Yesturday was the 20th annual National Anti-McDonalds Day. Every year on October 16th people all over the World come together in peaceful protest against this corporate junk food giant to raise awareness about subjects such as McDonalds damaging the environment, exploiting workers, cruelty towards animals and for targeting youth in their ad campaigns. The date of protest was started by the London branch of Greenpeace in 1985 and was chosen because October 16th is also the United Nations World Food Day.
You can visit the official anti McDonalds site here for more information on the company and can also download a version of their “whats wrong with McDonalds” leaflet to learn more about why there is controversy behind the Mc Giant.
Category: Health
Weed Helps You Think
Marijuana doesn’t only get you high, it may also help to re-grow brain cells. A Canadian researcher has proposed this.
“In mammals, new nerve cells are constantly being produced in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is associated with learning, memory, anxiety and depression. Other recreational drugs, such as alcohol, nicotine and cocaine, have been shown to suppress this new growth. Xia Zhang of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and colleagues decided to see what effects a synthetic cannabinoid called HU210 had on rats’ brains”
An increase in HU210 results in more nerve cell growth. Maybe this shows that smart societies are the ones that allow recreational enjoyment of marijuana.
Healthy Eating is Better than Junk
In a small town in Ontario, Canada a small, but healthy war is raging. A healthy food cafeteria in a school is trying to out-do a junk-food cafe in the same school.
It appears to have met with some sucess.
Thanks, Ben Powers!
Asian Countries Agree on Flu
Agricultural Ministers in South East Asia have agreed on a plan to wipe out avain flu.
“The three-year plan includes provisions for a disease surveillance and alert system, vaccinations, improving diagnostic capability and the establishment of disease-free zones.”
Musicians Have Good Hearts
A new study led by Italian and British researchers shows that music lovers experience reduced levels of stress and could be less likely to develop cardiovascular disease. The faster and more complex rhythms the participants listened to the more sped up the breathing and circulation was while slower music had an opposite effect. Responses were most evident in those with musical training as they seem to have been trained to synchronise breathing with musical phrases.
The British Heart Foundation has made similar findings also showing associations between emotions and signs of good heart health. Dr Charmaine Griffiths, spokesperson of the BHF also added “One person’s Mozart may be someone else’s Madonna and it may be that different people find relaxation in different types of music”.
The researchers suggest the effects of slow rhythms and pauses could be helpful in preventing or treating heart disease and stroke. But if you personally find relaxation in hardcore techno or Megadeth that just may do the trick as well!
Previous research has also shown that music can improve athletic performance, improve movement in neurologically impaired patients, and even boost milk production in cattle! All signs point to KEEP ON GROOVIN!