On the sprawling expanse of the southern Namibian farmlands, an apex predator is under attack.

Livestock farmers are killing the Namibian Caracal, a medium-sized carnivore and apex predator for the region. What they do not know is that the caracal is a better friend for them than enemy: the cats diets are very specific and can be swayed easily away from livestock. Caracals that do not prey on the livestock then protects the territory from other predators that would.

The caracal belongs to the caracal lineage that diverged almost nine and a half million years ago, making it one of the oldest members within the felidae family. It is a medium-sized carnivore that the research community knows very little about in the wild.

The caracal ranges throughout Africa and into Asia covering a good expanse in the Middle East. In that range, there are nine subspecies.

What I find interesting is that the Namibian caracal is currently listed as a distinct subspecies, says Aletris Neils, the lead researcher of the project. This is based on morphometrics and may not be true.

Between March and April this month, award-winning photographer and cinematographer Joshua Morgan from Tucson, Ariz., will be spending his time documenting the plight and conflict regarding Namibian Caracal conservation in the southern region of Namibia, South Africa.

Aletris Neils poses with one of her collared caracals, CC01, before the cat was released. CC01 was later shot and killed on a neighboring farm after he was seen crossing the territory. CC01 was not preying on livestock.

Morgan will be working to document the work of Aletris Neils, a burgeoning young researcher in mammalian conservation. Neils is working to raise awareness for the role the caracal, an apex predator in the local ecosystems of the southern Namibian farmlands.

Neils also found that the caracal has very specific dietary preferences and may only hunt specific animals that it has a taste for. Many caracals dont have a taste for livestock and may actually be hunting smaller predators in the region that are feeding on the livestock. If the caracal population is decimated, the regulatory system of the area will lose its apex predator, which would open up the floodgates for even more loss of livestock.

Despite the long history with human interaction, there is very little research done and virtually very little known about caracals. In Neils research, she hopes to gain a better understanding of their ecology, while raising the awareness of these cats in the southern Namibian ranches their last stronghold, according to Neils.

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The Caracal Cat Conservation Documentary Project

Diet Doc Weight Loss is now offering parts of the Mediterranean diet as part of their comprehensive, medical, weight loss program which offers patient care nationwide

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 04, 2012

Diet Doc incorporated parts of the Mediterranean diet associated with protection against small brain blood vessels according to a cohort study by the University of Miami which tested people with lower white brain mass (smaller brains) than those eating the types of foods associated with the Mediterranean diet.

The study revealed that the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet also includes a reduction of blood sugar which causes diabetes 2, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and early onset of death.

Diet Doc HCG Diet and Weight Loss is passionate about helping people reduce their weight to avoid certain diseases and health conditions associated with being overweight. Diet Doc wants to keep the comprehensive, medically, supervised weight loss program affordable to many people, not just a select few. Diet Doc states people often share the barrier to joining an effective weight loss program is cost or the weight comes off too slow. Diet Doc's pricing model is half of what other weight loss doctors are charging, but weight loss is reported at 7 pounds per week reports Julie Wright, president of Diet Doc.

Diet Doc provides medically, supervised patient care to people across the USA. Diet Doc provides a collaborative approach to dieting, which is labor intensive, but effective reports Wright. We work with a team of physicians who are passionate about reducing obesity which is often the cause for many diseases and illnesses reports Wright.

Julie Wright Diet Doc HCG Diet and Weight Loss 888-934-4451 Email Information

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Diet Doc Weight Loss Now Offers Mediterranean Type Diet As Part Of Their Medical Weight Loss

24-09-2010 05:26 Safe Usage of Fat Burners One you have decided that fat burners are going to be a part of your plan to get those pounds off, you need to make sure you are taking this step wisely and safely. Fat burners can be a great way to help you lose weight and keep losing weight, but they can also cause problems if you do not use them properly. Read The Label Before you ever begin taking fat burners make sure you completely read the label and any instructions that come with it. Sometimes there are warnings about certain health conditions or possible interactions that could be related to that fat burner and you need to know of these possible problems before you take them. Medical Conditions If you have medical conditions that you are under a doctor's care for, or are on regular medications, it is smart to talk to your doctor before ever beginning a run of fat burners. You need to make sure that they are safe with the medications you are taking and that your doctor thinks your body is up to handling them. Take The Right Amount A lot of people who start taking fat burners and see results think if the regular dose of pill made them lose three pounds last week, taking extra will help them lose more weight. Don't do this! You should only take the recommended dosage. These supplements have been measured to be safe for the body in the doses that are recommended. Listen To Your Body While fat burners are generally safe to use, you never know what types of things your body is going to have an ...

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Fat Burners To Get You Through A Diet Plateau - Video

Chosen for less calories and great taste, diet soda may cause serious health problems.

A10-year epidemiological study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine has found a connection between diet sodas and cardiovascular disease.

Sodas have been linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome, butthis study founddaily consumption of diet soda to beassociated with a risk of stroke, heart attack and death.

In an interview with The New York Times, Hannah Gardener, an epidemiologist at the University of Miamiand the lead author of the study, said the correlation found may be caused by underlying factors.

The message for diet soft drink drinkers is not to be alarmed, Gardener said. What weve found is an association, and it might be due to chance or other unmeasured variables.

Merrill Christensen, a professor of nutrition, dietetics and food science at BYU, said the study may not be viable because the connection was not strong enough to prove it was statistically significant.

The only significant difference in risk is found when comparing those who drink one or more a day versus those who drink one or less a month, Christensen said. What you want to see in order for a study to be significant is an equal increase in increments.If the soda intake increases from one a week to two a week, then risk of heart disease should increase as well.

Christensen said he does recognize that not drinking sodas may decrease the chances of heart disease.

If you are 70-years-old and go from drinking more than one diet soda a day to drinking no diet soda, it may decrease the risk [of heart disease], Christensen said.It also depends on how healthy you are in the first place.

Susan Fullmer, a BYU professor of nutrition, dietetics and food science, said the study does not provide sufficient evidence because it was an epidemiology study.

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Study finds correlation between diet sodas and cardiovascular disease

Food brings people together. A great deal of bonding can happen over a pot of soup, but when one person wants chicken noodle while the other wants vegetable, it can turn into a food fight - and not of the John Belushi variety.

Couples expect the normal relationship woes - sex, money, respect - but with the growing prevalence of dietary restrictions and interfaith marriages, the kitchen is increasingly turning into an all out turf war.

This shouldn't be a surprise, says psychotherapist Karen Koenig - food is an "anything-but-simple subject."

"How we feed ourselves and each other says a great deal about how we feel about ourselves and our loved ones," says Koenig, who has written four books on eating and weight.

Dean Thompson, 41, of Austin, Texas, and his girlfriend, Amanda Abbott, 39, know the anything-but-simple nature of food all too well. Thompson is a vegan; Abbott is not.

"The first time I brought Dean over to my family's home for a meal and he just put salad on his plate, passing up most of the huge gourmet meal my father had cooked, I remember thinking this might be a problem," says Abbott.

"At first, I knew it was an issue, but did not notice or think of it as such a big issue," says Thompson. "Most people I was around did not eat like me, so it was not so 'weird' for me to be different in that way."

While the couple says there were always moments of contention, Abbott and Thompson said their culinary contingencies reached boiling point when their now 2-year-old daughter was born. They have since started counseling.

At the time, Abbott was struggling to produce enough breast milk for the baby and Thompson suggested they feed their daughter vegan-friendly almond milk.

"Dean did his due diligence in showing me some studies, and after a long discussion with our pediatrician, I surrendered," says Abbott, who admits she is a cheese lover and grew up on cow's milk. "This was extremely hard for me since most of our friends and family were in my ear with their opinions on how crazy it was to only give a growing child almond milk."

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Love is a cattle field: When diets divide relationships

Spring break can bring crazy parties, foreign locations and mountains of homework. Before that sacred week, students take the time to make arrangements and prepare, and when it comes to preparations, N.C. State students are no rookies.

Diana Quetti, sophomore in communications and a University Recreation employee, has noticed a significant increase in gym-goers in the last few weeks.

"You start to see people who have never come in before," Quetti said. "The crowds aren't quite as big as right after the New Year, but there's definitely a difference."

One might expect a greater number of girls increase their workout schedule but Quetti says she sees just as many guys come in this time of year, if not more.

"At NCSU, people are into being healthy and fit," she said. "They want to make sure they're healthy in the long run but still get in shape for a trip to the beach."

Quetti herself hasn't changed her exercise habits but is gearing up for the incoming fashion season instead.

"I'm not going anywhere for [spring] break, so I've got that extra money to update my wardrobe," Quetti said.

Kendra Stowe, sophomore in communication media, is one such health-conscious student and finds that she makes alterations to her workout routine each spring.

"I try to work out every weekday for at least forty minutes," she said. "I mix cardio and weights to make sure I reach my goal."

Feeling good and being healthy is just as important as looking good. With a plethora of strange diets appearing everyday, it's easy to get sucked into the hype of the grapefruit or air diets. Stowe has had a few run-ins with strange eating habits herself.

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Spring break: ready or not, here it comes