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Sciencedaily.com
The Mediterreanean diet is rich in olive oil, grains,
fruits, nuts, vegetables, and fish, but low in meat, dairy products
and alcohol.
Current evidence suggests that such a diet has a
protective role in cardiovascular disease, but little is known about
its role on the risk of developing diabetes in healthy populations.
The SUN prospective
cohort study involved over 13 000 graduates from the University
of Navarra in Spain with no history of diabetes, who were recruited
between December 1999 and November 2007, and whose dietary habits and
health were subsequently tracked.
Participants initially completed a 136 item food
frequency questionnaire designed to measure the entire diet. The
questionnaire also included questions on the use of fats and oils,
cooking methods and dietary supplements.
Every two years participants were sent follow-up
questionnaires on diet, lifestyle, risk factors, and medical
conditions. New cases of diabetes were confirmed through medical
reports.
During the follow-up period (median 4.4 years) the
researchers from the University of Navarra found that participants who
stuck closely to the diet had a lower risk of diabetes. A high
adherence to the diet was associated with an 83% relative reduction in
the risk of developing diabetes.
Interestingly, those participants who stuck strictly
to the diet also had the highest prevalence of risk
factors for diabetes such as older age, a family history of
diabetes, and a higher proportion of ex-smokers. This group of
participants was therefore expected to have a higher incidence of
diabetes, but this was not the case. If fact, say the authors, they
had a lower risk of diabetes, suggesting that the diet might provide
substantial protection.
The major protective characteristics of the diet
include a high intake of fibre and vegetable fat, a low intake of trans
fatty acids, and a moderate intake of alcohol. In addition, a
key element of the diet is the abundant use of virgin oil for cooking,
frying, spreading on bread, and dressing salads.
The authors conclude by calling for larger cohorts and
trials to confirm their findings.
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Health in the Office - Lighting
Environmental
Lighting, such as,
fluorescent lighting, particularly in
large areas should be wired in a
particular way known as 'out of phase' to
minimise the stroboscopic effect.
Effectively mains electricity switches on
& off 50 times a second (Hz) and the
effect is more pronounced with fluorescent
lighting. Although this isn't normally
noticeable it can cause strain on the eyes
& visual cortex of the brain,
especially if one is more sensitive due to
other compromises on our health. If you
wave your hand in front of the light you
will see a lot more fingers than you
actually have. This is one of the many
factors that contribute to something
called 'sick building syndrome', as are
Air conditioning
systems are often poorly designed and
maintained, but even at the best of times
I personally don't think they are good for
health, as they are a false environment.
The body needs time to adjust to climatic
changes. This maybe a particular problem
for staff that enter and leave the
building throughout the day.
A flowing water
feature and ionisers are an alternative.
Also both produce negative
ions that neutralise the positive
ions produced by most electrical
equipment. A positively charged atmosphere
feels muggy & heavy, whereas a
negatively charged atmosphere gives a
light, clear, fresh feeling, such as,
experienced after a thunder &
lightening storm.
Water features also
help promote a calm, relaxed environment
and a fish tank is another option.
The more electrical
equipment in an area the more electromagnetic
radiation. This has a detrimental
effect on our organic energy systems and
therefore our health.
Arial">Some consider that
'earth energies' on which the building was
built on may also be a factor - this is
known as 'geopathic stress'.
The 'refresh rate'
of your PC monitor - the rate at which it
creates a new picture on the screen. The
faster, the better as this reduces the
perceived stroboscopic effect.
The brightness and
radiation from the screen itself. The
brightness can, of course be turned down
and a different background colour, other
than white can be used on documents being
worked on. You can use an
anti-glare/radiation screen on the front
of my monitor to minimise radiation. It
should be connected to 'earth' (any of the
metal on the back of the PC).
The new flat panel
monitors greatly reduce screen radiation,
but not glare and you have to pay a lot to
get the picture quality of the normal CRT
type.
We are rarely
immune to the stress & tension of our
friends/colleagues around us. Those we
spend more time with, are likely to have a
greater influence.
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