December 31st, 2008 cate
From inhabitots:
“Why should you take the time to make homemade cleaners? Well, first of all, plenty of studies show that toxic, conventional cleaning supplies are bad for your health, your child’s health, and the planet’s health. See the following posts for more information…
* Expectant mamas should limit use of toxic household cleaning products
* Poisons Under Your Sink: Hidden Dangers of Cleaning Products
* How many cleaning supplies are under your sink that your child could safely drink?
* The Dangers of Home Cleaning Supplies
The above health issues are reason enough to make green cleaners, but just in case you need more reasons: homemade cleaners smell better, work just as well, cut down on packaging, and save you money. Lastly, this is a very simple green step you can take at home, yet the rewards are huge - cleaner indoor air quality and a healthy, happy family.
WHAT SUPPLIES YOU’LL NEED:
You need very few supplies to make homemade cleaning products. Most of the items you’ll need, you likely have around the house already…
1. A few plain old spray bottles. You can…” continue reading
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December 30th, 2008 cate
From beyondhealth.com:
“More than 90% of homes in the US have a microwave oven. Builders routinely install these ovens in new homes and hardly a restaurant is without one. They are fast, convenient, economical, and ideally suited to the fast pace of modern lifestyles. There is only one problem with microwave ovens—they are extremely hazardous to your health. It is hard to conceive of any reasonable person who would eat microwaved foods if they understood the hazards. Obviously, very few people truly comprehend these hazards. And no one is rushing to educate them! Let’s have a look at some of the problems with this technology:
Microwaves, very short waves of electromagnetic energy, are just part of Mother Nature’s energy spectrum. This spectrum includes visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light along with radio waves, x-rays, and so forth. Microwaves are generated by the sun along with visible light and the other invisible parts of the spectrum. However, there is a big difference between what the sun generates and what is generated in a microwave oven. This difference is the result of the alternating current used to generate the oven microwaves.
Here is how microwaves cook food: All electromagnetic waves change from positive to negative with each cycle of the wave. Alternating current simply makes these cycles happen faster. Water molecules have a positive and a negative end. Because of this, when exposed to microwave energy, which is changing from positive to negative, the water molecules rotate. This is similar to making a pin rotate on a surface by using a magnet. Microwaves, generated by the alternating current in an oven, cause the water molecules in the food to rotate billions of times per second. This results in an enormous amount of friction among these molecules, thus causing the food to get hot.
It has been generally assumed that microwaved foods are safe to eat. In fact, the only concern of our regulators has been about the leakage of microwaves from the oven. Surprisingly, regulators have never questioned whether the microwaved foods themselves are safe.
In 1991, an early clue that microwaved food is not safe came to public attention in the form of a …” continue reading
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December 25th, 2008 cate
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December 22nd, 2008 cate
You might have already heard about the recent story about the IT Guy being killed in a so-called plane accident. I’m not sure why people are saying it’s an accident; it so obviously was a hit, a murder, foul play, whatever you want to call it - and it should come out into the public for what it is: MURDER. If any of you think that it was an accident that Michael Connell, White House IT Guy, was killed just before having to testify against Karl Rove and the Bush administration, you are seriously naiive and in denial about the unscrupulous schemings by the current U.S. administration. Thankfully, they’ll be out the door in a few weeks.
Some info from at-Largely:
“Mike Connell set-up the alternate email and communications system for the White House. He was responsible for creating the system that hosted the infamous GWB43.com accounts that Karl Rove and others used. When asked by Congress to provide these emails, the White House said that they were destroyed. But in reality, what Connell is alleged to have done is move these files to other servers after having allegedly scrubbed the files from all “known” Karl Rove accounts.
In addition, I have reason to believe that the alternate accounts were used to communicate with US Attorneys involved in political prosecutions, like that of Don Siegelman. This is what I have been working on to prove for over a year. In fact, it was through following the Siegelman-Rove trail that I found evidence leading to Connell. That is how I became aware of him. Mike was getting ready to talk. He was frightened.”
Graham writes: “Unfortunately, he won’t get to talk. He died in a plane crash yesterday.”
[source]
So, while the evidence will not be unveiled by Mr. Connell, it does exist somewhere and others know it. Hmmmmm. Will there be more “ACCIDENTS”? What will happen next? Will anyone find thse emails? Let’s just say that evil has no limits and this will probably be swept under the rug, like many “accidents” involving the death of people JUST ABOUT TO TESTIFY. It’s sad, isn’t it? The Bush administration is a petty, deceitful, amoral, evil, murderous government, if ever I knew one.
This is murder, plain and simple - and this is truly a sad state of the world.
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December 19th, 2008 cate
For those of you interested in staying healthy and happy, here’s a must-read book, the super-bestselling book that’s enhancing America’s health. It’s a book that will help increase the longevity of anyone who reads it.
While some unfortunately uninformed people do not relate health to what they eat, the more informed and educated people know better. By eating the 14 super foods highlighted in Dr. Steven Pratt’s instant bestseller, you can actually stop the incremental deteriorations that lead to common ailments and diseases. Really. Don’t believe me? Try it and find out. What harm could it possibly do to give it a try? Here are the super foods to focus on and why:
* Beans — reduce obesity
* Blueberries — lower risk for cardiovascular disease
* Broccoli — lowers the incidence of cataracts and fights birth defects
* Oats — reduce the risk of type II diabetes
* Oranges — prevent strokes
* Pumpkin — lowers the risk of various cancers
* Wild salmon — lowers the risk of heart disease
* Soy — lowers cholesterol
* Spinach — decreases the chance of cardiovascular disease and age-related macular degeneration
* Tea — helps prevent osteoporosis
* Tomatoes — raise the skin’s sun protection factor
* Turkey — helps build a strong immune system
* Walnuts — reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer
* Yogurt-promotes strong bones and a healthy heart
SuperFoods includes recipes created by Chef Michel Stroot of the Golden Door Spa and teaches you how to incorporate SuperFoods and their sidekicks into your diet. SuperFoods Rx is an indispensable guide to a healthy, long, and energetic life.
Read SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life
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December 18th, 2008 cate
From the nyt:
“Fruits, vegetables and animals can be 100 percent organic. What about people?
In a fascinating experiment — on himself — Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician and author in Danville, Calif., decided to find out. For the last three years, Dr. Greene has eaten nothing but organic foods, whether he’s cooking at home, dining out or snacking on the road.
He chose three years as a goal because that was the amount of time it took to have a breeding animal certified organic by the Department of Agriculture. While food growers comply with organic regulations every day, Dr. Greene wondered whether a person could meet the same standards.
It hasn’t been easy.
“This isn’t a way of eating I could recommend to anybody else because it’s so far off the beaten food grid,” said Dr. Greene, 49, the founder of a popular Web site about children’s health, drgreene.com. “It was much more challenging than I thought it would be, and I thought it would be tough. There were definitely days where there was nothing I could find that was organic.”
Other writers have ventured off the traditional food grid, notably Barbara Kingsolver in “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” and Michael Pollan in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” But what makes Dr. Greene’s experiment remarkable is the length of time he devoted to it, and his effort to incorporate organic eating into the routines of everyday living. His findings offer new insight into the challenges facing the organic food industry and those of us who want to patronize it.
Organic farmers don’t use conventional methods to fertilize the soil, control weeds and pests, or prevent disease in livestock.
Organic methods often lead to higher costs, and consumers can pay twice as much for organic foods as for conventional products. Last week, the financial advice Web site SmartMoney.com reported that to feed eight people an organic meal of traditional Thanksgiving foods, a shopper would pay $295.36 — a premium of $126.35, or 75 percent, over a nonorganic holiday spread.
To cut back on the cost of an organic diet, Dr. Greene said he had to cut back on meat. “Whenever you go up the food chain, the costs pile up,” he said. “If you don’t eat meat at every meal, if meat becomes more of a side dish than a centerpiece, you can fill the plate with healthy organic food for about the same price.”
Questions remain about whether organic foods are really better for you. The data are mixed. This fall, researchers from the University of Copenhagen reported on a two-year experiment in which they grew carrots, kale, peas, potatoes and apples using both organic and conventional growing methods. The researchers found that the growing methods made no difference in the nutrients in the crops or the levels of nutrients retained by rats that ate them, according to the study, published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
But other research suggests that organic foods do contain more of certain nutrients — almost twice as many, in the case of organic tomatoes studied for a 2007 report in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Dr. Greene said he was inspired to go all-organic after talking to a dairy farmer who noted that livestock got sick less after a switch to organic practices. He wondered if becoming 100 percent organic might improve his own health.
Three years later, he says he has more energy and wakes up earlier. As a pediatrician regularly exposed to sick children, he was accustomed to several illnesses a year. Now, he says, he is rarely ill. His urine is a brighter yellow, a sign that he is ingesting more vitamins and nutrients.
At home, he said, the organic routine was relatively easy. Organic food is widely available, not just at stores like Whole Foods but at traditional supermarkets. He also shopped at farmer’s markets and joined a local community-supported agriculture group, or C.S.A. Because he bought less meat, the costs tended to balance out. And his family (two of his four children still live at home) largely went along with the experiment.
On the road, though, life was more challenging. In corporate cafeterias and convenience stores, he looked for stickers that began with the number 9 to signify organic; stickers on conventionally grown produce begin with 4.
When dining out, he called ahead; high-end restaurants were willing to accommodate his all-organic request. He also found a few lines of organic backpacking food that he could carry with him.
Dr. Greene reached the three-year milestone in October, but his diet is still organic. He hasn’t decided whether to keep going full tilt or to ease up in the interest of cost and convenience. In his latest book, “Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth and Baby Care” (Jossey-Bass), he advocates a “strategic” approach, urging parents to insist on organic versions of a few main foods, like milk, potatoes, apples and baby food.
The biggest surprise of the whole experience, he says, was that many people still don’t know what “organic” means.
“It’s surprising to me how few people know that organic means without pesticides, antibiotics or hormones,” he said. “In stores or restaurants around the country, I would ask, ‘Do you have anything organic?’ Half the time they would say, ‘Do you mean vegetarian?’ ”” [source]
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December 17th, 2008 cate
Who says you have have to wait until Spring to start your garden? Not me. Invest in this awesome greenhouse and you will be able to grow veggies and fruit during the colder months.
Extend the growing season! A heavy gauge extruded aluminum construction means optimal durability. Includes shelving from the left and right as you walk in, there’s plenty of room for vertical gardening, which means more floor space for larger plants. Vents on the sides and roof keep air flowing for optimal vegetable, flower, or herb yields throughout this spacious 8 by 12-foot vegetable paradise. Patented, push-and-click connectors offer super easy assembly in 2 to 4 hours, so you’ll be setup by lunch and potting plants under the greenhouse’s 7-foot-6-inch glass roof that afternoon. Double barn style doors ensure easy access for hauling plants in and out via wheelbarrow if necessary. The hinged doors require only a Philips head screwdriver and pliers for assembly Walls constructed with 4 mm twin polycarbonate panels ensure optimal durability. A powder-coated frame stands up to decades of rain, sun, and snow. Grow your own vegetables and plants 1 auto roof vent opener. The greenhouse requires no base or foundation for quick and easy setup on any level surface. The unit is covered by a manufacturer lifetime warranty on frame and a 12-year on warranty on the polycarbonate walls and roof. Find out more below.
Backyard Hobby Greenhouse, Green, 8 By 12 Feet
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December 11th, 2008 cate
How cute are these for baby?
Under the Nile products offer you an alternative to conventional apparel and toys, including these excellent teething toys for your baby. All the cotton is 100% Organic, 100% Egyptian. The natural cotton assures you that absolutely no pesticides or chemicals have been used through the entire production process. The products were created because of concern about the pollutants that our children are exposed to, which includes the clothes they wear. These items are safe, pesticide-free, comfortable and naturally dyed. Accessories such as buttons and zippers are made for organically friendly elements like wood, shell or nickel-free metals. The farm that grows our cotton and makes our apparel focuses on fair trade and provides a worldwide model community for organic agriculture along with a supportive work place. The fact that we use cotton grown in Egypt makes it even more extraordinary because of the extremely soft, gentle and durable features Egyptian cotton is known for.
Note: Machine wash and dry.
Order some teething toys for your baby now
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December 8th, 2008 cate
You WILL thank me for posting about this now! 
About the Elliptical Trainer
Maximize your home workouts with the Schwinn 460 Elliptical Trainer, which features Schwinn’s exclusive V-Stride Technology that allows you to change stride lengths without manual adjustments or machine modifications. The 460 provides a complete lower-body workout: step to target calves and quads; walk to work your thighs and glutes, and run to lengthen your strides and engage all muscle groups.
Featuring a high-tech design, the Schwinn 460 includes 11 workout profiles built by the Nautilus Institute with instructional messages on utilizing stride lengths and foot/leg motions for maximized results. And the Schwinn Advantage workout system tracks results and programming for up to two users. You’ll get heart rate feedback via the HR grips on the static handlebars, and heart rate telemetry using the included chest strap.
The dynamic backlit touchscreen console displays workout and interval time, distance, pulse, speed, calories, resistance level, and course profile. Other features include an oversized water bottle holder (accommodates 4-inch bottle), adjustable cooling fan, and transport handle and non-skid wheels for easy storage.
Get this Schwinn Variable Stride Elliptical Trainer NOW
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December 6th, 2008 cate
Just because you’re watching your waistline doesn’t mean you need to go hungry. Recipes from Hungry Girl–like the Fiber-Fried Chicken Strips featured below–feed your every craving without piling on the calories. What’s more, Lisa Lillien’s lighthearted love for food and fun shines through in every recipe, making it easy to follow her healthy example and even come up with your own simple calorie-saving shortcuts.
Though she freely admits she’s neither a nutritionist nor a doctor, more than 400,000 subscribers rely on author Lillien’s “Hungry Girl” e-newsletter for healthy eating tips. In this congenial compilation, most of which is new to the book, she gives dieters a breakfast-to-dinner approach to eating lighter with scores of easy to prepare dishes. Lillien’s recipes enlist low-cal substitutes for traditional ingredients; diet lemon-lime soda and sugar-free powdered lemonade drink mix, for example, go into her Magical Low Calorie Margarita. In some cases, such as her Rockin’ Restaurant Spinach Dip, Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla and Dan Good Chili, she approximates high-calorie dishes without sacrificing too much in terms of flavor or texture. Unfortunately, those are the exceptions-the Ice Creamless Banana Split and Cheery Chocolate Cheesecake Nuggets (which calls for diet hot cocoa mix, Splenda, fat free cream cheese and sugar free chocolate syrup) taste more like punishment than dessert. Salads are well represented, though few are served with any kind of dressing, and meat dishes can run sky high in sodium. Tips for smart eating at the office, holiday parties, trips and the movies are appreciated, but the book would have benefited from the input of a licensed nutritionist or dietician.
Get it now by clicking on the link below.
Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World
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December 2nd, 2008 cate
From naturalnews:
“Want to know what organic chickens are fed? If it’s soy meal from China — a cheap source of protein — it may also contain melamine.
That’s what happened with 300 tons of soy meal being fed to organic chicken in western France. Authorities discovered the soy meal contained an astonishing 50 times the maximum limit of melamine: 116mg per kg of soy meal.
This cheap Chinese soy meal was delivered to 127 “organic” chicken farms in France. Nobody yet knows how many organic chicken farms in the U.S., Canada, U.K. or Australia might also be feeding their chickens toxic levels of melamine.
This is part of the dangerous widening of the melamine scandal I predicted earlier today: Melamine contamination is now reaching into the meat supply, and it could even include organic meats such as beef, pork and chicken.
The truth is, nobody knows if meats sold in the U.S. are……..
Continue reading
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December 1st, 2008 cate
It’s Cyber Monday, which is when online retailers offer awesome prices. This is the best time to stock up on your organic supplies that have a bit of a shelf life. For example, coconut oil and other stable oils for your kitchen or toiletries. Other things are dry goods like brown rice, whole wheat pasta and organic flours. I would also stock up on organic jams and jellies, spices, protein bars, vitamins - even things like toothpaste and other supplies you’ll need to take good care of yourself.
Don’t forget your self-help books, garden supplies and books, meditation/yoga DVDs, music and books, exercise equipment and kitchen appliances such as juicers, food processors and more. I’m sure you’ll find SOMETHING you need at a great price.
During this Cyber Monday, most online merchants offer free shipping too! Yay. Check out the deals by clicking below:
Organic and Health Related Products on Sale
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