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‘Big changes’ may come to Whitney Avenue in Hamden – Post-Chronicle

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:45 am

Big changes may come to Whitney Avenue

Big changes may be coming to Whitney Avenue.

The state Department of Transportation will hold a Road Diet public information session this month on a proposal to reconfigure Route 10, also known as Whitney Avenue, from four lanes to three lanes in Mount Carmel.

A road diet is a technique for designing roadway corridors with a reduced number or effective width of vehicular travel lanes to accommodate more types of users safely. This treatment cannot be used for all locations, but when applied appropriately is an effective tool for accommodating all users, according to a Complete Streets report executive summary posted on the state website.

Theres a state proposal to adjust Route 10 with the intended goal of improving safety and travel by creating a focused middle turning lane for going into businesses and onto side roads, Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said.

The change is proposed for the section of Whitney Avenue from School Street, which is located one block from Memorial Town Hall and the Whitney/Dixwell Avenue intersection, down to Mount Carmel Avenue at Quinnipiac College.

It was determined that the section of Route 10 between School Street and the Route 40 Interchange has the potential to be converted from a four-lane roadway to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes, one in each direction, and a center two-way left turn lane, according to a statement released this week by Lengs office. The reduction of lanes allows the roadway cross section to be reallocated for the dedicated center left-turn lane.

The proposal comes as the Department of Transportation plans to pave that section of the road this summer.

Patrick Zapatka, a transportation planner at the state Department of Transportation, said Road Diets work best when there are certain conditions present on the road.

There are a few things to consider when we do a road diet, Zapatka said. If we are going to go through with something like that, we would check out what is the average daily traffic, so we would get traffic volumes on Route 10. The amount of cars that are on that roadway could be used as a determining factor whether it would make a good candidate for a road diet to happen there.

In addition to traffic volume, other things are examined, including the frequency of accidents on the road, he said.

Another thing we look at is crash data are there a lot of crashes there, property damage, are there fatalities or serious injuries, Zapatka said. The city may propose it, and if it fits those type of criteria, I think it would be a fantastic candidate for a road diet.

There are many possibilities when considering the implementation of road diets, Zapatka said. Road diets are really good because it gives us the opportunity to implement bicycle lanes, wider shoulders and the possibility of pedestrian amenities such as sidewalks or crosswalks, he said.

Police Chief Thomas Wydra said he believes the change would make the road safer, and with the planned paving, now is the time to investigate it.

Its certainly an idea worth exploring, and this is the moment to consider it when the road is being resurfaced and the options are available to us in terms of the line painting that will be applied, Wydra said. Thats the moment when you consider any other option that can be taken advantage of that reduces accidents and makes the road safer.

Its a big change, but it is something residents should look into before forming an opinion, Wydra said. The DOT has provided us with an optional plan that is different from what we have been used to in that section for a long time, and I think its something that we should seriously consider, he said. It would likely cause delays at certain times, but what I think it would do for sure is make the roadway safer. I think safety prevails over convenience.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 19 in the council chambers at Memorial Town Hall.

The police chief and I discussed this and we organized a public input and discussion session to learn more about the idea, Leng said.

Mount Carmel resident Erika Nealon drives the section of the road every day. She said shes skeptical of the plans.

At rush hour theres so much traffic, and I think this will make it worse, she said. She hasnt noticed any problems with cars turning left, she said, especially because there are left turn lanes at most of the traffic lights on the road.

I dont understand why they want to do this, she said. Leave it the way it is.

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'Big changes' may come to Whitney Avenue in Hamden - Post-Chronicle

English councils close 112 playgrounds in one year, Association of Play Industries research reveals – Horticulture Week

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:45 am

Closures in response to 37% average cut to local authority funding.

The Association of Play Industries has quantified concerns previously voiced in the parks sector, after a Freedom of Information request revealed that hundreds of childrens playgrounds were being closed.

In its report Nowhere to Playpublished today, the membership organisation for play equipment manufacturers, suppliers and installers found that in 2014/15 112 playgrounds were closed and in 2015/16 102 were shut across England.

When asked about future plans English councils said they intended to close a further 80 in the current financial year. The two thirds of councils which had finalised plans for the next two financial years said they planned to close 103 playgrounds in 2017/18 and 51 in 2018/19.

The report adds that a third of councils had removed some of their play provision since 2010 and that several councils are not reporting closing their playgrounds but are looking to the community to maintain them.

The issue of councils not being able to afford to maintain playgrounds safely came up in the Communities and Local Government Committee parks inquiry last year. Local authority representatives giving evidence on 14 November were asked about playground safety by Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Rushanara Ali, whose constituent Alexia Walenkaki died after poorly-maintained play equipment in Mile End Park collapsed on her.

Birmingham Councils cabinet member for clean streets, recycling and environment Lisa Trickettsaid it was "a major concern" and revealed that Birmingham was considering the "phased withdrawal" from some play areas, "because we do not have the money to reinvest in that play equipment, nor do we have the money to maintain them".

Stockport green space manager Ian Walmsley revealed it had already lost play equipment because of funding cuts. It replaced swings and roundabouts with grass lumps and boulders as they do not fall under British standards for play equipment.

Nowhere to Play estimates that 100 million could reverse the decline and get the countrys back on track to start building new playgrounds. It also called on the Government to re-instate Big Lottery support for play facilities.

API chairman Mark Hardy said: "With increasing childhood obesity and the health benefits of activity and play well known, now is not the time for community playgrounds to be closing. This action goes against the Governments clear intention to get children more active and needs to be stopped as quickly as possible. Our survey revealed a 37% cut in Government funding to local authorities."

"We know that money is tight for councils across the country, but we cant just stand by and watch as children's playgrounds close. We are calling on the Government to halt this decline and invest in the next wave of playgrounds to ensure our children have access to free play and activity."

A number of organisations have backed the APIs call for more playgrounds.

Chairman of the Local Government Association Lord Porter, backed the report saying that councils recognise that access to playgrounds and sports facilities are an important part of promoting healthy lifestyles to young poeple.

"They want to do everything they can keep our parks and playgrounds intact but are doing this in the face of unprecedented budget constraints. Given on-going funding reductions, many councils continue to have to make difficult decisions about which services are scaled back or stopped altogether.

"Decisions like this are never taken lightly and councils are exploring new ways to fund and maintain these facilities. Many are also working with their communities to help maintain them, or through crowdfunding for new equipment."

BALI chief executive Wayne Grills called the loss of playgrounds up and down the country "unforgivable".

Child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer, founder of Fundamentally Children, said reduction of play facilities was short-sighted and detrimental to the development of future generations.

"Outside play is a vital component of a balanced play diet - its like the fruit and veg of a nutritional diet- very difficult to get too much of."

Chief Executive of Fields in Trust Helen Griffiths said: "Play is the first step children take towards physical literacy and an active lifestyle and therefore investing in play spaces and securing their future should be a priority in combating the negative health impacts of a sedentary population." She said that it was important to re-value parks and playgrounds for the "enormous contribution they make to our communities".

API members represent approximately 85% of UK play industry companies with a 166.8 million turnover in 2014 - manufacturers, installers, designers and distributors of both indoor and outdoor childrens play equipment and play area surfacing.

It operates under the umbrella of the Federation of Sports and Play Associations (FSPA), the national trade body responsible for representing 14 Associations in the UKs sport and play industries

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English councils close 112 playgrounds in one year, Association of Play Industries research reveals - Horticulture Week

The pros, the cons and the misconceptions of some of the most popular lifestyles. – YourObserver.com

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am


YourObserver.com
The pros, the cons and the misconceptions of some of the most popular lifestyles.
YourObserver.com
The moment has come. You've decided to make a lifestyle change. You sit at your computer, scrolling through pages of search results showing dozens of diets and healthy lifestyles. There's paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean. But how do you choose?

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The pros, the cons and the misconceptions of some of the most popular lifestyles. - YourObserver.com

A diet followed by 4 in 10 young people could be a ‘ticking time-bomb’ for bone problems – AOL

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am

About 5 percent of the UK population is lactose intolerant. Just 1% has celiac disease, meaning they cannot eat gluten, which is found in wheat.

Despite these relatively small numbers, gluten and dairy have been labeled as "bad" or "dirty" by diet trends such as "clean eating."

In general, a "clean" diet means cutting back or eliminating gluten, dairy, processed foods, and refined sugars.

These fad diets are particularly popular with young people, especially women. This year, the Food Standard's Agency's Food and You survey found that almost half (46%) of people aged 16 to 24 said they had a bad reaction to milk, which could be part of the reason for trying out the "clean" way of life.

However, what many people think is a healthy choice could be doing more harm than good.

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The National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) has said cutting milk out of diets could be leaving thousands of young adults with weakened bones because they're not getting enough calcium. The charity warned it is a "ticking time-bomb" for developing permanent bone problems like osteoporosis, because bones generally stop developing once you hit 30 years old.

Osteoporosis currently affects about three million people in the UK, and it is usually a normal part of getting older, but if this trend continues a larger proportion of young people now could end up with it.

Food bloggers and Instagram chefs promote "clean eating" diets as healthy. They can be, if you ensure to get all the necessary nutrients elsewhere, like calcium from leafy greens and nuts. However, it often doesn't work out in reality.

Young people who don't have the budget to afford nutritionists and expensive health foods look to social media stars for advice on what they should cut out, not add in. Instead of making them healthier, these diets can just end up being restrictive.

Clean eating has faced a backlash in the past couple of years for promoting an unhealthy body image and making people, particularly young people, feel bad about enjoying all types of food. Nigella Lawson, for example, has spoken out against the fad in the past, saying people use it as a way to hide eating disorders.

Ella Mills, the star behind the Deliciously Ella blog, used to be part of the clean eating trend, but has since removed the phrase from her website. However, she claims milk can cause calcium loss in bones, a myth that crops up on food blogs and healthy eating websites over and over again.

This also isn't the first time clean eating diets have been described as potentially dangerous. In 2016, experts said restrictive diets were a noticeable route into eating disorders for vulnerable people.

However, the damage has been done. The NOS survey found that four in ten young people (18 to 24) have tried a clean eating diet, and one in five have reduced how much milk and cheese they consume. The issue isn't necessarily choosing to be healthier, it's following the advice of people who have no real authority to talk about nutrition.

Professor Susan Lanham-New, an adviser to the NOS and head of nutritional sciences at the University of Surrey, told Today on BBC Radio 4: "There's nothing wrong with the concept [of clean eating] but I think there is very much a focus for young people to cut out dairy. Social media is rife with people who are talking, quite frankly, about subjects where they don't know what they're talking about."

"The foundations for good bone health are very much laid down in the early years, up to the late twenties," she added. "If you have a prolonged time of low calcium intake, that will put you at risk of osteoporotic fractures in later life and at greater risk of stress fractures in earlier life."

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A diet followed by 4 in 10 young people could be a 'ticking time-bomb' for bone problems - AOL

Good diet to avoid osteoporosis – The Hippocratic Post (blog)

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am

Diet in early adulthood is so important because by the time we get into our late twenties it is too late to reverse the damage caused by poor diet and nutrient deficiencies and the opportunity to build strong bones has passed.

Half of all women and one in five men develop osteoporosis after the age of 50. Broken bones, also known as fractures, caused by osteoporosis can be very painful and slow to recover from. A poor diet for those in their teens and early twenties now could see a significant rise in the numbers of people suffering fractures and the complications associated with them in the future.

Unfortunately, the current eating habits of teenagers and young adults is a ticking time bomb for their bones and time is running out for them to prevent permanent damage.

A survey carried out on behalf of the NOS has found that 70% of 18 35 year olds are currently, or have previously been, dieting. In addition, 20% had cut or significantly reduced dairy in their diet. Dairy is an important source of calcium, vital in building bone strength when you are young.

Alarmingly, the most common diet for those aged 25 and under was clean eating, which can see dieters cutting out whole food groups from their diet. The survey also showed that under 25s are much more likely than any other age group to be following health, diet or nutrition bloggers on social media. This has led to concern over the influence the fad eating regimes promoted on social media are having on teenagers and young adults, and the impact it could have on the future health of this generations bones.

The foundations of good bone health are built in early adulthood, usually before the age of 25. Diet at this time plays a key part in protecting the future health of bones. Cutting out food groups during this stage of bone development could put future bone health at significant risk, and specifically increase the risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become fragile and break easily.

The National Osteoporosis Society is therefore calling on parents to speak to their children about the possible dangers to their bones and is offering support and tips onhaving a conversation with their children and grandchildren aboutgetting calcium and vitamin D into their diet at the beginning of a major campaign calledA Message to My Younger Self.

Without urgent action being taken to encourage young adults to incorporate all food groups into their diets and avoid particular clean eating regimes, we are facing a future where broken bones will become just the norm. We know that osteoporosis is a painful and debilitating condition and young adults have just one chance to build strong bones and reduce their risk of developing severe problems in later life.

What can people do?

Information for people who want to talk to their children or grandchildren will be found atwww.nos.org.uk/myyoungerselffrom 12th April (the launch of the campaign).

Head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Surrey in Guildford, UK. Registered Public Health Nutritionist (RPHNutr). Clinical adviser to the National Osteoporosis Society.

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Good diet to avoid osteoporosis - The Hippocratic Post (blog)

[ April 13, 2017 ] Wake up! The American diet has lost its soul Articles – Southside Times

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am

Wake up! The American diet has lost its soul

Hello beautiful souls. If youre unaware, we face the largest preventable catastrophe in the history of mankind. Disease, obesity, aggressive, violent behavior, intolerance, hate, injustice and pointless murders are widely accepted as the norm.

Just as were not born to hate each other, were not born to hate eating from Gods apothecary. We are taught. Subsequently, society suffers malnutrition; deprived of vitamins and minerals that feed your trillions of hungry cells. Precious vitamins and minerals are lost during processing.

Because you are affected by this lack of nourishment, it may have rendered you apathetic, less empathetic, less compassionate, and disconnected from certain realities. When the mind is starved from essential vitamins and healthy fats, its negatively affected. Scientific and quit simple actually.

Alas, the majority of you are contentedly sleepwalking; forgetting youre a magnificent miracle of creation, and yet you are killing yourself softly with those fries. And its not your fault! You just trusted man, who can only access 10 percent of his brain, instead of God.

So there it is: youve relinquished your health and happiness to a machine. I remember grandma cooking, singing hymns and focusing like a meditation on her food preparation. We could taste the love. Alas, several generations are lost to convenience, microwave cooking and blind, obedient acceptance, and it shows. No longer does anyone question, authority as the bumper sticker suggests.

As you consume dead food, you become unbalanced, less than whole, malnourished, and disconnected from Mother Earth and all thats good. Meh, you say you dont care? For the sake of the species, you must. Like the boiling frog, dont assume this unholy madness is normal.

We are far too deferential to the interests of big food, too invested in a corporate-serving narrative of personal responsibility with no parallel requirement of social responsibility, and too culturally wedded to a food model of quantity over quality.

Our affection for fast food has taken its toll. The feds recommend eating at least five to seven 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables daily. America eats only three servings a day and 42 percent eat less. Two of the top five sources of dead calories in the American diet are cakes, cookies, chips, pies and pastries and soda-all with zero nutritional value.

The message is getting through, but slowly: the way were eating is killing us. Something has to change.

Hello beautiful souls. If youre unaware, we face the largest preventable catastrophe in the history of mankind. Disease, obesity, aggressive, violent behavior, intolerance, hate, injustice and pointless murders are widely accepted as the norm.

Just as were not born to hate each other, were not born to hate eating from Gods apothecary. We are taught. Subsequently, society suffers malnutrition; deprived of vitamins and minerals that feed your trillions of hungry cells. Precious vitamins and minerals are lost during processing.

Because you are affected by this lack of nourishment, it may have rendered you apathetic, less empathetic, less compassionate, and disconnected from certain realities. When the mind is starved from essential vitamins and healthy fats, its negatively affected. Scientific and quit simple actually.

Alas, the majority of you are contentedly sleepwalking; forgetting youre a magnificent miracle of creation, and yet you are killing yourself softly with those fries. And its not your fault! You just trusted man, who can only access 10 percent of his brain, instead of God.

So there it is: youve relinquished your health and happiness to a machine. I remember grandma cooking, singing hymns and focusing like a meditation on her food preparation. We could taste the love. Alas, several generations are lost to convenience, microwave cooking and blind, obedient acceptance, and it shows. No longer does anyone question, authority as the bumper sticker suggests.

As you consume dead food, you become unbalanced, less than whole, malnourished, and disconnected from Mother Earth and all thats good. Meh, you say you dont care? For the sake of the species, you must. Like the boiling frog, dont assume this unholy madness is normal.

We are far too deferential to the interests of big food, too invested in a corporate-serving narrative of personal responsibility with no parallel requirement of social responsibility, and too culturally wedded to a food model of quantity over quality.

Our affection for fast food has taken its toll. The feds recommend eating at least five to seven 1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables daily. America eats only three servings a day and 42 percent eat less. Two of the top five sources of dead calories in the American diet are cakes, cookies, chips, pies and pastries and soda-all with zero nutritional value.

The message is getting through, but slowly: the way were eating is killing us. Something has to change.

Excerpt from:
[ April 13, 2017 ] Wake up! The American diet has lost its soul Articles - Southside Times

With smaller portions on his plate, he wins at aging – YourObserver.com

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am


YourObserver.com
With smaller portions on his plate, he wins at aging
YourObserver.com
For that reason, the Sarasota chef now eats a Mediterranean diet one that is primarily plant-based and is rich in nuts, fresh berries, leafy greens and olive oil. He avoids processed sugars and table salt, although he uses sea salt in moderation ...

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With smaller portions on his plate, he wins at aging - YourObserver.com

If You’re Going Keto, Read This First – Observer

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am

A ketogenic diet is a type of very low-carb diet that is gaining popularity in health and wellness circles for a number of reasons. Keto, the root word of ketogenic, is short for ketosis, which refers to the metabolic state that occurs when most of the bodys energy comes from ketone bodies in the blood, rather than from glucose. This is in contrast to a glycolytic state, during which blood glucoseor sugar, derived mostly from carbohydratesprovides most of the bodys fuel.

If all this sounds too technical, remember that when the body relies on ketones for energy, the results can include blood sugar control and the treatment of certain health conditions, including heart disease and type-2 diabetes. But the most popular consequence reason many people turn a the ketogenic diet is weight loss.

A 2014 review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health states, One of the most studied strategies in recent years for weight loss is the ketogenic diet. Many studies have shown that this kind of nutritional approach has a solid physiological and biochemical basis and is able to induce effective weight loss along with improvement in several cardiovascular risk parameters.

While the ketogenic diet can certainly provide many health benefits, its important to steer clear of common pitfalls. Here are the five most common Ketogenic diet mistakes.

A traditional Ketogenic diet consists of about 75 percent fat, five percent carbohydrates and 20 percent protein. So, considering the types of fat you consume on this low-carb, high-fat diet is very important, because all fats arent created equally. Aim to obtain healthy fats from coconut oil (and other coconut products), olive oil, avocado, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sprouted nuts, organic grass-fed meat and raw dairy products. Avoid conventionally raised meats and non-organic, pasteurized dairy, as well as heavily processed oils like canola, safflower and sunflower.

For a less extreme plan, I recommend a ratio that is about 40 percent fat, 30 percent protein and 30 percent carb. Results may not be as rapid as with the traditional ketogenic diet, but as long as you focus on healthy fat and protein sources, results will come.

Ive mentioned this already, but its worth mentioning again: Paying attention to the quality of the meat you consume on a ketogenic diet ensures that you are not only getting higher quality protein, but also higher quality fat as well. According to a study conducted at California State Universitys College of Agriculture, grass-fed beef nutrition is significantly higher in omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than conventional, grain-fed beef. CLA is a powerful polyunsaturated fatty acid thats been shown to help fight cancer, discourage weight gain and build muscle.

Not only is grass-fed beef a top source of animal protein, but its also higher in precursors for vitamin A and E, as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants, than grain-fed beef. You also want to opt for grass-fed and organic meats to avoid factory-farmed meats that are known for being higher in unwanted health destroyers like antibiotics and growth hormones.

When youre following a Ketogenic diet, carbohydrates are going to be the food group at the bottom of your consumption list. However, its important to remember that this is not a no-carb diet, and you should incorporate the right carbohydrates into your meals, particularly unprocessed, complex carbs.

Some examples of great carb choices include sweet potatoes; ancient grains (ideally sprouted) like oats, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and brown rice; whole fruits; beans and legumes; and small amounts of natural sweeteners like raw honey.

Note: If youre very active, consider carb cycling or at least eating a modified keto diet that does not severely restrict carb intake. Carb cycling is the process of eating more carbohydrates on certain days. Among other benefits, it can provide more energy for exercise and aid muscle recovery.

When followers of a ketogenic diet cut out carbs, they sometimes end up on a low-fiber diet, which can lead to constipation. To avoid this common mistake, make sure to consume high-fiber foods like non-starchy vegetables and low-sugar fruits daily. Any healthy, low-carb diet should always have an emphasis on vegetable consumption because vegetablesespecially leafy greens like kale and mustard greensare extremely low in sugar yet high in fiber content. Theyre also loaded with health-promoting antioxidants and phytonutrients.

In an effort to reduce your carbohydrate intake, you do not want to end up consuming a bunch of unhealthy, overly processed low-carb bars, shakes, cookies and other seemingly healthy food products. Read ingredient labels carefully because these foods are often loaded with a laundry list of ingredients including unhealthy preservatives. Plus, no matter what diet youre following, focus on consuming whole, healing foods.

Beware of any diet or sugar-free fake foods that contain dangerous artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and saccharin. These sugar substitutes may have no calories and zero grams of sugar, but they have been linked to numerous health conditions including headaches, digestive distress, migraines, mood disorders and even cancer.

Dr. Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, is a doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist and author with a passion to help people get well using food as medicine. He recently authored Eat Dirt: Why Leaky Gut May Be the Root Cause of Your Health Problems and Five Surprising Steps to Cure It and he operates one of the worlds largest natural health websites at http://www.DrAxe.com. Follow him on Twitter @DRJoshAxe.

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If You're Going Keto, Read This First - Observer

A Better Diet May Save Money and the Environment – Daily Nexus

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am

As concern regarding climate change continues to rise, expensive, resource intensive strategies like decarbonizing the energy grid, and even drastic measures like geo engineering, are becoming more seriously considered.

However, a new study led by UC Santa Barbara analyzed the potential effects of an inexpensive alternativehealthier diets. They found that their healthier model diets could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both the food and healthcare systems in the United States.

The researchers found that the adoption of one of three healthier diets reduced the relative risk of coronary heart disease, colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes by 20 to 45 percent, U.S. healthcare costs by $77 to 93 billion per year and direct greenhouse gas emissions by 222 to 826 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents per capita per year.

It is a relatively new area of study, as noted by David Cleveland, the studys director and research professor in UCSBs Environmental Studies Program and Geography Department. The other researchers were Quentin Gee, also in Environmental Studies, Elinor Hallstrm of Lund University, Sweden, and Peter Scarborough of Oxford University, UK.

Theres been a lot of research on the relationship of our diet to health and to the climate. We have a pandemic of noncommunicable diseases due to our crappy food system, and our food system emits at least 25 to 30 percent of human caused greenhouse gas emissionsso those two have been done, Cleveland said. People have even looked at the effect of diet, climate and health at the same time, but what people havent looked at is whats the effect of diet on climate via the healthcare system, so thats the main component that was unique to our study.

SIERRA DEAK/DAILY NEXUS

The average food intake by Americas population has become less healthy in recent decades and, in combination with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, has resulted in an epidemic of chronic, noncommunicable diseases.

About half of all U.S. adults have one or more chronic diseases, and about two-thirds are overweight or obese. Noncommunicable diseases are important contributors to increasing U.S. healthcare costs, which were almost $3 trillion per year in 2014, 18 percent of the total U.S. gross domestic product.

Its pretty much widely agreed that most of our food systems greenhouse gas emissions are due to the ruminant animal foods, Cleveland said.

In the standard American diet, around 92 grams of red and processed meat and 335 grams of fruits and vegetables are consumed per person per day. Researchers created three dietary scenarios in which there was a reduction of meat and an increase of fruits and vegetables.

The first scenario had the most red and processed meat, with 52 grams per person per day, while in the third diet none of that meat was consumed. Additionally, the amount of fruits and vegetables was doubled to 672 grams per person per day in all of the diets.

We created these healthier diets based on dietary recommendations and the foods for which there is very strong evidence for their effect on health, and so if we change these foods to create the three diets, how much will this actually affect health? What will happen to the relative risk of the three diseases we identified, colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease? Cleveland said. We were able to look at the relative reduction of relative risk, and we assumed that theres a proportional decrease in the healthcare expenses of those diseases.

They then used a database at Carnegie Mellon University that has the greenhouse gas emissions associated with dollars spent on different parts of the economy.

We can look at, for example, diabetes, which has so much money spent on it every year on pharmaceuticals, so much hospital care and so on, and you can look at the database. For every dollar theres so much greenhouse gas emissions, Cleveland said.

Using that database, they were able to quantify the effect of a healthier diet on climate change not only through the food system, but also through the health care system.

Were fortunate because its easy to create diets composed of foods that are both good for the climate and good for health. Wouldnt it be terrible if the foods that were really good for our health were also terrible for the environment and visa versa? But fortunately, thats not the case, Cleveland said.

Cleveland believes of the results of their research could help motivate change at both a personal level and a social level.

I think the nice thing about this is the link it creates, in terms of peoples change in diets and in terms of policy; it unites the personal, immediate desire to be healthy with the growing desire of people to contribute to solving the big social and environmental problems we have, Cleveland said. And we can advocate for these changes in our own lives, here at UCSB, and in the world.

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A Better Diet May Save Money and the Environment - Daily Nexus

The Role of Diet in Breast Cancer Incidence and Survival – Cancer Therapy Advisor

Posted: April 14, 2017 at 1:44 am


Cancer Therapy Advisor
The Role of Diet in Breast Cancer Incidence and Survival
Cancer Therapy Advisor
The role of diet on breast cancer incidence and survival is an active area of research with more questions than answers, though some trends are emerging. It is very important to understand the role of diet in breast cancer incidence and mortality ...

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The Role of Diet in Breast Cancer Incidence and Survival - Cancer Therapy Advisor


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