Whole Life Magazine

August/September 2013

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city of angels whole living WORTH REPEATING YOUR Rock Body "I DON'T HAVE MUCH patience for anyone who denies that this challenge is real. We don't have time for a meeting of the flat earth society." —President Obama in a speech on climate change. (thinkprogress.org, 6/25) "ALL DUE RESPECT, YOU got no fucking idea what it's like to be number one. Every decision you make affects every facet of every other fucking thing. It's too much to deal with, almost. And in the end you're completely alone with it all." —Character of Tony Soprano from The Sopranos TV series, quoted in response to the untimely death of actor James Gandolfini. (gw.com, 7/13) "DON'T EXPECT GOOGLE or Facebook to provide you novel info to help you grow—they are looking in your past, to your comfort zone, not your future, where you are growing." —Blogger David Rainoshek on "How Facebook Is Altering Your Mind" (davidrainoshek.com, 6/12) By Elizabeth Barker SAVED BY A TREE S mog can wreak havoc on your heart and lungs, but trees might help keep you healthy. In a recent study from the journal Environmental Pollution, researchers found that pollutionsucking trees and urban forests are saving an average of one life each year in major cities across the country. Past research shows that chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (a mixture of chemicals, dust particles and other airpolluting elements) can lead to hardening of the arteries, inflammation of the lungs and other major health problems. For the new study, researchers calculated the amount of particulate matter cleared away by trees in 10 U.S. cities (including Los Angeles), as well as the decreased pollution's impact on human health. Results ranged from one person per 365,000 people in Atlanta to one person per 1.35 million people in San Francisco. In New York City, meanwhile, trees appear to save an average of eight lives every year. According to the U.S. Forest Service, more than 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas boasting more than 100 million acres of trees and forests. "Trees can make cities healthier," notes study author and U.S. Forest Service researcher David Nowak. "While we need more research to generate better estimates, this study suggests that trees are an effective tool in reducing air pollution and creating healthier urban environments." "ANYONE WORTH knowing is inevitably also going to be exasperating: making the same obvious mistakes over and over, dating imbeciles, endlessly relapsing into their dumb addictions and self-defeating habits, blind to their own hilarious flaws and blatant contradictions and fiercely devoted to whatever keeps them miserable." —Opinionator Tim Kreider on the hazards of misdirected email. (New York Times, 6/15) "WAR GAMES CAN make for fun when confined to computer screens, but when carried out on science, places our health at risk." —Devra Davis, Ph.D., former senior White House health advisor, on deceptive marketing about the dangerous levels of electromagnetic radiation in cellular devices. (HuffPost.com, 5/21) ANTIOXIDANT POWER E } ven after they're harvested, fruits and veggies keep on responding to changes in light by pumping out chemicals that fend off plant-eaters—and those same chemicals could pack major antioxidant power when consumed by humans. That's the finding of a recent Rice University study, whose authors are now exploring produce-storing strategies to help make the most of the postharvest antioxidant boon. CRANK IT UP C ranking up the radio might help you focus better when behind the wheel, according to recent research from the Netherlands' University of Groningen. In an experiment involving 47 college students, researchers found that listening to music while driving helped boost alertness, energy and concentration— especially when cruising down a humdrum road for an extended period of time. "People need a certain degree of arousal to stop themselves from getting bored," explains study author Ayça Berfu Ünal, an environment and traffic psychologist. "In monotonous traffic situations, music is a good distraction that helps you keep your mind on the road." august / september 2013 17

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