Diet Mind Spirit

Householders will be forced to switch to new long-life low-energy bulbs in 12 months’ time.

New legislation is being introduced banning the sale of the normal incandescent lightbulb from January, 2009.

As the normal lightbulb expires, householders will have to replace them with the more environmentally friendly long-life bulb which uses far less energy.

Consumers will save €185m in electricity costs every year as a result of the measure.

The National Climate Change Strategy proposed a levy on low-efficiency bulbs.

However, Environment Minister John Gormley, in his Carbon Budget, announced an all-out ban on the old-style lightbulb.

Mr Gormley said the minimum energy efficiency standards for lighting will be introduced from 2009.

These standards will result in an effective ban on the sale of traditional lightbulbs.

According to the minister the aim of the measure was to completely end the use of these lightbulbs across the country.

“These bulbs use technology invented during the age of the steam engine,” said Mr Gormley.

“By getting rid of these bulbs we will save 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year,” he added.

“Their replacement with low-energy alternatives will save householders in the region of €185m a year in lower electricity bills,” said the minister.

Admitting there would be teething problems in the run up to the ban, the minister said that as part of the preparation of the legislation there would be full consultation with all stakeholders.

Greenpeace congratulated the Government on its decision “to lead the world in this simple but essential step in tackling climate change”.

Eoin Dubsky, Greenpeace campaigner said: “Today Ireland has taken a lead in banning energy-wasting lightbulbs by as early as January 2009. Greenpeace hopes that Ireland’s decision will light the way for the EU and the rest of the world.”

How stress bakes your brain and breaks your body.
Stress is good. Huh?! That’s right, I said it. Stress is GOOD…when there’s a reason for it. Stress is good when you need to be on high-alert, when you need a shot of energy, adrenaline and clarity to get you through a brief period of intensity. It created changes in your physiology that allow you seemingly superhuman abilities.

But, when that stress becomes chronic, the exact opposite happens. The changes in your body’s chemical (endocrine) and electrical (nervous) systems caused by stress can be hugely destructive when endured over an extended period of time.
On a fundamental level, it can degrade body tissue, lead to weight gain, increase your risk of heart-disease, diabetes, stroke and various forms of cancer. On a mindset and emotional level, it can increase anxiety and depression, decrease cognitive function, creativity and problem solving ability and destroy your sleep, which then cycles back around to further deteriorate your body and brain. The good news is…

You can un-bake your brain.

While we’d all like to rid ourselves of the daily brain-burn, most of us are not willing to extract ourselves from the professional and lifestyle circumstances that are creating that stress (though, I have to tell you, trading in my Ferragamo’s for barefeet has been pretty friggin sweet for me).
So, for those who choose to endure, rather than extract, here are 10 powerful practices that will help get you back to a calm, focused, relaxed and rejuvenated state of mind and allow you to take back body and health:

1. Mindfulness-based stress reduction™
Developed by acclaimed psyhcologist Jon Kabat-Zinn, more than 20,000 people, from all walks of life have now completed this 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction training with remarkable results. And, the good news is, now you don’t have to live in Massachussetts to do it. There are many trained affiliates or you can do it at home with Kabat-Zinn’s book and audio CDs (or mp3s) with only 45-minutes a day.

2. Get lost in great music.
This is pretty intuitive, but there is actually significant research that reveals listening to the right music can actually be a powerful de-stressor and help get you back into a better state of mind relatively quickly. And, if you think listening to music drops you into the chill-zone, try learning or playing music. A fascinating study on the impact of playing music on stress reveals that keeping a guitar handy in the corner of your office and cranking out Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Little Wing on your lunch break will help you feel oh so much better!

3. Get Active for 30-minutes a day
Yes, you heard right. “But, how am I going exercise when I already don’t he enough time in the day?” Simple, exercise is the master key to pretty much everything. It’s why I covered it first in this months’ lifestyle evolution series.

In the game, the player fights along Deejab and Delinda against evil King Etes to turn the city of Diab back into the Golden City. The King has gotten rid of any exercise opportunity in the city and instead is feeding the population unlimited amounts of free junk food. The only way to win the fight is by making healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating right and exercising, in order to defeat King Etes and his guards.