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Better Living Through Well Being

A recent study published in Current Developments in Nutrition shows long-term health benefits for women who follow a nutrient-dense, plant-rich Nutrarian diet (NDPR) compared to those on a Standard American Diet (SAD). The research revealed slowing in epigenetic age acceleration, lower dietary inflammation, lower methylation-predicted neutrophils and higher T regulatory cells, body mass index, IGF binding protein 5, and blood glucose in the NDPR group.

These findings suggest that the Nutrarian diet not only reduces inflammatory markers but may also slow biological processes associated with aging, which aligns with the growing body of evidence supporting the role of plant-rich diets in promoting long-term health. This important research could influence future dietary recommendation for aging and inflammation-related diseases.

A Nutrarian diet is primarily plant-based, consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts (with minimal amounts of refined grains, potatoes and sweets), but may include small amounts of animal products. Prior research on the Nutrarian diet suggests that adopting this diet improves cardiovascular risk markers, glycemic control in those with diabetes, and weight loss.

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Exploring Consumer Appetite for Regenerative Agriculture,” a new consumer report, suggests that consumer awareness of regenerative agriculture in increasing, particularly among the Emerging Regenerative Market, who demonstrate a deeper understanding and stronger engagement with the concept.

The effort of industrial farming to supply food for a growing population has come at significant environmental cost -- damaging ecosystems, depleting soil health, stripping nutrients from food and reducing biodiversity. Regenerative agriculture offers the solution, and its importance continues to grow as it shifts the way we think about farming. Focus on restoring soil health, improving water cycles, and enhancing biodiversity are all about working with nature instead of against it, and healing the land while nourishing both people and planet.

Farmers can’t tackle these global challenges alone. Partnerships and collaboration across the entire food chain is needed to drive real change. This survey has gathered benchmarks to better understand consumer perceptions, and the drivers and barriers that will influence the supply chain’s transition to regenerative practices.

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Goodwill is leading the charge to solve an important environmental problem. Their focus is to pursue a circular economic model whereby the greatest possible percentage of discarded textiles goes towards resale or regeneration through recycling rather than landfills. Through collaboration with environmental and waste industry corporations, Goodwill is in the process of creating a textile-to-textile regeneration circular ecosystem.

Reuse of textiles is of the highest value and is essential for the benefit of all. Yet, among the products that are not reused, less than 1 percent are recycled globally today. Goodwill aims to play a critical role in recovery through the collection and sorting of textiles in North America. Post-retail textiles are sorted and graded to identify reusable textiles that can be resold and nonreusable textiles that can be used as foodstock that meets the specifications of recyclers.

Revenue from all donations to Goodwill stays in local communities to support job training, job placement and other essential services for community members who face obstacles to employment. Goodwill plans to recover the value in nonwearable textiles to continue to support its workforce programs.

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Amid climate uncertainty, with the travel and tourism industry contributing 8 percent of global carbon emissions, the imperative for sustainable travel grows. Hurricanes, wildfires and droughts ravage the globe, and the urgency for collective action on climate change has never been greater. Extreme weather events are growing more frequent and intense, resulting in both short-term shocks and long-term consequences. Wild Nectar Immersive Travel Collection recognizes that it is imperative travel be part of the solution, offering a way forward that merges the desires for exploration with responsibility.

Using methodology that draws on global standards and best practices, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Wild Nectar created the Eco Score. This is a proprietary framework that evaluates trips against environmental, social, and economic indicators. The Eco Score gives travelers peace of mind that their journeys are responsible and empowers travelers to make informed purchase decisions that align with their sustainability values without compromising on quality or experience.

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Tractor Beam, a new quarterly online publication set to launch in early 2025, will present short stories and graphic novellas that explore how regenerative agriculture, soil science, and earth-centered practices can shape our future. This new genre -- soilpunk -- positions the earth as a central character in the fight for a sustainable, thriving world.

Seeking creatives to reimagine life on Earth from the ground up, Tractor Beam is now open for submissions. Whether you envision a post-climate-crisis society rebuilt on sustainable farming or a future where the soil holds the key to human survival, the quest is for stories that inspire hope and challenge conventional thinking.

Winning submissions will receive $1,500 USD in three categories -- Prose, Narrative Illustration, and Judge’s Choice. Submissions are due by November 22, 2024, and winners will be announced on December 16, 2024.

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Other articles of interest in this TMIS eNewsletter for Fall 2024:

* Personalized medicine breakthrough flips the script on cancer treatment by reactivating patients’ inherent cancer-fighting abilities within their own immune systems and training their white blood cells to fight their cancer.

* Market for biogas is expected to accelerate over the next decade due to economic pressure on fossil fuels.

* Health care report provides inspiration for leaders ready to tackle thorny issue of health inequity.

* Future of Medicare’s home health program an patient access to care will continue to decline unless Congress takes action.

* White House roundtable on water security and resilience hears importance of moving towards a circular water economy to ensure America’s homes, agriculture, and industries have a dependable water supply.

* Archeologists’ discovery of bronze age town in Northwest Arabia challenges traditional view of transition from nomadic pastoralism tp nascent urbanism.

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I am grateful to be in a collaborative business with many talented and skilled professionals. Your feedback is always welcome.

- Mary Michele McLaughlin


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