Sewage is being tested by scientists, and it’s a great source of information considering 30 billion gallons of wastewater are treated in United States treatment plants every day. The wastewater, which is filled with human waste and often soaps, contains information about the health of residents in the area.

The waste that humans produce contains all of the hormones, germs and substances that people are putting in their body or encounter.

All of this information ends up in a sewer.

Everything flows into the wastewater treatment plants, and scientists are beginning to study this waste to learn more about human behavior. Often called an “undiscovered information superhighway,” sewer analysis includes:

• Analyzing urine
• Analyzing stool

And all of this analysis is done for medical purposes. Scientists don’t need to work with a licensed plumber to gather all of this information.

Why Wastewater is Advantageous

Wastewater is a great source of information because it captures “something” in every person’s body. If you’re taking a certain medication, traces of the medication will end up in the wastewater. There’s also the benefit of the wastewater being anonymous.

Everyone is using a sewer system, or at least the majority of people are.

When testing wastewater, there’s less “red tape,” and scientists are able to gather data quickly. There's no long wait period involved, and it will allow for an entire population of information in a city.

If scientists wanted to test the wastewater in New York City, they would be able to sample millions of people’s waste in a 24-hour period. This is much faster than what would be possible with a normal survey.

Tests have already shown that an ingredient in antibacterial soaps will not breakdown in the treatment plants, so it ends up leaving muck behind. It's this muck that will cause a harmful impact on the environment and humans.

People that are exposed to these ingredients will have them collect in the body and turn it into body fat.

What else is interesting is that this same ingredient, triclocarban, has been found in lakes and may also disrupt the body’s hormonal activity.

Wastewater can also be tested to determine what a city prefers for narcotics, finding out how to better combat drug addiction in a city. Antibiotics and other medication may also be found in the wastewater, and this allows scientists to determine abnormal occurrences of some diseases and illnesses in the area.

Virus invasions can also be tested and followed because wastewater will be able to pinpoint the spread of the virus.

Germ spreading can be examined, too. This will allow scientists to determine what germs, and where they come from, are becoming resistant to antibiotics. When analyzed, waste will allow scientists to determine the overall health of a community.

Scientists in Boston also used wastewater as a way to determine, on average, how many cigarettes are consumed in an average day in the city.

All of the information in human waste is able to be analyzed and used to determine the general health of a community.

Drain clogs can be a nuisance, but they’re usually easy to fix. Plumbing snakes and augers can remove tougher clogs, but what if this more aggressive measure doesn’t work? Hydro jetting may be the most effective way to clear the clog and keep your pipes clean.

In fact, hydro jetting is considered one of the most effective ways to clear pipe blockages. From tree roots to the most stubborn blockages, hydro jetting will leave your pipes squeaky clean (or close to it).

This drain-cleaning method uses a blast of high-pressure water to remove the clog and clear away residue and debris along the walls of the pipes. The water is delivered through a hose snaked down the drain. According to Mr. Rooter, the water is propelled forward at a rate of up to 3,500 psi.

But why choose this clog-removal method over other, less-expensive methods?

1. Complete Clog Removal

The primary benefit to choosing hydro jetting is that it offers complete clog removal. The powerful jet of water breaks up and dissolves the blockage in the pipe or drain.

Plumbing augers and snakes only poke holes in the blockage and send it down the drain. This method leaves behind residue, grease and debris along the walls of the pipe that can lead to another clog in the future.

2. Future Clog Prevention

Hydro jetting can also be viewed as a preventative measure for your septic and plumbing systems. Removing the entire clog will help prevent future clogs, as this method also removes debris and build-up.

3. Safer and More Eco-Friendly Method

Most people turn to chemical drain cleaners when they have a serious clog. But pouring these chemicals down the drain can eventually damage your plumbing and may even have adverse health effects. Chemical drain cleaners are toxic to humans and pets.

Hydro jetting, on the other hand, uses pure water. There are no chemicals involved with this procedure.

4. A Thorough Cleaning

Hydro jetting does more than just clear clogs; it completely cleans your drains. It removes the clog itself as well as any build-up and debris along the walls of the pipes.

Over time, the accumulation of soap, detergents, grease, fats, silts, minerals, dirt and other components create a sludge inside of the pipe.

Hydro jetting cleans the entire pipe, clearing sludge and even removing tree roots. This method can be performed on the drains in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and even floor drains.

5. Eliminate Bacteria

The powerful stream of water not only eliminates build-up and debris; it also helps remove bacteria from your pipes. Bacteria can settle in the drains in your kitchen or bathroom.

If your drains are emitting a foul smell, hydro jetting can help resolve the issue, leaving your pipes clean and fresh.

If you’re experiencing frequent drain clogs and your plumbing system is dated, hydro jetting may be a good option for you. This clog-clearing method may not be safe to use on all types of piping, but it’s a method that’s highly effective at completely removing debris, build-up and sludge from your pipes.

It’s easy to assume that Vitaminwater is a healthy drink. After all, the product has the words “vitamin” and “water” in it. But when you examine the ingredient label and nutrition facts, you’ll quickly realize that this beverage has no place in a healthy diet.

Here are five reasons to stop drinking Vitaminwater right now.

1. Vitaminwater is Basically Sugar Water

Vitaminwater is basically just sugar water. A 20-ounce bottle contains 120 calories and 32 grams of sugar (about half of what you’ll find in a bottle of soda).

In the U.S., Vitaminwater is sweetened with cane sugar and crystalline fructose, which is almost pure fructose. A bottle of this drink may contain about the same amount of fructose as a regular bottle of Coca-Cola.

Studies have found that fructose is the harmful component of added sugar – not glucose.

If your goal is to stay healthy, you’re better off just drinking the water from your kitchen faucet.

2. Sugary Beverages Increase Your Risk of Disease

Health experts agree that added sugar plays a role in the development of obesity and chronic disease.

Added sugars should account for no more than 10% of your total calories. If you eat 2,500 calories per day, that’s about 62 grams of sugar max. One bottle of Vitaminwater contains 32 grams of added sugar, which is about 50% of the total recommended limit.

Added sugar has been linked to cancer, tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease.

3. Sugary Drinks Can Lead to Weight Gain

When it comes to health, what you drink is just as important as what you eat. If you’re consuming large amounts of sugary drinks, your body will store that excess sugar as fat.

Over time, drinking sugary beverages can lead to weight gain and obesity. Studies have shown that there’s a 60% increased risk of obesity in children for each daily serving.

4. Vitaminwater Contains Trace Vitamins You Already Have Enough Of

Despite its name, Vitaminwater only contains a small amount of vitamins – and they’re vitamins that you’re probably getting enough of already.

All types of Vitaminwater contain vitamin C (up to 150% the RDA) and B-vitamins (up to 120% of the RDA). Some variations also contain smaller amounts of vitamins A and E as well as magnesium, potassium, zinc, manganese and chromium.

Most people get more than enough vitamin C and B. And because these vitamins are water-soluble, they provide no benefit. Excess amounts are just washed out of the body in your urine.

Even if you are lacking some of the vitamins and minerals in this drink, it’s better to take a supplement or eat whole foods instead of drinking a harmful sugary beverage.

5. Excess Nutrients Can Sometimes be Harmful

Vitamins and minerals are essential to your health, but too much of these nutrients can lead to health issues. Supplementing with antioxidants and vitamins has not necessarily been linked with health benefits.

In fact, supplementing of vitamins A and E has been linked to premature death in some studies.

Vitaminwater does not contain excess amounts of these nutrients, but it does contain a considerable amount. When added to the nutrients you’re getting from your food, it’s easy to overdo it.

Americans love their long weekends. Depending on the job, most people can count on at least four long weekends each year -- three glorious days away from work to celebrate, feast, and travel. Whether going to the beach for long swims, a lake for good fishing, the mountains for excellent hiking, or just on over to the relatives for a backyard barbeque or indoor buffet, the time spent away from everyday stress and strain can be glorious. If plans are made ahead of time. A three day weekend is no time to start improvising. Here’s some tips to make the next three day weekend an outstanding one:

It’s not for chores!

People who use their three day weekends to get caught up on housework, yard work, and paperwork are missing the whole idea. Everybody puts off onerous chores until later, but to use up 72 hours waxing the floor or painting the garage when there’s a party to host or a movie to go to is downright Un American! The lawn can wait three more days.

Make a wish list ahead of time

Before the three day weekend arrives, sit down with pencil and paper and draw up a dream itinerary of places to go and things to do. Be as wild and extravagant as possible. Of course, most of the list is going to be impossible to achieve -- but people surprise themselves when they write down their dreams and then find they actually have the time and means to achieve at least part of one.

Off the grid or not?

When some people are off, they are OFF. They turn off and tune out, shunning social media and cell phones, etc. But this is too much for others; they start to panic if they remain unplugged for too long. A careful self-assessment before the long weekend begins will allow a person to decide just how unplugged they want to be while on vacation. At the very least, set a social media curfew each night and stick to it. There’s nothing important on the internet after 9 p.m.

Be aware of limitations

How much sun to get; how much skiing to do; how much to drink and eat -- these considerations change with age. An eighteen year old can party hearty and stay up all night and hardly feel a thing the next day. But at 30, or 40, or 50 -- it’s a different story. The long weekend is for play, that’s for sure; but who wants to spend any of their vacation time in bed with terminal sunburn or muscle spasms?

Don’t go nuts with the credit card

A three day weekend is a time to relax and enjoy things -- but it’s not the time to rack up a preposterous amount of credit card debt with unwise purchases and spur of the moment prodigality. This is especially true when drinking is involved. It’s not only wise to not drink and drive; it’s even wiser to not drink and shop. Make out a holiday budget before the long weekend starts, and stick to it no matter what. Afterwards, the memories of that long weekend should be much more pleasant without reminders from bill collectors.

Most of us enjoy a glass of wine on occasion, and for some of us, wine is worth building a lifestyle around. But just how “good for us” is wine? And how much should we be drinking?

Collectively, we drink close to a billion gallons of wine each year, with 2.94 gallons consumed per resident per year. We drink it when celebrating special occasions, when enjoying a quiet night in, and we even send wine as a gift when we want to show our love or appreciation.

But despite our love affair with the tastes and aromas that wine offers, the evidence for its objective benefits is mixed—at best. Depending on which headline you read, you might consider wine to be a powerful health elixir (when consumed in moderation), or a dangerous indulgence.

So where does the truth lie?

The Health Benefits of Alcohol

There is some truth to the idea that moderate wine consumption can be beneficial. According to a study from the American College of Cardiology, mild to moderate drinking of any kind of alcohol can decrease your risk of stroke and your risk of heart disease. It’s also correlated with a lower risk of all causes of death. This effect was linked to wine, beer, and liquor—so wine isn’t inherently special in this regard. Some studies have suggested that red wine drinkers have lower levels of cholesterol, but this isn’t especially conclusive; the effects here could be linked to other dietary choices.

There have also been some studies that suggest that resveratrol, an antioxidant found in wine, could have a powerfully positive effect in the body. Antioxidants work by eliminating free radicals, which could otherwise damage your cells and lead to complicated conditions, like cancer. However, according to a report by USC, the levels of resveratrol in wine are so low that you’d have to drink an excessive amount of wine—cancelling out any benefits you’d get from those antioxidants.

The Downsides of Alcohol

Reading that, you might think that wine is inherently good for you, but this isn’t the case either. One recent study found that reducing your alcohol intake—even if you’re only a light or moderate drinker—has the power to improve your heart health, reduce your blood pressure, and decrease your BMI.

Alcohol tends to be high in calories, at 7 calories per gram, making it nearly as calorie-dense as fat. Even one or two alcoholic beverages can increase the total number of calories you consume per day, which will inevitably result in weight gain, and the host of health problems associated with obesity.

Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to several types of cancer, and of course, alcohol has the power to impair your senses, reaction time, and judgment, which can put you at increased risk of injury or death if you consume it before an activity like driving or operating machinery.

The Dangers of Underestimation

Comparing the benefits and downsides of alcohol, it’s arguable that light levels of wine consumption are either beneficial or aren’t linked to significant health risks. But there’s another danger to consider here; on average, we tend to seriously underestimate the amount of alcohol we drink. We either aren’t good at determining what a true serving of alcohol is, or we lie to ourselves about how much we’re consuming.

The average moderate drinker might consider themselves a light drinker, and the average heavy drinker might consider themselves a moderate drinker. In other words, you may be putting yourself at risk for the negative health consequences of excessive alcohol consumption without even realizing it.

Why Is It So Confusing?

There are dozens, if not hundreds of studies on the effects of wine on the body, so why does it seem like every other study casts wine in a different light?

The basic answer is because nutrition is complicated. Wine comes in many different varieties and contains many different substances. It’s almost impossible to isolate those individual variables in a way that forms a composite picture of how wine works in the body. It’s also hard to separate the role wine plays as just one element in a person’s diet; few studies are able to control for all the other nutritional and biological factors that could be influencing a wine consumer’s health.

Wine is like every other food and drink on the planet. It isn’t inherently “good” for you and it isn’t inherently “bad” for you. Excessive consumption comes with risks, and there may be some benefits to a reasonable level of consumption.

Use that information when planning when to drink and how much to drink; the key, like with most matters of health, is to keep things in balance.

Business owners understand that attracting top talent is a priority, and sometimes the benefits and extra perks they offer are a great way to help pull in the best available team members. Aside from health and dental insurance, there are many other perks you can bundle up into your benefit package.

One of those is a gym membership. I recently spoke to a handful of business owners to get their take on whether or not a gym membership was a good addition to a benefits package. Here are their responses and feedback.

Contributes to a more productive team.

“Reinvesting in your business, especially in a way that will benefit your team, is always a smart idea. A fit and healthy group of employees can go a long way toward improving productivity and results.” -- Joseph W. Belluck of Belluck & Fox, LLP

It is not always right for everyone.

“Unlike health insurance I am not sure this one is for everybody. Not everyone likes to exercise or go to the gym for that matter. I would suggest you give it as an option and if they want it yes, if not give them an option for something else like an Audible monthly subscription.” -- Ben Walker, Founder of Transcription Outsourcing, LLC

It is a small price to pay for better productivity.

“Sounds like it should be a win-win for everyone. Healthy people tend to be more focused, among other things.  Considering the cost is relatively small for a gym membership, I would say it's a no-brainer for the employer to offer.” -- Marc Webb, Founder of Real PDL Help

Possible tax deduction.

“Yes, it’s a valuable benefit that promotes a healthy lifestyle, making employees less tired, more focused and more productive, along with less sick days. It can be another social activity, as well, and in a lot of cases, there can be a tax deduction for the cost of the membership.“ -- Sean Christman, Founder of Slamdot

A fit culture is more productive and energized.

“I think anything you can do to promote health and fitness is a good idea. Working out keeps your team healthy, both mentally and physically. It can also help contribute to building a stronger team if they all workout during lunch or before work. A fitness focused culture is healthy.” -- Christopher Dziak, CEO of Pure Nootropics

Encourage multiple forms of exercise and physical activity.

“Gyms are far from the only method of getting exercise. Businesses should encourage employees to stay active and healthy using whatever activity the employee enjoys most so that they are more likely to stick with the exercise long-term.” -- Matthew Kolb of All High Schools

Think of your culture first.

“It depends on your company culture. If everyone is going to take advantage of it, then sure, why not. But, if less than 90% of your employees will utilize it then it might be a large waste of money that could be spent improving your business some other way.” -- Ari Evans of AAA Handbags

Give a health and fitness credit monthly.

“Promoting health and fitness is a great idea. Rather than forcing all employees to use a specific gym, you could introduce a program that awards a $20 credit monthly for them to apply towards a gym membership. It's a little perk that is greatly appreciated.” -- Andrew Tran, Founder of Therapy

Take care of your team.

“Give the opportunity to pay for a physical activity of their choice. Physical health and mental health go hand and hand. Your team is your strongest asset and as the CEO it’s your job to take care of them.” -- Shawn Freeman, Founder and CEO of TWT Group

Consider attending group classes as a team.

“Find a gym with group classes close to your office and attend as a team. It's a great way to get everyone recharged away from the office and promote health and fitness. You will often see productivity is much higher after physical exercise. ” -- Robert Cox, Founder & CEO of Sundog Structures

Team outings are also great.

“Rather than gym memberships, I like the idea of having company outings with fitness and health in mind. This could be a company hike or a team lunch and then trip to a trampoline park. It promotes health and fitness but also team building, which is very important.” -- Tom Munroe, CEO of RugStudio

The cost is minimal.

“I think promoting health and fitness is a great thing to do, and it's a very minimal cost. There are several gym franchises that have memberships as low as $10 a month, so the cost is justifiable. It's a great way to let you team know they are important to you.” -- Jim Epton of Dom Huga Ltd

It’s a great incentive.

“Why not be proactive? The entire world could benefit from proactive healthcare approaches instead of reactive. Incentivizing employees for working out and eating healthy today can cut down on healthcare costs in the future.” -- Shawn Schulze of HomeArea.com

You want to look the best you ever can on your wedding day, sometimes people will go to the gym for months before. Yet, others just need some help with being a little healthier and more fit before their big day. Wanting to fit perfectly into a dress is the main problem for a bride. Our in-house designer from JJ’s House, Jessica, has put together a list of the ways you can get fit and healthy before your big day. They’re super easy, and everyone can do them, you don’t even need equipment for some of them. It’s just all about getting up and getting moving. You won’t regret one workout when you’re stood in front of your beautiful wedding guests, and they’re all stunned at how fabulous you look. No matter what anyone says, you want to look beautiful on your wedding day and what better way to do it than staying active and eating better.

• Go for runs – Try it with your friends if they’re up for it or just go on your own. The summer months are always great to go for runs as the sun rises early and sets later too. You can go for early runs and admire the beautiful sunrises, it not only gets you fit for your wedding day but it’s a beautiful sight. Starting your day with exercise is excellent for your metabolism too.

• Try push ups and sit ups – Have you gone for that skin-tight dress? If you have, then you’re going to want a flat stomach to go with it! Try push and sit-ups to tone your stomach and arms before your big day. You only need to do 10 or 20 a day and keep increasing this as the days go on. Before you know it, you’ll be doing 50 a day and have the most active muscles around.

• Eat your greens – I know it’s an old saying but eating your greens is super important if you want to keep the fat off and the muscle on. Green vegetables and fruit will be your best friend on the run up to your big day, they provide you with lots of nutrients and fiber while also keeping you lean and healthy. Spinach is a great vegetable to add to your diet, it’s the perfect alternative to pasta or potato as eating it will definitely fill you up.

• Join the gym – You could do your own workouts, follow some on YouTube, or get yourself a personal trainer. Whatever you decide to do, joining the gym is a great way to relieve yourself of wedding worries and let off steam. You also know that when you’re working out that you’re keeping yourself in check before the big day. The gym isn’t a super scary place that many people think it is, there are tons of people of all shapes and sizes that make the most of their gym membership. Before your big day is the best time to go too, it will make you feel a lot more confident, and you might be able to shed a few pounds for your big day also.

The Significant Impact Food Has On Our Body

Food is an essential aspect of everyone’s life. It acts as a fuel for our body. The kind of food you eat decides how you function. Hence it is imperative that one sticks to a healthy diet. The type of diet that will keep you going and at the same time provide you with all the nutrients your body needs. We all wish to have a healthy, perfect fit body. But to maintain it or to get there isn’t an easy task. Though the journey is a tough one, the results are indeed worth it. Better health calls for a better living. So why should we refrain from giving it the utmost importance? They say bad habits are picked up faster than good ones. But once you manage to include good eating habits in your life, you will see the impressive results.

A start, a push is needed to build a good set of eating habits. It sure does take time. One must face many hurdles on the way, be it to stick to a plan, to not give up, or just about anything. And just when you get all that in place the thought of spending more on your food products might concern you. It is true that one might have to shell out a bit more when comes down to purchasing nutritious rich food. But you can save and get all your products with the use of food coupons and deals at a lesser price. It is the best way to save and still stick to your diet plan. Don’t let the money factor stop you from having a perfectly sound health.

“ A healthy diet is a solution to many of our health-care problems. It’s the most important solution. “ Says John Mackey, an American businessman. Think about all that money you could be saving on your medical bills. Savings aren’t the only thing you are signing up for. You also get to look and feel better. If you are willing to make a huge difference in your life and lead a better lifestyle then you have landed at the right place. Here are a few benefits of eating healthy and the significant impact food has on our body.

1. Rise in Productivity

How is essential is good food for your productivity? The Population Health Management published a study which stated that there’s a 66% greater risk of productivity loss with unhealthy eating habits. Another study stated that 'Well-being risks' contribute to decreased productivity. Just like a vehicle needs fuel to run efficiently, our brain needs something to function too. Food is that for us. Better fuel means better results and good functioning of the body.

2.  Healthy Heart

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada states that lifestyle changes can prevent close to 80 percent of premature heart disease and stroke cases. Changes include healthy food intake and having more physical activity.

Food with low sodium, cholesterol, and fats content are ideal for the heart. Oily and fried food tend to have more saturated and trans fat levels that aren’t good for the heart. Hence it is good to avoid frequent consumption of such food on a regular basis. Food products that have low-fat, low calories and cholesterol are the best for your heart. Diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are considered best for the long-term well being of the heart.

It is said that what you eat does take a toll on your body. So healthy food leads to better health. Healthy foods do not only help you have a healthy heart they also ensure you have healthy bones and teeth.

3. Good Control Over Weight

If you replace all that junk food with fruits and vegetables, you would see a change in your weight. Daily consumption of healthy food reduces the risk of obesity and other similar diseases.

The centre for disease control and prevention has published an article on Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight which emphasizes that choosing a healthy diet plan has a lot of impact on your health. One can always club exercise with a good diet plan in place. Physical activity is essential to reach weight-loss goals, states Mayo Clinic.

4.  Improves Knowledge and Mood

One can’t just pick any random diet plan and begin to follow it. There’s always a bit of research involved. In terms of what is suitable for your body, what is nutritious and what is needed. The amount of time one spends on coming up with the finalized plan is a lot. But this proves beneficial as you always have an ample of information in hand, given the amount of research that goes into it. Hence there’s always new learning and more knowledge.

On the other hand, healthy food ( carbohydrate-rich) boosts the secretion of serotonin. This chemical improves your mood.

5. More Saving

Last but not the least, purchasing fast foods can cost you more than home-cooked meals. So it is suggested that one prepares food at home. Not only do you get the nutrition you need but you end up saving more. Eating healthy food builds up your immune system and the chances of falling sick are less. Hence lesser visits to the doctor and more opportunities to save.

The  other benefits worth mentioning are:

6. Increased Life Span

7. Overall Good Health

8. Less Stress

9. Energy Source

10. Healthy Smile

Food does have a significant impact on your health. We hope this list helps you decide to switch to eating healthy. You can always work forward to maintaining a better lifestyle. Both inspiration and dedication are within your power.

Veganism is on the rise in the West - and it’s not just fad, as the health benefits that are associated with avoiding the consumption of animal products become more apparent.

By contrast, the overconsumption of meat, particularly fatty, red processed meat is not only incredibly damaging for the environment, but extensive studies also show that it is hazardous to health. What’s more, a lack of trust in the meat production industry has been heightened by incidents such as the horse meat scandal of 2013.

So, if you’re tempted to switch to a plant-based diet but are unsure as to how this will benefit your life, you’ve come to the right place - as this article explains the main health perks of and dispels the myth that the human body requires animal products in order to be healthy.

Avoid meat related diseases

How many times have you heard ‘you need to eat meat for the protein’ - wrong! Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak, and Broccoli is far less likely to make you ill. It is estimated that there are around 76 million food related illnesses in the US every year, and meat and seafood products are largely to blame for the spread of such problems.

Overconsumption of meats such as salami and bacon is known to be damaging, with the highly processed products now classed as group 1 carcinogens.

Lower your cholesterol

Removing dairy foods from your diet will solve any dietary cholesterol problems. Eggs in particular are high in cholesterol, and a vegan diet is effective in keeping cardiovascular diseases at bay, as meat, fish, and dairy food items which produce high cholesterol will be off the menu.

Boost your immunity

Many fruits and vegetables contain properties that are rich in phytochemicals, which provide your immune system with the tools it needs to be at its most effective.

The antioxidants that are contained within a plant-based diet are also able to boost the immune system’s productivity, making you better placed to fight off stubborn diseases.

Whatever your diet, taking a DNA testing for health risks is not a bad idea. Most of the DNA test kits would provide you with surprising information regarding your immune system. Taking this test is simple, convenient and cost-effective method for identifying the weak spot of your immune system. It is strongly advised to consult a certified physician regarding the test results you will get.

Lose weight

Cardiovascular issues and diabetes can be caused by being overweight. Cutting out meat and dairy products eliminates huge amounts of saturated fats from your diet and will inevitably lead to weight loss.

Studies have shown that adopting a vegan diet for one year can lead to a weight reduction of around 24 pounds.

Help protect the environment

While the environmental issues we face are largely blamed on the output of big industry and the consumption of fossil fuels, the meat and dairy industry is oven overlooked. However, it really is the elephant in the room.

The processing and transporting of meat uses huge amounts of fossil fuels and results in enormous amounts of co2 emissions, while it takes an estimated 2,000 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef - and we’re being told to save water!

Eric Lefkofsky is one of the most widely known philanthropic figures in the medical sciences today. As a longtime successful entrepreneur in the tech space, Lefkofsky’s many successes have enabled him to donate a vast amount of money to fund some of the most cutting-edge and important research taking place today. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Eric Lefkofsky has personally moved the needle on the speed of medical innovation in the United States.

However, when he had a personal experience with the American cancer treatment industry, the message was hit home in the hardest-driving way. Lefkofsky’s personal interactions with the system of oncologists, nurses, HMOs and other moving parts of the American medical system left him with a deeply troubled feeling. This is most clearly articulated by Eric Lefkofsky’s quip that the average oncologist has poorer data than the average long-haul truck driver.

The realization that the entire oncology edifice in the United States was so woefully underserved by its present information management systems led Lefkofsky to the idea of founding a company that would help to bring state-of-the-art data science to those on the front lines of the fight against disease. This was the impetus behind the formation of Tempus, now one of the leading developers of knowledge discovery systems within the medical field.

Tempus has already developed a system that uses optical character recognition to help collate unstructured medical records, like handwritten notes from physicians, into structured and query-ready datasets. But while it’s important to create systems to handle the vast amount of unstructured data that constitutes so much of the body of medical records today, Tempus’ larger and more ambitious projects are where the real future motherlodes may lie.

The Company is working on integrating all genomic data into one massive dataset. This will allow physicians to ask questions and get highly accurate, validated answers in seconds. As one example, Lefkofsky discusses the highly variable patient outcomes that have been seen with some next-generation cancer drugs. One in particular, known as Herceptin, has had an extremely mixed record of success. With some patients, the drug is a virtual panacea, quickly shrinking tumors down to nothing and sending the disease into deep remission. However, in other patients, the drug hardly works at all and displays some extremely undesirable side effects. Many oncologists have questioned why such a wide spectrum of outcomes are present when the patients to whom the drug is administered are selected for the homogeneity of their tumors.

Lefkofksy says that it is exactly this kind of question that his system will eventually be able to answer in real time. Searching through trillions of data points and applying mind-bendingly sophisticated algorithms to those data, the system will be able to tease out relationships between genes, diet and tumor makeup that no human could ever hope to find. The system will then be able to predict what patient cohorts will benefit strongly from that particular treatment and what ones won’t.

Lefkofsky says that, eventually, the system will help bring about what he refers to as molecular medicine. In effect, this will entail medical compounds being synthesized on site that are tailored precisely to the patient’s genetic type and the genetics of the tumor itself. Lefkofsky says that molecular medicine may never actually cure cancer. But he is optimistic that such huge advances in the accuracy of cancer treatment will be able to essentially replicate the best possible outcomes from every patient and treatment distribution. That is, today, the longest-lived breast cancer patients may die in their 90s. Tomorrow, nearly all cancer patients, no matter what kind they have, may expect to live that long.