria get foothold in the colon because of our bad food habits. We consume less fiber and more refined carbohydrates. This slows down the bowel transit time and fuel harmful bacteria. Thus, we need to have fermented food and probiotic supplements to have good bacteria in our digestive tract.
In order to increase the useful bacteria in gastrointestinal tract, we can have fermented food like yoghurt and sauerkraut. Irritable bowel syndrome has become a great problem in the America because of our food habits. Countries where fermented food is still a staple diet, gastrointestinal tract problems and irritable bowel syndrome are about one-tenth of that in Western societies.
Let us find out why should you include fermented food and lactic acid in your diet:

1)Good for stomach: Intake of fermented food in the diet helps in increasing the acidity of the gastric juice and protects the stomach and intestinal lining when there is over production of the acid. As we age , the production of the hydrochloric acid and the enzymes required to digest food decrease. Food like pickled food, buttermilk and sauerkraut can prove to be effective in getting more of essential acids and enzymes. You should have two small portions of fermented food and lactic acid in diet daily.
2)Kills harmful bacteria: Fermented food inhibits and destroy pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria responsible for causing typhoid and cholera are sensitive to acid environment. It was found that during the European epidemic of typhoid in 1950, fresh sauerkraut was an effective agent for killing the bacteria. Fermented food and lactic acid are found to be more effective in killing microbes present in the gastrointestinal tract.
3)Beneficial for nerves: Fermented food produce acetycholine. This facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses . It is extremely good for bowel movement also.
4)Help in fighting against cancer: High level of anti -cancer activity has been noticed by compounds contained in cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.
5)Beneficial for diabetics: The fermented food and lactic acid contains carbohydrates those are already broken down to a predigested state. Thus, they don't put an extra burden on the pancreas.
Source:http://healthmad.com/conditions-and-diseases/why-should-you-include-fermented-food-in-your-diet/