Interesting article posted here regarding the current trend of very intense military like exercise programs that are doing more harm than good physically and emotionally. A worrying trend which I believe can encourage unnecessary stress regardless of the physical benefits (if you haven't injured yourself already as a result of preforming intense exercises). Click on the photo to take you to the article.

Something lighter today! Here is a knockout version for the very popular song "All about that bass". Has a Billie Holiday feel to it. Enjoy!

Click on this image to find out more about this mother and daughter campaign to have Bayer drug Visanne available in Australia. Both mother and daughter will be guests on The Project tonight (16/9/2014) http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project

According to a recent study in England by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) , sugar intake should be reduced to 5% of our daily energy intake. Translated into real sugar terms, for women that means about 25 gr of free sugars, the equivalent of 5-6 teaspoons of sugar, 35 gr for men. Others health specialists are arguing that further reductions are needed to figure closer to 2.5 - 3% of daily sugar intake.

The goal of 5% is a huge challenge when teenagers are currently getting 15% of their calories from added sugar.One option that doctors have called for is a tax on sugary drinks. The measure is being tried in Mexico, although there is still little evidence on its impact.

Did you know that a number of everyday foods are high in sugar? Many processed foods have reduced their fat content to appeal to customers seeking to reduce their fat intake. To make these products more palatable, additional sugar has been added to add flavour. Here are some of those foods:

Yoghurt - especially sweetened fruit based yoghurts. Eat plain or Greek and add your own fresh fruit.

Pasta sauces- Check the sugar content of store bought sauces. You will be surprised at the sugar content. Alternatives, buy crushed tomatoes in a tin and add tomato paste and other fresh ingredients such as fresh herbs.

Coleslaw- Store bought variety with added mayonnaise, the sugar content in the mayo is usually very high. Try making your own mayonnaise, by hand or with a blender, tastes better too!

Flavoured or enhanced waters - Stick to plain water to avoid hidden sugars here too. These waters are often expensive and have little or no health properties.

Seen in this week's springwise.com, a great business arrangement between young designers and older adults with a talent for knitting! The website is http://www.grannysfinest.com/. The business is in Holland but there is opportunity to do this anywhere! What a fun and enterprising way to bring young and old together!

The Man Booker Prize shortlist was announced this morning. We will know the winner on October 14th. Always exciting to see who has made it to the shortlist. New rules mean the award is open to writers of all nationalities. Under previous guidelines the competition was for open only to writers from Commonwealth countries. Happy reading!

Catchy title for a great Q&A session (ABC TV Australia) last night. Many standouts and great panelists. One of these, Mexican investigative journalist Lydia Cacho. I have taken the panelist information from the Q& A website for those interested in learning more about her:




Lydia Cacho (born 1963) is a Mexican journalist, author and a feminist activist against violence.
In 2000, Lydia founded and directed a high security shelter for battered and sexually exploited women and children in Cancun, Mexico. She was the first woman in Mexican history to take to trial an organised crime ring involved with child pornography, sexual tourism and trafficking of women.
Lydia herself has been imprisoned for her work and has put her life on the line on behalf of women and children in Mexico. As a consequence of her unwavering defence of human rights and journalistic freedom, her own life has been repeatedly threatened.
With more than twenty years of experience as a workshop teacher and keynote speaker, Lydia has toured the globe with her inspirational conferences on peace education, freedom of expression, and ethical commitment to changing the world. She has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly, UNESCO, and the European Union. She was recently appointed by the UNODC and the Spanish Government as Ambassador for the Blue Heart Campaign against sex trafficking.
Lydia has published seven books, one of them being an award-wining manual to prevent, detect and heal child sexual abuse. In addition, she is a co-author of several collective books. Currently, Lydia is a columnist with El Universal, the main national newspaper in Mexico, and a workshop teacher on successful approaches to help trafficking victims. Her book, Slaves of power: a journey into sex trafficking around the world, was released in 2010.

Lydia is in Australia to give the talk ‘Slavery is Big Business’ at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas.