Open Letter To Prime Minister Stephen Harper - Smoking in Canada

Open Letter To Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

Want to be remembered as doing something good for the benefit of the health of all Canadians? Make smoking illegal.

It doesn't matter what people are smoking, whether it be tobacco, marijuana or crack cocaine - they are all known to be harmful to the health of Canadians. Recent lawsuits in Quebec, Ontario and other provinces have already proven this, as do thousands of scientific studies.

You could save the Canadian healthcare system billions of dollars simply by making all smoking products illegal - and simultaneously put a stop to the legalize marijuana movement. Which you already don't like anyway, so that would boost your agenda there.

However you don't want to burden the prison system with thousands of people arrested for smoking, so the trick is to change it to a fine when people are caught smoking - and a hefty fine for people selling any kind of substance meant for smoking.

The current laws really only target possession of marijuana and people smoking tobacco in public places. By banning all smoking entirely you could put a stop to the proliferation of many different kinds of cancer across Canada. Cancer that is costing our health care system billions and slowing down wait times for important medical treatments.

Banning smoking is not a complete solution however. You will also need to enforce non-smoking laws. At present many people shirk or ignore many anti-smoking laws and police don't bother to enforce those laws. Incentives need to be made to get police to start enforcing those laws instead of ignoring what they normally consider to be a petty crime. Easiest way to do this would be to have drug task forces assigned to also monitor public places and hand out fines to people caught smoking. This would actually make the government money as a result.

This will inherently make smoking tobacco a practice people do at home or in complete privacy, but the shortage of tobacco and what will doubtlessly be much higher black market prices will force many tobacco smokers to quit simply because they cannot afford the expensive habit.

The medical marijuana movement isn't going to go away, but enforcing a Canada wide ban on recreational smoking will benefit hundreds of thousands of Canadians by preventing a wide variety of cancers.

And while the Conservative Party will get hurt temporarily in polls by people who love smoking tobacco, once they have quit you will see a boost in the polls. Plus you should see a boost in the polls from anyone who dislikes smokers. So it is a short term win, with a long term win-win.

Justin Trudeau might want to legalize marijuana but he won't want to align himself with the tobacco lobby.

This is a smart choice for Canadians both in terms of health and saving Canada's health care system money. Plus it is a smart move politically because it forces Trudeau to ask himself if he wants ally himself with Big Tobacco.

If you make the next election's big issue the banning of tobacco products you could potentially win another majority.

If you don't find a big way to unite Canadians you are going to lose and lose big. At present the polls show you are going to lose the next election, either to the Liberals or to NDP. One or the other it won't matter if you end up coming in third.

But if you make banning tobacco smoking a campaign promise it will divide the electorate in such a way that will be unexpected, giving you a huge boost in the polls. The question is whether you have the gumption to take on Big Tobacco or whether you are a coward who is afraid to do anything so daring.

Veganism and Protein-based Bodybuilding

Vegan Bodybuilder Joel Kirkilis

Can A Vegan Diet Give You Muscles?

This is the question most people who consider going vegan or vegetarian ask before they decide to change their diets. Will I lose a major source of protein if I give up meat. The answer is ultimately yes, but there are some other things to consider before you make up your mind about veganism.

Yes, meat is a great source of protein and if you give it up you will lose that major source, but you can replace that great source of protein with another source of protein that can give you just as much protein as you had before and maybe a little more.

Indeed there is a whole movement within the bodybuilding community of vegan bodybuilders, like Joel Kirkilis above.

Now before you think it is more difficult to become a vegan bodybuilder vs an omnivore bodybuilder, remember:

Gorillas Do It

Gorillas are a close evolutionary relative to humans and they live off a strictly plant based diet. I don't think anyone would accuse a gorilla of lack an adequate source of protein as they are often very strong, powerful and muscle animals. So how do they do it? Well, gorillas spend all day eating plants as the plants do not allow them to gain enough energy to sustain them the entire day, but the plants that they do eat provide them with enough protein to help them build the muscles they need.

Humans have an advantage when it comes to a vegan diet because unlike gorillas humans eat starchy foods which will provide extra protein and a vast amount of carbohydrates. I know what you are thinking, gorillas are similar to us but they are not the same, they must have different genes and body structures that allows them to process plants differently than humans do. The answer to that is no, not really. Gorillas have the same DNA and the same digestive systems as humans and are 99% identical to humans in terms of DNA. That 1% difference is really minor.

Gorillas also do not have an extra special means of digesting food to get more protein out of it. The protein is already there in the plant based food, we humans just need to start realizing that meat is not the only source of protein out there.

Professional Athletes Do It Too

David Haye is a professional boxer and became vegan while competing professionally. At first he was concerned about what becoming vegan could negatively effect his ability to participate in professional boxing. He was concerned that without meat he would not be able to maintain his muscle mass. It was not until he did some research on the protein value of plant based foods that he realized that he could get what he needs from plants.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson also became a vegan after dealing with depression, weight gain, drug abuse and alcoholism. He became a vegan as part of a process that was intended to help him get his life back on track. After becoming a vegan Mike Tyson was able to get back into a physique that rivaled that of his heavy weight fighting days.

What If You Just Want To Try It Out First

Protein is easily accessed through plant foods such as beans, seeds and grains. If you are not yet ready to take the plunge just yet, why not try out a vegan restaurant first to see if plant based protein is right for you. A great place to try is Rawlicious, a Toronto raw vegan restaurant, which provides several different smoothie options that can be fortified with Hemp Protein and SunWarrior Brown Rice Protein.

Hearing Loss up, North Americans are not protecting their ears enough

With the number of people listening to headphones way too loud, it is a wonder more teenagers are not going deaf or suffering hearing loss from listening to loud music.

Instead the biggest contributors to hearing loss is people who have very loud professions. Jobs like construction work, mining, military, plumbers, carpenters, agriculture, firefighting, or manufacturing.

* I wish I could find statistics for hearing loss for musicians.

What I can tell you is that the percentage of people who are suffering hearing loss is going up - and is predicted to keep going up.

Why?

A multitude of reasons, including:

#1. Increased ignorance of how much damage loud noises can do - people choosing to ignore the damage being done to their ears, thinking that they don't need ear protection.

#2. Inadequate ear protection. Sponge ear protectors don't protect your ears enough when using heavy machinery or firing large guns (during military training exercises). People need to be using more powerful ear protection.

#3. Louder machinery. Call it an advancement in technology if you want. Machines are getting bigger and bigger, more powerful, and likewise louder. Thus machinery that did a smaller job back in the 1950s vs bigger machinery that is faster, stronger, and LOUDER are doing more damage to people's ears.

Thus it is clear that people (and companies / governments) should be doing more to protect the ears of their employees and soldiers. It is amazing that people suffering from hearing loss are not suing the company for not providing better ear protection - and ear protection training.

FACT - One in ten North American adults suffers from mild tinnitus due to their working conditions. What is worse, that statistic goes up the closer to retirement they get. It is not their age however causing it, it is their loud working conditions destroying their hearing over decades. Thus by the time they reach 65 many people who developed mild tinnitus during their youth are suffering from major hearing loss when they reach retirement.

If you think you are suffering hearing loss due to your work conditions, try contacting an audiologist or getting a hearing test. You can even get a free hearing test if you live near Vaughan, Ontario, or similar places that offer free hearing tests. The Omni Hearing Centre in Vaughan is just one of many places in Ontario that offer free hearing tests.

Thus you have nothing to lose by getting your hearing checked by an audiologist.

And if your hearing is going down due to your work conditions, that is grounds for a class action lawsuit for all of the employees working there. If other employees get their hearing checked and they are all suffering hearing damage then it is clear the company is providing inadequate ear protection.

What would you do with $200,000 to help drug addicts in Toronto?

If you had obtained $200,000 from an Indiegogo campaign dedicated towards buying the Rob Ford crack video (which we all know exists, because even Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted to his staff that it does, he just denies that it is crack that he is smoking in the crackpipe) and had failed to get the actual video... what would you spend the $200,000 on instead?

The website Gawker raised the money weeks ago in their attempt to buy the video. But the large scale media attention caused the men who were trying to sell the video to think twice about their personal safety and the video and the men have since disappeared.

Copies of the video were made, and they may eventually get released to the public, but for now Gawker has roughly $200,000 ... and no video.

And so, as promised by their Indiegogo campaign, if they failed to obtain the video the money would go to a Toronto charity of some kind which helps people with drug addiction.

But which charity? How does one choose which charity to give $200,000 to?

I personally would try to aim for a charity which gets homeless drug addicts off the street - and into a rehab clinic.

A place like...

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
www.camh.ca
250 College St, Toronto
(416) 595-6000

There are other places and other charities, but CAMH has the best reputation of actually helping people combat their addiction.

And Rob Ford? Well... Nobody can help that guy. Everybody already knew he was on crack even before the news of the video came out. So it isn't really a surprise. And you can't really help someone who's political career is toast.

The Toronto Public Archery Range overflowing with New Archers

The Toronto Public Archery Range is overflowing with new archers in the wake of all the archery films that came out in 2011 and 2012.

A year ago you could go the archery range, also known as the Seton Park Archery Range, and on a busy day you might see 4 to 6 people there. But in the Summer of 2012 the numbers on a busy day range from 20 to even as high as 30 people there.

The range is so busy that on weekday mornings (eg. 9 AM Tuesday morning) there will be 4 to 6 archers there. What that tells you is that the sport has basically quintupled in popularity compared to a year ago.

WHY?

#1. The films: Brave, The Hunger Games, The Avengers, Hanna.

#2. TV shows: Game of Thrones, Arrow.

#3. The Olympics.

Call it a perfect storm of mass media, but archery is now the coolest sport a person can take up. It makes "paintball" and "frolf" look nerdy in comparison.

If you're interesting in getting archery lessons in Toronto check out the website Cardio Trek.

To learn more about archery in Toronto visit The Toronto Public Archery Range on Facebook.

America's Glorification of the Obese

Is it a coincidence that the history of the world's fattest people is dominated by Americans? 10 of the world's 11 fattest people were Americans.

#1. Jon Brower Minnoch, American, 1400 lbs, died at the age of 42.
#2. Manuel Uribe, Mexican, 1320 lbs, still living. (Has since lost 500 lbs and is much healthier.)
#3. Carol Yager, American, 1200 lbs, died at the age of 34.
#4. Walter Hudson, American, 1200 lbs, died at the age of 47.
#5. Rosalie Bradford, American, 1200 lbs, died at the age of 63.
#6. Michael Hebranko, American, 1100 lbs, still living.
#7. Patrick Deuel, American, 1070 lbs, still living.
#8. Robert Earl Hughes, American, 1070 lbs, died at the age of 32.
#9. Kenneth Brumley, American, 1030 lbs, , still living.
#10. Mills Darden, American, 1020 lbs, died at the age of 58.
#11. Mayra Rosales, American, 1000 lbs, , still living.

And you will also probably note half of them are dead.

The USA is also home to the World's Fattest Twins Billy and Benny McCrary, often known as the McGuire Twins, shown here on their Honda motorcycles. They weighed 720 lbs and 750 lbs. They're both dead now too.

In North America the general philosophy is that Bigger is Better. Thus when eating out Americans love eating whatever is biggest because they want to get their money's worth. And frankly who can blame them, the prices in so-called healthy restaurants are ridiculous. It makes perfect sense that people will want to get a bigger bang for their buck.

The problem is that those bigger bangs have more fat and sugar in them.

And this isn't limited to America's eating habits. Big cars, big trucks, big houses, big mortgages, big economic failures, big bailouts...

And the worse the USA becomes the more governments and health officials struggle to get obese people to recognize their problem and do something about it.

And so governments weigh options like:

#1. Increasing funding for school exercise programs.
#2. Creating a Fat Tax on fatty foods. (Although I would argue this should be a tax based on the percentage of fat in such products. eg. 10% fat = 20% tax.)
#3. Use the money raised from a Fat Tax to create Free Public Gyms, Swimming Pools and Stationary Bicycles in an effort to make it easier for Americans to exercise.
#4. Ban advertising for fatty foods on television and in magazines/newspapers (cigarettes are already banned this way).
#5. Charging parents with negligence if they feed their kids unhealthy food.

The problem with trying to enforce some ideas turns it into a civil rights issue. People talk about things like "personal responsibility" and that the government should mind their own business, but its clear that most Americans aren't that responsible when it comes to their health.

66% of Adult Americans are overweight or obese. 42% are obese and 6.3% are "extremely obese". 33% of American children are overweight or obese. (CDC / February 2012)

The exercise and diet industry in the USA is also huge, but it seems to be largely based on short-lived fads and not many real solutions.

And the sad truth is that the only real long term solution is changing your lifestyle to include a healthy diet and exercise. But that sounds like too much work for most Americans.

And why bother when so many people now glorify fat and celebrate it? Brag about it even.

Its a bit like "Look at me, I am so fat I will die before the age of 40!"

But ask yourself, do you really want to die before the age of 40? Its no wonder so many people are hiring personal trainers (even though they charge an arm and a leg) in a desperate need to lose weight by throwing money at it.

Brought to you by Cardio Trek

10 Exercise Tricks 12 New Years Resolutions 6 Minute Cardio Ab Workouts Bicycling Calorie Myths Dancing Dieting Exercise Humour Interval Training Jogging Loose Skin Mission Statement Motivating Yourself Obesity and Weight Loss Running Gear Sit Ups Tracking your Calorie Loss Whey Protein Winter Activities

What if in 20 years Canada became cancer free?

First the Facts:

#1. More Canadians are being diagnosed with liver, thyroid and kidney cancers because of factors like obesity and alcohol abuse. So more Canadians are getting cancer...

#2. 75,700 Canadians are expected to die from cancer in 2012 (according to the Canadian Cancer Society).

#3. The mortality rate is dropping! Since 1988 an estimated 100,000 lives were saved from 1988 to 2007 largely thanks to new medications and treatments.

#4. New cancer cases are increasing in tandem with an aging and growing population, but the biggest threat remains smoking-related lung cancer, which kills more than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined.

#5. Lung cancer is declining and has been since the 1980s due to a huge drop in the number of Canadians who smoke. (Either they're dying off or quitting in an effort to improve their health.)

#6. In 2009 Canadian scientists cured cancer using the drug DCA, but because there is no patent on DCA no big pharmaceutical companies are willing to mass produce it as a cancer medication (because there isn't any profit in reproducing a drug that has no patent). See the video below:



So taking in all the facts the question then becomes, if obesity keeps going up and smoking keeps going down, will medications be able to kill what ails Canadians?

Well with the DCA drug, its possible Canada could wipe out 90% of cancer and dramatically improve the lifespans of Canadians. There is a booming market for DCA on the internet, but there is also start up companies which are selling it in alternative health stores since the big pharmaceutical companies have refused to hitch their horses to an unprofitable wagon.

Canadian doctors are also recommending patients try DCA and where to purchase it. Since the drug is so cheap and easy to make it doesn't cost much to try the medication and since it has been used for other illnesses it can still be purchased in pharmacies for treatment of those illnesses.

So all you really need is a note from your family doctor for DCA and you can get it from your local pharmacy.

The cure for cancer has been sitting on pharmacy shelves for decades, but we didn't even notice it until 2009.

Canadians cure cancer???

In 2009 Canadian scientists cured cancer with an unpatented drug known as DCA... but because there is no patent nobody wants to complete the research on DCA and send it to market because it won't make pharmaceutical companies a profit.

Funny.

The clip below is from 2009. So yeah, the drug has gone nowhere. You would think people would make more of a fuss about a drug that cures cancer, but apparently if its not profitable nobody wants it.

America's Obesity Epidemic

HEALTH - In 1985 less than 9% of adult Americans were obese.

By 2010 that number has risen to 33.8% of adult Americans. You can see a slideshow map of the USA at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html which will show you how obesity in the USA has gone from 1 in 11 adults in to 1 in 3.

The silly thing is that many Americans blame genetic or health problems for their sudden weight gain. They blame diabetes or genetic conditions like Factor V Leiden.

Factor V Leiden usually effects Caucasians under the age of 45. It only effects people whose parents both had the gene, and even then only effects 1 out or 12 people who inherit the "double gene". Only 1% of the Caucasian population in the USA has the "double gene" and only 0.083% of the population is effected by it. Only 1 in 1200 people.

The end result is only approximately 167,000 people who are effected by "double gene" for Factor V Leiden.

Note: Since it is genetic there is no "cure", but there is treatment for Factor V Leiden:

Treatment of a patient with Factor V Leiden requires anticoagulation and cardiovascular exercise. This is accomplished by several different medications: 1) heparin, 2) warfarin and 3) low-molecular-weight heparins. These medications are generally used for 3-6 months. Patients under treatment should do cardiovascular exercise twice per day for approx. 30 minutes each time.

The use of long-term (over the limit of 6 months) anticoagulation has an approximately 3% risk per year of having a hemorrhage and thus patients should routinely go off the medication for 2 months at a time, but continue cardiovascular exercise treatment during that time period. The accepted method of treatment is 4 months on anticoagulation medication and 2 months on a non-sugar based placebo, repeated continuously in combination with daily cardiovascular exercise.

Ahem.

So Factor V Leiden does not explain America's obesity problem because its #1. extremely rare and #2. treatable using medication and exercise. That and other illnesses does not explain the almost 100 million Americans (children and adults) who are obese.

Diabetes is another scapegoat, but the problem is that it is "Type 2 Diabetes" that most obese people have. Type 2 Diabetes is caused by being overweight, not the other way around.

So what about the rest of the world that isn't suffering from such shockingly high rates? What are they doing so differently?

#1. The rest of the world gets more exercise. The average American exercises less than 19 minutes per day. That is the AVERAGE. Which means healthy Americans are exercising an hour or more per day.

#2. The rest of the world eats less sugar, carbohydrates and fat in their food. The average American consumes 3,790 calories per day (2002 statistic). The healthy level is 1800 to 2000 calories per day. Remember that 3,790 is the average. This means some Americans are consuming a lot more than 4,000 calories.

So America's obesity is really an issue of LIFESTYLE. They are overeating and barely exercising.

Compare this to 150 years ago when most Americans were farmers, worked outside most of the day, got lots of exercise, ate a decent meal and didn't pig out.

Today the average American spends 8.5 hours per day in front of either a computer screen or a TV screen. Assuming they spend another 8 hours sleeping, another 4 hours eating, bathing and doing household chores, 1 hour in traffic going to and from work or school, what are they doing for the other 2.5 hours?

Well since Americans only spend 19 minutes exercising I guess whatever they are doing must be more important than their health.

Why is bread so fattening? + Delicious Cornbread Recipe

HEALTH - Did you know bread is one of the most fattening things you can eat? Its high in carbohydrates, it has sugar in it and corn syrup...

Corn syrup is not part of traditional bread recipes, but you will find it in many brand name bread makers like Wonder Bread. Below is the list of main ingredients found in Wonder Bread:

Whole Wheat Flour
Water
Wheat Gluten
High Fructose Corn Syrup (basically high concentrated sugar)
Honey
Molasses
Yeast

There is also a list of minor additives that make up less than 2% of Wonder Bread.

Now with corn syrup, honey and molasses in it is it any wonder that Wonder Bread is so fattening? Its basically just flour, water and sugar.

Now for those of you who want to lose weight and still want to eat bread regularly here is a recipe for you below. The benefit of cornbread is it tastes great and the recipe provided here is significantly more healthy than store bought bread.

Low Sugar Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 cup sugar (or omit sugar entirely)
1 tsp salt
1 egg (omit egg if you're vegan)
1 cup milk or soy
3 tablespoons melted vegetable shortening
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until well mixed.

Beat egg well, add milk. Pour milk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until mixed. Add melted shortening.

Bake in a well-greased shallow pan in oven or in heated muffin tins. Well seasoned cast iron muffin tins or frying pans work well.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Expect roughly 20-25 minutes for muffins, depending upon size, and about 45 minutes for a frying pan. Baking time varies so use your own good judgment.

12 New Years Resolutions Worth Keeping for 2012

#1. Don't answer hatemail. Just delete it and don't worry about it.

#2. Explore your sexuality. You only live once.

#3. Exercise. Just in case the religious nutjobs are right and the zombies rise up in 2012. You will live longer either way.

#4. Stop worrying about the unimportant things. "Don't sweat the small stuff."

#5. Learn to say no. You are not a slave to the whims of others.

#6. Turn off your electronics at least 1 day per month. You can answer the emails later.

#7. Stop pigging out on junk food. You know its unnecessary. Do something else that gives you comfort.

#8. Pretend to be confident and you will become confident once you realize how easy it is.

#9. Stand up for others. You won't regret it.

#10. Organize your time better. Stop multitasking so much. Multitasking actually reduces productivity.

#11. Travel. Again, you only live once.

#12. Learn a new language. The next best thing to traveling.

Veganism, The New Religion

By Charles Moffat.

HEALTH/RELIGION - Veganism is more than a diet to many Vegans. Its a way of life. Its a set of moral values. Why should a religion need anything more than that?

There are other non-deistic religions in the world (non-deistic means a religion with no god). Confucianism for example believes in honouring ancestors. Shamanism and various other religions believe in a spirit world, but one without a god.

For fun some Canadians and Americans put down "Jedi" when asked their religion, so much so that some Jedi people now claim it should be acknowledged as an actual religion.

However the major problem with organized religions is that they tend to be pushy, worse than credit recovery agencies and their annoying phone calls, and they try to push their beliefs unto others by ranting on and on about how their religion is superior.

And certainly there are some Vegans out there whom do that. (And we could also say the same about some meat-eaters and omnivores always trying to convert Vegans and vegetarians back to the fold of bacon.)

I have a Vegan friend who unlike a few other Vegans I've met doesn't try to ram her lifestyle down the throats of unwilling people. She doesn't try to coerce you, doesn't fuss about all the health benefits of Veganism (unless it comes up naturally as part of the conversation), doesn't show you horribly graphic documentaries showing how cattle, lambs and horses and brutally slaughtered for food... she just treats everyone equal, bends over backwards to be nice to people and is genuine about it.

Her behaviour is such that I wish more people (not just Vegans) were more like her. Genuinely nice.

Because frankly there is nothing more annoying than a friend who is constantly trying to get you to change your beliefs, doesn't respect your beliefs, and wants you to completely change your lifestyle.

Becoming a Vegan is a daunting task. People don't do it over night. It really is like changing your religion. Its a life style change, from the clothes you wear (no wool, leather or fur), no foods or drinks that contain any kind of meat, dairy or animal byproducts... and some of them may lose friends in arguments about morality and food.

I would argue therefore that there really needs to be a set of ethics for Vegans. A sort of Ten Commandments of Veganism... and these edicts should include behavioural advice too.

The Thou Shalt Commandments of Veganism

1. Thou shalt not eat meat, dairy or animal byproducts.

2. Thou shalt not wear leather, fur, wool or animal byproducts.

3. Thou shalt not use household objects containing animal byproducts.

4. Thou shalt be respectful of other people's food habits.

5. Thou shalt be courteous and kind and non-forceful when spreading your ideas.

6. Thou shalt be helpful to people expressing an interest in Vegan lifestyle.

7. Thou shalt be equally kind to people with no interest in Vegan lifestyle.

8. Thou shalt let other people, including your own children, decide for themselves.

9. Thou shalt be understanding of other people's opinions and respectful of their decisions.

10. Thou shalt be a role-model for other Vegans and people in general.

Is that too much to ask?

I know if we replaced the word Vegan with the names of various religions (especially the ones which go door to door trying to convert people) that the above 'Thou Shalts' would be too much for some people to actually do. There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who like to force their beliefs on others, and those who simply ask to be left alone to make their own decisions.

I personally prefer to make my own decisions. If I go to the fridge and pull out cheese and bread and make a grilled cheese sandwich, its my decision. If I can respect the choices of others, why should they not respect mine?

See Also:
Veggie-Curious

Legalized suicide coming to Canada?

CANADA/HEALTH - Assisted suicide and euthanasia should be legal in Canada, concludes an expert panel in a report released today in Ottawa, adding fuel to the growing demands to legalize suicide in Canada.

The report was commissioned by the Royal Society of Canada, and the panel was made up of six Canadian and international experts in bioethics, clinical medicine, health law and policy, and philosophy.

Whether the report will spark a new, national debate on end-of-life care is the question.

The thing however is that the vast majority of people either prefer to wait for death or simply don't care enough to change the status quo. After all as long as its not them dying slowly and in horrible pain, why should the average person care?

The average person goes through high school, college or university, works for decades in some boring job, gets a mortgage, buys a house with a mortgage, car loans, credit cards, 2.2 children, and eventually dies in their 70s or thereabouts.

Thus the vast majority of people aren't exactly lining up for assisted suicide for people dying slowly in horrible pain. A torturous death, like being beaten to death with a reed switch, a rod of thumb's width or the lash.

What people would wish to do when dying a torturous death is really up to the person suffering such torment. Who amongst us can claim to have suffered such pain, without any hope of relief in sight?

Soldiers perhaps, people with injuries so dire they question their existence. Its not like accountants, Toronto mortgage brokers, real estate salesmen, production planning managers or inventory management assistants are likely to have occupational hazards that might lead to horrible painful deaths.

No, the Grim Reaper's icy grip is random and slow sometimes. It can strike any, but does so rarely. Usually death is reasonably quick, like a tax man stealing money from your pay-cheque. Its happened before you even realize it.

The Royal Society of Canada report also makes a number of recommendations related to end-of-life care, but the most important thing in the report is the proposal that the Criminal Code of Canada be amended to permit euthanasia and assisted suicide.

The panel should be decriminalized for "competent individuals who make a free and informed decision that their life is no longer worth living."

The panel calls for a "permissive yet carefully regulated and monitored system" for assisted death, and says it carefully considered Canadian values, international evidence, and legal and ethical arguments to reach that conclusion.

"The evidence does not support claims that decriminalizing voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide poses a threat to vulnerable people, or that decriminalization will lead us down a slippery slope from assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia to non-voluntary or involuntary euthanasia," the report says. "The evidence does not support claims that decriminalization will have a corrosive effect on access to or the development of palliative care."

The report was released at a press conference a day after a major legal challenge in British Columbia on assisted suicide began in the province's Supreme Court.

So there is a fire in the courts, and now there is extra fuel.

If the court cases eventually reach the Supreme Court of Canada it can overturn the Criminal Code of Canada if the Supreme Court makes a ruling in favour of euthanasia.

If euthanasia was allowed by the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian parliament would have no choice but to debate the merits of letting people make their own decision.

Exercise Addiction and Other Things

HEALTH - There are many bad things one could be addicted to that are bad for your health. ie. Cocaine, crack, heroin, smoking cigarettes.

In contrast caffeine and chocolate are so comparatively minor that most people don't consider them addictions. A coke habit (Coca-Cola) certainly is better than a cocaine habit.

Anything in too much abundance to the point of addiction can be a cause for trouble, both physically and mentally.

Addictions come in many ways. A myriad different addictions for each of the Seven Deadly Sins.

1. Lust - sex addiction or fetishes.
2. Gluttony - food addiction.
3. Greed - gambling addiction. ie. internet gambling websites.
4. Sloth / Acedia - addiction to laziness or neglect. ie. procrastination.
5. Wrath - rageaholicism.
6. Envy - collection / hoarding in an attempt to outdo another.
7. Pride / Vanity - addiction to the attention of others.

But what about an addiction that is good for you? Such as an addiction to eating healthy foods?

Or how about exercising?

Truth be told even running can cause negative physical and psychological effects on a person. Runners are the most vulnerable to exercise addiction because it releases endorphins and beta-endorphins (a powerful painkiller), adrenaline and other hormones. This cocktail of chemicals ends up acting like heroin on the brain, creating a powerful addiction that many marathon runners are prone to.

Ironically there is plenty of heroin addiction treatment programs, but not many professional programs to treat exercise addiction. It can be rather difficult to determine when someone is an addict. The best route is to actually measure what they are doing and then compare to confirmed addicts.

ie. If you're running 100 km / week, you're an addict. Some exercise addicts are known to run 6 or 7 days a week, anywhere from 100 km to 150 km. They're so addicted they would rather run than spend time with friends or family. They even run when they go on vacation.

The Symptoms of Exercise Addiction

1. Insomnia and/or restlessness. All the extra chemicals being released is interfering with their ability to sleep or rest.

2. They exercise even when sick or injured.

3. They avoid family and / or friends to go exercising.

4. Anxiety, irritability, and depression.

5. Often the addict has some psychological problem from their youth that has scarred them mentally. A parent or relative who mocked their weight, being tormented by children at school, etc.

6. Denial. Exercise addicts will never admit what they are doing is "abnormal". Instead they pride themselves on being very athletic.

7. Low self esteem / an obsession with perfection.

How do you know if you are an Addict?

Have you missed important social obligations and family events?

Have you given up other interests, including time with friends?

Have you missed a workout and it makes you irritable and depressed?

Do you only feel content when exercising or after exercising?

Do you like exercise better than sex, good food or a movie?

Do you work out even when sick, injured, or exhausted?

Do you exercise more if you find extra time?

Has family or friends told you that you exercise too much?

Do you have a history of anxiety or depression?

Moderation Key to a Long Healthy Life

HEALTH - When you live a balanced life style it can make huge differences in the quality of life and overall happiness.

#1. Moderation and balance. Both metaphorically and physically. You need to balance yourself mentally and emotionally (some might say spiritually) and also keep your balance in a literal sense. ie. Practice walking on top of things in straight lines like teenagers do to show off. If you practice good balance it hones various muscle groups which help keep you younger.

#2. Don't over stress yourself. Stress effects adrenalin and cortisol levels which you want to keep at moderate levels. If your work is too stressful it will be causing havoc with your health, decreasing your ability to work properly, sleep properly, eat properly and your health will deteriorate in a high stress job. (ie. Rob Ford has lost a lot of hair in the first 9 months of being mayor of Toronto, and he is pretty unhealthy to begin with.)

#3. Follow the BE SAFE program — Balance, Endurance, Strength And Flexibility Exercises. In general this means cycling, running, swimming, weightlifting and yoga. And various other activities just to make it more fun. ie. Archery.

#4. Don't smoke and avoid over-consumption of alcohol. A bit of red wine is actually good for you. Avoid environmental factors that are bad for you. ie. Noxious fumes and chemicals, food that is burnt / carcinogenic.

#5. The older you get the more you need to exercise. That includes WEIGHTLIFTING and keeping your balance.

#6. Decrease the intake of fatty, sugary, toxin filled foods and eat more healthy choices. Your body (and your sex drive) will thank you for it.

#7. Stay active. Don't let your body go to waste. Take up activities which cost nothing but give you both enjoyment and exercise.

Which would you rather be? A broken down person in a wheel chair complaining about the nurses who won't change your diaper? Or the old fogey at the gym lifting 200+ lbs at the age of 90?

See Also: Anti Aging Techniques

Spermless Mosquitoes???

HEALTH - According to a team of British scientists releasing genetically modified, spermless male mosquitoes into the wild could help to prevent malaria transmission and reduce the chances of large outbreaks of the killer disease.

Researchers from Imperial College London have sterilized male mosquitoes by genetically modifying them to neutralize a gene required for sperm production.

Their study determined that female mosquitoes cannot tell if the males they mate with are fertile, or spermless and therefore unable to fertilise the females’ eggs.

The researchers say it might be possible to control the size of the malaria-carrying mosquito population by introducing a genetic change that makes males more sterile. Over time female mosquitoes would then unknowingly mate with the modified males and produce less offspring.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that kills nearly 800,000 people every year. Its threat is greatest in Africa, where one child dies of malaria every 45 seconds.

Health experts and scientists are working towards the global eradication of malaria, but progress is slow and there is a constant need for better and cheaper ways to get there.

Genetically controlling the population is one possibility.

For these currently theoretical control ideas to work in practice, scientists first have to establish whether the insects would continue to mate as normal, unaware that they've lost the ability to reproduce.

After mating for the first and only time in her life, the female mosquito then eats a meal of blood, and lays a batch of eggs. This pattern is the same regardless of whether the eggs are properly fertilised.

In theory another route would be to genetically modify female mosquitoes so they produce less eggs.

However this idea may only have a small impact on mosquito populations. What is really needed is a way to kill large numbers of mosquitoes, but without harming insects like bees which are needed for pollination.

Giant blue electric bug zappers?

ie. California's fruit industry uses large commercial bug zappers. They emit an ultraviolet light which attracts insects and then zaps them with electricity.

However the problem is that bug zappers don't attract female mosquitoes (the only mosquitoes which bite). Thus they're useless for stopping mosquitoes and malaria.

What might work however is a blood-like substance laced with a toxin which female mosquitoes would find attractive, try to injest and then die from the toxin. Essentially it would be like rat poison and be left out to attract and kill female mosquitoes.

Scientists would need to determine what combination of iron, water and other elements mixed together best attract mosquitoes, determine what dosage of the toxin best kills mosquitoes and then test it on a larger scale.

The Practical Vegetarian Diet

HEALTH - Some of you may have heard about the health benefits of being vegetarian or vegan.

And there is a tonne of health benefits (and sexual perks) for those people who choose to go vegetarian or vegan. (There is also fruitarians, but those people are just plain crazy and suffer from a chemical imbalance.)

Vegans typically have less health problems, less headaches, less cancer, more energy and more sexual libido.




However for a a variety of practical reasons the vast majority of people are omnivores because...

#1. Eating omnivorously is more convenient. You don't have to be constantly checking labels to see if there is any animal biproducts in the food you are buying.

#2. Eating omnivorously can be cheaper (but isn't always). Especially compared to people who only buy "organic" fruits and vegetables which have been genetically modified. Organic is really a misnomer... what it means is its "pesticide free", but what they don't tell you is that they use other methods to kill insects... namely toxins in genetically modified plants which poison / deter the insects. However if you're not worried about buying foods that are organic (or grow your own vegetables) then going vegan is actually cheaper...

#3. Eating omnivorously is less stressful. You don't have to worry about vegan alternatives, where to eat, what to eat, who you are eating with, etc.

#4. Because their family / children / friends are omnivores and this creates problems for people socially.

#5. Because they're hopelessly addicted to bacon. (Okay, that is not a practical reason, but you get my point.)

Basically the majority of people can't deal with going Vegan because it just feels like too many rules, too stressful and not practical for their daily lives.

However there is a more practical approach to going vegan or vegetarian... I am not certain what to call this diet... its sort of a "Half Veg Diet"... or a "Veg-Curious Diet". Whatever you want to call it...

The Rules of the Half Veg / Veg Curious Diet

#1. The rules of this diet are really more like "guidelines". You can pick and choose which ones you want to follow. All the rules are OPTIONAL and can be modified as you see fit.

#2. You can make up and add your own rules. Whatever you find convenient or practical for you.

#3. Don't bother buying meat that often. ie. Only buy meat when its on sale.

#4. Avoid eating meat unless its offered to you. ie. You're at a friend's place and they offer you a burger.

#5. Avoid buying dairy or eggs (or other things you know to be non-Vegan) unless you actually need it. ie. You need milk for your cereal.

#6. Try to balance your diet towards more veggies / fruits / berries / grains and less meat/dairy products.

The end goal here is to do several things:

#1. Save money by buying meat less often and/or only eating meat when its either on sale or given to you for free.

#2. Still be an omnivore socially and still be able to enjoy the foods you love. (A bit like someone who only smokes when someone offers them a cigarette.)

#3. Not turn into one of those preachy people who look down on others for being an omnivore. (Not all Vegetarians or Vegans are like that, but there are a few preachy people out there who give the whole movement a bad rep.)

In theory the principles of this diet can also be applied to general dieting with respect to fatty / sugary foods... ie. Only buying fattening or sugary things when they're on sale and/or only eating such foods when they're offered to you and therefore are a treat.

The ultimate goal of the Half Veg / Veg Curious Diet is that you get to enjoy some of the health benefits of being a Vegan, but without going all the way. It also makes a good stepping stone for if you later decide to become a hardcore vegan.

If you do eventually decide to go the hardcore vegan route, you will likely want to learn more about veganism in general. I recommend the blog Beautiful Vegan for further reading. I also recommend the eBook Conscious Evolution available at the author's website or via Lulu.com.

Inder Singh: The One Man Malaria Fighting Machine

HEALTH - Malaria is a crippling disease in part of the world. But there are people like Inder Singh who are working to stop it.

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease and is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Americas. Each year, there are more than 225 million cases of malaria, killing around 781,000 people each year according to the WHO (World Health Organisation) 2010 report.

The majority of deaths are of young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

And the silly thing is that it is a largely preventable disease. There are pesticides for killing the mosquitoes, nets for protecting people while they sleep (most victims are bitten at night while they sleep) and a variety of anti-malaria vaccines.

In steps Inder Singh, one of many people trying to put a stop to the scourge of malaria. Singh is helping 69 developing countries gain access to anti-malaria drugs. The 34 year old man from India.

One of the things he has done is make deals with companies in India and China to make anti-malaria medications at a rate 30% cheaper than other companies... it is unfortunate that many of the pharmaceutical companies that research new anti-malaria medications do so purely for profit, thus finding companies willing to make medications for less profit can be the difference between saving the lives of more people. (Simple math might suggest 30% more people get saved, but the reality is that its a much larger percentage.)

He's also pushed placing a cap on prices, so pharmaceutical companies can't charge outrageous prices.

Thanks to Inder Singh in 2009 12 million people who would have been denied anti-malaria medication got it. That many people means he saved approx. 40,000 lives from dying of malaria.

Really what he is doing is bringing business savvy to a charitable cause... where previously good meaning people with little knowledge of how to best save people were doing what they could, now someone who can actually crunch the numbers and go to the companies with business proposals which will allow them to still make profits, but sell a lot more medications.

Think of it this way...

Option A: Sell 10 kg of pills for $150 / kg = $1,500.

Option B: Sell 50 kg of pills for $100 / kg = $5,000.

Option C: Sell 1000 kg of pills for $50 / kg = $50,000.

It doesn't take a genius to realize that there is way more profit to be made going for Option C. Mass production and more affordability = More people who can buy the medications and more profits.

Inder Singh also uses his business know-how on fund raising ventures and speaks publicly on how people can use their skills to help others.

British scientists discover new way to heal heart tissue

HEALTH - For decades scientists and doctors have thought damage to the human heart was irreparable, beyond repairing. Minor damage to the heart would heal over time but major damage to the heart was considered absolutely permanent.

British scientists however are now reporting the discovery of a protein molecule that helps regenerate heart tissue, including damage once thought to be permanent.

Dr Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, spoke at a press conference 2 days ago to reveal that while the heart has no capacity to heal itself, the protein they discovered can fix the heart... as a metaphor it is similar to a team of mechanics fixing a car.

"We have always believed that, but this research suggests that this is not the case. We think we have discovered a natural process that brings about repair of the heart. Until now, this has been science fiction. We are trying to understand what the triggers are for this process. The cells that are capable of this healing are already there in the epicardium. They just need to be tweaked and primed and the effect scaled up. If this works, we might be able to heal cardiac injury caused by heart attacks without resorting to stem cells."

Epicardial cells become cardiomyocytes, so says the research published online June 8th, 2011 in Nature. The team of scientists decided to investigate progenitor cells from the epicardium, as it is these cells in the embryo that become cardiomyocytes. "During pregnancy, these cells contribute to heart muscle and coronary blood vessels. In the adult, these cells sit in a dormant state. We think there is a possibility that these cells might be able to be activated to switch on the embryonic gene that causes them to make new myocardial cells."

In the lab the researchers restored the embryonic potential of these cells in mice by treating them with a peptide molecule called thymosin 4. When damage to the heart occurred, a booster dose of T4 was given. After treatment with T4, the epicardial progenitor cells transformed into new cardiomyocytes and integrated with existing healthy muscle... thus healing the damaged tissue.

"After treatment, the cells home to the site of injury and can couple and contract in the same way as normal cardiac myocytes, so structurally and functionally they represent a bone fide source of new heart-muscle cells."

The cells also reduced scarring, remodeling and showed a 25% improvement in ejection fraction. The researchers are now testing T4 in human cells to see if they can replicate these results.

"But even if we could achieve a 10% improvement, that would make a major difference to quality of life," says Weissberg.

If you like heart / cardiology related news check out theheart.org.

Yoga Lifestyle Festival in Toronto

CANADA/RELIGION - How can one maintain sanity in a world overloaded with consumerism? Let alone with wars, corruption and crime?

Starting today, Monday Jun 6th, Vaisesika Dasa, a renowned Bhakti Yoga monk, will share with Torontonians the art of yoga for body and self control.

People interested can RSVP at urbanedgeyoga.com

Coming up is a Yoga Lifestyle Festival, a ten day "spiritual adventure", the Annual Yoga Festival - InSpirit from June 16th to 26th. Go and hear from Monks like Devamrita Swami and Badahari Das who have been practicing Bhakti Yoga for over 40 years, inspiring people and sharing their experiences. Enjoy "soul stirring" musical meditations, insightful presentations and delicious Vegan cuisines.

The titles of some of the individual presentations/discussions are quite amusing...

16^th: Reincarnation – Womb after Womb, Fact or Fiction?
17^th: The Gita Unpacked - Crucial Wisdom for the Urban Mystic
18^th: Why Life and Death – The story of Karma
20^th: Longing for Love in the Land of Dreams
21^st: Intelligent Life on Earth and Other Planets? What the Yoga Texts Say
23^rd: The Vegan Revolution and Beyond – Consciousness Cooking
24^th-26^th: Bhakti retreat

See Also
Yoga
Yoga Tips for Beginners
The History and Benefits of Yoga
Jock Yoga