Ascenta

Most people simply cannot contemplate the idea of the world running out of water. The earth has 1,360,000,000 km3 of water - that’s a lot of water. Our failure to distinguish between the “existence” and “availability” is at the heart of the global water crisis. Close to half the world’s population has no immediate access to safe water and that number is estimated to grow by 30% over the next 20 years.

While climate change is a legitimate threat to existing water supplies, the root of the current water crisis is entirely man-made. In the United States 36 states currently face a serious water shortage. A similar trend is seen immerging in the other states as well as Canada. The problem is a concept called water mining, “extracting water from natural sources faster than the hydrologic cycle can replenish”. Groundwaters, rivers, lakes and natural springs are being exploited to the extent the hydrologic cycle is irreversibly compromised.

Who is mining this water? Bottled water companies, agro-businesses, and large manufacturing companies. The privatization of our water supplies could challenge our notion that water in North America is a limitless resource. Extracting water from one natural source and shipping it to far distant areas destroys the hydrologic cycle and inevitably its availability for future use. The Great lakes is a vast reserve of fresh water, which is being mined at a rate of 4 trillion litres every day, which is far greater than Nature’s ability to replenish.

Failure to take action now will dramatically alter our way of life in North America within the next 10 years including the cost of living. I strongly urge you to watch the video below, which helps explain the water crisis and more importantly how you can help protect this precious resource.

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Our journey through life is accompanied by a continual oscillation in our emotional state which is very normal and essential. The experience of suffering and discontent is key to the entire process of life as it helps us navigate through life with meaning, directing our actions towards that which brings us joy and prosperity. In Buddhism this quality of life is referred to as Dukkha. When we get stuck in states of sadness or suffering we are forced to identify the obstacles that lie in our path and more importantly move past them. If we fail to take action the suffering persists and can intensify. The idea of Dukkha is important because it reminds us that suffering is normal and temporary, thereby encouraging action to move past the suffering.

In more clinical terms, the idea of being stuck in a state of suffering, despair, or sadness is termed depression, a mental disorder that will affect 25% of the population at some point in their lifetime. Like all mental disorders, depression is plagued with a social stigma due to its medical classification as a disease or disorder, which some experts believe discourages people from seeking treatment and reinforces the feeling of having no personal control of the situation.

Although alternative treatments for depression are still criticized by conventional medicine there is growing evidence that these treatments may be as, or more, effective than pharmacological treatments. The consensus from both alternative and conventional perspectives is that depression involves altered production and distribution of neurotransmitters in the brain. The question still to be answered is what causes this alteration. New research is providing compelling evidence that nutritional factors such as omega-3 as well as physical exercise may help the brain establish the proper levels and distribution of serotonin and dopamine, the feel good neurotransmitters.

The strength of this evidence prompted Health Canada to approve omega-3 (from fish oil) supplements for the promotion of healthy mood balance. Although the claim refers to a mood balancing effect, the studies referenced by Health Canada are fish oil depression studies. Exercise appears to be not only effective for boosting mood, it appears to be indispensible for overall brain health. As described in his book Spark Dr. John Ratey reveals the secrets of exercise for improving emotional wellbeing and cognitive performance.

Stress is also believed to play an important role in the pathophysiology of depression, so stress management and relaxation are important tools for improving emotional wellbeing. While omega-3 and exercise are proven to be effective at reducing emotional and mental stress another simple and powerful tool is breath mindfulness. Coming back to the idea of Dukkha, this natural process of suffering is a great reminder that in life we need to let go of things that no longer serve us, and open ourselves to new opportunities that promote healing, learning, and growth. Unlocking your inner greatness and happiness requires you to take responsibility and action. Start by being more physically active, eat a healthy balanced diet, 1000-2000mg of omega-3 EPA + DHA, and remember that inner joy starts when you learn to love yourself. For more information on depression and natural therapies visit Wylde About Health.

This blog entry is not a substitute for conventional diagnosis or treatment of depression. Please consult a physician if you suspect you may suffer from depression.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been deeply immersed in the teachings of yoga. While some people refer to yoga simply as a physical practice the reality is that the postures constitute just one small part, the true emphasis of yoga being consciousness and mental practice.

The ability to relax and focus the mind is a challenging feat in a society full of constant stimulation, stress, emotions, and information. A mind free of distraction is a mind free to focus on all the things that bring health and prosperity into our lives.

The idea of distraction brings me to an important aspect of why omega-3 is so important to achieving a higher state of wellbeing. Every cell in our body is constantly sending and receiving information in an effort to maintain a healthy balanced state. Our cells however can easily become distracted causing them to respond in inappropriate ways. In particular chronic low-grade inflammation prompts our cells into a distracted state and threatens their health.

Chronic inflammation can result from an imbalance of essential fatty acids whereas pro-inflammatory omega-6 is too high and anti-inflammatory omega-3 is too low. This cellular imbalance of omega-6 and omega-3 activates an inappropriate immune and inflammatory response, thereby distracting the cells from processes that promote health and vitality. Increasing your intake of omega-3 can have a multitude of benefits including removing cellular distractions.

Often people respond to me their body feels more relaxed and their mind more clear when they increase their intake of omega-3 - aka internal calm and focus!

Don’t let poor nutrition distract you from living a life of health and vitality.

Current statistics tell us that 50% of Canadians are overweight with 1 in every 6 being obese. Scientists and doctors continue to stand behind the theory that we simply eat too much and exercise too little. There is no refuting the adage of “calorie in - calorie out”, however, a deeper look into the epidemiology of obesity leaves a lot of unanswered questions. For instance, why did the number of overweight infants under 6 months of age increase steadily from 1950 to 2000; between 1980 and 2001, it rose 74%.

A new field of research has emerged with some alarming findings about how a class of chemicals – man made as well as natural – are poisoning our bodies and programming our genes to make us fatter. These chemicals, called obesogens, interfere with hormonal signaling in the body and give rise to genetic changes that affect the number and size of fat cells. Obesogen exposure during infancy and childhood could in fact irreversibly predetermine your fat fate as an adult. To make matters worse these chemicals have contaminated our environment and detectable levels exist in everyone. Obesogens are present in many types of plastics, pesticides, and even the coating on a cash register receipt, just to name a few.

This new field of research was recently explored by a fascinating episode of the television program The Nature of Things with David Suzuki. Do yourself and your child a favor by watching this episode and protect your body from toxic obesogens.

Matt Damon and Brad Pitt summoned their inner krill to play the loveable characters Will and Bill from the recent animated film Happy Feet Two. Lead by the more adventurous Will, the two krill set out to discover life beyond the swarm. Their discoveries unfortunately do not include the reality that climate change and krill harvesting are leading towards an uncertain future for the Antarctic.

At the forefront of the krill debate is the certification of a single krill fishing vessel by the eco-label Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). In 2009, Greenpeace issued a scientific report highlighting the krill conservation issues in the Antarctic and opposing the MSC certification. With no full assessment of krill stocks in over 10 years, continued climate change, and ever increasing krill quotas, the only happy feet in the Antarctic region will be computer animated. To learn more about krill and the conservation issues in the Antarctic visit http://www.krillcount.org/issues.html.