Here’s an excerpt:

“Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

But an organization representing the refiners is disputing the results published in Environmental Health….” continue reading

Don’t be a lazy bastard.
Gah, you might be thinking, you don’t have to be such a biatch. Sorry. I can’t help it when it comes to important things. So many people I know ALWAYS use the excuse, “I don’t have enough time in the morning to prepare anything, so we (or my kids) eat cereals or protein bars. It’s easy, fast and…” – let me finish that line for you, “CRAPPY FOR THEM.” You can’t argue with me; it’s true. Now, get a conscience and get caring about you and your kids’ health! I just can’t believe I have to tell you this.

Make a yummy nutritious meal for breakfast.
Ok if you HAVE to use that stupid, lame excuse of not having enough time in the morning, then prepare some things the night before so you have little to prepare the next day. Here’s one example (but DO search online for a variety of ideas) Make some whole wheat or multi-grain scones the night before, then in the morning eat them with organic almond butter and some organic jam. Or simply with fruit. Make a quick side of scrambled eggs and voila. Yummy and healthy meal.

Be more organized – Plan for the whole week and vary meals.
This also relates to the previous idea, “don’t be a lazy bastard.” If you plan for the week, your breakfast life will be smooth as peanut butter. During the weekends, plan your meals for every week day. It doesn’t necessarily have to be something different every single day, depending on the tastes of you and your family members, but it should vary to an extent. This is important so your bodies receive a variety of nutrients instead of the very same ones day after day. For example, if you have kids love their home-made organic muesli, allow it Tuesday and Thursday one week, then for the next week allow it Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Vary the kinds of fruit and nuts you add to the muesli. Maybe once in a while add yogurt instead of whole, raw organic milk.

Make Pancakes better.
If you and your family likes pancakes once in a while, instead of using just white flour, add more hearty and healthy flours into the mix like whole wheat flour and buckwheat flour. Also, make sure if you do use white flour, that it is non-bleached and organic. Use organic ingredients as much as possible including eggs, sugar and milk.

Offer all kinds of different spreads for toast.If there’s a die-hard, “gotta have” toast in the a.m., offer different things to spread on it: Peanut butter, coconut butter, almond butter or other kinds of nut butters, tahini, organic butters and cream cheese, organic fruit and jams. Or something completely different: pickled herring, organic cheeses, a poached egg, veggies. How ’bout some organic maple syrup?

The organic tortilla is your friend for breakfast.
I’ve been recently been liking brown rice tortillas but there are many kinds that are good for your health. Tortillas are champions in convenience and you can put all kinds of things into them. Breakfast burritos, veggies and scrambled eggs, bean and cheese, fruity wraps…you will only be limited by your imagination. And if you run out of ideas, look online for more ideas! You don’t have to be alone in this breakfast dilemma.

Let smoothies rule.
There’s nothing more healthy than throwing some fruit, plain yogurt or juice into a blender and make a refreshing, scrumptious and satisfying smoothie. Add some flax seed meal into it and you may become addicted to this excellent meal in a glass. Make sure to vary fruit and ingredients for your smoothies!

Related: Why you shouldn’t eat popular breakfast cereals, More reasons to give up Cereal, especially Corn Flakes! Healthy Organic Breakfasts

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

Much more than recipes, The Self-Healing Cookbook gives fresh, heartwarming support to anyone aiming to prevent or recover from diet-related moods and health symptoms. A starter shopping list, food-mood charts, self-healer’s workbook, and healing foods glossary are included. Along with a wealth of wisdom on how to eat locally, think globally, cook with the seasons, lose weight naturally and nourish growing kids.

Word-of-mouth has carried this book to Great Britain, Canada, Singapore, Israel, and Australia. Over 21,000 copies have sold in the Japanese edition. In April, 2002, it will be published in Brazil, in a Portuguese edition. We’d love to hear from international readers where else it has found a home in your kitchens.

Get it now: The Self-Healing Cookbook: Whole Foods To Balance Body, Mind and Moods

Phew. That said, here’s a gift idea for anyone wanting an ergonomic chair that will ultimately help their posture and avoid any kind of back problems. See what it looks like and found out more by clicking the link below:

Wooden Ergonomic Kneeling Posture Office Chair

While you have a choice, why don’t you pick the safest option for the health of you and your family? Use toxic chemical-free products and never worry about getting poisoned by them. Buy Seventh Generation products now by clicking below:

Seventh Generation Products

Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems

From treehugger:

“Phthalates, the plasticizer used to make vinyl soft, have been known to be a gender-bender that has been shown to affect the masculinity of rats. Even the Bush Administration, not renowned for its defence of the public against the chemical companies, has banned it from childrens’ toys.

Now new research has found new evidence of “phthalate syndrome”- smaller penises, and undescended or incompletely descended testicles- in humans. Shanna Swan, director of the Center for Reproductive Epidemiology at the University of Rochester’s school of medicine, who led the research, says phthalates are “”probably reproductive toxins and should be eliminated from products gradually because we don’t need them.”

Chemical Industry dismisses threat

Of course the American Chemistry Council, representing the companies that make the chemical (Exxon Mobil, BASF, Ferro Corp., and Eastman Chemical) warns us to be “cautioned against over-interpreting any individual study.”

Screw that; among guys, penis size is serious stuff. Martin Mittelstaedt of the Globe and Mail writes:

“Scientists have been investigating the possible effects on boys of phthalates because rodent studies have shown the chemical has the peculiar ability to shorten the space between the anus and the genitalia in male mice exposed during fetal development. This space, known as anogenital distance or AGD, is normally about twice as long in young male mice than in females. For mice, AGD is considered a measure of masculinity and a way to determine the sex of the pups. Scientists are so confident of the effect that they’ve given the impact of the chemical on male rodents a name – phthalate syndrome.

Surveys of children have also found that …..”

Continue reading

Check it out here.

Compost your kitchen scraps and other waste. Even if you live in an apartment you can compost material and use the end product as soil for flower pots or herb planters. Take a look at these awesome composters that you can keep inside your home.

Reduce your water consumption. Instead of taking a bath, take a shower and limit yourself. Don’t linger in the shower or you’ll end up using more water than if you’d taken a bath! If you absolutely MUST take a bath, take them only once in a while, and don’t fill the tub as much.

Use energy-efficient appliances. Don’t go out and replace all of your appliances at the same time. Let them run their course and then properly dispose of them. Then, purchase energy efficient ones (graded A, B). If you feel you have to replace your appliances and they are still functioning properly, donate them to an organization that helps needy families. (i.e., Salvation Army, St. Vincent’s, Goodwill, or better yet, a very local group helping out others.)

Use environmentally friendly cleaning products. Using poison-free products at home is not only good for the environment, but it’s also good for you and your family’s health. Chemical cleaning products may clean your counters, floors, windows, tables, etc, like crazy, but they can harm you and damage the planet. Eco-friendly cleaning products can equally clean yet not harm anyone or anything.

Use phosphate-free laundry detergent. This is easy to do. Just replace your big-name-brand detergents that you’ve been loyal to forever, but cost a fortune, and replace them with environmentally sound detergents. Many people are now opting to use soap nuts.

Reduce energy consumption. These are so obvious but you do forget them more often than you should or like. Turn off lights in rooms no one is using. If you have a large home, only provide heat or cool to rooms that are actually being utilized. Use energy-efficient lightbulbs and solar power when possible.

Donate old items instead of trashing them. Some people go through items like they’re going out of style. Oh. Maybe they ARE going out of style but put those things to good use and donate old clothes, furniture and other items to people who need them. Another note: if you’d rather sell these items, go ahead and make a little cash on the side from e-bay or whereever. This is a great way to earn some money while getting rid of stuff.

Harvest your own rainwater if possible. Use the power of Mother Nature to water your yard, lawn, plants and vegetable garden if you have one. They are so easy to set up and the water will have no chemicals. Put up gutters on your house and/or garage with a large receptacle to harvest the water. This will lower your water bill, help you use less city water and have pure rainwater for the garden. These wooden rain barrels are pretty cool.

Properly dispose of toxic materials. These products should not be in your house. Period. Go through your house, garage, attic, basement and discard of leftover paints, paint removers, floor finishes, cleaners that are toxic to you, your house, your family AND people who come to your house.

From alfalfa to ginseng to yellow dock, more than 100 entries are included, featuring historical backgrounds, popular and practical uses, folklore, and bibliographies. Herbal Medicine and Botanical Medical Fads also contains related listings and essays that range from alternative medicine to food preparation and nutrition to herbs in wedding celebrations. Detailed enough for reference use by academics, the book has a natural tone that appeals to garden club members, herb and spice experts, hobbyists, and others.

Herbal Medicine and Botanical Medical Fads also includes information on:
-herb growing and marketing
-herbs and spices in literature
-medicinal herbs and spices
-federal regulations on herbs and spices
-horticulture therapy

An everyday guide for enthusiasts and a perfect place to start for newcomers, Herbal Medicine and Botanical Medical Fads is an easy-to-use handbook with wide-ranging appeal.

For more information and to sample some pages click below:

Herbal Medicine and Botanical Medical Fads

“Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California signed a bill banning trans fats in restaurant food, making California the first U.S. state to ban the use of the cooking oils linked to artery-clogging cholesterol.

The new law, modeled after a ban implemented in New York City, prohibits the use of partially hydrogenated oils, which contain trans fats, by the state’s 87,000 restaurants beginning in 2010 and in all baked goods sold in the state starting in 2011.

Trans fats, found in processed and fried food, candies and cookies, are vegetable oils that are treated with hydrogen to extend the shelf life of products. The oils have been linked to LDL cholesterol that clogs the arteries. New York began a ban on trans fats in all restaurants in December 2006.

“Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

Diets high in trans fats increase the risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes, according the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Web site.

Restaurant companies including McDonald’s and KFC already use cooking oils in the U.S. that are free of trans fats.”

It can prevent and treat a wide range of health problems, it cleans and purifies the home, and adds zest and nutritional value to food. Find out everything you wanted and needed to know about The Healing Powers of Vinegar. This fascinating book traces the origins of vinegar to ancient Greece and Egypt and follows its history to the present day. You’ll read advnice from leading alternative health practitioners as well as medical researchers. There’s great detail about the healthful ingredients found in two of the most important vinegars: apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar, explaining the benefits of their vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids. Here, you’ll find the latest research about cutting-edge nutrients found in these two vinegars, including a new class of antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer and protect against heart disease.

You will also see beauty tips and household hints as well as over 100 recipes that team-up vinegar with other nutritious foods for a healthier and longer life.

Read other people’s review of this book and find out more about the power of vinegar.

“4 out of 5 sunscreens contain chemicals that may pose health hazards or don’t adequately protect skin from the sun’s damaging rays. Some of the worst offenders are leading brands like Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena.

1. Keys Soap Solar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock, SPF 30
2. Trukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, SPF 30+
3. California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+
4. Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30
5. Marie Veronique Skin Therapy Sun Serum
6. Lavera Sunscreen Neutral, SPF 40
7. Vanicream Sunscreen, SPF 35
8. UV Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
9. Sun Science Sport Formula, SPF 30
10. Soleo Organics Sunscreen all natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Read the rest

- Make a list and stick to it. Lists focus your shopping and are the single best way to save money.
- Compare unit pricing, not box size. As with good things, good prices sometimes come in small packages.
- If you only need a handful of items, use a basket, not a cart. Empty space cries to be filled.
- If it’s not on your list, don’t pick it up. According to Paco Underhill in Why We Buy: “Virtually all unplanned purchases…come as a result of the shopper seeing, touching, smelling, or tasting something that promises pleasure, if not total fulfillment.”
- Shop at the edge of the store. That’s where the healthier, cheaper items hide.
- Disavow brand loyalty and swear allegiance to the lowest price.
- Consider generics. You usually get the same quality, without the unnecessary branding.
- Learn to love coupons. With practice, you can buy almost $150 worth of stuff for $5.
- Make one big shop, rather than several small ones. You’ll save on gas while inoculating against wasteful spending.
- Buy from bulk bins. Why pay for packaging and marketing when you can reach right in and scoop out exactly what you need?
- Check your receipt. Don’t let an errant scan ruin your hard work.
- Shop alone. Science shows that we spend more when we’re with company.
- Track your spending so you can see what’s eating your money. Committed receipt hawks can spot price cycles to help guide their shopping.
- Eat a meal before shopping. Shopping on a full stomach tamps down impulse spending and keeps you focused on your list.
- Shop without a car. Nothing limits spending like knowing you’ll have to carry your goods home.

[source]

“Angry people are different from other people. They are not just an inch or two along some curve. Instead, there’s a gap in the curve, a vertical chasm, separating the angry from everyone else.

You may encounter angry prospects (angry before you even got there) or angry customers or angry regulators or even angry employees. They’re similar to each other but different from the rest of us.

It’s tempting to treat an angry person just like a typical person, just… angrier. This is probably a mistake, because anger brings its own reality along with it. An angry customer isn’t just a little less valuable than a non-angry customer. In fact, she’s on a curve all her own.

I have two suggestions for dealing with angry folks:

Sometimes, you can just avoid them. You can choose not to work with angry people. Just move on. There are plenty of non-angry people out there.
You can acknowledge the anger and understand that until you make the anger go away, all responses are going to be off the charts and completely useless to you. The opportunity in working with an angry person is that you can somehow turn that angry person into a non-angry one… and from there, move them up the curve to a relationship you both value. The mistake marketers make all the time is that we believe that moving the person up the curve is the next step. It’s not. No one moves while they’re angry.
“I’m never coming back to this restaurant again!” is angry.
“Our special next week is lasagna…” isn’t going to do the trick as a response.

“I’m angry that my candidate didn’t win the primary,”
so, “Consider my health plan,” isn’t going to work.

“You cancelled my flight!” is angry, thus…
“That’s our policy sir, read the ticket,” is obviously a lousy marketing ploy.”

All I can say is: DON’T DO THAT!

Why? Because anything processed and canned is treated with chemicals such as sodium nitrites (to keep its color and to preserve it) and salt. That’s why it can live in your cupboard for…ever! (I’m not kidding, you can keep spam indefinitely. That’s gotta tell ya something.) Anyway, in spam, these dangerous ingredients are included in high doses. There’s also a lot of FAT in it.

Try to replace meat with more healthful options. Here are some suggestions:

1. Beans (legumes) / Lentils & Sprouts – kidney beans, black beans, soy beans, chickpeas, peas, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, lima beans, to name just a few.

2. Organic Eggs and Cheese and yogurt – eggs are fortified with omega 3 fatty acids and protein. Organic dairy products are rich in protein and calcium.

3. Tofu / Seitan / Tempeh – Seitan and Tempeh are extremely high in protein while tofu contains about 1/4 of the protein of seitan and tempeh, but still a good source.

4. Vegetables! – Eat a variety of veggies and you will get a variety of nutrition. For example, the leafy parts of some veggies are really great for you: beet leaves, carrot stems, pumpkin leaves, mustard green, etc. Some other vegetables to explore are: broccoli, spinach, carrots, beets, kale, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, bamboo shoots, bok choy, chard, etc.

5. Whole Organic Milk – great source of calcium, protein, vitamin a, d, b6, b12, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, magnesium, zinc. Make sure to get some natural sunlight for vitamin d, which helps your body to absorb the calcium.

6. Nuts & Seeds – Almonds, cashews, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. and their “butter” form, i.e., peanut butter, almond butter, walnuts, hazelnuts etc. (*make sure you are not allergic to these nuts and seeds)

7. Protein rich grains – bulgar, quinoa, amaranth, oats, whole wheat, brown rice, millet, etc.

8. Supplements – B12 is an important vitamin in meat and can be found in vitamins and fortified foods. (Check with your health care provider.)

9. Real Grass Fed Meat once a week – If you do not want to be a vegetarian, limit your meat intake to once a week. You really do not need more than this. This is relatively easy on the wallet and better for you. Eat grass fed meats (chicken, beef) or organically raised pork.

10 – Seaweed – is high in protein and very nutritious – and is great with sushi maki.

The combination of grains and legumes give a complete amount of protein, i.e., brown rice and beans. Make certain you eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, and a variety of those. Never overeat and never eat excessive amounts of one thing.

Notes: Make sure you’re not allergic to anything of these things and be sure to consult a doctor before making changes to your diet, to verify you are getting the right amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals, etc.

“Whether genetically modified (GM) foods are safe or beneficial is still controversial, but some people would prefer to avoid them until the evidence is clear. Most foods we eat may contain ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs)–everything from baby formula and food to our dairy to even our meat. If you live in Europe, avoiding GM foods is easier since laws require labeling. However in the US and Canada food manufacturers are not required to label if their food is genetically modified or not. As such, here are some guidelines for steering clear of GMs in your diet, if that is your choice.

Become familiar with the most common applications of genetic modification. These are the products (and their derivatives) that you have to be the most careful with:

Soybeans – Gene taken from bacteria and inserted into soybeans to make them more resistant to herbicides. See How to Live With a Soy Allergy for more information on avoiding soy products.
Corn – Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to pesticides. May be present in high fructose corn syrup which is prevalent in a wide variety of foods in America.
Tomatoes – Genetically modified to limit production of substances that cause rotting
Rapeseed (canola) – Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to pesticides
Sugar cane – Gene added/transferred to make crop more resistant to pesticides
Sweet corn – Gene taken from bacteria and inserted into corn so they produce an insecticide

Rice – Genes implanted from daffodils and bacteria for higher amounts of Vitamin A; also known as “Golden Rice”
Canola – oil from rapeseed.
Cotton – Used for making cottonseed oil.
Dairy – Cows injected with GE hormone rBGH/rBST; possibly fed GM grains and hay.

Buy food labeled 100% organic. The US and Canadian governments do not allow manufacturers to label something 100% organic if that food has been genetically modified or been fed genetically modified feed. However, you may find that organic food is often expensive. Also, just because something says “organic” on it does not mean that it does not contain GMs. In fact, it can still contain up to 30% GMs, so be sure the labels say 100% organic.

This applies to eggs, as well. Eggs labeled “free-range”, “natural”, or “cage-free” are not necessarily GE-free; look for eggs to be 100% organic.[1]

Purchase beef that is 100% grass-fed. Most cattle in the U.S. are grass-fed, but spend the last portion of their lives in feedlots where they may be given GM feed. If you’re looking to stay away from GMOs, make sure the cattle 100% grass-fed or pasture-fed (sometimes referred to as grass-finished or pasture-finished). The same applies to meat from other herbivores such as sheep. There is also the slight possibility that the animals were fed GM alfalfa, although this is less likely if you buy meat locally. With non-ruminants like pigs and poultry that cannot be 100% grass-fed, it’s better to look for meat that is 100% organic.

Seek products that are specifically labeled as non-GM or GMO-free. However, it is rare to find products labeled as such. You can also research websites that list companies and foods that do not use genetically modified foods.[2]

Shop locally. Although more than half of all GM foods are produced in the US,[3] most of it comes from large, industrial farms. By shopping at farmers’ markets, signing up for a subscription from a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, or patronizing a local co-op that stresses GM-free food, you may be able to avoid GM products and possibly save money at the same time.

More and more small farms are offering grains and meat directly to customers, in addition to the usual fare (vegetables, fruit, herbs).

Shopping locally may also give you the opportunity to speak to the farmer and find out how he or she feels about GMOs and whether or not they use them in their own operation.

Buy whole foods. Favor foods that you can cook and prepare yourself, rather than foods that are processed or prepared (e.g. anything that comes in a box or a bag, including fast food). What you lose in convenience, you may recover in money saved and satisfaction gained, as well as increased peace of mind. Try cooking a meal from scratch once or twice a week–you may enjoy it and decide to do it more often.

Tips
If you have the land, time, and resources, grow your own food. As long as you make sure you’re not buying GM seeds, you’ll know for sure that the food which comes from your garden is not genetically modified.

At chain and non-chain restaurants, you can ask which, if any, of their foods contain GMs, but the wait and kitchen staff are not likely to know.”

From wikihow

The 24-Hour Pharmacist- is the perfect pill for anyone seeking insight on overall health from a resource that is thorough and fun to read. With chapter titles such as “Frazzled, Frustrated and Freaked Out: Coping with Anxiety and Stress” to “More Jiggle, Less Joint Pain: What You Can Do About Arthritis” you get the sense that the author well knows what course to recommend but also truly enjoys educating others. One feature I found especially enlightening were the sections in each chapter entitled “Suzy’s Secrets From Behind The Counter”. Here is where she (Suzy) offers great little insights to live by with a perspective that only a pharmacist can give. One good example of this is in the chapter about weight loss where she explains that some drugs can make you hungry. Included in her list are sedatives and tranquilizers, antidepressants, allergy pills, female hormones and diuretics. Wow, who knew?

Read more about it here: The 24-Hour Pharmacist

From inventorspot:

“Ever since I was a child, I’ve been allergic to polluted air. Leave me breathing fumes for a few hours and I’ll be suffering from constant cough and cold for the whole month—no kidding. While my doctor keeps prescribing me medicine, Bio International Japan concentrates on physically blocking the allergens out. As some might know, it isn’t deemed as strange in Japan to go around wearing face masks if you want to, but thankfully, Bio International has a better alternative. As you might have guessed from the pictures, the device in question is meant to be stuck up one’s nostrils. Not quite as appealing when said out loud, but it actually makes for quite a discreet anti-allergen gadget…”

Check out the rest here.

“Whoever coined the term “necessary evil” might have been thinking of pain. No one wants it, yet it’s the body’s way of getting your attention when something is wrong. You’re probably sufficiently in tune with your body to know when the pain is just a bother, perhaps the result of moving furniture a day or two before or eating that third enchilada. It’s when pain might signal something more serious that the internal dialogue begins:

“OK, this isn’t something to fool around with.”
“But I can’t miss my meeting.”
“And how many meetings will you miss if you land in the hospital?”
“I’ll give it one more day.”
Etc.
You need a guide. WebMD consulted doctors in cardiology, internal medicine, geriatrics, and psychiatry so you’ll understand which pains you must not ignore — and why. And, of course, if in doubt, get medical attention.

No. 1: Worst Headache of Your Life
Get medical attention immediately. “If you have a cold, it could be a sinus headache,” says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, MACP, spokeswoman for the American College of Physicians. “But you could have a brain hemorrhage or brain tumor. With any pain, unless you’re sure of what caused it, get it checked out.”

Sharon Brangman, MD, FACP, spokeswoman for the American Geriatrics Society, tells WebMD that when someone says they have the worst headache of their life, “what we learned in medical training was that was a classic sign of a brain aneurysm. Go immediately to the ER.”

No. 2: Pain or Discomfort in the Chest, Throat, Jaw, Shoulder, Arm, or Abdomen
Chest pain could be pneumoniaor a heart attack. But be aware that heart conditions typically appear as discomfort, not pain. “Don’t wait for pain,” says cardiologist Jerome Cohen, MD. “Heart patients talk about pressure. They’ll clench their fist and put it over their chest or say it’s like an elephant sitting on their chest.”

The discomfort associated with heart disease could also be in the upper chest, throat, jaw, left shoulder or arm, or abdomen and might be accompanied by nausea. “I’m not too much worried about the 18-year-old, but if a person has unexplained, persistent discomfort and knows they’re high risk, they shouldn’t wait,” says Cohen. “Too often people delay because they misinterpret it as [heartburn] or GI distress. Call 911 or get to an emergency room or physician’s office. If it turns out to be something else, that’s great.”

He tells WebMD that intermittent discomfort should be taken seriously as well. “There might be a pattern, such as discomfort related to excitement, emotional upset, or exertion. For example, if you experience it when you’re gardening, but it goes away when you sit down, that’s angina. It’s usually worse in cold or hot weather.”

“A woman’s discomfort signs can be more subtle,” says Cohen, who is director of preventive cardiology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. “Heart disease can masquerade as GI symptoms, such as bloating, GI distress, or discomfort in the abdomen. It’s also associated with feeling tired. Risk for heart disease increases dramatically after menopause. It kills more women than men even though men are at higher risk at any age. Women and their physicians need to be on their toes.”

No. 3: Pain in Lower Back or Between Shoulder Blades
“Most often it’s arthritis,” says Brangman, who is professor and chief of geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. Other possibilities include a heart attack or abdominal problems. “One danger is aortic dissection, which can appear as either a nagging or sudden pain. People who are at risk have conditions that can change the integrity of the vessel wall. These would include high blood pressure, a history of circulation problems, smoking, and diabetes.”

No. 4: Severe Abdominal Pain
Still have your appendix? Don’t flirt with the possibility of a rupture. Gallbladder and pancreas problems, stomach ulcers, and intestinal blockages are some other possible causes of abdominal pain that need attention.

No 5: Calf Pain
One of the lesser known dangers is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that can occur in the leg’s deep veins. It affects 2 million Americans a year, and it can be life-threatening. “The danger is that a piece of the clot could break loose and cause pulmonary embolism [a clot in the lungs], which could be fatal,” says Fryhofer. Cancer, obesity, immobility due to prolonged bed rest or long-distance travel, pregnancy, and advanced age are among the risk factors.

“Sometimes there’s just swelling without pain,” says Brangman. “If you have swelling and pain in your calf muscles, see a doctor immediately.”

No. 6: Burning Feet or Legs
Nearly one-third of the 20 million Americans who have diabetes are undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association. “In some people who don’t know they have diabetes, peripheral neuropathycould be one of the first signs,” says Brangman. “It’s a burning or pins-and-needles sensation in the feet or legs that can indicate nerve damage.”

No 7: Vague, Combined, or Medically Unexplained Pains
“Various painful, physical symptoms are common in depression,” says psychiatrist Thomas Wise, MD. “Patients will have vague complaints of headaches, abdominal pain, or limb pain, sometimes in combination.”

Because the pain might be chronic and not terribly debilitating, depressed people, their families, and health care professionals might dismiss the symptoms. “Furthermore, the more depressed you are, the more difficulty you have describing your feelings,” says Wise, who is the psychiatry department chairman at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va. “All of this can lead the clinician astray.”

Other symptoms must be present before a diagnosis of depression can be made. “Get help when you’ve lost interest in activities, you’re unable to work or think effectively, and you can’t get along with people,” he says. “And don’t suffer silently when you’re hurting.”

He adds there’s more to depression than deterioration of the quality of life. “It has to be treated aggressively before it causes structural changes in the brain.”"

Purple: Red Wine and crushed blueberries

Red and Pink: Fresh beets, canned cherries or frozen, Pomegranate juice, crushed (fresh) cranberries, red onion skins (use a lot of these then gather onion skins, boil for about 35 minutes, let cool, then soak your boiled eggs)

Orange and reddish brown: yellow onion skins (gather onion skins, boil for about 35 minutes, let cool, then soak your boiled eggs)

Lime Green: Spinach (put leaves through a juicer first)

Brown: Just get naturally brown eggs! or use strong coffee or strong black tea

Brown Orange: Chili Powder

Light Yellow: Lemon peels, orange peels or ground cumin

Golden yellow: Saffron or ground Tumeric

Blue: Crushed blueberries, red cabbage leaves (first boil the leaves for 35 minutes, let cool and then soak boiled eggs in the liquid. If you soak them overnight, you should get a rich, royal blue!)

The Empowered Patient – is a new must-read book from author, Julia Hallisy. She has written something so fundamentally necessary that everyone will benefit from reading it. Some background: Her daughter, Kate, had been diagnosed with a fast-spreading cancer of the eye when she was just five months old. She’d underwent chemotherapy, radiation, reconstructive surgery, and an operation to remove her right eye. She’d developed a infection directly related to hospital malpractices that led to toxic-shock syndrome and a leg amputation. Kate died in 2000. She was only 11 years old.

“The Empowered Patient is by far one of the best resources available for patients and families to learn more about their health care experiences. The Empowered Patient is all-inclusive and speaks directly to the basic concerns that are faced in health care every day, raising issues rarely discussed with patients and families by providers. It is crucial to know what to do when seeking health care in our complicated and multi-faceted system, and this valuable resource will draw a clear path for the reader. The Empowered Patient might very well be the first of it’s kind in that it will educate and enlighten those who read it about issues that are either unknown or taken for granted by the reader. In the healthcare arena, what you don’t know can hurt you. The Empowered Patient is a book that belongs in every home and will no doubt save countless lives. “

^{–Jennifer Dingman, Co-President, PULSE of America}

Available at Amazon

“In 1968 a Chinese-American physician wrote a rather lighthearted letter to The New England Journal of Medicine. He had experienced numbness, palpitations and weakness after eating in Chinese restaurants in the United States, and wondered whether the monosodium glutamate used by cooks here (and then rarely used by cooks in China) might be to blame.

The consequences for the restaurant business, the food industry and American consumers were immediate and enormous. MSG, a common flavor enhancer and preservative used since the 1950s, was tagged as a toxin, removed from commercial baby food and generally driven underground by a new movement toward natural, whole foods.

“It was a nightmare for my family,” said Jennifer Hsu, a graphic designer whose parents owned several Chinese restaurants in New York City in the 1970s. “Not because we used that much MSG — although of course we used some — but because it meant that Americans came into the restaurant with these suspicious, hostile feelings.”

Even now, after “Chinese restaurant syndrome” has been thoroughly debunked (virtually all studies since then confirm that monosodium glutamate in normal concentrations has no effect on the overwhelming majority of people), the ingredient has a stigma that will not go away.

But then, neither will MSG.

Cooks around the world have remained dedicated to MSG, even though they may not know it by that name. As hydrolyzed soy protein or autolyzed yeast, it adds flavor to the canned chicken broth and to the packs of onion soup mix used by American home cooks, and to the cheese Goldfish crackers and the low-fat yogurts in many lunchboxes.

It is the taste of Marmite in the United Kingdom, of Golden Mountain sauce in Thailand, of Goya Sazón on the Latin islands of the Caribbean, of Salsa Lizano in Costa Rica and of Kewpie mayonnaise in Japan.

“It’s all the same thing: glutamate,” said Dr. Nuripa Chaudhari of the University of Miami, who was part of the first research team to identify human glutamate receptors.

In September Dr. Chaudhari will take part in the University of Tokyo’s centenary celebrations honoring Prof. Kikunae Ikeda’s 1908 discovery of glutamate flavor. The Japanese company Ajinomoto turned that discovery into crystalline powder form, MSG, and patented it in 1909.

“Just like salt and sugar, it exists in nature, it tastes good at normal levels, but large amounts at high concentrations taste strange and aren’t that good for you,” Dr. Chaudhari said.

If you live in the United States and like spicy tuna rolls, Puerto Rican roast pork or Thai noodles, there is a good chance you are eating, and enjoying, MSG. And if you are the kind of cook who likes to keep a globe-trotting kitchen, well, then, some of these MSG-laden ingredients may deserve a place in your cupboard.

“I don’t cook with MSG because that’s not my training, but it definitely has its place,” said Zak Pelaccio, a New York chef whose ride to fame has been greased with Kewpie mayonnaise. One of the dishes that put him on the map was a sandwich of roasted salmon on pumpernickel bread slathered with wasabi aioli: wasabi from a tube and the mayonnaise.

In regions where meat and meaty flavors have been out of reach for most cooks, MSG has long filled the gap.

“My father called Maggi sauce la segunda venida, the second coming, because he was not a very good cook and it saved him,” said Irma Cecilia Sanchez, a home health aide from Puebla, Mexico, who was waiting in line at a taco truck on the Upper West Side. Maggi sauce is a 19th-century Swiss creation, a general flavor enhancer now made with MSG, sweeteners and extracts.

Her mother died when …”

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“Most Utah consumers want to know what’s in their food and how it is produced. Some prefer vegetables and fruit that are grown without pesticides, and milk and meat that are produced with no growth hormones.
Food grown under those conditions and other federally mandated standards can be labeled “certified organic.” with a description of the required production standards.
That’s not to say non-organic food is unsafe or inferior. The two are simply produced differently, and consumers have a fundamental right to make a choice. To do that, they have to have the information contained on food labels. But a Utah House member who is also a non-organic dairy farmer wants to restrict labeling for organic foods, keeping important information out of the hands of consumers.
Rep. Kerry Gibson, R-Ogden, says that labeling milk as having been produced without the use of the bovine growth hormone rBST is “misleading” and implies that non-organic products are not as safe as those labeled organic.
That’s bunk. And self-serving bunk at that.
Gibson and others, including Monsanto, the company that produces rBST and makes a lot of money selling it to farmers, are proposing a Utah Agriculture Department rule change. The new rule would prohibit milk being labeled “rBST-free” or any food labels or ads that make any claim, true or otherwise, that can’t be proven by an “analytical test.”
That’s bunk, too.
The label “Made in Utah” would be prohibited, since such a claim cannot be verified by an analytical test. A sentence on a soup can reading “just the right herbs and spices in a flavorful broth” would have to be verified by an analytical test.
The rule would allow milk to be labeled…”

Read the full article

“Picking out a pillow must be one of the most subjective and personal choices one can make for their personal well-being. It’s just a pillow, but it makes a huge difference between having a good night’s rest and one tossing and turning. Another consideration for many is allergies. Although goose down is considered the premium choice, there are many out there who’d suffer dearly sleeping on the soft filling. So we’ve compiled a list of ten natural, eco-friendly choices for your sleeping needs worth considering…”

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REGULAR mobile phone users are up to 50 PER CENT more likely to develop mouth cancer, boffins claim.
And those using phones in the countryside may be even more at risk – because handsets give off more radiation in areas with poor coverage.

Experts linked mobile use to cancer of the paratoid salivary gland – located close to where a phone is held to the ear.

They studied 500 patients with this kind of tumour then compared their mobile use to that of 1,300 healthy people…

Read the rest

There was an experiment with three groups of rats: one group ate corn flakes and water; another group ate a cardboard box (the cereal box but no cereal) and water; and the third group ate regular rat chow.

You are gonna love the results: As would be predicted, the rats that ate rat chow were in perfect health throughout the experiment. The rats that ate the box and water eventually died of malnutrition. Duh. And the most shocking result: the rats that ate corn flakes and water developed
schizophrenic behavior, threw fits, bit each other and finally went into convulsions and died. But they died BEFORE the rats that died from malnutrition! See??!

Do you think that eating processed food causes violent behavior in people?

That’s a rhetorical question.

[source]

When Victoria Inness-Brown contacted me about “explosive information” concerning aspartame (Equal,NutraSweet) the controversial, artificial, chemical sweetener, I didn’t know what to expect. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence of aspartame’s danger to human health (tires have been recalled for less) it remains in 6,000 food, drink and medicinal products.

Who could imagine a private citizen would do an aspartame experiment with 108 rats for 2 years and 8 months?

The late Dr. Adrian Gross explained that rodent experiments are the means to find out what a particular substance will do to human beings.

Look at Victoria’s pictures of her animals that ingested the equivalent amount of aspartame (in human terms) of less than one diet coke a day, until their spontaneous death. Importantly…

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1. Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing

2,900 calories
182 g fat 240 g carbs

Even if you split this “starter” with three friends, you’ll have downed a dinner’s worth of calories before your entree arrives. Follow this up with a steak, sides, and a dessert and you could easily break the 3,500 calorie barrier.

Front-load: Start your meal with a protein-based dish that’s not deep-fried. A high-protein starter helps diminish hunger without putting you into calorie overload. At Outback, that translates to either the Seared Ahi or the Shrimp on the Barbie.

2. Chili’s Awesome Blossom

2,710 calories
203 g fat 194 g carbs
6,360 mg sodium

Hard to believe that a single onion can wreak so much nutritional havoc, but batter and fry anything and serve it with a rich dipping sauce and your bound to do some damage.

Start properly: At Chili’s, take a detour to the “Sides” menu and try the Garlic & Lime Grilled Shrimp. 4 shrimp will only cost you 160 calories.

3. On the Border Stacked Border Nachos


2,740 calories
166 g fat 191 g carbs
5,280 mg sodium

The only way you should ever consider eating these is if you’re rolling with a crew of eight.

Turn away: You won’t find a decent option on the appetizer menu. Instead, turn to the Chicken Tacos on the entee portion of the menu; at 250 calories a pop, they make as good a start to your meal as you can hope for.

4. Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce

2,430 calories
128 g fat 207 g carbs
5,290 mg sodium

This meal satisfies your calorie requirements for an entire day.

Downsize the Devastation: Ask for a lunch portion of this dinner dish (or any pasta on the menu, for that matter), and request regular tomato sauce instead of meat sauce. You’ll cut the calories in half.

See the whole list of 20

First, here is a general rule of thumb of what to avoid and what to eat:

Avoid
1. Sugar – Definitely avoid foods and drinks containing sugar (high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, sugar). If possible replace sugar with organic honey.
2. Processed/Refined foods (cookies, biscuits, cakes, processed breakfast cereals, white bread and even industrially processed whole wheat breads and muffins)
3. Artificial additives and preservatives (commonly used in sweets, chips, biscuits, ready meals, soft drinks)
4. MSG
5. Caffeine (tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks)
6. Margarine and anything else with hydrogenated fats. (trans fats)
7. Milk and dairy products that have hormones and chemicals.

Eat
1.Try to buy organic and local when possible.
2. Organic fresh fruits and vegetables – vary your selection each day.
3. Organic whole grains – such as wholemeal breads, oats, brown rice, wholemeal pasta
4. Organic whole foods – foods that are not processed are better for you.
5. Lean sources of protein – uncured meats, poultry or vegetable sources such as beans or nuts
6. Hormone-free and chemical-free milk, yogurt and other dairy products.

Here are some healthy breakfast ideas. Some take longer to prepare; some are quick meals for people on the go.

1. Homemade Cereals – If you must have your breakfast bowl of champions, do it the organic way: easily throw together a mix of organic rolled oats, barley and rye flakes, seeds, nuts, dried fruits and berries.
2. Breakfast Smoothies or Juices – mix your favorite fruit and maybe add a little milk or yogurt, pack a handful of nuts to crunch on while drinking your yummy breakfast smoothie.
3. Organic Oatmeal – If you’re into a warm, soft and comforting bowl of oatmeal, go for it. Mix in fruit like raisins, bananas, cherries or whatever fruit you like.
4. Fruits – Eat a fruit or more. I love eating fresh fruit salads for breakfast (don’t eat those canned ones) and top it with a dollop of plain yogurt and also sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
5. Egg dishes – contrary to popular belief, eggs are good for you. They just have to be organic eggs (from grass-fed chickens). It’s the industrial eggs that are bad for you. Never overindulge in eggs, however. 1 or 2 should be adequate for breakfast. A little bit about eggs fyi: eggs are rich in protein, and vitamins A, B12, D and E. Also they are a rich source of calcium and zinc. There are 9 types of essential amino acids that the body cannot produce itself and has to get it through food. Eggs are one of the few foods that have all 9 types of essential amino acids.
6. Veggie Omelette (mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. – add cheese if desired)
7. French Toast - instead of drenching your FT in maple syrup, try organic honey or just eat it with fresh fruit.
8. Whole wheat crepes with fruit – ‘nuf said.
9. Breakfast Burrito – salsa, potatoes, scrambled eggs, cilantro, cooked pinto or black beans wrapped in an organic whole wheat tortilla.
10. Yogurt with fruit – choose a plain yogurt, add your favorite fruit and seeds or nuts and maybe a splash of organic honey.
11. Egg and veggie sandwich-scrambled egg (or however you like your eggs) with sauteed veggies and some melted cheese in between organic whole wheat bread.
12. Veggie egg wrap – like a breakfast burrito but with cooked veggies and cheese wrapped in an organic whole wheat tortilla.
13. Organic Kashi with fruit and soy or regular organic milk – crunchy goodness.
14. Organic muesli – add some fruit and nuts and milk and voila!
15. Grilled cheese and tomato on organic whole grain bread
16. Organic rice cakes or rice crackers spread with organic peanut butter, Vegemite, a boiled egg (crushed), eggs, veggies or cheese.
17. Organic whole wheat or bran muffins with fruit.
18. Roasted pecan whole wheat pancakes with honey or fruit.
19. Whole wheat scones with blueberries or other fruit
20. Organic whole wheat bagel with cream cheese.
21. Leftovers – eat some leftover dinner for breakfast! Like, say you made whole wheat pasta primavera for dinner and there’s a serving left. Eat that! Etc.

Cases in the US have doubled in recent decades and it seems fructose, a type of sugar, may be to blame, the British Medical Journal study reports.

UK experts said those with gout would be advised to cut out sugary drinks.

About 1.5% of the UK population currently suffers from gout and there has been an increase in numbers over the last 30 years – although the condition is more associated with Victorian times.

The symptoms of painful, swollen joints, mainly in the lower limbs, are caused when uric acid crystallises out of the blood into the joints.

US and Canadian researchers said the increase in cases had coincided with a substantial rise in the consumption of soft drinks…”

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Related: Why you should give up soda (pop)

“Parents who feed their children ready-made puddings are unwittingly giving them excessive amounts of salt, according to health campaigners.

Nearly half the recommended daily salt intake for a young child is hidden in one serving of supermarket-bought jam roly poly, treacle sponge or sticky toffee pudding, a report reveals.

The research, carried out by Consensus Action on Salt and Health, also found that savoury food aimed at children, such as baked beans and sausages, contain levels of salt that are “dangerous” to their health.

Children aged four to six should eat no more than 3g (0.1oz) of salt a day, according to Government guidelines.

Those aged between one and three should have no more than 2g a day.

But CASH found that a can of Morrisons baked beans has 2.8g of salt, nearly the daily limit for a six year old, while a Waitrose Cornish pasty contains more than their maximum recommended intake at 3.2g.

Other foods have a surprisingly large amount of salt. A bowl of Rice Krispies contains more salt than a bag of crisps, around 0.65g compared to 0.5g.

A serving of butter-flavoured microwave popcorn has 2.2g of salt, two-thirds the recommended daily amount of salt for a six-year-old…”

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“Ms. O’Brien encourages people to do what she did: throw out as much nonorganic processed food as you can afford to. Avoid anything genetically modified, artificially created or raised with hormones. Don’t eat food with ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Once she cleaned out her cupboards, she said, her four children started behaving better. Their health problems, which her doctor attributed to allergies to milk and other foods, cleared up.

“It was absolutely terrifying to unearth this story,” she said over lunch at a restaurant in Boulder, Colo. “These big food companies have an intimate relationship with every household in America, and they are making our children sick. I was rocked. You don’t want to hear that this has actually happened.”

But has it?

Record numbers of parents are heading to doctors concerned that their children are allergic to a long list of foods. States are passing laws requiring schools to have policies protecting children with food allergies. But no one knows why the number of allergies seems to be on the rise, or even if they are rising as fast as some believe…”

Read the full article

Related: Industrial Food is really, really bad

Sure, watching the news can be extraordinarily upsetting and you might’ve been a million times better had you not seen it, in general, it’s a good thing to know what’s going on in the world, the environment and your health. More specifically, you have to know that it is, in fact, essential to know what you’re doing to your body: what are you eating? Is that low-fat product good for you? How is it good for you? They are saying that obesity is going to shorten the lifespan of the next generation and beyond. Is it really OBESITY or is the real reason in the actual food they are eating. Do you know what’s in mac n cheese (the box version)? A bunch of chemicals, that’s what. And what about all the junkfood? You know, as time goes on, there are more and more toxic, and detrimentally hazardous ingredients in food that is making everyone fat and prone to disease, including your kids (and if you don’t have kids, other people’s kids, you know, the future) The food industry is the real culprit in the obesity issue that is plaguing the U.S. To eat more healthfully consult other sources like books. Learn how to read between the lines on the ingredient lists. If you can’t monitor the dangerous elements your kids are eating, who is going to do that for them? No one. Teach them what is good and bad. Sometimes it’s hard to know, but you have to find out.

Keep yourself informed; learn which companies are unethical and downright evil in the name of money. You really must know what’s going on: it’s your life at stake and it’s the future at stake.

Check out these sources:
The Ominvore’s Dilemma
Food for Profit: How the food industry undermines our health
Real Food
What to Eat
Monsanto
The End of Food: How the Food Industry is Destroying Our Food Supply
The Untold Story of Milk
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
The Story of Corn
In Defense of Food
The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children
An Unnatural Order: Roots of Our Destruction of Nature
Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat
Prisoned Chickens Poisoned Eggs: An Inside Look at the Modern Poultry Industry

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