Creative Healthy Living

Generation Z prefer organic products

2018-02-16T13:32:00.001-03:00

For the first time, Generation Z is emerging as an influencer in grocery spending and early indications suggests that they will favor more organic, healthy products as well as authentic and multicultural offerings, according to new research from Acosta.

The full service sales and marketing firm’s latest “Why behind the buy?” finds older Gen Zers, aged 12-21, are starting to grocery shop in earnest as they begin to leave their parents’ houses and graduate from college to start their lives on their own.

Currently, this group represents the smallest portion of shoppers and lowest spenders, according to Acosta. It reports Gen Z makes up only 7% of shoppers older than 18 years, compared to 27% of Millennials and 26% of Gen X. Likewise, they spend $269 on average per month on groceries, compared to $298 for Millennials and $380 for Gen X.

But even though this group is the smallest and spends the least, Acosta suggests retailers and manufacturers should not ignore them because their preferences will be the wave of the future.

Diversity drives demand for global flavors
One way that Gen Z likely will reshape merchandising is by demanding a more diverse selection to better represent their racial and cultural diversity, suggests Acosta.

“Generations are becoming more racially and culturally diverse; while only 21% of the population ages 75 and older are non-white, 46% of Gen Z shoppers … are non-white, including 22% who identify as Hispanic and 4% as multi-racial,” Acosta reports.

It adds, “From 2010 to 2020, 89% of US population growth is forecast to come from racial and multicultural growth (non-white), which is impacting what’s being purchased in stores as tastes continue to diversify.”

Healthy, fresh food is a top priority
Another way that Gen Z likely will influence what retailers stock is by further elevating the importance of healthy, natural and better-for-you products.

“Gen Z shoppers show high awareness of, and desire for, healthy food, with more than one-third of their grocery basket considered organic products on a typical trip,” Acosta notes.

Gen Z, like Millennials, tend to favor smaller more frequent trips – another factor that could influence how retailers stock store shelves, Acosta suggests.

Gen Z is heavily influenced by technology
Finally, Acosta notes that Gen Z is the first generation to have never known life without the Internet. As such, digital plays a big role in how they shop.

For example, 42% of Gen Z shoppers say they use a digital grocery list, Acosta reports.

In addition, “initial information indicates that some Gen Z consumers are getting brand information from online influencers (like well-known bloggers and other internet personalities), in addition to considering the brand recommendations of their family and friends,” Acosta reports.

Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2018 - William Reed Business Media Ltd - All Rights Reserved - Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions

Alyssa Jagan is a Global Master Crafter of "Slime"

2018-01-24T19:53:00.000-03:00

Slime time is all the time for Alyssa Jagan

The Toronto 16-year-old has an Instagram account with over 800,000 followers. She also has a book on her hobby ( Ultimate Slime-- published by Quarry Books last October) . It has since been translated into ten languages.

Buy on Amazon:-http://amzn.to/2GepvrV

Last January she was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal!

Alyssa Jagan is a slime-making master teacher and entrepreneur! (Instagram/@craftyslimecreator)

Are you all about the slime trend? For about a year now, tons of online recipes mixing school glue, dish soap, colours, lotions, and who-knows-what-else have resulted in handful after handful of delightfully disgusting homemade slime.

Perhaps you've made yourself a batch at home.Maybe you're even holding some slime right now!

Well, meet Toronto's Alyssa Jagan. Known as "alyssa j" to her Instagram followers (@craftyslimecreator), this 16year-old posts three videos a day of her work. This dedication to her craft has made her Canada's young queen of slime.

Started as a hobby

Alyssa's goop-making began as a simple hobby. But as she explained to Global News, the craft really hooked her quickly.

“It’s the crunches, the sounds [that it makes]…" she says. "It’s fun to poke, knead, pull and stretch, and do what you want to it.”

The teen began to move beyond basic recipes to make far more adventurous creations. They are colourful, textured, and sometimes, downright bizarre. But above all, her work is super crafty, adventurous, and makes for some great videos.

So much slime, so little time!

Yes, Alyssa is a real slime superstar. And watching her videos, it's easy to understand why. Playing with that stuff does look like a lot of fun! And if she messes up a batch, no biggie. She can always try again.

Of course, so can you! If you're interested in doing these recipes yourself, her book sounds like the best bet.

From Globe and Mail

Buy on Amazon:-http://amzn.to/2GepvrV

Description of Alyssa's book from AmazonReview
"If there’s anyone who knows how to make slime, one of the most popular trends for kids on YouTube and Instagram, it’s content creator Alyssa Jagan—AKA craftyslimecreator on Instagram. The sixteen-year-old has hundreds of thousands of followers who watch her slime videos regularly for inspiration and relaxation.

Jagan is now also the author of a DIY book that slime makers of all ages will love: Ultimate Slime.

Whether they’re looking for just the right slime recipe, ideas for making new kinds of slime, or even suggestions for new ways to play with it, this is the ultimate book for slime fanatics." - Kelly Knox for GeekMom.

About the Author
Alyssa Jagan is also known as Alyssa J of CraftySlimeCreator. The popular Instagram slimer is a 16-year-old high school student who lives with her family in Toronto. Alyssa posts new slime videos to her main Instagram account every day and sells her slime creations online. She recently attended the Global Young Leaders Academy, a pre-college program offered at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Visit Alyssa on Instagram at @CraftySlimeCreator and on YouTube at Alyssa J.

See BBC video on Alyssa.---http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/42781586

Research shows singing sppeds up recovery from post natal depression

2018-01-20T14:46:00.001-03:00

Singing 'speeds up' recovery from post-natal depression
9 January 2018

Singing could help mothers recover from post-natal depression more quickly, a study suggests.

Researchers found that women who took part in group singing sessions with their babies experienced a much faster improvement in their symptoms than those who did not.

The study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, looked at 134 mothers with post-natal depression.

Early recovery is seen to be crucial to limit effects on mother and baby.

Post-natal depression is estimated to affect one in eight new mothers.

Previous studies have indicated singing can help improve the mental health of older people and those with dementia, but this is the first controlled study of its effect on post-natal depression.

The women were placed into three groups:

one took part in group singing
another took part in in creative play sessions
a third group received their usual care, which could include family support, antidepressants or mindfulness

The singing workshops saw the mothers learning lullabies and songs from around the world with their babies and creating new songs together about motherhood.

And those with moderate to severe symptoms of post-natal depression reported a much faster improvement than mothers in the usual care and playgroups.

All the groups improved over the 10 weeks, but in the first six weeks the singing group had already reported an average 35% decrease in depressive symptoms.

Dr. Rosie Perkins

Principal investigator Dr Rosie Perkins said the study, although small, was significant because it was important to tackle the symptoms as quickly as possible.

"Post-natal depression is debilitating for mothers and their families, yet our research indicates that for some women something as accessible as singing with their baby could help to speed up recovery at one of the most vulnerable times of their lives," she said.

Lead author Dr Daisy Fancourt, from University College London, said singing was another useful therapy to offer women.

"Many mothers have concerns about taking depression medication whilst breastfeeding and uptake of psychological therapies with new mothers is relatively low," she said.

"So these results are really exciting as they suggest that something as simple as referring mothers to community activities could support their recovery."

Dr Trudi Seneviratne, who chairs the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Perinatal Faculty, said: "It's exciting to hear about the growing evidence base for novel psychosocial interventions such as singing to facilitate a more rapid recovery for women with post-natal depression.

"I look forward to more work in this area in the future, as it will be enjoyed by both mothers and their babies."

Since the study, Breathe Arts Health Research has started running singing workshops in partnership with Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust for women with post-natal depression across the south London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark.

BBC News

Hydrogen Powered Bicycles

2018-01-20T14:20:00.000-03:00

French startup launches hydrogen-powered bicycles
Reuters Staff

PARIS (Reuters) - A French start-up has become the first company to start factory production of hydrogen-powered bicycles for use in corporate or municipal fleets.

Alpha bikes, first industrialised bicycle to use a hydrogen fuel cell, are displayed at the Pragma Industries factory in Biarritz, France, January 15, 2018.

Pragma Industries, which is based in Biarritz, France and makes fuel cells for military use, has sold some 60 hydrogen-powered bikes to French municipalities including Saint Lo, Cherbourg, Chambery and Bayonne.

At about 7,500 euros per bike, and at least 30,000 euros for a charging station, the bikes are too expensive for the consumer market, but Pragma is working to cut that to 5,000 euros, which would bring their price in line with premium electric bikes.

“Many others have made hydrogen bike prototypes, but we are the first to move to series production,” said founder and chief executive Pierre Forte.

The firm’s Alpha bike runs for about 100 km (62 miles) on a two-litre tank of hydrogen, a range similar to an electric bike, but a refill takes only minutes while e-bikes take hours to charge. One kilo of hydrogen holds about 600 times more energy than a one-kilo lithium battery.

Pierre Forte (R), founder and CEO of Pragma Industries, and Alexandre Blanc (L), operations director, check an Alpha bike, first industrialised bicycle to use a hydrogen fuel cell at the Pragma Industries factory in Biarritz, France, January 15, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
Pragma also sells refueling stations that produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water as well cheaper tank-based stations.

The bikes, which look and ride the same as any normal bicycle, are aimed at bike-rental operators, delivery companies, and municipal or corporate bicycle fleets with intensive usage.

Pragma, which produced 100 hydrogen bikes last year, plans to manufacture 150 this year. It has received demand from Norway, the United States, Spain, Italy and Germany, Forte said.

With bike’s range limited by the size of the hydrogen tank, Pragma is also working on a bike that will convert plain water into hydrogen aboard the bike, using a chemical reaction between water and aluminium or magnesium powder to produce hydrogen gas.

“In the next two-three years we want to enter the consumer market and massively increase the scale of our operations,” said Forte.

Reporting by Geert De Clercq; editing by Luke Baker, William Maclean

© 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

doTerra essential oils--Jennifer Tu Angus, Ontario

2017-08-10T17:05:00.000-03:00

Essential oils can help the neurons in our bodies to transmit and receive messages more efficiently because of their natural regenerative and soothing properties.

Oils from doTERRA are pure and powerful. For example, just x1 drop of Peppermint oil is equivalent to28 cups of Peppermint tea! So typically people use just x1 drop per application.

There are over 200 different essential oil companies in North America - but their products vary greatly in their chemical constituents. In fact, about 98% of these other companies are only interested in the aromatic effects of their oils - many of them use synthetics instead of natural ingredients to create that aroma.

There are 3 reasons I chose to use doTERRA in my home and holistic nutrition business:

•All doTERRA oils are independently tested through 7 processes to ensure that the CPTG label represents the purest and most potent oils on the market today.

•The oils are sourced across the globe where the plant grows abundantly. That is where the highest chemical constituent will be found for that plant.

•The company culture is incredible. This was what drew me the most - I feel very aligned with the vision they have and the impact they are having on the world. I believe that your ‘vibe attracts your tribe’ and this is so evident in doTERRA.

I believe that it's because of these 3 things that doTerra has become the largest essential oil company in the world in just 8 years of operating.

They have the respect of both the growing alternative natural health care community across the globe and the medical community where the opportunity to use a therapeutic grade oil is needed in research and practice.

I know once you take the caps off - you’ll see the difference right away.

Jennifer Tu--Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant Angus, Ontario, Canada

Public MemorialService for late SRF President Sri Mrinalini Mata

2017-08-08T12:15:00.002-03:00

Dear Friends,

We would like to share with you the announcement that a public memorial service to honor Sri Mrinalini Mata, president, and Sangha Matta of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, will be held during this year’s SRF World Convocation:

Friday, August 11, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. PST
Westin Bonaventure Hotel
404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, 90071

Sri Mrinalini Mata passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 3, 2017, and we invite all SRF/YSS members and friends to join us in honoring this beloved disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda who made such a momentous contribution to his society.

For those of you attending the SRF World Convocation, seating for the memorial service will be the same as your designated Convocation seating, in either the California or Pasadena Ballroom. For those who are not registered for Convocation, seating will be available in the Pasadena Ballroom. (Registration for the memorial service is not needed.)

Live Video Streaming of Memorial Service

For all of our dear SRF members and friends around the world who are unable to attend the service at Convocation, live streaming of the memorial service will be available on the SRF YouTube channel.

Access the live video stream directly on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/YoganandaSRF/live

Note: Please use one of the following browsers to access the live video stream: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari. The live stream video will not play on Internet Explorer.

If you are not able to join for the live stream, the video will be available soon afterward on our website and the SRF YouTube channel so you can watch it at your convenience. Please check our website for a link to this video.

Services at Other Locations
Additionally, our temples and many of our centers around the world will be planning special services, to which you are invited. For information about when and where these services will be held, please contact your local temple or center directly. (Checking the temple or center website may be the quickest and easiest way to get this information, though in some cases it might be several days before they can schedule their events.) Temple websites are listed below. Phone numbers, email addresses, and locations can be found on our website here.

Ongoing updates will be posted on our website in the coming days.

Quick links to Temple websites for information about special services to be scheduled:

Flowers

If you wish to send flowers, may we suggest that you consider instead a donation in memory of Sri Mrinalini Mata to Paramahansa Yogananda’s work, the cause that was nearest and dearest to her heart and soul.

https://www.yogananda-srf.org/

Measure

Choose a stunning luxury villa on fabulous Anguilla.

2017-07-31T21:58:00.000-03:00

Bow Green is on Facebook! Visit us and join in celebrating Anguilla - one of the kept secrets in the travel world.

Bow Green villa is surrounded by a beautiful lush green garden.

Paradise found! Go to http://www.bowgreen.com to find out more.

Book yourself a stress-free vacation

Bow Green is a private beach front villa on Rendezvous Bay Beach, Anguilla offering comfort and luxury, without the intrusion of other guests.

A short walk to one of the Caribbean's best private beaches. www.bowgreen.com

The Pool: The floodlit swimming pool has a large deck - perfect for entertaining...!

Savor the absolute luxury of this villa through our YouTube video.

Imagine your own private pool!

Chemistry cat recommends Nerium

2017-07-31T20:59:00.002-03:00

http://goo.gl/x9RsHK

Have been successfully using EHT for two months. For me, my eyesight has improved, I sleep better and my memory is sharper.

Learn More

Identify your true life path

2017-07-31T19:47:00.002-03:00

If you’re not excited, you're on the wrong path!

Are you one of those people who jump out of bed every morning, excited to meet the day and looking forward to all the great things you can accomplish and experience?

Are you forever hitting the snooze button because being asleep is far better than this so-called monotonous “life” of going to work and doing chores on the weekends? (Okay, it’s not that bad, but sometimes… )

Do you feel like you have untapped potential but you don’t know where to start?

It’s time to get on the right path for you because you deserve to wake up with a big smile on your face and fearlessly give yourself to the world. The world needs YOU!

Here are some thought-provoking questions that will help you get on the right path for you.

Let yourself feel the truth in what you are saying, to help you identify your true path.

Here are a few guidelines for this exercise:

Sit in meditation for a few minutes before you do this exercise, to clear your mind and de-stress.
Do the exercise when you’re in a positive frame of mind.
Answer each question with the first spontaneous gut-response thought that you have.
Do not second-guess your answers.
FEEL your body’s response to each question - if there is even the slightest twinge of “no” then the answer is a conditioned one that is not aligned with who you really are.
Meditate afterward, to “sit with” your answers. Let them percolate inside you so that your truth can emerge.
Repeat the exercise several times this month. You may find that some of your answers change as you do the exercise repeatedly. That’s okay. It could be that your first responses were the conditioned ones - the “should” responses, not the “want” responses. Let the “should” responses fade away… they’re not yours to hold.
You might find that you draw a blank on some of these answers. That’s okay. Do not force any answers. Leave a question blank if you don’t know right away. Take a few minutes to do this exercise completely, leave the unknowns blank, and then sit with your thoughts in meditation and let the answers bubble to the surface.

1. I get most excited when I ___________________________.

2. I feel most accomplished when I ________________________________.

3. My life feels like a great adventure when I _______________________________.

4. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude when _____________________________.

5. Everything seems to flow and work out perfectly when I ____________________________.

6. I have the most fun when I ___________________________.

7. I feel I am in peak performance mode when I _____________________________.

8. I feel I am contributing the most when I _________________________________.

9. I feel an overwhelming sense of love and joy when I ______________________________.

10. I lose track of time when I ________________________________.

11. I act in spite of my fears when I am ________________________________.

12. I have inspired ideas when I think about _________________________________.

13. People enjoy being around me the most when I am _______________________________.

14. My imagination is boundless when I think about ________________________________.

15. I feel fulfilled when I _____________________________________.

16. I feel like I belong when I ____________________________________.

17. I feel I am using my talents when I _________________________________.

18. When I set goals aligned with my passions, I feel energized, motivated, inspired, committed and fearless (true/false) _______.

19. I can clearly picture myself achieving what’s most important to me (true/false) _______.

20. I feel most ALIVE when I _________________________.

Each time you do this exercise, write down any patterns you notice. Maybe it’s a particular activity that jumps out at you, or a desire to achieve a certain feeling or state of being. Whatever the patterns, notice them and write them down.

The post-exercise meditation is important. It’s a chance to observe your answers non-judgmentally. You might realize that some of your answers are the result of your conditioned excuses as to why you can’t do the thing that pulls at your heart. Over time, these answers will fade away as you develop the courage to really listen to your inner wisdom.

And then, once you’ve mapped out exactly what you want, make a plan. What are the tiny, daily steps you can do starting right away, to start on that wonderful journey that is uniquely yours?

To a simpler more fulfilling life,

Steven JohnsonCo-founder
Brainwave Research UK

Measure

Earn $50 when you open a new bank account

2017-07-31T16:36:00.000-03:00

From now until August 31, 2017,
Everyone who uses my Orange key- 13827867S1 to open their first Tangerine Account with an initial deposit of $100 will earn a Bonus of $50*.
My Orange Key is 13827867S1

What an easy way to get an extra $50 into your bank account!

Tangerine No-Fee Daily Chequing Account

No fees for daily chequing transactions
Free access to 3,500 ABMs on the Scotiabank Network
Free unlimited number of Tangerine Email Money Transfers

Tangerine Savings Account

No unfair fees, no service charges
Great interest rates
Automatic Savings Program (ASP)

Free cloud-based phone system for Canadian Small Business

2017-07-29T16:17:00.003-03:00

Fongo launches highly anticipated Fongo Works, the first free cloud-based phone system for small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs in Canada

WATERLOO, ON, April 19, 2017 /CNW/ – Fongo, a Waterloo, Ontario-based company that has accumulated over 1 million Canadian registrants to their free mobile service, is now squarely taking aim at the small business and startup market within Canada.

Today, Fongo is launching their free cloud-based phone system, Fongo Works. This will provide business owners in Canada the business services they need, without the unnecessary expenses. Small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy and they currently make up 98.2% of employer businesses. However, small businesses often struggle with obtaining business services like a feature rich phone system compared to larger businesses, in most recent studies compiled by Startup Canada. With minimal provider options in the Canadian market, small businesses are suffering from major monthly expenses and lack of functionality and flexibility.

With Fongo Works, customers can obtain a brand new phone number for their business free of charge or can move their existing mobile phone number over to its network. Fongo Works is compatible with employee’s existing mobile devices, providing businesses the telecommunications services they need to communicate professionally internally and externally–for free.

Users can enjoy a free business phone number, virtual receptionist, e-mail to voicemail, unlimited incoming calls, conference calls and an array of unique customization features while using the Fongo Works service.

Registering the new phone system only takes 5 minutes, and includes up to 10 Fongo Works members who can then utilize the cloud-based phone system. To control volume and demand for their initial launch, Fongo Works is limiting companies up to 6 members registered. Fongo Works is the answer for busy small business owners who want to avoid the hassles of managing a complex phone system.

The Fongo team is composed of knowledgeable industry leaders that have experienced the evolution of telecommunications first-hand. Jody Schnarr, CEO of Fongo, is ecstatic to announce this new service.

“Fongo has been the Canadian leader in free telecommunication services for families coast to coast for years. We are excited to launch free services for business and especially the small business segment. Phone systems have evolved quickly in features and benefits, but value and ease of use for small businesses hasn’t. Consistent with who we are as a company, we are poised to deliver that value to all small businesses and start up companies that are looking for the benefits of cloud-based phone systems, but now free of charge.”

Joe Preiditsch, Chief Architect of Fongo, has a passion for start-ups and small businesses and is thrilled to have taken a lead role in developing the free cloud-based phone system. “While I assisted in developing this breakthrough platform, I became very excited to think that we could deliver the same business phone system that all other companies charge per seat for, but for free! We have designed this for ease of activation and registration and the overall value for small businesses makes me very proud to be a part of the Fongo Works team.”

Feature rich business phone systems have become an unattainable business service for many Canadian businesses. Small business owners and start-ups are forced to overlook their businesses’ professionalism by resorting to using mobile phones without business phone system essentials, simply due to cost. Now, with Fongo Works, businesses existing mobile phones will be feature rich, for free. Small business owners now have the ability to focus on portions of their business that most matter to them, while still representing their business as polished and professional.

As the first free cloud-based phone system in Canada, Fongo Works is expecting thousands of users to register and has prepared their network for scale to deliver quality and dependability for users across the country.

About Fongo:Fongo is disrupting the mobile communications world with one simple concept: Free. We save you hundreds of dollars per year with free calling, free messaging, a free phone number and free premium services delivered via a rich content mobile media platform.

Website: www.fongo.com

SOURCE Fongo Inc.

For further information:

Contact Information: press@fongo.com

Fongo- Free calling across Canada

2017-07-29T16:03:00.001-03:00

Fongo Mobile Referral

Have the person you referred download the Fongo Mobile app
During the signup process, they will be asked if they were referred. They need to input Milton Drepaul Fongo phone number (647-874-2317)
Once they purchase any of our texting packages, you will be credited with 1 month of Canadian SMS for FREE! (may take 24 hours to process)
Once they purchase any amount of World Credits, you will be credited with 25 cents worth of World Credits for FREE! (may take 24 hours to process)

Age-Defying Products

2017-07-29T14:13:00.000-03:00

Nerium International

Visit my Nerium Site

Based in Addison, TX, Nerium International is a global relationship marketing company with Age-Defying products crafted from cutting-edge research and science. Founded in 2011, Nerium International has shattered industry sales records while developing a strong customer base in North American, Latin American and Asia-Pacific markets.

This unprecedented success has allowed Nerium International to generate $1 billion in cumulative sales after just four years. Led by an executive leadership team with vast domestic and international experience, Nerium International is committed to providing an excellent product line based in real science and providing its Independent Brand Partners with a life-changing and outstanding business opportunity through relationship marketing.

To learn more about its products and distributor opportunity, please visit: www.miltondrepaul.nerium.com.

Direct sales offer an easy way for people to try out the entrepreneurship space and assess whether or not relationship marketing is right for them – either as a part-time option, to earn additional income or, potentially as a full-time career.

"Nerium makes it easy for people from all different walks of life and backgrounds to participate in the business because we offer a proven system that helps lead to success.We provide the business foundation and tools and then brand partners can focus on selling the products they love.”, says Amber Olson Rourke, Nerium International’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Nerium’s global expansion to eight countries combined with the introduction of new products and the continued growth of the anti-aging market positions Nerium to continue to be a leader in the direct sales industry.

Smart Business Choices

Avocado Ranch Dressing

2017-07-28T18:06:00.000-03:00

Watch Dr. Axe make this fabulous recipe.
https://youtu.be/nTgvG9lI0pI

Avocado Ranch Dressing Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup goat milk kefir
2 tablespoons chopped scallions, green tops
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons roasted garlic
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste

Watkins Natural Spices.

2 very ripe avocados

DIRECTIONS:

Place everything in a food processor and blend until well combined.

Barbados plans for renewable energy

2017-07-28T17:32:00.001-03:00

Barbados Steps Up Plans for Renewables, Energy Efficiency

Caribbean360July 28, 2017

Barbados’ minister with responsibility for energy Darcy Boyce. (Photo Credit: Desmond Brown/IPS)

By Desmond Brown

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Friday July 28, 2017 (IPS) – With wind, solar and other renewable energy sources steadily increasing their share in energy consumption across the Caribbean, Barbados is taking steps to further reduce the need for CO2-emitting fossil fuel energy.

The tiny Caribbean island is rolling out a project to reduce both electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while driving down government’s fuel import bill.

The country is hoping to save up to $3 million in electricity bills annually with the implementation of a $24.6 million Public Sector Smart Energy Programme (PSPP).

The project, which is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the European Union (EU), includes changing out close to 30,000 street lights across the country, replacing them with Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures.

Nerium Opportunity

“So, this project will save us a couple million dollars a year, [up to] 3 million a year. It is a small amount in the context of Barbados but it is a start to save some money,” Minister with responsibility for Energy Darcy Boyce said, while explaining that based on a 2009 study, government is aiming for a 29 percent per year reduction in electricity consumption through various methods of renewable energy use and energy efficiency.

“When that is combined with the work to retrofit 13 government buildings with solar photovoltaic, it begins to add up.”

Boyce acknowledged that government is a significant user of electricity, adding that the street lamps account for a great portion of that usage.

Renewables have become a major contributor to the energy transition occurring in many parts of the world and the growth in renewables continues to bolster climate change mitigation.

In December 2013, Barbados passed the Electric Light and Power Act (ELPA) in parliament and later amended it in April 2015. It replaced the original 116-year-old Electric Light and Power Act which was passed in 1899.

The ELPA revised the law relating to the supply and use of electricity and promotes the generation of electricity from sources of renewable energy, to enhance the security and reliability of the supply of electricity and to provide for related matters.

A key aim of the government in passing the Act was reducing the Bds$800 million fuel import bill (50 percent of which is used to generate electricity). It also intended to promote the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources and allows independent power producers to supply electricity in addition to the Barbados Light and Power Company (BL&P).

Boyce urged those involved in the PSPP to “keep the momentum going”, adding that it was his intention for Barbados to reach 100 percent reliance on renewable energy by 2045 as outlined in the BL&P 100/100 Vision.

“The Light & Power has reached to a wonderful point where they are committing to have 100 percent renewable energy within 30 years. I pressed them and I wanted them there by 2035 but they say no, 2045 and I will live with 2045,” Boyce said.

“And that I think is really a very good commitment to the country’s economy because when we reduce the use of fossil fuels, when we reduce the importation of fossil fuels whether it is by efficiency gains or it is by renewable energy, we reduce the amount of foreign exchange that we use.”

The shift towards renewables is driving down greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation, buildings’ heating and cooling, and transport.

In addition to changing out the street lights and retrofitting the 13 government buildings, the project will also see the use of more electric vehicles in Barbados.

join.smartbusinesschoices.com

Hemp regulations in Jamaica

2017-07-28T17:14:00.002-03:00

Regulations for Jamaica’s Hemp Industry by Next Year

Caribbean360 July 28, 2017

Learn more about Nerium's age defying products.

Chairperson of the Cannabis Licensing Authority, Hyacinth Lightbourne, spoke about hemp regulations as she addressed a session on medical marijuana at the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday, July 28, 2017 – Regulations are being developed to guide a legal hemp industry in Jamaica and should be in place next year.

That’s according to the chairperson of the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), Hyacinth Lightbourne who says a systematic approach is being taken to the hemp industry’s establishment in Jamaica, relative to that for marijuana, “because hemp that is planted too close to ganja breeds the possibility of cross pollination.”

She said advice is being sought in relation to minimizing this possibility and “whether or not it has to be done specifically indoors.”

“Unfortunately, we live on a small island that (can be impacted by) hurricanes, so the possibility of cross pollination is high,” Lightbourne explained.

Cannabis is divided into two main pure strains – Indica and Sativa. Both hemp and marijuana come from the same cannabis species, but are genetically distinct. Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa species that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products.

Speaking at a session on medical marijuana at the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference this week, Lightbourne also disclosed that the CLA, which was established in 2015 under the Dangerous Drug (Amendment) Act to formulate and regulate Jamaica’s legal ganja and hemp industry, has received 236 applications for licences since commencing the process last year.

Five categories of licenses are issued covering: cultivation, processing, transportation, retail, and research and development.

Lightbourne said that of the 236 applications, two licenses have been granted and 44 conditionally approved, but none of them has been actually issued yet.

She explained that the licensing process takes an average of six months during which the requisite checks and balances are conducted to ensure the applicants’ adherence to the stipulations.

“If a person has been granted a license but has either not yet paid the security bond or the fees, the license is not issued. So, for those two applicants, that is currently what we are waiting on,” Lightbourne disclosed.

She reiterated the Government’s commitment to developing a properly regulated marijuana industry in Jamaica.

Nerium Products

Good Carbs for your intestines

2017-07-28T16:40:00.000-03:00

The Carbs that are Good for Your Gut
by Carra Richling . From: Ornish Living

White flour and related starches have taken a beating over the years. But not all thickening agents are bad for you.

Resistant starch provides “prebiotics,” which are substances that feed the good bacteria.

Even those celebrity nutritionists with a great resistance to carbs are becoming fans of a class of carbohydrates called “resistant starch” (RS). Research is now showing they have a positive impact on our gut microbiome. They improve our feeling of “fullness,” potentially assist in weight loss and insulin sensitivity—and decrease diabetes and cardiovascular risks.

Resistant Starch and Your Microbiome

Potato starch is a “resistant starch,” as is maize corn starch. Foods that contain high levels of resistant starch are under-ripe bananas, uncooked oats, white beans, and lentils. What they “resist” is digestion by the small intestine. Instead, they move directly to the large intestine, where they digest slowly via a fermentation process that feeds some of our best bacteria. Resistant starch provides “prebiotics,” which are substances that feed the good bacteria by releasing short chain fatty acids (SFCA’s) as they ferment. These SFCA’s are food for the colonic microbiome, and when that microbiome is well-fed, the good bacteria flourish.

Less Inflammation, Healthier Mind

Scientists are finding that a well-balanced microbiome decreases inflammation, which is at the root of most disease. It also improves digestion, allowing optimal absorption of nutrients and resulting in an overall improvement to our health. We are now also learning more about the close connection between our minds and our microbiome. Research is showing that a well-balanced gut environment improves our emotional health.

The Types of Resistant Starch

The key to consuming “resistant starch,” as with so many fibrous foods, is to consume it in its “whole” form as often as possible. Fiber itself is becoming a topic that scientists understand with more nuance than they once did. A few decades ago, fiber was only described in terms of its solubility. There were those fibers that were “soluble” and those that were “insoluble” (soluble fibers turn into a gel in water, like oats, or psyllium, do as opposed to insoluble fibers like the cellulose of celery or wheat’s bran, that don’t). Now, we understand that other descriptors, such as “viscosity,” may have a greater match with the fiber’s actual actions and influence within the digestive system.

That said, the four categories of resistant starch are:

“Type 1,” which digestive enzymes don’t break down (This starch is physically inaccessible, bound within the fibrous cell walls of plants, and is found in whole grains, seeds and legumes. The best way to eat those starches is whole. Think cooked or sprouted garbanzo beans in a salad – which leaves the garbanzo “shell” intact vs, pureed in hummus, which breaks down the bean structure.)
“Type 2,” containing high levels of amylose found in fruits, potatoes, hi maize corn starch, and other beans.
“Type 3,” which contain resistant starch when cooked, though they contain more of it when cooled afterward — think potato salad vs. baked potato, also found in rice and oatmeal.
“Type 4,” processed/modified starch products such as potato starch and again hi-maizeâ corn starch.

Several different types of resistant starch can co-exist in the same food. Depending on how foods are prepared, the amount of resistant starch changes. For example, allowing a banana to ripen (turn yellow) will degrade the resistant starches and turn them into regular starches. Since there are benefits to all, including a variety is key. It’s best to mix the resistant starch foods with other foods. If you’re new to resistant starch foods, you can gradually increase their quantity in your diet to 15 to 20 grams per day.

What Can “Resistant Starch” Do For You?

Specifically, it can:

Improve Insulin Sensitivity

As noted, research has shown that resistant starch improves the gut microbiome, which has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. A 2017 study published in the journal, Microbiome, found, however, that RS improves insulin sensitivity independently of its effect on the gut microbiota.

Assist With Weight Loss

A study published in October 2015, in Nutrition Journal, demonstrated that adding RS to pancakes resulted in an increase in fat burning and greater satiety (feeling of fullness). These are each significant factors by themselves, but together are helpful aids for weight loss. This is just one of many studies pointing to the weight-loss benefits from RS.

Decreases Risk Of Colon Cancer

Research has shown that resistant starches decrease inflammation in the colon and can reduce the risk and progression of colon cancer. A 2014 study published in Nature Reviews Microbiology attributed the cancer-related benefits to the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) produced in the gut from the consumption of resistant starch.

Here are a few simple ways to include resistant starch in your diet:

Make A Healthy Cooking Swap

Use unmodified potato starch (not flour, and choose the non-GMO kind) to thicken sauces instead of using a fat like butter. One tablespoon of potato starch adds approximately eight grams of resistant starch. This swap provides a double benefit: fewer calories from unhealthy fat and more rewards for fiber fermentation in the colon.

Eat Your Beans

One cup of beans has on average 7 grams of resistant starch.

Enjoy A Health-Healthy Potato Salad

Potatoes are a good source of resistant starch. The RS level increases if you let the potatoes cool after cooking. So, enjoy a healthy potato salad loaded with RS and feed your gut microbiome. Leave the skins on for extra fiber.

I can’t think of a more satisfying way to start consuming more resistant starch consumption than our delicious cornbread and chili. (See Ornish Lifestyle Medicine Sample Menu 1).

Which delicious, digestion-friendly, high RS bean, whole grain or fruit will you try today?

Love and intimacy and their impact

2017-07-28T15:52:00.001-03:00

Love and intimacy are the roots of what makes us sick and what makes us well. I am not aware of any other factor in medicine - not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not drugs - that has a greater impact on our quality of life, the incidence of illness and premature death.
~ Dr. Dean Ornish in "Love and Survival: The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy".
From:

https://www.ornish.com/
Loneliness and Isolation

Medicine today tends to focus primarily on the physical and mechanistic: drugs and surgery, genes and germs, microbes and molecules. However, there isn’t any other factor in medicine – not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery – that have a greater impact on our quality of life, the incidence of illness and premature death from all causes than loneliness and isolation.

Love and intimacy — our ability to connect with ourselves and others, is at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, what causes sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer and what leads to healing. If a new drug had the same impact, virtually every doctor in the country would be recommending it for his or her patients. It would be malpractice not to prescribe it — yet, with few exceptions, we doctors do not learn much about the healing power of love, intimacy, and transformation in our medical training.

There is a deep spiritual hunger in this country. The real epidemic in our culture is not only physical heart disease but also what I call emotional and spiritual heart disease. The profound sense of loneliness, isolation, alienation, and depression that are so prevalent in our culture with the breakdown of the social structures that used to provide us with a sense of connection and community. It is, to me, a root of the illness, cynicism, and violence in our society.

We are creatures of community. Those individuals, societies, and cultures who learned to take care of each other, to love each other, and to nurture relationships with each other during the past several hundred thousand years were more likely to survive than those who did not. Those people who did not learn to take care of each other often did not make it. In our culture, the idea of spending time taking care of each other and creating communities has become increasingly rare. Ignoring these ideas imperils our survival.

Awareness is the first step in healing, both individually and socially. Part of the value of science is to increase the level of awareness of how much these choices matter that we make each day. Not just a little, but a lot, and not just to the quality of life but also the quantity of life – to our survival. When we understand how important these issues are, then we can do something about it. These include:

spending more time with our friends and family
communication skills
group support
confession, forgiveness, and redemption
compassion, altruism, and service
psychotherapy
touching
commitment
meditation

When we increase the love and intimacy in our lives, we also increase the health, joy, and meaning in our lives.

Age-Defying Night Cream

2017-07-28T15:07:00.000-03:00

Find out more.

Optimera Formula

Age-Defying Night Cream contains the most concentrated, powerful form of our exclusive ingredients.

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

If you're not completely satisfied with your Nerium purchases, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee to all our customers.

What it is:

Optimera Age-Defying Night Cream is a clinically tested age-fighting product powered by our exclusive Optimera™ Formula. Age-Defying Night Cream contains the most concentrated, powerful form of our exclusive ingredients. It is designed to adhere to skin for maximum delivery of the key ingredients. Apply at night when skin is in its rest-and-repair cycle.

What it does:

The Night Cream, powered by our proprietary SIG-1273 extract, helps:

Address both the signs of aging as well as the causes.
Acts as a powerful antioxidant and works to inhibit free radical damage.
Boosts the cell renewal process to reveal younger-looking skin.
Targets the causes of skin-damaging inflammation.
The unique, mask-like product form allows the product to gently adhere to skin for maximum delivery of the key ingredients.
The advanced formula targets both the existing and future signs of aging resulting in younger-looking skin.
Fights the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, uneven skin texture, enlarged pores, sagging skin.
Perfect for use on face, neck, décolletage, hands.
Ideal for all skin types:
Non-comedogenic
Dermatologist tested

Nerium age defying products---Learn, shop and enroll.

Shop and Learn about Nerium Products.

Hero rats locate and snuff out landmines and TB

2017-07-28T12:53:00.000-03:00

2014-09-26, CNN News

Traditionally, you wouldn't gift someone a rat. Tanzania-based NGO Apopo, however, thinks rats make excellent gifts. So much so that they've launched an adopt-a-rat program, which allows participants to sponsor the animal. Despite the creatures' reputation for thieving and spreading disease, [Apopo's founder BartWeetjens}has proven that rats can ... save lives.

Apopo's rats have actually saved thousands. They are highly trained to sniff out land mines and detect tuberculosis - two scourges that have had a tremendously negative impact across the African continent. And his rats are fast. A single rat can clear 200 square feet in an hour (done manually, the same area would take 50 hours to clear).

A TB-detection rat can evaluate 50 samples in eight minutes.(almost a day's work for a lab technician).

In 2006, Weetjens started testing his "hero rats," as he dubs them, on the mine fields in Mozambique, a country that at that time was one of the worst affected by landmines, thanks mainly to a civil war that ended in 1992.

Since then, Apopo has cleared the country of 6,693 landmines, 29,934 small arms and ammunition, and 1,087 bombs. Mozambique is on track to be free of landmines by the year's end.

https://www.jrwatkins.com/consultant/miltondrepaul

In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a TB crisis in Africa. It's a problem Weetjens realized he could address with his sniffer rats. So far, they've analyzed over 260,000 samples from health clinics in Dar es Salaam. They are cheap to train, cheaper to procure, and plentiful.

Mahavatar Babaji

2017-07-24T22:27:00.001-03:00

From SRF

There are no historical records relating to the birth and life of Mahavatar Babaji. Paramahansa Yogananda has written in Autobiography of a Yogi that the deathless avatar has resided for untold years in the remote Himalayan regions of India, revealing himself only rarely to a blessed few.

It is Mahavatar Babaji who revived in this age the lost scientific meditation technique of Kriya Yoga. In bestowing Kriya initiation on his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya, Babaji said, “The Kriya Yoga that I am giving to the world through you in this nineteenth century is a revival of the same science that Krishna gave millenniums ago to Arjuna, and that was later known to Patanjali and Christ, and to St. John, St. Paul, and other disciples.”

Shortly before Paramahansa Yogananda left for America in 1920, Mahavatar Babaji came to Yoganandaji’s home in Calcutta, where the young monk sat deeply praying for divine assurance regarding the mission he was about to undertake. Babaji said to him: “Follow the behest of your guru and go to America. Fear not; you shall be protected. You are the one I have chosen to spread the message of Kriya Yoga in the West.”

Read more about Mahavatar Babaji:
A Blessing from Mahavatar Babaji
Babaji, Yogi-Christ of Modern India

Coconut And Sweet Potato Muffins

2017-07-24T20:22:00.000-03:00

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients

- 1 small sweet potato, roasted (1 cup, packed)
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup of canned coconut milk
- 2 Tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ cup of maple syrup
- 1 cup of brown rice flour
- ¼ cup of coconut flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 1 Tablespoon of ground cinnamon ( I recommend Watkins Superiot Cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

For over 100 years, Watkins has offered only the best herbs and spices from around the world. Our spices contain only the highest quality volatile oils and packaged for optimal freshness.
Visit my Independent Watkins Representative site to learn more or buy.

Instructions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Oil a 12-hole muffin tray.
- Poke holes in your sweet potato and place on middle rack – cook for until soft ( usually an hour).
- Remove sweet potato from oven and let cool.
- Scoop the sweet potato from the skin and place in a mixing bowl.
- Discard the skin
- Add olive oil, coconut milk and maple syrup to the sweet potato and mix until it is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the sweet potato and mix until well combined.
- Pour the batter in the muffin pan and fill each tin until ⅔ full.
- Cook in the oven on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes (or until an inserted knife in the middle of the muffin comes out clean).

Share traditional herbs & spices

"Resistant Starch" may help to control weight

2017-07-21T18:31:00.000-03:00

Eat This Carb and You Won't Gain Weight--Excerpted from Time Magazine article

New research around a certain kind of carb, called “resistant starch,” suggests that they could be a key way to help control weight.

When we eat refined carbohydrates, like white bread and cookies, our bodies absorb them very quickly, and the hormone insulin ushers them into our cells. Eat a lot of them, and the body will store most of those calories instead of burning them—which is why we gain weight on high-carb diets.

But that's not the case with resistant starches, so named because they resist digestion. These kinds of carbs bypass the small intestine (where most food is digested) and head to the large intestine (also known as the colon) to be metabolized. There, they're fermented and turned into short-chain fatty acids, which the body burns as energy. Resistant starches also serve as powerful prebiotics—food for intestinal bacteria in the colon.

Those benefits—getting digested slower, being converted into fatty acids and sustaining colonies of gut bacteria—set resistant starch apart. Resistant starch is being explored as a healthy food for people with type-2 diabetes; eating it improved certain measures of inflammation, a condition that often precedes type-2 diabetes, and lipid profiles in women with the condition, showed one 2015 study.

“Certain populations and cultures have been benefiting from resistant starches for a long time,” says Paul Arciero,professor in the health and exercise sciences department of Skidmore College. “In my belief, that's what's protected them against some of the ravages of the more modern-day high carbohydrate diet.”

Luckily, resistant starch is found in a range of delicious foods. Legumes, beans, whole grains and some seeds have it, as do uncooked potatoes and unripe bananas. Products made from these foods, including bean flour, potato starch, tapioca starch and brown rice flour, also count.

Most intriguing and surprising of all is that so many leftovers contain resistant starch. When you cook a certain starchy food, like white rice, pasta or a potato, and then cool it in the refrigerator, the food develops resistant starches.

Cooking the carbohydrate starch alters the chemical bonds in the food,” Arciero explains. Stick it in the fridge, and as the food cools, those bonds reform in a new design. “The ensuing structure of those bonds during the cooling process is what makes them resistant to then being digested in the small intestine,” Arciero says. Even if you heat them up again, they retain their new resistant starches.

In all of its forms, resistant starch shows promise for helping people control their weight. In a Nutrition Journal study published in October 2015, Arciero and his team cooked a series of four pancake breakfasts for 70 women. The four pancakes were made from ordinary starch, starch plus whey protein, resistant starch (a tapioca-based starch modified to become resistant—much like leftovers are), and resistant starch with whey protein.

Arciero and his team monitored the women after each meal for three hours and used a device to see how many calories they burned, and what type. To Arciero’s surprise, after women ate pancakes containing resistant starch plus protein, they experienced an increase in fat burning, compared to all of the other kinds of pancakes. "After you eat a meal that's principally carbohydrate, the fact that your body can burn a greater percentage of fat as its energy source is very unusual," he says. Adding protein to the batter also made the women feel fuller, they found—which hints at a potentially powerful food combo for people trying to control their weight. “If you can combine a resistant starch with a hard boiled egg, or whey protein, or pea protein, or chicken or Greek yogurt, that’s a pretty powerful combination,” Arciero says.

milton.drepaul.nerium.com

It’s too soon to tell if resistant starch can help people lose weight. But the new evidence suggests that it may help control weight by altering body composition and increasing satiety. "The potential for a nutritional lifestyle intervention to counter obesity driven by high-carbohydrate food, though we don't know yet how significantly, is fascinating," Arciero says—especially when it's as simple and delicious as reheating your pasta.
Resistant Starch 101

Canada’s international assistance and the Caribbean Program

2017-07-19T15:34:00.001-03:00

Canada’s international assistance and the Caribbean Program

Introducing Honey Travel ️ Same hotel, less money

2017-07-19T14:25:00.000-03:00

Same room, less $$

On average, Honey Travelers save an additional $30 per night compared to the next lowest rate online! How? We instantly compare rates with Expedia, Priceline, Booking.com and more to calculate your insider savings.

Just for you
Only Honey members can unlock these special rates using HoneyKeys — virtual keys that randomly appear at checkout when you use the extension to shop online. One key is good for one booking.
Get Started