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Wherever you are in the country, if you're interested in how the UK can develop an effective Zero Waste economy, you should try and get to Coventry on Friday 9th September for the conference Making 2020 Zero Waste Work: Achieving a low carbon resource efficient future.With a keynote speech from the Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary for State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the event pulls together some of the country's key thinkers and international change-makers in the zero waste sector, including policy makers, retail representatives, local authority services and waste management companies.Workshops will offer opportunities to explore topics that include:Best practice for business resource efficiency Closed loop recycling of food waste Accelerating the pace of industrial...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Men who are skinny-fat: There are quite a few of them
The graph below (from Wikipedia) plots body fat percentage (BF) against body mass index (BMI) for men. The data is a bit old: 1994. The top-left quadrant refers to men with BF greater than 25 percent and BMI lower than 25. A man with a BF greater than 25 has crossed into obese territory, even though a BMI lower than 25 would suggest that he is not even overweight. These folks are what we could call skinny-fat men.The data is from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), so it is from the USA only. Interesting that even though this data is from 1994, we already could find quite a few men with more than 25 percent BF and a...
National Zero Waste Week 2011. Just one week to go.
Just like the kids starting a new school year, I can't believe that Zero Waste Week has come around so quickly or indeed that it's in its fourth year. It doesn't seem that long since Mrs Green at myzerowaste.com held the very first National Zero Waste Week back in 2008.Back then, it felt like a huge challenge and I thought I'd take a walk down memory lane to the preparations that Mrs Green was making for her very first ZWW three years ago. I remember packaging being one of the key problems, as it still is for many people who'd want to have a go today. However, undeterred, Mrs' Green's Zero Waste Week saw over 160 people pledge...
Monday, August 22, 2011
Refined carbohydrate-rich foods, palatability, glycemic load, and the Paleo movement
A great deal of discussion has been going on recently revolving around the so-called “carbohydrate hypothesis of obesity”. I will use the acronym CHO to refer to this hypothesis. This acronym is often used to refer to carbohydrates in nutrition research; I hope this will not cause confusion.The CHO could be summarized as this: a person consumes foods with “easily digestible” carbohydrates, those carbohydrates raise insulin levels abnormally, the abnormally high insulin levels drive too much fat into body fat cells and keep it there, this causes hunger as not enough fat is released from fat cells for use as energy, this hunger drives the consumption...
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Shedwyn goes to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Shedwyn posing with the lads from Jam Jar'd Off the Top Of Our Heads. Of course I could tell you what happened in this latest chapter of the 1000 Bins Challenge, but it's much more fun to watch the video:Thanks to all the performers who have supported the campaign to raise awareness of recycling on the go. You can find more details of their shows at the following links: Squirrel Party, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The World of Shrimpology, Off the top of our heads, No Pants Thursday, Me Myself & Iona, and The Chris & Paul Show. Shedwyn & I had a great time and after such a whirlwind of a visit, I can't wait...
Monday, August 15, 2011
Book review: Sugar Nation
Jeff O’Connell is the Editor-in-Chief for Bodybuilding.com, a former executive writer for Men’s Health, and former Editor-in-Chief of Muscle & Fitness. He is also the author of a few bestselling books on fitness.(Source: Bodybuilding.com)It is obvious that Jeff is someone who can write, and this comes across very clearly in his new book, Sugar Nation.Now, with a title like this, Sugar Nation, I was expecting a book discussing trends of sugar consumption in the USA, and the related trends in various degenerative diseases. So when I started reading the book I was slightly put off by what seemed to be a book about a very personal journey, written...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Farewell my lovely hens. The end of a chapter!
Speckledy, Snowflake & Chickie meeting their new pals While everything's been busy on rubbish front, there's been a lot happening in the background too.A few weeks ago, I took the really difficult decision to rehome our chickens, our three lovely hens which we introduced to the family around two and a half years ago, and which had become well-loved pets. However, since the spring, coinciding with a lot more bird activity in our garden, the hens had become very lively and loud and I have spent much time trying to calm them down and living on tenterhooks that we'd get compaints from the neighbours.Then one day we did. An...
Monday, August 8, 2011
Potassium deficiency in low carbohydrate dieting: High protein and fat alternatives that do not involve supplementation
It is often pointed out, at least anecdotally, that potassium deficiency is common among low carbohydrate dieters. Potassium deficiency can lead to a number of unpleasant symptoms and health problems. This micronutrient is present in small quantities in meat and seafood; main sources are plant foods.A while ago this has gotten me thinking and asking myself: what about isolated hunter-gatherers that seem to have thrived consuming mostly carnivorous diets with little potassium, such as various Native American tribes?Another thought came to mind, which is that animal protein seems to be associated with increased bone mineralization, even when calcium intake is low. That seems to be due to animal protein being associated with increased absorption of calcium and other minerals that make up bone...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Sorting rubbish. Things take a new turn with a comedy litter pick
Volunteers gather at the start of the litter pick and councillors Pat & Frank Warby, regular litter pickers themselves, stop by to show their support. Other people joined in throughout the day. Unfortunately, Claire the event's organiser was unable to make it due to illness.Ever since the launch of the 1000 Bins Challenge, Shedwyn the campaign's mascot has been a busy bee, not least travelling around the country to find out all she can about recycling on the go.However, yesterday, she took a break from proceedings and got involved with Bury St Edmunds' first ever Comedy Litter Pick in a manner that was more like recycling on the go-go....
Monday, August 1, 2011
There is no doubt that abnormally elevated insulin is associated with body fat accumulation
For as long as diets existed there have been influential proponents, or believers, who at some point had what they thought were epiphanies. From that point forward, they disavowed the diets that they formally endorsed. Low carbohydrate dieting seems to be in this situation now. Among other things, it has been recently “discovered” that the idea that insulin drives fat into body fat cells is “wrong”.Based on some of the comments I have been receiving lately, apparently a few readers think that I am one of those “enlightened”. If you are interested in what I have been eating, for quite some time now, just click on the link at the top of this blog...
