Is "Happy News" Healthy?

Numerous health experts warn that the media bombards us with so many stories of war, crime, and disaster that it can actually make us physically ill. One antidote is to simply turn off the news, but we prefer a more balanced approach: Find reliable news sources and stay engaged, but limit your involvement. When you find yourself getting overwhelmed by stress, anger, or depression, turn off the news and get back to your own life. (Hint: Check out OPEN EXCHANGE's Calendar, then go out and make some new friends!)

Another alternative is to seek out positive news. The folks at happynews.com, an online alternative news magazine, believe "much of the traditional media has strayed from this course, and reports a disproportionate amount of negative news." They "balance the scale" by culling "happy news" from a wide variety of sources, including freelance writers, wire services, and 200 "citizen journalists" in over 10 countries.

Credit for happynews.com goes to Byron Reese, who works in the online content publishing business. After repeatedly hearing that familiar phrase "Why don't they report any positive news?" Reese decided to do something about it.

Here is a sample of recent "happy news" stories: "U.S. Mint to Unveil Presidential Coins"; "Modified Cottonseed May Be Used for Food"; "Mars Orbiter Passes Communications Relay Test"; "NASA Scientist Wins World Wildlife Fund Conservation Medal."

Happynews.com has been praised by CNN, NPR, Fox News, The Washington Post, The London Times, BBC, and many more. The launch of happynews.com was also ranked in Foxnews.com's Top 10 list of notable events of 2005. (Hmmm... What hard news stories got bumped from Fox's list in favor of "happy news"?)

While we're quite attracted to the concept of positive news, it's not enough for news to be simply "happy." It also needs to be relevant. For example, we believe that global warming is one of the most important news stories of the 21st century. Rather than dwelling on the magnitude of the crisis, however, this column regularly features stories of people who are creating cutting-edge solutions for a sustainable culture. Now THAT'S happy!

Source:
www.happynews.com.

"Junk Food News" Replaces News You Need

In this age of media consolidation hard news stories are being shortchanged. A half hour newscast, for example, has only about 22 minutes for reporting after commercials. But in the drive for ratings and profits, more of this space is being taken up with frothy movie star gossip.

The people at Project Censored note that the proliferation of "junk food news" ultimately threatens democracy by depriving the electorate of the information it needs to make informed decisions. Every year they compile a list of "junk" stories in addition to their list of underreported or "censored" news. Here's a sample:

On February 7, 2006, the major media headlined with photos of pop star Britney Spears driving without a seatbelt, her infant son seated on her lap. Omigosh! While America obsessed over baby Sean, however, President Bush's proposed 2007 budget would cut nearly $1 billion to education. Defense spending would rise seven percent, while child survival and health programs would be cut by 20 percent. Funding for public broadcasting—the last stronghold of quality child-oriented programming—would also be slashed. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., remarked, "Oscar the Grouch has been friendlier to the Sesame Street characters than President Bush, who has chosen to make huge cuts to children's television programming."

Next time you hear a story about Britney or Angelina or Brad or Tom or Katie or OJ., you might want to ask yourself what the new congress is doing about education reform, or healthcare, or defense spending, or global warming. If your favorite news source isn't keeping you informed, it might be time to change the channel, grab a book, or surf the web.

Source:
Censored 2007: The Top 25 Censored Stories by Peter Phillips and Project Censored.

THOMAS JEFFERSON
WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD:

Each year Project Censored publishes a book with the "Top 25 Censored Stories," news which has been ignored or underreported by corporate media. CENSORED 2007, the 30th anniversary edition of "censored news," includes "Future of Internet Debate Ignored," "Physicist Challenges Official 9/11 Story," "Cheney's Halliburton Stock Rose Over 3000 Percent," special reports on junk food news, media bias, and much more. In the finest tradition of an independent free press, this is the 'reader's digest' of news you've been missing, the news you need to be a truly informed citizen.

Corporations Blacklist
Air America Liberal Radio

Right wing media pundits frequently proclaim a "liberal bias" in the media. Here is yet another "smoking gun" that belies their claim, revealing how corporations selectively withhold advertising dollars and, in effect, manage the news.

Media Matters (mediamatters.org) recently posted an internal ABC Radio Networks memo obtained originally from a listener to The Peter B. Collins Show, indicating that nearly 100 ABC advertisers insist that their commercials be blacked out on Air America Radio affiliates. According to the memo, the advertisers insist that "NONE of their commercials air during AIR AMERICA programming." Among the advertisers listed are Bank of America, Exxon Mobil, Federal Express, General Electric, McDonald's, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, the U.S. Navy, Allstate, Epson, Farmers, Frito-Lay, MGM, Morningstar, Coke, Discovery Channel, Levi's, Pier 1, Pepsi, Paramount, Toys R Us, Travelocity.com, USPS, Visa, Welch's and Wrigley. See the memo with all the corporate blacklisters at mediamatters.org.

Apologists counter that corporations have maintained a longstanding practice of avoiding controversial programming, including right wing commentator Rush Limbaugh and shock jock Howard Stern. However, this may be the first time that an entire network was singled out for blacklisting. Fox News, which is at least as far to the right as Air America is to the left, does not labor under the handicap of a similar corporate boycott. Not surprisingly, Fox News stories tend to reinforce political policies held by the current White House administration.

Without a lively, independent press to report on corporate and government excesses our democracy cannot survive. Fortunately there are remedies. In increasing numbers, concerned citizens are bypassing prepackaged corporate news sources in favor of alternative media, public broadcasting, and the internet.

Sources:
www.mediamatters.org
www.openexchange.org/features/Media.html

Cradle-to-cradle Housing

An environmentally correct, two-story, 1600 square foot home for an affordable $95 thousand—wow! Hearty congratulations to the architects of Roanoke, Virginia for taking sustainability concepts out of the books and right into the community!

After suffering years of urban blight, Gainsboro, Roanoke's oldest neighborhood, had been targeted by municipal leaders for sprucing up. Designers were guided by the sustainability principles defined by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart in their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The "C2C" concept is that every material used to create a product should either biodegrade or be used again.

After evaluating numerous designs, the building contract was awarded to Richard Rife and Stephen Feather, local architects with a special feel for community esthetics. "[Gainsboro residents] expressed their concern that the house look like the others on the street. And affordability was another factor. This is a low- to middle-class neighborhood." From outward appearances the house looks like a traditional Southern home and conjures images of mom and apple pie, backyard barbecues, and front porch swings.

Local manufacturer Southern Heritage Homes created custom boxes of sustainably harvested wood in three sizes to be dropped onto the site and arranged to fit the two-story floor plan. The modules offer adaptability, significant decreases in construction waste, and reduced building costs, all C2C principles. The homeowner will likely see a savings in energy and water bills as well: the metal roof is coated to maintain comfortable interior temperatures, recycled pickle barrels will catch rainwater for irrigation, and low-flush toilets and energy-efficient appliances are part of the package. In addition, all paints, stains, carpet, cabinetry, and tiles contain no or low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), cutting back on that "new house smell."

The excitement generated by this project has encouraged the building of other C2C homes in Roanoke. We wonder how easy it will be to repair a C2C home, however. When the owner eventually has to make some repair, will he be able to find the appropriate non-toxic, renewable, biodegradable supplies at the local Home Depot or Ace? Will the C2C designs become the norm? When you think about it, what is the alternative? If we want to be part of the future we have to build sustainably. The sooner, the better!

Source:
Grist Environmental Magazine, www.grist.org, November 18, 2006

Eco-friendly Weapons Kill Without "Lasting Harm"

Beware of corporate doublespeak, even when (especially when!) the jargon sounds green. You'd think that the following is a news parody from The Onion, but actually the story originated from The Times and BBC News, courtesy of the environmental magazine Grist:

One of the world's biggest arms manufacturers, British Aerospace, is investing heavily in eco-friendly weapons. Soldiers and civilians may now be blown up by a recyclable explosive, hit by a reduced-toxin rocket, or bombed by a fuel-efficient fighter jet. Biodegradable land mines and their victims both turn into compost over time. Quieter warheads reduce noise pollution, less smoky grenades reduce air pollution, and reduced-lead bullets, if left in the environment, "do not cause any additional harm," says Deborah Allen, director of corporate social responsibility at British Aerospace.

Meanwhile, British troops will stay safe in their armored vehicles — hybrid, naturally. "No company, regardless of what they make, can now just make a product, bung it out there, and then forget about it," says Allen. "We all have a duty of care to ensure that from cradle to grave products are being used appropriately and do not do lasting harm."

The environmental term is "cradle to cradle." Is that what she meant? Guess not.

Sources:
Grist, www.grist.org, October 26, 2006
BBC News, October 26, 2006
The Times, Jon Ungoed-Thomas, September 17, 2006

Fallen Arches At McDonald's Restaurant In Italy

When a McDonald's restaurant showed up in the Italian town of Altamura, many of the town's 65,000 residents were appalled. But instead of protesting the American chain's presence, they simply took their business elsewhere.

Fourth-generation baker Luca Digesu opened a small bakery right beside the fast food joint and immediately began drawing customers away from his Golden Arch enemy. What McDonald's didn't realize was that Luca's focaccia, "a coarse-grain bead famous for millennia around Italy," was a source of local pride, and this ancient bread had even been praised by Horace as early as 37 B.C. When business started falling off at McDonald's, managers tried offering various promotions and incentives, including a television for customers to watch soccer. Walk-ins would watch the game, but as soon as it was over they'd go out and get focaccia.

Within two years McDonald's acknowledged defeat, took down its Golden Arches, and left Altamura. Digesu's focaccia remains as popular as ever.

What lessons can we learn from this? Chains and big box stores aren't inevitable. Whenever you patronize any business you vote with your dollars. Culture and pride can be stronger than greed and convenience. It's up to each of us to support the enterprises—large or small—that sustain the kind of world in which we want to live.

Sources:
Adbusters
www.reveries.com.

Sustainable Schmoozing: Green Healthcare Business Gala

When small businesses go green they often gain a competitive advantage in a crowded marketplace. Green healthcare, moreover, is at the forefront of this growing movement. The Teleosis Institute's Bay Area Green Health Care Celebration recently awarded 21 area health care businesses, recognizing their commitment to sustainability.

The event was co-sponsored by the Sustainable Business Alliance, the Bay Area Green Business Program, the Green Office, and hosted at the McKinnon Institute of Massage, longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister. Organic food and wine were provided by Trudy Shaefer Paul of The Healing Hearth. Sixty-five guests attended to honor the newly certified Green businesses, listen to guest speakers Terry O'Keefe of the Sustainable Business Alliance, Joel Kreisberg, founder and executive director of Teleosis, and Ina Pockrass, owner and president of Transcendentist.

The event was zero waste, meaning all materials were either consumed, recycled or reused. Even the cups, plates and cutlery were made of cornstarch and were turned into compost thanks to the efforts of Green Mary. Teleosis Institute currently has a membership of 35 Green Certified health care businesses, including acupuncturists, physicians, dentists, chiropractors, naturopaths, therapists and more. "Its very powerful to be in a room full of like-minded people, " said Selena Lee of McKinnon Institute. "It just seems like a natural fit — that those of us in the business of improving the health of people do so in a manner that improves the health of the environment around us." The consumer demand for sustainable products and services—including health care—is huge, largely untapped, and growing.

Sources:
Teleosis Institute, www.teleosis.org.
Sustainable Business Alliance, www.sustainablebiz.org.
McKinnon Institute of Massage, longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister under Schools.

Go Hungry, Live Longer?

As baby boomers enter their retirement years life extension is becoming a top priority. Science has now determined that the best way to extend your life is to eat a nearstarvation diet. But is longevity worth the hunger pangs?

Calorie restriction diets typically involve eating about 30 percent fewer calories than normal while still getting adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Calorie-restricted diets should not be confused with the starvation diets made fashionable by anorexics, however. Minimizing caloric intake while optimizing nutrition is a tough balancing act that requires constant attention.

In 1935, Dr. Clive McCay, a nutritionist at Cornell University, discovered that mice that were fed 30 percent fewer calories lived about 40 percent longer than their free-grazing laboratory mates. The dieting mice were also more physically active and far less prone to a variety of diseases.

Dr. McCay's experiment has been successfully duplicated in a variety of animal species. In the last year alone, calorie-restricted diets have been shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and cancer. Aside from direct genetic manipulation, calorie restriction is the only strategy known to extend life consistently across many species.

Some researchers studying dietary effects on humans believe that calorie restriction might be even more effective than exercise at preventing age-related diseases. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have been tracking the health of small groups of calorie-restricted dieters. They found that the dieters had better-functioning hearts and fewer signs of inflammation, which is a precursor to clogged arteries, than similar subjects on regular diets.

In previous studies, people in calorie-restricted groups were shown to have lower levels of LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol, and triglycerides. They also showed higher levels of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, virtually no arterial blockage, and remarkably low blood pressure.

Researchers at Louisiana State University reported last April in The Journal of the American Medical Association that patients on an experimental low-calorie diet had lower insulin levels and body temperatures, both possible markers of longevity, and fewer signs of the chromosomal damage typically associated with aging. "Calorie restriction has a powerful, protective effect against diseases associated with aging," said Dr. John O. Holloszy, a Washington University professor of medicine. "We don't know how long each individual will end up living, but they certainly have a longer life expectancy than average."

Dr. Roy Walford, a legendary pathologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, first popularized the calorierestricted regimen. Largely as a result of his advocacy, several thousand people are now on calorie-restricted diets in the United States. Mike Linksvayer, a 36-year-old chief technology officer in San Francisco, embarked on just such a regimen six years ago. On an average day he eats an apple or some cereal for breakfast, followed by a small vegan dish at lunch, and a light dinner that excludes bread, rice, and sugar. On weekends, he occasionally fasts. "Mostly I do the diet to be healthier, but if it helps me live longer, hey, I'll take that, too."

How might calorie restriction extend lifespan? Animals on restricted diets seem particularly resistant to environmental stresses like oxidation and heat, perhaps even radiation. "It is a very deep, very important function," Dr. Miller said. Experts theorize that limited access to energy 'alarms' the body, activating a cascade of biochemical signals that tell each cell to direct energy away from reproductive functions, toward repair and maintenance. The calorie-restricted organism is stronger, according to this hypothesis, because individual cells are more efficiently repairing mutations, using energy, defending themselves and mopping up harmful byproducts like free radicals.

But don't start starving yourself just yet. Thinner is not always better. After analyzing decades of national mortality statistics, federal researchers reported last year that exceptional thinness, a logical consequence of calorie restriction, was associated with an increased risk of death. This controversial study did not quantify the number of calories or their nutritional value, all of which could be significant determinants of health. Weight loss can also be a symptom of malnutrition, anorexia, or other serious illnesses, too.

"Calorie restriction is doomed to fail, and will make people miserable in the process of attempting it," said Dr. Jay Phelan, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Have you ever tried to go without food for a day? I did it once, because I was curious about what the mice in my lab experienced, and I couldn't even function at the end of the day."

Inevitably, researchers are trying to develop drugs that mimic the life extending benefits of caloric restriction. Dr. Richard A. Miller, a pathologist at the University of Michigan, predicts optimistically that such a pill might increase human life span to about 112 healthy years, with the occasional senior living until 140. According to a report by the Rand Corporation, such a youth drug would be among the most cost-effective breakthroughs possible in medicine, even at an estimated cost of $8,800 a year per person.

While you're waiting for the magic pill—which may or may never come—remember to eat your veggies, walk, stop and smell the roses, pet the dog, make music, meditate, and laugh! These simple suggestions are already guaranteed to extend your life and make it more pleasant, too.

Source:
The New York Times, "One for the Ages: A Prescription That May Extend Life," October 31, 2006.

Curing Depression Naturally

Depression affects nearly 20 million people in the United States and is the nation's leading cause of disability. Major news stories have recently described how two or more pharmaceutical drugs taken in combination could combat depression more effectively than one drug. However, what is frequently missing from mainstream coverage is a detailed discussion of natural remedies.

"Mental health experts say the frontline treatment for serious cases, antidepressant drugs, works only about half the time," according to John M. Grohol, Psy.D. However, these drugs "can have troubling side effects, such as weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and even suicidal behavior."

Antidepressants work better when combined with talk therapy, but even this does not relieve symptoms sufficiently for many sufferers. Fortunately, there are several holistic approaches that can frequently reduce or eliminate the need for drugs entirely:

Exercise: Strenuous physical activity releases endorphins, brain chemicals that produce a feeling of well-being, a natural high. A daily regimen of brisk walking (even 20 minutes!) can also be beneficial. If you can't go out for a walk, consider changing your light bulbs. Natural light is known to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder "SAD," elevate mood levels, and encourage the body to produce necessary Vitamin D.

Food: Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can trigger exaggerated mood swings. Hidden food sensitivities or tendencies toward hypoglycemia or diabetes may also trigger symptoms of depression. Improve your mood by eliminating white breads, refined flours, and especially sugar.

Connect: Talk daily with friends and family. Studies show that you'll live longer and be happier, too. If you find yourself unable to make meaningful connections, seek out a counselor, coach, or psychotherapist with whom you have a genuine rapport. Don't feel like talking? Try a therapeutic massage or attend a day spa and pamper yourself!

According to Professor Joel H. Levitt of The Anxiety & Hypoglycemia Relief Institute, sugar sensitivity is a frequently misdiagnosed cause of depression. "Stress is often blamed as the root cause for anxiety, depression and fatigue, but, although stress can make any problem worse, the source of such problems is often physical in nature. And hypoglycemia is one of the major physical causes.

"Hypoglycemia is the body's inability to properly regulate blood sugar levels, causing the level of sugar in the blood to be too low or to fall too rapidly. Blood sugar, in the form of glucose, is the basic fuel for all brain operation and physical activity, including muscular. If the available fuel is too inadequate, any marginal physical or mental system may start to shut down. In addition, the glandular imbalances that result, as the glands struggle to regulate the sugar level, cause their own symptoms—especially high adrenaline, which is usually perceived as anxiety or panic, but, in some cases, can lead to violence."

The mental symptoms of hypoglycemia include anxiety, phobias, nervousness, depression, violent outbursts, obsessive- compulsive behavior, inability to concentrate, and forgetfulness. Physical symptoms are also numerous, including headaches, fatigue, racing pulse, fainting, cravings for sweets, blurred vision, and joint pain.

Professor Levitt's solution is simple—change your diet. "The cure for 'low blood sugar' is to AVOID sugar and simple carbohydrates, like white wheat flour, that convert rapidly into sugar. Stress, of course, makes all problems worse. And if you can eliminate all stress, fine. But, realistically, it is much easier to simply control what you consume."

According to Nancy Schimelpfening, MS in Community Health Nutrition and expert at the online About Guide to Depression, if you wish to fight your depression without the side-effects and expense of psychiatric medications, there are many things your can do to control your moods naturally. Get enough sleep. Avoid coffee and other stimulants. Take a multivitamin regularly. Eat a well balanced diet. Relieve loneliness by making friends, doing volunteer work.

But don't stop taking medication if you need it. "Don't feel like a failure if you need prescription medication. Depression is an illness just like diabetes or any other. It is not always within your control."

Beyond standard medications and shock therapy, Harvard Medical School is now experimenting with powerful magnetic fields to induce changes in brain function. According to Michael Craig Miller, MD, reporting for Newsweek, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or repetitive TMS, is a "cousin of shock therapy" but mild enough that it does not require anesthesia. "Lives have been saved" with TMS in cases where conventional drug therapies failed.

We recommend that sufferers first try the natural (and less expensive) remedies. Check out OPEN EXCHANGE's Counseling & Therapy, Health, Coaching, Fitness, Bodywork, and Weight Issues categories, where you'll find a myriad of excellent local referrals.

Sources:
http://depression.about.com/cs/altmedsjw/ht/Naturally.htm
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2005/04/28/easing-depression-without-drugs/
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/hypoglycemia.htm
Newsweek, "Minds and Magnets," December 11, 2006