Tip: EXERCISE regularly, Physical inactivity, a risk factor for death from heart disease & stroke

"Researchers said changes in BMI might have a significant effect on death risk in obese people. A healthy score is between 18 and 25; overweight is 25 to less than 30; obese is 30 and over. Many people don’t realize they are actually obese or near that mark.

In Indiana, the obesity level just went over 30 percent (30.2 percent). Another third is overweight. So, we have a long way to go. But, hopefully, some of these people are at least exercising regularly so they are lessening their chances of dying an early death."

'via Blog this'Good news for overweight exercisers! | Fit For Life blog | The Indianapolis Star | IndyStar.com:

Carbon War Room: Solutions to Energy Problems have to come from New Technologies

"Business titan Sir Richard Branson, philanthropist extraordinaire, Chairman of Virgin Air, and an early investor in the green energy sector, has taken a lead role in the global search for biofuels for use in the airline industry. Appearing on MSNBC earlier this week, Mr. Branson laid out the rationale for investment in the green energy sector, and his long term commitment to the effort through the creation of the Carbon War Room. The Carbon War Room is a global, independent non-profit that brings together complementary NGO's, entrepreneurs, corporate entrepreneurs, financiers, and the climate change community to focus on gigaton-scale, market-based solutions to climate change."

'via Blog this'VG Energy Highlighted in Branson's "Carbon War Room" Jet Fuel Initiative - MarketWatch:

Update: Fishing Industry on Climate Change: Success happens when there is right mix of fishing regulations to rebuild depleted ecosystems

"Participants in Durban could offer a significant boost to fishing communities by committing to facilitate good resource governance and build adaptive capacity. Specifically, this means nurturing the social organization, assets, and learning that will provide a basis for adaptation. It also means that aid and fisheries contract money need to be fair, reflect the value of the fish, and promote social capacity development and improved ecosystems management. Additionally, most developed countries have failed to meet their international commitments of contributing just 0.7 percent of their Gross National Product (GNP) to international aid. New commitments to support the Green Climate Fund—created in part to help developing countries cope with climate change—also appear to be soft and need to be a higher priority. Honoring these commitments is necessary to move beyond disaster relief and toward the proactive assistance that will help both people and ecosystems successfully confront the growing threat of a warming planet."

'via Blog this'Global Fishing Communities Putting the Heat on Climate Change Talks – News Watch:

Montana: Biofuel: Camelina has potential to create jobs, reduce dependency on fossil fuels & decrease carbon emissions

"Camelina has a number of advantages over its competitors, including using far less water, thus allowing it to be grown on marginal land, thereby not taking food acreage out of production. Furthermore camelina has a relatively short growing season of 80 to 100 days, requires no special equipment to harvest, and the silage remaining after processing can be fed to livestock and poultry, with the added side benefit of increasing their omega-3 production. Now the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given camelina production a major shot in the arm by selecting 40 counties in Montana for a pilot program of federally backed camelina crop insurance. The counties covered are Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Hill, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, McCone, Meagher, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux and Yellowstone."

'via Blog this'U.S. Biofuel Camelina Production Set to Soar at Oil Price:

Tip: Cure the root of Addiction by Understanding & Finding Ways to Manage Stress

We have chemical and hormonal changes to deal with stress. A well know chemical is the stress hormone cortisol which is increased and it leads to an increase of another chemical, adrenaline. The body gears up immediately in the face of stressful stimuli. It goes to our energy stores, and releases glucose and insulin so that our muscles have the energy to deal with the stress. These body chemicals are sustained at high rates to compensate for the stress, and as such, they can impact the body adversely over time. Additionally, the choices we make to handle this stress can influence how those stress hormones affect us. Drugs like alcohol, nicotine and cocaine, and also high-fat, high-calorie comfort foods, are powerful modifiers of the stress system. They will change our stress pathways and affect the way your body is able to control our stress response. And so, after a period of bingeing, our body’s stress response system eventually wears out. However, folks will continue to take those drugs and alcohol to compensate a weakened system. This is often what we see in addiction."

'via Blog this'Healthy Living: Holiday Stress - WABI TV5:Does that mean we cannot revitalize our stress responses such as the adrenals? In fact, our body is forgiving and they can recover when we take away those toxins. What is not clear is how long that process takes. The problem, though, is that while your adrenals are still recovering, you are more likely to be stressed. And stress affects abstinence and increases chances of a relapse. So then we are caught in a vicious cycle of quickly degenerating health because both the stress and the substances are working together to wear down our body systems and our stress axis, our liver, kidney, heart, blood pressure. All this can also lead to certain types of cancer. We don’t really know which comes first, but we do know that these are all complex multi-factoral diseases. That means they don’t have one single factor that leads to the disease state. And there are factors that can make a person even more vulnerable to stress-related diseases and addiction: early trauma suffered in childhood, cumulative adversity, socio-economic status, education and also things like genetics and personality traits.

Durban, South Africa: Bishop's call to view the issue as a moral imperative

Putting Planet First in Climate Change Talks | Africa | English: ""Climate change is a moral issue and it must be met by the moral principles of justice, equity, compassion, love. And that we’ve got to really realize, that we’ve got to put the wellbeing of the planet and people before our financial considerations,” said retired Anglican Bishop Geoff Davies, coordinator of the Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute."

'via Blog this'

Tip: You have to take time for yourself, at least an hour a day, that's the key. If you won't make it a priority, it won't be a priority.

"A year ago, Bob Pearson was full of excuses. He didn't have time to work out. He didn't know how to prepare the right foods. Just the thought of trying to be healthier was overwhelming. “There are a million excuses,” the Hampshire resident says. “A year ago, I was 300 pounds, and I was just miserable.”"'via Blog this'New body, new life for Fittest Loser contestants -There are no more excuses now. Since winning the 2011 Fittest Loser Challenge sponsored by the Daily Herald, Pearson has taken control of his health. DailyHerald.com: