#Volcanoes Have shifted Asian Rainfall Powerful volcanoes potential to shift rain patterns Scientists have known long that large volcanic explosions can affect the weather by spewing particles that block solar energy and cool the air.
Some suspect that extended oevolcanic winters from gigantic blowups helped kill off dinosaurs and Neanderthals. In the summer following Indonesias 1815 Tambora eruption, frost wrecked crops as far off as New england,
Aquabundance is a highly productive aquaponic system that grows a nearly boundless variety of plants using organic nutrients supplied by fish growing in an attractive adjoining tank.
which develop along very different paths when put on different diets. The research was led by Professor Ryszard Maleszka of The Australian National Universitys College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, working with colleagues from the German Cancer Institute in Heidelberg,
because it shows how the outside world is linked to DNA via diet, and how environmental inputs can transiently modify our genetic hardware,
Ill give you one guess were the CO2 was released from in this photo Every person emits the equivalent of approximately two tonnes of carbon dioxide a year from the time food is produced to
primarily with nitrogen and phosphorus. A team of researchers from the Universidad de Almerã a (UAL) has estimated the environmental impact of the Spanish diet
and role that human excrements play in the life cycle of food. It is the first time that a scientific study of this type incorporates the role played by human excrements. oefood in Spain produces emissions of around two tonnes of carbon dioxide per person
analyses the relationship of the food production and consumption chain with global warming and the acidification and eutrophication (excess of nutrients) of the environment, taking what a person in Spain ate in 2005 (881 kilograms) as a reference.
industrial food processing, sale and distribution, preparation and cooking at home, solid waste treatment (food remains and packaging),
According to the study, producing food from animals, such as meat and dairy products, causes the greatest impact.
and the food industry are the greatest source of carbon dioxide water pollution, but in both cases the effects of human excretion (through breathing or due to waste water treatment) are next on the list.
Human Excretion Contributes Nutrients oehuman excretion contributes significantly to water polluting through providing organic matter and nutrients
as they are nutrients, just like manure is reused as fertiliser in agriculture. oethe problem is that in many cases our rivers have a very low water level
gases per unit of food produced. Compared to the worlds temperate regions, the tropics release nearly twice as much carbon to the atmosphere for each unit of land cleared,
director of the University of Minnesotas Institute on the Environment and a co-author on the study. oein terms of balancing the needs of food production
However, in the tropics pressure to plant more land is growing fastest due to increasing human population, changing diets, food security concerns,
#Some Truly Disgusting Dishes Does this look like a mouth full of yum? Food, like so many things in life,
is a matter of taste and acculturation. Despite this, at least to the palettes of the western world, some of the things people put in their mouths can be considered no less than disgusting.
The custom of eating these lovelies started during a time of widespread food shortage back in the 1970s,
¢Balut (Soft-boiled Fetal Duck) For about 35 cents, if you live in the Philippines, you can enjoy a fertilized duck egg with an almost fully developed embryo inside.
Boiled and eaten directly from the shell, this dish is considered to be high in protein and an aphrodisiac.¢
¢Tuna fish Eyes The fatty, jellylike tissue around the eyeballs of a tuna fish is considered to be a great delicacy in Japan that costs about US $1.
It can be eaten a number of ways: raw, steamed or fried with garlic or soya sauce.¢
¢Birds Nest The Chinese make soup out of this, and one bowl costs anywhere from$30 to $100!
A sacred animal in India, urine from the cow is distilled before it is blended with traditional Indian herbs and medicinal plants.
¢Deep Fried Insects Topping off the list of specialty foods is this protein-rich delicacy from Thailand,
Who Wants 1 Million Pumpkin pies!!!THE GREAT PUMPKIN! Chris Stevens record-breaking pumpkin weighs 1, 810.5 pounds, shown here with New york Botanical garden staff.
like the nearly 1, 811-pound behemoth recognized this month by Guinness World records. The work also addresses larger questions of plant development,
#Eating Almonds Can Help the Body Fight off Viruses Eating almonds boosts immune system response to viruses.
Eating almonds can help the body to fight off viral infections such as the common cold and flu, according to new research.
The scientists, who are based at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich and the Policlinico Universitario in Messina,
it was likely that eating almonds regularly could help protect people from becoming infected with viruses in the first place,
Dr Giuseppina Mandalari, from the Institute of Food Research, said: oealmond skins are able to stimulate the immune response
Dr Martin Wickham, who was involved also in the study at the Institute of Food Research
but also gave birth to more lambs each year. Viewed in terms of breeding and, ultimately, evolutionary success, the differing groups of sheep were equally successful in that the longer-lived
but more fertile sheep produced about the same number of progeny over the course of their lives.
the field of immunology has been based on studies of domesticated animals in clean lab environments where animals are given all the food they want,
And a daily fix of its juices could be enough to lower blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension, according to a study.
These findings suggest that this functional food has a vasodilatory effect, and one that may prevent pre-hypertension from progressing to full-blown hypertension, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
By functional foods, we mean those foods scientifically shown to have health-promoting or disease-preventing properties,
above and beyond the other intrinsically healthy nutrients they also supply. The researchers found that watermelons with orange flesh contain more L-citrulline than those with red flesh.
#Being a Diet Soda Junkie Puts You at Greater Risk of Weight Gain: Study Does ordering a diet soda with this meal compensate for the calorie overload?
Weve all seen it. Someone bellies up to the fast food counter and orders a Whopper with cheese,
large fries and diet soda as if a zero-calorie chaser can compensate for the 1, 300 calorie overload.
Or are you guilty of scarfing down a whole big bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos and a Diet Mountain Dew?
Many of us justify a diet drink habit as a way to cut calories and lose weight.
For some it can work at least for awhile. oeswapping sugary, high calorie beverages for low-or no-calorie artificially sweetened beverages like diet soda can potentially help you cut calories
and lose weight, says Marisa Moore, R. D.,a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. But the most important thing is to pay attention to total calorie intake,
she adds. Americans are drinking lots of diet sodas regular consumers average 27 ounces, or slightly more than 2 cans,
daily, according to research and gobble up more artificial sweeteners in cookies, yogurt and other products, obesity rates have soared.
Substituting a soda with artificial sweeteners for a sugary beverage can help lower calorie intake,
but theres no evidence it helps you keep off the pounds in the long-term, a recent review of hundreds of studies on non-calorie sweeteners,
appetite and food intake published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated. In fact, two recent studies found that being a diet soda junkie could actually put you at a greater risk of weight gain.
Normal weight people who drank 3 servings or more of diet soda a day at least 21 weekly servings were at almost double the risk for becoming overweight
or obese after seven to eight years compared to people who skipped diet drinks, according to researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San antonio. And people who consumed at least one daily serving of diet soda
(versus none) were more likely to develop a high waist circumference, a condition linked with diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, according to a recent study.
The American Dietetic Association says theres no conclusive evidence that diet sodas directly cause weight gain,
but at least one expert believes an artificial sweetener habit may overstimulate our taste receptors for sweetness.
Dr. David Ludwig director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Childrens Hospital in Boston, cites animal studies that suggest consuming diet drinks alone (not with food) can confuse
or disrupt the bodys ability to determine calorie content based on sweetness. As a result, the hyped-up sugar receptors could increase hunger and food intake,
and contribute to weight gain. People would crave more high-calorie sweet foods and fewer healthful, less sweet foods, such as fruits, vegetables,
and legumes. oeeven if diet drinks prove to aid long-term weight loss when used to replace sugary beverages,
they may promote weight gain when consumed instead of unsweetened beverages, Ludwig wrote in a commentary last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Of course, its possible that if people in the studies who drank diet soda didnt do so,
they might have gained even more weight, especially if instead they turned to sugary beverages or consumed food instead of the diet soda.
So, if youre used to drinking lots of sugary beverages, replacing them with a calorie-free soda might help kickstart weight loss.
And if you eat a basically healthful diet with minimal amounts of sugary foods or artificial sweeteners, enjoying an occasional
or even daily diet soda wont likely tip the scale. As a substitute for diet soda
Ludwig suggests plain or mineral water, or coffee or tea made with up to 1 gram of sugar per ounce (or 2 teaspoons per 8 ounce cup).
For those who have health or other concerns and want to curb their diet soda habit,
Moore suggests plain sparkling water (add fresh ginger or mint to make ginger ale); sparkling flavored waters made with no additives;
and plain water spruced up with cucumber, orange, lemon or lime slices. As for me, I admit not a day goes by that
I dont have a diet soda. But because emerging research suggests possible links between diet soda and metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, kidney problems,
and preterm delivery, its prudent if youre more than an occasional diet soda consumer to curb intake.
I try to drink a cup of water before I have any diet soda and buy one can at a time instead of a 6-pack
or case o have at home or at my office. When eating out I ask for tons of ice.
Until more conclusive studies are done, Im not convinced I need to kick the habit completely.
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#15 Crazy Futuristic Apple Innovations in the Works Steve jobs It seems like Steve jobs is announcing something new and oemagic every other week.
And those are just the products that make it to market. Pics) To end up with all those insanely profitable gadgets,
Apple does a lot of tinkering. Sometimes its engineers invent the iphone. Other times, they invent things that are just plain crazy.
There are too many patent applications flowing out of Cupertino to keep track of easily. Fortunately, theres Patently Apple, a blog dedicated exclusively to monitoring Apple innovation.
We pulled 15 of the coolest, craziest gadget concepts Apple has been playing with over the past few months. oeibeam:
Its not a laptop or a desktop; this projector-based oedesk-free computer would be a category unto itself oeibike:
Everyone runs around with GPS chips in their sneakers nowadays to track their runs and share them online this is like that for cyclists oeicase:
Suspected culprits ranged from pesticides to genetically modified food. Now, a unique partnership of military scientists and entomologists appears to have achieved a major breakthrough:
suggesting that insect nutrition is compromised somehow. Liaisons between the military and academia are nothing new, of course.
they are 100 percent fatal. oeits chicken and egg in a sense we dont know which came first,
Dr. Bromenshenk said of the virus-fungus combo nor is it clear, he added, whether one malady weakens the bees enough to be finished off by the second,
#What Whole Wheat Really Means Is your bread actually made with whole grains? Whole wheat, multigrain, 12-grain, oemade with whole grains here are many labels you can put on bread to make it sound healthy.
What really counts when it comes to buying better bread? Fewer ingredients, key labels, and basic weight math.
Marion Nestle, author of the San francisco Chronicles Food Matters column, does a great job making common sense of the myriad labels
and marketing blather on bread To decide whether these have anything in them worth eating beyond their calories,
you must inspect labels to make sure the first ingredient is whole grain, the total number of ingredients is small and devoid of unpronounceable chemicals,
the fiber content is at least 2 grams per 1-ounce serving and the label says 100 percent whole wheat.
Anything less is reconstituted white bread with occasional pieces of the original grain added back. Nestle explains the basics of
Food labeling rules do not make it easy to figure out fiber content. Some white breads list 1 gram of fiber,
but watch out for serving size. It takes two slices to reach half a gram, which can be rounded up to 1. Whole wheat bread with 2 grams of fiber per 1-ounce slice may have four times as much fiber as white breads.
But watch out for breads listing 3 grams fiber; their slices may weigh nearly 2 ounces.
Whole wheat, but not the whole story SFGATE Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati h
#Study: Milk Helps with Weight Loss Got Milk? Milk does help you lose weight and has other health benefits as well.
because many of the most popular diet programs exclude or minimize dairy products as part of their regimes.
A two-year study shows not only that milk drinkers lose more weight, but that Vitamin d has other health benefits besides preventing skin cancer.
or Mediterranean diets for two years. After two years the study found that those who consumed the highest dairy calcium content (average amount of two glasses of milk a day) lost about 12 pounds compared to participants who consumed the lowest dairy calcium content that lost an average of 7 pounds.
and successful weight loss, is published online (previous to print) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
which also recommended limiting alcohol advertising and exposure of children to PG-13 and R-rated movies.
alcohol and prescription drugs. oeparents have gotten caught up with all the hard drugs cocaine, steroids but they fail to realize that tobacco
and alcohol are still by far the leading drugs among teenagers, Strasburger, also of the University of New mexico in Albuquerque, told Reuters Health.
That might also cut down on exposure to alcohol ads, which are restricted much less. As an example, the authors write,
oea sample of 9-to 10-year-olds could identify the Budweiser frogs nearly as frequently as they could Bugs bunny. They also say advertisements for prescription medicines like the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra are far too common on television compared to ads for condoms,
#High Fructose Corn syrup to be Rebranded as oecorn Sugar Would a Heavily Subsidized, Unhealthy Substance by Any Other Name..?
As the mounting pile of evidence that high fructose corn syrup is unhealthier than ordinary table sugar continues to grow,
what they do best launching a re-branding campaign. oehigh fructose corn syrup may have acquired (rightfully something of a stigma.
oecorn Sugar. Yes, the Corn Refiners Association (the lobbying group and manufacturing association that represents makers of high-fructose corn syrup) have embarked on an effort to ditch the troublesome name tag that even a slew of expensive TV ads couldnt spruce up.
It had seemed that the public had made up its mind on HFCS, and recognized that the stuff was unhealthy;
Perhaps, with a name change, Americans will happily get back to the business of gobbling up the sugar substitute
More and more, science is indicating that the body metabolizes HFCS differently from table sugar in a way that increases the risk of diabetes, liver disease, and obesity.
Yes, we consume too many sweeteners of all kinds, but as I wrote in this recent post,
and the current trend towards oenatural food products has grown so pronounced, that the corn industry is seeking to adopt the name of the very substance it once replaced.
and that opinion of high fructose corn syrup excuse me, corn sugar will continue to plummet. LINK Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati d
after producing a 17-foot long specimen He has also been the double Guinness World record holder for the heaviest parsnip,
and Mr Glazebrook is now awaiting verification from Guinness World records. Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati o
but feel that food grown and raised on a small farm is a lower risk. Eggs, lettuce, peanuts, spinach.
It seems as if every time we turn around there is another outbreak of a scary foodborne illness.
This summers huge egg recall was the latest reminder that we do battle against dangerous pathogens like E coli and salmonella in our kitchens every day.
it is not unusual for consumers to flock to higher-priced organic and locally grown meats,
poultry, eggs and produce that can cost two or three times as much as conventional food. And expensive antibacterial soaps and washes, cutting boards and meat thermometers are promoted as tools of the trade for a germfree kitchen.
and cooking routines after she became ill with E coli that she and her doctors thought she got from bagged lettuce.
oei buy almost all my meat and produce from the local farmers market, I cook everything thoroughly,
my cutting board is labeled clearly on either side for meats and vegetables and I keep a little hydrogen peroxide on my sink to wash down surfaces where any dangerous germs could lurk.
Ms. Mccleary estimates that her grocery bill is 20 to 30 percent higher than it used to be. oeim still a careful shopper and watch my budget,
Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and anyone with a compromised immune system are most at risk for getting a severe or life-threatening case of food poisoning,
the nation spent an estimated $152 billion annually on medical and lost productivity costs because of illnesses from tainted food, according to a recent study by the Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University.
The new legislation would require food companies to adopt stricter standards and undergo more frequent inspections.
The bill would also give the government the authority to order recalls of tainted food. oethis is a good bill
because it changes the Food and Drug Administrations whole approach. The F. D. A can be more preventive to better ensure the food that arrives in our kitchens is said safe to begin with
Christopher A. Waldrop, director of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America, an advocacy group.
Until that time, safe food buying, handling and preparation is the best defense and some juggling may be needed to avoid breaking the budget.
Here, food safety experts offer advice on the most important, but still cost-conscious, ways to germ-proof your kitchen.
USE PASTEURIZED EGGS If you are not willing to give up soft-boiled eggs or unbaked cookie dough,
or you are using a recipe that calls for raw or partly cooked eggs, oepasteurized eggs are the easiest way to deal with the risk said Dr. Michael Doyle with the Center for Food safety at the University of Georgia. Pasteurized eggs are heated in the shell to kill harmful bacteria
and viruses but still taste and look like regular eggs. They are sold in most grocery stores and come with a red oep stamped on the carton or on the eggs themselves.
PREPARE FOR STICKER SHOCK Pasteurized eggs can cost almost $5 a dozen, compared with about $4 for organic eggs and $3 for regular.
You can soften the budget blow by using pasteurized eggs only when the eggs will be raw
or partly cooked in the finished dish, like classic Caesar salad, especially since eggs keep in the refrigerator for three to five weeks. oei buy farmers market eggs for hard-boiled and omelets,
but I always have pasteurized some eggs on hand for baking because we all love to nibble the cookie dough,
Ms. Mccleary said. WASH ALL PRODUCE Even if you are going to peel a cucumber or melon, give it a good scrub
so you dont transfer bacteria from the knife or peeler to the part you are going to eat.
Most important, wash all lettuce even if it comes in a bag that says triple washed.
Better yet, skip the expensive bag and buy whole head lettuce, which is cheaper and less likely to be contaminated inside.
Dr. Doyle recommends removing and discarding the outer leaves. After washing your hands, rinse the inner leaves thoroughly.
Invest in a salad spinner to make the job easier. There are lots of fancy models that cost $30 or more,
but you can get a basic plastic model that will get the job done for about $10.
LEARN TO LOVE WELL DONE Cooking thoroughly is the best way to eliminate harmful bacteria from meats and poultry.
For a list of temperatures for various foods check the Web site Foodsafety. gov, and dont rely on your eye alone.
Pick up an inexpensive meat thermometer (no need for the expensive digital models) next time you are in the grocery store.
THE RIGHT CUTTING BOARDS Always prepare raw meats and poultry on one cutting board, using another for vegetables.
Clean both with warm soapy water after each use. Every few days sanitize your cutting boards with a solution of one tablespoon bleach in one gallon of water.
Allow the cutting board to stand in the solution for several minutes, then rinse with clear water.
but feel that food grown and raised on a small farm is a lower risk. Even so, remember that you need to handle anything organic meat, poultry,
produce the same as nonorganic, said Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership for Food safety Education, a coalition of industry and advocacy groups.
You should still keep meats and vegetables separate to avoid cross-contamination, wash all produce thoroughly
and wash platters and other surfaces that come into contact with raw meat and poultry. Thoroughly cook meats
poultry and eggs. For more safe handling and cooking tips, go to the partnerships Web site at www. fightbac. org.
BE SMART ABOUT LEFTOVERS Nothing suits a tight budget better than leftovers. But keeping food too long can pose a risk. oetheres a myth out there that
if leftovers smell O k.,, theyre O k. to eat, Ms. Feist said. oebut you cant smell,
see or taste the bacteria that causes illness. Keep in mind this advice from the Center for Science in the Public interest:
Dont leave food out longer than two hours, and use or freeze all leftovers within four days.
To avoid throwing out food (and wasting money), try to plan your weeks menu and shopping list with leftovers in mind roast chicken one day,
chicken salad sandwiches the next to make sure leftovers get used quickly. Finally, keep an eye on an elderly relatives refrigerator. oethe elderly are often likely to keep food too long,
Ms. Feist said. oebut they are more at risk of getting seriously ill from tainted food.
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#Organic Strawberries Have Better Taste and Nutrition Than Conventional According to a New Study Organic strawberries In the tug of war over whether organic farming is really better than conventional chemical-laden farming,
a new study in the online peer-reviewed journal PLOS One comes out solidly in support of the benefits of organic.
Self-described as the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers from Washington state University found that commercial organic farms produce was more flavorful and nutritious strawberries,
while leaving the soil healthier and genetically diverse. In coming to that conclusion, the scientists analyzed 31 chemical and biological soil properties
as well as the taste, nutrition and quality of three strawberry varieties on 13 organic farms and 13 chemical farms in California, where 90%of the US strawberry crop is grown.
and lay its eggs on the pollen and nectar collected by the competitor. Via Treehugger Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati l
#Your Cremated Ashes Made Into Vinyl Records Music lovers can now be immortalised when they die by having their ashes baked into vinyl records to leave behind for loved ones.
1. Canada Geese for endangering public health by soiling parks and lakes, stripping farmers fields and getting in the way of airplanes;
4. Coyotes for eating cows, sheep and other livestock, and preying on household pets in suburban areas;
5. Pythons which are capable of eating goats and crocodiles and could eventually pose a major threat to children, pets and livestock.
British scientists have decoded the genetic sequence of wheat one of the worlds oldest and most important crops a development they hope could help breed better strains of the global food staple.
Lower prices for bread and greater food security for the worlds poor. Wheat is a relative latecomer to the world of DNA mapping.
highlighting how the vagaries of world food production can hit import-dependent countries such as Egypt.
an expert in resource scarcity issues at New york University, welcomed the announcement as something that would be oereally helpful in helping farmers producing food that will meet those challenges.
and economics of food distribution was easily as important. oewe have to be very careful about saying that science will feed the world,
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