Day: 30 October 2017

On his return from Los Angeles, California, where he had been attending the annual Princess Grace Foundation’s Gala, Prince Albert stopped off in Martinique on Friday, October 27, to call on the teams of Monaco Explorations.

On board the Yersin research vessel, the Sovereign visited the Prêcheur Territorial Marine Reserve to pay tribute to Albert Falco, in the presence of his widow, Maryvonne, and daughters.

Albert Falco, Commander of the Calypso, was the diving companion of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and made a major contribution to research of the Martinique seabed.

The Prince was welcomed on the pontoon of the Abymes by young children of the Prêcheur’s school who had visited the Yersin the day before. HSH proceeded with the naming ceremony, alongside Prêcheur’s prefect Franck Roubine and mayor Marcellin Nadeau, of the reserve which now bears the name Albert Falco.

Later in the day, a report was presented on the Sargassum research mission. Thomas Changeux and Sandrine Ruitton, at the head of the 8-member team, spent three weeks on board the Yersin studying these invasive brown algae.

When washed up on shore, Sargasso seaweed destroys coastal life and creates many health problems.

In the evening, Monaco’s chef Marcel Ravin was in charge of the extraordinary cocktail reception for Prince Albert and 80 guests at the Simon Hotel. Originally from Diamant, a town in south-western Martinique, Chef Ravin is the first West Indian chef to earn a prestigious Michelin star in 2015 for the restaurant The Blue Bay, which opened in 2005 along with the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort.

A year ago, the restaurant set up Mr Goodfish guidelines to respect marine resources by using a list that indicates recommended species for each season. Another example of this commitment is not using bluefin tuna, a protected species. The Chef also works with the start-up Terre de Monaco founded by Jessica Sbaraglia, who creates urban organic gardens such as the one at the Monte-Carlo Bay.

The Monaco Explorations campaign began on July 27, as the Yersin left the Principality on its long journey. Monaco’s last scientific sea exploration dates back 120 years to the monarch’s great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert I of Monaco.

Monaco Explorations is a three-year programme (2017-2020) that will travel around the world studying marine biodiversity, setting up protection programmes, and implementing an intense media campaign to raise awareness of the problems facing our oceans and promote a closer relationship between humanity and the sea.

The mission
 addresses a major concern of the West Indian
 population: the washing ashore of massive 
quantities of sargassum, a recurrent problem since 2011 with catastrophic consequences on fauna, flora, and human health and activities.

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Residents of the Helios building in the Condamine have been asked to arrange a suitable time for workers to gain access to their apartments to check for deficiencies in the plumbing of their bathrooms. The building is occupied by Monegasques.

A letter has been sent to residents saying that plumbers and other specialists will be checking for leaks and installing water filters, following reports of problems in a number of apartments affecting hot water and drainage. The results of the inspections will be communicated individually to tenants and work to repair any defects will be completed by the beginning of December.

Preventative work has already been carried out on six apartments. The building was erected between 2011 and 2013.

There have been extensive problems during this year with plumbing at les Jardins d’Apolline building, also in the Condamine, which in some cases have required the temporary rehousing of tenants.

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The 124 governments of the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) have taken action toward protecting six shark species. The decision came at the end of the week-long 12th Conference of the Parties (CoP12) in Manila on Saturday, October 28.

The governments of Honduras, Israel, Mauritania, Monaco, the Philippines, Samoa, Senegal, Sri Lanka, and Togo proposed six species—whale sharks, angel sharks, white-spotted wedgefish, common guitarfish, dusky sharks, and blue sharks – for protection through addition to the CMS lists, known as appendices.

Appendix I prohibits the catch of any of these endangered species from any place they migrate, and Appendix II identifies the shark species most in need of conservation action, encouraging cooperation to properly manage and protect the species throughout their migratory range.

Whale sharks, angel sharks, and common guitarfish in the Mediterranean were placed on Appendix I and dusky, angel and blue sharks, white-spotted wedgefish, and common guitarfish globally on Appendix II.

“The momentum for protecting sharks continues to build, thanks to the significant step CMS members have taken toward better management of six at-risk shark species,” said Kerri Lynn Miller, a conservation expert on Pew Charitable Trusts shark conservation project.

“These species, like many others, are migratory, even those that spend part of their lives in protected waters, leaving them vulnerable to various types of fishing gear. In some regions, the newly protected shark species have experienced population declines of 50 percent or more.”

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The potential for a new massive gas field off South Island’s east coast could create 5,700 jobs and bring in $32 billion in royalties, New Zealand Oil & Gas has said.

The company said earlier this year the Barque prospect holds potentially more gas than previously thought, but the project has drawn strong criticism from environmental groups.

On Monday, the company released a report showing it had the potential to add 7.1 billion New Zealand dollars (€4.19 billion) annually to the national economy, and $32 billion (€18.9 billion) in royalties and taxes over the life of the field. The field could virtually double New Zealand’s oil and gas production, chief executive Andrew Jefferies said.

NZOG has until April next year to make a decision to drill a well and until 2020 to actually do so. The company has recently been subject to two partial takeover bids, with the higher bid coming from Singapore-based OG Oil & Gas.

The company, whose parent is based in Monaco, is chaired by Eyal Ofer – son of shipping magnate Sammy Ofer – and is looking to buy up to 67.55 per cent of the NZOG shares it does not already hold for a price of 78 cents.

OG Oil & Gas currently holds just under 18 percent of the company after NZOG’s second biggest shareholder, H&G – the investment arm of the Cushing family – committed its 9.2 percent stake. Ofer’s offer closes on December 9 unless extended. OG Oil & Gas has said that unlike its rival, Zeta Energy, it wants to push its exploration rights further.

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Monaco was represented at the Summit of States, which is concerned with the issue of water in the face of climate change, by HE Robert Fillon, Ambassador of Monaco in Italy, on October 23 to 25 in Rome.

The conference, opened by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti, enabled policy makers and experts to discuss in depth the many aspects of this vitally important issue.

In particular, the summit highlighted the importance of the river basin concept, cross-border cooperation for water management based on the principles of equity and sustainability, and appropriate decision-making and financing mechanisms.

The fact that the event took place in Italy emphasises the importance of the topic for the country, which was hit by serious drought this summer. The President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, came to speak in person to offer closing remarks.

The text agreed at the conference will be transmitted on to COP 23, which will take place in Bonn, Germany, from November 7 to 16, to further integrate water issues into more wide-ranging negotiations.

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I don’t know about you but breakfast is my favourite meal of day. Sometimes I wake up hungry and eat straight away, other times I’ll wait for my hunger to build and maybe squeeze in a quick workout, a bit of work or a morning stroll at Port Hercules before making myself something indulgent.

Long before I moved to Monaco, breakfast during the week would consist of whole grain toast, low-fat breakfast cereal with yogurt and fruits and pancakes, croissants or waffles on the weekend. I thought the weekends were quite decadent but that my weekday breakfasts were super-healthy and made up a good balance.

Little did I know that what I thought was a “healthy breakfast” actually involved a mix of sugar, preservatives, artificial colourings and artificial flavors and that it was only a matter of time before it would create havoc on my health.

When I took the radical step to cut out all processed foods, gluten, dairy and refined sugar out of my diet completely, breakfast became my most challenging meal to put together. I had no idea how I could possibly make something that had some form of flavour, that wouldn’t take ages to prepare and that was free from all the crap I had been eating before.

Thankfully I’m pretty stubborn and I love my food too much to eat anything that is short of delicious, so slowly but surely I started learning new ways of turning my favourite meal into something that would excite my taste buds and be nutritious as well.

Breakfast is often the first meal I tackle with clients who want to “cut the crap” and start eating healthy. What you eat for your morning meal will often set a precedent for how you will nourish yourself the rest of the day.

Here are six simple tips to get you started. You’ll find all the ingredients at Solis Bio below the market in La Condamine or at TO BE Monaco.

1. Eat real food, mostly plants. I know this can be a little challenging for breakfast but an easy way of doing this is to throw in a handful of spinach into your omelette or your smoothie, or by adding some berries to your porridge. I also love using sweet potato and pumpkin in my breakfast recipes. My sweet potato pancakes are quite a hit. You can find the recipe on my website www.maddywell.com

2. Go easy on the fruits. Yes fruits are plants and yes they are healthy but they contain quite a bit of sugar and you don’t want your breakfast to be a sugar bomb. Stock up on berries (la Condamine market always has a good selection) which are low in sugar and high in antioxidants that fight inflammation making them a good alternative. A handful is enough.

3. Be smart about your carbs. You want your carbs to be high in fibre but low GI (the GlycemicIndex ranks how carbohydrates affect blood glucose levels) so that the energy is released into your bloodstream slowly. This way you aren’t left wanting to chew off your left arm by 10 am. Oats, buckwheat, millet, quinoa and wild rice are good alternatives.

4. Integrate protein. Protein is essential at every meal, including breakfast! Some of my preferred sources are chia seeds because they contain all 9 essential amino acids – these are the ones your body can’t produce itself so it’s essential you get them from your diet. Hemp, flax and sunflower seeds, as well as almonds and peanuts are other great sources of vegan protein. Pasture raised eggs and smoked salmon are some of my “non-vegan” faves!

5. Add healthy fats. This is worthy for every meal but especially for breakfast as healthy fats are one of the most beneficial group of nutrients for your brain. Omega 3 fatty acids can also help lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and depression. Good sources of healthy fats are avocados, chia seeds (these babies are a superfood!) pecans and walnuts. You’ll also find healthy fats in wild salmon.

6. Eat warming foods in winter and cooling foods in summer. Our bodies are best when we follow the cycle of the seasons when it comes to our eating. Colder months call for warmer breakfasts such as porridges, baked eggs and sweet potato pancakes whereas summers calls for smoothiea and colder breakfast bowls

Here is one of my popular seasonal recipes, a perfect mix of the ingredients I’ve mentioned which will set you up for a productive day! All of my recipes are made from whole foods (nothing processed) and are gluten free, mostly vegan and refined sugar free.

MaddyWell’s Banana, Chia & Coconut Porridge

Fact: Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth – naturally gluten-free, they’re a great source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and they contain beta-glucan fibre.

Studies show that consuming 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23 percent. Oats have a low GI so energy is released slowly into the bloodstream making you feel fuller for longer.

Preparation:
1. Start cooking the oats in the milk with ½ tablespoon of coconut oil.
2. Put the banana, chia seeds, coconut, remaining coconut oil, cinnamon and almonds in the blender. Blend until smooth. You can add a bit of water if needed.
3. Add the banana, chia and coconut mixture to your oats and mix well. If the mixture starts drying up, add water until your oats soften and the mixture is warm.

Serve with your favourite toppings.

Article first published October 29, 2017.Maddy is the Founder of Nutrition For Naughty People, aimed at helping individuals find a better balance between the things that keep them healthy and the things that make them happy! Any questions?
mk@nutritionfornaughtypeople.com.

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