Exploring truth and avoiding cancer

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the importance of alkaline in ones diet because of the deficiency from our over consumption of various processed food products and sugar.  I offered a list of foods to anyone who emailed me.

I want to continue to remind people that I am not doctor; that being said I will proceed. 

There is a necessary ph balance that helps food products grow; I suggested that because we are heavily dependent on foods grown rather than processed, our nutrient requirements would not be so different.  In humans the healthy ph balance is about 7.4.  Further I stated that our excessive intake of sugar more particularly sucrose and fructose are especially harmful to our physiology.  Because of our dietary habits, most people in the U.S. (and likely other developed nations as well), maintain a population of people with highly acidic imbalances (a deficit of alkalinity).  I challenge everyone who reads (and please share it with everyone you know within your network) this article to calculate how much sugar intake you ingest each day or week.  

Further our passion for chocolaty sweets, caffeine and like products add an additional burden to our body.  Utter disregard for the correct pH balance is in part our demise.

Additional curiosities arose for me as I was looking to increase my alkaline intake to balance out the sugars in my own diet.  Not only did I discover the health detriment of caffeine, sugars, sweets, etc; I also began to think about my semester at Tufts in health risks affects in civil engineering forcing me to ponder some of the following topics that helped me link more of what I am concerned about:

1) Cancer does not do well in oxygen rich environments.  When cells fail to thrive they seek environments where they can (oxygen poor environments provide such an environment for cancer)

2) Oxygen cannot adhere to blood cells as well if the ionic charge is highly acidic 

3) Alkaline enrichment can help offset the consequences of an acidic diet (i.e., sugar)

4)  Soy can contribute to or foster environments that cancerous cells require

5) Your pancreas uses an enzyme known as trypsin necessary for protein digestion; soy irritates pancreatic activity (causing stress) reduces the oxygenation counteracting (or acting as an inhibitor) for metabolizes of protein

If you have been told  about as an old remedy or tried, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to help reduce acid- it works, but not just for an upset stomach.  Even the NIH (National Institute of Health) indicates that it reduces blood acids (here).  Still be mindful of your use.  Too much of anything is not a good thing.  Nonetheless, it has really powerful benefits.

We should question why soy is being emphasized as a health product, when we should be getting advised about the importance of moderation of it as well as coffee, chocolate, processed foods (including dairy); and most importantly what is going in to school lunches especially in primary and secondary schools.  I would advise people to look at what a "balanced diet" is.  Lastly I would consider what large pharmaceutical companies stand to lose by being fully transparent and what they stand to gain by people consuming high acid producing foods.   It could mean a significant reduction in the prevalence of cancer which would all but decimate the pharmaceutical and medical industry.   The point here is only to consider the possibilities not attack the pharmaceutical companies- I don't support that approach

Look into the data for yourself, do your home work- do not rely on one source, including me.   Below are some key words that might help you understand more about this content in my article:

Red blood cells; oxygen; trypsin; alkaline; acidity; ph balance; gout; oncogenes; sodium bicarbonate; oxygen exchange. 

My recommendation:

Grow your own food whenever possible and learn to enjoy healthy foods more.  Stop going to the grocery store to buy quick packaged food so often and invest in yourself and your health.  These are just brief thoughts to help you think critically about your health.  Exercise that infuses your body with higher levels of oxygen is important as well; also do not over look the importance of breathing clean air (i.e., take a hike in the mountains once in a while).

If you are interested in more information I have articles and medical references that you may find helpful and informative.  Though I don't consider myself a naturalist, the research I have is both medical and naturalist in nature.

Be well,

Scotland

Ps   If you would like a chart of alkaline and acidic foods you may email me or leave a comment.

 http://greenelements.typepad.com/blog/2011/04/amazing-ph-balance-earth-and-people.html

Owning the vision through leadership

Leadership is a talent that in some instances, seems to be inherent; in other cases, individuals have invested years in to become the type of person, others are willing to follow because of their ability to amass skills that leaders develop to produce a functional vehicle for getting things done.

In either case, one characteristic that is prevalent is the leader's ability to transform their vision.  A vision by itself is only a dream; when a leader takes on the necessary characteristics to advance their vision, they become their vision.  And it is this transformation that moves people follow in the footsteps of such leaders.

Implicit in this description is determined, discipline, creativeness, transparency, organization, inclusivity, and objectivity in a way that promotes emotional intelligence.  This leader look under the stones while assessing the value of the pebbles because they have a different task but serve a common purpose and can be equal in importance.  What is important about the relationship between the stone and the pebble is not the size (which is what likely comes to mind at first) but the function- great leaders see this and can incorporate the philosophy into their vision.

But what does it mean to become your vision? A vision is made up of vibrant parts that give it life, taking what exists and making it what is possible.  Taking ownership of what is possible means understanding the parts and attaching an action to them that you live by daily until your vision is ready for another upgrade.  In order to understand the parts you should look at it from above.

The anatomy of a vision is not so difficult.  You must first determine what it is; understand its relationship to what currently exists; define what it is (so that others may follow); interpret how it differs in nature and form; and assess its value to helping you achieve the goals you have in mind.  Before assigning work for others, the leader has determined (through credible exchanges in dialogue), that his or her insights demonstrate new possibilities that mark an improvement over the current circumstances.  And you must be able to create a canvas that others can develop a shared understanding of where it is going and their role in helping it get there.

The owner of the vision must then understand what changes they need to make themselves, that reflect the characteristics of the vision.  This gives the vision life, requiring shifts in behavior and culture.  Only then can the visionary hold members of their team accountable for carrying out the work of the vision.

Perhaps one of the most important attributes is not being "driven"  but rather alignment and consistency.

Whether it is because you have decided to be more climate conscious, improve your health or  or build client relationships, clear shifts in your behavior demonstrate what the new standards will be.  A vision is a way of life not a desire.


  

Water Whys

Why, is water so important in our life?  

Imagine if you decided to not consume or use anything that was related to water, for just one day:

*The most obvious exclusion would be drinking water- none of that.  On average an adult consumes about two liters of water per day;

*you would also have to stop eating that day; water is required to grow anything that grows from the earth, i.e. agricultural products;

*you'll have to turn off those lights also; coal fired powered plants use about 2.2 billion gallons of water each year (UCS); 

*you would have to decide not to drive that day, because : the amount of water used to manufacture a new car, including new tires? 39,090 gallons per car;

*chicken wings? water is used during the growing/production of a chicken? 400 gallons;

*Water required for irrigation (2005 estimates)  128 billion gallons of water per day.

Water under the bridge

Clearly, water is a key resource to everything we do.  It is important that we are more conscious about making wise consumer choices to avoid over use, of this precious natural resource.  Since only three percent of our earth's water resources is considered drinkable water understanding its scarcity is something we should be educated about, not threatened by.  This simply means as you are making your purchases, go the extra mile and let manufactures know by sending them an e-mail, calling customer service or contacting their head quarters, that you would like to know what steps they are taking to conserve water in their manufacturing and distribution process.

 


Certain arms of the government such as WETT, are looking at the value of water to the environment not just the value of water to for human consumption.  On their web site they state that their research will "...enable an environmentally and economically more appropriate evaluation by including quantified environmental benefits..."  This is an approach of internalizing the externality (or realizing the cost in other than dolar terms).

Putting your best foot forward

With so much effort into understanding water that is taking place behind the scenes, it is understandable why we need to know much more about the impact of our own consumption habits and usage regarding water.  There is not doubt that human related activity has an impact on water quality and availability; so we can make a conscious choice to change the impact we have by reducing and reusing water whenever possible.

Water availability is a real concern and there are a lot of good sites you can visit to understand more about it including: the U.S. Geological Survey; American Water Use; WETT (Water Energy Technology Team) and the radio active risks associated with Japan and our fish consumption.  You might also want to visit the World Health Organization's site to look at impacts around the world.

Ending on a memorable note; in the United States, we consume about 346,000 million (that's "346 hundred-thousand-million" gallons of water each day.

Let water why(s) help you become water wise.  It is a global issue, but the change begins with you.  

Happy drinking!  

Do Something Environmental

by Scotland Willis

Issues concerning our environment can easily become overwhelming to anyone. Such complex subjects and activity associated with them require breaking down the components; subsequently this results in the advent of experts and specialists who deal with and communicate detailed actions that should or should not be taken.

There are benefits in the emergence of these subjects(which hereafter is identified as the environment) but it is equally important to ensure the general public has a simple way of looking broadly at what events are impacting the environment, why are they occurring, who decisionmakers are, what is being done, and most importantly what are reliable sources of information.

Lost in translation

The more research I do the more challenging it becomes to relay this information in a simple way in which anyone can interpret without much thought. Bear with me because for the next two paragraphs this issue gets complex enough to want to stop reading, but just briefly. My hope is that you stay engaged enough so I can simplify just one of the many avenues, concerning the environment and encourage you to be active in some part of this, consistently.  You don’t have to be an expert in all areas, just find something that moves you.

Compromising the integrity of our environment is resulting in new government agencies, complex policies, new legislation, new student groups, new organizations, businesses etc. Stating that we are compromising the integrity of our environment is not conjecture, there is solid evidence. 

Any time one uses a resource faster than it is being replenished, one is compromising that resource, if counter measures do not replenish or enhance that resource’s original state without modifying its original quality (i.e. tampering with hybrid or synthetic stimulants to artificially reproduce the original product) the ability for it to yield further enrichment is reduced. 

In short nature knows best. What happens in the cycles of the natural environment are virtually perfect. All the agencies and organizations serve their purpose, but all consequently make it difficult to understand priorities and where to begin if you are to have any interest at all, of doing something meaningful.

At best what we as people can do is learn how to use our  resources more effectively, to support the natural system resulting from human activity. That may mean using less, using it smarter (e.g., using what is available vs. what is accessible),  not using it at all, or letting it use us. Not to get too far off track, preservation and conservation are key environmental responses to a very complex problem. Back to simplicity.

Government agencies

There are multiple government agencies at global, continental, country, state, regional, city, and town levels. At each of these levels there is or should be a body that deals with water, waste, energy, air, and land. Each of these categories has several subsets for example water can include recapture(sequestration,) quality etc; waste could include recycling, disposal etc. You should decide what you want to concern yourself with; learn about lead agencies; decide what level you want to affect; and determine who are the thought leaders at the grass roots , political, and business  level.

Organizations

Hundreds of thousands of organizations exist around, lots of them are great. I cannot make that decision for you because each of us is different. My recommendation is for you to think about your personal philosophy and identify an organization whose mission is aligned with your philosophy. Determine the availability of your level of involvement so you can remain effective. Invest a little time to see what real work they are doing. I like the work of a few which I am happy to share the why with you if you decide to email me rather than influence the objective of this article.

People

I tend not to be too influenced by people but rather the material they produce. A Martin Luther King quote is somewhat applicable here: ...judge me not by the color of my skin but by the content of my character. I will use my poetic license and say judge me not by the content of the skin I am in but by the content of what my character helps achieve. If you get captured by one person you will miss a lot of the great thinking(or content) that is out there. What is happening now is really amazing. There are people in government you should know about because they are changing the way you will live. Some grass roots people are doing really worth while things. But there are also people who are just jumping on the bandwagon and it is easy to become disenchanted. Explore what is occurring in other countries and assemble a cocktail of work by people you feel demonstrate real commitment. Kenya has environmental rights in their new constitution as does Ecuador (here pdf)

What I am doing

I would be remiss if I did not share with you what making a difference means in my own life. I am a firm believer in live what you speak. A couple of years ago I sold three of my motorized vehicles and bought a bike- best decision I ever made. I am more fit and making an environmental difference. I turn my hot water tank to vacation during the hot summer months. I shower shorter; flush less, use less sink water and pressure, and put a stopper to reduce use of the dish disposal. I compost,  prepare multiple meals rather than just one, for the week. I carpool on long road trips. I get most of my books from the library(saving the production of more books). I turned off my iphone(reducing my electrical usage and exposure to radiation- not to mention more me time). I don’t own a t.v. and I unplug the electronics I do have for days at a time. I use a gel pack to keep my laptop temperature down, thereby prolonging the life since heat accelerates the deterioration of a product(be mindful that this is not a recommendation- moisture can have a negative affect on electronics, but it works for me). I also use a laptop because it uses less energy than a PC. I hang dry my clothes rather than using the dryer. I garden and harvest my own food whenever possible-- and share with friends. I educate and persuade when possible thereby accelerating the knowledge of environmentalism. I sit on a grocer co-op Board and write environmental articles as well because that is what I value and believe is one of the best ways for me to make a difference. I keep my clothes as long as they will have me and try to learn as much as I can about these issues because even for me it is overwhelming.

Most important

Being an active participant in this work of environmentalism is amazing because it is noncompetitive as far as I am concerned. I have an environmental business interest that I believe will really make a difference, but I don’t feel the need to compete. Finding smart ways for applying the natural systems of the environment to function cohesively, within the framework of how our human activity impacts the environment, is the key.

Scotland Willis is a columnist, blogger, public speaker and environmental strategist.

Water Notes

by Scotland Willis

Water falls from the sky in a rhythmic way sometimes and changes our outlook on the day.  In Antigua, Guatemala, I use to dance on the roof while the warm heavy rains of the monsoon would pelt my body and my imagination would drift into a space that is rich with energy and wholesomeness.

Such an experience can,  by and large, depend on what part of the world we live in.  In California an 1/8 of an inch of rain can ruin a grape crop for raisins, the slightest difference can wipe out an entire years worth of work; on the other hand, in Africa more than 230 million people will suffer from water scarcity this year.  And in Miami, Florida, they probably have what some would describe as the perfect weather much of the time.  We experience water and access to it, differently.

 From whichever our challenge or pleasure may be derived, it is likely that those who have an abundance of water don't truly appreciate intricate details such as the cycle of water and what it goes through to make it's way to our faucets.

A friend of my came to the U.S. from India for academic purposes.  On one of our tours of the city, he was amazed at the water in the Charles River. "Is that fresh water?" "Yes" I responded.  "And is it always there; is it always available at that level?" he asked.  Again I replied, "yes it is".  He continued, "And where will it all go?".  "It empties into the Atlantic Ocean" I said.  "And you just let it go there, all of that water?"  "Well-- yes" I replied.  "This is amazing!"

Our conversation carried on much longer as the tour continued.  But the proufoundness of Aakesh's observations and curiousity etched itself into my mind.  As a conservationist, I recognize the important role water plays in our society, I hold very strong views about the matter.  From rain barrels to controlling the flow rate on my sink-- even turning off the water for each dish I rince.  Nonetheless, I've developed an appreciation for what water means to Aakesh and where he is from in Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh in India, one of their water starved regions.

I Aakesh recently returned for another visit; upon greeting him at the airport, his first question was, "Is all that water still in the Charles River?"  "Yes my friend, it is still there".

I don't believe I take what is available for granted, however I also know that when I turn my faucet on, water will flow.   My appreciation and commitment to helping others understand the precious value of that has grown out of our conversation.