The story of stuff

This is one of Neal's findings, a friendly video about our unsustainable patterns of consumption. Yes, you have heard it all before. But this is a very didactic account, easy to understand and not just over-simplified or complicated green propaganda.

Video

Integration through music

L'Orchestra di Piazza Vitorio started as a way of integrating immigrants of different origins into their small neighbourhood in Rome. It was one mighty project to find professional musicians, who in their host country were disguised as cooks, rubbish collectors or street vendors.

After struggles to receive visas, securing funding, finding a place to rehearse and through much determination, in the end instruments, rythms and lyrics from the four corners of the world, come together in vibrant pieces of music.

This orchestra's story is touching and inspiring. Watch it if you have the chance.



Their website
My favourite song

Water - bottled or from the tap?

Mineral water is taken from the springs, at re-birth. But the expert reassures me. The water that we get at home from our taps, is not only perfectly safe to drink, it also has a good balance of the minerals our bodies need.

Water purification processes are well advanced in this part of the world. In lucky mountainous countries, the water only needs bit of chlorine to make sure there are no impurities left. In countries crossed by rivers at the end of their course, after visiting factories, nuclear plants, farms, crops and abattoirs, the treatment includes more chemicals (ozone and oxigen) and filtration through sand and activated carbon. All the contamination is removed: pesticides, traces of medicines, hormones from the anti-contraceptive pill... By the time water arrives at our taps it is pristine. But this does not mean that is stays this way in the rivers, before and after the water purification plant!

Some bits of advice,

- If you prefer to drink mineral water, change brands every so often. Each one has a different composition of minerals and by drinking different waters there will be no deficiencies.

- Think of all the plastic bottles you are using and buy glass ones instead. Be careful of reusing plastic bottles too many times. When plastic is exposed to sunlight (wether on your desk or earlier on its way to the warehouse) it leaches some of its chemicals into the water you will drink. With glass you are safe

- Some companies are bottling tap water and selling it as mineral water. EVIAN-NAIVE, it makes you wander. :o)

- The water companies are only responsible for the water they provide, up to your counter. If you live in an old house, you should check your water pipes are not still old lead-pipes, that you could be drinking.

Cheers!

Grass doesn't grow quicker if you pull at it

Exercise and development: Humans grow from infants to adults in the same way that a tree grows from a seedling. Only humans are in a hurry, for some reason.

Here are some points that have recently helped me re-understand why one should do training, reconfirmed its benefits and reassured me about progression and development in sport and other things in life. From Dan Millman's Body Mind Mastery:

• development follows demand. Without demand, no development.
• progression should be natural. All living things thrive in natural moderations and balance. This also applies to the mind and body
• Exercise should be performed near the top of the 'comfort zone' but not over. Constant over-exursion in training results in extreme exhaustion, fatigue and injury. Ultimately, in burn-out. Stretch the comfort zone with small increments. Improvement is slower but lasts longer.
• Don't get too over-obsessed or sidetracked by the goals and time deadlines. Some goals are important - but time deadlines are arbitrary. Also, remember why you are doing the sport in the first place.
• Stress happens when the mind resits what is. Don't try. Don't try to do things (causes tension in muscles) or try to resit things that happen to you. Secret of efficiency = maximum activity during maximum relaxation.

Milk

I was once reading an article about milk. It said that some tribes in Africa (the massai tribes) drink lots and lots of milk and have the lowest rate of heart disease among human beings. It sounds very convincing that milk must be "good for you". But I have since read that the article forgot to mention that the milk is first fermented with cowshit and then cow's blood. Also the masaai's average life span is 46 years. No wonder they dont get heart problems from cholestral. The article was also fermented with cowshit. Here's some food for thought that I got in a newsletter from a nutritionist (is that right?)

Did you know that:

• Milk is high in fat and cholesterol.
• The hormones and antibiotics fed to dairy cows to increase milk production end up in the milk which is sold and drunk by the consumer.
• Calcium in dairy products is not absorbed into the body as easily as that found in many plant foods like dark green leafy vegetables.
• Though dairy products are rich in calcium, the high protein content is acid yielding and results in calcium being leached out of the body. This is why people with calcium deficiency keep taking supplements despite taking plenty of milk.
• Osteoporosis occurs most commonly in countries where the most milk is consumed. Studies have concluded that exercise and a diet rich in vegetables ensures strong bones and not dairy foods.
• Diets rich in dairy products are associated with an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, constipation, indigestion, arthritis, asthma, acne, allergies, depression and iron deficiency.
• Cow’s milk is not a natural food for humans: many people are lactose intolerant or are affected by cow’s milk allergies.
• Every mammal produces milk only for its young and the protein and other nutrient contents are suitable for that animal’s growth only. Since we grow at a slower rate than calves, cow’s milk is not suitable. Even a calf does not drink its mother’s milk once its weaned, so why should we?
• Cow's milk has higher pesticide levels than most fruits and vegetables since cows feed on a high quantity of plants which are already contaminated with pesticides.

Of course, you have to read up on this and verify this for yourselves. You can start here: http://sharan-india.org/newsletter/SharanNewsletterNovember2008.html