invisibletosee

The Colombian government has concern for the slum residents in the area of the hills. Last Monday (26/12), inaugurated the operation of the giant escalator to the poor in Comuna 13, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Medellin, Colombia's second largest city. For decades, about 12 thousand citizens of the territory that lies at the foot of the hill should be up or down the giant stairs as high as level 28 buildings to be connected with the outside world.

Now, they simply use the escalator to access areas outside their settlements. It is the longest outdoor escalator first to residents in the poorest areas. ''Escalator was functioning very well,''the light of Medellin Mayor Alonso Salazar. He said that he had never heard of a similar project in the world.

A number of delegates from the city of Rio de Janeiro, said Salazar, plans to visit Medellin to view the outlook for the construction of similar escalator in other slum areas are also located at the foot of the hill in Brazil. Residents Comuna 13 busy-busy trying escalator worth $ 6.7 million. Escalators that save time 35 minutes walk up the hill to just six minutes.


Escalator was made free for residents. According to Cesar Hernandez, head of the project, the escalator was divided into six sections and has a length of 384 meters. An escalator ride and the other one down. The government also plans to build a barrier to reduce the change of weather.

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Here are 10 simple (and unique) exercises you can use to increase productivity and energy levels. If you are in search of a boost, consider implementing a few of these recommendations over the next few weeks and see how you feel:

   1. Ditch the Strict Schedule!
      If you start to feel anxious and stressed when working on a task, try switching to something else. Do not force yourself to work on something because your predetermined schedule says so; in fact, coming back to that project later when you have a more accepting attitude will yield better results. Loosen the reigns and allow yourself to work on projects that are most appealing to you during the present moment!

   2. Sleep in the Dark
      Light interferes with sleep, at least partly because it inhibits melatonin secretion and thus resets the biological clock. For this reason, it is very important to keep your bedroom as dark as possible to ensure full cycles of sleep. (if your room is not pitch black, I suggest using a sleeping mask)! You will only be at you most industrious when you have a solid night of sleep under your belt.

   3. Fill Your Diet with Sufficient Brain Food
      Roughly 50-60% of the brain’s overall weight is pure fat, which is used as insulation for its billions of nerve cells. The better insulated a cell, the faster it sends messages and the speedier your thinking. Therefore eating foods with a healthy mix of fats is essential for energy and productivity. Fish (wild salmon, mackerel, anchovies especially) and dark leafy green vegetables are excellent choices.

   4. Stretch
      Regular stretching does more than keep your muscles and tendons in a healthy state; it also keeps the brain’s arteries open and unclogged. Because the brain accounts for 15% of the body’s blood flow (while being only 2% of its overall weight) maintaining a free flow of oxygenated blood to our most vital organ is an excellent way to create more vigor in your life!

   5. Plan a Vacation
      Consistently having things to look forward to is a great way to increase vitality over the long haul, and planning a really great vacation will motivate you to be all the more productive!

   6. Spend One Day a Month In Complete Silence
      With all that modern culture throws at us, spending one day a month in complete silence (and even solitude) is a wonderful practice to increase productivity and energy levels over the long-haul. Why? Because the little voice in your head never stops, and cultivating the ability to quiet this chatterbox, even for a little while, can do wonders for your perspective and ability to get things done! Try this one time and see how you feel.

   7. Try Audio Guidance Sound Technology
      Audio Guidance CD’s are simple, holistic, and backed by decades of reputable science. The brain emits a frequency like a battery, and audio guidance uses sound patterns to purposefully mold brain waves into desired states. This is an incredible tool for increasing productivity and for more information do a quick search for “Monroe Institute”.

   8. Eat Bigger Meals in the Middle of the Day
      A great way to pamper your body and increase energy is to get in the habit of eating your bigger meal in the middle of the day. Your digestion is much more active during the day, allowing your body to use food for energy more effectively. At night, the body naturally begins to slow down and it is harder to digest.

   9. Say Thank You 50 Times a Day!
      Gratitude yields energy. Every night before you go to bed, spend 5 minutes saying thank you out loud for all the experiences you had during the day: the people you interacted with, the work you accomplished, the food you ate, etc…As you do this, really try and feel the gratitude emanate from within. This is a wonderful practice for increasing productivity!

  10. Implement At Least 20 minutes of Cardio Exercise 4 Times a Week
      Getting a sufficient “cardio” workout increases the body’s ability to get oxygen to the cells efficiently; this lowers blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and decreases body fat. These are absolute necessities for increasing productivity and a staple in the lifestyle of almost every high-energy person.

There are a myriad of things you can do to increase energy and vitality. These recommendations are simple and will yield noticeable results in a short time!

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The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research has recently published a report entitled Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California [PDF]. In it are some real “gems” that the beverage industry likes to ignore or downplay. The data is based on research in the state of California, but it reflects on the entire country.
1. Over 10.7 million Californians over the age of one drink at least one soda a day (or other sugar-sweetened beverage).

2. 41% of children ages 2-11 drink at least one soda or other sugar-sweetened beverage every day.

3. That number goes up to 62% of adolescents ages 12-17.

4. Only 1 in 4 adults drinks pop though.

5. Adults who do drink one or more sodas or other sugar-sweetened beverages each day are 27% more likely to be overweight or obese.

6. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day, vs the recommended 5-9. That 200-400% more than recommended.

7. If you think that’s a high number, just one 20 fl oz single use bottle of soda has 17 teaspoons of sugar.

8. Almost half of the additional calories growth in our diet since the 1970′s come from soda.

9. Each American consumes an average of 50 gallons of sugar sweetened soft drinks per year.

10. Soda is the #1 source of added sugar in the American Diet.

11. Two thirds of all High Fructose Corn Syrup goes into soft drinks.

12. The average size of a soda increased from 6.5 oz in the 1950′s to 16.2 oz today (149% increase!)

13. Milk consumption, on the other hand has decreased by 33% in the last 30 years.

14. Each additional daily serving of soda increases a child’s chance risk for obesity by 60%.

15. In the last 25 years, the obesity rate in California rose from 8.9%  to 24.3%. That’s one in four Californians!

16. The cost in medical and health expenses to the state is estimated at $41 billion.
Gives some perspective on what the CEO of Coca Cola wrote in the Wall Street Journal about Coke not causing Obesity, doesn’t it?

What to do at the supermarket:

OK. Soft drinks in and of themselves are not evil, and there is room for them here and there as a treat, just like ice cream and candy. They can hardly be considered a daily staple, although that is exactly what they have become thanks to the efforts of the beverage industry.

But you can easily fight back. Just skip the beverage aisle at the supermarket on your next grocery trip. And the one after that. And the one after. In one year, you’ll have saved $500 for a family of four, AND most likely lost a few pounds too.

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