Green Thing Blog

Don't just get fit, get SPEEDFIT. "Forget everything you've been told about diet and exercise" they say it's all about "de-emphazing distance in excercise and promoting Speed in it's place" - huh?

This ludicrous contraption reminds me of that marvellous scene in the Pink Panther Strikes Again when Clouseau enters a dark room, flicks the light switch and then you hear the sound of him walking in the dark. He strikes a match and you see that he's walking on a treadmill which he's turned on instead of the lights. The scene carries on like this...

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When you think about pollution killing people, it's usually air pollution or water contamination that come to mind. But this just in: noise pollution is second in line to air pollution, as a fatal environmental health hazard. Yes, noise pollution can kill.

A report published a few weeks ago by the World Health Organisation (WHO) lists noise disturbances as a factor in causing death, mostly through heart disease, caused by high blood pressure and stress hormones.

Annoyance caused by noise apparently has a really big impact on people's health causing irritability and an inability to sleep, affecting overall well being. Car engines, horn sounds, loud crowds, building works, rubbish trucks coming early in the morning, and that lowly flying aeroplane : do any of these resonate with you? They may just be shortening your life.

If your curious to see noise levels where you live, check out these noise maps of England.

New Scientist suggests quieter vehicles as one solution to reducing noise related deaths. Many new electric cars and low emission vehicles are very quiet (Perhaps too quiet?) while also being better for the environment.

Additionally, double glazing windows has been cited as an individual action people can take to keep noise out of their homes while keeping the heat in. Pretty much a win win situation.

Other things you can do include walk more. Less cars means less noise. Walking makes for a more exciting journey and is great for your health. Or you can cycle - although you may not want to ring your bell too often ;)

And fly less. More people staying grounded would make the skies less crowded.

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Bottled water companies try to sell us an image and a lifestyle with their ads. The selling point of water is that we need it to live and it quiches thirst, which while necessary may not be that exciting. Consequently the ads people come up about water aren't really about water as they attempt to 'sex up' the product and sell a brand name rather than anything else. The results, quite frankly, bring us advertisements that lie and in some cases are utterly ridiculous.  Last year we brought you the Top 7 Criminal Mineral Ads. Here are 7 more from the last 12 months.

1. As if babies on roller blades weren't freaky enough, Evian's 'Live Young' campaign has launched t-shirts that make you look like you've the body of a baby. Babies aren't even young- they're infantile. How this relates to water is beyond me. Does it have a Benjamin Button effect when you drink it? If that is the case, no thanks Evian, I like being my own age and not a weird baby.

2. While I do enjoy pumping the jam up at any given time, I do not enjoy the prospect of being showered by a volcano. Just ask the folks of Pompeii how they felt about that one.

3. I wasn't aware that an inanimate object such as bottled water could be smart but apparently it can.  The people at Smart Water decided to make a video entitled 'Jennifer Aniston Sex Tape' in order to entice viewers on the web and enable it to go viral. Classy, not to mention smart.

(Image Dasaniblog)

4. Dasani launched a new 'plant' bottle this year. Their campaign aims to show how water is natural and all around us. So you don't make millions of plastic bottles in the first place and drink tap water. Pretty simple really.

(Image: boston.com)

5. Fiji water have the most criminal of all the mineral ads. Their campaign which claimed that every drop was green (and that they neutralise their carbon footprint) was sued early in the year over false claims.We're happy that not everyone believes what they are told.

6. This is a classic example of an ad making no sense at all. The bubbles form a smile and therefore I should buy this product?  Seriously? That is your great advertising ploy?

(Image adrants)

7. Canadian water company Eska have had their ad pulled because of complaints over racism- a mineral ad deem so criminal it had to withdraw from television!

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(Image diseaseaday)

We don't usually take it upon ourselves to lecture you about heath but when we saw this we knew we couldn't just sit here and say nothing. In fact we knew we couldn't just sit here at all. Terrifyingly if you sit more than 6 hours a day your chances of an early death increases dramatically. To read the full infographic click here and we promise it will make you want to go out and Walk-The-Walk immediately! Or maybe you'd prefer jumping on a bike and Pedaling the Pedals. Whatever you do, just get up out of that chair!

Recent studies have shown that sitting is potentially more dangerous for you than smoking. The increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer and even early death that can result due to prolonged stationary motion is as bad as, if not worse, for you than smoking. The effects are worse for women than for men. We are constantly being told about the dangers of smoking so this study makes me wary of my sitting habits. As with smoking the more you do the worse it gets, so get up and I encourage you to start dancing as you read this. Alternatively investing in a stand up desk might be a good idea.

15 minutes of exercise a day is a bare mimium for health and for some inspiration to get you up and active watch The Urban Rambler. Now quick, stand up and move!

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(Image: Fittalknews)

Welcome to Sleep Awareness Week. You may think you are quite aware of sleep already but chances are you might not be all that aware of just how important it is. So forgive us for sounding like your mother but Plug Out, brush your teeth and get to bed. You'll thank us when you read why snoozing is just so important.

For starters, did you know that an earlier bedtime can help with weight loss? With summer starting to peak through the clouds it's the time to turn off your kindle and jump into bed well before midnight for the easy way to fight the fat. A lack of sleep results in you eating more thanks to the hormones that stimulate appetite (Ghrelin and Leptiin). If you stay up late, so do they. And they know the way to the fridge.

(Image: iStockphoto) 

Sleep also helps with your stress levels. Without enough sleep we tend to become irritable, have mood swings and get worked up over tiny things like crumbs in the butter and shoes being left in the wrong place. Being stressed leads to a lack of sleep, which in turn can make you stressed. That isn't a fun cycle to be caught in. Click here for some advise on how to relax and unwind. (Hint: Plugging Out helps!)

(Image: Sodahead)

What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, sleep benefits. Lots of slumber can improve your memory. As you sleep your brain is busy collecting and organising memories making it easier for you to remember things. This is one of the greatest benefits of sleeping as it allows your brain to better process new experiences and knowledge, increasing your understanding and retention. So if you want to be a smarty pants, remember to get your sleep!

If you are having trouble catching those all important zzz's there are a few easy things you can do to help. Exercise is the best medicine so a bit more Walking The Walk or Pedaling The Pedals and you'll be sleeping like a baby in no time.

Make sure you Plug Out early in the evenings. Watching TV, playing on your laptop and tapping away at your phone late at night stimulates brain activity which will make it harder for you to switch off. Instead, read a book or even try some meditating. And if you can't sleep because of all those thoughts going around your head, take a moment to write them down and then get some rest.

Still can't Plug Out and go to sleep? Watch this video.

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