Happy Food Day– Join The Movement For Sustainability And Good Health

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Happy Food Day!  Today marks the annual celebration of Food Day where we recognize the movement for healthy, affordable and sustainable food.  In honor of this most important day, there will be more than 4,500 events in all 50 states to focus on the strides we have made in our efforts to improve our food system and to bring awareness to the need for additional work that still needs to be done to ensure that we have healthy and sustainable diets without a negative environmental impact.

Food Day as a day of celebration was created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).  According to Michael F. Jacobson, executive director and founder of Food Day:

We hope that one of the things that comes out of Food Day is a movement that is stronger, more united, and better equipped to press for changes that make it easier to eat healthier year round . . . .  Today hundreds of thousands of Americans will add their voices to a growing campaign for food that is produced with care for consumers, the environment, and the men and women who grow, harvest and serve it.”[1]

The main purpose of Food Day is to “help people eat real.”  Food Day is a very organized and focused movement with five priorities, which are as follows:

  • To promote safe and healthy diets for all people.
  • To support sustainable and organic farms.
  • To reduce the occurrence of hunger in this country.
  • To ensure reform of factory farm practices so as to protect both farm animals and the environment.
  • To ensure fair working environments for both food and farm workers.

Many cities have Food Day events occurring today, as well as throughout the upcoming weekend.  Activities range from educational events at local schools, round-table discussions and forums hosted by civic organizations and local food festivals.  This is a great opportunity to involve the entire family in the celebration of Food Day, gathering information and planning healthier diets through better food choices.  I urge you to ditch the bag of chips and to get out and explore the choices and opportunities that Food Day has to offer.  Also, don’t forget to like Food Day on Facebook.  This page also has great ideas, contests and valuable opportunities to support this worthy cause.

We here at LGBG urge all of our readers to join in the celebration of Food Day and to support this very important movement.  To do so is to live green, be green.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O721Fvj075c&w=560&h=315]
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[1]  http://www.cspinet.org/new/201310241.html

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Food Day October 24, 2013 (beatcancer2010.wordpress.com)

 

Health Alert: Reduce The Risk Of Heart Disease — Another Reason To Walk

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Breast cancer awareness

Breast cancer awareness (Photo credit: AslanMedia)

The recently released report that walking lowers the risk of breast cancer presents yet another great reason to take up walking as a form of exercise.  We all know that walking is beneficial for weight loss, control of osteopenia, better sleep, stress reduction and improved energy.  Now a study published by Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention presents encouraging evidence that  “physical activity, even including walking, reduces a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer . . . by changing how the body deals with estrogen.”  This study is released very appropriately during the month of October when we celebrate breast cancer awareness.  This is an opportune time to present information on encouraging results to lift the spirits and give hope to the army of women and their supporters in the battle against breast cancer.

The researchers used a large database maintained by the American Cancer Society that included health and medical information for almost 74,000 post-menopausal women, ages 50-73, who had enrolled in the study in the 1990s and completed followup questionnaires biennially.  The questionnaires focused, in part, on descriptions of time spent on both leisurely activities and exercise.  While some of the study participants were very active, many playing tennis, swimming or running, the majority of the women walked, generally at a stroll or pleasant pace of approximately three miles per hour.

The study results show that 4,760 of the study participants developed breast cancer.  Interestingly, the research results indicate that women who walked at least seven hours per week at an average of one hour per day had a 14 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer “than those who walked for fewer than three hours per week.”  Additionally, the women who were the most active (engaged in vigorous activity for up to 10 hours a week), realized a 25 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than the study participants who exercised the least.  It is important to note that these risk reductions were not affected or altered by factors, such as being overweight or on hormone replacement therapy.

This study comes with a caveat in that some of the women who walked everyday did develop breast cancer, and some of the study participants who did not exercise never developed breast cancer.  These findings indicate that more investigation is warranted.

One thing is clear, and that is walking as a form of daily exercise, regardless of pace, is very beneficial in the reduction of breast cancer in women.  This is a call to all of my sisters, regardless of age to get out and walk for your life, health and happiness.  To do so is to live green, be green!

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Source for this article:  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/how-walking-may-lower-breast-cancer-risk/?_r=1

Fifty Shades of Green

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lubricant_ad

lubricant_ad (Photo credit: K嘛)

It goes without saying that we all are aware of the basics of living an environmentally conscientious life.  Most of us do something to live green, whether it involves recycling and reusing, making healthier food choices, driving our cars a little less to save fuel and reduce our carbon footprint and getting some exercise to lose weight so that we feel and look better.  Now indulge us while we entertain the notion of Fifty Shades Of Green, a look at our sexual health and relationships and the need to make sure they are sustainable, green and environmentally conscientious.  So today, we here at LGBG have some tips to share to ensure that we all live ecofriendly sex lives.

  • Value Relationships.  A major component of a green sex life is a healthy relationship with a foundation of self-respect and respect for others.  To achieve this, it is crucial to avoid hookups or casual sexual relationships, you know — friends with benefits.  Strive for intimacy, not just physical release.
  • Ditch pornography. Turn off the television, computer, disc payer, etc., and engage your real-life partner for arousal and sexual satisfaction.  Rely on authentic scents and sounds.  Doing this, you will reduce your carbon footprint and invest in human relationships.  That makes for strong sustainability.
  • Use caution with lubrication.  If lubrication is part of your sexual routine, that is fine, but please make sure you lube up green.  Familiarize yourself with the ingredients in various lubricants, and educate yourself on the unsafe ingredients in many popular brands of lubricants, which may pose an increased risk for bacterial or viral infections.  When shopping for lubricants, try to locate brands that are made with nontoxic ingredients and that do not contain paraben or glycerin.  You will find that many of these products also are latex friendly and eco-friendly.[1]
  • Beware of plastic sex toys.  Data from adult toy manufacturer, Adam and Eve indicates that “Americans spend $15 billion on sex toys annually, that 44 percent of women 18 to 60 have used one, and that 78 percent of those women were in a relationship when they did.”  To this we say, “Buyer beware.”  It is best to avoid plastics because so many of them contain phthalates (used to chemically soften rigid plastics and linked to damage to DNA in human sperm.  We strongly recommend that you make sure your bedroom toys are “phthalate-free glass, silicone or metal.”[2]
  • Save electricity.  We all are aware of the importance of reducing the thermostat a few degrees.  This does not mean that we have to be cold.  Cozy up with that special person and create your own heat.  You also will reap the added benefit of increases pheromones, which have been shown to increase fertility and enhance the mood while alleviating depression and stress.
  • Eat good food for good sex.  A healthy diet is important for your sexual health because “good food will help keep blood pumping to your sexual organs.”  Specifically, men should eat plant-based proteins that may have a positive effect on sperm quality.  Also, both men and women should avoid diets high in saturated fats that affect LDL cholesterol levels, contributing to depressed libido and sexual performance.  So for a healthy sex life, increase the use of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and decrease the ingestion of red meat.  For sweet pleasures, try chocolate (particularly brands that are 70 percent or higher in cocoa and without added milk and sugar), which create the same feelings of pleasure achieved with arousal and orgasm.

We here at LGBG wish for everyone a happy, healthy life, including a healthy, green sex life.  We ask you to endorse our Fifty Shades of Green to protect the environment.  This is just one more way we can live green, be green.

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Sources for this article:
[1]  http://health.howstuffworks.com/sexual-health/sexuality/10-green-sex-tips.htm
[2]  http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/let’s-talk-about-green-sex-baby
[3]  “Lost Your Libido?  6 Smart Diet Choices to Get It Back.”  Health Hub from Cleveland Clinic.
[4]  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/16/sex-toy-sales-per-capita-_n_1790014.html