tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74893224990339915452024-03-12T23:16:30.210-07:00THE WOW! FACTORA never-ending collection of stories about breakthroughs in scienceWetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-25136435022218346262011-09-27T18:00:00.000-07:002011-09-27T18:04:29.546-07:00Tapuae meets technology<strong>By Jess Toomey<br /></strong>A primary school teacher is using modern satellite technology to pinpoint marine life on a section of Taranaki’s rocky shores.<br />West End School teacher Warren Smart is using Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate and record marine life at the Tapuae Marine Reserve near New Plymouth.<br />Warren, who has been teaching for 26 years, is doing this as part of a Teachers Fellowship in Primary Science for the last six months of this year.<br />He applied to the Royal Society of New Zealand for the fellowship early this year because he wanted to improve his science teaching.<br />“It’s good to be doing something different and learning new skills,” he says.<br />Warren is working alongside marine biologist Erin Zydervelt from the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) and scientist Elise Smith from the Ngamotu Marine Reserve Society.<br />The 48-year-old is doing a quadrat study in the reserve and is using GIS and GPS to help track wildlife and plants and will be putting data on the society’s online map.<br />“I’m hoping to add information about what can be found at the reserve so when other people go down there, these will act as a guide for them,” he says of the technology.<br />He has taken photos of an orange sponge that grows on the side of rock pools and can name different types of limpets and shellfish.<br />Warren is also using an underwater camera to capture different types of species living in rock pools and taking video and photos of the marine reserve.<br />On top of this, he is updating wiki posts, which is set up for other interested teachers and he has his own blog: http://tapuaecalling.blogspot.com/.<br />This keeps a regular update of what he’s doing. His latest post shows him viewing soft sediment samples under a microscope at the TRC.<br /><strong>Jess Toomey is a WITT journalism student doing STAR<br /><br /></strong>Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-53926743793485592862011-09-10T00:40:00.000-07:002011-09-10T01:33:15.823-07:00Getting hooked on exercise<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B1KaK6rj2ZGmMlqnDHkcbQnh0L0ISovYX85l2ww-lH1MSNPvXL8RAGqd6sINTnBDfpYe0T2g5hO3IazAqduFWK0r-MBoqvCFtOQyS_d3kHcEsEcMP-PT4Q9igQ13w-sa7WC4WqaYsnQ/s1600/walking.jpg"><strong><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 183px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 275px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650639214361947410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B1KaK6rj2ZGmMlqnDHkcbQnh0L0ISovYX85l2ww-lH1MSNPvXL8RAGqd6sINTnBDfpYe0T2g5hO3IazAqduFWK0r-MBoqvCFtOQyS_d3kHcEsEcMP-PT4Q9igQ13w-sa7WC4WqaYsnQ/s320/walking.jpg" /></strong></a><strong>By Virginia Winder</strong><br />It’s spring in New Zealand and like the lambs, we’re leaping to life.<br />Many of you may have started hitting the walkways and roads to slough off the winter kilos to get fit and feel good.<br />But how on earth do you continue that exercise kick so it becomes part of your life?<br />Try hitting the books and browsing sports magazines to get inspiration.<br />Among the dozens of promising titles in New Plymouth’s Puke Ariki library one stands out: Fighting <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipeTaeuWUTs">Globesity</a> – a practical guide to personal health and global sustainability by Phillip (son of Les and Colleen) and Jackie Mills.<br />“Sustainability starts with your own body,” they write. “If we can start to win the battle against obesity and inactive ageing, then many of the trillions of dollars spent on chronic illness can be diverted into more important endeavours such as saving rainforests and subsidising sustainable energy programmes.”<br />Over a picture of large man, are the words: “Like an overweight person, as a race we are simply consuming more than we can healthily maintain. This over-consumption is not only bad for our bodies but also bad for the world.”<br />Before we move on to tips on getting going, staying motivated and sustaining exercise for life, let’s have a look at some of the scary facts recorded in <a href="http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/portrait-of-health">A Portrait of Health: Key Results from the 2006/2007 New Zealand Health Survey:<br /></a>• One in four adults were obese (26.5%).<br />• One in five children (aged 2 to 14 years) were overweight (20.9%) and one in 12 (8.3%) were obese.<br />• One in seven adults (13.6%) were taking medication for high blood pressure. This equates to 425,500 adults.<br />• One in 12 adults (8.4%) were taking medication for high blood cholesterol.<br />• One in 20 adults (5.2%) had been diagnosed with ischaemic heart disease.<br />• One in 20 adults (5.0%) had doctor-diagnosed diabetes (excluding diabetes during pregnancy). This equates to 157,100 adults.<br />• Half of all adults (50.5%) met the definition of being regularly physically active. Overall, one in seven (15.0%) adults were sedentary, reporting less than 30 minutes of physical activity in the previous week.<br />Those statistics are people and they are putting huge pressure on the New Zealand health system. But much of the above can be remedied through healthy eating and exercise. It sounds so easy, but in our time-poor, fast-food, cheap-fizz, take-the-car society; it’s become the hardest thing many people face.<br />Yes, what we eat is an issue, but today we are dealing with how to get going and keep moving.<br />This is the tough part.<br />Experts say that 25% of people who start a new exercise programme quit within the first week and another 25% quit within the first six months.<br />And the most frequent reason for giving up is lack of time.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaldC5RYz9DB2Ob2n1iq-RsLV_-Ul6oajTNS28BINcyhhix6jGu5qEkWuQ78MMh1Ph9JDqz2xuNpeKVuUqG5WUjk-WzKGI_mAYfqTpbbejfB2nZZpA-1C8xbUi-0pmGCUPFvzqz2PHOc/s1600/swimming.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 128px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650639542769217090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaldC5RYz9DB2Ob2n1iq-RsLV_-Ul6oajTNS28BINcyhhix6jGu5qEkWuQ78MMh1Ph9JDqz2xuNpeKVuUqG5WUjk-WzKGI_mAYfqTpbbejfB2nZZpA-1C8xbUi-0pmGCUPFvzqz2PHOc/s200/swimming.jpg" /></a>So, make exercise as important as your job, whether you’re a mother or a corporate boss.<br />But first, you need to choose a sport – and that’s anything that takes your fancy. You can run, bike, dance, swim and zumba your way to fitness, or you can decide to take up yoga, tai chi, tennis, basketball or touch rugby – the list is long.<br />Then you need to set a goal and here, there are two schools of thoughts.<br />One is to set realistic goals and the other is to dream big.<br />The Mills opt for the Big Hairy Audacious Goals, a term coined by Good to Great author Jim Collins.<br />“We believe that everyone should set major fitness goals; powerful aims that create a much more holistic impetus to exercise,” they say. “There’s a power in allowing yourself to dream, in visualising yourself at your very best. It can be incredibly inspiring and motivating. Great coaches use this technique very effectively.”<br />They also say you may never reach your goal, but you will get fit and have fun on the journey.<br />Next, work out a training schedule and set small, manageable goals that you can attain. It could be walking further, adding a hill or steps in to your routine, running faster than before, doing more press ups or increasing the daily steps on your pedometer.<br />Start a training diary and write down your plans and goals, then record your daily results. This will help you see how far you have come.<br />The magazines and books (there’s a dozen of each at my elbow) have pages and pages of advice.<br />Here are 20 top tips:<br />1. Exercise with friends, so that this becomes not just fitness time but friendship time. My sister has been in a walking/running group for more than 20 years and these women support each other in all areas of their lives.<br />2. Wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day. This will not only tell you how active you are, but also give you a goal to do more.<br />3. We are what we think. Counter your negative inner talk with positive mantras, like: “Go for it,” and “I can do it”. Or have a key word that stokes your fire, like: “Warrior,” or “power”.<br />4. Find a mentor to inspire you, give you advice and ongoing encouragement. Or you could employ a personal fitness trainer to get you started and keep you on track.<br />5. Watch a sports event live and imagine you are out there too – and you can be, will be.<br />6. Upwards and onwards. When you’re out walking, cycling or running, don’t just go for the flat. Hills will improve your cardio fitness, muscle power and speed, so embrace those upward hauls as your friends. Wherever possible, take stairs.<br />7. Imagine the rewards of getting fit. It could be weight loss, better health, taking part in or winning a race, or you could organise a reward. This could be something like a trip to Paris if you reach a weight goal or complete a marathon. Remember to celebrate the small steps on the way too.<br />8. Find your inner motivation. If you’re competitive, make your goal a race. If your life is out of control, think of sport as your way of regaining balance in your life. For others it might be the need to beat depression – regular workouts help your brain release those natural “feel-good” chemicals.<br />9. Small steps and strokes. Start your exercise programme gently so that you don’t injure yourself, or overdo it so much you hurt and can’t face the thought of doing it again. Also, if you start off swimming 40 lengths of your community pool, what are you going to do the next day – what are can you aim for? So start with 10 lengths and build up.<br />10. Have your gear all ready to go. If you’re going to train in the morning, have all your clothes, shoes, or togs, towel and goggles out so you just need to change and head out. You could also do this if you are exercising later in the day.<br />11. Make a pact. Find a friend or family member to go on this fitness journey with you. Talk about your goals, your rules for getting out there, including exercising in the rain and organise a regular time to meet up. You’re less likely to let down a friend than yourself. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouMfH4vKJbjwZDUpYAoiBAFm7qBRAoQ6EdxqFKxF1hMkenX8Vj2fN45rRId5KjyqqaZZ86GZabkjqfNP0GkRfnJ27VZ-6yqpsO-_v-8ugWdLXrGmAMIMmdNn1idt7v7crLSUR8h5O868/s1600/biking.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650639877895725410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouMfH4vKJbjwZDUpYAoiBAFm7qBRAoQ6EdxqFKxF1hMkenX8Vj2fN45rRId5KjyqqaZZ86GZabkjqfNP0GkRfnJ27VZ-6yqpsO-_v-8ugWdLXrGmAMIMmdNn1idt7v7crLSUR8h5O868/s200/biking.jpg" /></a><br />13. Variety is the spice of sport. If you’re running, cycling or walking, take different routes and stride out with different people. Or mix it up. Go swimming one day, biking the next, head to the gym for a weight workout and then take a Zumba class.<br />14. Be inspired. Read stories about people who have gone from fat to thin, from slug to slogger, from loser to winner.<br />15. Work at making it a habit. Develop a routine to exercise at the same time every day and do it. For those workaholics out there, consider exercise as work and put it in your diary or timetable. Sport will increase your brain power and giving you thinking time.<br />16. Plan holidays that have a physical element to them. This could be a skiing, canoeing, surfing, tramping or biking holiday. Explore New Zealand and the world the natural way.<br />17. Move whenever you can. Walk or bike to work or into town. In fact, ditch the car for a month unless you have to travel more than 10km. Don’t scoot around your office sitting on your wheeled chair, get up and walk. Wander round the house during TV ad breaks (but don’t head to the fridge or pantry).<br />18. Get a dog. Not only do you have a constant companion, but you have a barking, whining, nagging reason to go for a walk or run out every single day. Who can resist those pleading “take me out” eyes?<br />19. Have fun. Exercise needs to be something that you enjoy and look forward to. So listen to music or an audio book when you’re out. Choose upbeat music that will get you going or a thrilling novel that will inspire you to do an extra block to find out what happens next.<br />20. Go public. In 2009, my son, husband and I pledged to swim in the sea every day of the year and I wrote about it in the newspaper. When strangers started asking how the swimming was going, there was no backing out. Come hell or high water we were going to do it – and we did. Now I’ve started a blog and gone extremely public about my own fitness and life-balance goals.<br />In the end, it’s all about keeping on keeping on, say Phillip and Jackie Mills.<br />Never give up. “Coax and cajole yourself through those difficult early stages,” they write. “If you fail, don’t worry; failing is part of learning to succeed. Keep trying; you’ll get there in the end. It will be worth it.”Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-27540360667034193542011-09-02T20:41:00.000-07:002011-09-02T21:23:38.561-07:00Stress of busyness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6xBB8SeQXOFweRIKHffmu-rXgjeHFDYUmmr7PlYq9D1NfTD8u0wO2Jtl8vuWxEpwz9wiBhP-vLfY0lQdf7KI6RNfXdpI3tKAa_zzlPstZrIt4M22ba5uPkpy1EwkGJZiIA315OFENRE/s1600/Stress+ball.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 136px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647982680146908930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6xBB8SeQXOFweRIKHffmu-rXgjeHFDYUmmr7PlYq9D1NfTD8u0wO2Jtl8vuWxEpwz9wiBhP-vLfY0lQdf7KI6RNfXdpI3tKAa_zzlPstZrIt4M22ba5uPkpy1EwkGJZiIA315OFENRE/s320/Stress+ball.jpg" /></a><strong>By Virginia Winder
<br /></strong>If you’re too busy to read this story, then this article is for you.
<br />So stop for a moment, take 15 minutes and read about how your ultra-busyness is not sustainable.
<br />You see, in this online, mobile technology, tweet-a-thought, text-contact, GPS world, we never switch off. Literally, we are bombarded with information, thoughts, friend requests and work expectations at every waking moment.
<br />Not only are we running out of natural resources, many of us are running out of time. That’s down time, quiet time, family time, thinking time, home time, exercise time and time out.
<br />If having a shower is your only peace time in your daily race, then you need to have a serious think about your life, especially if you’re working in excess of eight-hour days and also find yourself labouring away at weekends.
<br />Yes, you’re out there, you 14-hour-a-day sloggers, who can’t stop thinking about work and whose relationships, body and mind are starting to fall apart.
<br />Even those of you who are teetering that way, should pay attention – if you spend all your days working then you’re in danger of burnout or, as one friend found out, break down.
<br />At dinner with friends the other night, I quipped that snapping an Achilles tendon was her body’s way of slowing her down and perhaps that was the message to be learnt.
<br />Her reply was swift: “No, it showed me I need to speed up. I spent 10 years sitting behind a desk and now I exercise every single day.”
<br />My friend now lives by the “use it or lose it” principle spelled out in the book by the same name by Peter Snell and Garth Gilmour – but sustainable exercise story will come later.
<br />For now, we are looking at business, or in this case busyness, and finding out about making more time for yourself without failing in your job.
<br />To do this I took time out and went to the library at <a href="http://www.pukeariki.com/Libraries/Libraries.aspx">Puke Ariki</a> and borrowed 13 books, many of them with tantalising titles, including <a href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/">The 4-Hour Workweek</a> (Timothy Ferris), The Power of Less (<a href="http://zenhabits.net/">Leo Babauta</a>) and The Great Office Detox – minimise stress and maximise job satisfaction (<a href="http://www.idealhomemagazine.co.uk/expert/cleaning/Dawna_Walters_10_tips_to_clearing_the_clutter_in_your_home_office_article_108679.html">Dawna Walter</a>).
<br />Let’s get some advice from the experts.
<br />Babauta kindly begins his book with a comparison between two reporters. One goes for high volume, putting out about 30 short, fairly limited articles per week. This reporter’s high work rate is noticed and earns praise from the editor.
<br />The other decides to go for just one story, but chooses a subject that will “knock your socks off”. She brainstorms, thinks, researches, conducts a wide variety of interviews, spends time writing it, polishing her work and checking all the facts. The story is an award winner.
<br />“The first reporter was thinking high-volume, but short-term. The second reporter focused on less, but did much more over the long term,” writes Babauta. “That’s the power of less.”
<br />People can choose between doing a lot and opting for high impact. The latter is definitely more sustainable and can lead to long-term contributions to society, your career and your bank balance.
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2ifk7x_qPDkuGzWNJVK3GGpK13WePBCW8fVkznsFo38cFGRHM_Z4LMtPP8fOgAxDm3Tn_49dtqooBBLz9bpJvKYQ5GCgJkkA4YPcwD8gt6W3t2NI6ouAPlhgxCQgiEUevb0CorgZVt4/s1600/slow+down.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 259px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647978196171999106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2ifk7x_qPDkuGzWNJVK3GGpK13WePBCW8fVkznsFo38cFGRHM_Z4LMtPP8fOgAxDm3Tn_49dtqooBBLz9bpJvKYQ5GCgJkkA4YPcwD8gt6W3t2NI6ouAPlhgxCQgiEUevb0CorgZVt4/s320/slow+down.jpg" /></a>Babauta, a freelance writer from Guam, recommends changing habits slowly (in fact he recommends slowing down in general) and try adopting these, one a month, for a year.
<br />1. Set your three Most Important Tasks (MITs) each morning.
<br />2. Single-task.
<br />3. Process your in-box to empty.
<br />3. Check email just twice a day.
<br />5. Exercise every day.
<br />6. Work while disconnected, with no distractions.
<br />7. Follow a morning routine of your own making. This could involve watching the sunrise with a cup of tea or coffee at hand, meditating, doing yoga, going for a walk, writing, choosing your MITs, reviewing goals, having a gratitude session.
<br />8. Eat more fruit and veggies every day.
<br />9. Keep your desk decluttered.
<br />10. Make a short list of your four to five most important commitments, asking yourself what do you love most and what is most important to you? Say no to commitments and requests that aren’t on your short list.
<br />11. Declutter your house for 15 minutes a day.
<br />12. Stick to a five-sentence limit for emails.
<br />In her book, Get a Life, Not a Job, work psychologist <a href="http://www.paulacaligiuri.com/">Paula Caligiuri</a> offers advice that our parents told us, including eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep.
<br />If you are working every waking moment, then it’s highly likely you are failing on these three as well. Trust me, this way of life is not sustainable and you will suffer from mental or physical burnout, whichever comes first.
<br />Caligiuri also recommends seeking volunteer opportunities, reducing energy-sapping work-related cynicism (or get a new job) and taking a holiday. “The downtime can increase your energy, creativity and productivity,” she says of the latter.
<br />She also doesn’t believe in time management. “You need to rethink your relationship with time. You need to fall in love with the 24 hours you have each day. Love your time. Respect your time. Protect your time.”
<br />We all know people who do this and admire them for it. I have friends that only work four day weeks, others who have one afternoon that is entirely there’s, and many who will do absolutely no work at the weekend. Ever.
<br />Dawna Walter deals with the greatest time waster of them all: Procrastination.
<br />“The obvious way to conquer procrastination is to tackle the things you hate doing first thing each day and get them out of the way,” she writes. “You will release all the anxiety that may have built up about them and can then get to grips with the remainder of your day without worry.”
<br />Easy to say, of course, especially because procrastination is often caused by fear of failure or being uncertain what to do. People can simply get paralysed by perfection, Walter says.
<br />To get over this, get used to losing. She recommends playing a game – bowls, cards, charades or trivia – with friends or family once a week and viewing it as therapy. “There will always be someone who can play better, faster or have the luck of the draw. You will soon discover that the world doesn’t come to an end as a result of not being the best.”
<br />That in turn, will help you overcome fear of failure and break through the procrastination barrier.
<br />Entrepreneur Timothy Ferris lives by the 80:20 law propagated by Italian Vilfredo Pareto (1848 to 1923).
<br />“Pareto’s Law can be summarised as follows: 80 per cent of the outputs result from 20 per cent of the inputs.”
<br />When Ferris came across Pareto’s law, he had been working 15-hour days, seven days a week, was feeling completely overwhelmed and generally helpless. “Faced with certain burnout or giving Pareto’s ideas a trial run I opted for the latter.”
<br />Ferris put aside an entire day to ask himself:
<br />1. Which 20 per cent of sources are causing 80 per cent of my problems and unhappiness?
<br />2. Which 20 per cent of sources are resulting in 80 per cent of my desired outcomes and happiness?
<br />When he answered those questions and then acted on eliminating problem customers and focusing on what he did want, Ferris’ life changed forever for the better. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqlDsgJsuv90YibLmI61NZm72TT-NZJvXluid9mNQtV0f96i7ZgKf6IYNSTEEvHVcqIipjUWTCj-Uk7K3qPxsnS7ETV-4XPLRw-NAaRoXpFYw3Ykbrtr3ABsIt5_-8xvjeL_VB3T-npc/s1600/imagesCAGP26GA.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647980559930229762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqlDsgJsuv90YibLmI61NZm72TT-NZJvXluid9mNQtV0f96i7ZgKf6IYNSTEEvHVcqIipjUWTCj-Uk7K3qPxsnS7ETV-4XPLRw-NAaRoXpFYw3Ykbrtr3ABsIt5_-8xvjeL_VB3T-npc/s200/imagesCAGP26GA.jpg" /></a>
<br /><a href="http://www.robertholden.org/">Robert Holden’s</a> book Success Intelligence: Timeless Wisdom for a Manic Society is also a life changer.
<br />He talks of the need to join The Space Programme.
<br />One day a highly successful lawyer who suffered from a nervous breakdown came to see Holden, the founder of The Happiness Project. “He told me: ‘I curse the day I installed my car phone. My car was my thinking space. I got all my best ideas driving to work. It was also my place to unwind. I used to listen to Vivaldi on the freeway home. But my car phone made my car into another office and I became extremely busy and I lost my space’.”
<br />Holden says we all need space to think and simply to be empty, so we can be filled again. He is also an advocate for less is more: Less urgent – more wise; less activity – more vision; fewer hours – more success; less effort – more imagination; less struggle – more ease; less waste – more efficiency; less stress – more peace; and less ego – more God (or spirituality).
<br />We will finish this story on being sustainable in your work practices with Holden’s wise words on simplicity. “The decision to simplify things is a gift because it returns you to your essence and to what you most value. Greater simplicity helps to avoid excess busyness and unnecessary effort. It increases effectiveness and it welcomes grace and inspiration. It also preserves your sanity. Talk time to reflect on how you could simplify your life and work to enjoy greater success.”
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<br /><strong></strong>This story was first published in the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/">Taranaki Daily News </a>on 30/8/11
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<br />Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-40175500517397683952009-05-08T16:09:00.000-07:002009-05-08T17:00:42.392-07:00Living the now of mindfulness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwstzViTaM-ZsMSSOrw9rzebPsUdmnEgLB_OlD3ZIm7VHNo5jeILVXY-vDBJBwPhMI5nbxin4kPUz0_H0YWpQFqzpNMinPu6b054J-d63bcxOi-zIOvB_Lq3XZ1WhESw4q5epzV3XDCIw/s1600-h/Tasman+Sea.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333601227170941890" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwstzViTaM-ZsMSSOrw9rzebPsUdmnEgLB_OlD3ZIm7VHNo5jeILVXY-vDBJBwPhMI5nbxin4kPUz0_H0YWpQFqzpNMinPu6b054J-d63bcxOi-zIOvB_Lq3XZ1WhESw4q5epzV3XDCIw/s320/Tasman+Sea.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#339999;"><strong>By Virginia Winder</strong><br /></span>The Tasman Sea is roaring like an angry <a href="http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/UnderstandingTheNaturalWorld/Taniwha/en">taniwha</a> and the woman walking barefoot just beyond its surging clutches notices everything.<br />She inhales salt air tossed on a westerly wind, feels soft cool sand suck at her feet and watches a black dog tear along the beach, tongue lolling from a canine grin.<br />Then, madly, she plunges into the sea, focused only on each wave that rushes at her. Then she dives under a big wall of tumbling white froth and holds on to the sand, feeling the power of water pass over her.<br />She pops up, takes a deep gulp of air and faces the next wave.<br />For her, nothing else exists but her body and the sea. Every worry is gone, every looming bill, every job waiting to be done, every smudge of sorrow, all gone, left on dry land in what feels like another life.<br />This woman is in an absolute state of mindfulness, a concept that is finding favour with university scientists from Boston to Dunedin.<br />Earlier this year, a story in The Wow! Factor detailed <a href="http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:3Cj3tnJEY14J:nutrition.otago.ac.nz/__data/assets/file/0006/3858/DTP_Katzer.pdf+Otago+university+mindfulness+weight+research+Caroline+Horwath&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk">research from Otago University </a>that showed how women taught relaxation techniques and mindfulness had better relationships with food and, after two years, had maintained their weight or even shed a few kilos – all without dieting.<br />Study co-author <a href="http://nutrition.otago.ac.nz/staff/horwath">Caroline Horwath</a>, from the university’s human nutrition department, used <a href="http://www.mindbodywellbeing.co.nz/">relaxation response training</a> modelled on the <a href="http://www.mbmi.org/home/">Harvard Mind/Body Medical Institute’s</a> symptom reduction programme. Mindfulness was a big component of this.<br />Now, in Taranaki, a man from India is teaching mental health clients this new and yet ancient way of being – and it’s changing their lives.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hbowuriQ-Vadhz-YLicfsahwRhHJcauiGWoXd1Ri0prvI21UFERG6P6VK6yGwaMRoaSk2DwOiyC5Lf7UWGmL2kM7grLAYw-49Qbs4NLqRTQTy18gS3VUh32Lfy79FnoVObrP1G-FmV8/s1600-h/Samir+Heble.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333598222464086114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hbowuriQ-Vadhz-YLicfsahwRhHJcauiGWoXd1Ri0prvI21UFERG6P6VK6yGwaMRoaSk2DwOiyC5Lf7UWGmL2kM7grLAYw-49Qbs4NLqRTQTy18gS3VUh32Lfy79FnoVObrP1G-FmV8/s200/Samir+Heble.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.tdhb.org.nz/news/latest_news.shtml">Dr Samir Heble</a>, 37, works for the Taranaki District Health Board and is one of the youngest clinical directors of mental health in New Zealand.<br />He came to New Zealand seven years ago from Goa in India. “I was seeing the different types of illnesses in the Western cultures and I felt the treatments we were doing were helping some but not everybody.”<br />He thought something from the Eastern cultures might be helpful and decided to run courses on mindfulness, a philosophy that he lives, breathes and writes about.<br />“Mindfulness is a concept that derived from Buddhism more than 2500 years ago. The basic principle is radical acceptance.”<br />However, he makes it clear that he is not a Buddhist and the programme is not based on religion.<br />“What mindfulness basically means is living in the present moment and accepting every moment is unique and has a special grandeur,” he says.<br />He acknowledges that both the past and future are important. “However, a lot of the time we get so engrossed in the past or engrossed in thinking about the future that we fail to relish and enjoy the present moment.”<br />In his courses, Dr Heble teaches how to focus on the now. Those who take his courses aren’t in crisis mode, but are heading towards recovery or are well and need tools to stay healthy.<br />“I tell the clients that this is one of the truths in life, but I don’t tell them it is the truth.”<br />He believes there are many other ways of living and if people have already found useful tools or treatments, Dr Heble doesn’t tell them to give these up. “I don’t tell them they should stop medicines or other therapies like <a href="http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfoforall/treatments/cbt.aspx">CBT </a>(cognitive behaviour therapy) because all that is equally as important. It (mindfulness) is another asset to what they already have.” <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FXNTDYZhAOzjbAt15-c1c5nw3WIK1ShaaAUhSb3jZSDrwQ9kgv95g0EyscQyKOIsO2vje9a0tc4Xa1jRifrSYE6foDRGpO6YAXY5kpACMbslzkYYHDgU8PMstzrfYp9PO8CGF45ipgM/s1600-h/Guest+house.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333606576493203234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 162px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FXNTDYZhAOzjbAt15-c1c5nw3WIK1ShaaAUhSb3jZSDrwQ9kgv95g0EyscQyKOIsO2vje9a0tc4Xa1jRifrSYE6foDRGpO6YAXY5kpACMbslzkYYHDgU8PMstzrfYp9PO8CGF45ipgM/s200/Guest+house.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />From a mindfulness perspective, a person’s mind is like a guest house. “All our thoughts, emotions, feelings, wishes, hopes, desires, ambitions, dreams, aspirations, projects, disappointments, pleasures are guests. Some of these are wanted guests and some are unwanted guests.”<br />People tend to only welcome the wanted guests and not the unwanted guests, like anger, frustration, grief. “That’s what creates the unease or the suffering, because the more we won’t take those unwanted guests in, the more they keep knocking at the door.”<br />Dr Heble teaches his clients to acknowledge both the joys and pains of life – the wanted and unwanted guests. “As soon as the unwanted are acknowledged, they tend to knock less and people will feel more at ease.”<br />Then he teaches people how to let go – that’s where a concept he calls “radical acceptance” comes to the fore.<br />In the first session he asks the group two questions – what is happiness and how do we find it.<br />The answers, 99 per cent of the time, refer to finding happiness via external forces – through pets, nice partners, good jobs, wealth and more. “From a mindfulness point of view, happiness doesn’t depend on external conditions; it’s a state of mind.”<br />It’s important for people to deal with thoughts and feelings in a non-judgemental way and remember that thoughts are just thoughts and are not necessarily truths.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmRZ_dEn3Nj5gowW6jdu93b1T508P-fex7rJtP1BzXQkuHv-0n1QrmVlaIymzSeZOPWDadce6-GMRuheKv5Bb6cBmjgXpQ3lcozde9MeXh92S8tC5vrXY2JUDzDnjKbP4QfBhsJsqJUk/s1600-h/balloons.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333604901726890306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmRZ_dEn3Nj5gowW6jdu93b1T508P-fex7rJtP1BzXQkuHv-0n1QrmVlaIymzSeZOPWDadce6-GMRuheKv5Bb6cBmjgXpQ3lcozde9MeXh92S8tC5vrXY2JUDzDnjKbP4QfBhsJsqJUk/s320/balloons.jpg" border="0" /></a>“In some people’s lives their minds are like a balloon. If the wind is strong it goes in this particular direction and if the wind is stronger this way it goes in this direction,” he says, moving his head from side to side.<br />“No matter how strong the wind is we should be able to keep in one place.”<br />Dr Heble also turns to nature for some powerful lessons about the impermanence of life. “Whatever rises will fall. There are no exceptions.”<br />In his courses, he illustrates points with poetry and often uses his own works. “My grandfather was one of the national poets of India.”<br />He is talking of <a href="http://goapoetry.googlepages.com/bakibabborkarhomepage">Balkrishna Bhagwant Borkar</a> who, in 1967, received the Padmashree, an Indian national award, for services to literature and education.<br />People doing Dr Heble’s courses are also encouraged to write their own poetry or find words that inspire them.<br />The first workshop was held in the middle of last year, the second in November and December and the latest one began this month. The third course is being facilitated by the health board’s community adviser, Nic Magrath.<br />“It’s a six-week course, but mindfulness is a life-long process,” Dr Heble says.<br />There are about 20 people in the group and many have found the lessons helpful.<br />One patient says it has transformed her life. “I feel empowered and in control of my life for the first time in six years.”<br />The woman, who cannot be named because of privacy reasons, says the techniques are simple to use. “It’s made a huge difference to me. I use the skills I’ve learnt every day to cope with situations.”<br />She says big crowds no longer cause her anxiety. “I can go to the supermarket and out to dinner with friends – I never used to be able to do those things.”<br />Dr Heble says another woman who used to be lonely, no longer feels that way because mindfulness has taught her that she is part of nature.<br />“We are all made up of molecules and are part of the great cosmos,” he says. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMM1S4SHKFf_G91ar_xYdehk436dbJH2oa3qN907QQpqJD2k9MJd-4qXQ27KnTIkktCzHT9VhtSmdrOBD8be6HcblsRgntJ9nErsiudOIKHdXZICzJLfjbuFvgDFlocIDGCEwRmLoTJQ/s1600-h/Cosmos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333603533885756754" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMM1S4SHKFf_G91ar_xYdehk436dbJH2oa3qN907QQpqJD2k9MJd-4qXQ27KnTIkktCzHT9VhtSmdrOBD8be6HcblsRgntJ9nErsiudOIKHdXZICzJLfjbuFvgDFlocIDGCEwRmLoTJQ/s200/Cosmos.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />“When I told that to one of the ladies in an earlier group, all the loneliness went away from her life. Each time she starts feeling lonely she looks out the window at the sun and the mountain and she feels part of the whole big universe and she’s not depressed now,” he says.<br />Mindfulness is about letting go of self, of ego and all expectations.<br />“One must hope and dream, and have aspirations, but do not have expectations because expectations are not always met and expectations are the root cause of most suffering,” he says.<br />But mostly, it’s about focusing on the moment.<br />The woman in the sea is deeper now.<br />She watches a wave rushing towards her and turns ready to ride it. Just at the instant before it breaks she begins swimming furiously towards land, feeling the sea lift her and throw her forward in a rush of white water and speed.<br />And she’s flying, lost in a pure moment of mindfulness.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-64817987767844463632009-05-07T15:20:00.000-07:002009-05-08T16:09:43.403-07:00Freaky Facts to keep in mind<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TWgOCy2xAmZ_nSEdzS46bPG4gr4wrRnvTbjPZfUVzB-YtGSTHT9LbBHgu19wDcQLH507RegvCC1x7cOdYc2P4GyZUqj27dVvOB65c5efeQ-Cn-y3JnSqG5wemtyRPBZcy6nljONRRps/s1600-h/meditation.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333594080440727026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TWgOCy2xAmZ_nSEdzS46bPG4gr4wrRnvTbjPZfUVzB-YtGSTHT9LbBHgu19wDcQLH507RegvCC1x7cOdYc2P4GyZUqj27dVvOB65c5efeQ-Cn-y3JnSqG5wemtyRPBZcy6nljONRRps/s320/meditation.jpg" border="0" /></a>1. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness">Mindfulness</a> is being used in research programmes around the world to help people improve their physical and mental health. It’s been trialled for many things, including the treatment of fibromyalgia, stress reduction, helping people to stop smoking and for cancer outpatients with sleep, mood, stress and fatigue symptoms.<br /><br />2. One of the world’s leading advocates of mindfulness is <a href="http://www.umassmed.edu/behavmed/faculty/kabat-zinn.cfm">Jon Kabat-Zinn</a>.<br />He is the founding director of the <a href="http://www.umassmed.edu/content.aspx?id=41252">Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness </a>in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He teaches mindfulness meditation as a technique to help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain and illness. “The present is the only time that any of us have to be alive, to know anything, to perceive, to learn, to act, to change, to heal.”<br /><br />3. <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/mindfulness_improves_quality_of_life">Harvard Medical School </a>is also backing mindfulness. It says mounting evidence shows mindfulness can increase life enjoyment, expand the ability to cope with illness, and possibly improve physical and emotional health. It says one of the more popular ways to practice mindfulness is through meditation, which involves sitting or lying down quietly for 20 or 30 minutes, once or twice a day.<br /><br />4. The practice of mindfulness is being taught and researched at universities all around the world. Even Bangor University in northern Wales now has the <a href="http://www.bangor.ac.uk/mindfulness/index.php.en">Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice</a>. It is committed to the relief of suffering and the promotion of wellbeing through the application of mindfulness-based approaches.<br /><br />5. Mindfulness has been integrated with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to help people with mental illness. Researchers say the <a href="http://mindfulness.net.au/">integrated treatment</a> is a paradigm shift in psychotherapy.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-51897311071539061272009-02-02T15:41:00.000-08:002009-02-02T22:14:01.669-08:00NZ pigeons flock to park<strong>By Virginia Winder<br /></strong><br />Pukekura Park is the New Zealand pigeon capital of the world. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2ETICGYUfcQRSCywenQkA1_tSjlBTRFS6OEjD7yDyyEI01cyXcB9vKsb3WrP0ykVGQ71lZ9d0fyoI470ppM10Td8P85AdseWPYnNeZU7p_lzwzg0_CMYvss-VXj0JgDudDiTjRo55yU/s1600-h/pigeon+small.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBwUIZ9L1lX43SnGcj-wubAqaUoJZnc_acgQqTGVwiY2QiPQmz1C2FX1_0KsGeBqcOCD8tBoys2cMu27MPAP1H9zZi4IyxWdjcTDwPNWgYJvkuGF02tCI8SomDEbALK35JBp6WPtP7zU/s1600-h/pigeon+small.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298449787084666738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBwUIZ9L1lX43SnGcj-wubAqaUoJZnc_acgQqTGVwiY2QiPQmz1C2FX1_0KsGeBqcOCD8tBoys2cMu27MPAP1H9zZi4IyxWdjcTDwPNWgYJvkuGF02tCI8SomDEbALK35JBp6WPtP7zU/s200/pigeon+small.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />So says Taranaki ornithologist David Medway who has been taking count of the plump birds that swoop-whir overhead like miniature Hercules helicopters.<br />“We have got more pigeons in New Plymouth city than any other city in New Zealand. I think I’m pretty safe in saying that because there are some cities like Hamilton that don’t have any pigeons and they are busy trying to attract them back.”<br />The native pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), also known as kereru, has become firmly established in the New Plymouth park and Medway believes there are about 20 birds in residence.<br />“It’s because of the variety of food that’s provided by the vegetation in the park year round that we are able to maintain such a good population.”<br />Also, the pigeons’ major foes – possums, ship rats (Rattus rattus) and stoats – are either in such low proportions in the park they don’t pose problems, or simply not there at all.<br />Perhaps that’s why they don’t venture far from the park boundaries.<br />During the day some of the pigeons will make flying visits to neighbouring properties, but generally, they don’t go far.<br />“But they tend to go back into the park – that’s their home base,” says the <a href="http://www.pukekura.org.nz/">Friends of Pukekura </a>Park vice-president.<br />When the <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/">Department of Conservation</a> surveyed the park three or four years ago, they discovered the birds stuck close. “They were somewhat surprised at the little movement of pigeons here compared to elsewhere. In other areas, such as Invercargill, where they did their studies, pigeons travel kilometres to get to food sources, but they don’t need to do that here.”<br />Medway can back this up through his own observations.<br />“I embarked on a definitive study in Pukekura Park about 10 years ago,” says the retired lawyer.<br />He visits the park three to four times a week, for a few hours at a time, quietly, methodically, recording his observations of the birdlife.<br />During his studies, Medway has found that not only is the 52-hectare botanical garden (including the adjoining Brooklands Park) the native pigeon capital; it’s also the tui centre of the world. But that’s another story.<br />He also notes that pigeons are not easy to spot because after feeding they perch silently in trees for a couple of hours. “You might actually walk under a dozen pigeons and not even know they are there.”<br />Pigeons are herbivores, but they don’t just go for native plants.<br />That’s why <a href="http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/naturalWorld/pukekura.htm">Pukekura Park</a>, which boasts a wide botanical collection of both home-ground plants and exotics, is such a bird magnet.<br />Because of this, Medway has had to become an amateur botanist and learn about the plants that lure the birds.<br />One of his most surprising discoveries is the fact that New Zealand pigeons are partial to magnolias. But not all varieties.<br />Medway says he’s never seen a pigeon eating a Magnolia grandiflora, or any other evergreen magnolia.<br />But he has seen them dining on the deciduous, especially sargentiana robusta, stellata and soulangeana magnolias. “The big old historic magnolia on the Brooklands lawn is Magnolia soulangeana.”<br />“The part the pigeons eat depends on the season. They eat the leaf buds and new leaves, flower buds and flowers of quite a variety of magnolias and magnolia cultivars.”<br />To make this clear here, the New Zealand pigeon doesn’t like all deciduous magnolia. Just like a person picking from a box of chocolates, the birds have their favourites.<br />Medway doesn’t know why they prefer some and ignore others.<br />“My studies show that from about June to October the pigeons in the park are feeding primarily on the foliage and flowers of a variety of different magnolias,” he says.<br />“That’s pretty unique in New Zealand because I know of nowhere else where pigeons rely to such an extent on magnolia. That’s one thing special about here.”<br />In fact, he hasn’t found any mention of pigeons feeding on magnolia anywhere else in the New Zealand and so plans to publish a scientific paper on the topic.<br />The pigeons do eat other plants, he says.<br />“In the later periods, they also rely on the new leaves of kowhai,” he says.<br />Bird watching is about being open-minded. “You’re learning all the time.”<br />But he is a man of pedantic accuracy.<br />He doesn’t totally dismiss stories of pigeons “drunk” on fermented fruits, or birds too full on berries to fly. But he does wonder if they are urban myths. “In my 50 or so years of bird observations I’ve never seen any of those things. I don’t deny that those things could happen, all I’m saying is I’ve never seen.”<br />But he has observed many pigeons munching magnolia.<br />And so, when he says Pukekura Park is the New Zealand pigeon capital, it’s best to believe him.<br /><em>Caption: A New Zealand pigeon eating a loquat fruit in Pukekura Park. Photo: James Harmsen<br /></em><div><div><div></div><div>NB: This story first appeared in the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dailynews/?source=nav">Taranaki Daily News</a> on January 5, 2009</div></div></div>Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-26971894979344406592009-02-02T15:26:00.000-08:002009-02-02T15:41:44.762-08:00Freaky Facts about kereru<strong>1)</strong> In Northland the New Zealand pigeon has the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBj1RgWk9AB5gyxyWUEUb8qbN19xCdd3eL_WdWuIUciIArkmzdstd4gkyIttOZUdJ6Su2ELGp3hD6WmLUw_H_p8_EgGtxTiFBqUqQE62w8dEUGSmXfmI_XpBF0kcsQsgckzXNsODPRbQ/s1600-h/Kereru+pic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298348619540605762" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBj1RgWk9AB5gyxyWUEUb8qbN19xCdd3eL_WdWuIUciIArkmzdstd4gkyIttOZUdJ6Su2ELGp3hD6WmLUw_H_p8_EgGtxTiFBqUqQE62w8dEUGSmXfmI_XpBF0kcsQsgckzXNsODPRbQ/s200/Kereru+pic.jpg" border="0" /></a>Maori name kuku or kukupa. Other places it’s known as kereru. On the Chatham Islands the native pigeon is called parea, but that’s a different species altogether, called Hemiphaga chathamensis.<br /><strong>2)</strong> The kereru has an important job helping the spread of native trees. Since the moa became extinct, back in the 1500s, the native pigeon is now the only seed disperser with a bill big enough to swallow large fruit, such as those of karaka, tawa and taraire, the <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-animals/birds/land-birds/nz-pigeon-kereru/">DOC website</a> says.<br /><strong>3)</strong> A New Zealand pigeon is a big bird. They can measure up to 51cm from tail to beak, and weight 650g.<br /><strong>4)</strong> Nest-making is not one of the kereru’s greatest skills. The pigeon throws together a flimsy nest of twigs and lays a single egg, which takes 28 days to hatch. Both parents take turns to sit on the egg.<br /><strong>5)</strong> Pigeon chicks are fed on a fruit smoothy mixture that helps them grow fast. This is made from a protein-rich milky secretion that comes from the walls of their parents’ crops, which is mixed fruit pulp. The chicks generally leave the nest after 40 days.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-46335025646876186382007-09-18T03:03:00.000-07:002007-09-18T03:11:55.617-07:00When the silverfish start to dance...<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfXB9bpBSEe5z4FJ4lfIRxOrt53IMVmLVSOlaJoBCwv_E52viLnx6FxJCr2Wtk0BrcYpA230FUg6GwEKke7b4CSuI8eNUGCtplli4fLXDFJJPfvsGh0Ipws8Ic7kvuuxR7hoH6JJeo2w/s1600-h/on+road+migraine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111482931716533474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSfXB9bpBSEe5z4FJ4lfIRxOrt53IMVmLVSOlaJoBCwv_E52viLnx6FxJCr2Wtk0BrcYpA230FUg6GwEKke7b4CSuI8eNUGCtplli4fLXDFJJPfvsGh0Ipws8Ic7kvuuxR7hoH6JJeo2w/s400/on+road+migraine.jpg" border="0" /></a>By VIRGINIA WINDER</strong> <div><div><div>A SMUDGE on the car windscreen won’t go away. </div><div>A squirt of water and quick flick of windscreen wipers makes no difference, neither does a firm, fast rub with a cloth on the inside glass. </div><div>Damn. The smudge has become a silverfish that slips out of sight. </div><div>Within minutes it’s joined by a line of quicksilver critters doing a zigzag dance in the peripheral vision of the driver’s eyes. </div><div>Slow-moving commuter traffic becomes a terrifying distortion of movement and flashing metal. So, with exaggerated care, the young woman noses her car to the side of the motorway and waits until a policeman finds her slumped over the steering wheel, hands covering light-sensitive eyes. </div><div>I got a police escort that day more than 20 years ago, because the man in blue knew what was going on in my head. </div><div>He was a migraine sufferer too. We are among 400,000 <a href="http://migraine.co.nz/">New Zealanders</a> affected by this neurological disorder. </div><div>Of those sufferers, called migraineurs, 300,000 are women. The 3:1 ratio can possibly be blamed on hormone irregularities, which are listed among the triggers for this invisible illness. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cxaQA4mQbyPkzcaSi3Nhe3OiXSemfERe-Q8TYM9-8-VGBiUO7Hxyp2Y9YEBrmLMc4tum76NgHn_ywm0nsLI3kcGx4k6wVL2BJtLrS0jvJxSit7N1r6VTt-0o9M1b1l8zC5etg05F9E8/s1600-h/Hot+pain+of+migraine.jpg"></a>Lack of sleep, stress, relaxation after stress, fatigue, overuse of over-the-counter pain relievers, irregular exercise, bright lights and smoke are named as other possible migraine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NX_DyB7b-_tEtiUlxEvpnq6tfcoKkmTI45CrERCpRwkyMQdG1J2UA_wnnpNk4IrvpcmtPWgXuVpavtU5lORk5c-9Y7EAknNOY2RMK70FOfXZ2inTCEj01CajWDkLjtIWX0cYrSmyQ5w/s1600-h/Hot+pain+of+migraine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111483159349800178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NX_DyB7b-_tEtiUlxEvpnq6tfcoKkmTI45CrERCpRwkyMQdG1J2UA_wnnpNk4IrvpcmtPWgXuVpavtU5lORk5c-9Y7EAknNOY2RMK70FOfXZ2inTCEj01CajWDkLjtIWX0cYrSmyQ5w/s200/Hot+pain+of+migraine.jpg" border="0" /></a> starters. So is diet, including cheese, red wine and yes, coffee. Double damn. </div><div>While there are hundreds of research programmes going on around the world, scientists have yet to locate the definitive cause of this often debilitating disease. </div><div>“It is thought a migraine attack is triggered within the brain itself,” says the <a href="http://www.headaches.org/">National Headache Foundation</a>, in the United States. </div><div>The foundation says that once an attack begins, it is believed the pain and other symptoms of migraine stem from an inflammatory process.</div><div>This may be caused by an interaction between the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigeminal_nerve">trigeminal </a>nerve (the fifth cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face) and blood vessels in the coverings of the brain. </div><div>The brain chemical, serotonin, is linked to this inflammation, but its role is not yet clear. </div><div>Scientists in Japan are studying this connection. </div><div>While researchers have yet to pin down the underlying culprit, or culprits, there is no doubt it’s painfully real for the afflicted. </div><div>“Migraine is a legitimate, biological disease characterised by throbbing head pain, usually located on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and/or sound,” the American foundation says. </div><div>“Migraine is more common than asthma, diabetes or congestive <a href="http://www.migrainepage.com/images.html"></a>heart failure,” its website says.</div><div>Similar information is echoed throughout the internet, including on the <a href="http://www.neurological.org.nz/">Neurological Foundation of New Zealand’s</a> site. </div><div>“Though the causes <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoN-WSUxqFgdXSlbNMAhtLCBowrU4k8YZ8jInarV8yFaHJ3x5IKOVJTlivWGSoZZBuZnPmFc3aOmsGiEi_qGkaZRam_u4d1COe4JMlJoC6t46hmcb-VaRBB55Pui7f3B7fezuxUTD0UQI/s1600-h/pain+on+TV.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111483283903851778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoN-WSUxqFgdXSlbNMAhtLCBowrU4k8YZ8jInarV8yFaHJ3x5IKOVJTlivWGSoZZBuZnPmFc3aOmsGiEi_qGkaZRam_u4d1COe4JMlJoC6t46hmcb-VaRBB55Pui7f3B7fezuxUTD0UQI/s200/pain+on+TV.jpg" border="0" /></a>are not precisely known, it is clear that migraine is a genetic disorder,” it says. </div><div>Global research isn’t good news for children of migraineurs. If one parent is a sufferer, there’s a 50% chance their children will also be afflicted. But if both parents get migraines, there’s a 75% probability their kids will inherit the illness. </div><div>The highest incidence of migraine occurs in both men and women aged between 20 and 45, but even toddlers can get migraines. </div><div>In fact children can get stomach migraines, which present as severe tummy aches. </div><div>Among all sufferers, only about 20% of people experience visual disturbances that herald the onset of a pounding head. This telltale sign is called a migraine aura. </div><div>People may see light flashes, blind spots, shimmering lights, or zigzag lines. </div><div>Or a smudge on a windscreen that turns into silverfish…</div></div></div>Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-86510601548697991612007-09-18T02:32:00.000-07:002007-09-18T02:44:54.352-07:00Unlocking the migraine puzzle<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3OlDthAoWxaabDT52lX3kgXaTzg1e4FXjfrkNww7GHOkcE_N2u90jHwbBZPAkxpTiZkdxdm5pkfInvfqUGXuc7k1ca9VXgnk_-HeQvBHdD8rnCc4DkU5883WS0fKkkyS8c2sq4BbUxg/s1600-h/Headache2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111477661791661218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3OlDthAoWxaabDT52lX3kgXaTzg1e4FXjfrkNww7GHOkcE_N2u90jHwbBZPAkxpTiZkdxdm5pkfInvfqUGXuc7k1ca9VXgnk_-HeQvBHdD8rnCc4DkU5883WS0fKkkyS8c2sq4BbUxg/s400/Headache2.jpg" border="0" /></a>By VIRGINIA WINDER</strong><br />AN Auckland University scientist is trying to unlock the key to migraine treatment.<br />Senior lecturer <a href="http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/about/news/articles/2006/12/hrc.cfm">Dr Debbie Hay</a> is leading a study into a group of molecules believed to play a role in the painful illness.<br />Dr Hay, from the university’s <a href="http://www.sbs.auckland.ac.nz/">School of Biological Sciences</a>, uses a lock-and-key metaphor to explain the basis of her study and how it is opening the door to migraine knowledge.<br />The key is a hormone called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which is found in people’s nerves.<br />“People who have migraines have more of this in their blood,” she says.<br />This hormone fits into a lock, called a receptor.<br />When this happens, it causes blood vessels to open up. In medical terms, the hormone is a naturally occurring vasodilator. Migraine pain is thought to be caused by blood vessels in the brain opening up, allowing more blood to flow through them.<br />“That’s one of the reasons we think <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcitonin_gene-related_peptide">CGRP</a> might be involved in migraines,” Dr Hay says.<br />But she is frank about scientists’ knowledge of the hormone’s role in migraines. “We don’t know if it’s causative or part of the process.”<br />In fact, the hormone is proving a bit of a mystery. “We don’t know exactly why we have it…we don’t know its true function yet. We know it has this relationship with migraines.”<br />Clinical trials overseas have shown that a new drug, which prevents the key fitting into the lock, or the hormone activating the receptor, is effective in treating migraines.<br />“The problem is that it has to be given by injection, which is not ideal,” Dr Hay says.<br />“We need to be able to design a better drug.”<br />This is where her research programme comes in. “I’m working very much at the molecular level to see how this drug interacts with the receptor so we might be able to design more useful drugs.”<br />a $492,000 biomedical grant from the <a href="http://www.hrc.govt.nz/">Health Research Council of New Zealand</a> is funding the three-year Auckland study.<br />“It’s an ongoing thing – it contributes to the global drug discovery process.”<br />Dr Hay says her work does not involve human samples or clinical trials, but she does consider the reality of her research. “I know people in the building who have migraines and I’m always very interested in them; it’s always important to talk to the end user.”Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-20288394699960113392007-09-16T23:45:00.000-07:002007-09-16T23:58:45.435-07:00FREAKY FACTS... A pain in the head<strong>1)</strong> The World Health Organisation ranks migraines in the top 20 of disabling medical conditions. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbBtANgdiiuihluGFULde-NbBrA4X5REJFG7zp-_h9YaNLAkE5M6onX2ouBBRDHrDSQuIsLZNCy63TDDunvY9P2kAe0FwwLB8Tmlsz6CCm7qcWBatncbmjUNHOnq76ZrB2BiW8NNCMA8/s1600-h/Elvis+migraine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111063468030536850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbBtANgdiiuihluGFULde-NbBrA4X5REJFG7zp-_h9YaNLAkE5M6onX2ouBBRDHrDSQuIsLZNCy63TDDunvY9P2kAe0FwwLB8Tmlsz6CCm7qcWBatncbmjUNHOnq76ZrB2BiW8NNCMA8/s400/Elvis+migraine.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>2)</strong> Botox treatment for frown lines may also help prevent migraines, according to a case report in Auckland.<br /><strong>3)</strong> Migraines cost the American taxpayers $US13 billion ($NZ18.4b) in missed work or reduced productivity annually.<br /><strong>4)</strong> Spanish researchers have found that treating inflammation in the eye’s trochlea tendon can relieve migraine pain.<br /><strong>5)</strong> Famous migraineurs include Elvis Presley (right), Albert Einstein, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Cervantes, Pascal, Nietzsche, Robert E. Lee and Karl Marx.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-936904106927287242007-09-11T22:45:00.000-07:002007-09-11T23:11:41.164-07:00Exercise key to fit brain, body<strong>By VIRGINIA WINDER <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLerviEFPTzTnqMhLBGWGq3lSojbeVkWcC3pAaBIu6m54CTj0CZEbGY6qeBR-cDHDNofNn0Ts2fA6MklbkcGWT9f2acCSnqeofCcFCICyzEAkt1srFHFzyDuXr-R7JGazQdRkyS7d-cU/s1600-h/David+Bilkey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109191420635229266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLerviEFPTzTnqMhLBGWGq3lSojbeVkWcC3pAaBIu6m54CTj0CZEbGY6qeBR-cDHDNofNn0Ts2fA6MklbkcGWT9f2acCSnqeofCcFCICyzEAkt1srFHFzyDuXr-R7JGazQdRkyS7d-cU/s320/David+Bilkey.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></strong>MEDICAL research keeps proving a phrase that’s become a cliché – use it or lose it.<br />And eat a healthy balanced diet.<br />It may not be rocket science, but it is brain science.<br />“It’s the same old message really,” says <a href="http://psy.otago.ac.nz/staff/bilkey.html">David Bilkey (</a>right), of <a href="http://www.otago.ac.nz/">Otago University</a>.<br />“We know exercise has been shown to promote neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons in the brain.”<br />Mental exertion is just as important.<br />The associate professor of psychology says that that studies show that people with higher education are less likely to be affected by Alzheimer’s, a disease that destroys the brain.<br />People who have studied or regularly “work” their brains make more synapses or connections in the brain,<br />Dr Bilkey says. “That reduces the chances of damage, or makes it (the brain) more resistant to damage.”<br />As we age, our brain plasticity, or flexibility to make new connections, lessens. When we’re young, especially prior to the age of five or six, and again at adolescence, our brains make and remake a huge number of connections.<br />Higher education promotes even further connections, Dr Bilkey says.<br />Imagine the connections as streets in a village, one that eventually becomes a massive city. That’s how the brain works.<br />So, people who continue to use their brains, train their minds, and keep learning, will end up with a brain resembling a metropolis with an intricate network of highways, main roads and side streets.<br />“As we age, we are losing connections between neurons and the ability to alter those connections, so we are having to work with fewer resources.”<br />So you might lose a few hundred motorways and a couple of thousand cul-de-sacs, but when you’ve got millions of others still firing the messages around, it’s not such a big loss.<br />But if you’re a village it’s not so good.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqUybP_8-trXxSQKHiz7vYyBLCbLv__0ZO2RkEtTsPkCDJztNGfEL9loxsDKMDZWY1YNRPvo05aBdwlVk8eYQxH5kp8ydLc15rvzbtknGcADzrgO8x4kFi0rkULpvm-50g78AZxHhcwA/s1600-h/London+cab.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109192412772674674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqUybP_8-trXxSQKHiz7vYyBLCbLv__0ZO2RkEtTsPkCDJztNGfEL9loxsDKMDZWY1YNRPvo05aBdwlVk8eYQxH5kp8ydLc15rvzbtknGcADzrgO8x4kFi0rkULpvm-50g78AZxHhcwA/s400/London+cab.jpg" border="0" /></a>So, let’s head back into the big city; this time London.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_vCuJmUgGZG3JDsUHVu5Y_eT2pGLhBhsxc2CjTfpLlioGX6LrRdctgKnYg1rCodDf2gbtO81OjvXRslURJ8gFC8GzJkhxzR2uc9M93iMrRCrv4BQcK45SoMBR9Ffw0IdaG3qCmKY9KY/s1600-h/London+cab.jpg"></a>Dr Bilkey, who specialises in location memory, is interested in the outcome of a <a href="http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/327/7419/831-a">study on taxi drivers </a>in the British capital.<br />It shows that cabbies who have been on the job for a long time and who know how to navigate London with ease, have bigger brains. “The longer you work as a taxi driver, the larger your hippocampus is,” he says, about the area of the brain first affected in Alzheimer’s patients.<br />The size increase is simply because the cabbies have an improved capacity to remember information about locations and navigation.<br />Birds who cache their food in many different places, which they later must return to, also have increased brain size in the part equivalent to the human hippocampus, Dr Bilkey says.<br />He believes people need to think of their brain as being a muscle. “If you use it, it will get larger and better, and if you don’t, it will atrophy.”<br />Muscles also waste away when they’re not used – as many people who’ve had a limb in plaster will know.<br />The same happens to anybody who doesn’t exercise, especially ageing people who decide they’re too old to keep going. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32ZY9PafkdUeVyTRjNs5ukuKI49V2WGbfyKT83lk79MNuEklCOIm-F0sqL1GJZgz6h9Fln7VV2oz8DTT41eYB1rSK_yyxVRIwb19LXKpuRFN6ZkLTEDBmi5AO-V0HG1E4GFfZ5t19bXk/s1600-h/Garth+Gilmour.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109192674765679746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32ZY9PafkdUeVyTRjNs5ukuKI49V2WGbfyKT83lk79MNuEklCOIm-F0sqL1GJZgz6h9Fln7VV2oz8DTT41eYB1rSK_yyxVRIwb19LXKpuRFN6ZkLTEDBmi5AO-V0HG1E4GFfZ5t19bXk/s400/Garth+Gilmour.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.exislepublishing.com/nz/ArthurLydiard.htm">Garth Gilmour</a> (right), a former journalist and the author of 21 books on sportspeople and fitness, implores people to keep going.<br />His big message is this: “The exercise you do should be will within your abilities to do and you need to enjoy it.”<br />He recommends walking, doing housework and gardening as simple ways to remain fit. “Stay away from gymnasiums,” he says.<br />But always head for steps. “My wife and our love our stairs,” he says, citing why he keeps living in a two-storey house, while other elderly people opt for units and no gardens.<br />The never-retired writer says using your brain is just as important as a physical work out. He tells people to read, do crosswords or other puzzles, plus talk and listen to people to remain mentally agile.<br />“Keep the mind moving, but sitting up, blobbing in front of the television isn’t exercising your brain. You are being dumbed down by TV.”Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-35069758123019157112007-09-11T22:24:00.000-07:002007-09-11T22:39:25.731-07:00Keep going to keep on going<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6I93CkrP6gsD_feT1ZNxLnCX5TqQc-yFO2-VgIwmRpsLRn5m83fG_BtZMgWgDZSIM2SeKBU2dhPwzq2-CulbLhnK5_Yeaxp_fF7pysNcfa7XxtE_fyqmJUrtvzh2rUGSX6QBG68SiO8/s1600-h/Use+it+or+lose+it+cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109184875105070130" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6I93CkrP6gsD_feT1ZNxLnCX5TqQc-yFO2-VgIwmRpsLRn5m83fG_BtZMgWgDZSIM2SeKBU2dhPwzq2-CulbLhnK5_Yeaxp_fF7pysNcfa7XxtE_fyqmJUrtvzh2rUGSX6QBG68SiO8/s320/Use+it+or+lose+it+cover.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>By VIRGINIA WINDER<br /></strong>GARTH GILMOUR needs a holiday.<br />For the past few years the former journalist has been working on two books at one time, both with and about Olympic gold runner and scientist <a href="http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/sport/snell.asp">Peter Snell</a>, who was born at <a href="http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/sport/snellsecret.htm">Opunake</a>.<br />Instead of taking time out, <a href="http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/media/gilmour.htm">Gilmour</a> is painting the inside of his Milford house.<br /><div>He also mows the lawns of the large section and cuts the hedges, works in the garden and skips up and down the stairs of the two-storey home he shares with his fit wife, Kay.<br />His exercise of choice is cycling. For years he jogged great distances, but in his own words: “I have knackered knees from my late and overenthusiastic running burst…”<br />He has a bike for long rides in the open air, and one inside set on rollers for days when the great outdoors is unappealing.<br />You see, he is a man who acts on what he says, sagely, following the advice and information laid out in <a href="http://www.useitorloseit.biz/">Use It or Lose It</a>, the science book he co-wrote with Snell.<br />The book’s sub-heading says: Be Fit, Live Well – Keys to Successful Ageing for Men and Women.<br />This is the second edition of Use It or Lose It, first published last year. The new version will include information about the benefits of the fatty acid, Omega 3.<br />Its relaunch coincides with the release of Peter Snell – From <a href="http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/sport/snellrome.htm">Olympian</a> to Scientist, destined for bookshops in November.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuw0rpzegyq4WiI2vcPiIxidKCQkJovJvOX4VwKWoQuxW8ARrDkFUGPbBKFh2vThFog0GQVCptBjAcoWMThYCUHAPcZELlQl5y2gKEo8tl1TdzLB2EamLjjPSlzEueWYZryUceKJJnpk/s1600-h/gilmour_lydiard.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109185579479706690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuw0rpzegyq4WiI2vcPiIxidKCQkJovJvOX4VwKWoQuxW8ARrDkFUGPbBKFh2vThFog0GQVCptBjAcoWMThYCUHAPcZELlQl5y2gKEo8tl1TdzLB2EamLjjPSlzEueWYZryUceKJJnpk/s320/gilmour_lydiard.jpg" border="0" /></a>In December, Gilmour turns 82. “It’s just a number – it just gets a bit bigger each year.”<br />This is his second double.<br />He began is book-writing career working on No Bugles No Drums (about Peter Snell) and Run For Your Life (with running coach and jogging guru Arthur Lydiard, pictured with Gilmour left), both released in 1965.<br />The new Snell biography condenses the earlier book, and also tells the story of a <a href="http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/sport/snellnow.htm">boy who failed</a> at school but ended up with a PhD in exercise physiology.<br />Snell has now been awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at the <a href="http://www.swmed.edu/home_pages/publish/magazine/extend.htm">University of Texas </a>Southwestern Medical Centre in Dallas, where he is an associate professor and director of the human performance laboratory.<br />He’s also a long-time orienteering runner and, of course, champion.<br />The secret to both men’s success is simple – don’t even think about stopping.<br />But I think Gilmour deserves a holiday. </div>Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-89049208722015783122007-09-11T22:08:00.000-07:002007-09-11T22:44:54.029-07:00FREAKY FACTS...Ticking time bombs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nJvEV4gAySw-mkaJCckQ192lHdqBGG_7GHiius3kvzsTVgb_LizDauRmVEh9YRKX-YWxc5YKullcUN1YeND3M9ahAAEOWK2jdTFtHBdma4Uy9pYppfp0jwIQt318Jvmvw1usXxzHvQ8/s1600-h/Brain+connection.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109182143505869858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nJvEV4gAySw-mkaJCckQ192lHdqBGG_7GHiius3kvzsTVgb_LizDauRmVEh9YRKX-YWxc5YKullcUN1YeND3M9ahAAEOWK2jdTFtHBdma4Uy9pYppfp0jwIQt318Jvmvw1usXxzHvQ8/s400/Brain+connection.gif" border="0" /></a><strong>1)</strong> We all have our own ticking time bombs. Human cells contain telomeres, which hold the vital genetic information needed to continue cell activities. Our cells also produce telomerase, an enzyme that repairs damaged telomeres. But this stops in later life, killing most of us in our 70s and 80s.<br /><strong>2)</strong> You don’t have to be a born genius to become one. American educator Benjamin Bloom carried out a study of exceptional people in many fields, which led him “to see great talent as less an individual trait than a creation of environment and encouragement”. He continues: “We were looking for exceptional kids and what we found were exceptional conditions.”<br /><strong>3)</strong> Writing linear study notes using a black or blue pen uses much less than half the capacity of our cerebral cortex, where our long-term memory is stored.<br /><strong>4)</strong> Listening to a talking book uses 80% more of our creative intelligence than watching television.<br /><strong>5)</strong> Each of the 10 billion neurons in the human brain has a possibility of connections of 1 with 28 noughts after it. If that’s what a solo neuron can do, the capacity of connections our brain can make, if written out, would be 1 followed by 10.5 million kms of noughts.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-15379495633648553502007-09-03T01:56:00.000-07:002007-09-03T02:26:10.933-07:00Dreams may hold key to memory transfer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeqpPC6pMxSoLpzWyYClJ4r-UaLO4dMaHt3ciDFoYflimRIQ6lPLvUnplnjGk_Sy96R-tLoD_GWSC5FKmPwp6dE3U603v1WtZbKEVRkNYDz8snrx8IfDiBC8v_6jpbhld7Hw1pBS-ZnM/s1600-h/And_this_is_your_Brain_on_Drugs_s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105901303183536306" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeqpPC6pMxSoLpzWyYClJ4r-UaLO4dMaHt3ciDFoYflimRIQ6lPLvUnplnjGk_Sy96R-tLoD_GWSC5FKmPwp6dE3U603v1WtZbKEVRkNYDz8snrx8IfDiBC8v_6jpbhld7Hw1pBS-ZnM/s400/And_this_is_your_Brain_on_Drugs_s.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>By VIRGINIA WINDER<br /></strong>IT’S 5am and I’m accessing a massive database including fresh information downloaded overnight.<br />For the past week, I have been transferring “need-to-know” stuff from temporary files into this database.<br />The transfer always happens in the deep, dark night.<br />For several hours yesterday, those temporary files were crammed with scientific research on the brain’s ability to learn, retain and retrieve information.<br />With ease, all that data is coming back to me now.<br />The interviews, the articles in magazines, online and in books, are all there waiting to be accessed.<br />All because I slept on it.<br />I am, of course talking about memory.<br />Mine.<br />And yours – although what you choose to download won’t be the same as mine. Even if we watched the same movie or listened to the same piece of music, we would consciously and unconsciously store different information.<br />That’s why court witnesses almost always have different versions of the same event, even though they swear (on the Bible) that they are being honest and accurate.<br />While we may glean different information, we all go through the same memory transferral process.<br />This involves moving information from our temporary files, a kind of short-term memory stored in our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus">hippocampus,</a> to our massive neuro-database, called long-term memory found in our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_cortex">cortex.</a><br />To do this job, we need to sleep.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UTX4aF6_pZDvj_AbbSwwsPfr_Gbv6yp8vtXhOwRQ6w6m9lmJa-VhKTr02wwYvGwoaM2_406wtO73UztgVTuvUcjTk9vIcMTeBo9imqKoVQw5uFiL-lJV_PpOMOlDB1xEweZGVkxB9Hg/s1600-h/Anthony+Robins+at+desk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105901505046999234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UTX4aF6_pZDvj_AbbSwwsPfr_Gbv6yp8vtXhOwRQ6w6m9lmJa-VhKTr02wwYvGwoaM2_406wtO73UztgVTuvUcjTk9vIcMTeBo9imqKoVQw5uFiL-lJV_PpOMOlDB1xEweZGVkxB9Hg/s320/Anthony+Robins+at+desk.jpg" border="0" /></a>More specifically, we need to dream, says Otago University’s <a href="http://psy.otago.ac.nz/memory/members/anthony-robins.html">Anthony Robins</a> (left).<br />Just exactly why we dream has been a puzzle to scientists, philosophers and great thinkers for hundreds of years.<br /><a href="http://www.freud.org.uk/">Sigmund Freud </a>believed dreams were our subconscious way of expressing fears and the suppressed sexual urges we prefer not to face or act on in waking life.<br />Robins has another theory, one he’s discovered because of memory loss.<br />The associate professor of computer science is a leading figure in the university’s <a href="http://psy.otago.ac.nz/memory/about/index.html">Memory: Mechanism, Processes and Applications </a>research team, made up of 30 academic staff and about 150 students.<br />This in-depth study, which encompasses many of the university’s departments, has been running for a decade now.<br />But the more Robins continues his research using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_neural_network">artificial neural networks</a> (ANN), built to simulate how our brains work, the more he believes he’s discovered something startling.<br />It’s this: When the artificial network is fed new data it deletes the old. This is called <a href="http://www.cs.otago.ac.nz/staffpriv/anthony/publications.html">“catastrophic forgetting”. </a><br />However, when a “rehearsal” of that existing information is played through the network while new data is added, none of the old is lost.<br />But Robins realised that rehearsing or playing every piece of information stored in the network was impractical and meant having to have a second memory system.<br />So he tried another tack. “I have proposed a mechanism, pseudorehearsal, which is similar to rehearsal but does not require the storage and access of old information.”<br />To explain further, Robins uses a musical metaphor. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdypHLi7BmOmKqCc8R-UjPK4dXfMFQVKmKb6Ey3E9eMOfB867e2tR_4RgI1lfJQI3U80IuSO2mgiyESYwjmdensRYzjctGU8tFSZA1Qz1BRXmhCiYb5Q-iBD4eWlV2KCO6Ah9FajWzMns/s1600-h/Orchestra.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105903429192347858" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdypHLi7BmOmKqCc8R-UjPK4dXfMFQVKmKb6Ey3E9eMOfB867e2tR_4RgI1lfJQI3U80IuSO2mgiyESYwjmdensRYzjctGU8tFSZA1Qz1BRXmhCiYb5Q-iBD4eWlV2KCO6Ah9FajWzMns/s200/Orchestra.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />“The ANN (network) is like an orchestra that can learn lots of pieces – say 50 all at once. But if the orchestra learns another piece tomorrow, it forgets the first 50 pieces.”<br />But if the orchestra “jams” or “makes stuff up” in a pseudorehearsal of the old, it can retain music already learnt and add the fresh piece with no loss of information.<br />He surmises that brains have evolved to overcome the problem faced by the artificial network. This is where dreams come into play, because they are our own “pseudorehearsal” of stored information or our own jamming sessions. This explains why they are a bizarre mixture of fact and fiction.<br />“In order to learn new things, the brain has to have the time to jam and to wander randomly over bits and pieces of old information or made-up fantasy stuff,” Robins says.<br />Another piece of information Robins has learnt from his research is that recollections are not set in stone.<br />“Memory is not based on any one fixed structure – it has to keep re-encoding itself,” he says.<br />Every time we access a memory, we are re-recording it. “A memory is a piece played live by an orchestra.”<br />That’s opposed to being like a digital or tape recording, which is the same every time it’s played. Think of a single you hear on the radio – often you see it performed live and it’s annoyingly or pleasantly different to the recorded version. The live version may be sung by the same person, but they often change a word here and there, add an extra emphasis on a note, or simply forget the lyrics and improvise. Also, the band may be different, because there’s a new lead guitarist or drummer.<br />“Our memories are houses of sand, not cement,” Robins says.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-12693737763336307602007-09-03T01:36:00.000-07:002007-09-03T01:55:39.739-07:00FREAKY FACTS... stuff to remember<span style="color:#990000;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqyBrHwVXIUG-je5IMYBeKsY92F_8RH6qcfW9tyA6lbesjYFVq6cUH8izSIKsbeJPFMmQUhGcMal1nODs54EhVQplCJnerCekEHR69PqmporQE7YIXiyBR6qh_GpoYW8_dqQbvyYxioE/s1600-h/Memory+knot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5105898790627668114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqyBrHwVXIUG-je5IMYBeKsY92F_8RH6qcfW9tyA6lbesjYFVq6cUH8izSIKsbeJPFMmQUhGcMal1nODs54EhVQplCJnerCekEHR69PqmporQE7YIXiyBR6qh_GpoYW8_dqQbvyYxioE/s400/Memory+knot.jpg" border="0" /></a>1)</strong></span> If you’re one of those people who doesn’t recognise people in the street or can’t remember faces, there may be a scientific reason why. It’s possible that you suffer from what scientists call developmental prosopagnosia, or face blindness.<br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>2)</strong></span> This could be a casino owner’s nightmare – a person who can memorise the order of an entire pack of freshly shuffled cards in less than 30 seconds. That’s what Ben Pridmore did at this year’s United Kingdom Memory Championships. He managed the feat in 26.28 seconds, beating the previous world record of 31.16 seconds.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>3)</strong></span> The marathon version of the card-pack trick is even more mind boggling. In 2002, eight-times world memory champion Dominic O’Brien recalled 54 inter-shuffled decks of playing cards after only looking each of the 2808 cards once. But the Englishman did make eight mistakes, four of which he corrected himself after being told he was wrong.<br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>4)</strong></span> A woman in her 40s is being studied by neurobiologists in California because of her near-perfect ability to recall nearly every detail in her life from when she was 18 months old. She can even remember things like the dates of every Easter going back to 1980 and what she did on those days.<br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">5)</span></strong> Neurobiology scientists at Boston University believe they are close to cracking the memory code by reading the minds of mice. But unravelling human memory is some way off, but will be possible, if or when, non-invasive and highly sensitive monitoring instruments are developed.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-13005321277783621982007-08-27T01:47:00.000-07:002007-08-27T02:06:30.972-07:00Doctors latching on to leeches<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDDV-_Rz2sLgV__a4OlmjZ7mxxvnxu3GAyIufacPS79nmZpmmJFaY9YY5hJCkt9rTb8bWoq8fXlP2RXMRNZHD-JigC0MFGODsg2DnIHhN3LYv0ncWm_fuxyrR_28aRGjSLHmmzhqcXYw/s1600-h/treatment+by+leeches.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103300356888424514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDDV-_Rz2sLgV__a4OlmjZ7mxxvnxu3GAyIufacPS79nmZpmmJFaY9YY5hJCkt9rTb8bWoq8fXlP2RXMRNZHD-JigC0MFGODsg2DnIHhN3LYv0ncWm_fuxyrR_28aRGjSLHmmzhqcXYw/s400/treatment+by+leeches.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>By VIRGINIA WINDER</strong><br /><span style="color:#666600;"><strong>HOW</strong></span> the worm turns – or in this case leeches.<br />The reviled creature is having a revival in the medical world, after being ousted by antibiotics in the first half of last century.<br />Now they are back and science is leeching from the leeches.<br />Research has isolated at least 115 bioactive ingredients from the leech, <a href="http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=365">Hirudo medicinalis</a>, and its almost identical cousin H. verbena. There’s been a mix up in the lab as to which is which and it turns out scientists in some parts of the world, including the United States, may have been testing H. verbena, when they thought it was the other species.<br />Just who’s who in the leech world, doesn’t stop the slimy creature from offering hope and healing for people everywhere.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheO1s3d39SVS7k2r1Peh6Eye9XAM873vFGba7iZufoEzXZLW8iGBpakOVD_PXTXvwTJ3xCvjE2zNJo_kFyOhXXQ7tKuSwl0UvbnokxzRXQ68eKLaqoiZdnDsrvXH5OUGcJJgMva_UjBmA/s1600-h/leeches+in+jar.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103300524392149074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheO1s3d39SVS7k2r1Peh6Eye9XAM873vFGba7iZufoEzXZLW8iGBpakOVD_PXTXvwTJ3xCvjE2zNJo_kFyOhXXQ7tKuSwl0UvbnokxzRXQ68eKLaqoiZdnDsrvXH5OUGcJJgMva_UjBmA/s400/leeches+in+jar.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today, leeches are being used directly for pain relief; to help stimulate blood flow when limbs have been reattached; and have been tested as a treatment for patients with lower leg ulcers caused by varicose veins.<br />Scientists have also extracted hirudin, a peptide or protein found in the salivary glands of the medicinal leech. This is a powerful anticoagulant or blood thinner, which stops or breaks down clotting.<br />It saved an American man’s life last month.<br />Daryl Vinson’s heart was only working at 10%, and the Los Angeles man’s future looked grim unless he had a new organ. A donor was found, but doctors faced a major hurdle.<br />The former air traffic controller was allergic to the mainstream blood thinner heparin, an important drug needed in transplant surgery.<br />In a do-or-die move, the transplant team from <a href="http://www.cshs.org/">Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre</a> in LA created a substitute anticoagulant using a synthetic form of the leech saliva protein. The resulting drug, bivalirudin, was used, successfully, and Vinson got his new heart in an uncomplicated three-hour operation on July 25.<br />Leeches have also been used to help save a Nelson fisherman’s fingers. The man had four fingers of his right hand amputated during an accident on board a trawler at Farewell Spit on July 8. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5npa1oDCH7GcVYZQCmxel7OLzBzpR0Stc3WRdKe2TrM4l_2dX_-PCeMJra3S9UCh6BcPXUOpHM3uumENW9Y8iscBusOtvCEevb3vrAIZma5k-UwKde4XIRtvucqkZgWZAc6kULahrEBE/s1600-h/leech+on+finger.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103300807859990626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5npa1oDCH7GcVYZQCmxel7OLzBzpR0Stc3WRdKe2TrM4l_2dX_-PCeMJra3S9UCh6BcPXUOpHM3uumENW9Y8iscBusOtvCEevb3vrAIZma5k-UwKde4XIRtvucqkZgWZAc6kULahrEBE/s400/leech+on+finger.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />He was flown to <a href="http://www.huttvalleydhb.org.nz/Custom/Map.aspx?ID=420">Hutt Hospital</a> where plastic surgeons Chris Adams and Charles Davis reattached three of his fingers. They couldn’t save his little finger because it was too badly crushed.<br />To help with the recovery, one leech after another was put on the end of the man’s ring finger to improve blood flow.<br />Following surgery there can be a problem with circulation, which prevent sufficient blood and nutrients getting to the reattached body part. But a leech can fix that problem by sucking out dead blood cells and secreting its saliva, containing anti-clotting properties.<br />The leeches are grown in laboratories so they are considered to be medically clean.<br />Doctors may look at employing them for treating ulcers, because a study in India has shown great success in treating these long-lasting wounds.<br />The study, documented in the <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3867/is_199806/ai_n8807297">Indian Journal of Medical Research</a>, looked at 20 men with a mean age of 43 years, who had varying degrees of inflammation and swelling caused by venous ulcers. These are wounds caused by improper functioning of valves in the veins of the lower legs.<br />None of the patients had diabetes, anaemia or any other illness.<br />The men had between one and four leeches placed around the ulcer area during a session. The number of applications of leeches varied from 2 to 20, depending on the severity of the wound and the oedema (swelling).<br />Results from the study were startling.<br />“Leech therapy effectively decreased oedema and limb girth in 95% of patients, decreased hyperpigmentation (tissue darkened by inflammation) in 75% of patients and resulted in ulcer healing in all the patients, probably by the sucking up of venous blood leading to venous decongestion,” the doctors reported.<br />And people suffering from arthritis pain can also take heed.<br />A team of German doctors from the <a href="http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0001283F-7455-1C61-B882809EC588ED9F">Essen-Mite Clinic in Essen</a> conducted a pilot study involving 16 osteoarthritis patients, who had knee pain for more than six months.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlPsde9HT7dqUfq7YWgm2iWOOLHUrkmAtp5Zc8P-sXosvkX0Ss1NY3gKeKCh-LC9D6axs_TwiqPcgLovdjFxDtwgpMRd_xdo6v_osZQUp0ykgXGh2Er0xIOQGx7CQ0Dol6cpyYtO8VKo/s1600-h/creepy+leeches.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103301349025869954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlPsde9HT7dqUfq7YWgm2iWOOLHUrkmAtp5Zc8P-sXosvkX0Ss1NY3gKeKCh-LC9D6axs_TwiqPcgLovdjFxDtwgpMRd_xdo6v_osZQUp0ykgXGh2Er0xIOQGx7CQ0Dol6cpyYtO8VKo/s400/creepy+leeches.jpg" border="0" /></a>As well as adding exercise, physiotherapy, relaxation therapy and dietary changes to their treatment regime, 10 of the subjects received leech treatment for the pain.<br />This involved placing four medicinal leeches on the inflamed knee and leaving them for 80 minutes. The other six patients were given conventional pain treatment.<br />The researchers recorded pain levels three days prior to starting pain treatment and 28 days after treatment had finished.<br />Once again, the outcome was nothing short of miraculous.<br />Not only did the leech therapy give the sufferers significant pain relief within 24 hours – it lasted for four weeks without side effects or infections.<br />In contrast, those who received conventional drug treatment reported no relief from pain.<br />The German researchers explained that the relief was due to the anaesthetic properties of that sensational saliva, with might contain morphine-like substance and anti-inflammatory enzymes able to penetrate deep into the joints.<br />Meanwhile, the <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4817273">Beth Israel Medical Centre</a> in New York has begun offering leech therapy to patients with osteoarthritis in their knees. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVOv_-JHuEcvCMfngvyAyVZEPysjdvduobT0gKJhb3vEkIHw53bBAcan9y8IPvoYNNcTIG4aD0Af20GE_caSSAIoMHnfjIKJVubyDjy5cjdFiNQ8klfM4epEdfmadftwpgbYoItxh4Io/s1600-h/Medicinal+leech.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103301082737897586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVOv_-JHuEcvCMfngvyAyVZEPysjdvduobT0gKJhb3vEkIHw53bBAcan9y8IPvoYNNcTIG4aD0Af20GE_caSSAIoMHnfjIKJVubyDjy5cjdFiNQ8klfM4epEdfmadftwpgbYoItxh4Io/s400/Medicinal+leech.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Sometimes humans are slow learners – or simply think everything from the past is passed its use-by date.<br />Leeches, you see were first used for medicinal purposes back in 2000BC.<br />It’s heartening to see we’re finally catching on.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-59944732561714746182007-08-27T01:33:00.000-07:002007-08-27T01:42:09.627-07:00FREAKY FACTS... Give this sucker a break<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hbdDmm7cvbXRJ4GBTey6oiv5VWMsJCrZbQVs9UWhjFDca6wYdpnG-atRXAKyEtWJwMN9nVIN6LukgoTd6ukdz_9SzBXgU4WbjQSvYO6zm-IP1yr_yMeAE0cRC2tD5JPaNKyMY0GGeec/s1600-h/vial+of+leeches.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103297719778504754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hbdDmm7cvbXRJ4GBTey6oiv5VWMsJCrZbQVs9UWhjFDca6wYdpnG-atRXAKyEtWJwMN9nVIN6LukgoTd6ukdz_9SzBXgU4WbjQSvYO6zm-IP1yr_yMeAE0cRC2tD5JPaNKyMY0GGeec/s400/vial+of+leeches.jpg" border="0" /></a>1) A leech should never be pulled off because they can leave teeth or other mouthparts behind that can become infected. Lemon juice, vinegar, fire (not recommended), salt and even tiger balm can be used make a leech let go. Or you can just wait until they have had their fill and drop off.<br />2) You won’t feel any pain if a leech latches on to you. This bloodsucker has built-in anaesthesia, so when its three mouths and 300 razor-sharp teeth sink into your flesh, you’ll be none the wiser.<br />3) In one suck session, a leech can draw off six times its body weight in blood. While this may sound greedy, the blubbery creature won’t need to feed for another six months – or more.<br />4) Back in the 1800s, aquatic leeches were used as weather forecasters. When this type of leech finds itself in water with low oxygen counts, it floats towards the surface. So old-time weather watchers would place a leech in a glass of water and if there was a fall in atmospheric pressure, the critter would rise, predicting bad weather.<br />5) Leeches may be used to help humans, but they aren’t all good news – especially if you’re smallish and fury. Four to five large leeches can suck the life from a rabbit in just half an hour.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-31307738702030591812007-08-26T22:32:00.000-07:002007-08-27T02:17:04.035-07:00Turmeric - the ultimate wonder drug<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwD2fvdA3O6X2dRmj9M2CAfmL-ii2lDL8ZA4tMDoZNlejISr-YmddpEXO8SYD-HQS1XjzWfeBdofH0jwSKhasiIMrfY0Q2f8nt8njAzHcv6HstbiwCmrAbqixnNz__dCYW-5vh4YSZcI/s1600-h/mound+of+turmeric+powder.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103250522382888882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwD2fvdA3O6X2dRmj9M2CAfmL-ii2lDL8ZA4tMDoZNlejISr-YmddpEXO8SYD-HQS1XjzWfeBdofH0jwSKhasiIMrfY0Q2f8nt8njAzHcv6HstbiwCmrAbqixnNz__dCYW-5vh4YSZcI/s400/mound+of+turmeric+powder.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>By VIRGINIA WINDER</strong><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;"><strong>THERE’S</strong></span> a possible wonder drug hiding in your spice drawer.<br />It’s that warm, earthy, golden-orange powder, which tends to stain your bench and clothes, and turn your fingers tobacco-yellow after you’ve been dipping naan bread into Indian curry.<br />Yes, it’s turmeric.<br />And scientists the world over are hailing it as a preventative and a cure for, well, just about anything.<br />The list is long. Research shows that it’s an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and digestive aid. It’s also a potential weapon in the battle against breast, prostate, lung, colon and skin cancers, along with Alzheimer’s, arthritis, heart disease and peptic ulcers. Other studies show it prevents blood clots and lowers harmful cholesterol.<br />Its main ingredient, curcumin, is the “miracle” component of the spice. That’s also what provides that almost day-glo yellow hue to foods such as American mustard and Maggi chicken stock cubes.<br />Turmeric spice is derived from the roots of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric">Curcuma longa</a>. This is an herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, and is native to tropical South Asia. It needs temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius and a high rainfall to thrive. With climate change, Taranaki could soon be an ideal spot for a turmeric plot. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA1WqVMY2kMHhSm9OBe2C0SH5LhNsvHtrfaQ6GhBSjgpb1UoNUSD4RnilfONbaUOmXYSPa9LBeisG7ym2ahlMICtDBT4CkGZK0uKKCJ7rjLDvFmJ0TmqAqXvizIZ9d7kwJNl6R3IFZtU/s1600-h/turmeric+plant.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103251200987721698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA1WqVMY2kMHhSm9OBe2C0SH5LhNsvHtrfaQ6GhBSjgpb1UoNUSD4RnilfONbaUOmXYSPa9LBeisG7ym2ahlMICtDBT4CkGZK0uKKCJ7rjLDvFmJ0TmqAqXvizIZ9d7kwJNl6R3IFZtU/s400/turmeric+plant.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In medical terms, this spice is hot.<br />A Google search on “turmeric research” brings up 772,000 results – a daunting task for any online spice-truth seeker.<br />It mostly comes down to rats and mice, which are the “guinea pigs” in most of the turmeric studies.<br />At the <a href="http://www.medicine.arizona.edu/news/story.cfm?ID=307">University of Arizona</a> researchers found that joint inflammation in rats was reduced by the spice.<br />The scientists did further studies to find what part of the turmeric root was the active anti-inflammatory ingredient. Like most research, the key was found to be curcumin.<br />The study revealed that an extract containing the colouring agent, but free of essential oils, was the most effective treatment for <a href="http://www.newstarget.com/rheumatoid_arthritis.html">rheumatoid arthritis</a> in lab rats.<br />The researchers believe that curcumin triggers a reaction that causes a joint-attacking protein to remain dormant in the body. The spice extract also blocks a pathway in the body that had previously been linked to bone loss. This has led researchers to believe it could also be used to treat <a href="http://www.newstarget.com/osteoporosis.html">osteoporosis</a>.<br />Lead researcher Janet Funk says curcumin may also work in the treatment of other inflammatory conditions such as asthma, multiple sclerosis and bowel disease.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHP8IfGJiKxWEAAqnAKbFSsXkKOkQz476xJp36R9A3YxDkQqu6a2DLC5U1Q_KhUqLusdxBbvIt9WenoSuKAnmidP_N49g1H_pqEQutrwvLH-vQ5sjIp-um7CZ_DzlsoyCbymcTvIprso/s1600-h/more+fresh+turmeric.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103250896045043666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHP8IfGJiKxWEAAqnAKbFSsXkKOkQz476xJp36R9A3YxDkQqu6a2DLC5U1Q_KhUqLusdxBbvIt9WenoSuKAnmidP_N49g1H_pqEQutrwvLH-vQ5sjIp-um7CZ_DzlsoyCbymcTvIprso/s400/more+fresh+turmeric.jpg" border="0" /></a>At this stage, the scientists say new drugs may be developed as a result of the research, but more clinical trials will be needed before they recommend turmeric supplements for treatment.<br />The bad news is they say that eating more of the spice is unlikely to have an effect on the diseases investigated in the study.<br />But cancer researchers in Houston are more optimistic about the positive effects from ingesting turmeric.<br />“Curcumin, as you know, is very much an essential part of the Indian diet,” says research leader Bharat Aggarwal, from the <a href="http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/newsroom/display.cfm?id=F3EC0200-90B3-4112-AC139BD8699D6101&method=displayFull&pn=00c8a30f-c468-11d4-80fb00508b603a14">University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre</a>.<br />Aggarwal says earlier studies suggest that people who eat diets rich in turmeric have lower rates of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiov2AIAHoAT_d8hpYIUWHS0UMvBFUoApCQPyPNElZW70dD2d1FaBE6iyICmjvloXQNL4H1muT6eBcCBJKjLhiMjcwuZgxL5ktZHRcxlpSnJB_0quesaPptwEodLnwkFXpivFvSHeH9Y/s1600-h/turmeric+flower.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103252120110723058" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxiov2AIAHoAT_d8hpYIUWHS0UMvBFUoApCQPyPNElZW70dD2d1FaBE6iyICmjvloXQNL4H1muT6eBcCBJKjLhiMjcwuZgxL5ktZHRcxlpSnJB_0quesaPptwEodLnwkFXpivFvSHeH9Y/s200/turmeric+flower.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The centre’s latest tests, carried out on mice, show that curcumin helps stop the spread of breast cancer tumour cells to the lungs.<br />Studies are also being carried out on people because there are no fears about safety using the spice, which has been used in India for about 2500 years.<br />“What's exciting about this agent is that it seems to have both chemo preventive and therapeutic properties. If we can demonstrate that it is efficacious in humans, it could be of tremendous value, but we’re a long way from being able to make any recommendations yet,” Aggarwal says.<br />The <a href="http://www.psa-rising.com/eatingwell/turmeric.htm">Harvard Medical School</a> in Boston has also been testing curcumin.<br />“In animal models, curcumin and its derivatives have been shown to inhibit the progression of chemically induced colon and skin cancers,” an extract from research being done by the department of dermatology says.<br />“The genetic changes in carcinogenesis in these organs involve different genes, but curcumin is effective in preventing carcinogenesis in both organs. A possible explanation for this finding is that curcumin may inhibit angiogenesis.”<br />In person-on-the-street speak, carcinogenesis means the creation of cancer, while angiogenesis is a normal bodily process that helps wounds heal through the growth of new blood vessels from existing vessels. But it’s also a fundamental step in the transition of tumours from a dormant state to a malignant or aggressive state.<br />The Harvard study, therefore, indicates that turmeric can stop tumours growing and spreading through the body.<br />Turmeric also gets the big tick from the <a href="http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/turmeric-000277.htm">University of Maryland</a>, which reports that laboratory <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimN5r2-aZPenWXZbDyoH3YcVb_7j38pxS_IJVkJDWDTDTs4gFmpGDOFPEQC2P4ZlhVGCmGZV9LIUa1jr3i6wjwzO6dUjnOIg-zFE5Bcyuf_Q_OOjYxMoMoJIx31owCaoqbJZERPNVsKVY/s1600-h/turmeric+curry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103252309089284098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimN5r2-aZPenWXZbDyoH3YcVb_7j38pxS_IJVkJDWDTDTs4gFmpGDOFPEQC2P4ZlhVGCmGZV9LIUa1jr3i6wjwzO6dUjnOIg-zFE5Bcyuf_Q_OOjYxMoMoJIx31owCaoqbJZERPNVsKVY/s200/turmeric+curry.jpg" border="0" /></a>studies suggest that curcumin may reduce the destructive activity of parasites or roundworms.<br />Conclusion of the online seeker: Add the golden girl of spice to your daily diet, but don’t go overboard. Too much of a good thing can definitely turn bad. Just know that turmeric is of huge interest to the scientific world and 1.13 billion Indians can’t be wrong. Eat curry.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-44367231897804781092007-08-26T22:17:00.000-07:002007-08-26T22:32:29.391-07:00Special spice of India<strong>By VIRGINIA WINDER<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB-Ey1Gc6PfUUmP-VLWHyFifdyw0GNGqQMWN1Ka5hvw7oigAI3NtkGJyU1Bwe-104WXfp1aNT8LICewd2dUzi3DqR52LxhQFdRvcfT1roqO_OjDYpfNCRcpfpcXlW-LN9hPhKMl39ezs/s1600-h/fresh+turmeric.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103247661934669714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB-Ey1Gc6PfUUmP-VLWHyFifdyw0GNGqQMWN1Ka5hvw7oigAI3NtkGJyU1Bwe-104WXfp1aNT8LICewd2dUzi3DqR52LxhQFdRvcfT1roqO_OjDYpfNCRcpfpcXlW-LN9hPhKMl39ezs/s400/fresh+turmeric.jpg" border="0" /></a></strong><br /><div><div><span style="color:#ffcc00;"><strong>NEW ZEALAND-BASED</strong></span> Indians say turmeric has a special place in health, food and culture in their home country.<br />“It’s a special spice because we are using the turmeric in every curry to make a good flavour and a good colour,” says Gavinder Grewal, from New Plymouth’s India Today restaurant.<br />“It’s really good for health.”<br />She says that if someone is injured, they are given a drink of turmeric and milk, and if they cut themselves, the yellow spice is mixed with mustard oil and placed on the wound.<br />“It’s very good for the skin too,” Gavinder says.<br />Her brother-inlaw, Sunny Grewal, says turmeric works like an antibiotic. He recommends mixing a spoonful in a glass of water, with sugar and/or lemon to make it taste better.<br />“I was talking to grandma last night and she said in her day, every two or three weeks, they were given a drink of turmeric to keep the bugs away,” he says.<br />“People eat fresh turmeric for health – that’s the best way.”<br />Sunny says the fresh root looks like orange ginger, and can be used in dishes in the same way as its plant cousin. But he warns people to use it sparingly as the flavour is strong.<br />New Plymouth woman Madhu Rai swears by turmeric. “If your body is sore, you have turmeric in hot milk. It’s good for internal wounds, like when you have a baby.”<br />She also says in its root state, pure turmeric can be used as an antiseptic.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNInxZSvGGpgEa6edbFEAUP0CxAvb9IRFQO_JocGTlzoNxMMGcq5HfqNMg3s_oSS4IAPeWwEMq-1_eqraovRv87Rb-oklZLliqJ3_9OMVNBRjhTC4PFnHf9Pqsr0LWdp0pocbpr1ZCkEk/s1600-h/Hindu+bride.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103248757151330210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNInxZSvGGpgEa6edbFEAUP0CxAvb9IRFQO_JocGTlzoNxMMGcq5HfqNMg3s_oSS4IAPeWwEMq-1_eqraovRv87Rb-oklZLliqJ3_9OMVNBRjhTC4PFnHf9Pqsr0LWdp0pocbpr1ZCkEk/s200/Hindu+bride.jpg" border="0" /></a>The spice also has a role in weddings.<br />Turmeric is blended with sandalwood oil and the women of the home rub the mixture all over the bride’s body. The same is done to the groom by the men of his house. This is part of a purification ritual, because the bride is going from one home to another.<br />Afterwards, the bride and groom each shower and dress in their marriage clothes ready for the ceremony. </div></div>Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-64687780644106453112007-08-26T22:01:00.000-07:002007-08-27T02:21:38.980-07:00FREAKY FACTS... Root of many names, uses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNrS3Soa1VTi2kzoPnoOkcm0RXdlbA57BgqWGeqb6y00F82yAH0McKMg18XAm5faC5i2RjrkFQy_4oKGUgiPr4o5kCIS90QUlSbvNPZB4k8JLiyt4mST3UiHZCFE3zw8DDpZgAk9Q-C4/s1600-h/teaspoon+of+turmeric.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103243890953383810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNrS3Soa1VTi2kzoPnoOkcm0RXdlbA57BgqWGeqb6y00F82yAH0McKMg18XAm5faC5i2RjrkFQy_4oKGUgiPr4o5kCIS90QUlSbvNPZB4k8JLiyt4mST3UiHZCFE3zw8DDpZgAk9Q-C4/s400/teaspoon+of+turmeric.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#cc6600;"><strong>1)</strong></span> Turmeric is used as a food covering and is listed as the additive E100 or as <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nPt08_M1AbCo_UUJ8_ITtTm2gFzmOGScuA1a90PAKWbPLvZeBG2sIHz72nDMksDscMFHchUxUX4zXcFaTBwkREL8itre7Up-0p__XIjzMlg9eG8A8YQ5TjXhQtVTpU6zCUgdi9qHafA/s1600-h/teaspoon+of+turmeric.jpg"></a>curcumin.<br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>2)</strong></span> This multi-healing spice has many names. Turmeric (spelt tumeric on a Gregg’s packet) is also known as Indian saffron, haldee and yellow ginger; in France, Spain and Italy it’s called curcuma; and in Thailand its given name is kamin.<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;"><strong>3)</strong></span> Yellow turmeric paper can be used to test for alkalinity, which turns brown. <span style="color:#ffcc00;"><strong>4)</strong></span> When the turmeric roots or “rhizomes” are dug up, they are popped into boiling water for an hour. This is to stop the root sprouting, help with the drying process and evenly distribute the colour through the rhizome.<br /><strong><span style="color:#993300;">5)</span></strong> Once turmeric has been boiled and dried, it becomes rock hard through the gelatinisation of starches. This means the spice is almost impossible to grind domestically.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-22993781258336414592007-08-26T21:34:00.000-07:002007-08-26T22:00:42.030-07:00Warming world facing termination<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQK8acu9GemotSMw3OlboT1wmGZ8nU3idUGWjhxG7lrZNEJxpjttNtNLiV5wGudTgiA4TOp5hbtIMYsU6ElbFh122Ia9coY1FRzUn8zxyO93Hrajdu4oQgfTB0NyIY3zulXxz7HtmI8w/s1600-h/blue+images.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103237238049042226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQK8acu9GemotSMw3OlboT1wmGZ8nU3idUGWjhxG7lrZNEJxpjttNtNLiV5wGudTgiA4TOp5hbtIMYsU6ElbFh122Ia9coY1FRzUn8zxyO93Hrajdu4oQgfTB0NyIY3zulXxz7HtmI8w/s400/blue+images.jpg" border="0" /></a>By VIRGINIA WINDER<br /></strong>IT’S do or die time for human civilization.<br />That was the most powerful message to come out of a climate change conference for journalists in Wellington, New Zealand.<br />This dire warning comes, not from a new-age hippie, but a balding, bespectacled man in a suit.<br />“I think in the next 20 years we, human beings, are going to know whether or not the progressive effects, the impacts we are having on the planet, are going to terminate our civilization,” says <a href="http://www.mfe.govt.nz/">Environment Ministry </a>deputy chief executive Lindsay Gow (right). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaB9tvts7zwRkHlpx671iBoVposiSg6SiPj57H9Spw0D28caH-bj5h0sC-pvtfoClDxYhK015vndY7qyg4Gi95XFpgTaZEnOiAIT-FdqTlGwW3z_Uuv9XLxce62rVqm0aEIQCZoYf7-c/s1600-h/lindsay_gow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103237568761524034" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaB9tvts7zwRkHlpx671iBoVposiSg6SiPj57H9Spw0D28caH-bj5h0sC-pvtfoClDxYhK015vndY7qyg4Gi95XFpgTaZEnOiAIT-FdqTlGwW3z_Uuv9XLxce62rVqm0aEIQCZoYf7-c/s400/lindsay_gow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />He is talking about the end of the world as we know it.<br />“That’s the bad news. The good news is I think, amongst us, as a global civilization, we’ve got more than an enough capacity to meet that challenge and a combination of just smart thinking, doing a lot of little things and progressive use of smart technology is going to do it.<br />“We don’t have to be despondent. It’s not the sort of thing we have to shy away from. In fact it’s very exciting – it really is. It’s a huge challenge and New Zealand can make an enormous lot out of it,” Gow says.<br />Climate change writer <a href="http://hot-topic.co.nz/">Gareth Renowden</a> agrees.<br />“I would say New Zealand is the lucky country. The reason being is that we are probably going to warm more slowly than everywhere else in the world,” says the author of the just-released book, Hot Topic (below).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWPBs0e5pxDwRXTMQXFwRUjbvIXSVHKh1c1UuCsi_-Vgry2tlHEwSXQbWbYevSj0FM6LJhsEH_gRasausUZNZtqycD3pJAEjrXZ3RJ69dqAOIomiZsdbM7QBKMro4YPqUmgJY5_dcAg0/s1600-h/hot-topic-cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103237813574659922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWPBs0e5pxDwRXTMQXFwRUjbvIXSVHKh1c1UuCsi_-Vgry2tlHEwSXQbWbYevSj0FM6LJhsEH_gRasausUZNZtqycD3pJAEjrXZ3RJ69dqAOIomiZsdbM7QBKMro4YPqUmgJY5_dcAg0/s200/hot-topic-cover.jpg" border="0" /></a>“We are surrounded by great big cold oceans that are going to act like air conditioners for us. So while the Northern Hemisphere could be warming really quickly, we’ll probably be quite well off.”<br />The warming climate may also be good news for agriculture and horticulture during the next 20 or 30 years because it will help grass growth and provide more warmth to ripen grapes.<br />“It could mean 30% more area for growing wine across the country – you could be growing wine in Gore, which could be quite nice. Well, we’ll know when we drink it,” Renowden says.<br />“Beyond those 30 years it’s really difficult to say what will happen. I’m not very optimistic, frankly, unless we really do pull our fingers out globally.”<br />Although New Zealand is likely to be OK, thank you very much, it will be vulnerable trade-wise, because of world weather factors.<br />“If climate change is rapid and damaging in Europe or North America or Asia, we’ll feel that because it will be affecting our economy. If people suddenly stop being interested in buying New Zealand wine because they are struggling to deal with floods, we’ll feel that at our end as well.”<br />Because this country is so far from places like Europe, Renowden says we will be greatly affected if there is a crackdown on food miles. These are measured in terms of how much carbon is released from the burning of fuel to export products to the other side of the world.<br />There could also be restrictions on air travel, which would hurt New Zealand’s tourism industry. “This is isn’t a subject we can afford to lose on, because if it becomes established in Britain, for instance, that it’s really bad news to fly to New Zealand, even if it’s affecting only 10% of people, that’s 10% reduction in business from Britain and that’s very, very bad news for what’s our biggest export industry.”<br />To survive in this new economic climate, New Zealand has to join the carbon credit trading market, which it looks like doing.<br />Climate Change Minister <a href="http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Minister.aspx?MinisterID=76">David Parker </a>says the Government is seriously considering bringing in a cap-and-trade market for carbon credits.<br />This simply means that big companies would buy permits to have a carbon cap rating put on them. If the company reached its target, it would be deemed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_neutral">carbon neutral</a>. If it went under its cap by becoming even more environmentally savvy, it would get carbon credits, which it could sell. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaFWk95MHNGvFGlYSFtbFnYFwZPrAH9Mf0SPHt2pPyLS3O0nRj0QwvZMMbFA9SFxzG7N9kXcfRXT5q0z1O7MQc-PvLp3MS5Zf8K_aQ5By_9nGnTBuoPEA14U-K1lpcvc35oiiSRVPgi4/s1600-h/Industry+carbon+credits.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103238071272697698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaFWk95MHNGvFGlYSFtbFnYFwZPrAH9Mf0SPHt2pPyLS3O0nRj0QwvZMMbFA9SFxzG7N9kXcfRXT5q0z1O7MQc-PvLp3MS5Zf8K_aQ5By_9nGnTBuoPEA14U-K1lpcvc35oiiSRVPgi4/s320/Industry+carbon+credits.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Other businesses might go over their emissions, so to compensate they would be forced to buy carbon credits from New Zealand or overseas companies or miss out on trade opportunities.<br />It’s possible that carbon credits could become the most tradable commodity in the world, above oil and coffee.<br />Renowden says being carbon neutral will be a must, especially when dealing with Europe, which has taken an aggressive position on carbon trading.<br />If New Zealand doesn’t do anything, its exporters could face hefty penalties in the form of a carbon tariff or tax.<br />“But to be realistic, if we join the carbon club and get on with meeting the global targets, then we will be free to trade.”<br />Businesses are leading the way in bringing down emissions, Renowden says.<br />So, it’s possible and probable that it will be industries, not governments, which will save the planet.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-23745784658329604892007-08-26T21:26:00.000-07:002007-08-26T21:33:29.287-07:00Switching off for greater good<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvVMYXzvTkUqiZfFfusoU3yNyVkoouWV79FsL0f5y3jac2fVebFBDCAefGZINI6K93duXCueVKH4UnWhIRl2envVzoVmzSK4PTjmyRqsEhKy6db3BV2PytNBJ7BYPu_FTFgvu5_nmaBE/s1600-h/David+Parker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103233565852004130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvVMYXzvTkUqiZfFfusoU3yNyVkoouWV79FsL0f5y3jac2fVebFBDCAefGZINI6K93duXCueVKH4UnWhIRl2envVzoVmzSK4PTjmyRqsEhKy6db3BV2PytNBJ7BYPu_FTFgvu5_nmaBE/s400/David+Parker.jpg" border="0" /></a>By VIRGINIA WINDER<br /></strong>THE man in charge of weather in New Zealand is switching off for the greater good.<br />Climate Change Minister <a href="http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Minister.aspx?MinisterID=76">David Parker</a>, whose title instantly conjures images of a weather wizard from a Harry Potter novel, is doing his bit to stop global warming.<br />“In the flat I’m in I make sure I turn off the heated towel rail when I’m not there,” the list MP says, of his Wellington digs.<br />“I buy energy efficient light bulbs, unless it’s one (light fitting) that doesn’t take one.”<br />Talking to reporters at a climate change conference in the capital, Parker goes way beyond his own bathroom.<br />“There’s no doubt that climate change is happening,” he says.<br />The impact of melting polar caps and rising sea levels hit home when he attended an international conference on the heated subject earlier this year.<br />For two days, talking heads from around the globe talked about storms, escalating temperatures and the alarming increase of C02, which acts like a thermal drape preventing heat from the sun leaving Earth’s atmosphere.<br />While the topic was tossed about like a softball, a leader from Bangladesh sat patiently listening to the exchanges.<br />Parker says the man finally made his pitch. “He said ‘if the sea was to rise by one metre, we would have to move 30 million people’.”<br />That one comment stunned the father of three, who goes on to talk about the home-blown effects. “For New Zealand the results are less extreme but nevertheless serious. It will be wetter in the west and drier in the east.”<br />Parker also says there will be more storms and describes why in domestic terms: “It’s just like boiling a kettle – as it heats up it lets off more steam.”<br />Just like the sceptics, who Parker fobs off with facts and figures. “The scientists are more than 90% sure they are right.”<br />And with a warning: “The world only has a decade or two to get their emissions under control. The governments of the world are united on this subject.”<br />Apart from, he says earlier, the United States, Kazakhstan, and Australia, who are not among the 163 countries who have signed the <a href="http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/climatechange?gclid=CInmz4DtlI4CFR2SYAodKWaF1A">Kyoto Protocol</a> to combat global warming.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-54923735312463513412007-08-26T21:19:00.000-07:002007-08-26T21:26:24.348-07:00FREAKY FACTS... The heat is on1) Everything we do now towards reducing the greenhouse gases heating up our planet won’t be felt for another 30 years. This is called the climate commitment.<br />2) The world has already been heating up for 30 years, with global <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbR0ZXHSWpICcqfJDCHG9LW-tV8ywe8aWiiTY7lvdSnNxdfGlroxLxd6FVd_1xSp0G_h3Daemggl4rkICOszpm3kU9K38BOnGI-OQ8s7wwc51I4xRnnNyW8I0LmWQ2Lre8WHFypWWW8w/s1600-h/world.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103231504267702018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbR0ZXHSWpICcqfJDCHG9LW-tV8ywe8aWiiTY7lvdSnNxdfGlroxLxd6FVd_1xSp0G_h3Daemggl4rkICOszpm3kU9K38BOnGI-OQ8s7wwc51I4xRnnNyW8I0LmWQ2Lre8WHFypWWW8w/s320/world.jpg" border="0" /></a>temperatures increasing 0.6 degrees Celsius overall. We now face another three decades of fast warming, with temperatures expected to again rise 0.6 degrees.<br />3) The main greenhouse gases caused by people’s activities are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and ozone. Water vapour is also an important greenhouse gas.<br />4) About 64% of the warming effect of greenhouse gas increases over the last 200 years is due to carbon dioxide, produced mainly because of human activities through using fossil fuels, deforestation and agriculture.<br />5) Records show that 11 of the last dozen years were among the 12 warmest on record worldwide – and it’s getting warmer.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-88569160410684700322007-08-14T02:55:00.000-07:002007-08-14T03:20:00.924-07:00Serious side of coffeeBy VIRGINIA WINDER<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesv_JFXZqwBFHMy-X9f5ZAj0ZmsAhE27h7q-YOsnJZU3Z5nIs9zTgT0M9ani6A-gyaU9x9jNoqi_jTSV0NQf-sYY1wkRQZsuSlRJkbNsiBaY_mrRvYCDmpT_YPdguIDu6C4T6oT2rehM/s1600-h/espresso.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098497002316863426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesv_JFXZqwBFHMy-X9f5ZAj0ZmsAhE27h7q-YOsnJZU3Z5nIs9zTgT0M9ani6A-gyaU9x9jNoqi_jTSV0NQf-sYY1wkRQZsuSlRJkbNsiBaY_mrRvYCDmpT_YPdguIDu6C4T6oT2rehM/s320/espresso.jpg" border="0" /></a>THERE’S no stopping a coffee roaster browning beans.<br />Especially not those producing short, sharp, shots in New Plymouth, New Zealand.<br />“I’ll call you back in 10 minutes – I’m in the middle of roasting some beans,” says <a href="http://www.inca-fe.co.nz/">Inca-Fe’s </a>Karen Hodson.<br /><a href="http://www.ozonecoffee.co.nz/page.asp?id=1">Ozone</a> roaster Paul Newbold keeps checking the colour of his batch, leaping to action as the barrel roaster beeps, then opens the hatch for the hot beans to pour out for a quick cooling.<br />Wild Cat’s Jude Nagel explains why a coffee roaster relies on fine timing as surely as a stand-up comedian.<br />“It’s a matter of 30 seconds,” she says. “It’s so temperamental – a couple of flicks (of her bean testing scoop) and a couple of looks, then it’s gone too far.” <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FAAc0eWGx5bocw6EYsIRWJHpAEFTR_CkhhHgV2q2D1RCJzKvjB4XwkIz2mUPwQufBZCkmZUHuBel4nbqStMcy2SeuickQs1xJ6An0XQdd9kbikQ-dcV69PRn8pl-A3Bu4BqGVFnQe5I/s1600-h/roasting.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098497212770260946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FAAc0eWGx5bocw6EYsIRWJHpAEFTR_CkhhHgV2q2D1RCJzKvjB4XwkIz2mUPwQufBZCkmZUHuBel4nbqStMcy2SeuickQs1xJ6An0XQdd9kbikQ-dcV69PRn8pl-A3Bu4BqGVFnQe5I/s320/roasting.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />She roasts beans from Papua New Guinea, Columbia, Kenya and Guatemala in a 5kg Probat machine for her boutique business in central New Plymouth. Nagel holds green beans from different countries in each hand. Those from PNG are slightly larger and smoother than those from Columbia, which have a mottled appearance and cook faster.<br />These are all high-quality Coffea arabica beans, as opposed to the lower-quality Coffea canephora beans, known as robusta, not used by New Zealand roasters.<br />There is a third kind of bean, Coffea liberica, which has an acrid taste and has little economic significance worldwide.<br />She heats her machine up to 210 degrees Celsius, then adds the beans. The temperature immediately drops to 150 degrees and she ups the gauge to maintain an even heat of 160 degrees.<br />“You put in 5kg and get out 4.9kg,” she says, explaining how moisture is lost.<br />Nagel picks up a bucket of fresh beans and peels back the lid so the aroma of a French roast is released. “It’s the C02 that’s coming out.”<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hJHfW15s5y6OHoZNjKkuMORhUZB1ngFjDQYcmzhhIWyOkjyFz3LmW1PQkZjdv3SXYTBc7Dvw1c5AHeKZy80KpBMn45xzbZVbkomV2VwsbSR3Zo9w1y-zJLndT70pY0bZ9XzjeaYlZSg/s1600-h/espresso+cup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098497388863920098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hJHfW15s5y6OHoZNjKkuMORhUZB1ngFjDQYcmzhhIWyOkjyFz3LmW1PQkZjdv3SXYTBc7Dvw1c5AHeKZy80KpBMn45xzbZVbkomV2VwsbSR3Zo9w1y-zJLndT70pY0bZ9XzjeaYlZSg/s320/espresso+cup.jpg" border="0" /></a>On storage, she recommends that people take their beans out of the bag they come in, pour them into an air-tight container and keep in a cool, dark place, like a pantry.<br />“And definitely not the fridge or freezer – that dries out the beans.”<br />Paul Newbold is hot on the roasting process, which he has been doing for eight years. “I’m definitely going for 10. I’ll be the old guy they won’t be able to get rid of,” he grins.<br />The Ozone roaster sweats behind a 12kg machine (a 45kg machine waiting in the wings), checking his batch with a practiced eye while talking.<br />He designs roasting profiles (cooking methods) for the origin beans Ozone gets from around the globe.<br />Newbold won’t reveal any of his secret recipes, but talks generically about the batches and more specifically about chemistry of roasting beans.<br />He says the first stage of coffee roasting is called endothermic, when the beans absorb heat. The second step, often called the first crack, happens when the beans double in size and turn light brown.<br />They then release energy or heat, which is called the exothermic step. This is followed by a short endothermic period, and then another exothermic step called the second crack, which is quicker. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3FKCpvW2RY0MJjqV4uuY4OvTftFAmsjgGGwJaIqSSat07H2StDZbzLqGXcNXJ0EUeNV9Jkxe95Wu7n2b4ZRSZRaIDpoontYErsnhFYYv2FCaI-gmOBCR5LYpN3dg7pmCLu6z4ks0WSE/s1600-h/Roasted_coffee_beans.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098497736756271090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3FKCpvW2RY0MJjqV4uuY4OvTftFAmsjgGGwJaIqSSat07H2StDZbzLqGXcNXJ0EUeNV9Jkxe95Wu7n2b4ZRSZRaIDpoontYErsnhFYYv2FCaI-gmOBCR5LYpN3dg7pmCLu6z4ks0WSE/s200/Roasted_coffee_beans.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />“Most New Zealand roasters take 15 to 20 minutes to roast their beans,” Newbold says.<br />The cooling process should be done in under four minutes. “Otherwise the beans go dull – it mutes the flavours,” he says.<br />Jamie and Karen Hodson are immersed in the science of coffee, with a white board covered in chemical reactions and explanations.<br />Their expertise is the tasting, or “cupping” process, which Newbold also does at Ozone.<br />On their Inca-Fe boardroom table glasses are lined up like a five-against-five tequila slam competition.<br />Each 150ml glass is filled 8.25 grams of freshly roasted and ground beans. On one side, the beans have been dry processed while green and those on the other half have gone through the wet process. This means the just-picked beans have been fermented in water for 72 hours before being dried.<br />Our job is to sniff the grinds of each kind.<br />The dry-processed beans smell of blueberry and vanilla. Those put through the wet method have hints of Indian spices and are earthier.<br />“It’s quite a strict protocol for cupping,” says Karen. “This is the international standard for rating coffees.”<br />Jamie continues: “Cupping coffee is much the same as tasting wine and you are meant to spit. You have to, otherwise you’d go nuts.”<br />Next, just-boiled water is poured on the grinds until the glass is filled. After four minutes the sniffing starts again.<br />“Once the process starts, you don’t talk,” Jamie says.<br />He has cupped for up to two hours, testing 20 coffees in one session. “It’s quite intense.”<br />The now-steeped dry coffee smells of nutmeg and sugar, while the wet one gives off a whiff of hazelnut and maybe almonds.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg51RpvaWn0MoNQZ6EqPLs_2APng81ZN0wmgdGBPmZEQaqKexF9nvVlKXU4dIdoCLQHGgVs6ajKfZndJDz5EV0UcDU8JP4TkKHkBi7bNeLSMhZ9OU_a3Dko5nm4V_jw0vHSOnGMJ-S3k0/s1600-h/cupping+coffee.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098497985864374274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg51RpvaWn0MoNQZ6EqPLs_2APng81ZN0wmgdGBPmZEQaqKexF9nvVlKXU4dIdoCLQHGgVs6ajKfZndJDz5EV0UcDU8JP4TkKHkBi7bNeLSMhZ9OU_a3Dko5nm4V_jw0vHSOnGMJ-S3k0/s200/cupping+coffee.jpg" border="0" /></a>Next we use a spoon to “break the cake” on the surface of the cup. The dry coffee is back to blueberry and the wet is now clearly hazelnut and vanilla.<br />Then it’s time to taste. We each have a larger cup to spit into, before sucking up coffee from a spoon. Karen and Jamie suck up their brew like kids supping soup.<br />They aren’t being bad mannered; it’s important to get air in with the taste test so the smell of the coffee is sucked up into the nasal passages.<br />“Flavour is made up of 80% aroma,” Karen explains.<br />The crema, or reddish-brown foam on a good cup of espresso, is similar to the head on a beer. “They are effervescent bubbles that burst. That’s why it’s important to have crema on espresso drinks.”<br />Just to prove a point, after the cupping is over, she makes flat whites with surfaces rich with deep veins of fragrant crema.<br />Learning the science of coffee is a big buzz.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7489322499033991545.post-16743906809913586602007-08-14T02:46:00.000-07:002007-08-14T02:54:33.341-07:00Winding, wild path to best beans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sP9UEteobmtEDmxkAyHmC9yekZ20BFZ_W8N061Z1bo-CRClx3mZPNoEr-OciGMXRqqPTYFSU5TA2ahWNDCgb-UnQOAl5nu337ULo1ljn1TVx_NAPILaMM_hBCvnnhdDgL_0-caHTfxA/s1600-h/Andes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098491861241010098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sP9UEteobmtEDmxkAyHmC9yekZ20BFZ_W8N061Z1bo-CRClx3mZPNoEr-OciGMXRqqPTYFSU5TA2ahWNDCgb-UnQOAl5nu337ULo1ljn1TVx_NAPILaMM_hBCvnnhdDgL_0-caHTfxA/s320/Andes.jpg" border="0" /></a>By VIRGINIA WINDER<br />COFFEE lover Jamie Hodson has been living up to his business card.<br />“Poisonous snakes, narrow mountain passes, crazy bus drivers; the lengths I go to produce a good cup of coffee,” it reads.<br />The New Zealand man has been doing all that in Peru, in search of the best beans for Inca-Fe, the coffee roasting company he and wife Karen, together with Joop Verbeek and his Peruvian wife Carmen, have set up in the wilds of Waiwhakaiho, on the outskirts of New Plymouth.<br />This is a serious science, so Jamie and Joop went straight to the source. The men spent three weeks of seeking, sampling and securing sacks of green beans straight from coffee farmers and co-ops in the South American country.<br />Their quest began in Lima, population 8 million, and took them over the Andes to the lush, high-altitude jungles of Peru where the coffee grows.<br />“It’s the most beautiful and the most heinous,” Hodson says of the journey.<br />On the way they were forced off the road by mad drivers, and passed through the potently polluted city of La Roja.<br />“They have acid rain because they have smelters going and no restrictions,” he says. “Then two hours later you turn a corner and it goes from dust to jungle.”<br />The men met coffee growers, pickers and sellers, and tasted cup after cup of organic coffee, which literally left them flying. “Yeah, we did swing on a few jungle vines,” Hodson says.<br />As well as ordering stacks of sacks, the pair brought home a 30kg stash of samples, which led to a delay at Auckland International Airport. The beans were taken to the laboratory for testing to make sure they were free of pests, impurities and anything that could endanger New Zealand’s environment.<br />The beans were clean and now the pure science begins – roasting, blending, tasting and making.<br />All this for the love of coffee.Wetawoman writes everythinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05569676127468665322noreply@blogger.com0