In Somalia, the first shipment of food was delivered Wednesday to Mogadishu, the first shipment since the official declaration of a famine just over a week ago. But the U.N. said it cannot get aid to more than two million people who are unable to flee the country’s south – territories controlled by rebels linked to al Qaeda and where some of the most desperate can be found.
Many of the refugees find their way to the Dadaab camp in Kenya, the world’s largest refugee camp, housing some 380,000 people – nearly four times its intended capacity. Close to 11 million children and families are suffering from the effects of the worst drought in 60 years. Thousands are fleeing Somalia on foot, leaving behind a nation plagued by malnutrition, disease and poverty.
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An unfortunate mix of drought, failed harvests and rising food prices have brought severe food shortages to the east and the Horn of Africa. The severe food crisis is already affecting around 10 million people in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. Rains have failed over two seasons, with a strong La Niña event having a dramatic impact across the east coast of Africa. Now that this year’s wet season has officially ended, there is little prospect of rain or relief before September.
Charities have launched the biggest ever campaigns to tackle what they call a ‘creeping disaster’ in Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia. For Somali refugees arriving in neighbouring Ethiopia, rates of severe malnutrition are as high as 23%, according to Oxfam. A 4% incidence normally constitutes an emergency.
Up to 1,000 Somalis a day are also streaming across the Kenyan border to Dadaab, already the largest refugee settlement in the world, with 367,000 residents. Some 2.5 million people require food aid in Somalia, but access is tough, particularly in the south, where an Islamist insurgency has made it nearly impossible, for aid groups to operate. To the west, in Ethiopia, 3.2 million people require humanitarian assistance. Pastoralist communities there have seen 80% of their livestock die in some places, according to Oxfam, with the lost income making it extremely difficult for people to buy food.
In Uganda 600,000 people need assistance, and in Djibouti 120,000. But the greatest number of people in need, 3.5 million, are in Kenya’s arid northern regions, whose marginalisation by the government has magnified the effects of the increasingly frequent droughts. In Turkana malnutrition rates are more than twice the emergency level.
“High food prices, fluctuating rainfall, a rising population and ever dwindling natural resources have created the perfect storm,” said Leigh Daynes, director of communications for Plan, in the UK.
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The Super 6 are the best medicine we have for preventing cancer and other chronic disease, and all are good for health anyway. The only real potential side effect of their use to prevent cancer is that you might also get healthier in ways you didn’t intend.
Regular physical activity is associated with weight control, reduced inflammation, enhanced immune function and reduced cancer risk specifically. Optimal diet exerts far-ranging effects on every aspect of physiology, and similarly stands to reduce the risk of all chronic disease. Combine eating well and being active with a commitment to never hold a cigarette, and the risk of all chronic disease declines by roughly 80 percent.
The list of health promotion priorities very reasonably extends to three more. The quality and quantity of sleep has profound effects on psychology, immunology and neurology. A linkage to cancer risk is suggested by a rudimentary connection of these dots. Much the same is true of stress, which can contribute to hormonal imbalances and inflammation that propagate cancer — or can be managed to prevent such effects.
And, finally, there is love. We are, from our earliest origins, social creatures much influenced by our relationships with others. While love may seem a “warm and fuzzy” topic, it is in fact the cold, hard scrutiny of clinical trials demonstrating that those with loving relationships are far less vulnerable to chronic disease and death than those without.
Combine all six salutary practices, and the evidence is clear that benefits reverberate all the way to our chromosomes, altering the behavior of genes in a way apt to reduce chronic disease risk in general, and cancer risk specifically.
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In a ranking of 20 diets by U.S. News & World Report, the magazine concluded the DASH diet was best overall. The magazine’s panel of nutrition experts chose Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension for, among other things, being nutritious, easy to follow and protecting against heart disease and perhaps diabetes.
DASH is chock-full of the fruits, vegetables, high-fiber and high-protein foods that well-publicized weight-loss plans hold in high esteem.
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Your breast-milk is always going to be top-notch for your baby; but a poor diet may zap energy at a time in your life when energy is already something that is hard to come by. Below are a few tips for maintaining a healthy diet while breastfeeding:

• Eat when you are hungry and drink when you are thirsty – This isn’t as easy as it sounds with a new baby.
• Keep water by your nursing spot – If you tend to always sit down to nurse in the same spot during the day, keep a water bottle(and snacks) within arms reach. Nothing brings on thirst quite like nursing a new baby.
• Stick to snacks you can eat with one hand – Stock up on one-handed snacks such as apples, carrot sticks, cheese cubes, and fruit/nut bars. See if your partner can make you an easy-to-grab sandwich before they leave for work in the morning.
• Make a double batch! – When making dinner, always make a double batch so that you have lunch for the next day.
• Eat small meals – Try eating several small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones.
• Keep snacks by the bed – Keep easy to eat snacks, such as granola bars, within arms reach of your bed. Hunger strikes at all hours during those early months. Don’t forget your water bottle!
• Ignore the rules – If you want to have an omelet for lunch, go for it! Same thing goes with having leftover meatloaf for breakfast.

 
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U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled a new food icon as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. MyPlate is designed to encourage us to build a healthier plate at meal time. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups. It is an easy-to-understand visual cue that helps consumers adopt healthy eating habits.
The Guidelines messages include:
Balance Calories
• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
Foods to Increase
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains
Foods to Reduce
• Compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
Coupled with these tested, actionable messages will be the “how-tos” for consumer behavior change. A multi-year campaign calendar will focus on one action-prompting message at a time starting with “Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables.”
“What we have learned over the years is that consumers are bombarded by so many nutrition messages that it makes it difficult to focus on changes that are necessary to improve their diet,” said Secretary Vilsack. “This new campaign calendar will help unify the public and private sectors to coordinate efforts and highlight one desired change for consumers at a time.”
As part of this new initiative, USDA wants to see how consumers are putting MyPlate in to action by encouraging consumers to take a photo of their plates and share on Twitter with the hash-tag #MyPlate.

Nutrition, Health and Consumer Advocates Applaud the Launch of the New MyPlate Icon

Nancy Chapman, Executive Director, Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA)
“Now more than ever the 2010 Dietary Guidelines are relevant for all Americans, regardless of age, cultural preferences, or dietary needs. By creating the new food icon, USDA helps all adults and children understand what a healthy plate should look like when they sit down at the dinner table. SANA applauds the Administration for taking another huge step with this practical guidance.”
Ginny Ehrlich, CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
“In order to reverse the trend of childhood obesity in the U.S., both parents and kids need accurate, easy to understand information about what constitutes a healthy diet. First Lady Obama has done an excellent job helping parents and kids understand the importance of eating right and staying active, but many Americans still need help understanding how to plan healthy meals. We are pleased that the USDA has seized the opportunity to help consumers better understand the basics of good nutrition and hope that this new icon helps parents make healthier choices for their families.”
Wayne T. Gattinella, CEO and President of WebMD
“WebMD fully supports the USDA’s new initiatives to encourage healthy food choices for consumers. As an organization founded on the philosophy of empowering consumers with clear, actionable health information, WebMD will leverage its reach to over 90 million consumers to educate them on the USDA’s new nutrition icon and guidelines.”
James H. Hodges, President, American Meat Institute Foundation
“We are pleased that the new food icon unveiled today, just as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, affirms in a clear and simple fashion that protein is a critical component of a balanced, healthy diet. Lean meat and poultry products are some the most nutrient rich foods available, are excellent sources of complete protein, iron and zinc and maintain an excellent nutrition per calorie ratio. AMI will continue to voice support for the premise that a well-balanced diet, proper portion sizes and exercise are keys to overall good health and wellness.”
Ric Jurgens, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Hy-Vee, Inc.
“As a company committed to making peoples’ lives easier, healthier and happier, we applaud the USDA and the Let’s Move! initiative for taking this important step forward in nutrition education. We will do all we can to support the icon’s success.”
Barbara Byrd Keenan, Executive Vice President for the Institute of Food Technologists
“The new Dietary Guidelines set high standards that will require a concerted effort among numerous scientific disciplines to gradually change consumer behavior. This new icon will make it easier for consumers to incorporate the dietary guidelines into their food choices, which will ultimately help improve the health of our country.”
David A. Kessler M.D., Former FDA Commissioner, Professor of Pediatrics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco
“The Plate is a major step forward in our nation’s efforts to promote health and prevent disease. In today’s environment, when food is on every corner, at every event, and two-thirds of the nation is overweight or obese, consumers need clear guidance on healthy eating. The Plate shows more clearly than the Pyramid what healthy eating is. The Plate and the comprehensive communications effort it represents will help reverse trends for obesity. The First Lady and Secretary Vilsack are taking an important stand for public health. The First Lady has challenged our country’s food companies to lead in our fight against obesity. The new Plate will help everyone who has accepted her challenge.”
David Kirchhoff, President and CEO of Weight Watchers International, Inc.
“We applaud the introduction of the new, common sense icon for the Dietary Guidelines, the plate. Like the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, which were released in January, the new Plate is important because it can help guide more Americans to the smart food choices that can help them reach a healthier weight. By fostering a leaner nation, we can in turn help to cut the health care costs linked to weight related illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and some types of cancer. This is an important step.”
Robb MacKie, American Bakers Association President and CEO
“ABA commends USDA, HHS, and especially First Lady Michelle Obama for developing the new healthy eating icon based on the sound science of the new dietary guidelines. Consumers are struggling to find simple, clear and easy to follow directives. The new icon is a powerful tool to help adults, parents and their children integrate healthy and sensible eating habits into their daily lives. Appropriately, grains occupy the single largest portion on the plate – a reaffirmation of enriched and whole grains as the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.”
Manuela McDonough, Program Manager, Institute of Hispanic Health at the National Council of La Raza
“NCLR welcomes the new food icon. We applaud the USDA on creating an easy-to-understand tool that will help Americans, especially Latinos, make healthier food choices.”
Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD, executive director of human nutrition research, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
“America’s cattle farmers and ranchers are eager to help consumers use this new visual tool. We believe illustrating how to create a balanced mix of nutrition from all food groups to create a healthful plate gets back to basics. More than 90 percent of Americans are enjoying beef in their diets. Now, this straightforward visual illustrates how to build a healthful plate using protein-rich foods like lean beef.”
Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, New York University
“The new plate icon makes it clear that healthy eating means lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and for that alone it is a big step forward. The plate is easy to understand. You don’t need a computer to use it. It lets you fill your plate with whatever foods you like without worrying about portion numbers. Best of all are the messages that come with it. Enjoy your food! Yes! High marks to USDA for this one.”
Dr. Elizabeth Pivonka, president and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH)
“This science-based government recommendation to make half your plate fruits and vegetables is a significant and positive step in the battle to fight obesity and related health issues in America. The plate icon is a simple, memorable way to show Americans the proportion of fruits and vegetables they should be eating at every meal occasion,” says Dr. Elizabeth Pivonka, president and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), the nonprofit entity in partnership with CDC behind the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® national public health initiative.”
Nancy Rice, SNS, President, School Nutrition Association
“The School Nutrition Association (SNA) welcomes USDA’s new food icon and encourages all Americans to use it as a guide for planning their meals daily, weekly and throughout the year. School nutrition professionals are thrilled to have this new resource to help students understand the importance of healthy eating and well-balanced meals. The new food icon clearly shows young people just how important eating fruits and vegetables with their school meals are to their diet, health and development. We hope that parents, teachers and all role models for children will join us in promoting the new food icon to help children gravitate to a lifetime of healthier eating habits.”
Leslie G. Sarasin, President and CEO, Food Marketing Institute
“The new USDA food graphic offers Americans a clear visual of a healthy plate representing the full spectrum of nutritious foods we all need in our diets. As FMI member companies seek to feed families and enrich lives, this new icon will serve supermarket shoppers as a vivid reminder of what to put in their shopping carts so that it will later become part of a well-balanced plate.”
David B. Schmidt, President and CEO, International Food Information Council Foundation
“We look forward to helping USDA and DHHS motivate more consumers to adopt healthful diets and lifestyles. The IFIC Foundation has been pleased to partner with these Departments on key nutrition education initiatives and we are ready to serve as a resource for government officials, health professionals, journalists and consumers who seek key insights on health, nutrition, and food safety.”
Lieutenant General Norman R. Seip, US Air Force (Ret.), member of the national nonprofit Mission: Readiness
“The USDA’s new campaign to promote better eating habits is an important step toward making sure our obesity crisis does not become a national security crisis. Currently, about one in four young adults is too overweight to join the military, and the Defense Department has told Congress that weight problems, coupled with other factors, could undermine future recruiting efforts.”
Tom Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh Produce Association
“The new dietary guidance icon will be a tipping point in how Americans literally visualize what they should eat. The message to ‘make half your plate fruits and vegetables’ is simple, compelling and effective. It is a breakthrough message that consumers can practice every day at every meal. The produce industry is firmly committed to working closely with USDA and others to support the new dietary guidance and help promote “make half your plate fruits and vegetables” as part of a lifetime of healthy eating. USDA’s new icon can have a dramatically positive impact on childhood nutrition as well, especially when combined with the progress we are making in placing salad bars in schools. Making half your plate fruits and vegetables complements the exciting ‘Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools’ initiative, which supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move!’ initiative to end childhood obesity. Combining the message to eat more produce with increased availability through school salad bars will benefit the health of millions of kids across our nation.”
Connie Tipton, President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association
“We’re delighted that this new education tool provides a clear, visual message that milk and other dairy products are important for a nutritious diet. The dairy industry commends the USDA for highlighting how beneficial a serving of dairy at every meal can be, and for educating people about dairy’s role on the table and in the American diet.”
Josh Wachs, Chief Strategy Officer, Share Our Strength
“We applaud USDA for adopting this creative new food icon, which provides a streamlined guide to daily food choices. Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters has brought USDA’s food icon to life for more than 74,000 low income families across the country, many of whom are at risk for hunger. The ‘plate’ reinforces our cooking-based approach to healthy eating and will continue to be an essential part of our curriculum.”
Margo G. Wootan, Nutrition Policy Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest
“While no one graphic can communicate every nuance of healthy eating, this easy-to-understand illustration will help people remember what their own plate should look like. It likely will surprise most people into recognizing that they need to eat a heck of a lot more vegetables and fruits. Most people are eating about a quarter of a plate of fruits or vegetables, not a half a plate as recommended.”

Managing the Mautam

The predator satiation hypothesis holds that by fruiting at the same time, a plant population increases the survival rate of their seeds by flooding the area with fruit so that even if predators eat their fill, there will still be seeds left over. Certain species of bamboo, for instance, have a flowering cycle longer than the lifespan of their rodent predators. Bamboos can thus regulate animal populations by causing starvation during the period between flowering events.
The problem for humans in such a case is one of collateral damage. The entire world population of the bamboo species Melocanna Baccifera blossoms just about every 48 years. This blossoming bamboo produces fruit that has a large seed. Forest rats feed on the seeds. The rats then reproduce at an accelerated rate. Once the nocturnal rats have stripped the landscape of bamboo fruit, they devour other growing and stored crops including grains, potatoes, maize, chili, and sesame. The rodents can gnaw through the floors and walls of granaries and other storage containers. According to The Times of India, the flowering of 1958-59 caused a famine that killed as many as 15,000 people.
During the next cycle in 2008, the number of actual casualties was greatly reduced. A combination of harvesting the bamboo, shooting the rats and staging relief supplies in a timely way had the effect of mitigating starvation. There was, of course, hunger in the most remote areas. But not on the scale seen during the 1958-59 famine. The near famine conditions that did occur were largely attributed to political corruption and the for-profit seizure of relief supplies intended for potential victims of the “flowering famine.”
The areas of Northeast India (primarily in Mizoram and Manipur States) as well as regions of Burma (mainly Chin State) and Bangladesh (Hill Tracts) that normally suffer from an overpopulation of rats were, for the most part, spared the worst of it. Could it have been managed better? Sure. Are there lessons to be learned? Certainly. But warding off famine is far better than trying to locate starving individuals in the wake of it.

— by Bob Kalk

Aevia — Learn About Next Level Missions (audio)

Knowing your way around fats can help you beat the Reaper

Trans Fat
These fats are created during food processing when liquid oils are converted into semi-solid fats — a process called hydrogenation. This creates partially-hydrogenated oils that tend to keep food fresh longer while on grocery shelves. The problem is that these partially-hydrogenated oils contain trans fats which can also increase low-density lipoprotein LDL-cholesterol and decrease high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — risk factors for heart disease.
 
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats are the “solid” fats in your diet. For example, if you open a container of meat stew, you will probably find some fat floating on top. This fat is saturated fat. But other saturated fats can be more difficult to see in your diet. In general, saturated fat can be found in the following foods:

• High-fat cheeses
• High-fat cuts of meat
• Whole-fat milk
• Cream Butter
• Ice cream and ice cream products
• Palm and coconut oils

As you look at this list, notice two things. First, animal fats are a primary source of saturated fat. Secondly, certain plant oils are another source of saturated fats. You may think you don’t use palm or coconut oils, but they are often added to commercially-prepared foods, such as cookies, cakes, doughnuts, and pies. Solid vegetable shortening often contains palm oils and some whipped dessert toppings contain coconut oil.
Diets high in saturated fat have been linked to chronic disease, especially heart disease.
 
Dietary Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that’s found in animal-based foods such as meats, poultry, egg yolks, and whole milks. When you follow the tips to reduce your saturated fat intake, in most cases, you will be reducing your dietary cholesterol intake at the same time. For example, if you switch to low-fat and fat-free dairy products, you will reduce your intake of both saturated fat and cholesterol.
Total Cholesterol is the total measured cholesterol in your blood. This number includes all types of cholesterol such as HDL and LDL. HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. The HDL cholesterol is often called “good” cholesterol because it helps carry cholesterol away from your body’s organs and to your liver where it can be removed. LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. The LDL cholesterol is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol because it’s the type of cholesterol that is linked with a higher chance of heart disease.
 
Polyunsaturated Fats and Monounsaturated Fats
Most of the fat that you eat should come from unsaturated sources: polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. In general, nuts, vegetable oils, and fish are sources of unsaturated fats that can help improve blood cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fats can also be broken down into two types:

• Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats — these fats provide an essential fatty acid that our bodies need, but can’t make.
• Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats — these fats also provide an essential fatty acid that our bodies need. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly from fish sources, may have additional health benefits.

Monounsaturated fats may benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.
Knowledge that certain fats can promote health, while others can destroy it, is the first step. Knowing what to look for in nutrition labels will help you chart a healthy course. But, when all else is said and done, any fat that is solid at room temperature should be avoided.
Aevia — Learn about the Cardiovascular System

Scientists aiming their gene sequencers at commercial seafood are discovering rampant labeling fraud in supermarket coolers and restaurant tables: cheap fish is often substituted for expensive fillets, and overfished species are passed off as fish whose numbers are plentiful.
Recent studies by researchers in North America and Europe harnessing the new techniques have consistently found that 20 to 25 percent of the seafood products they check are fraudulently identified, fish geneticists say.
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Dr. William Carey, Auburn University Professor, outlines a ten point system to help improve forest tree seedling survival. At a meeting, sponsored by International Forest Company, Dr. Carey explains his planting techniques and insists you give seedlings “tender loving care” from the time they leave the nursery until planted in the field.
Commandment Number One –
Do not allow seedlings to dry out. – Ample moisture is the key factor in seedling survival; seedlings must never be allowed to dry out from the nursery to planting. Plant immediately in the field. Remember “if they dry, they die”.
Commandment Number Two –
Transport seedlings carefully. – Rough handling can damage root systems and predispose seedlings to stress.
Commandment Number Three –
Avoid temperature extremes. – Fluctuations in temperature, especially excessive heat, during storage and transport can result in seedling trauma during outplanting.
Commandment Number Four. –
Plant promptly. – Once seedlings are lifted, minimize storage time, especially early in the season and avoid extended transport time.
Commandment Numbr Five. –
Do not trim or prune seedling roots. – Seedlings need every single tiny root to absorb moisture and nutrients from the ground. The more root surface, the better the growth.
Commandment Number Six. –
Do not wash or shake gel from seedling roots. – Gel applied to roots at the nursery prevents drying out during transport, decreases planting shock, and improves acclimation to the planting site.
Commandment Number Seven. –
Plant bareroot seedlings after October, preferably after December 15 and before April. – Cooler temperatures are more conducive to seedling survival and healthy growth.
Commandment Number Eight. –
Plant seedlings deeply. – Greater exposure to the soil and its water content – even one-half inch of added depth of planting – significantly improves survival rates.
Commandment Number Nine. –
Use mechanical planting, if possible. – Although slightly more expensive, planting mechanically yields better results and is an investment that pays off.
Commandment Number Ten –
Do not attempt to plant seedlings that have frozen in the pack. – Freezing irreversibly damages the root system, leading to seedling death.
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