7 Ways We've Failed Miserably at Trying to Outsmart Nature

7 Ways We’ve Failed Miserably at Trying to Outsmart Nature

Vin Miller, October 21st, 2009

With our high level of intelligence and the vast amount of technological innovation that we enjoy today, it’s ironic that excellent health is so elusive to so many people. Without any of the modern technology that we rely on today, our primitive ancestors were able to enjoy exceptional health and rarely encountered the many chronic and debilitating conditions that are so common today. These people had an intimate knowledge of nature and a tremendous appreciation for it which is something that we’ve lost without reliance on technology.
While our primitive ancestors were forced to live in agreement with nature, we seem to do everything we can to outsmart it, and we almost always fail. The following are some of the more notable and devastating mistakes that we’re still making.

1. We’ve Lost Our Inherent Ability to Choose Healthy Food
Even the planet’s most simplistic and unintelligent creatures are able to select appropriate foods to support their health. Despite being the most intelligent form of life on earth, many of us have lost this inherent ability and are literally killing ourselves with our food choices. Perhaps we’re too smart for our own good.
Healthy eating really doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply choose the whole foods provided to us by nature. Sure, there’s more to a healthy diet than simply eating whole foods, but this principle alone is in my opinion more important than any other and will resolve many of the diet related health issues that are so prevalent today.

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Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review

Image via WikipediaHealth Care Policy and Marketplace Review

The Democrats Had Better Hope the Supreme Court Overturns the Individual Mandate Before the Middle Class Understands How Bad It Is For Them

This post first appeared as a column at Kaiser Health News


Is The Individual Mandate Really A Lynchpin In The New Health Law?


If the Supreme Court does rule the individual mandate unconstitutional will it really bring down the whole law?


I don't see it.


First, the individual mandate isn't even close to what it has been made to be -- a provision that would protect the integrity of the health insurance market by forcing people to buy health insurance before they became sick. At best, it's a tepid attempt at that.


The individual mandate's fine for not buying coverage is 1 percent of family income or $95 for each family member not covered, whichever is greater in 2014; 2 percent of income or $325 per family member, whichever is greater in 2015; and $695 or 2.5 percent of income or whichever is greater in subsequent years (kids are half price!).


These are meaningful fines for not buying insurance, but only a fraction of what a consumer would pay for health insurance.

No, This Is Why You're Fat! : TreeHugger

Image via WikipediaNo, This Is Why You're Fat! : TreeHugger

PCRM
In a classic case of contradictory government policy the above pyramids clearly show the inverse relationship between federal government agriculture subsidies and federal nutrition recommendations. Originally published in 2007 by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) in Good Medicine Magazine to outline the committee's concern about the impending farm bill. The graphic recently resurfaced in food security circles and found its way to the Economix Blog @ The New York Times.
Click through for why this is important and some more nifty graphs that help explain the obesity epidemic.

The original PCRM article explains the regulatory discrepancy that results in an obese nation.

The Farm Bill...governs what children are fed in schools and what food assistance programs can distribute to recipients. The bill provides billions of dollars in subsidies, much of which goes to huge agribusinesses producing feed crops, such as corn and soy, which are then fed to animals. By funding these crops, the government supports the production of meat and dairy products--the same products that contribute to our growing rates of obesity and chronic disease. Fruit and vegetable farmers, on the other hand, receive less than 1 percent of government subsidies.
The government also purchases surplus foods like cheese, milk, pork, and beef for distribution to food assistance programs--including school lunches. The government is not required to purchase nutritious foods.

(Despite an early pledge to cut big ag subsidies Obama caved to the power of the industry and reversed this plan.)
A quick look through Economix came up with a couple more telling charts. This first one shows "the relationship between time the average person in a given country spends eating and that country's obesity rate." (Lloyd told us about this chart last year.)

Catherine Rampell @ Economix
And then there's this one, that shows how the price of fruits and vegetables has increased over the past 30 years while everything else, including meat, beer, and especially soda has decreased.

David Leonhardt @ Economix
Leonhardt goes on to say:

...the average 18-year-old today is 15 pounds heavier than the average 18 year-old in the late 1970s. Adults have put on even more weight during that period. The average woman in her 60s is 20 pounds heavier than the average 60-something woman in the late 1970s. The average man in his 60s is 25 pounds heavier. When you look at the chart, you start to understand why.

Now, imagine what those charts would look like if mixed fruit and vegetable farms were subsidized at the same rates as meat and dairy operations.

RECIPE INDEX

Image by kimberlykv via FlickrRECIPE INDEX

BREAKFAST
Asparagus, Mushroom and Parmesan Frittata*
Baked Eggs in a Big Dish*
Breakfast Burritos with Beans, Cheddar, and Salsa*
Breakfast Couscous Custard with Peaches*
Brunch Clafouti*
Carrot Top Scramble*
Chorizo and Potato Frittata
Crustless Spinach Quiche*
Egg McMuffins
English Muffin Strata with Ham and Cheese
Gingersnap Oatmeal**
Hard-boiled Eggs*
Light Buttermilk Pancakes*
Maple Morning Polenta*
Moroccan Beet Green Omelette*
Orange Yogurt*
Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal*
Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg & Parmesan*
Roasted Red Pepper, Artichoke, Olive and Parmesan Frittata*
Scrumptious Scramble*
Sweet Crespelles*
Tofu Veggie Scramble**
Turkey Breakfast Sausage
Whirlpool-style Poached Eggs*
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes*

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Top Migraine Triggers - Headache and Migraine Center - EverydayHealth.com

Image via WikipediaTop Migraine Triggers - Headache and Migraine Center - EverydayHealth.com

Top Migraine Triggers

Try to head off your next migraine.

By Michele Bloomquist

Medically reviewed by Holly G. Atkinson, MD

Migraines may appear to strike out of the blue, but there are actually many known triggers that cause these debilitating headaches. If you can identify your migraine triggers, you may also be able to avoid them, or at least reduce their severity. Some triggers come in the form of food and drinks that you can cut down on or eliminate from your diet; others, such as a change in season or barometric pressure, are unavoidable.

Pay attention to what you eat and drink, what's going on in your environment and daily life, and how you feel each day. Soon, you may begin to see a connection between your headaches and one or more of the most common triggers.

Migraine Triggers

Alcohol: Drinking alcoholic beverages, especially red wine and beer, can lead to migraines. If you don't want to avoid alcohol altogether, vodka, scotch, and Riesling wine seem to be the safest choices, but you should limit yourself to no more than two drinks in one day, if you are a man, and one drink a day if you're a woman.

Caffeine: An increase or decrease in the usual amount of caffeine you consume per day can lead to a migraine. Aim to have no more than two caffeinated beverages each day.

Environmental Influences: Changes in season, weather, altitude, and the barometric pressure can trigger migraines. While there is little you can do to control these factors, you can anticipate them and take as many other steps as possible to avoid a migraine.

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Migraines

Image via Wikipedia

food triggers

One, two, or all of these foods can trigger a migraine so it's important to identify the ones to which you are specifically sensitive. Because many of these can be an ingredient in a food product, read labels.

Common food triggers includes:
Aged cheeses, bananas, figs, raisins, beer, wine, hard liquor, red wine, dairy products (ice cream/milk/yogurt, cheese, Sour cream), fermented and pickled products, citrus fruits, papaya, passion fruit, red plums, seasoned salt, soy sauce, MSG, avocadoes, chocolate, lentils, nuts, peanuts and peanut butter, onions, pea pods, lima bean pods, nitrite containing meats and processed meats, saccharin/aspartame (diet sodas), sulfites in shrimp and processed potatoes, yeast containing products (donuts, breads).

Read More http://www.ivillage.com/dealing-10-common-migraine-triggers/4-b-108845#ixzz19bsl9a65
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The 29 Healthiest Foods on the Planet | Belly Bytes

Image by @10 via FlickrThe 29 Healthiest Foods on the Planet | Belly Bytes

The following is a "healthy food hot list" consisting of the 29 food that will give you the biggest nutritional bang for you caloric buck, as well as decrease your risk for deadly illnesses like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Along with each description is a suggestion as to how to incorporate these power-foods into your diet. If you're searching for more tips on healthier living, take a direct approach to your health and wellness by customizing your individual health insurance needs.

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