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Тема
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 Предизвикай се да компостираш
[re: Mod vege]
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| Автор |
Mod vege (старо куче) |
| Публикувано | 21.09.16 16:03 |
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Предизвикай се да компостираш
Чудите се къде да си изхвърлите ябълката, като я изядете? А обелката от банан, костилките от плодовете и остатъците от зеленчуците за салата също ви колебаят къде им е мястото? Или пък вие сте от хората, които въобще не се чудят, ами смело ги изхвърляте с останалия боклук?
И защото вече звучи като реклама на веестелешоп, а не това е търсеният ефект, ще ви дам отговорите:
Мястото на органичния отпадък не е нито на бунището, нито сред балираните отпадъци, а още по-малко в кофите с отпадъците за рециклиране.
На сметището органичният отпадък гние, докато е натъпкан между останалите боклуци, отделяйки метан (това е същият газ, който пръцкат кравите). Поради тази причина се нарича още блатен газ, заради гниенето, което претърпяват растителните материали в блатни местности при липса на кислород (това ми го подшушна Уикипедия). Така много често този метан става причина за самозапалването на сметищата, което е още по-лошият резултат от неправилното изхвърляне на отпадъците. Метанът още е парников газ, но и озоноразрушаващ такъв. А за някои метанът е просто по-евтиният вариант за придвижване с БеЕмВе.
И защото говорех за органичния отпадък и за това, къде е мястото му, ще ви подскажа: органичният отпадък се чувства най-добре в компостера!
Да, КОМ-ПОС-ТЕР. Не компот, не и постна манджа.
Компостерът е мястото, от което като от вълшебен цилиндър се появява не заек, а тор. Тор, хумус, или онова нещо, което прави почвата плодородна.
И за да не звучи като нещо изфантазирано, ще разкажа от къде ми дойде това просветление:
Последните 4 дни присъствах на първото в живота ми обучение, свързано с нещо толкова значимо, ново и вълнуващо (а и малко слузесто, заради червеите) – компостирането.
Младежки лагер „“ е нещото, което, оказа се, съм търсила дълго време. Макар няколко дни да се колебаех дали да присъствам, заради възможността да имам още едно злополучно палаткуване, реших, че е време да изпитам себе си, като спя във временния си дом-стая цели 3 вечери.
Оказа се, че палаткуването е супер приятно (стига да не вали и трещи, докато си само с един чифт дрехи и обувки, както при първия ми опит за такова преживяване). Освен да подобря положително мнението си за този тип удоволствие, се уверих, че никое от съществата от Doctor Who няма да се появи ненадейно в или около палатката ми с цел да ме еxterminate-не (въпросният страх си подсигурих от ударните дози епизоди в последните седмици, бликащи от гнусни, страшни и вредни за съня създания).
За почти четирите дни 15+ човека се занимавахме на теория и на практика с компостирането (по-долу ще разкажа и за любимата ми компостна тоалетна). Всички заедно мерихме, чертахме и рязахме летви и дъски, завивахме болтове и забивахме пирони, боядисвахме, пилихме. Всичко това, за да направим компостер за училището в Шабла, който стана наистина супер красив и функционален.
Честно казано, преди всички изброени манипулации, никак не вярвах, че от нищо, (ако можем да наречем предварително нарязания дървен материал нищо), ще успеем да изградим нещо толкова значимо. Процесът си беше вълшебство, но не просто изведнъж случило се и случайно, ами планирано, мислено, чертано, рязано, ковано, сглобявано и какво ли още не.
Вълнуващо беше как децата в училището от доста незаинтересовани и незнаещи абсолютно нищо за компостирането, се превърнаха в активни участници в процеса по съграждане на компостера. Тайно завиждах на всеки един от тях, имащ късмета да е точно там и тогава, когато някакви хора идват в училището им с желанието да предадат пламъка на знанието и грижата към природата. И силно се надявам, че след години ще видя поне едно от децата, вече пораснало, активно опазващо всичко, което ни заобикаля!
Във всички дни забавлението крачеше редом с нас, независимо дали по пътя към плажа, до магазина в с. Езерец (там беше лагерът ни) или пък по пътя към компостната ни тоалетна.
За любопитните: това е като тоалетната на село (поне тази при прабаба и прадядо в с. Палат някога беше такава), ама не точно. Т. нар. „лимонада“ си имаше собствен съд, а т.нар. „шоколад“ също имаше свой собствен такъв. По въпроса с отделянето на тези така важни материали, продукти на тялото ни, научих, че сами по себе си те са вид тор, който при определено „отлежаване“ и разграждане, са също толкова важни и полезни за растенията и почвата.
Осъзнах как толкова дълго време не съм знаела, нито за миг осъзнавала, че дори самата аз съм един вид компостер. А за да бъде един компостер истински, то той трябва да получава необходимия материал, който да превърне в компост. (.)
За всички присъстващи, съм сигурна, че любими ястия ще останат всички, приготвени с обемно количество елда, овес и булгур. Точно в този ред ги ядохме и точно в този ред са ни любими. Извън вътрешните шегички готвенето беше още един задружен и приятен процес, понякога даже по-приятен и от самото ядене (надявам се, че готвачът ни няма да ме разбере погрешно и да си помисли, че има ястие, което да не ми е харесало!). Научих много нови рецепти, съчетания, а салатата от тиквички ми стана любима, опровергавайки песимизма ми по отношение на салата от такъв характер.
Към края на лагера имахме и доста приятните задачи да представим театрално това, което получихме като впечатления от разговорите си с местните хора по отношение на отпадъците и компостирането. Играейки ролята на Песимиза, вдъхновена от реакциите на някои от учениците, си дадох сметка, че не е трудно човек да бъде научен на добро. И все по-убедено вярвам в онова, което ми каза веднъж учителката ми по философия, а именно, че ценностната ни система се променя всеки ден.
И аз се промених, и аз научих много, успях дори и да направя, макар и малко, за да помогна някой друг да научи и да се промени. Това е от моментите, в които завиждам на себе си, че съм точно тук и точно сега, за да познавам хората, които носят и създават доброто с делата си.
Благодарности за усилията, думите, жестовете, шегите и труда на всички!
П.П. Успях да се сдобия и с малък компостер за вкъщи, който всеки може да направи с подръчни материали. Инструкции може да намерите тук, а благодарностите са за Еми.
А ето така изглежда моят, който очаква само новите си наематели червеи, за да започне да работи с пълна пара и вълшебност!
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Тема
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human teeth reveals what the real 'paleo diet...
[re: Mod vege]
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| Автор |
Mod vege (старо куче) |
| Публикувано | 21.09.16 16:39 |
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[url=http://www.businessinsider.de/the-prehistoric-paleo-diet-actually-did-include-cereals-2016-9?r=US&IR=T]New evidence from prehistoric human teeth reveals what the 'paleo diet' really looked like — and it's not what you think[/url]
Luckily, prehistoric people didn't brush their teeth
New archaeological research may have revealed that the original 'paleo diet' contained wheat and barley, and was not just restricted to meat and vegetables as .
Scientists from who lived around 9,000 years ago in the late Mesolithic (6600 - 6450 BC) and the Mesolithic-Neolithic phases (6200 - 5900 BC) and found plant matter fossilised in their teeth.
Thanks to poor dental hygiene, micro-fossils were trapped in ancient plaque on their teeth. The researchers say these plaques contain plants — cereals, in fact — that weren't thought to be part of people's diets for another four centuries.
"There has been a long-standing view that for the most of the Palaeolithic times, but also in the Mesolithic, animal protein coming from meat and fish was the main staple food with a very limited role of plant foods," lead researcher Dusan Borić told Business Insider.
Mysteries were revealed from human teeth remains
People in the Mesolithic period are generally believed to have been . The Neolithic, or New Stone Age, came afterwards, and it's then that people were believed to have .
The discovery of domestic cereals in Mesolithic people's diets means that social networks between local foragers and the first Neolithic communities probably extended further than archaeologists originally thought, due to how deep into the Balkan hinterland they were found.
"At the time of the discovery we had the sense that these groups of complex hunter-gatherers were in contact with other more distant locations," Borić said. "We found beads made of marine gastropods that come from coastal areas in Greece and the Adriatic, hundreds of kilometres away from the region for instance."
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Тема
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Re: Предизвикай се да компостираш
[re: Mod vege]
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| Автор |
| (>[2] /dev/null) |
| Публикувано | 21.09.16 17:41 |
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В компостера органичните отпадъци не отделят ли метан? Абе, защо пускаш всяка идиотщина, която прочетеш някъде?
The last good thing written in C was Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 9.
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Тема
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Re: Предизвикай се да компостираш
[re: |]
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Mod vege (старо куче) |
| Публикувано | 21.09.16 20:35 |
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Отделят, но явно не могат така лесно да се самозапалят в един компостер, както на сметищата. А и не това е смисълът на статията. Смисълът е ползването на "отпадъци".
На немски има поговорка гласяща че който вперва поглед твърде дълго в детайла, не може да види цялото.. ("den Wald vor lauter Baeumen nicht sehen")
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Тема
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Re: Предизвикай се да компостираш
[re: Mod vege]
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| Автор |
| (>[2] /dev/null) |
| Публикувано | 22.09.16 16:54 |
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Не мисля, че има доказателства, че метана е причина за пожарите на сметищата.
Иначе, доколкото разбирам, теорията е че в сметищата органичната материя се разгражда анаеробно (с резултат метан) докато иначе би се разградила аеробно (с резултат въглероден диоксид).
А иначе, ако използването на отпадъците изисква повече усилие, отколкото е ползата от тях (а в този случай е така), цялата дейност е малко безмислена.
The last good thing written in C was Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 9.
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Тема
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 25 Vegan Snacks For Movie Night, Game Night, Party
[re: Mod vege]
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Mod vege (старо куче) |
| Публикувано | 26.09.16 03:17 |
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Who loves snacks? We love snacks? Why? Because snacks are awesome, that’s why — especially party snacks of any kind. For us, there’s little that comes close to the positive feeling you get from spending time with friends and loved ones while enjoying homemade snacks that are so good you’ll wish you had made an entire batch for yourself … but hey, sharing is caring, right? Right. So, if you’re looking for shareable snacks, then you’ve come to the right place because we specialize in sniffing out the best, so-delicious-you-don’t-want-to-share snacks that also happen to be completely meat-free and dairy-free.
Welcome to the master list of party snacks. These 25 vegan snacks are just what you need to take movie night, game night, your summer barbecue, or any ol’ party to the next level.
1. Chipotle Cauliflower Buffalo Bites and Raw Cashew Ranch Dip
Cheesy burger spreads, pizza crust, oven-roasted steaks, and now buffalo wings, it’s safe to say that with cauliflower, you can do it all. Cauliflower is a favorite ingredient to use because it is so versatile and has a power punch of nutrition. This recipe for Chipotle Cauliflower Buffalo Bites and Raw Cashew Ranch Dip is a spicy and delicious snack perfect for any occasion.
2. Spinach Dip Crescent Roll Ring
A must-have at any party, this Spinach Dip Crescent Roll Ring is just delicious. Creamy, garlicky spinach dip is wrapped in crescent rolls and then baked until the rolls are crispy and golden and the dip is warm. It’s so easy to make, you may as well make two because it’ll disappear fast.
3. 1-Ingredient Beet Sliders
Beet is one of those extremely versatile veggies that you can make a hundred different ways and it still surprises you — like these 1-Ingreient Beet Sliders. Yes, it turns out, if you boil it with spices and then slice and grill to make a crust, it makes a perfectly good patty. Serve these little sliders with your favorite greens and enjoy!
4. Broccoli ‘Wings’
Similar to cauliflower “wings,” but a little more flavorful, these crispy Broccoli “Wings” will be the star appetizer of any party. Broccoli florets are coated in a gluten-free batter and then baked to crispy perfection. Leave them plain, or toss them in any kind of sauce you like.
5. Everything Bagel Soft Pretzels
Who doesn’t love a good pretzel? This recipe for Everything Bagel Soft Pretzels combines the soft and fluffy texture of pretzels with the fun and flavorful seasoning of an everything bagel. Garlicky, textured, and perfect for dipping in some mustard! Or you can get creative and slice this pretzel in half and make a sandwich.
6. Jalapeño Poppers With Smoked Tofu
These Jalapeño Poppers with Smoked Tofu are the perfect mix of crunchy and creamy consistencies, together with the heat of the jalapeño and the complimentary cooling of the vegan cream cheese. Smoked tofu adds another layer of heat and a bacon-ish flavor to the mix. Is your mouth watering yet?
7. All-American Quinoa Chili Fries
Nothing hits the spot like a big ol’ plate of All-American Chili Fries, especially ones you can really dig into cause they’re totally healthy! This is a hearty, delicious veggie quinoa chili piled high on fresh, seasoned oven fries. We guarantee that both you and your friends will fall in love this snack.
8. Mozzarella-Stuffed Quinoa Pizza Bites
Homemade vegan mozzarella rolled in soft and fluffy quinoa. No, this is not a dream — these are Mozzarella-Stuffed Quinoa Pizza Bites. With a savory tomato sauce dipping sauce on the side, these little bites will cure the fiercest of pizza cravings. Make these as a fun appetizer or make a big batch and gobble them up yourself.
9. Trinidadian Alloo Hand Pies
These Alloo Hand Pies are a popular Trinidadian street food made from spiced mashed potatoes folded into dough and then fried. The potatoes are flavorful and creamy, with warm spices, vegan butter, and vegan sour cream, while the dough is crispy and warm. These are best served with spiced chickpeas or any kind of chutney, from savory onion to sweet and spicy mango.
10. Tortilla Hummus Cups
Dipping chips will be so passé once you try these Tortilla Hummus Cups. Turn ordinary tortillas into a fun and creative snack! You can fill the cups with any kind of hummus, so you can customize your flavor profile to your liking. The contrast between the creamy hummus, the crisp and fresh toppings and the crunchy tortilla chips will make these disappear from their platter in an instant.
11. Filipino Fried Spring Rolls
Traditional Filipino Fried Spring Rolls, or Vegetable Lumpiang Shanghai, as they are called, are usually filled with pork. Here, we have kept the essence of the Asian dish but replaced the filling with vegetables! Carrots, sweet potatoes, jicama, and kabocha squash come together in this snack. They’re crispy, savory, and best served with a sweet dip like ketchup.
12. Beet Hummus Bites
These Beet Hummus Bites are more than just pretty — they’re delicious. Roasted beet hummus, black olives, and arugula salad tucked into homemade bamboo charcoal tortillas. The beet hummus is earthy and garlicky and the tortillas are ridiculously easy to make. Serve these at a party and you’ll most likely catch everyone snapping food photos before devouring.
13. Zucchini Tater Tots
You probably remember tater tots, those coveted (and greasy) pillows of potato-y goodness served at school lunches. This recipe for Zucchini Tater Tots is a healthier take on those and they’re so good, you’ll want to carry them around in your pocket so you can have them all to yourself. It’s as easy as mashing potato and grated zucchini together, forming them into tots, and baking them until golden and crispy.
14. Lemon Thyme and Roasted Garlic Flatbread
If you’re intimidated by the idea of making bread, then this Lemon Thyme and Roasted Garlic Flatbread is a good place to get started. This bread is pretty low fuss and great to serve up with soup or on a platter of food, not to mention, pretty fun to make,and it requires little kneading. The rich roasted garlic works perfectly with the lemon thyme and olive oil, forming a delicious combination.
15. Cheesy Pull Bread
Whether you’re hosting a party, movie night, or just hanging with friends, this Cheesy Pull Bread is a must-make. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 10,000,000. Crispy sourdough bread is stuffed with herby, garlicky vegan cream cheese, spinach, and vegan mozzarella and then baked until melty and bubbly. This bread serves a small crowd, but you’ll want it all to yourself.
16. Onion Pakoras With Avocado Dipping Sauce
A pakora is an Indian snack that’s essentially a vegetable dipped in chickpea flour, so they’re naturally gluten-free, and then deep-fried until crispy. These savory Onion Pakoras are spiced with garlic, cumin, and curry powder and served with a cool, spicy, and creamy avocado dip. These are perfect as an appetizer or snack at any party.
17. Panko-Crusted Zucchini Chips
These Panko-Crusted Zucchini Chips are the perfect movie night snack! They’re light and crunchy and should you want a little extra flavor, you can even add your favorite herbs and spices to the mix. Serve with your favorite chip dip, or enjoy them as is. You might want to double the recipe, though — these will disappear fast.
18. Chickpea Fondue
[image]http://cdn2.onegreenplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10//2015/10/chickpea-fondue-site.jpeg[/image]
Fondue is more than just food, it’s a whole dining experience. This Chickpea Fondue is worthy of being called an experience. In this version of fondue, chickpeas take main stage, creating the silky smooth texture for the ooey-gooey dish you know and love.
19. Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzels
Whether or not you’re a pro at making bread, this recipe is fun to make — really, how can you get any better than Jalapeño Cheddar Pretzels? These are soft pretzels like you can get from the streets of New York City, but better, because they’re homemade, they’re cheesy, and they’re spicy. Break these up into bite-size portions for movie night with your friends and family!
20. BBQ Pulled Carrot Rolls
The best comfort foods are simple and making these BBQ Pulled Carrot Rolls is super-easy and super hands-off, like these pulled carrot rolls. Shredded carrots are the perfect whole foods based replacement for pulled pork. Drenched in a tangy, sticky barbecue sauce, these pulled carrot rolls are a guaranteed hit.
21. Watermelon Tartare
This refreshing Watermelon Tartare is perfect for hot summer days, especially as a snack or party appetizer. The combination of flavors completely transforms the watermelon. The citrus juice combined with sesame seeds and soy sauce or tamari gives it a delicious umami flavor that’s unforgettable.
22. Sesame Ginger Tofu Skewers With Peanut Dipping Sauce
Tofu is not only a great source of protein, but it is an amazing flavor absorber! Not only does marinating make these Sesame Ginger Tofu Skewers taste deliciously savory, they also get slightly crispy while cooking. Paired with peanut sauce that you can enjoy crunchy or smooth, this dish is wonderful as a party appetizer or finger food.
23. Papas Rellenas: Eggplant and Potato Croquettes
Papas Rellenas are a type of croquette popular in many Latin American countries. In this recipe, the crispy potato croquettes have a savory, sweet, and spicy eggplant filling that’s surrounded by creamy mashed potatoes. They’re then paired with a creamy and irresistible avocado sauce for dipping. These are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, but it’s also worth making mashed potatoes just to experience this flavorful appetizer or party snack.
24. 4-Ingredient Pizza Rolls
Making pizza is super fun. Kneading the dough, slathering on tomato sauce, and of course topping it with all of your favorites is a good afternoon spent. If only there was a way to translate the amazingness of pizza into a party snack…oh wait! There is! These 4-Ingredient Pizza Rolls have all the deliciousness of this Italian favorite tucked neatly in a little roll, perfect!
25. Crispy Cauliflower Nuggets
These oven-fried Crispy Cauliflower Nuggets are guaranteed to be the star of your dinner night, parties … everything! The secret is to cook flour covered cauliflower slowly in coconut oil. The slow oven baking helps to crisp up the outside without having undercooked cauliflower.
Who says you even need a party to make one (or all) these awesome recipes? To be honest, we would eat them anytime.
Lead image source:
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Тема
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 Twenty questions on atherosclerosis
[re: Mod vege]
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| Автор |
Mod vege (старо куче) |
| Публикувано | 28.09.16 00:51 |
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Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2000 Apr; 13(2): 139–143.
William C. Roberts, MD
Is atherosclerosis a disease affecting all animals or only certain animals?
Atherosclerosis affects only herbivores. Dogs, cats, tigers, and lions can be saturated with fat and cholesterol, and atherosclerotic plaques do not develop (1, 2). The only way to produce atherosclerosis in a carnivore is to take out the thyroid gland; then, for some reason, saturated fat and cholesterol have the same effect as in herbivores.
Are human beings herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores?
Although most of us conduct our lives as omnivores, in that we eat flesh as well as vegetables and fruits, human beings have characteristics of herbivores, not carnivores (2). The appendages of carnivores are claws; those of herbivores are hands or hooves. The teeth of carnivores are sharp; those of herbivores are mainly flat (for grinding). The intestinal tract of carnivores is short (3 times body length); that of herbivores, long (12 times body length). Body cooling of carnivores is done by panting; herbivores, by sweating. Carnivores drink fluids by lapping; herbivores, by sipping. Carnivores produce their own vitamin C, whereas herbivores obtain it from their diet. Thus, humans have characteristics of herbivores, not carnivores.
Is atherosclerosis genetic in origin?
Infrequently. Although many physicians and the lay public believe that atherosclerosis is genetic, the evidence for that is slim. One way to define the genetic variety of atherosclerosis is by the presence or absence of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors in the liver (3–5). Patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia have no LDL receptors in the liver, and their total cholesterol levels from birth are usually >800 mg/dL. The frequency of this genetic defect is 1 in 1,000,000. Patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia have only 50% of the normal number of LDL receptors in the liver. These patients generally have total cholesterol levels about 300 mg/dL, and they generally die (without lipid-lowering therapy) in their 40s or early 50s. The incidence of this familial defect is 1 in 500. The rest of us apparently have normal numbers of LDL receptors in the liver. Of course, a few patients have genetic defects involving high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride production and uptake, but these individuals are relatively few in number (6). Thus, the genetic defect producing atherosclerosis occurs in no more than 1 in 200 and possibly as low as 1 in 400 or 500 persons. This means, of course, that most persons with atherosclerosis acquire it by the types of calories they consume.
Is atherosclerosis a consequence of aging and therefore a degenerative disease?
No. When I was in medical school, I was taught that atherosclerosis was a disease of aging and that it was to be expected as we got older. It is true that symptomatic and fatal atherosclerosis is usually a problem of older people. But, not too old. Patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, however, may have lipid plaques in their arteries at the time of birth.
It appears that atherosclerosis requires certain serum cholesterol levels over certain periods of time. Therefore, if one has a serum total cholesterol of 1000 mg/dL, death usually occurs by age 15 (without lipid-lowering therapy). Those with total cholesterol levels of approximately 300 mg/dL live into their 30s and 40s. The average age of death from coronary artery disease in the USA is 60 years in men and 68 years in women (7). Sudden death is primarily a problem of young men. Therefore, those who make it to the hospital are usually older than these ages. Nevertheless, atherosclerosis is a disease of relatively young people as well as a disease of older persons. The point here is that atherosclerosis does not have to occur just because of aging. The more years we live, the longer the time period we have to keep our cholesterol levels elevated and thus to develop plaques. Multiplying our serum cholesterol level by our age in years may provide a rough indication of when we have developed enough atherosclerotic plaque to have symptomatic or fatal atherosclerosis.
What risk factors predispose to atherosclerosis?
Risk factors include hypercholesterolemia, systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, low HDL cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and inactivity.
Of the various atherosclerotic risk factors, which one is an absolute prerequisite for development of atherosclerosis?
The answer is hypercholesterolemia. What level of total cholesterol and specifically LDL cholesterol is required for atherosclerotic plaques to develop? Symptomatic and fatal atherosclerosis is extremely uncommon in societies where serum total cholesterol levels are <150 mg/dL and serum LDL cholesterol levels are <100 mg/dL (8). If the LDL cholesterol level is <100— and possibly it needs to be <80 mg/dL—the other previously mentioned risk factors in and of themselves are not associated with atherosclerosis. In other words, if the serum total cholesterol is 90 to 140 mg/dL, there is no evidence that cigarette smoking, systemic hypertension, diabetes mellitus, inactivity, or obesity produces atherosclerotic plaques. Hypercholesterolemia is the only direct atherosclerotic risk factor; the others are indirect. If, however, the total cholesterol level is >150 mg/dL and the LDL cholesterol is >100 mg/dL, the other risk factors clearly accelerate atherosclerosis.
What evidence connects atherosclerosis to cholesterol?
The connection between cholesterol and atherosclerosis is strong (9, 10):
Atherosclerotic plaques similar to those in humans can be produced in nonhuman herbivores by feeding them large quantities of cholesterol and/or saturated fat. It is not possible to produce atherosclerotic plaques experimentally in carnivores.
Cholesterol is found within atherosclerotic plaques.
In societies where the serum total cholesterol is <150 mg/dL, the frequency of symptomatic and fatal atherosclerosis is exceedingly uncommon; in contrast, in societies where the total cholesterol level is >150 mg/dL, the frequency of symptomatic and fatal atherosclerosis increases as the level above 150 increases.
The higher the serum total cholesterol level, and specifically the higher the serum LDL cholesterol, the greater the frequency of symptomatic atherosclerosis, the greater the frequency of fatal atherosclerosis, and the greater the quantity of plaque at necropsy.
In placebo-controlled, double-blind, lipid-lowering studies of adults without symptomatic atherosclerosis, the group with lowered serum LDL cholesterol developed fewer symptomatic and fatal atherosclerotic events compared with controls.
In placebo-controlled, double-blind, lipid-lowering studies of adults with previous symptomatic atherosclerosis, the group with lowered LDL cholesterol levels after the event had fewer subsequent atherosclerotic events than did the group that did not lower their cholesterol levels (controls).
LDL receptors were discovered in the liver by Brown and Goldstein, and the absence or decreased numbers of LDL receptors in patients with quite elevated serum cholesterol levels indicates a genetic defect in an occasional patient (3–5).
What are the major sources of cholesterol in calories?
Cholesterol comes from animals and their products. Therefore, if we do not eat animals and their products, we do not take in cholesterol. Most Americans now take in only about 300 to 400 mg of cholesterol daily. This amount is hardly enough to obtain a calorie from it. A toothpick weighs 100 mg, so most in the USA take in the equivalency of 3 or 4 toothpicks of cholesterol every day. There are 2 major sources of cholesterol in our diet: 1) cows, including their muscle (beef), milk, butter, and cheese, and 2) eggs. About 45% of the cholesterol we obtain in our diet comes from the visible and nonvisible eggs we eat, and about 40% comes from bovine muscle and bovine milk and its products.
What are the major sources of fat in calories?
Fat comes from many sources. A major source in the USA is bovine muscle (beef). Cows naturally do not have so much fat, but in the USA most are fattened before slaughter. They are placed in feed lots their last 4 to 6 months of life and fed 20 to 25 pounds of various grains and soybeans every day, and the result is a huge increase in body fat. Cows slaughtered directly from pasture have far less fat between their muscle fibers and that overlying them. In the USA most adults now consume approximately 140 grams of fat daily. Our upper limit should be 75 grams. (A deck of cards weighs 75 grams.) If we were to limit our fat intake to 50 grams a day, the health of the US population would skyrocket.
Which of the 3 components of fatty acids raise the serum total and LDL cholesterol levels?
Each triglyceride particle contains a saturated, a monounsaturated, and a polyunsaturated fatty acid. There is no such thing as a pure saturated fatty acid or a pure monounsaturated or a pure polyunsaturated fatty acid. The question is which one is dominant in the triglyceride particles. The saturated portion, when dominant, clearly raises our total and LDL cholesterol levels; the monoand polyunsaturated, when dominant, either lower them or have a neutral effect. Saturated fatty acids are solid at room temperature, and that fact is easy to remember by the “s” in saturated. The fatty acids with the highest saturated component are coconut oil, palm kernel oil, beef tallow, and butter. Olive oil has the highest monounsaturated percentage (approximately 75%); peanut oil has approximately 50% monounsaturated fatty acids. Grundy and colleagues (11) have demonstrated that monounsaturated fatty acids have healthier features than do polyunsaturated fatty acids.
What percentage of reduction in the serum total and LDL cholesterol levels can be expected by decreasing the percentage of calories from fat by 25%, 50%, and 75%?
Hunninghake and colleagues (12) demonstrated that reducing the percentage of calories from fat from 40% to 30%, a 25% reduction, reduces on average the serum total cholesterol level by 5% and the LDL cholesterol level by 5%. Getting 30% of calories from fat is the most commonly prescribed diet by physicians in the USA, and its effect on cholesterol levels is relatively small. There is great individual variability, so that it is not possible to predict what drop in cholesterol levels will occur in a single individual. The drop in a single individual may be as high as 20%, but in some individuals the total and LDL cholesterol levels increase by as much as 20% (12). A reduction in percentage of calories from fat from 40% to 20%, a 50% reduction, generally leads to approximately a 20% reduction in both serum total and LDL cholesterol levels (13). A drop in percentage of calories from fat from 40% to 10%, a 75% reduction, generally leads to reductions in total and LDL cholesterol levels of about 40% (14). The 10% of calories from fat is a vegetarian-fruit diet.
What are the equivalent efficacious doses of the 6 statin drugs, and what are the average reductions in serum total and LDL cholesterol and average increase in HDL cholesterol from the various doses?
These are illustrated in the Table (15). These reductions in cholesterol are baseline independent—i.e., the percentage of reduction does not depend on what the baseline total cholesterol or baseline LDL might be. Furthermore, at the lower doses of the statin drugs, the increase in HDL cholesterol, which is generally about 6% to 7%, is also not baseline dependent. At the higher doses, the HDL becomes more baseline dependent, i.e., the lower the HDL, particularly when it is <35 mg/dL, the greater the increase in HDL produced by some statins but not by others (16, 17). Reductions in serum triglyceride levels by the statin drugs are baseline dependent, i.e., the higher the serum triglyceride level, the greater the reduction in triglycerides by the statin drugs. If the triglyceride level is >350 mg/dL, the statin drugs have the capacity to lower the triglyceride level by up to 40%; if, however, the serum triglyceride level is 100 mg/dL, even the higher doses of the statin drugs have essentially no effect on the triglyceride level.
Table
Table
Comparative efficacy of the 6 currently available statin drugs
What is the LDL cholesterol goal of lipid lowering?
The goals proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Committee are variable, depending on the baseline LDL cholesterol and the presence or absence of other atherosclerotic factors (18). Persons without an atherosclerotic event have LDL cholesterol goals of <160 or <130 mg/dL. The goal in persons with previous atherosclerotic events is LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dL. If it is useful to lower the LDL to <100 mg/dL after a heart attack, surely it must be useful to lower the LDL cholesterol level to <100 before a heart attack! Therefore, in my view, the LDL cholesterol goal for all persons should be <100 mg/dL.
Atherosclerosis might best be viewed as the pediatricians view measles, mumps, and pertussis. They are not satisfied with decreasing the risk of these 3 contagious diseases; their goal is complete prevention of these infectious diseases. I think the same philosophy needs to be applied to atherosclerosis (19). Because it is infrequently a disease related to defective genetic makeup, we should all try to get our serum LDL cholesterol levels down to the point where atherosclerotic plaques do not form, and that level is clearly <100 mg/dL and maybe <70 or 80 mg/dL. My goal for both primary and secondary prevention is the same—namely, serum LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dL.
The minimal HDL goal of therapy in men is >35 mg/dL and for women >45 mg/dL. Raising the HDL cholesterol, however, is usually more difficult than lowering the LDL cholesterol. And, finally, the ideal fasting serum triglyceride goal for everybody is <150 mg/dL.
How safe are the statin drugs?
These are some of the safest drugs that have been produced (20–28)! They are considerably safer than aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are safer than many drugs presently available over the counter. At the lower doses there is no evidence that statin drugs have detrimental effects on the liver. The frequency of liver enzyme elevation at the lower doses is the same as in placebo groups (20). Evidence is now accumulating that possibly even at the higher doses the statin drugs do not in themselves affect the liver detrimentally. Individuals with elevated liver enzymes associated with the intake of statin drugs have never had permanent damage to the liver produced by the statin drug. The only serious side effect of the statin drugs is myopathy, and that occurs in 1 of 10,000 persons taking the drug. The toxicity is not the statin drug; the toxicity is atherosclerosis! The risk-benefit ratio of using statin drugs in patients with atherosclerosis, either to prevent further plaque formation or to prevent its formation in the first place, favors drug use.
Who should be treated with the statin drugs?
Everyone who has had an atherosclerotic event, be it from involvement of the coronary arteries, carotid arteries, aorta, or peripheral arteries. The goal in patients with symptomatic atherosclerosis is LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dL. The goal in persons without symptomatic atherosclerosis should be the same. There is simply more time to work on dietary change in persons who have not had atherosclerotic events compared with persons who have. If dietary interventions are unsuccessful in lowering cholesterol levels in persons without atherosclerotic events, these drugs can be useful and should be used more freely as long as the users are >15 years of age. They also have proven benefit in the elderly.
Is it important to lower elevated serum triglyceride levels?
Yes. The most important lipoprotein to lower is the LDL cholesterol. The most important lipoprotein to raise is the serum HDL cholesterol. The third most important lipoprotein to alter is the serum triglyceride level (29). Although the LDL particles are the most atherogenic, the very-low-density lipoprotein particles contain atherogenic components as well. In general, the higher the serum triglyceride level, the lower the HDL cholesterol level. Thus, by lowering the serum triglyceride level, the effect often is to raise the serum HDL cholesterol level, and the higher the HDL cholesterol, the lower the risk of atherosclerotic events. When the triglyceride level is elevated, the LDL cholesterol particles tend to be small and dense, and these are the most atherogenic ones. When the triglyceride level is lowered, the LDL particle size tends to increase, and the larger and more buoyant LDL particles are not as atherogenic as the small dense ones. A third reason to lower the triglyceride levels is that elevated ones are associated with coagulation factors that promote thrombosis or retard thrombolysis. Platelet aggregation and therefore thrombosis is accelerated in patients with elevated triglyceride levels. And finally, elevated triglyceride levels are commonly associated with the metabolic syndrome (insulin-resistance syndrome). The components of this syndrome include obesity, systemic hypertension, the lipid triad (increased triglyceride, decreased HDL cholesterol, and predominance of small, dense LDL particles), glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, increased serum insulin levels, and diabetes mellitus.
The fibrates (fenofibrate and gemfibrozil) and niacin are the best triglyceride-lowering drugs. In my view, however, neither a fibrate nor niacin should be used as monotherapy. I think these drugs should be added to a statin drug, which in and of itself can reduce the triglyceride levels up to 40%, depending on the baseline level.
Can niacin and fibrates be used effectively and safely in combination with the statin drugs?
Yes. Liver enzyme elevations occur more frequently when either niacin or a fibrate is combined with a statin drug, and these enzyme levels should be checked more frequently in patients on this combination. The combination, however, is quite effective.
How effective are statin drugs compared with aspirin, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and calcium antagonists in preventing repeat atherosclerotic events?
At least among patients who have had an acute myocardial infarction and survived, daily aspirin decreases the chance of recurrence of an atherosclerotic event within a 5-year period by 25% (30), beta-blockers by 25% (31), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (at least the tissue inhibitors) by 25% (32), calcium antagonists by probably 0%, and statin drugs by >40% (21). Thus, if a person could take only 1 drug after a heart attack, the most effective one would be a statin.
How effective are the statin drugs in preventing strokes?
Very effective. The statin drugs decrease the frequency of strokes in a 5-year period by approximately 30% (33). Until recently the statin drugs were the only drugs other than an antihypertensive drug demonstrated to decrease the frequency of stroke. Recently, the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramapril has been shown to decrease the frequency of strokes also by approximately 30% (32).
Do statin drugs have to be taken every day for the remainder of life?
Yes. Some patients apparently believe that the statin drugs need to be taken for only a few months—until the cholesterol levels come down. I believe that it is important to tell patients when they are first placed on a statin drug that they will need to take the drug every day for the remainder of their lives. Of course, if a patient subsequently becomes a pure vegetarian-fruit eater it might be possible to discontinue the statin drug, but few Americans are willing to go the vegetarian route.
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References
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Го обърна на клуб хипохондрици, не че вегетата не са
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Тема
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Futurism - The Century of Complexity...
[re: Mod vege]
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| Автор |
Mod vege (старо куче) |
| Публикувано | 29.09.16 02:26 |
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Founder at Complexity Dynamics
28. Sep. 2016
“What’s Driving Evolution?...” Physics tell us that to understand the world we need simple to understand “the dynamics of cause and effect”; but in reality however, the simple dynamics of cause and effect fail quite miserably when it comes to explaining “Natural Evolution and Emergent Complexity”...
“So What?...” you might say. Well understanding evolution and emergent complexity is going to turn out to be more important than most anyone might previously have thought. Because although science may have spent the last 400 years honing its understanding of The Linear Dynamics of Cause and Effect, the reality of everyday life in the 21st century is that the really interesting stuff is increasingly the result of The Nonlinear Dynamics of Emergent Complexity...
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Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics
“Physics” is the ultimate science of cause and effect. Physicists like to describe their science as the hardest of “hard science” because physics can claim to be governed by hard and fast scientific “Laws”. This of course would seem to imply that many of the so-called “soft sciences” are in some way not quite as elevated, not quite as good.
In truth however we could say that physics is an “easy science”, and the soft sciences are “difficult” because the “laws” of physics only really work in the absence of “noise”, and yet the everyday world of the soft sciences is full of noise because most everything is continually battered and buffeted by “constantly changing feedback” which can generate wild “nonlinear dynamics”.
In reality all dynamics have feedback (and resultant nonlinearity), it is just that some dynamics have much less feedback than others. Physics is, in a sense, the science of “dynamics with negligible feedback”, the science of “linear dynamics” -- or in other words it is the science of the nonlinear stuff that can be safely “compressed” into neat linear “cause and effect”.
Linear and Nonlinear Paradigms
In the simplest possible terms, linear dynamics are dynamics where the effect is proportional to the cause, and nonlinear dynamics are where the effect can be disproportional to the cause.
Physics, it would be fair to say, has throughout its 400 year history, actively tried to steer clear of messy nonlinear dynamics, and in so doing has actively established a paradigm of linear dynamics; a linear paradigm of cause and effect.
But then, out of the blue, in the latter part of the 20th century, along came “Chaos Theory” and “Complexity Theory” which between them hinted strongly at a completely different paradigm; a nonlinear paradigm of “integration and emergence”...
Chaos Theory and Complexity Theory
Unfortunately however nobody seems to have been paying the proper attention, and so chaos theory and complexity theory as they stand today are still a bit of a mishmash of concepts and don’t really have agreed upon definitions.
Chaos Theory, for example, is generally associated with the relatively vague notion of the so-called “Butterfly Effect” (or as the academic community like to say “sensitivity to initial conditions”), but this association has, in my opinion, done more harm than good for it is misguided, and its misdirection has merely served to mask the true nature of chaos. Complexity Theory is similarly afflicted, but rather than analyse all the pros and cons of all the various definitions of both Chaos and Complexity, I will instead simply offer my own definitions...
Defining Chaos and Complexity
In my opinion chaos is not primarily characterized by sensitivity to initial conditions; but by the emergence of decisions points and resultant sensitivity to choice. Chaos is simply unresolved internal adaptation to feedback, surfacing as turbulent diversity on the system level. So in the simplest possible terms, we could say that
- Chaos Theory is the study of Adaptive Instability and Unpredictable System Dynamics.
Complexity is simply the resolution of adaptive instability. Complexity is the result of the dynamic integration of adaptive entities, which ultimately results in complex macroscopic systems that have effectively organized themselves into existence. So in the simplest possible terms, we could say that
- Complexity Theory is the study of Adaptive Integration and Self-Designing Emergent Systems.
Below is a matrix of System Dynamics
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Integration for Free
So is any of this important? Absolutely it is! We live in a world of nonlinear dynamics, some of it compressible, most of it not. Physics and Chemistry generally deals with the compressible stuff, but Evolution and Emergent Complexity deals with the rest...
To understand Emergent Complexity is to understand how in any system of adaptive entities many diverse things can randomly occur and be reinforced; but furthermore, and much more importantly, it also tells us that “when we have the co-emergence of diversity, complex-integration comes for free!”...
This “Integration for Free” is evolution’s secret sauce. Evolution drives a constant integration of co-emergent diversity, which drives the next level of emergence. This constant interplay of integration and emergence means that evolution naturally ratchet-up complexity over time, and consequently “the complex whole is forever becoming greater than the sum of its less complex parts”...
Natural Creativity
Some years after its publication, the English philosopher Herbert Spencer summarized Darwin’s theory of evolution as being the “Survival of the Fittest”, but unfortunately this description, although popular, is somewhat misleading.
Evolution is not about the “Survival of the Fittest”; evolution is about the “Integration of the Optimally Adapted” (or more precisely, the optimal integration of optimally adapted diversity).
There is a subtle difference between these two descriptions; the former implies anti-synergetic competition, while the latter implies synergetic collaboration. When we look at the natural world It is obvious that Nature favours integrated diversity over uniformity. Mother Nature does not employ an asymmetric “winner takes all” strategy, but prefers a more chaotic, but ultimately more creative, strategy of “mutual reinforcement”...
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Accelerated Evolution
More and more in the early part of this 21st century we are being made to realize the creative power of complexity dynamics and its potential for system self-organization and emergence. In some arenas such as a multicultural society, the economy, technology, the arts, and even our daily lives, self-organization and emergence is a source of great diversity and creativity; but in other areas such as financial markets, terror networks, and the global climate it can be a source of great instability and destruction.
Over the last 400 years cause and effect has told us a lot about the dynamics of simple systems without feedback, but the dynamics of complex systems with feedback is a subject that is becoming increasingly relevant and important to understand.
In fact it could be reasonably argued that in our ever-more rapidly interconnecting world, we are likely fast approaching a phase transition in human development, a transition to a whole new age ; “An Age of Accelerated Evolution”. And this new age of accelerated evolution will not be dominated by the old linear paradigm of simple cause and effect, but by the new nonlinear paradigm of complex “Integration and Emergence”...
Algorithmic Search
The new physics of the 21st century and beyond, will be the physics of self-organizing systems and accelerated evolution. Understanding this “new physics of evolution” will be essential if we want some control over our ever-increasing inter-connected, co-dependent world. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is seen by many as a means of dealing with complexity and already AI is being used to get computers to learn, but ultimately this will turn out to be really rather small potatoes; the really big pay-off will come from getting computers to explore.
After studying chaos and complexity for so many years, it strikes me that the universe is not fundamentally (as it so often suggested) purely mathematical, but is more generally “algorithmic”. The process of evolution is, as Darwin himself more or less suggested, a continual process of the emergence of ever greater complexity; a process which would seem to suggests that Mother Nature is, in fact, ceaselessly executing a form of algorithmic search, constantly seeking out the most successful combinations of integrated diversity.
If this is indeed the case then it begs the question, “is what Nature finds random, or are some things more likely to be found than others?” Well, as it turns out, chaos suggests the latter...
Chaos has alerted us to an algorithmic universe that was previously hidden from our awareness; a nonlinear universe of “strange complex attractors”. The existence of such algorithmic attractors begs yet another question, “are there some, or even many, hidden gems (or dangers for that matter) in this nonlinear universe that we are as yet unaware of?”
In these early days of the 21st century, we are only just beginning to reach the computational power needed to address this question and although computational exploration of complex system behaviour is still an activity very much in its infancy, it is destined to grow to great importance because for good or bad, it is safe to say, that the 21st century will be the century that demonstrates the awesome Creative Power of Evolution and Complexity Dynamics...
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Kieran D. Kelly authors the blog “”, the blog that addresses “Applied Complexity” in the 21st century.
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Тема
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 A. Schwarzenegger: I’ve Given Up Meat For Humanity
[re: Mod vege]
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| Автор |
Mod vege (старо куче) |
| Публикувано | 02.10.16 00:04 |
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Terminator star and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger has urged members of the public to give up meat and take-up a plant-based diet “for the benefit of humanity”.
In partnership with James Cameron, Arnie is spreading the message, “less meat, less heat, more life”.
reports:
Recently, Arnold Schwarzenegger partnered with the Wild Conservation Society to raise awareness about the issue of poaching. In that video, he made it clear that poachers will pay for their crimes against humanity as killing African Elephants for their tusks is likely to result in their demise within the next decade.
Now, the former bodybuilder, governor of California, and actor has teamed up with James Cameron, director of Avatar and advocate for the vegan lifestyle, and both have a powerful message to share with the world.
In the video below, it is explained that animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation. The duo lends support for China’s new directive which urges citizens to cut down on meat consumption to prevent diseases of affluence, such as heart disease and diabetes.
The staunch environmentalists tell the camera:
“Less meat, less heat, more life.”
Youtube:
According to the documentary , livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. By utilizing land to grow crops that feed humans rather than cows, world hunger can be managed and the large amounts of methane produced by the livestock (which is 25-100 times more destructive than CO2 on a 20-year time frame) will be lessened.
It all begins with the little choices you make. Thankfully, eating healthy, plant-based food is easier now more than ever. Whether you purchase veggie burgers at the store or opt to make your own, there are a variety of ways you can please your palate while helping the planet.
Schwarzenegger correctly :
“You have to start slowly, you can’t just convince people to stop eating meat altogether. It’s a very big challenge, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done and you shouldn’t be on that campaign, but it’s a very hard thing to overcome.”
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