Recycle Week round up & Cybermummy!

Blimmin' 'eck, I've hardly had chance to stop for a cup of tea since Recycle Week began last week. I've been too busy hanging around with 'Shedwyn' our mascot for the Stand up for Recycling out on the Street Campaign and 1000 bin challenge, which I launched in conjunction with My Zero Waste only last Monday.For those who are new to the challenge, the mission is to collect 1000 photos and videos of on-street recycling bins, the aim of which is to raise awareness of "recycling-on-the-go" facilities.  It's a totally independent social-media campaign, which although supported by WRAP's Recycle Now team, is simply a bloggers' grassroots initiative...

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Boring is another word for satiating

Satiety is a common topic of discussion on this blog. In the last few posts it came up several times in the comments’ sections. Also, in my interview with Jimmy Moore, we did talk a bit about satiety. I told him what has been my perception and that of many people I know, which is that the least satiating foods tend to be foods engineered by humans.(Source: Wellnessuncovered.com)There is another component to satiety, which applies to natural foods, or foods that are not man-made. That other component is the nutrition value of those foods, and whether they meet our nutrition needs at a given point in time. If our body needs certain essential amino...

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Maybe you should stop trying to be someone you are not

Many people struggle to lose body fat, and never quite make it to their optimal. Fewer people manage to do so successfully, and, as soon as they do, they want more. It is human nature. Often they will start trying to become someone they are not, or cannot be. That may lead to a lot of stress and frustration, and also health problems.Some women have an idealized look in mind, and keep losing weight well beyond their ideal, down to anorexic levels. That leads to a number of health problems. For example, hormones approach starvation levels, causing fatigue and mood swings; susceptibility to infectious diseases increases significantly; and the low...

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Alcohol intake increases LDL cholesterol, in some people

Occasionally I get emails from people experiencing odd fluctuations in health markers, and trying to figure out what is causing those fluctuations. Spikes in LDL cholesterol without any change in diet seem to be a common occurrence, especially in men.LDL cholesterol is a reflection of many things. It is one of the least useful measures in standard lipid profiles, as a predictor of future health problems. Nevertheless, if one’s diet is not changing, whether it is high or low in fat, significant fluctuations in LDL cholesterol may signal a change in inflammatory status. Generally speaking, the more systemic inflammation, the higher is the measured...

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RECYCLE ON THE GO with Shedwyn and friends

WELL WELL WELL.  I'm still getting over the shock of being outed recently by The Observer's very lovely Lucy Siegle who just so happened to reveal to the nation, my peculiar habit of embarrassing the kids by taking photos of municipal trash cans.   Yes I know....!But I admit it.  Indeed I really do have a sad collection of bin photos, recycling ones in particular, taken whilst out shopping and on holiday, both in the UK and overseas, Well it IS research you know!  In fact this is the blogpost that initially grabbed the attention, taken on a day-trip to Barry Island in South Wales, the spiritual home of sitcom Gavin &...

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WEETF: debating the future of UK waste policy

Two days ago I was privileged to attend the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum's (WEETF) keynote seminar: The future of UK Waste Policy.OK, I admit that it might not sound the most rivetting of days out for many, but for a blogging waste geek like me, it was a real opportunity to witness first hand the priorities of those who have a direct influence on the way in which the UK will protect the world's natural and material resources.The Forum, which runs conferences and seminars in London aims to provide the "premier environment" for policy makers in Parliament, Whitehall and government agencies to engage with key stakeholders.And...

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What is a good low carbohydrate diet? It is a low calorie one

My interview with Jimmy Moore should be up on the day that this post becomes available. (I usually write my posts on weekends and schedule them for release at the beginning of the following weeks.) So the time is opportune for me to try to aswer this question: What is a good low carbohydrate diet?For me, and many people I know, the answer is: a low calorie one. What this means, in simple terms, is that a good low carbohydrate diet is one with plenty of seafood and organ meats in it, and also plenty of veggies. These are low carbohydrate foods that are also naturally low in calories. Conversely, a low carbohydrate diet of mostly beef and eggs would be a high calorie one.Seafood and organ meats provide essential fatty acids and are typically packed with nutrients. Because of that, they...

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