While you are waiting for the World Cup to resume tomorrow, check out TEDtalks. Each year the TED conference brings together some of the brightest and most inspiring people in the world. You can now check out some of these talks by people such as Al Gore, Hans Rosling, Tony Robbins and Sir Ken Robinson.
Archive for June, 2006
Even though the calorie count may be the same, some fats may make you fatter. Researchers from Wake Forest found that monkeys that were fed trans-fatty acids gained 30% more fat around their waists than those eating different fats containing the same amount of calories. It is already known that trans-fats cause an increase in bad cholesterol and heart disease but it appears that the may also promote obesity.
At the end of this six year study, the monkeys fed trans-fats also had higher blood glucose levels and were much more insulin resistant suggesting that they were on their way to developing diabetes.
Trans-fats are created by adding hydrogen to food oils and because they have a long shelf life and consistency they are popular in the food industry. They are commonly found in commercial baked, deep-fried, snack and fast foods.
Some companies have began to phase out trans-fats in the US and Canada since it is now required that trans-fat content be listed on labels and in Denmark they are banned from all processed foods. But they can still be regularly found in many commercial products and fast foods.
[Read more at www.nature.com]
This morning the World Cup has begun and for the next month the world will be glued to television sets around the world. I don't really have a favourite that I am cheering for (Canada continues to be inept despite being such a multicultural nation). It is always interesting to see the multicultural diversity and pride of Canada come out as people proudly cheer for the old countries.
For some reason World Cup fever doesn't really catch on in Canada and the US as it does in the rest of the world. The band U2 is helping to change that as they have done some pretty good TV ads for ESPN.
Well we know what I'll be doing for the next month on my days off and at work too!
Saturday was the official start of summer for me as I we put the boat in the lake and I got in my first waterski of the year (see above pic). It felt great to be back on the water and I felt like I hadn’t missed a step over the winter. The water temperature was suprisingly nice but I still elected for the wetsuit. I can’t wait for my next time at the lake where I can push myself harder and pull out my wakeboard and see how rustly my wakeboard skills got over the winter.
What always continues to amaze me is the absolute euphoria I get from waterskiing/wakeboarding. I come out of the water grinning from ear to ear and I can’t sit still, I’m just too excited. I have yet to find any other activity that makes me feel such complete joy. I don’t what causes it, but I love it and I’m not gonna question it.
Hopefully the whole summer isn’t as windy as this past weekend and I can get alot more time on the lake this summer.
