Pollution is killing our children. Here’s how we can save them | Geraint Davies

Every weekday, millions of primary school children across the UK put their lives at risk. Break time brings relief for busy teachers and is often met with screams of delight as children run out onto the playground. But in many of our major cities, tens of thousands of children in hundreds of schools, nurseries and colleges are at risk as they inhale diesel pollution breaching EU air quality standards.

Across the UK, more than 40,000 people die prematurely from diesel pollution, at a cost of £20bn each year, according to the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics 2016 report. Now 50% of new cars are diesel, with each car producing many times more fumes than laboratory tests had previously indicated. The VW scandal has shown that the motor industry cannot be trusted and the royal colleges’ report finds that babies and children are particularly at risk. Foetuses in pregnant women exposed to air pollution are more likely to suffer effects to their lungs, heart and neurological development. Children in “clean air zones”, areas where the air quality problem is most serious, have a 10% reduced lung capacity and have more respiratory problems, together with effects on their nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems. This leads to physical and mental health problems in later life.

The government has compelling evidence to act now. Instead it fears the backlash of diesel drivers who bought their cars in good faith and are still encouraged to do so by lower vehicle tax rates. The public-health risks of diesel particulates have been well known since the days of Margaret Thatcher. However, the impact of nitrogen oxides and the scale of underestimated pollution from lab tests compounded by the sheer volume of cars has now become a public-health catastrophe. That’s why the demand for a new Clean Air Act grows. Meanwhile, the supreme court has demanded that the government produces a clean air strategy, to fulfil our EU air quality obligations. Today, I publish my clean air bill to give shape and ambition to the government’s plan.

Britain needs to take bold leadership. We already know that four capital cities – Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City – have plans to remove diesel vehicles by 2025 and that the markets are investing in zero-emissions futures. Tesla, founded in 2003, produces just 76,000 electric cars and is valued at $ 49bn (£38bn) – $ 3bn more than Ford, founded a century earlier, which produces 6.6m vehicles.

The clean air bill is a route map to reach World Health Organization air quality standards by tackling emissions in our cities, ports and airports. It provides the signals and incentives for consumers and producers to change their behaviour to do so.

Rather than penalising diesel car-owners who bought in good faith, the bill calls for recall and refit of cars, fiscal incentives and scrappage schemes largely funded by manufacturers for drivers to switch to vehicles that produce fewer – or ideally, zero – emissions. It provides for a national electric and hydrogen refuelling network and gives local authorities a responsibility to measure and publicise pollution levels, in particular close to vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly. Councils will have powers to restrict access or introduce pollution charges if communities so wish, based on local evidence.

What’s more, new powers are proposed to combat diesel pollution belching into communities from idling ships in port by requiring a switch to port-provided electric power. The bill also addresses freight transport, pollution at airports and “cheat devices” installed on cars. Overall, the bill aims to make our right to clean air a reality.

Our first duty as parents is to protect our children. Break time, walking to the shops and football in the park shouldn’t be life-or-death decisions beyond our control. They needn’t be. For the sake of all our children, let’s do something about it now.

Pollution is killing our children. Here’s how we can save them | Geraint Davies

Flea Treatments are Killing Our Cats: The Truth About Cat Flea Medications

When you see your cat suffering from a serious case of painful flea bites, you want to ease their discomfort as soon as possible. Running to the nearest store and picking up a topical cat flea treatment seems likes the quickest and easiest solution, but it might just be tossing your cat out of the frying pan and straight into the fire.

The fact of the matter is that the simple, easy-to-buy flea medications lining the shelves of most pet and grocery stores are not as benign as they appear. These pesticides have been linked to thousands of pet deaths and little has been done to make these products safer. The packaging is seemingly harmless. The directions are simple and straightforward. Just squeeze out a few drops onto your cat’s neck and eliminate those pesky fleas. Unfortunately, there’s more to the story.

What the packaging fails to mention is that, in far too many cases, the treatment doesn’t just poison fleas. It could poison your cat, too.

There’s no way around it. When you treat your cat with a topical pesticide, you are exposing them to chemicals formulated to kill. The low doses our cats are exposed to can lead to a variety of complications: damage to the nervous system, skin rashes, sores, and seizures. In 2008, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), received approximately 43,000 reports of pets who were negatively affected by topical flea products. The reports included a number of different brands of products, including various pesticides and ingredients. The same year, it was determined that about 1.4% of those incidents resulted in death.

Reactions to these flea medications vary. Risk factors include allergies, age, pregnancy, and previous drug use. In some cases, the reaction happens when the product is used improperly. In others, the product was used correctly and the reaction occurs anyway. Some cats just experience itching and skin irritation, while a severe reaction could end in death. The symptoms of an adverse reaction vary, but tend to include excess salivation, pupil dilation, muscle tremors, vomiting, shivering, skin irritation, and behavioral changes.

If you’re willing to take the risk and use an over-the-counter flea medication, please take the necessary precautions. Be certain that you are using a flea treatment designed specifically for cats. If you have a multiple cat home, don’t allow the cats around one another for at least a day after being treated. It’s possible that your cats will groom one another. The pesticides in topical flea treatments, if ingested, are very dangerous.

Remember, dosing according to the instructions is not a guarantee that your cat will not have a negative reaction to the poison. Some cats are more sensitive than others, especially kittens and older cats.

In 2008, the EPA received approximately 43,000 reports of pets who had experienced a negative reaction to a topical flea product. The reports included a number of different brands of products, including various pesticides and ingredients.

There is no single pesticide that you can avoid to ensure your cat’s safety. All pesticides could potentially harm your cat.

The large number of reports caused the EPA to review the state of the topical pet insecticide industry. This evaluation concluded that most reporting their cat’s illness or death caused by spot-on flea treatments were using the products incorrectly – treating their cats with a solution made for dogs. Dog flea treatments contain stronger pesticides that cats simply cannot handle, even in miniscule doses. This prompted some reforms. By 2010, they were urging manufacturers to improve labeling and possibly increase testing before releasing these products to the public.

The state of cat flea medication has improved since then thanks to these investigations and packaging reform.

But they didn’t solve the problem. Reports of cats suffering from the side effects of topical flea treatments are still popping up. These reports aren’t only coming from people who can’t read the packaging. They’re also coming from people who used the chemical flea treatments properly. Even if you use them as directed, these treatments for cats are still not 100% safe.

First of all, stay calm! Not all cats react negatively to these medications. In fact, it’s more than likely that your cat will be fine.

Watch your cat closely. If you do notice any effects after the application of a topical flea treatment, immediately wash your cat with a gentle dish soap, like Dawn. Continue to monitor your cat and consider contacting a veterinarian if they start to show symptoms of a serious reaction.

However, if your cat has ingested the flea medication, this will not help. You will need to get your cat to a veterinarian for treatment as soon as possible.

A perfectly natural, easy to use, and effective flea treatment is food-grade diatomaceous earth. This natural powder is comprised of the fossilized shells of ancient sea creatures. When observed under a microscope, diatomaceous earth particles resemble shards of glass. These sharp edges are the secret to diatomaceous earth’s power. The particles penetrate bug skeletons, then cuts up or dehydrates them to death. It is simple, mechanical, and it really works. Plus, if you use food grade diatomaceous earth, it’s completely safe for your cat.

While some people choose to use it topically, it can dry out your cat’s skin when used that way. We recommend sprinkling it in your cat’s favorite areas. Diatomaceous earth does a great job of getting rid of pests in your home before they can get to your cat.

And best of all: unlike OTC flea and tick medication, there’s no chance that it will leave patches of raw skin or cause damage to their nervous system.

The WildernessCatLady is crazy about happy, healthy cats fueled by nature. Start changing your cat’s life today with natural health solutions for adventurous cats at Wildernesscat.com. And while you’re here, go ahead and download our free PDF: 5 Natural Home Remedies for Cats.

Flea Treatments are Killing Our Cats: The Truth About Cat Flea Medications

The Most Powerful Natural Antibiotic for Killing Any Infection

The Most Powerful Natural Antibiotic for Killing Any Infection

Why is heart disease still killing millions every year?

The heart is a remarkable muscle. It sits behind the rib cage, pumping 100,000 times a day to carry nutrients to the furthest extremities of the body.

But it is also a vulnerable organ, prey to the excesses of a modern western lifestyle – and as excessive lifestyles have spread around the globe, they have had a predictable effect.

Around the globe, the morbidity burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has increased by 40% in the past 25 years. The gains in the west – since the 1960s, deaths from heart attacks and strokes in the UK have nearly halved – have been outweighed by the fact that the global population is increasing in number and ageing. There were 12.3m CVD deaths worldwide in 1990 – this had risen to 17.3 million by 2013. That’s over three times the number caused by Aids, TB and malaria combined.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Heart Federation have said the risk of premature death from CVD could be cut by 25% by 2025 with a three-pronged attack to reduce high blood pressure, curb smoking, and provide at least half of those who have already had a heart attack or stroke with secondary prevention, such as medication.

But a panel of international experts – which I chair – say in a highly critical report to be presented at the World Innovation Summit for Health (Wish) in Doha this month that the response from policymakers has been weak.

Given the fact that the disease develops slowly and does not create the panic caused by a flu pandemic, there is a lack of urgency and responsibility is fragmented, with governments facing opposition from powerful lobby groups such as the tobacco industry, says the report.

Hypertension affects 1 billion people worldwide. Smoking kills 6 million annually and although its use is falling the number of smokers worldwide has increased from 721 million in 1980 to 967 million in 2012. In secondary prevention, a single measure – controlling low-density lipoproteins in those who have already had a heart attack – reduces the risk of a further one by 40%.

Some countries have launched bolder initiatives, leading the way for the rest.

• New Zealand set a goal in 2011 to reduce smoking prevalence to 5% by 2025 and provided NZ$ 5m (£2.9m) a year.
  


• Brazil uses community health workers to visit every household in their catchment area once a month. The scheme covers half the population. This has led to a significant cut in hospital admissions, with a 20% drop in age-standardised deaths from heart disease and stroke over the course of the 20-year programme.
  


• In South Africa a scheme called Practical Approach to Care Kit (Pack) supports nurses to provide care in the community, leading to improvements in prescription, referral and screening, and reductions in the length of hospital stays.
  


• In India, the mTobaccoCessation service – a text based programme sending free, customised messages to help smokers give up, launched in January 2016 – enrolled 800,000 people in the first 60 days, showing the extent of demand. Trials have shown the programme can double or triple smoking cessation rates.
  


• In the UK, a trial is underway in Cheshire and Merseyside, in collaboration with the WHO, to raise awareness of blood pressure and develop a suite of text messages to help people keep it under control. Tests have shown that this can lead to “statistically significant improvement”.
  

These are conditions that kill more people than any other, yet policymakers rarely make CVD prevention a major focus of their attention, despite the high health and economic burden and the unnecessary loss of life. It does not get as much attention as diseases that are perceived as more life-threatening, or as posing a greater risk, such as cancer or Ebola.

We in the UK cannot afford to be complacent. Although the total number of cardiovascular deaths has come down – from 320,000 in 1961 to 180,000 in 2009 – CVD is still the biggest killer, accounting for 32% of all deaths in 2009 [pdf].

Nearly every single country worldwide shares the same burden and faces the same challenge. That means that there are many innovators around the world testing new ideas and trialling new solutions. But they need political and financial support if they are to find an answer to the most significant public health threat in the world today.

Lord Darzi is a surgeon and executive chair of the World Innovation Summit for Health (Wish), an initiative of the Qatar Foundation.

Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views.

Why is heart disease still killing millions every year?

Toxic air is killing thousands of us – Theresa May must act fast | Emma Howard

The verdict is in and the government is guilty. In a landmark ruling, the high court has ruled that the plans to cut fatal air pollution are not only inadequate, but also illegal. To anyone who has seen these plans, the verdict is not surprising.

“If there was a toxin in our water system that we knew was killing thousands of people every year, the government would be coordinating Cobra meetings every day,” Matthew Pennycook, the Labour MP for Greenwich and chair of parliament’s cross-party group on air pollution, said after this morning’s ruling. But when it comes to the fatal toxins in our air, the government has not been coordinating any emergency meetings. It has been moving at a snail’s pace.

Air pollution is a known killer. The UK has been in breach of legal limits on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) for years. The government’s own reports show air pollution is causing 40-50,000 deaths every year, by exacerbating respiratory illnesses, heart disease and asthma. New evidence suggests it is not only finding its way into our lungs, but into our brains too, where it may bring about the premature onset of Alzheimer’s disease. In the words of MPs from all parties, we are facing a public health crisis.

Theresa May has pledged that she will fight the “burning injustices” that entrench social inequality and blight the life chances of children from working-class families. She says that many in Westminster “don’t know what it’s like to live like this and need to be told that what the government does isn’t a game”. But perhaps the prime minister is among them.

Children know that air pollution is not a game because they are substantially more vulnerable to toxins in the air, which permanently stunt the development of their lungs. So too are people from ethnic minority backgrounds, those living in areas of higher levels of deprivation, the elderly and those with chronic health conditions. In short, they are the most vulnerable people in our society.

Yet still, the apathy persists. It has now been more than a year since the Volkswagen scandal broke, when a major car manufacturer was revealed to have been covering up air pollution through criminal activity. In the US, VW has agreed to pay $ 15.3bn to compensate consumers and mitigate some of the damage it has done to the environment. In the UK the government has failed to take legal action or compensate consumers – all while lobbying at an EU level to water down regulations that would encourage the car industry to change. Indeed, the only reason the government has an air quality plan at all is because the supreme court ordered it to draw one up 18 months ago.

So what now? Speaking at prime minister’s questions today, May promised that the government did not “doubt the importance of the issue” and would look again at the proposals. She is right, it will – because it will have to. It now has one week to negotiate with the NGO ClientEarth, which emerged victorious from the high court this morning. It will be forced to scrap its current air quality plan, which called for clean air zones in just five cities, and backed the mayor’s plans in London, but did not mandate change in major cities such as Manchester and industrial hot spots such as Port Talbot.

Any new plan is likely to implement clean air zones in many more cities and could mean that diesel cars will face charges in many city centres. But the government should ensure local authorities have proper resources to implement the zones. It is also likely the government will have to redo the flawed modelling on which its current plans are based, which fail to properly take into account the vast discrepancy between tests in the laboratory and tests on the road.

But even this is likely to be inadequate. Road transport is the number one contributor to NO2 pollution and diesel is the main culprit. Yet we currently have a tax system that incentivises consumers to purchase diesel cars, which currently make up close to half of the nation’s fleet. Research published today suggests that for central London to become compliant, the proportion of diesel cars on the road would need to be as low as 5%. The sale of diesel cars must end and the government must reform a regulator that hauls in millions from the car industry itself.

But the car industry does not have to be the villain in this story. May has the opportunity to make it the hero and deliver a boost to the government’s shiny new industrial strategy to boot. Both Norway and the Netherlands understand this – they are striving for an emissions-free industry within the decade. China has announced a boost to its hybrid industry and even Germany, the nation that invented the car, is now mooting a federal proposal for a ban on petrol and diesel by 2030.

Electrics, hybrids and hydrogen are the future of the global car industry. If the UK doesn’t move fast by delivering the incentives and infrastructure required to clean it up, we will get left behind. If the prime minister realises this opportunity, perhaps then she might really start to play the game.

Toxic air is killing thousands of us – Theresa May must act fast | Emma Howard

Politics is killing mothers in Texas | Jessica Valenti

When it comes to women’s progress, the United States doesn’t exactly bring home the gold. We rank 72nd in women’s political participation, with women holding less than 20% of congressional seats. Paid maternity leave? The United States comes in last. But at long last, we’re number one at something: Texas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world.

This dubious honor is a recent one, with a study showing that the rate of women dying from pregnancy complications doubled from 2010-2014. It’s not a coincidence, of course, that there was another major happening around women’s health in Texas during those years: the deliberate closure of clinics that provide abortion and a drastic funding cut to the state’s family planning budget.

As my colleague Molly Redden points out, Texas gutted the state’s family planning budget by more than $ 73m in 2011, forcing clinics to shut down and dramatically reducing the number of women they could provide services to. By 2014, 600 women had died from pregnancy-related complications.

It’s almost as if what feminists have been saying for years is true: limiting reproductive rights hurts women across the board. Access to reproductive care is necessary not just to prevent or end pregnancies, but to ensure healthy outcomes for those who choose to carry their pregnancies to term.

Sarah Wheat of the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas told the Dallas Morning News that these clinics were “an entry point into the health care system” for many women, especially those with fewer resources.

“Chances are they’re going to have a harder time finding somewhere to go to get that first appointment.”

It’s an ironic but telling turn of events for the activists and legislators in Texas who insisted that laws shuttering abortion clinics were about protecting women’s health – a claim that the supreme court thoroughly debunked.

In the decision to overturn Texas’ extreme anti-choice law, the opinion read: “When directly asked at oral argument whether Texas knew of a single instance in which the new requirement would have helped even one woman obtain better treatment, Texas admitted that there was no evidence in the record of such a case.”

Instead of helping women, the law hurt women. But for the politicians and activists who want to stop them from accessing their right to abortion at all costs, women’s health was never really the point.

If Texas wants to turn this horror show around, officials need to start supporting women’s choices, give up their transparent and cruel war on reproductive rights, and stop rejecting the expansion of Medicaid, which could provide much-needed help and care to the state’s vulnerable communities. And with Zika becoming more of a risk for Americans, these steps cannot come soon enough.

Women’s health is not a political chip to be played; it’s not an afterthought. Our health and lives – whether we choose to have children or not – are central to the health of our country and communities. Women in Texas, women in America, deserve better than this.

Politics is killing mothers in Texas | Jessica Valenti

Parsley destroys 86 percent of lung cancer cells and is successful in killing breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and colon cancers!

In 1987, lung cancer replaced breast cancer as the major lead to of cancer deaths in girls.  More and far more study continues to point out the correlation amongst diet program and cancer. (one)

In February 2015, the American Cancer Society suggested that cancer survivors adhere to a “prudent diet” and exclusively suggested a plant-primarily based diet plan that is high in fruits, greens, unrefined grains and is minimal in red meat, processed meats, refined grains and sugars.(2)

American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors eat a plant-primarily based diet program!

Far more and much more research has been carried out to assess the link among our foods provide and cancer remedy.  A 2013 research identified that parsley killed up to 86 percent of lung cancer cells.  Parsley consists of a flavonoid known as apigenin.  Other plant sources of this flavonoid consist of celery, onions, oranges, chamomile tea, oregano, thyme, coriander, artichokes, and red wine. (1)

Dried parsley consists of four.five % pure apigenin coming in the highest in apigenin content material by excess weight.  Other research have located act apigenin can destroy breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer cells. (1)

Apigenin discovered in parsley killed 86 percent of lung cancer!

A 2005 research located that apigenin inhibits the cell proliferation of lung cancer cell lines and advisable a blend of apigenin and anti-tumor medicines. (one)

A review from Ohio State University’s Thorough Cancer Center identified that apigenin inhibited breast cancer cells “immortality.”  Researchers identified that this takes place due to shifting a stage involved in gene regulation.  This reprograms cancer cells by turning them into standard mortal cells that die naturally. (1)

Apigenin found to inhibit breast cancer cells “immortality,” reprogramming them into mortal cells that die naturally!

An Italian study found that eating parsley frequently resulted in a 68 percent reduction in lung cancer chance.(1)

Parsley is a effective antioxidant that has been employed as a diuretic.  Parsley has been effectively employed in treating and curing kidney stones, continual irritation, and prostate and uterus concerns. (1)

Traditionally parsley has been used to treat or break-up kidney stones. In truth, the German Commission E, a governmental advisory panel, has accredited parsley for the prevention and the treatment of kidney stones. (1)

Parsley is wealthy in vitamin K, vitamin C, B-complix, iron, magnesium, chlorophyll, and histidine.  Eating a diet plan wealthy in parsley can not only aid battle cancer but can enhance antioxidant amounts in the brain and regulate blood stress. (one)

If you want to incorporate a lot more of these apigenin foods into your diet, consider adding parsley  to a salad, soup, or primary dish.  If you have a juicer, stick to this basic recipe beneath or if you do not have a juicer, just add parsley to your preferred green smoothie recipe!

Fresh Apple-Celery Juice with Ginger and Parsley

Ingredients:

• 2 celery ribs, cut into three-inch lengths


• 1 Granny Smith apple—halved, cored and cut into huge chunks


• One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled


• one/2 medium bunch of parsley with stems


• 1 1/two tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. In an electrical juicer, juice the celery with the apple, ginger and parsley. Stir in the lemon juice. (three)

Sources incorporated:

(one)  http://www.endoriot.com/2015/01/parsley-compound-kills-86-of-lung.html

(2)  http://www.forksoverknives.com/science-says-about-diet plan-and-cancer/

(3)  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/fresh-apple-celery-juice-with-ginger-and-parsley

Parsley destroys 86 percent of lung cancer cells and is successful in killing breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and colon cancers!

7 Potent Food items For Killing Ache Naturally

In accordance to research, Chronic soreness has an effect on 116 million American adults. That’s much more than one/3 of total population. Painkiller could decrease discomfort but it has side effect and it can be addictive which are more unsafe. Ideal about these meals it won’t cause the nasty frequent side results that most drugs lead to.

Here are seven potent food items that can fight pain naturally

Ginger
Ginger is nature gifted pain killer possessing analgesic properties like the popular ibuprofen. It minimizes ache-causing prostaglandin amounts in the entire body and generally use to treat pain and irritation. Its active substances quartet, gingerols, paradols, shogaols, and zingerone which successfully reduce pain. Drink ginger tea to get relief from acute ache.

Turmeric
Review shown turmeric more powerful anti-inflammatory than steroid drugs when dealing with acute inflammation. Curcumin, a organic phenol present in turmeric root, is one more normal anti-inflammatory. Curcumin suppresses ache very same mechanism as drugs like COX-one and COX-two inhibitors does.

Olive oil
Olive oil is like golden liquid which battle discomfort quick. It incorporate antioxidant called polyphenols that assist reduce common soreness-leading to mechanism in the entire body. Researchers say olive oils that acts as a organic anti-inflammatory, as like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

Salmon
Salmon is tasty and a wholesome protein, it contain omega-three fatty acids, which help in minimizing arthritic soreness . Salmon also excellent for your heart overall health. In accordance to a single study, consuming omega-3s in the type of a fish oil supplement was better than relief knowledgeable from taking ibuprofen.

Cherries
Study identified that tart cherry extract is 10 instances more efficient than aspirin at relieving irritation. Cherries can help decrease ache by way of the presence of a phytonutrient named anthocyanins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Grapes
Compound resveratrol, naturally found in the skins of grapes. It operate exact same that aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs perform. Resveratrol compound end specific cells in the physique from responding to the signals of inflammation, suggesting that it could in the end help fight discomfort.

Flax Seeds and Flax Oil
Flax seeds and cold-pressed flax oil, incorporate plentiful amounts of fatty acids acknowledged as Omega-3s which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Reference:

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_overall health/nutrition_news_details/food items_that_fight_pain

http://www.aarp.org/meals/diet-nutrition/info-03-2011/pain-fighting-food items.html

http://www.wellness.com/well being/gallery/,,20705881,00.html

Much more study:

7 Potent Food items For Killing Ache Naturally

Boris Johnson"s indifference to pollution is killing us | Ken Livingstone

‘Cabs and buses stay a massive source of diesel pollution, but electric buses are now offered.’ Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The information that Oxford Street is the world’s most polluted spot comes as no shock to these folks who work in or go to central London. What will shock them, nevertheless, is the scale of death triggered by London’s air good quality.

Back in 2000 when I grew to become mayor, the government’s healthcare advisers estimated that every single yr one,200 Londoners would die prematurely – by an regular of eight months. The major trigger was the nitrous gases (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10s) which pass directly into the blood stream, triggering heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

When we introduced the congestion charge in central London, each NOxs and PM10s had been lower by much more than 10%. With this instance to guidebook us, we set out to turn the complete of better London into a lower emission zone (LEZ) by generating sure that heavy products automobiles filtered their automobile exhausts.

When the scheme came into force, my intention was to tighten the criteria and gradually lengthen it to all items cars, but Boris Johnson deferred this method as one particular of his very first acts as mayor. Two many years later, in 2010, the government’s medical advisers updated their evaluation of London’s air quality with the surprising conclusion that four,300 Londoners died prematurely every single 12 months – by an common of eleven and a half years.

Johnson also faced the prospect that London would be fined £300m by the EU for breaching air good quality standards. His response was to lobby the EU to defer the fine whilst employing attractive youthful females to hand out leaflets urging individuals not to leave their auto engines operating whilst stationary. I experimented with to make this a central situation in the 2012 mayoral election, but Johnson’s response was constantly to assure the audience he had the matter in hand and it gained small media consideration.

1 of the worst causes of London’s fatal air high quality is diesel engines, and the LEZ must now be adapted to discourage all consumers from driving diesel engines in the city. Cabs and buses stay a big supply of diesel pollution, but electric buses are now offered. In the Chinese city of Shenzen, three,000 electric buses are presently functioning on their streets. London does not have one particular. The charging mechanism for the buses could also be available to our black cabs.

Ahead of the final election, I met the manufacturers creating electrical buses. In exchange for a contract to replace London’s 8,000 buses more than a five-year time period, we would have been ready to get a deal in which they had been produced in Britain, therefore saving lives and creating good jobs. Johnson’s existing policy is that this is an situation that are not able to be tackled just before 2020, as a result dooming thousands a lot more Londoners to an early death. We need to make sure it is an situation at the 2016 mayoral election.

Boris Johnson"s indifference to pollution is killing us | Ken Livingstone

Loneliness is killing us – we need to begin treating this disease | Philippa Perry

‘Feeling isolated can disrupt rest, increase blood stress, weaken immunity, boost depression and reduced subjective wellbeing.’ Photograph: Ocean/Corbis

That loneliness is a wellness situation would not have been a shock to Mother Teresa who as soon as explained: “The largest disease right now is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of becoming undesired, uncared for and deserted by everyone.”

But now doctors have quantified the effects of the loneliness condition, warning that lonely men and women are practically twice as probably to die prematurely as individuals who do not suffer feelings of isolation. Being lonely it would seem, is a lot a lot more worrying for your wellness than weight problems.

In a report called Rewarding Social Connections Market Profitable Ageing that Professor John Cacioppo presented in Chicago at the weekend, the effect of satisfying relationships on the elderly was measured.

Cacioppo’s group identified that friendships aided older men and women develop their resilience and capability to bounce back soon after adversity, as properly as an capability to gain power from tension rather than be diminished by it.

Not surprisingly, there is no corresponding excellent news for these significantly less effectively linked to other people. Loneliness has dramatic consequences on well being. Feeling isolated from other people can disrupt sleep, raise blood strain, reduce immunity, improve depression, reduce overall subjective wellbeing and increase the stress hormone cortisol (at sustained high levels, cortisol slowly wears your physique down).

Older individuals can stay away from the consequences of loneliness by staying in touch with former colleagues, taking component in family members gatherings and sharing great instances with loved ones and pals, says Cacioppo. Moving away from an established local community to retire to a seaside idyll could often be a error, but such excellent typical sense most likely isn’t going to go far adequate.

The Lonely Society, a 2010 report commissioned by The Psychological Wellness Basis, cited a link in between our “individualistic society” and the enhance in frequent psychological well being disorders in the last 50 many years.

It also drew on investigation exhibiting that psychological wellness difficulties occur far more regularly in unequal societies exactly where vulnerable men and women are typically left behind. By squandering “social capital” in the individualistic pursuit of greater wealth, or treating social networks as incidental, are we neglecting a element of existence that makes us content and keeps us healthful for longer?

This report also estimates analysis that suggests lonely people frequently share particular qualities: these contain much more of a background of loss or trauma and a childhood spent with unfavorable, critical and harsh parenting.

Loneliness is typically the core feeling that offers rise to feelings of anger, sadness, depression, worthlessness, resentment, emptiness, vulnerability and pessimism. Lonely individuals regularly really feel that they are disliked, are typically self-obsessed and lack empathy with other folks. They fear rejection and hold themselves at a distance, which feeds the loneliness.

Folks who are lonely often think that everybody else is undertaking Ok whilst they are not. They think they are the only ones carrying a burden. I have had customers speak about putting their “game encounter” on rather than sharing truthfully about themselves. And it can be challenging to know when it is suitable to make the move from the former to the latter.

So in an ageing society with far more and more folks living on their own, what is the answer? I feel that it is never ever too late to change, and that psychotherapy can help folks to heal the wounds from their past and create new patterns of relating to other individuals. But a dependency on this professional relationship may also develop, with the therapist turning into a substitute for building confidants outdoors the consulting room.

I am on the advisory board of The Speak for Health Company Ltd (T4H) which is a social enterprise set up by psychotherapist Nicky Forsythe. It trains individuals in the loneliness-stopping skills of authentic sharing and empathic listening. Following a quick preliminary training, the groups set up prolonged-term peer support programs that are proven to boost wellbeing substantially. The greatest aim of T4H is to create networks of confidants where any person can locate a spot to connect at a deeper degree.

It appears that at least some GPs and wellness managers do realise that combating loneliness is key to keeping very good health. A forward-searching scheme funded by the NHS in Islington will this year fund 12 Speak for Overall health programmes, providing 180 free locations to Islington residents for adults at any stage in life.

Individuals with out entry to this kind of a programme could also contemplate joining a 12-phase group such as Feelings Anonymous or Depression Anonymous, in which they will be capable to place aside their “game faces” and share truthfully about themselves on a deeper degree. Not like individual psychotherapy, the connections made in this kind of groups can be integrated into the participants’ lives past the group.

This kind of schemes can help folks of any age to develop self-acceptance, making it easier for them to relate to other individuals and connect on such a degree that loneliness, if not eradicated, at least gets to be much less of a threat to health.

Loneliness is killing us – we need to begin treating this disease | Philippa Perry

Is your “Self Talk” killing you?

“I am by nature a dealer in words, and phrases are the most potent drug identified to humanity”
Rudyard Kipling

1 of the factors folks frequently inquire me is this: “If you could advocate a single “natural” thing for this (symptom, condition, condition), what would it be?” The reality is—there is no “one thing” that always functions for that one particular factor. But there is 1 thing that I know with absolute certainty—after thirty years of learning, researching, and educating healing.

You have to locate your personal reality.

Not my private truth expressed here–based on my expertise, not your doctors personalized truth based upon his, not truth based on statistics of men and women you really don’t know, not your sisters private reality, not some movie star, rock star, or paid celebrity endorsers truth, and most importantly—not what you hear on Television.

Folks want a remedy for cancer, or diabetes—but they do not want to do what it needs of them to locate that. Modify is tough. Healing demands introspection. They want to skip to the final chapter of the guide with no studying chapters a single by means of all individuals that lead up to it.  We dwell in a globe of immediate gratification. We want to go from chapter one particular to three due to the fact chapter 3 holds what we perceive to be the response. But initial you have to response the questions in chapter two. Western Medication encourages this identical “quick fix” ideology. Folks want to take a pill to get rid of a symptom so they do not miss function, or taking the children to soccer, or because they have a deadline, etc. Individuals want to take a pill to treat their chest cold so they can continue smoking.  It does not work that way. First you have to comprehend chapter two. Chapter two explores the cause—it’s like placing collectively the pieces of a puzzle to get to the source of your issue—and that takes time–and that begins in your thoughts.

There is no this kind of thing as actuality. There is only your perception of it. Your conscious thoughts is your filter. It decides how you perceive your globe.  Your subconscious thoughts is like an ATM machine or a computer. It can only respond to what you put in it or system it to do. The subconscious mind is power without direction—it has only one decision and that is to obey. It listens to you communicate and gets to be a witness self or self-conscious.  It carries out orders from your conscious mind with out judgment or question.

Wellness is not obtained by constantly speaking of sickness. Are you a cancer “victim”? That would rely on your perception. If you speak people words—cancer victim—your subconscious mind hears you. Victim implies you are a passive recipient of one thing outdoors your management. Victim implies worry. If you believe this as your truth, then you depend on outdoors forces to manage your life. Concern is powerless. Dread is paralyzing and incapacitating.

Becoming a “victor” of cancer is also a option. But that also, depends upon your perception. If you realize that cancer grows on the within of you and as a result you have the power to modify it, you grow to be awakened, inspired, and empowered to consider accountability to heal, to choose to do some thing that is inside of your electrical power to do. The same goes for any other illness or illness.  Power is strength. Duty is not blame. Duty is placing the manage back into your hands and telling yourself, “I can”—“I’m capable”—“I’m victorious.”

Phrases matter.

The subconscious thoughts is a habit thoughts. It learns by repetition. What you repeatedly and habitually inform your self becomes your reality, in spite of outdoors appearances. That is why speaking phrases of adore, wellness, and belief are so critical. If you seem at an anorexic person, you see a extremely thin unhealthy searching human currently being. But when an anorexic person seems to be in the mirror, they see an unhealthy body fat person. So despite appearances to the outside planet, despite what may well be deemed reality—their perception as they look in the mirror is that “I’m fat.”

People employed to think affirmations were just “feel good–doesn’t actually have any effect on healing” sort issues. The examine and research of psychoneuroimmunology has lengthy given that changed that outdated and incorrect reality. Thoughts imbalances or subconscious beliefs that we have been carrying about (often outdated and downloaded from generations ahead of us) have the most influence on the final result of condition and longevity. If you feel cancer is going to destroy you—it will. If you tell your self, “I’d rather die than have to deal with my boss yet again tomorrow,” you have a heart assault on Monday morning. Really do not believe me? Look it up!

Psychoneuroimmunology teaches us that our thoughts transmit to neuropeptides (neuropeptides tell your immune method how to react and what hormones to release). Neuropeptides bind directly to immune cell surface receptors. Each immune cell has a receptor for a neuropeptide.

What you tell your self repeatedly turns into your reality and types conclusions. Conclusions then trigger your emotions and your feelings determine what hormones will be released—are you stressed about failing a test?—you release pressure hormones. What you anticipate to happen turns into reality—based on what you inform your subconscious to expect. Your physique loves you and is usually seeking stability. Consequently, the ideas in your brain and the response of your immune system have to be congruent.  You can not have a adverse imagined or emotion in the brain, with no a corresponding negatively triggered hormonal or chemical release in your immune technique. A single chemical released by white blood cells, natural killer, and T-cells in response to an acceptable stimulus is interferon. Interferon is a naturally made chemical that destroys cancer cells. If you can make a substance that naturally kills cancer cells without the side effects of its’ synthetic guy produced counterpart—just by the phrases you emotionalize and repeatedly impress upon your subconscious mind—how crucial should people phrases be?

“Life and death are in the electrical power of the tongue.”—Proverbs 18:20

One of my biggest teachers of the energy of “self talk” is Louise Hay. Louise Hay wrote an amazing book: You Can Heal Your Existence

I refer to her guide with each consumer, buddy, and loved one. The thoughts we repeatedly tell ourselves, correspond to bodily manifestations.

For most of my lifestyle, the person reflected in the mirror lived life from a location of worry. Dread of not getting good enough, thin enough, worthy adequate, wise ample, pleased enough– concern of failing as a mom, wife, person— you get the picture—and those fears manifested as anger, depression, resentment, unforgiveness, competition, comparison.

All of which led to many years of episodes of intense gallbladder pain. If you have ever skilled it, I really don’t want to tell you that it is unrelenting and incapacitating. If only I had identified from the beginning, that the root of my problems wasn’t really fatty food— though that was a contributor–but my unwillingness to forgive and my bitterness towards people who hurt me. Believe in me when I say—the lesson is repeated right up until it is realized. Too late in my case—the stones were imbedded and my gallbladder eliminated.

The description in the guide for “probable cause” of gallstones or “cholelithiasis” is “bitterness, difficult thoughts, condemning, pride.” The “new believed pattern” or affirmation is “there is joyous release of the previous. Life is sweet, and so am I.” Although hunting up a kidney concern for a client, I came on yet another exciting realization. My mother died of Bright’s ailment. No a single calls it that any far more, so seeing it in Louise’s book, caught my eye. The probable cause—“feeling like a kid who can’t do it right and is not excellent enough. A failure. Reduction.”  I guess that along with my dad’s legs and my grandmother’s wild Italian Spirit and cooking skills—the DNA download included some fears to deal with and function via. The affirmation or new imagined pattern? “I adore and approve of myself.”  And that is been the most tough for me. The belief that “I’m worthy of currently being loved.”

The cause I grew to become a naturopathic medical doctor was due to the fact of the dread I saw in the eyes of folks diagnosed with cancer. Western medication feeds that concern. I have written about dread in many other blogs. Dread is paralyzing and incapacitating—not just in the case of cancer, but life in common.   And that is where I was.

My function as a nurse and naturopathic physician is to awaken, educate, and inspire you to discover your personal personal truth about what it means to you to live a vibrant wholesome existence, and to support you locate the path to accomplish it.  Fear is paralyzing—Knowledge is empowering.

Assets:

Louise Hay—You Can Heal Your Life  (Louise and Hay Residence have a lot of amazing books. All of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s are my preferred too!)  http://healyourlife.com/ 

Florence Scovel Shinn wrote the book, The Game of Existence and How to Perform It, in 1925. She published it herself. You can download it cost-free. I have all of her books (The Full Works) and I read through them every day. Right here is one particular of my favourite Florence quotes:

“We have to substitute Faith for Dread, for fear is only inverted faith it is faith in evil alternatively of excellent.” The spoken word is extremely powerful.

http://florencescovelshinn.wwwhubs.com/

http://sacred-texts.com/nth/shinn/gol/index.htm  (cost-free copy of The Game of Lifestyle and How to Perform it)

EVOX therapy uses your voice to reframe adverse experiences in your existence the two past and present. It operates to modify your perception of emotional concerns by reframing them in a optimistic way.

http://www.zyto.com/evox.html

Is your “Self Talk” killing you?