In an interview with Gwen Ifill, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson explains the decision to declare greenhouse gases a danger to human health (source: PBS).

Original Article

(source: New York Times)

WASHINGTON — President Obama exhorted Senate Democrats on Sunday to put aside their differences and seize their moment in history by passing landmark health legislation. But senators said he did not mention sticky issues like abortion or a new government-run insurance plan. Though Mr. Obama gave them no guidance on the question, Senate Democrats on Sunday intensified their yearlong effort to build consensus around some form of a public insurance plan to compete with private insurers.

About this Talk

(source: TED)

The varieties of wheat, corn and rice we grow today may not thrive in a future threatened by climate change. Cary Fowler takes us inside a vast global seed bank, buried within a frozen mountain in Norway, that stores a diverse group of food-crop for whatever tomorrow may bring.

About Cary Fowler

(source: TED)

Tucked away under the snows of the Arctic Circle is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Sometimes called the doomsday vault, it’s nothing less than a backup of the world’s biological diversity in a horticultural world fast becoming homogenous in the wake of a flood of genetically identical GMOs.

For Cary Fowler, a self-described Tennessee farm boy, this vault is the fulfillment of a long fight against shortsighted governments, big business and potential disaster. Inside the seed vault, Fowler and his team work on preserving wheat, rice and hundreds of other crops that have nurtured humanity since our ancestors began tending crops — and ensuring that the world’s food supply has the diversity needed to stand against the omnipresent threats of disease, climate change and famine.

I think most of us can relate to the stresses that come from accumilating financial debt. But how serious is having financial debt on one’s physical health?

Original Post

(source: Natural News)

The stress caused by debt is a major health risk linked to a variety of health problems, according to a recent survey conducted by Associated Press-AOL Health. Scientists have known for a long time that stress can be hard on the body, due to the effects of stress hormones designed to prime the body for “fight or flight.” Over the long term, these hormones can hamper everything from digestive, immune and heart health to reproduction, growth and memory.

Today I sat in on a nutrition lecture given by Dr. Karla Shelnutt at the University of Florida and the topic related to oral health and nutrition. It was interesting to realize that there are certain foods that are highly cariogenic – foods containing fermentable carbs that are metabolized by bacteria to cause tooth demineralization. In other words, foods that may lead to “tooth caries” or tooth decay. Also, it’s not just the “amount consumed” of these cariogenic foods that can lead to tooth caries, but a combination of the types of carbs (e.g., sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, lactose, dextrose, etc) they contain as well as the frequency that one consumes these foods. For example, dried fruits (which are sticky and can adhere to your tooth), candies, cake, chips, and sodas are highly cariogenic.

All you coffee drinkers out there, if you sip your coffee slowly then you are setting up an ideal acidic environment for bacteria to colonize and affect your oral health. Now, I don’t recommend slamming down your coffee in 3 minutes, but just be aware. Although, it is better to consume your coffee in a short amount of time.

There are non-cariogenic foods (a.k.a. cariostatic foods) that when consumed are not a threat to your teeth. These include cheeses, nuts, and xylitol (a sugar found in chewing gum). Xylitol is interesting in that it interrupts bacteria from causing harm to your teeth…however it’s most effective if the gum is not a mixture.

Lastly, a study conducted in Sweden from 1945-1953 known as the “Vipeholm Study” has shown that if you consume a sugary drink (highly cariogenic) between meals versus during a meal, your risk of developing tooth caries increases. So drink that fruit juice during your steak dinner and have water between meals.

And it goes with out saying that if you follow proper dental hygiene (brush/floss after meals), the fluoride can help to prevent tooth decay.

- Ali Al-Rajhi