Lifestyle Diseases: Avoidance & Treatment

Lifestyle Diseases: Avoidance & Treatment

Scientists and medical professionals have increasingly come to the recognition that specific fundamental changes in the way we live and the way we eat in these modern times underlie many of what we now know as “lifestyle diseases”. In short, the way we live today is quite literally a sickening way to live.

Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity plague hundreds of millions of people all over the world. Even those in developing countries who have adopted a Westernized lifestyle are succumbing to these diseases as well. What are the so-called lifestyle diseases and how do they threaten our health? And how can we protect ourselves from them?

What are Lifestyle Diseases?

Lifestyle diseases are those that increase in frequency as nations become more industrialized, as life becomes easier, and as people live longer. Aspects of modern life such as diets rich in carbohydrates and fats, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, increasingly antiseptic surroundings, increasing exposure to pollution, and increasingly processed foods are believed to be the main reasons for the emergence and the high rate of occurrence of certain non-communicable diseases.

The reason scientists identify modern living and the Western lifestyle as the main culprits is that these diseases show up mainly in highly developed countries in North America, Europe, and elsewhere, and are only beginning to show up in developing countries that are increasingly becoming Westernized.

These lifestyle diseases include

  • Obesity
  • Hypertension
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Osteoporosis
  • Some forms of cancer (mostly epithelial cell cancers)
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Cirrhosis or chronic liver disease
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Depression
  • Arthritis
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Chronic renal failure
  • Stroke
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Allergic diseases
  • Maybe even lupus, multiple sclerosis, and behavioral problems in children

What Causes These Lifestyle Diseases?

To put it simply, the way we live today triggers diseases that did not afflict our forebears. Because those of us in developed countries no longer have to toil in the field all day long to feed ourselves, because food is relatively abundant, and because technology has made our jobs so much easier, we work less and eat more than humans did in decades and centuries past.

Modern diet, nutrition, and changes in lifestyle are the major components that have given rise to a wide range of non-communicable diseases throughout the world. More alarmingly, diet-related chronic diseases have become commonplace not just in developed and industrialized countries, but also in developing countries where the problem used to be caloric deficiencies. Clearly, our modern lackadaisical lifestyle in these post-industrial times was not the kind of lifestyle that our bodies were built for.

The human body has not completely adapted to the kind of diet that we have gotten accustomed to after the introduction of agriculture and the availability of surplus foods, both of which are fairly recent occurrences in the timeline of human evolution. And our physiology and the human genome have certainly not adapted to the Western diet and lifestyle. This mismatch has given rise to many modern-day “diseases of civilization” that did not plague hunter-gatherers and populations that have not adopted the modern Western diet and lifestyle.

It wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that people in Western countries began consuming more meat, sugary foods, dairy products, vegetable oils, and alcohol. Because of the abundance of food and the ease by which they could now be procured and prepared, people became more sedentary, leading to higher rates of obesity. Rates of certain types of cancer started to increase as a result of these dietary and lifestyle changes. Meanwhile, people in developing countries who still subsisted on diets low in sugar, meat, and fats had lower rates of cancer.

One recent study reported that mothers today need around 200 calories fewer than their counterparts 45 years ago. The study looked at the physical activity levels of modern American mothers and found that they spent 14 fewer hours every week on physical activity than they did in 1965. This finding echoes a wider trend among almost all population groups to more sedentary behavior and less exercise. The trend is influenced by a variety of aspects such as less manual employment, ownership of cars, and greater use of appliances and gadgets.

Preventative Measures

In keeping with the findings of evolutionary experts, it is suggested that adopting a diet and lifestyle similar to that of our pre-agricultural forebears will help prevent the onset of chronic degenerative diseases.

This means

  • consuming a diet rich in meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits
  • avoiding grains
  • avoiding processed foods
  • avoiding dairy products
  • avoiding legumes
  • avoiding sugar
  • avoiding vegetable oils
  • exercising and getting more physical activity
  • avoiding cigarettes, alcohol, and recreational drugs

Current thinking is that by eliminating the foods which our bodies have not evolved to metabolize, we can avoid certain degenerative diseases. Grains, legumes, and dairy products were not consumed by humans in the Paleolithic age. They did not eat a lot of sugar or oils, and certainly didn’t have access to anything processed.

Our forebears had to work hard to survive. Hunting and gathering and attending to the tasks necessary to sustain life were the norm. Our bodies have not adapted to our modern sedentary lifestyle and are thus not genetically predisposed to inactivity. Regular exercise is recommended for good health and overall wellbeing.


Awareness and prevention are key. But if you already suffer from a lifestyle disease, it’s not too late. A combination of conventional Western medicine and complementary medicine such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and aromatherapy can do wonders to treat, prevent, and reduce the progression of diseases. Changing your diet, your lifestyle, your outlook, and your way of thinking are all important factors that will determine whether or not you get well. Unlearning old habits and beliefs and relearning new habits and beliefs regarding overall health and wellbeing are crucial.

Cut out the abovementioned food items, increase your level of activity, reduce stress, and eliminate smoking and overuse of alcohol. Develop an understanding of what a healthy lifestyle is and foster the behavioral skills necessary to apply that understanding and sustain good habits.

Read More

Top 10 Current Environmental Issues

Top 10 Current Environmental Issues

As inhabitants and protectors of this planet, it is our task to care for and safeguard the environment. Sadly, corporate profiteering and political power play often come before environmental conservation.

While steps have been taken to address other issues such as the expansion of solar energy, there are still numerous environmental concerns where drastic changes need to happen if we want to leave a habitable Earth to succeeding generations.

These are the 10 most pressing environmental issues that should concern us.

1. Climate change

No matter how badly politicians and traditional industrialists try to deny the fact of this environmental issue, current conditions around the globe serve as reminders of the severity of global climate change. Take for example the snow that blanketed the pyramids for the first time in over a century and the spate of extreme weather disturbances (such as Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Haiyan) in recent years. Though there are world leaders who have already taken a stand against climate change, there is still a need for urgent and collective action to resolve this important issue.

2. Air, land, and water pollution

In southeast Chicago, thick, black smoke from an oil waste called petcoke (short for “petroleum coke”) drifts into residential areas from a nearby site where a BP oil refinery dumps its toxic wastes. The noxious fumes create a nuisance in residential areas, cover homes, force parents to keep their children indoors with the windows closed, and cause numerous health concerns. This is just one example of a disturbing scenario echoed in many other places around the globe.

Groundwater contamination is at an all-time high, with chemicals, oil, gasoline, and biological contaminants from landfills, septic tanks, pesticides, fertilizers, and hazardous waste seeping into our water sources. Surface water contamination is a similarly troubling global issue.

The world’s soil is polluted by chemical compounds and toxic substances such as heavy metals, nitrates, pathogens, and plastics that take many years to break down. Most of these are by-products of our current lifestyles and the industries that sustain these lifestyles.

3. Carbon emissions

Thanks to the commitment of President Obama to take on the climate change dilemma, this environmental issue has gotten a leg up in recent years. There has been an initiative to curb carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, as well as other carbon-reducing laws and protocols. However, carbon emission is still a serious problem and the ozone layer is still rapidly depleting, and the governments of many developed and developing nations will need to take a stand as well.

4. Oil leaks

In recent years, pipelines bursting and spewing oil filled news broadcasts and newspaper headlines. In 2013, the worst pipeline catastrophe occurred in Mayflower, Arkansas, where the 65-year-old Pegasus pipeline owned by ExxonMobil burst, plaguing the town with floods of oil. Train-loaded oil was no safer. In June 2013, a train derailed in Quebec, causing major explosions and resulting in the deaths of 47 people.

With the extreme cold and prolonged winter occurring this season, experts and residents fear that oil pipelines under the Great Lakes will burst or spring a leak. Two sunken pipes laid in 1953 carry 23 million gallons of crude oil daily under the Straits of Mackinac. The straits freeze over in winter. Concerned citizens question what responders could do if the pipes burst while the straits are frozen. An oil spill here will undoubtedly be a catastrophe with massive and irreversible consequences.

Another major oil pipeline issue is that of the Keystone XL pipeline that will transport up to 83,000 barrels of oil every day from Canada across the United States. Millions of people in North America and elsewhere in the planet are trying to put a stop to its construction.

5. Fukushima

No other environmental disaster has created panic and riled environmentalists up in recent years than the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown and the resulting radioactive spill. The radioactive water spewing from the site has already reached the western shores of Canada and could reach the Pacific coast of the United States by April. Experts report that this radioactive water could have dire consequences for human health and the environment for decades to come.

6. Biodiversity loss

More than a hundred species go extinct every day. These losses are not only irreversible; they also make our own tenuous foothold on this planet all the more fragile. Our own species is responsible for the hemorrhaging of biodiversity on the planet. Take for example the case of the wolves. In 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed the stripping of the Endangered Species Act protection on wolves, prompting concerned citizens and conservation groups to state their opposition. The wolf population is already drastically low. They may seem like nuisances, but they are in fact an important part of the balance of nature that sustains our own existence.

7. Overpopulation

In 1950, the Earth’s human population was somewhere over 2.5 billion. Today, it is more than 7.2 billion. In half a century, the number of humans on this planet increased almost threefold. That is an alarming rate that, as many experts argue, is the single biggest cause for every other environmental issue on this list.

8. Overfishing

UN experts report that the world’s oceans could be devoid of fish by the year 2050. This is a frightening scenario for everyone, but especially for the approximately one billion people who rely on fish as their main protein source. Overfishing is rampant practically all over the globe. Without a complete restructuring of the fishing industry, there will be virtually no viable catches for the next generation.

9. Deforestation

More than half of the world’s rain forests have been destroyed since 1990. Forests are disappearing at a disturbing rate, hastened by the clearing of timberland to make way for real estate developments, megafarms, roads, and infrastructure. Add to this the string of wildfires in the United States, Canada, and Australia, one of which was California’s Rim Fire that burned more than 257,000 acres. It was one of 17 major brushfires in the United States in 2013. This amazing time lapse really helps to put things into perspective:

10. Poaching

The extinction of the western black rhino was a staggering blow to the conservation efforts of many concerned citizens and groups who had worked hard for decades to put an end to the poaching of the species. In South Africa and in neighboring countries, the rhinoceros is prized for its horn. Local authorities have been unable to stop the illegal wildlife trade and poachers are now well-armed and equipped with high-tech gadgets and assault vehicles for tracking prey. The Javan rhino and the northern white rhino are now also at risk. It is said that the rate at which rhinos are being slaughtered are greater than the rate at which they are being born.

Read More

Top 5 Worst Environmental Disasters of All Time

Top 5 Worst Environmental Disasters of All Time

Humanity has not always been kind to the environment. In fact, there have been incredible disasters caused by humans in the past decades, centuries, and some are still showing effects. It’s difficult to imagine Earth taking on such a force, but it happens on a daily basis. Millions of pounds of trash pile up, oil spills, smoke pouring into the skies, radiation hitting the ocean, and so much more happen on a regular basis. However, amongst all of that, some disasters are harder on the planet then others. For instance, there are 5 major disasters that have shocked the Earth so hard, that many are still seeing problems associated with it.

5 Terrible Environmental Events

The following is a list that has been compiled of the worst environmental disasters of all time. The criteria used was simple and worth noting, as some may argue with the validity. Even though some other disasters may take the cake, this list utilizes some factors to consider.

  • Devastation – Amount of devastation on the planet, whether in 1 or more ecosystems.
  • Recovery – Time of recovery, and whether or not it has even been fixed.
  • Age – How many years ago has it occurred.

Using the criteria above, and a few historical data banks, the following events are seriously detrimental to the world as we know it, and some, are still rocking humanity on many levels.

Burning Car Explodes

Burning fuel fire

Chernobyl (1986)

Nuclear power is always a point of contention in modernity, and it’s because of what happened on April 26, 1986. The power plant that was located in Ukraine blew up and caused a deluge of radiation towards the earth. The fallout eclipsed the World Wars and created a lot of bad problems, including thousands of children coming down with serious cancers. To this day, 20 miles around in diameter is closed off, and to this day, no major nuclear-power plants can continue to work in the same capacity that Chernobyl once did. Effects are still being felt in the area, as the radiation poured in serious amounts. For more information, check out the Wikipedia page.

Seveso (1976)

The worst thing about environmental disasters is that they can truly be deadly and not just for the environment but for anything living around the problem. In the case of Seveso, a dioxin cloud was released from a chemical plant causing anyone in the area to essentially die off. Animals died first, completely evaporating within a short span of time. Then children felt the effects and eventually people were evacuated as the symptoms started to get worse and worse. To this day, the soil is still contaminated, but those in and around the town live there, despite the danger.

Exxon Valdez (1989)

Alaska doesn’t get a lot of attention at times. In recent memories it is known more for the political arena than anything else, but in 1989 it was definitely on the minds of millions. On March 24, 1989 an oil tanker the “Exxon Valdez” hit trouble and dumped out nearly 11 million gallons of oil through the waters. 500 miles of oil was spread out through the Alaskan coastline and that completely decimated the area, and killed of wildlife into the hundreds of thousands. The clean up effort was massive, but as far as the disaster reach, and some analysts still say that it’s the worst disaster in history. Even with the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill, this is one of the most complex and serious of all time. Effects are still being felt in certain regions.

Aral Sea (2010)

Not a lot of talk is made about waters across the earth drying up. Sure, some talk about global warming, water levels dropping, and rising as a result, but what about severe droughts? What about man made water diversion? In 2010 news broke that in Central Asia, the Aral Sea had nearly dried up. That’s right, what was once one of the largest lakes on earth is completely dry, and is now just a desert of sand and storms. The Soviet Union was initially to blame pulling water from this source to other projects, and what once used to be a fully alive body of water is nothing more than a graveyard of the past.

Bhopal (1984)

After surveying the worst environmental disasters, this one has to be one of the worst, and still talked about amidst scholars. December 2, 1984 in Bhopal, India over 40 tons of methyl isocyanate ploughed through the surrounding area. That was enough to kill thousands of people within a matter of hours, but if that wasn’t enough, thousands more fell over the next few months. It didn’t end there, millions of people fell ill with serious problems from blindness, to organ failure, and more. Birth defects and a great deal other problems persisted and still has consequences for people around the area. After a decade of fighting, this environmental and industrial accident is by far one of the worst to effect men, women, children, and animals around the world. You can have a quick look at a short film on YouTube which was uploaded quite recently.

Read More

Modern Food – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Thousands of years ago, Man lived very naturally. Being self sufficient and farming the land meant that he knew how to cultivate the land to produce the most fruitful harvest possible from the soil and resources available. The fruits and vegetables were naturally organic, as no fertilisers and pesticides were produced in those times to deal with natural pests and crop diseases.

All foods that were made contained only natural ingredients, either caught or harvested, from the immediate land surrounding the settlements of the time. All food, therefore, was healthy, nutritious and contained a balance of minerals and nutrients which the body needed. It was a time where life might have been comparatively harder but also more rewarding and naturally healthy.

The Modern Foods

The agricultural and industrial revolutions changed all of that. Science and technology was used to manipulate plants and fruits in order to produce the highest possible yields from the least amount of output; a high Return On Investment (ROI). This made economic sense in that the farmers and business owners were producing great volumes from the same amount of seed. The production output from the land was increased 10 fold and this also meant that the number of people that the crops could support increased.

However, with an increase in quantity rarely does an increase in quality prevail. In that sense we have actually taken a backward step in terms of quality of food that we eat today.

World Wide Shipping

Walk into any supermarket in the UK and you will be confronted with exotic fruits from around the World, all year round. No longer do you have to wait for a fruit or vegetable to be in season, as somewhere else in the World it will be in season and can be flown in. To see grapes from South America seems crazy. What a waste of energy and huge amount of pollution just so that we can have grapes all year round.

Convenience Food

Arriving in any Tesco Metro store in London will give you a taste of just how unhealthy we are nowadays. The shelves are packed with colourful, tempting treats that most people cannot resist which is totally understandable. Marketers and food producers use every trick in the book to entice us into buying their deliciously sweet treats at every corner. Millions of pounds every year are spent on understanding human and consumer buying habits in order to persuade the customer into buying those extra, highly profitable items.

Convenience and Training

The food supplement industry is massive and growing at an ever increasing rate as people attempt to find the quick fix to a health problem. Protein shakes, energy gels, metabolism boosters. You dream it, they’ll create it. Check out any Holland & Barrett’s store and you can find an A-Z of every type of supplement available. But are they worthwhile? Well, the jury is still out on that one but it would seem logical that a convenience supplement that mimics the ingredients found in healthy foods should be good for you if you need to have it instead of a chocolate bar as a snack on the go. Having a protein shake instead of anything like a biscuit is a much better option, even if the protein shake is not quite as nutritionally good for you as a proper meal.

Read More

The Ethical Problems of Global Warming

The Ethical Problems of Global Warming

If the phenomenon of global warming is true, then the future of this planet is at stake. But this leads to various questions, without any easy answers. The most pressing question tends to be: what does this generation need to sacrifice in order for the future generations to survive? After all, if the governments and businesses all around the world made global warming a number one priority, then drastic changes will surely follow; changes that everyone might be uncomfortable with. This dilemma eventually leads to the ethical problems of global warming. Questions of morality are never far from this discussion, for this problem is directly related to the continuing survival of Earth.

The Cost of Global Warming

In the past half-century, people have seen the world progress at such a fast pace. Industry and technology continue to grow at speeds the world never thought possible. According to economists, the world is more prosperous than ever. There exist things and commodities that people never even dreamed of. But even with all these monumental happenings, the question needs to be asked: at what cost?

At the same time as our population speeds along the road of progress, the world has become more toxic. More poisonous gases are filling up the atmosphere. More forests are being cut down, and more rivers, lakes, and oceans are being poisoned. Industry and technology may have helped humanity progress but at the cost of its own survival. As people look back on all the massive technological transformations of the past half-century and look forward to a potentially catastrophic future, progress looks more like the deal of the devil.

Yet, will the world ever give up on its addiction to technological and industrial progress? Will the world find ways in which this progress can coexist with a radical environmentalism? Should progress be put on hold? Once again, this is an ethical question that needs some philosophizing.

The Use of Technology

Technology has accelerated in such a speed that it constantly creates new things. If one of those new things happens to be the solution to global warming, such as an alternative energy source, then one can argue that continuing industrial and technological progress is for the best. However, the time between now and the new thing, if it ever appears, may be too long to wait. Thus, it can be argued that technological progress needs to slow down or be stopped dead in its tracks. As said before, such a question cannot lead to a simple answer.

At a time when a solution to global warming is needed more than ever, people involved in the global warming debate are trapped in a dilemma. It appears that in order to combat global warming the world needs to take big strides before it is too late. New environmental policies need to be implemented, while small things such as citizens going green apparently may not be enough to fight what is in reality a systemic problem. However, doing such small things will hopefully inspire people to do the same. Going green may not be a long-term solution to global warming, but it is an ethical way of living. 

Read More

Tourism and Environmental Issues

Tourism and Environmental Issues

If you look around the World you will find some amazing natural environments which have been there for thousands or even millions of years, those such as The Grand Canyon and Niagra Falls come to mind. These naturally beautiful and incredible sights are actually still changing all of the time as erosion, climate changes, plants and animals have their impact on them.

What I would like to discuss today is the human impact on such areas, and whether or not more should be done to help preserve the natural landscape as it was or whether there is an argument to say that by allowing humans to walk, wade and build all over them is also just part of the natural evolution of the place. Check out this video for a few facts about Tutankhamun if you are interested:

Faking It

Just this month there was news that a replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb was to be built in order to preserve the original, as apparently the moisture from tourists breathing over many years has caused massive degradation to the tomb. This has been met with some skepticism, which is totally understandable as would you travel all the way to Egypt a fake!? On the other hand, if they had to close the tomb so no visitors could see it, maybe it would be preferable to see a replica rather than nothing at all.

Mount Kilimanjaro

This mountain is one of the most famous in the World, outside of the Himalayas, and for good reason. It is the highest peak in Africa and thousands of people go there every year to climb it. It is reported that  the impact of tourism on this area is huge, with nearly 11,000 people employed as a result of tourism and that translates to more money, better education and living standards for those who work and live in the area. The World Bank have a more in-depth story on it here.

There is a Flickr group which contains some great shots of on and around Mt Kilimanjaro here:

However, there is also the risk that the number of visitors to the site cause erosion that is just not natural. Forging pathways along routes of the mountain that would not usually have walkers, which in turn changes how the mountain responds to the rainy season. For example, more compact ground leads to higher surface water run off which can lead to increased flooding.

Check out the Travel Wiki for more information about Mt. Kilimanjaro. As an example, this site shows how people have even created their own websites about climbing the mountain. The site, belonging to a guy named Lee, details some of the routes, the journey and some photos from his trip. Now, are these kinds of sites inspiring more people to do the trek? I would only assume so, and it also leads people to believe that it is more achievable.


Personally, I think that people will have a hard time trying to convince the government to do anything about erosion when this tourist attraction brings in so much money for the country each year. Furthermore, people’s lives who work there are being transformed as a result of it so they are surely thankful that they are able to make a better life for themselves. These are all positives, so the fact that there is a little more erosion on the mountain…Well, I’m sure that most people will say that is just one small negative associated with many positives.

I guess the best approach is to appoint a governing body who will oversee these kind of sights and look at the best interests of local people, the country and the natural beauty itself. There has to be a balance somewhere. In Peru, I believe that they have had the same problems at a site called Macchu Picchu, which has had to restrict the number of visitors which are allowed to be in the park during each day. This has had other effects, such as rising ticket prices and people who are willing to buy tickets last minute on the black market for a much higher price. There will always be a trade-off between allowing people completely free reign over an area and environmental factors which will influence the area. I just hope that we are all able to live on the Earth together without causing too much destruction to the natural wonders of the World.

Read More

The Causes of Global Warming

The Causes of Global Warming

One of the main issues of the 21st century is the issue of global warming. Scientists have talked about it, politicians have debated on it, and films have been made on it. Global warming is now part of the cultural lexicon. On the other hand, not a lot of people know the devastating details of global warming. A lot of people know that global warming is about the Earth getting hotter and hotter as the decades go by until it reaches a catastrophic level.

What Causes Global Warming?

Many people may know what global warming is but they do not know its root causes. It can be said that people find it easy enough to take the root causes of global warming for granted because they are ever so present in modern day living. What they do not know is that the more they ignore these causes, the more catastrophic the consequences could be.

Whenever a person turns on a light or starts up their car, these everyday acts are actually contributing to global warming. When one turns on the light, energy is being used and its emissions are going up into the atmosphere. When one starts up the car, its fumes also head straight up into the atmosphere. These emissions that go up into the atmosphere are made up of carbon dioxide (Co2). Instead of moving away into space, the Co2 is trapped by the atmosphere and creates a kind of blanket effect on the planet. The Co2 traps the planet. Thus heat cannot escape out of the atmosphere and it stays on Earth, warming it up in the process. The Co2 emissions are the root cause of global warming.

Co2 Emissions

Unfortunately, right now Co2 emissions are a fact of everyday life. Energy companies which supply the world’s electricity cannot run without Co2 emissions. Our transportation cannot travel without Co2 emissions. One hopes that with alternative energy sources the world can do away with Co2 emissions. However, Co2, unlike other chemicals, lingers even after a long while. And the accumulation of Co2 by the atmosphere is about to reach dangerous levels within the next few decades.

To add insult to injury, not only is the world sending up Co2 emissions to the atmosphere, but it is also depleting any healthy oxygen emissions by continuing to cut down forests and poison rivers and oceans. The results of massive industrialization are also one of the root causes of global warming. In addition to this, waste management, such as burning refuse, brings out nitrous oxide and methane to the atmosphere. Both of these chemicals are toxic. And if these chemicals are trapped within the Co2 blanket, then the air the world will be inhaling will be poisonous in the very near future.

Final Thoughts

Looking at the root causes of global warming, one will realize why people usually do know about these things. It is too bleak and even apocalyptic to think of such things. However, it is only by looking at the causes that solutions can be found. And the world needs a solution to global warming now more than ever. 

Read More

Health Dangers of Global Warming

Health Dangers of Global Warming

What is Global Warming?

Global warming is the phenomenon of the continual rise in the Earth’s temperature due to carbon dioxide emissions creating a “blanket” around the planet and thereby trapping in the heat. A lot of the apocalyptic images of the effects of global warming involve the melting of the polar ice caps or the constant heat waves that will spread doom around the world. Even though these images of a bleak future are plausible, they are not the greatest danger to humanity caused by global warming. The greatest danger is more subtle and its catastrophic effects may already be beginning. The danger to the world’s health in general caused by global warming is arguably the most pressing issue of environmentalism today. To read a little more about global warming check out the Wikipedia page.

Industrialization and Human Health

For the reason that constant industrialization is one of the key causes of global warming, one should take note of the fact

Factory Fumes

Industrialization and Global Warming

that a majority of the world’s population make their living in the working conditions of industrialization. Laborers all around the world work in coal mines, oil wells, and in factories that emit the Co2 emissions that are causing global warming. Because they work so long and so closely with these materials that are scientifically proven to be detrimental to their health, these workers usually have a lower life expectancy than usual. In the coal mines, workers contract black lung. In oil wells, workers suffer from cancer. In the factories, workers are poisoned. As long as these working conditions remain, workers will continue to die from the industry machine that is one of the root causes of global warming.

In addition to this, the Co2 blanket is not only trapping heat but it is also trapping poisonous gases. All the gases that are emitted by waste management, such as methane or nitrous oxide, are deadly to human beings. In earlier days, when industrialization was not as massive as today and the Co2 blanket was not as thick, most of the toxic gases would disappear out of the atmosphere and into space. Nowadays, because these gases are trapped inside the planet, the world is vulnerable to them. The air has never been more toxic than it is today. Pollution is at an all time high, not just because of the hundreds of thousands of cars emitting Co2 around the world but because of deforestation and the poisoning of our oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Natural Combatants to Global Warming

Not only is the world getting more toxic, but on an environmental scale the world has fewer things to combat this toxicity. Before, the rain-forests continued to emit good oxygen into the atmosphere. This would help combat any Co2 or toxic gas that went into the air. But because more forests are being cut down, there is less oxygen in the air than ever before. In the future, it is not unthinkable to see the world’s population living with gas masks all the time.

Global warming is a threat to the planet’s survival. It is a threat to everyone. If things continue the way they are now, then tragically there may be no future for our future generations. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also has more details on this subject, which you can check out here.

Read More

Children’s Health

Children’s Health

I don’t think that it’s up for debate that the health of our children is not something which should be taken lightly or ignored in any way. A healthy child is one who will be active, energetic, balanced in the mind and willing to work hard and concentrate on learning new things about the world.

Children are often the best learners because they are receptive to new ideas, suggestions and do not approach a topic with preconceived ideas. They are open and honest in their ideas, too, usually creating completely different ideas about how to solve a problem.


I believe that the diet you have really influences your behaviour in a significant way. Eating chocolate, crisps and other highly processed and sugar full snacks is a sure way to have a child who is going to be up and down with mood swings like a yo-yo! Ideally you want there to be a balance in your child’s diet so that they are consistently in a good mood, by eating good food.

Although it can be very difficult because children nearly always want chocolate and crisps over healthy food like vegetables, you must try and limit the amount of the bad stuff that they consume. Perhaps allow them to have one sweet treat per day, after the main meal of the day and no more. Even then, if you can try to keep it healthy that would be good, so maybe fruit with yogurt or some ice-cream which has fewer preservatives and bad contents.


Oftentimes chocolate and bad things are used as a way to convince a child to do something or as a reward for them doing something well. Although these ideas always have good intentions it might be leading to a behaviour pattern whereby the child believes that the chocolate is a good thing and that they can have it when they have been good or think they deserve it.

Instead, you can find almost anything else to use as a reward. Perhaps a toy, extra time playing outside with their friends or more pocket money each week to incentivise them to behave well. This should help to remove the association with good behaviour and chocolate.

Lead by Example

Your children will want to do what you do so if you are eating chocolates, sweets and crisps and drinking fizzy drinks like Coca Cola al the time your children will do the same. If this is what you are used to then it’s going to require big changes for you to make sure your child doesn’t turn out with the same eating habits. It might be tough but it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth it or not, your child’s health that is…


It takes a lot of effort to ensure that your child’s health is what it should be but if you make small changes consistently you should be able to notice a significant improvement over the weeks and months that you are trying to change the way your child associates with foods and therefore how healthy they are.

Good luck!

Image courtesy of NayPong /

Read More

How to Stay Healthy

How to Stay Healthy

In today’s world we are faced with problems that were not in existent many years ago, but the one which I would like to talk about today is healthy food and remaining nourished.


Dry Infertile Soil

Bad soil = bad crop

The irony is that as we have developed food production has moved away from home-grown, nutritious and naturally organic food to highly chemical, processed and unhealthy foods. If you look at 90% of the products in the supermarket I bet that you will find nearly all of the fruit was farmed from a different country, and probably different continent, and that the packaged foods contain ingredients that look more at home in a chemistry lab than in food.

Unfortunately it has become the case that cheap food sells and consumers want cheaper food and more for less. This drives down the price so manufacturers look for ways of lowering that even further, thereby reducing the quality of the food. You see, food production the natural way is expensive; it takes a long time to grow, requires a lot of attention and has to be picked, packed and shipped.

The producers will reduce costs by getting cheaper labour, shipping in bulk and less often (so they have to pick fruit before it’s ripe) and use preservatives to keep the food from going off so it has a long shelf life.


With modern science it has become far easier for companies to develop artificial ingredients to replace items which are expensive or more likely to expire quickly in foods. This has lead to many ingredients being developed which are not good for the human body. The body is not used to dealing with them because they are foreign and cause upset.

Unfortunately, because these items are easy and cheap to produce they infiltrate large numbers of food items and become the dominant ingredients in many foods. Further, people actually want more of them because they are the cheap foods and they would rather have the cheap food than the more expensive one, and most of the time they do not realise how bad it is for them because there is no immediate reaction to it.

Moving Forwards

I would highly recommend buying food which is locally sourced and, if possible, organic. Even if it’s not organic it would be still better to buy locally because of the early picking of the food and the conditions under which the food is subjected to while travelling many thousands of miles from one continent to the other. You can find out a little bit more about what organic food is, here.

If you can grow your own beans, tomatoes and potatoes in the garden then that is a massive plus for you and will benefit your health hugely. It will also teach you about growing food and probably appreciate it a little more so you don’t waste it, as you have put all that hard effort into growing it.

So, hopefully you will have a few ideas about this post and look at ways to reduce your intake of poor foods with cheap, highly processed ingredients.

Images courtesy of Simon Howden and Kittikun Atsawintarangkul /

Read More