Barb's Wire

Buckwheat: An Excellent Gluten-Free Complete Vegetarian Protein

2009-04-03T07:43:00.004-04:00

Buckwheat: Gluten-Free Grain Substitute Offers Complete Vegetarian Protein
by Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor

(NaturalNews) Most health conscious people don't think of waffles and pancakes when they think of breakfast, but it turns out that both foods are highly nutritious and health promoting if the right ingredients are used. A recent study from a team of researchers in Madrid, Spain has highlighted the healthy aspects of hearty buckwheat and the flour made from it. Indulging in a stack of buckwheat pancakes or waffles will provide vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and prebiotics that create health and happiness.

Buckwheat increases immune boosting friendly bacteria in the gut.

Researchers at the University of Madrid fed rats a buckwheat rich diet for ten days. An additional group of ten rats were fed the same diet, but without buckwheat. At the end of the trial period, the intestines of the rats were analyzed and compared. The researchers found that rats receiving buckwheat had a significantly greater amount of friendly bacteria in their digestive tracts than did those in the control group. They also had three additional types of beneficial bacteria that were not present in the controls.

Why are intestinal bacteria so important? Friendly bacteria inhabit the digestive tract in massive numbers, crowding out harmful bacteria and proving protection against food borne and other illnesses. They assist with digestion and free valuable nutrients such as some of the B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, digestive enzymes such as lactase, and immune system constituents that seek out and destroy cancer cells.

This critical ecosystem of the digestive tract is fragile and easily disturbed. Antibiotics can completely kill off all friendly bacteria. Steroid drugs like cortisone or prednisone, birth control pills, and chemotherapy can destroy the balance of friendly bacteria leaving room for unfriendly bacteria to flourish. Poor nutrition, chlorinated water, and conventionally produced foods that contain pesticides also create havoc in the friendly bacteria population and place health in jeopardy. All these reasons make it extremely important to eat foods that encourage the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria.

Buckwheat is a gluten-free complete protein

Although many people think of buckwheat as being a grain, it is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel. Buckwheat flowers are highly fragrant, making them attractive to bees which use them to produce dark, richly flavored honey.

Buckwheat has been grown in American since colonial days, and was once a common food on tables in the northeast and north central U.S. before being replaced by nutrient poor processed white flour primarily from wheat.

Although buckwheat has the look, feel, taste, and versatility of grain, buckwheat is not technically grain, and it contains no gluten. What it does contain is a full spectrum of essential amino acids, making it one of the few vegetarian sources of complete protein that equals the protein of fish or meat in quality.Buckwheat has a nutty, rich flavor that complements many dishes.

Its versatility allows it to replace meat in many recipes.

Pure buckwheat flour can replace processed white flour almost across the board. Buckwheat is available in a number of different forms, each with its own distinct taste and texture. When following recipes, selecting the right type of buckwheat will help ensure each dish is at its best.

Groats: These are buckwheat kernels that have been stripped of their inedible outer coating. They are three-sided in shape and resemble grains of wheat, oats, or rye in size. Groats can be used whole in cereals, breads and soups. Groats are often served as an alternative to rice, but they provide a much higher nutritional profile.
Kasha: Groats that have been roasted for a unique nutty flavor are sold as kasha and are often available in coarse, medium or fine grains.
Buckwheat Flour: Made from ground groats, buckwheat flour can be used to make those breakfast pancakes and waffles, along with bread, muffins, cookies and more.

Buckwheat rivals fruits and vegetables in its ability to promote health

Scientists have recently discovered that the phenolic content of grains equals that of fruits and vegetables when both free and bound phenols are measured. This discovery has clarified what was the mystery of why studies have shown populations eating diets high in fiber-rich whole grains consistently have lower risks of colon cancer, while studies concentrating on fiber alone have produced inconsistent results. Studies focused only on fiber have not taken into account the interactive effects and the complete nutrient picture in whole grains. Research reported at the American Institute for Cancer Research International Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer by Rui Hai, Liu, M.D., Ph.D. and his colleagues at Cornell University has shown that the powerful cancer fighting potential of grains is in their wholeness.

When any whole grain is refined and the bran and germ are removed, this wholeness is destroyed. The bran and germ of grain contains 83% of its phenolics. Whether from fruits and vegetables or grains, phenolics are powerful antioxidants that work in multiple ways to prevent disease in the body.

Buckwheat is rich in lignans that prevent breast cancer and heart disease

Whole grains such as buckwheat are one of the best sources for lignans which can be converted in the gut into mammalian lignans. One such lignan type, enterolactone, protects against breast and other hormone dependent cancers by competing with hormones to fill hormone receptors. This lignan also offers protection against heart disease. Women eating the most whole grains have been found to have significantly high blood levels of this lignan.

Buckwheat helps control blood sugar and reduces risk of diabetes and obesity

The nutrient profile of buckwheat has been shown to help control blood sugar in a study reported by The Worlds Healthiest Foods. In a test comparing the effects on blood sugar of whole buckwheat groats to bread made from refined wheat flour, the groats significantly lowered blood glucose and insulin responses.

Also:

Whole buckwheat also scored highest in the ability to satisfy hunger.
Buckwheat is a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes including those involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.
Women who ate the most foods high in magnesium had a 24 percent lower risk of diabetes compared to women who ate the least.
The ability of buckwheat to lower the insulin response also helps it prevent and reduce obesity and gallstones. Its insoluble fiber not only speeds intestinal transit time, but reduces the secretion of bile acids which contribute to gallstone formation.

Prevent heart failure with a buckwheat breakfast

When Harvard researchers looked at the effects of whole grain consumption on heart failure risk, they followed 21,376 participants for 19.6 years. They found that men who ate a daily morning bowl of whole grain cereal had a 29% lower risk of heart attack. Another recent study from South Korea evaluated the nutritional quality of buckwheat's fiber content. The scientists found that consumption of buckwheat containing diets significantly improved several cardiovascular risk factors including total cholesterol, lipid profile, and levels of triglycerides.

Rats fed with buckwheat and waxy barley showed a significantly larger aortic lumen than those fed with other grains. The aorta wall was significantly thinner in the buckwheat fed group. This study is from the Annals of Nutrient Metabolism, 2008.

Buckwheat is high in flavonoids

Some of buckwheat's beneficial effects are due to its rich supply of the flavonoid rutin. Flavonoids are phyonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C, and by acting as antioxidants on their own. The lipid-lowering activity of buckwheat is largely due to these compounds. They help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from excessive clotting, and protect LDL cholesterol from free radical oxidation. Each of these activities adds to heart health.

Store buckwheat in the refrigerator in warm weather

Buckwheat's exceptional nutritional profile makes it very attractive to bugs, so in warm climates or in warm weather, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Buckwheat flour should be stored in the refrigerator year round. Like all grains, buckwheat requires thorough rinsing under running water before cooking.

The basic recipe for preparing buckwheat is adding one part of buckwheat to two parts of boiling water or broth. After the liquid has returned to a boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Raw, sprouted buckwheat is the best buckwheat

Raw sprouted buckwheat offers the ultimate in healthy eating since the sprouting process releases all of its nutrients and preserves enzymes. Raw buckwheat groats can be sprouted and dehydrated at low temperature to make crunchy cereal that resembles grape nuts. Sprouted groats can be ground to make sprouted buckwheat flower for the ultimate in healthy pancake and waffle eating.

Several companies offer raw sprouted buckwheat groats online for those interested in saving time and work.

Here is a recipe for delicious, crunchy raw buckwheat treats that can be eaten for breakfast or anytime. If the groats are sprouted, so much the better.

Raw Buckwheat Treats

12 Pitted Dates
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup Agave Nectar
1/2 cup of Water
1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/4 cup Walnuts
1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup Ground Flax Seed
2 Teaspoons of Pumpkin pie spice or Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
2 cups of Buckwheat Grouts
1/4 cup Sprouted Wheat Berries (optional)
Sea Salt as desired

Place pitted dates, raisins, agave nectar and water in a food processor or blender and blend until a paste is formed, scraping the walls as needed.

Then add the sunflower seeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds to the mix and process again until seeds and nuts are mixed well throughout the paste.

Add the ground flax seeds, pumpkin spice or cinnamon, vanilla extract and a few dashes of sea salt to the mixture and process again.

Once thoroughly processed, dump the mixture into a large mixing bowl, adding the buckwheat grouts and wheat berries.

With a spatula or wooden spoon, mix thoroughly.

After this is done, place the mixture into clumps on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 100 degrees for about 12 hours.

Makes about two sheets.

Quinoa: A Wonderful Addition To Healthy Diet

2009-03-20T08:08:00.002-04:00

Quinoa: Use this Complete Protein to Create Healthful Vegetarian Dishes
by Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor

(NaturalNews) Quinoa is one of the most impressive foods to hit the grocer's shelves in many years. It is the live seed of a dark green leafy plant that has the taste, texture and versatility of grain. Quinoa (pronounced keen wa) is both nutritious and delicious. It is the only grain-like food that offers a complete protein, a feature that makes it a favorite with those avoiding animal products.

Quinoa has a delicate nutty flavor when cooked and can be a nutrient packed substitution in many traditional recipes. Best of all, it is quick and easy to prepare, requiring no more effort than cooking rice.

Quinoa was revered by the Incas. Quinoa was an important food in the Andean region of South America 6,000 years ago. The Incas considered it a sacred food and referred to it as the mother seed and gold of the Incas. During the European conquest of South America and the effort to extinguish the Indian culture, quinoa fields were destroyed. Growing quinoa was made illegal with punishment that included death. Quinoa came close to complete extinction. In recent years two Americans with great business sense began cultivating the plant in Colorado and its rebirth began. Quinoa is now a favorite wherever the health minded shop.

Quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse

Quinoa is again regaining the place of nutritional importance it had during pre-Columbian Andean diet. It is now appreciated for its high protein content which ranges from 12 to 18 percent. One 3.5 ounce serving provides 14 grams of protein. This is complete protein, containing all of the amino acids necessary for the construction of proteins used by humans.

Unlike other grains, quinoa has an ample supply of lysine. Quinoa is an excellent source of dietary fiber, containing both soluble and non-soluble fiber. It is high in a variety of vitamins and minerals, especially manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus. It is gluten-free and easy to digest. Quinoa is very low on the glycemic index, meaning that it will not cause blood sugar levels to spike, and it provides a sustained feeling of fullness.In their natural state, quinoa seeds are covered with a coating of bitter-tasting saponins that makes it unappealing to birds.

There have been attempts to lower the saponin content through selective breeding, but the new plants were rejected by growers because birds devoured the entire crop after the first season.

Preparing quinoa is a snap

Boxed quinoa is usually found alongside pasta and other dried grain products. It has been rinsed of saponins and is ready to prepare. Quinoa sold in bulk bins is usually pre-rinsed. To make sure the saponins are gone, pour quinoa into a strainer and rinse under running water. If a soapy film appears, the quinoa has not been pre-rinsed, so rinse it until the soapiness disappears. If no soapy film appears, the product has been pre-rinsed.

The basic cooking recipe for quinoa is the same as for rice. Two cups of water and one cup of quinoa are brought to a strong boil, covered and slowly simmered for about 12 to 15 minutes. It is done when it looks translucent and the germ of the seed makes a white ring around the outside of the grain. Quinoa should be served al dente, like pasta. Vegetables and seasonings can be added to the cooking water for extra flavor. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for the water. Since most prepared stock contains MSG, make it at home or buy prepared stock from health minded grocers. Even then, read the box because several of their brands contain MSG.

Prepared quinoa can be kept in a tightly closed glass jar in the refrigerator for a week, and added to dishes as ideas strike.

It makes a super nutritious replacement for rice, couscous, and pasta. It can be added to soups, salads, pilafs, vegetable dishes, and veggie burgers or veggie meatloaves. Quinoa is popular as a high protein breakfast food that starts the day with a bang. It can be mixed with honey, nuts or fruit. Prepared cereal foods made with quinoa are available at health conscious grocers. These grocers also carry dried pasta and noodle products made of quinoa.

Flour made from quinoa is available to use in gluten-free baking. A recipe for a baking mix featured on in Wikipedia is three parts quinoa flour, three parts sorghum flour, two parts potato starch, and one part tapioca starch.

Sprouted quinoa offers the ultimate in nutrition

Raw quinoa can be sprouted to activate its natural enzymes and boost its vitamin content. It only takes about 4 hours to sprout quinoa. Just place the grains in a glass of clean water. After 4 hours the enzymes will be released. The sprouting process softens the grains, making them suitable to be added directly to salads and other foods without having to be cooked. Sprouted quinoa is best eaten in 2 to 3 days.

Quinoa has super impressive health credentials

Quinoa was called gold of the Incas because its high level of complete protein increased the stamina of Inca warriors. Its mineral profile makes it valuable for anyone with migraine headaches, and its low score on the glycemic index makes it ideal for people with diabetes. The substantial level of magnesium in quinoa relaxes blood vessels and decreases hypertension and the risk of stroke. Eating quinoa slows the progression of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels through which blood flows, and lessens progression of stenosis, the narrowing of the diameter of arterial passageways.

The high levels of manganese and copper in quinoa serve as cofactors for the production of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the powerful antioxidants produced by the body. SOD protects the mitochondria of the cells from free radical damage.

Quinoa's high fiber content makes it protective of breast health. Researchers looked at how much fiber participants in the UK Women's Cohort Study consumed. After analyzing data from 35,972 women, they found that a diet rich in fiber from whole grains such as quinoa offered significant protection for pre-menopausal women . Women eating the most fiber, more than 30 grams daily, halved their risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who ate the lowest amount. This study was reported in the April, 2007 International Journal of Epidemiology.

There is an abundance of lignans in quinoa that are converted to mammalian lignans in the intestinal tract. One of these is enterolactone, a lignan believed to be protective against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers as well as heart disease. Lignans act like weak estrogens in the body and fit into estrogen receptors in the breast and other hormonally sensitive areas of the body. When lignans are locked into receptors, excessive estrogen that results from hormone imbalance is not able to fill those receptors and stimulate undesirable cell growth.

Eating grains such as quinoa can help reduce the incidence of wheezing and other symptoms of asthma. A study quoted in a W H Foods article on quinoa found that in children with a low intake of fish and whole grains the prevalence of wheezing was almost 20%, but was only 4.2% in children with a high intake of both foods. Low levels of grain and fish consumption also correlated with a much higher incidence of current asthma, 16.7%, compared to only 2.8% for children with a high intake of grains and fish. Spring and summer salads containing quinoa are delicious and make you feel great.

As the seasons move into spring and summer, dishes that are easy to prepare, easy on the budget, and full of good taste are in demand. This is the season when people want lighter foods and foods that can be eaten chilled. Quinoa is a salad star. Its fresh, light taste and high protein content make it an excellent foundation for many salad recipes. Here are two that are particularly delicious.

QUINOA BLACK BEAN SALAD

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tblsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tblsps minced scallions
1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 tsp minced fresh green chilies
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Add quinoa to 2 cups of water. Cover and simmer about 10-15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Set aside to cool. Combine lime juice, cumin, coriander, cilantro, scallions, beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, and chilies. Drizzle with olive oil. Add cooled quinoa, salt and pepper to taste. Toss. Serves 2-3

see:http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142 http://www.quinoa.net/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7uvygMiwfo http://www.naturalnews.com/024361.html

Organic Eggs Are Valuable Addition To Healthy Diet

2009-03-12T07:44:00.004-04:00

Eggs are the Answer, Not the Enemy
by Elizabeth Walling, citizen journalist (NaturalNews)

For years we've been listening to top health experts advising us to eliminate eggs from our diet. At the very most, they say, eat only three eggs a week. Any more would simply wreak havoc on your cholesterol levels. And of course all of this is starkly animated in television commercials showing regular egg consumers collapsing of violent heart attacks in the street.

Does that sound like cookie-cutter propaganda to you? There is some logic behind these claims: eggs contain cholesterol so they must surely raise cholesterol levels. This concept, however, is flawed and research is proving it to be so.In 2006, Dr. Maria Luz Hernandez of the University of Connecticut's Department of Nutritional Sciences looked at the effect consuming eggs has on cholesterol levels. Her findings revealed that in two-thirds of people, consuming 2-3 eggs per day had virtually no effect on serum cholesterol levels. In the other one-third of people, both HDL and LDL levels rose equally, and the increase in LDL was due to particles simply getting bigger, not more numerous.

This type of rise in serum cholesterol levels actually does little to increase a person's risk for health problems such as heart attacks.

Once you get past the assumption that eggs are terrible for you, there is room to discover the myriad of health benefits that come with eating them regularly.

Eggs are jam-packed with vitamins and minerals in forms that can be easily absorbed. These include vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K in addition to iron, zinc, lecithin and choline. All of these help contribute to brain function, a healthy metabolism and disease prevention.
Eggs are also a great source of protein, especially for those who don't consume very much meat. It can be difficult to obtain all of the essential amino acids - the ones our bodies can't produce - if you eat a diet mostly based in grains.
An egg contains each of the nine essential amino acids, making it a top source for these nutrients.

Of course, all eggs are not created equal. Commercial eggs are a nutritionally poor substitute for organic, free-range eggs. Chickens that are allowed to roam free provide eggs with a higher protein and vitamin content, while organic practices mean harmful pesticides and chemicals won't find their way into your breakfast.

You can also look for eggs that contain higher levels of essential omega-3 fatty acids. These come from chickens that have been fed a special diet high in those healthy omega-3s.

If you've been afraid to commit nutritional sacrilege by enjoying a tasty omelet in the morning or a boiled egg for an afternoon snack, set your fears aside and relish in the wholesome goodness of one of mother nature's best gifts.

Sources:

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Cholesterol-Rich-Foods-Raise-Blood-Cholesterol.html#1 http://ifitandhealthy.com/healthy-eggs-are-eggs-healthy/http://www.alive.com/454a2a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=816 http://www.alive.com/1263a4a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=816

Use Natural Remedis For Ear Infections

2009-03-06T13:48:00.004-05:00

Use Natural Remedies for Ear Infections
by Sheryl Walters, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Every parent knows how much misery an ear infection can cause for their baby. The pain, irritability, and sleepless nights take a toll on the whole family. As more and more parents are learning, the majority of ear infections are caused by a virus which means they will not respond to antibiotics. In addition, overuse of antibiotics results in a range of consequences.

What, then, can a parent do to help their baby with the pain and support the body in its effort to heal? Increasing numbers of parents are turning to alternative medicine and natural remedies for help. Chiropractic, certain foods, essential oils, and herbs are just some of the more popular remedies.

For years medical doctors prescribed antibiotics anytime a child had an ear infection. Overuse of these antibiotics has resulted in "super bugs" - bacteria that is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Serious consequences can result from this resistance; stronger antibiotics are being discovered but eventually bacteria will become resistant to those as well.

On a personal health level, antibiotics result in gastrointestinal changes because along with killing off bad bacteria they also kill of the good bacteria necessary for digestion. Destroying the bacteria also increases the chance for candida infections. Thrush and yeast infections are both common in children after the use of antibiotics.

Because of these consequences, more doctors are holding off on prescribing antibiotics and parents are looking for other options in the fields of complementary and alternative medicine. Chiropractic is the most utilized field of alternative medicine. Chiropractors work with patients of all ages to correct subluxations, or misalignments in the spine or other joints that interfere with the functioning of the nervous system. The nervous system controls all body processes, including the immune system. So, when the nervous system is not functioning properly due to a subluxation the immune system will not be at its best. When there is a subluxation in the cervical spine (the neck area) lymphatic drainage from the head and ears can also be affected.

Addressing decreased lymphatic drainage and a depressed immune system with a chiropractic adjustment can help the body heal the ear infection. Pediatric patients with ear infections receive a very gentle but precise adjustment along with some light lymphatic massage. Some chiropractors also give nutritional recommendations, like eliminating dairy to help decrease mucous. The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association has a listing of chiropractors that work with children on their website at www.icpa4kids.org.

Essential oils also can be used throughout the duration of an ear infection to help make the child more comfortable. Adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to a humidifier will help break up congestion. Combining two drops of tea tree oil with twenty drops of olive oil makes an effective massage oil. Apply the oil in a light stroking pattern from behind the ears diagonally down to the collarbone. Warmed garlic and mullein oil (just a few drops) can be added into the infected ear to help with pain and inflammation. Make sure that you know the eardrum is in tact before you put any oil into the ear canal.

A naturopath can advise parents in the use of herbs such as echinacea, goldenseal, olive leaf, and St. John's Wort. Echinacea and goldenseal are known to speed healing by boosting the immune system. Olive leaf is used to fight infection. St. John's Wort has antiviral properties and helps to reduce inflammation.

To find a naturopath in your area visit the American Association of Natural Physicians Website at www.naturopathic.org.

Contact your child's doctor if he or she seems to be getting worse, has not improved within two days, or has drainage from the ear.

Consequences of Antibiotics (http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-hea...)

Antibiotic Use: An Update (http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/a...)

Ear Infections (Otitis Media) (http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/c...)

Lentils Provide Wealth Of Nutrition For Pennies A Serving

2009-03-05T07:02:00.000-05:00

Lentils Halt Breast Cancer and Make Nutritious Meals for Pennies
by Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor

(NaturalNews) Lentils are delicious, versatile, and easy to prepare. They are one of civilization's oldest foods. First cultivated in the Near East over ten thousand years ago, lentils have been a traditional food staple that provides a wealth of nutritional benefits for pennies a serving. Lentils belong to the legume family. This is a group of vegetables that are at the base of the Mediterranean diet pyramid, a diet that reduces mortality from all causes. New research is showing that a diet rich in lentils and other legumes is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Dietary patterns and breast cancer are associated

Scientists at the University of Southern California in conjunction with those at the University of Minnesota investigated the association between dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in Asian Americans. Their population-based, case-controlled study in Los Angeles Country compared dietary patterns of 1248 Asian American women with diagnosed breast cancer, and 1148 matched controls.

A scoring method was used that found adherence to a Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with breast cancer risk. This means that the more people tended to eat the Mediterranean diet, the lower was their risk of breast cancer. Three dietary patterns were identified, and labeled Western (meat/starch based), ethnic (meat/starch based), and vegetable based. Women who were high consumers of the Western and ethnic meat/starch diets and low consumers of the vegetable based diet showed the highest risk of developing breast cancer with an odds ratio that was more than doubled. In their conclusions, the scientists placed credit for these benefits primarily on higher consumption of legumes. The study was reported in the February 11 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Tiny but mighty lentils provide plenty of other health benefits

Lentils are popular in the vegetarian community because of their high levels of protein. A one hundred gram serving of lentils has around twenty-six grams of protein. However, like all vegetable protein, lentil protein is not complete. It is lacking two essential amino acids, isoleucine and lysine. The means that another food containing these missing amino acids must also be added to a meal made up primarily of lentils. This is easily accomplished by adding brown rice or another high protein grain. And for non-vegetarians it is accomplished with the addition of small amounts of cheese or meat.

Lentils are an excellent source of many B vitamins including B6 and folate, the nutrients that help lower levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine damages artery walls and is considered a serious risk factor for heart disease. When folate and B6 are present, homocysteine is converted to health promoting cysteine and methionine.

The high level of magnesium found in lentils is another cardiovascular health booster. Magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker. It makes veins and arteries relax, and it improves blood flow that carries oxygen to the cells. Cells that are well oxygenated cannot produce cancer.

An older study, reported in the July 1999 European Journal of Epidemiology, examined food intake patterns and 25 year risk of death from coronary heart disease in 12,763 middle-aged men from seven countries. Different food-groups and combinations were considered for comparison among cohorts. Typical patterns were higher consumption of dairy products in Northern Europe; higher consumption of meat in the U.S.; higher consumption of vegetables, legumes, fish, and wine in Southern Europe; and higher consumption of cereals, soy products, and fish in Japan. When the data was analyzed it revealed that that those who ate vegetables, legumes, fish, and wine had the greatest reduction in risk of death from coronary heart disease. Legumes were associated with an amazing 82% reduction in risk.

Eating lentils keeps energy levels high

Lentils are fiber superstars, and as such are able to help lower LDL cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber grabs hold of cholesterol containing bile and escorts it out of the body. Fiber also helps prevent constipation and digestive disorders.

Lentils are also powerful blood sugar stabilizers. Anyone prone to insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes can be helped by eating lentils, since they normalize blood sugar levels while providing the body with a steady stream of energy.

In a study reported by The World's Healthiest Foods, researchers compared two groups of people with type 2 diabetes who were fed different amounts of high fiber foods. One group ate the standard diet used by diabetics in America, containing 24 grams of fiber per day. The other group ate a diet containing 50 grams of fiber per day. Their results showed the group eating the high fiber diet had lower levels of both plasma glucose and insulin. The high fiber group also reduced their total cholesterol by nearly 7%, their triglyceride levels by 10.2 percent, and their VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels by 12.5%.

Lentils are a cooks dream

Dried lentils can be bought already bagged or from bulk bins. Organic dried lentils sell for about one dollar a pound. Store lentils in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

There are several varieties of lentils. The most common are red, green and brown. The red variety is the most delicately flavored and cooks the quickest.

Lentils are a versatile food. They have the texture of beans and a milder flavor. Unlike beans, they do not need to be soaked before they are prepared, and can be ready to eat in under 45 minutes. Lentils have a delightful flavor of their own, and easily pick up the flavor of other ingredients. Here are recipes for quick, high flavor lentil dishes

Red Lentil Dah

Ingredients:

Two cups chopped onion
Three cloves of minced garlic

Three cups water
One and one quarter cup dried red lentils
Three quarters teaspoon turmeric
Three quarters teaspoon ground cumin
One half teaspoon chopped fresh ginger or ground

One cup basmati brown rice
Two plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
One quarter cup chopped fresh cilantro
One jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped (if desired)

Preparation:

Rinse lentils. Combine 3 cups water, lentils, onion, garlic, and spices in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. For a thicker mixture, puree 1/3 of the mixture and return to the saucepan. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Serve over rice and garnish with the chopped jalapeno.

Brown Lentils and Spinach

Ingredients:

One cup brown lentils
One bunch fresh spinach cleaned and finely chopped
One medium onion chopped
Two cloves garlic chopped
One teaspoon coriander
One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Juice from one half lemon or lime

Preparation:

Rinse lentils. Place in large saucepan and cover with 2 inches of water. Boil for 8 minutes. Rinse and return to saucepan. Add onion, garlic, and coriander. Fill with just enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Add spinach, olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt to taste. Serve warm.

Lentils make a great cold main dish or salad

Lentils are tiny, so they can be blended with finely chopped fresh vegetables right out of the garden to make a highly digestible and delicious spring or summer main dish or salad. Finely chop red onion, green onion, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, tomato, any kind of parsley, and basil. Add to precooked green or brown lentils. Dress with red wine vinegar, olive oil, pepper, and sea salt. The salt is needed to coax the juices from the vegetables adding extra flavor to the dressing and making the dish more digestible. Toss and let marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Toxic Teens! Chemicals in Cosmetics Are Dangerous

2009-02-11T08:23:00.005-05:00

Toxic Teens: Common Cosmetics Chemicals Alter Hormones, Disrupt Puberty
Written by Derek Markham
Published on September 25th, 2008

Teenage Girls are Exposed to Hormone Altering Chemicals During Critical Development of Reproductive System

A new study on teenagers and toxic chemicals was released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and it has some very disturbing implications. Laboratory tests revealed that adolescent girls across America are contaminated with chemicals commonly used in cosmetics and body care products. The study of 20 teens found an average of 13 different hormone-altering chemicals in their bodies.

The laboratory tests found 16 chemicals from 4 different chemical families - phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks - in the blood and urine samples of the girls. Studies have linked these chemicals to potential health effects, including cancer and hormone disruption. This work represents the first focused look at exposure data for parabens in teens, and indicates that young women are widely exposed to this common class of cosmetic preservatives, with methylparaben and propylparaben detected in every single girl tested.

Every single girl tested had detectable levels of toxic cosmetics chemicals in their blood or urine!

How is this possible?
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Federal statutes do not require companies to test products or ingredients for safety before they are sold. Nearly all personal care products contain ingredients that have not been assessed for safety by an accountable agency, and are not required to meet safety standards. Manufacturers can use almost any chemical they want in their products!

Adolescent girls typically experiment with increasing numbers and varieties of body care products. The girls studied used an average of 17 personal care products each day, while the average adult woman uses an average of only 12 products daily, increasing their exposure to these chemicals.

The Toxic Substances Control Act

The Toxic Substances Control Act, which regulates all industrial chemicals in the United States, was created over 30 years ago, and it assumes chemicals in everyday products are innocent until proven guilty. The products we use every day can contain thousands of ingredients that have never been tested for safety.

The personal care products industry polices itself through an industry panel called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).

This is an industry-funded panel of scientists that has reviewed only 11% of all ingredients in cosmetics. An investigation found that the panel ignores serious health concerns such as cancer, birth defects, and hormone disruption, and finds more than 99% of ingredients reviewed safe as used. Companies are not bound by the panel’s restrictions or recommendations, so compliance is entirely voluntary.

“Hormone-altering chemicals shouldn’t be in cosmetics, especially in products used by millions of teenage girls. Their bodies are still developing and may be especially vulnerable to risks from these exposures. Most parents don’t know that the eyeliner, lipstick or shampoo they allow their daughters to use probably contains at least one chemical linked to a number of serious health concerns. Teenage girls are at a particularly vulnerable age and these exposures could trigger a subtle sequence of damaging effects that leads to health problems later in life.” - Rebecca Sutton, Ph.D, author of the report and Staff Scientist at EWG

The Environmental Working Group has put together a shoppers guide to safer cosmetics to print out and take shopping with you, and a searchable cosmetics safety database to help guide purchasing of clean personal care and cosmetics products.

EWG’s safer shopping tips:

Use fewer, simpler products
Don’t trust claims like “dermatologist-tested,” “natural,” or “organic.” Read the ingredient label instead
Take label warnings seriously. They indicate hazardous chemicals.

Discover The Treasure. Lluvia Skin Renewal System

2009-02-04T06:44:00.010-05:00

Introducing – Lluvia™ Rainforest Essence Skin Renewal System from the Amazon Rainforest, nature’s purest source.

Lluvia is nature's Ultimate Recipe for Youthful, Glowing Skin.

With Lluvia™ Skin Renewal System you will:

Cleanse naturally with no harmful foaming agents
Gently polish and refine your skin
Refresh and hydrate your skin, and uplift your spirit
Diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Deeply nourish tissue layers for a youthful, radiant glow
Balance hydration and lock in moisture

http://www.barbthrasher.amazonherb.net/

Beware: Most Body Care Products Are Toxic

2009-02-04T06:15:00.004-05:00

Recognize Toxic Chemicals in Body Care Products
by Jo Hartley, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews)

A common belief among consumers is that products labeled "natural" must be safe and beneficial to consume or use. Often the ingredient lists on these "natural" products contain chemicals that are unrecognizable and unfamiliar to most people. The bad news is that the products that are labeled as "natural" by manufacturers are usually far from natural and safe. The good news is that it is possible to be an informed consumer with the information necessary to avoid these products.

Learning about these toxic chemicals is the first step toward avoiding them and this is quite simple to do, using the Internet as a tool.

Almost every synthetic chemical that exists has a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that contains the facts about the chemical as well as any potential dangers associated with human health. The MSDS lists a summary of the facts for each chemical and summarizes other facts such as hazard identification, first aid instructions, exposure limits, and other names that are associated with the specific chemical.

It can be very surprising to read MSDS information for "natural" chemicals and find information warning of dangers associated with these chemicals. One can't help but wonder how and why these chemicals can be labeled as natural under these conditions.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) has stipulated that a MSDS must be created for any chemicals that are considered hazardous according to criteria described in the Hazard Communication Standard. All hazardous chemicals must be indexed and an MSDS must be published for each of them.

An enlightening exercise for any consumer who is concerned about toxic chemicals is to perform a Google search for specific ingredients contained in his/her personal care products. Entering the specific chemical name along with "MSDS" in the search field will return MSDS results for the specific chemicals searched for.

Another resource for researching specific ingredients is www.hazard.com/msds. Within this website are three search options:

1.Search by manufacturer
2.Search by name of chemical
3.Search the Chemical Toxicity Database

Chemicals to Avoid in Personal Care Products:

Cocoamide DEA, diethanolamine, TEA, triethanolamine, MEA -- Used as a shampoo thickener and foam stabilizer. According to the MSDS for Cocoamide DEA, this chemical is harmful if swallowed or inhaled and contact with skin, eyes, and clothing should be avoided.
Propylene glycol, propylene oxide, polyethylene glycol -- Listed on the FDA government website as a known carcinogen. This is a common ingredient in many moisturizers and lotions. It has also been connected with kidney and liver damage in scientific testing. Propylene glycol has also now been connected with common skin rashes and skin damage.
Sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate -- A common ingredient in shampoos and liquid soaps. SLS may be the most dangerous ingredient used in personal care products. SLS is the active ingredient in garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and industrial strength soaps. This is a very corrosive chemical used to clean industrial and greasy surfaces.
Sodium Fluoride -- The fluoride that is added to drinking water is hydrofluoric acid. This is a compound of fluorine, which is actually a chemical byproduct of aluminum, steel, cement, phosphate, and other assorted ingredients. Fluoride in this form has no nutritional value and is one of the most caustic industrial chemicals. Fluoride is also an active ingredient in rat and cockroach poisons.
Mineral Oil, Petrolatum and Coal Tar -- Used in many moisturizing products. Mineral oil is a petroleum by-product that interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins. Because of this it promotes acne and other skin disorders. Mineral oil has also been associated with premature aging. Any product that contains mineral oil may be contaminated with cancer causing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons.

Consumers who are armed with accurate information about toxic ingredients contained in common personal care products will be able to make informed decisions that will protect their health.

Non-Stick Cookware Chemicals Linked To Infertility

2009-01-30T07:56:00.003-05:00

Non-Stick Cookware Chemicals Cause 150 Percent Increase in Infertility
By Mike Adams, January 29, 2009

Is eating off non-stick cookware a new form of chemical birth control?

New research published in the journal Human Reproduction reveals that women with the highest levels of Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in their blood are 150% more likely to have difficulty conceiving a child. PFCs are commonly used in non-stick cookware, and eating off non-stick cookware inevitably results in the consumption of these chemicals. Even so-called "diamond" non-stick surfaces are easily scratched.

A previous report by NaturalNews exposed the truth about so-called "diamond" non-stick cookware surfaces. See: http://www.naturalnews.com/021059.html

PFCs are also known to impair fetal growth, harm the liver and suppress immune system function.

They're also highly toxic to the environment, both during the manufacture and disposal of non-stick cookware products.

So why do the chemicals remain legal in the U.S. and other countries?

Because they're made by powerful corporations like DuPont (the owner of the Teflon trademark). Those corporations hold great sway over U.S. regulators, and they routinely distort the truth to hide the dangers of their chemicals. DuPont, for example, illegally withheld information about the health risks of its chemicals from the EPA, says a Bloomberg article from 2004 (http://www.ewg.org/node/16471).

It's almost routine these days for corporations to lie about the dangers of the chemicals they produce.

To this day, DuPont insists PFOA and Teflon are perfectly safe to cook on.

India's Waterways: A Toxic Stew of Chemicals

2009-01-26T07:39:00.002-05:00

India's Waterways: A Toxic Stew of Pharmaceutical Chemicals Dumped from Big Pharma Factories
by Mike Adams, NaturalNews Editor (NaturalNews.com)

Many of the pharmaceuticals consumed in the United States are made in India, where labor is cheap and environmental laws are lenient on powerful corporations. U.S. drug companies are exploiting this situation to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses of high-profit pharmaceuticals in India, where ingredients purchased for a few cents can be re-sold to U.S. health patients for hundreds of dollars (the markup on some drugs is literally over 500,000%).

There's something else Big Pharma doesn't want you to know about its drug operations in India: Big Pharma's manufacturing facilities dump millions of doses of toxic pharmaceutical chemicals directly into India's waterways. Researchers were recently stunned to discover that 100 pounds of a powerful antibiotic called ciprofloxacin was being dumped into a local stream every day! That's a quantity of antibiotics that could treat an entire city of 90,000 people every day.

But that's not all: The same waterway contained an astonishing 21 pharmaceutical chemicals reports the Associated Press, some at levels that were 150 times the highest levels of contamination found in U.S. waterways. (And even the levels found in the U.S. were quite alarming.)

Big Pharma as a Major Chemical Polluter

These findings are now added to the revelations of pharmaceutical contamination unveiled by the Associated Press last year, which found that the public water supplies in virtually all U.S. cities tested were contaminated with pharmaceutical chemicals. What's emerging from these disturbing discoveries is a picture of Big Pharma as a global corporate polluter that's dumping chemicals into the world's sensitive waterways, polluting villages, cities and aquatic ecosystems around the world.

Under the Bush Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency outright refused to regulate pharmaceuticals as environmental hazards. With Obama in the White House, it remains to be seen whether the new administration will clamp down on pharmaceutical pollution.

Big Pharma now has something in common with Exxon, Cargill, Alcoa and Chevron: The outrageous pollution of the environment with toxic chemicals. But in many ways, Big Pharma's chemicals are far more dangerous. HRT drugs, for example, are toxic at parts per billion, and they're now being found in public water supplies around the world. Municipal water treatment facilities, by the way, don't remove pharmaceutical chemicals from the water! Whatever HRT drugs, psychiatric drugs or other chemicals that exist in the water are passed right through the water treatment centers which unwisely add yet more chemicals (fluoride and chlorine, typically) to the toxic brew. Citizens drinking public water supplies in India, the U.K., Canada and the United States are now verifiably participating in a grand experiment involving the mass medication of the population with low levels of utterly untested pharmaceutical combinations.

How long will this be allowed to continue before the environmental protection authorities clamp down on pharmaceutical dumping?

So far, environmental regulators have done nothing to stop the dumping of drugs into public water supplies. This is true even in America, where hospitals routinely dispose of drugs by simply flushing them down the toilet (injecting them directly into the water supply consumed downstream). Consumers also need to realize that the drugs you swallow are also environmental pollutants. Many drugs pass right through the human body unaltered, where they are flushed back into the water supply that's consumed downstream. (Yes, the toilet water from one city becomes the drinking water of the next city down the river. If you didn't know this, you have a LOT to learn about the water supply, and you probably won't like what you learn... especially if you live downstream...)

Big Pharma is Contaminating Our Planet

It's becoming quite clear that the pharmaceutical industry is now directly contributing to the mass chemical contamination of our planet. By allowing factories to dump drugs into local waterways, by tolerating a "flush it" mentality at hospitals and pharmacies, and by drugging consumers with an endless brew of vaccines, medications and toxic substances such as chemotherapy agents, the pharmaceutical industry has "achieved" the distinction as a major world polluter.

Those who take pharmaceuticals are, in fact, directly contributing to the chemical contamination of the planet. That's why getting off medications is not only good for your health; it's also good for the planet. You can't be "green" if you're taking medications. Consuming pharmaceuticals is simply incompatible with sustainable life on Earth. And the more drugs are manufactured and consumed, the worse this problem will become. Let me put it this way: The survival of our planet depends on the demise of Big Pharma. You can save the planet, or you can save Big Pharma. But not both. Which would you rather have around for future generations? Living oceans, blue skies, clean water and healthy species? Or sterile oceans, dwindling aquatic life, mutant human babies and widespread cancer, infertility and shortened lifespans? It's your choice: Mother Nature, or Big Pharma.

Centuries of the Chemical Destruction of our Planet

The devastating long-term effects of this chemical contamination of our world's waterways have yet to be truly understood at all. The chemicals being dumped into our environment by Big Pharma today may pollute our planet for hundreds of years, destroying aquatic ecosystems, killing fish populations and causing widespread physical deformities across many species.

Combine this with all the pesticide runoff already being used across the planet and it becomes quite clear that the human race has set itself on a path of self destruction. How's that? Because humans don't exist in isolation from the natural world. When we destroy or disrupt the planet's delicate ecosystems through chemical contamination, we unleash a backlash of effects that put the entire human race in jeopardy: Outbreaks of infectious disease, plummeting fish stocks in ocean waters, rising risks of superbugs across the population and even long-term disruptions in the food supply due to pharmaceutical contamination of food crops and soil microorganisms. (Irrigation water being sprayed on crops is now also contaminated with pharmaceuticals...)

Stated bluntly, what's happening is that the pharmaceutical industry is poisoning our world -- and it's doing it for profit. While their factories in India are dumping millions of doses of antibiotics (and a brew of twenty other drugs) into the water supply each year, they're importing those drugs into the U.S. and selling them at monopoly prices to gullible consumers, all while pretending they're on some sort of humanitarian mission to help people.

The truth is that Big Pharma is committing crimes against Nature, and we'll all end up paying the price for allowing these crimes to continue under our watch. Every living thing in our world is interconnected: You can't poison the waterways with a toxic brew of dangerous chemicals and expect to be insulated from the effects of that forever. Sometimes I stand back in sheer astonishment at how short-sighted human civilization truly is. Today our population demonstrates a striking lack of understanding about the web of life on our planet combined with an outright abandonment of ethics and morals. Companies (and many people) simply do whatever benefits them at the moment, regardless of the long-term consequences.

The pharmaceutical industry exemplifies this destructive philosophy best, as it actually works to trap people in a cycle of disease treatment, all while raking in obscene profits for poisoning the people and the planet.

What a Shameful Business Model.

It's beyond shame, really. It's a crime. And it's time we put an end to these crimes against the People and against the planet.

Once again, I call for the arrest and prosecution of Big Pharma CEOs and executives for their role in planning and executing these crimes against humanity and Nature. In the U.S., this must be pursued by the Dept. of Justice, since the FDA, EPA and FTC remain in a tight conspiracy with the drug industry and will do nothing to bring their protected corporations to justice.

You can help support the effort to bring these criminals to justice (and end the chemical contamination of our planet by Big Pharma) by contacting your elected representatives (in any country) and letting them know how outraged you are about the widespread chemical pollution caused by the pharmaceutical industry.

Save the planet. End the era of Big Pharma.

Switching to Coconut Oil May Prevent Diabetes

2009-01-23T06:22:00.003-05:00

NaturalNews.com
Originally published January 22 2009

Switching to Coconut Oil can Prevent Diabetes
by Sheryl Walters, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews.com) Coconut oil is an ancient super food that has been an essential component to many of the earth's healthiest cultures. Cultures that have consumed high amounts of coconut oil generally have not suffered with diabetes, as well as many other diseases.

Unfortunately, as many of these people abandon their traditional ways of eating, they begin to suffer with diabetes, since coconut oil has been shown to protect people from this illness. For example, the people who live on the island of Nauru in the South Pacific have enjoyed a diet of mostly bananas, yams and coconuts. Diabetes was a completely unknown illness. As the island became healthier and their lifestyle and diet began to include refined flour, sugar and vegetable oils, diabetes appeared. According to the World Health Organisation, up to one half of the urbanised Nauru population age 30 - 64 are diabetic today.

Although few people make the association between refined vegetable oils and diabetes, the link has been well researched. In the 1920s Dr. S. Sweeney studied the effects of vegetable oil on his student. His research showed that a diet high in vegetable oil could cause reversible diabetes within 48 hours in subjects who had not been previously diabetic. A 1998 study published in Metabolism showed that diabetes could be reversed by cutting out polyunsaturated fat. The same results have also been shown in humans.

What is the Difference Between Coconut Oil and Vegetable oils?

There is a molecular difference between coconut oil and all other common vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower and safflower oil. The molecules that make up these polyunsaturated oils are made up of a long chain of fatty acids. On the other hand, virgin coconut oil is made up of smaller molecules or medium chain fatty acids. Long chain fats are either deposited in blood vessels as cholesterol or stored around the waist, thighs and buttocks as energy stores of fat for emergencies. Medium chain fatty acids are used immediately as a source of energy.

Why Regular Oils Can Potentially Cause Diabetes

Most people with diabetes are on strict low fat, high carbohydrate diets in which the limited fats allowed are restricted to polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as olive, safflower, or sunflower oils. However, studies have shown that if the fats consumed are polyunsaturated, long chain fats, this decreases cell's ability to bind with insulin, and reduces their ability to absorb glucose...especially when these oils are heated during cooking. In other words, polyunsaturated long chain fats, commonly thought to be "healthy", actually make diabetes WORSE!

Furthermore, polyunsaturated vegetable oils can cause free radical damage to the cells, and adversely affect their ability to function. The bottom line is that cooking with polyunsaturated vegetable oils, such as sunflower oil and olive oil, should be avoided by people with diabetes.

Why is Coconut Oil so Beneficial for Diabetes?

The smaller and more easily absorbed medium chain molecules found in coconut oil supply the cells with essential fatty acids without inhibiting insulin and without glucose, so they combat insulin resistance. Virgin coconut oil is a totally unique super food that serves as an energy boost to the body, without causing a spike in blood sugar levels.

Researchers have discovered that while heavy foods (including polyunsaturated oils) slow down the metabolism, organic coconut oil actually stimulates the metabolism to assist the fat burning process, even when they are heated.

In simple terms, simply substituting your normal cooking oils with coconut oil can be a tremendous remedy for diabetes, and, along with avoiding sugar and getting plenty of exercise, can help prevent people who don't suffer from this dangerous disease from suffering later in life.

http://www.coconut-connections.com/...

GE Fish Pose Serious Threats

2009-01-22T07:48:00.005-05:00

Genetically Engineered (GE) Fish

The rapid development of genetically engineered fish is posing irreparable impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Researchers already are developing more than 35 species of genetically engineered fish. At least one company, A/F Protein, has requested approval from the FDA to market as food an engineered salmon that grows 10 to 30 times faster than normal salmon.

The release of genetically engineered fish can cause potentially devastating environmental and human health impacts.

A 2001 National Academy of Sciences report states that the release of genetically engineered fish into the environment may threaten the survival of wild species. Furthermore, a 2004 Purdue University research study contains new experimental data that strengthens the plausibility of the “Trojan gene” effect first demonstrated in a 1998 study. By incorporating more biological data into a population model, researchers showed that growth-enhanced genetically engineered fish could lead to the extinction or replacement of wild fish populations.

As with the growing of non-native fish, the use and sale of genetically engineered fish in offshore and ornamental aquaculture facilities poses serious threats to the diversity and well being of native fish. Already the majority of non-native tropical fish invading Florida’s waters are from releases of ornamental fish farms and releases by pet owners. The development of a Florida-based, genetically engineered pet fish trade makes it highly likely that genetically engineered fish will escape or be released, and Florida’s environment, including endangered species, will be affected by these genetically engineered organisms.

Although there are serious threats posed by genetically engineered fish, on the federal level, only the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asserted jurisdiction over these fish (due to CFS’ legal work). In 2001, CFS filed legal petitions with the federal agencies that should have asserted jurisdiction over genetically engineered fish.

While CFS’ efforts have been successful in pushing the environmental agencies to get involved in the regulation of genetically engineered fish, if endangered species are threatened, the scope of the environmental federal agencies’ jurisdiction over the issue is limited. Therefore, it is imperative that the individual states fill in the legal gaps. It is critical that each state adopt its own comprehensive set of regulations over these fish in order to prevent harm to the states’ unique fish and wildlife.

Take Action! Help stop the approval of genetically engineered fish.

Urgent Actions:

Urge Food Companies to Say No to Cloning
Support the Cloned Food Labeling Act in the House and Senate
Tell Congress to Support Labeling and Safety Testing of GE Foods!
Stop the Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish!
Join more than 70,000 people across the country saying no to industrial agriculture, and yes to True Food!

It's free to join, and you will get updates and action alerts on simple things you can do to make a difference.

http://truefoodnow.org/

Coming Clean! Hidden Dangers In Soap

2009-01-19T11:14:00.002-05:00

Coming Clean - The Hidden Dangers in Common Soap
by Karyn Siegel-Maier

Originally published in Better Nutrition Magazine

Get the real dirt on what's in your soap (and what shouldn't be there)
Our standards of personal hygiene have changed dramatically since the 18th century. No longer do we fear "throwing out the baby with the bath water" since the days of the entire family taking turns in the same tub of soapy water each week are long gone. No, modern plumbing allows most of us to relish in private showers on a daily basis and, to keep up with our demands, the cosmetic industry has not fallen short of providing a vast array of soaps and cleansers in which to wash away the sins of dirt. Unfortunately, soap itself has also undergone major transformations and what you may be buying off the shelf today may be considered anything but "clean."

Soap Basics

Soap is made by combining a fat source (either animal or vegetable) and an alkali (acid) in a chemical process known as saponification. In spite of efforts to promote bathing as an immodest act by some factions of the early Christian church, the soap industry came into its own in the 12th and 13th centuries in Italy and France. By the 16th century, soapmaking became a prosperous industry in England and by the mid-17th century, the New England colonists benefited from exporting much-needed soap ash and animal fats to England. Soon, the territories now known as New Hampshire and Maine profited greatly from these exports and eventually became the heart of soap manufacturing in the United States.

Early soaps were made by boiling goat or sheep tallow (fat) with water and hardwood ash (alkali), although Italian and French soapmakers explored the use of olive oil in place of animal fats to improve texture and quality. But, commercial Soaps, as we know them today, may contain a variety of other chemicals that are not neutralized in the manufacturing process and that are being applied to your skin every day.

What's In Your Soap?

In 1938, under the U.S. Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, cosmetics were legally defined as any product used for the purpose of "cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance" without affecting bodily function. Products that come under this category include sprays, lotions, powders, deodorants, facial makeup and, you guessed it, soaps. Unlike products that are classified as both a cosmetic and a drug (such as fluoride toothpaste) cosmetics and their individual ingredients do not need FDA approval before appearing on the market. In fact, the FDA has no regulatory authority over these products and their ingredients until after they appear on the market, and only if it can be determined that they have caused direct harm to human health. Furthermore, the fact that many soaps and cleansers are formulated from a variety of combined chemicals complicates the issue further. Only about 16 percent of cosmetics have been tested for toxicity by the FDA-- although it does require companies to label cosmetics with a warning if they contain irritants or hazardous substances.

Curious now about what you're taking a bath with?

Here's a brief rundown on some potentially harmful ingredients found in many commercial soaps:

A-pinene -- Derived from the resinous sap of pine trees, this substance is a major component of turpentine and can damage the immune system.

A-terpineol -- This chemical is extremely irritating to your mucus membranes. Frequent or prolonged exposure (and especially repeated inhalation) can also cause edema, as well as respiratory difficulties.

Benzaldehyde -- Also called oil of bitter almond, this substance is a narcotic and anesthetic that can depress the central nervous system. When inhaled, it can bring on vomiting, dizziness and a sudden drop in blood pressure.

Benzyl Acetate -- An eye and lung irritant and known carcinogen (cancer-causer) that has been associated with pancreatic cancer.

Ethanol -- Appears on the EPA Hazardous Waste List and is used in the manufacture of varnish and paint remover. This chemical can irritate the respiratory tract and can cause impaired vision and loss of muscle control.

Linalool -- A narcotic that can impair respiratory function and motor activity. Linalool also attracts bees which can be a problem for those allergic to bee stings.

Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) -- Used to increase absorption of other chemicals; it is also a "wetting agent" that allows shampoo to spread out and penetrate more easily. SLS breaks down lipids (fats) and impairs the skin's ability to retain moisture. It is classified as a "mutagen," meaning it can alter cellular genetic material. In fact, SLS has been used in Japanese studies to promote bacterial mutations.

Triclosan -- A bactericide (anti-bacterial) and mutagen that is readily absorbed through the skin. It's also an eye irritant and associated with causing liver damage.

A New Generation Of Chemical-resistant Supergerms?

It should also be said that the overuse of chemical antibacterials, such as triclosan, has created a widespread problem of a new generation of bacteria that have mutated to become resistant to these harsh chemicals. According to research from Tufts University, triclosan-containing antibacterial soaps used in the home can become breeding grounds for creating a strain of resistant bacteria.

The Color of ... Danger

And, what about the colors that are added to soaps? Many of them are permitted in cosmetics (and some drugs) for use on the skin but are suspected of being carcinogens, teratogens (indicating the substance can pass through the placenta to an unborn child) or toxins. A mere sampling of these include (all prefixed by D&C, which means that the dye may only be used in drugs and cosmetics, not in foods):

* Blue Aluminum Lake 1 and 2

* Red No. 19

* Aluminum Lake

* Zirconium Lake

* Yellow No. 8

Get Clean The Natural Way!

You can take out the mystery of reading labels and the fear of uncertainty when you buy from your natural foods store. Chances are they will have a variety of body bars and facial cleansers on the shelves that will be safe for the entire family to use. And, you can be sure that these soaps are environmentally safe and cruelty-free to boot.

What Should You Look For In Natural Soaps?

Natural soaps contain vegetable-based oils, such as oils of olive, coconut, canola or soya, rather than animal products. They may also contain emollients such as glycerin and lanolin. Oddly, glycerin is a natural by-product of soap making, but many commercial manufacturers separate this substance from their product and sell it to other industries for a profit. Soaps that are "cold-pressed" retain their original glycerin content. Lanolin, on the other hand, is an animal product in the sense that it is derived from the wool of sheep, but without sacrificing the animal.

Natural soaps will also contain botanical essential oils, not perfumes or synthetic dyes and fragrances. The essential oils perform double duty: they offer superior cleansing and healing properties while providing the benefits of aromatherapy. You can replace your old triclosan-containing antibacterial soaps with those formulated with tea tree, rose, geranium or lavender. If you have very oily skin with a tendency toward acne, you might benefit from soaps made with carrot, citrus or mint oils. Dry skin benefits from the oils of lavender, rose geranium and calendula, while extremely dry skin can be helped with the oils of avocado, jojoba, wheat germ and sweet almond.

Mouthwash May Increase Cancer Risk 9 Times!

2009-01-18T19:11:00.006-05:00

Using Mouthwash May Increase Oral Cancer Risk by 900 %

Published Date: 13 January 2009

By SHÂN ROSS

MOUTHWASHES containing alcohol can cause oral cancer and should be removed from supermarket shelves, a dental health study claims. Scientists say there is now "sufficient evidence" that such mouthwashes contribute to an increased risk of the disease.

The ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth.

Michael McCullough, associate professor of oral medicine at the University of Melbourne, Australia, who led the study, said: "We see people with oral cancer who have no other risk factors than the use of (mouthwash containing alcohol], so what we've done is review all the evidence.

"Since this article, further evidence has come out, too. We believe there should be warnings. If it was a facial cream that had the effect of reducing acne but had a four to fivefold increased risk of skin cancer, no-one would be recommending it."

Professor McCullough, chair of the Australian Dental Association's therapeutics committee, said the alcohol in mouthwashes "increases the permeability" of the mucus membrane to other carcinogens, such as nicotine.

A toxic breakdown product of alcohol called acetaldehyde that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth is also a "known human carcinogen," he said.

Top-selling mouthwashes contain as much as 26 per cent alcohol. Smoking and alcohol are well-established risk factors in causing cancer, but the use of mouthwash containing alcohol is more controversial.

Prof McCullough and co- author Dr Camile Farah, director of research at the University of Queensland's School of Dentistry, recommended mouthwash be restricted to "short-term" medical use or replaced by alcohol-free products.

The review reported evidence from an international study of 3,210 people, which found daily mouthwash use was a "significant risk factor" for head and neck cancer – irrespective of whether users also drank alcohol or smoked.

But the effects of mouthwash were worst in smokers, who had a ninefold increased risk of cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. Those who also drank alcohol had more than five times the risk.

However, Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser to the British Dental Association, said further research was needed to substantiate the claims.

"Excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco are well recognised in the UK as risk factors for developing oral cancers," he said.

"This paper raises interesting issues, but the evidence showing any link between the prolonged use of mouthwashes containing alcohol and oral cancer is not conclusive, and requires further trials to establish if there is a genuine connection.

"If patients are in any doubt about using mouthwash, they should consult their dentist."

Dr Nigel Carter, the chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, rejected the findings and said: "A recent, and more thorough review of all available evidence carried out by leading experts on behalf of the foundation concluded there were no proven links between alcohol-containing mouthwashes and increased incidence of mouth cancer.

"The public should not worry." Last night, a spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson Ltd UK, the manufacturer of Listerine, said: "There is no scientific evidence to support an association between the use of alcohol- containing mouthwashes, such as Listerine, and an increased risk of oral cancer."

Related Feature Article:

Mouthwash Linked to Oral Cancer, Erosion of Tooth Enamel
http://www.naturalnews.com/024591.html

Should Teens Ditch The Makeup?

2009-01-16T10:35:00.007-05:00

Cosmetics and Breast Cancer: Should Teens Ditch the Makeup?

A new report found teenage girls' bodies contained the same potentially hormone-altering chemicals found in many cosmetics.

Could that strawberry-pink blush your teenage daughter rubs on her cheeks every morning be increasing her breast cancer risk? What about the sudsy lavender shower soap you both like? A controversial new report highlights teen girls' extra vulnerability to environmental contaminants during their crucial adolescent years, and revisits an unsettled debate over whether cosmetics are part of the problem. So-called hormone disrupters are the toxic troublemakers at the center of this discussion. These chemicals—found not just in cosmetics but also in pesticides, plastics, and drugs—are thought to mimic hormones such as estrogen when they’re absorbed by the human body. And high, sustained levels of estrogen are linked to the development of breast cancer.

The question is: How to navigate the largely self-regulated cosmetics industry as a conscientious shopper? Is there something you should be doing to help protect your daughters and granddaughters from the world around them? The debate over the safety of cosmetic ingredients was reignited in September when the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit, published a report on the subject. EWG found that teenage girls' bodies contained the same potentially hormone-altering chemicals found in many cosmetics and its report references earlier studies that link those chemicals to health risks, including cancer, in lab animals. Of particular concern is a chemical family known as phthalates, used in some nail polishes and fragrances.

"We're concerned that these hormone-disrupting chemicals could start to play a role in how growth and development plays out in the teen body and therefore how it might be linked to health effects later in life," says Rebecca Sutton, PhD, author of the report and a senior scientist at EWG.But don't liquidate your cosmetics shelf just yet. The authors of the EWG report, which looked at 20 girls ages 14 to 19, did not show a direct link between the girls' makeup habits and what was found in their bodies. The chemicals could have come from any number of other sources. "The phthalates in the plastic water bottles these girls drink from, or the microwave containers they eat out of, may be far more likely to get into their system than cosmetic use, and as of now, no one has banned these things," says M. William Audeh, MD, an oncologist who works in cancer risk assessment at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. "I agree that the general environment in which we grow up and live is far too full of unnatural, possibly harmful chemicals," says Dr. Audeh. "But I think that to say that cosmetics are an important source, and then blame diseases on them, is going much too far."

Activists Demand Cleaner Cosmetics

Stacy Malkan, a cofounder of the advocacy group Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and author of Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, says cosmetics need extra scrutiny because they are often a direct source of exposure to so many different chemicals. Cosmetics are rubbed right into the skin, inhaled (think perfumes and other sprays), or swallowed (as with lipsticks)—and often on a daily basis.

To some cancer experts, pinpointing the exact source of these chemicals is not as important as the age of the girls exposed—not just to cosmetics and household and industrial products, but also to cigarette smoke, radiation, and even fatty foods. "What is known is that when developing breast tissue is exposed to toxic chemicals, it has more effect and impact," says Julia A. Smith, MD, PhD, director of the NYU Cancer Institute's breast cancer screening and prevention program and director of the Lynne Cohen breast cancer preventive care program at New York University.

Dr. Smith also finds it disconcerting that younger girls appear to be using more cosmetic and personal care products than adult women. The EWG’s teenage survey participants used an average of 17 personal care products every day, containing an estimated 174 different ingredients, compared to the roughly 12 products and 168 different chemicals they previously found that adult women each used daily. Advocates say the problem is serious, and they suggest playing it safe by avoiding chemical-laden cosmetics—and argue that it isn't difficult to do so. Hair sprays and lip liners aren’t exactly essential (although many a junior-high student would disagree). "While we may not be able to control the carcinogens we breathe from the air or drink from the water, we don't need to be putting these chemicals directly on our skin," says Malkan.Eventually, she says, there should be no cosmetics that contain hormone-disrupters on the market. "Taking these chemicals out of personal care products should be a no-brainer. It's an easy way, relatively speaking, to reduce the toxic load in the world. "Malkan, who confesses to having been "obsessed with beauty products" in her teenage years, would like to see more research into the effects of cosmetic ingredients on teenagers and children, as well as studies tracking repeated exposures over long periods of time.

Unnecessary panic?

A cosmetics industry representative interviewed for this story pointed out that the EWG report "lacks many of the rigors that you would normally associate with a real scientific report," such as a large study population and control or placebo groups.

"They're presenting some very alarming assertions that are not supported by the methodology they used," says John Bailey, PhD, chief scientist of the Personal Care Products Council.

As for the EWG–referenced studies suggesting the dangers of cosmetic ingredients, Bailey says, "Many of these studies involve cell cultures where you take cells out of the body and you expose them to very high concentrations of a material." That’s not the same, he says, as looking at "real use and actual exposure [in which] products are applied to the skin at low levels." Dr. Audeh is also worried about the public reaction to findings such as the EWG’s. He says such reports can result in "unnecessary panic aimed at what may be a minor or relatively unimportant source of chemical exposure. "The science is certainly preliminary in this field. Even if cosmetics ingredients do prove harmful in further studies, scientists also have yet to pinpoint the exact mechanism by which hormone-disrupting chemicals may affect breast health.Is there a direct impact when you paint your nails with polish containing phthalates, for instance? Or do the chemicals amplify preexisting risk factors for breast cancer—such as family history or genetic predisposition?"

Not everyone who's exposed to a given environmental influence reacts the same way," explains Dr. Smith. "But our experience shows us that there's an interaction between the environment and one's underlying biology and genetics. Teasing out the exact effects is going to take time."

Research On Men and Boys

Much of current research into hormone-disrupting agents focuses on men and boys, and some of it is alarming. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, for instance, suggested that lavender and tea tree oils caused several prepubescent boys to develop breasts.

But experts agree that more research is needed on hormone disrupters picked up from various sources and the risks they may pose to adolescent females. "Cancer occurs only when a cancer-causing agent has occurred in a very specific window of development," says Irma H. Russo, MD, chief of the molecular endocrinology section of the Breast Cancer Research Laboratory at Fox Chase Cancer Center, in Philadelphia, and a researcher into the impact of hormone disrupters on female development. And that "window of susceptibility," as Dr. Russo calls it, extends from a girl's prepubescent years all the way back to her in utero development.

If anything, looking at girls between the ages of 14 to 19 may be a little bit late because sometimes the damage occurs much earlier," she says.

How To Be An Educated Consumer

Until research sways (or doesn’t sway) more minds and brings stricter control over the sorts of chemicals in question, cosmetics activists such as Malkan urge consumers to press for more regulation of the industry. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has some authority over beauty products, the cosmetics industry is a largely self-regulating and self-testing one, with a focus on weeding out products that pose immediate and obvious health risks, such as allergic reactions or skin irritation. Malkan advises women to serve as their own regulators: "The government is not protecting us and the companies are not protecting us, so we have to protect ourselves."

To that end, she offers some tips for sorting through the maze of makeup, lotions, potions, creams, and gels out there.

• Choose products with fewer ingredients and fewer chemicals.

• Before buying, think to yourself, "Do I really need this product?" and consider whether you can cut it from your daily routine.

• For more on cosmetics ingredients, visit the EWG's cosmetics database, Skin Deep.

(The Personal Care Products Council also offers a website, Cosmeticsinfo.org, with information about ingredients and regulation.)Dr. Audeh has his own list of toxic products that teenage girls should avoid to make sure they’re not increasing their breast cancer risk—it includes cigarette smoke, high-fat diets, and diets with lots of red meat—but he doesn’t believe soaps and makeup belong at the top of it. "I am not claiming that exposure to estrogenic chemicals from cosmetics are totally without health risks," says Dr. Audeh. "But it is hard to argue that of all these things, cosmetics are the most important."

Reprinted from Health.com

Lead writer: Michael Gollust
Last Updated: November 26, 2008
http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20242656,00.html

Truth About Genetically Modified Crops!

2009-01-15T08:42:00.005-05:00

Myths & Realities of GE Crops

Right now a debate is raging in the United States about Genetically Engineered (GE) ingredients in our food. The biotech industry claims that GE food crops will save the environment and solve the hunger crisis. But a growing number of scientists, doctors and consumers consider them a threat to the planet, and organizations like Christian Aid and the Institute for Food and Development Policy say GE food crops are likely to increase world hunger.

How can you make sense of this tricky subject? Read on to find out the truth behind the genetic engineering myths.

MYTH #1: Genetic engineering is merely an extension of traditional breeding.

REALITY: Genetic engineering is a new technology that has been developed to overcome the limitations of traditional breeding. Traditional breeders have never been capable of crossing fish genes with strawberries. But genetically engineered “fishberries” are already in the field. With genetic engineering, these types of new organisms can be created and released into the environment1. Food and Drug Administration scientists stated that genetic engineering is different from traditional breeding, and so are the risks2. Despite this warning, the FDA continues to assert that GE foods and crops are not different and don’t require special regulations.

MYTH #2: Genetic engineering can make foods better, more nutritious, longer-lasting and better-tasting.

REALITY: The reason for the 70 million acres of GE crops grown in this country today has nothing to do with nutrition, flavor or any other consumer benefit. There is little benefit aside from the financial gains reaped by the firms producing GE crops. Nearly all of the GE corn, soy, potatoes and cotton grown in the United States has been genetically altered so that it can withstand more pesticides or produce its own.

MYTH #3: GE crops eliminate pesticides and are necessary for environmentally sustainable farming.

REALITY: Farmers who grow GE crops actually use more herbicide, not less. For example, Monsanto created Roundup-Ready (RR) soy, corn and cotton specifically so that farmers would continue to buy Roundup, the company’s best-selling chemical weed killer, which is sold with RR seeds3. Instead of reducing pesticide use, one study of more than 8,000 university-based field trials suggested that farmers who plant RR soy use two to five times more herbicide than non-GE farmers who use integrated weed-control methods. GE crops may be the greatest threat to sustainable agriculture on the planet. Many organic farmers rely on a natural bacterial spray to control certain crop pests. The advent of genetically engineered, insect-resistant crops is likely to lead to insects that are immune to this natural pesticide. When this biological pesticide is rendered ineffective, other farmers will turn to increasingly toxic chemicals to deal with the “superbugs” created by GE crops. Meanwhile, organic farmers will be out of options.

MYTH #4: The Government ensures that genetic engineering is safe for the environment and human health.

REALITY: Neither the FDA4, the Department of Agriculture (USDA)5, nor the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)6 has done any long-term human health or environmental impact studies of GE foods or crops, nor has any mandatory regulation specific to GE food been established. Biotech companies are on the honor system. They have virtually no requirements to show that this new technology is safe. FDA scientists and doctors warned that GE foods could have new and different risks such as hidden allergens, increased plant-toxin levels and the potential to hasten the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease. The USDA has reviewed more than 5,000 applications for experimental GE crop field trials without denying a single one. USDA officials claimed they would conduct long-term studies of GE crops, but have no plans to require any pre-market or pre-release assessment. Studies conducted after our environment and food supply have been contaminated will be too late.

MYTH #5: There is no scientific evidence that GE foods harm people or the environment.

REALITY: There is no long-term study showing that GE foods or crops are safe, yet the biotech industry and government have allowed our environment and our families to become guinea pigs in these experiments. Doctors around the world have warned that GE foods may cause unexpected health consequences that may take years to develop. Laboratory and field evidence shows that GE crops can harm beneficial insects, damage soils and transfer GE genes in the environment, thereby contaminating neighboring crops and potentially creating uncontrollable weeds.

MYTH #6: GE foods are necessary to feed the developing worlds growing population.

REALITY: In 1998, African scientists at a United Nations conference strongly objected to Monsanto’s promotional GE campaign that used photos of starving African children under the headline “Let the Harvest Begin.” The scientists, who represented many of the nations affected by poverty and hunger, said gene technologies would undermine the nations’ capacities to feed themselves by destroying established diversity, local knowledge and sustainable agricultural systems7.

Genetic engineering could actually lead to an increase in hunger and starvation. Biotech companies like Monsanto force growers to sign a ãtechnology use agreementä when growing their patented GE crops which stipulates, among other things, they the farmer cannot save the seeds produced from their GE harvest. Half the world’s farmers rely on saved seed to produce food that 1.4 billion people rely on for daily nutrition.

Footnotes:

1 Rissler, Jane and Mellon, Margaret. The Ecological Risks of Engineered Crops (Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996, 4-5.)

2 Discovery documents from the lawsuit Alliance for Bio-Integrity et al v Shalala, May 1998. Center for Food Safety, 666 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washingotn DC, 202-547-9359.

3 Benbrook, Charles. “Evidence of the Magnitude of the Roundup Ready Soybean Yield Drag from University- Based Varietal Trials in 1998,” Ag BioTech InfoNet Technical Paper Number 1, July 13,1999. http://www.biotech-info.net/herbicide-tolerance.html

4 Statement of James Maryanski, FDA Biotechnology Coordinator, Before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, October 7, 1999.

5 Sally McCammon, USDA, “Regulating Products of Biotechnology,” Economic Perspectives, US Department of State, vol 4, #4, October 1999.
6 “Genetic Genie: The Premature Commercial Release of Genetically Engineered Bacteria,” Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, September, 1995. From PEER, 2001 S Street, Washington DC 20009.

7 “Let Nature’s Harvest Continue!” African Counter Statement to Monsanto, at the 5th Extraordinary Session of the FAQ Commission on Genetic Resources, June 12, 1998.

8 Peter Rosset, “Why Genetically Altered Food Won’t Conquer Hunger,” New York Times, September 1, 1999.

Reprinted from "The Truth Food Network"

FTC Threatens Church For Selling Supplements

2009-01-14T08:10:00.003-05:00

NaturalNews.com printable articleOriginally published January 13 2009

Tyrannical FTC Threatens Christian Church with Imprisonment for Selling Dietary Supplements
by Mike Adams, NaturalNews Editor (NaturalNews)

The FTC has unleashed a new assault against both dietary supplements and religious freedoms by targeting a Christian church for termination. Through exclusive interviews and conversations with health freedom attorney Jim Turner (http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcas...), NaturalNews has learned that the church Daniel Chapter One (www.DanielChapterOne.com) has been targeted by the FTC for destruction.

Throughout 2008, the FTC has been on a free speech rampage, sending threatening demands to 130 companies selling dietary supplements. It has specifically targeted organizations selling anti-cancer dietary supplements.

The typical FTC legal assault involves the sending of a threatening letter to the company or church being targeted, where FTC demands to:

• Confiscate customer records
• Confiscate all banking and financial records
• Drag the church or business into court for refusing to comply. Organizations that refuse to meet the FTC's demands are threatened with the following:
• Arrest and imprisonment.
• Complete confiscation of their inventory.
• Being charged with crimes by the FTC.

Such crimes are heard in the FTC's own kangaroo court, which is subject to no law. On that last point, it's important to note that the FTC is now functioning as both Judge and Jury, as it has set up its own "private" FTC court in Washington D.C., where the right to a trial by jury does not exist, and the FTC's own appointed judges render decisions against the accused (the dietary supplement companies) without using any commonly-accepted legal standards whatsoever. It is essentially a military court where you are considered guilty until proven innocent.In its threatening letters sent to dietary supplement companies, the FTC demands that the principals of such companies appear in their own private FTC court to face charges. Failure to appear is considered an admission of guilt, causing your company to be shut down by the FDA while you're arrested and brought up on yet more federal charges. Out of approximately 130 companies that have been targeted and threatened by the FTC, only 10 have so far refused to sign the so-called "consent decree" documents put forth by the FTC, which require company principals to admit to committing crimes they did not commit (crimes such as "selling unapproved drugs" which are really just fruit extracts or herbal supplements, for example).

This is a very similar situation to what the FDA is doing in its own campaign of tyranny against natural health companies. NaturalNews has previously documented the FDA's operation of a criminal extortion racket that's very similar to the FTC's actions. Read the details here: http://www.naturalnews.com/024567.html

Too terrorized by the FTC to speak outNaturalNews has spoken to many companies targeted by the FTC. Nearly all of them have been too terrorized by the FTC to be willing to go on the record with an interview. Although they have all told me privately that they believe they are being targeted by a criminally-operated FTC waging an anti-health witch hunt, they are too afraid of winding up in prison to go on the record with their views.

This fact alone should cause serious concern for anyone reading this. Since when was America a country of secret regulatory police who terrorized the business community into a state of silent fear? The FTC is clearly using tactics of terror and tyranny to silence the very companies and individuals it is targeting for termination. (And by "termination," I mean the termination of their freedoms and their businesses, not assassination. Not yet, anyway.)

Only three companies have agreed to go on the record with NaturalNews and voice their opposition to the FTC's campaign of tyranny. Daniel Chapter One is one of them. They are devoutly refusing to abide by the FTC's demands, and they're challenging the very premise of the FTC's authority. With the help of health freedom attorney Jim Turner, the principals of Daniel Chapter One are claiming the FTC has no authority over churches and non-profit organizations. Furthermore, they are claiming the FTC has no authority to restrict truthful free speech about dietary supplements.

It is this second point that is relevant to ALL health supplement companies, for if Daniel Chapter One is successful in this challenge, it could help spell an end to the regulatory carpet bombing of the dietary supplement industry that's now being masterminded by the FTC.

Is the FTC engaged in regulatory terrorism?

I believe these actions by the FTC can only rightly be called a form of regulatory terrorism against the American People. In its quest to destroy the nutritional supplements industry, the FTC is pulling out all the stops, relying on instruments of oppression and tyranny that have historically been used by the secret police of the former Soviet Union, for example, or even Nazi Germany. In doing so, the FTC is attempting to destroy a body of knowledge about anti-cancer remedies, thrusting the American people into an era of nutritional illiteracy that would put them at the sole mercy of the conventional cancer treatment industry (which promotes poison, surgery and radiation as its primary modalities, all of which earn considerable profits for powerful corporations).

The FTC, you see, is not merely demanding that companies remove all text from their websites that might imply an herb could be useful for preventing cancer; they are also demanding that the websites of these companies may not link OUT to other websites that contain such information (such as NaturalNews.com, for example). Thus, the FTC is creating a system of regulatory-enforced illiteracy that's destroying the availability of truthful information on the internet, even while our nation remains in a state of health care collapse that desperately needs a natural health solution. It is in this way that the FTC is driving America towards a total collapse of both health care and its finances. A sick, nutritionally illiterate population denied the right to even learn about nutritional approaches to preventing cancer is doomed to suffer unprecedented increases in degenerative disease. This is the curse the FTC has placed upon the American people in its question for total domination of the dietary supplements industry.

Will Bibles be banned next?

The Bible recommends numerous medicinal herbs for the treatment, prevention and even the cure of degenerative diseases. This well-known fact is documented at great length by famed ethnobotany researcher Dr. James Duke, author of several books on Biblical herbs. Dr. Duke is a former researcher for the U.S. Agricultural Research Services (ARS). He is the creator of the ARS database of phytochemicals that remains the single most authoritative source on plant-based medicines that has ever been created.

But under FTC regulations that are in place right now, anyone selling Bibles in the same store as the herbal supplements mentioned in the Bible could be arrested, imprisoned and permanently put out of business. Their Bibles could be confiscated, their herbs destroyed and their lives ruined because they dared to sell the herbs mentioned in the Bible. The Bible, you see, could be considered an "illegal marketing document" if sold beside the very herbs it recommends.

This brings me to the Daniel Chapter One church, where Jim and Trish Feijo have been traveling the world, engaged in their ministry of human compassion, helping to uplift the peoples of various nations (across multiple continents). As part of their sharing of God's gifts to the world, their church sells dietary supplements, many of which contain powerful anti-cancer phytochemicals. They also have a radio show where they empower listeners with relevant information about spiritual and nutritional enlightenment. They have never had a single health complaint filed against them by customers of their anti-cancer products, nor has the FTC produced any evidence whatsoever showing that Daniel Chapter One has made any false statements about their products.

Every single description and statement about dietary supplements on the DanielChapterOne.com website is factually true. The FTC isn't challenging the facts of the statements. It is not the FTC's position that Daniel Chapter One is making false statements at all. Rather, the FTC's claim is that Daniel Chapter One is making true but illegal statements about dietary supplements. Got that? Telling the truth in America is illegal if you happen to be selling products that threaten the profits of the drug companies (which the FTC routinely protects in waging its campaign against the dietary supplement industry). Notably, if you are a drug company selling toxic, patented chemicals, you can lie all you want!

The FTC outright ignores the monopolistic practices of the pharmaceutical industry. Breaking up monopolies, of course, is supposed to be one of the primary functions of the FTC! But when it comes to Big Pharma, a national monopoly on pharmaceutical distribution and pricing is not merely tolerated, it is in fact enforced by this rogue federal agency that now works as the regulatory hit men of the drug trade. That's an honest description. These assaults on dietary supplement companies (and churches) closely resemble the work of hit men. But instead of working for an illegal drug cartel selling banned chemicals, these FTC thugs work for a legal drug cartel selling FDA-protected chemicals!

What happens if the FTC continues its campaign of regulatory terrorism against the dietary supplements industry?

Where might this all end up if the FTC campaign of regulatory terrorism isn't stopped? Imagine a nation where government-paid secret police spy on ordinary Americans to see who might be talking about herbs, vitamins or dietary supplements. Those who dare to utter the wrong words find their names and social security numbers entered onto a Watch List of "pharmaceutical resisters." The Watch List grows, and before long, the government regulatory goons begin calling it a list of "homegrown terrorists. "Those who deal in banned medicines (like herbal teas, vitamin C or cherry fruit concentrates) are arrested on site and imprisoned. Health food stores are shut down at gunpoint. All functional foods are banned, and Whole Foods has its shelves stripped of everything but fresh produce (all the produce must be irradiated to destroy the natural medicine they contain, too).The Internet becomes a wasteland of nutritional illiteracy where only "approved" websites are routed through key ISPs. Any website discussing nutrition or herbs is considered to be in violation of FTC regulations. Its owners are arrested and considered "prisoners of war" due to the fact that their names are already on the Watch List of "homegrown terrorists." They're shipped off to secret military prisons in Cuba and tortured until they either repent their beliefs or are killed by the torture.

The FTC boosts its firearms budget and begins staging armed raids on vitamin shops, shooting up the inventory and "accidentally" catching vitamin shop owners in the line of fire. Herbs being shipped into the United States are seized at the border like illegal drugs, and a booming black market economy sees the widespread smuggling of medicinal herbs into the United States by Mexicans, South Americans and even Canadians!

Rates of degenerative disease accelerate; the nation becomes a cesspool of disease and chemical contamination. A new set of laws, written wholly by the drug companies themselves, is passed that prohibits any speech about dietary supplements (including advertising) and criminalizes the possession of medicinal herbs, homeopathic remedies, plant extracts and vitamins of any kind.

Meanwhile, all prescription drugs are approved for OTC (over-the-counter) purchase, followed by new pharmaceutical vending machines that pop out pills in exchange for your cash or credit card.All herbal books are pulled out of public libraries and burned in the streets. The possession of such a book becomes a felony crime. A new age of nutritional McCarthyism is unleashed upon America, and health book authors who dare to write about the benefits of nutrition are hunted down and arrested (or just killed). Another new law demands that all Bibles be revised to remove any references to the "illegal" herbs it recommends. Churches that cite references to the herbs in the Bible are assaulted and shut down, their pastors arrested and imprisoned for committing crimes against the State. The teaching of herbal remedies is banned in all public schools with the help of influential western scientists who claim "God does not belong in the classroom" and that since the Bible teaches herbs, any teaching of herbs in the classroom is, in effect, the teaching of religion.

This is the future the FTC is pushing us towards.

It's not even very difficult to image. Just extrapolate the FTC's current campaigns of oppression and tyranny against the industry, and you easily imagine much of this coming true. Unless, of course, the FTC is stopped.

Apartheid. Hitler. Stalin. Mao. Pol Pot. The FTC and FDA. These are the memorable mass criminals of the 20th and 21st centuries. They all have one thing in common: The insatiable quest for power at the expense of the lives of fellow human beings.I believe that if the FTC were given unlimited power, there is absolutely no doubt it would become a Nazi-like regime of uncompromising intolerance, outlawing all speech that opposed its own views and terminating the lives of its enemies.But the FTC's days are numbered, I believe. Its tyrannical actions against the natural health industry are an extension of the Bush Administration's Big Pharma push, and with the Bush criminals on their way out of the White House, all that's about to change. Or at least, we hope. (If Obama brings a new set of criminals into the White House, we probably won't see much change, and the seeming appointment of Dr. Sanjay Gupta to U.S. Surgeon General certainly doesn't hint at good things for the natural health industry under an Obama administration...)

The FTC is at war with the American People. It is waging a campaign of destruction against herbal knowledge in America, attempting to erase the memory of herbal wisdom from the minds of American consumers. In waging this war, the FTC is destroying family businesses, destroying the dietary supplements industry and destroying the natural health options of health-conscious consumers. The FTC must be stopped if we hope to protect our families and children from this growing regulatory threat in Washington.

In essence, we must save our nation from the FTC (and the FDA, for that matter).

What can you do to stop the FTC?

Here's a short list of things you can do right now:
• Support Daniel Chapter One (www.DanielChapterOne.com) by purchasing their anti-cancer products. Their 7 Herb Formula is a powerful medicinal recipe that kills cancer cells and can help your body prevent and even reverse cancer: http://dc1pages.com/danielchapterone/in...

• Support Citizens for Health (www.Citizens.org). They are one of the health freedom organizations that's actually engaged in good work.

• Complain to the FTC! What's hilarious about the FTC's website is that it provides a way for you to complain about everybody EXCEPT the FTC! What we really need in this country is a new office run by the People that has oversight power over the FTC and FDA, and we would complain to them. (What happened to America, anyway? When did the people just surrender all their power to Big Government tyranny?)

In the mean time, here's the FTC's page of contact details: http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/contact.shtm If you want to complain directly to the FTC, the best option is probably to just send them a physical letter (in the mail).

They can be reached at: Federal Trade CommissionConsumer Response Center600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20580. Be sure to include a copy of this article, just to remind 'em that you're informed. They'll attack this article, of course, claiming it's "anti-FTC propaganda." That's exactly what Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot said, too. The rebels that fought tyranny in those historical scenarios were quickly labeled terrorists and imprisoned or just outright shot. In fact, you can expect the FTC to attempt to find a way to silence NaturalNews. This is one of the reasons we have never sold nutritional products, by the way. Doing so would put us in a position of extreme regulatory vulnerability with the FTC criminals.

• More importantly, complain to your lawmakers in Washington. Call, fax, email or write your elected representatives in Washington. Let 'em know what you think about the FTC's attacks on churches and its campaign of tyranny against the dietary supplements industry

• Support Ron Paul's Health Freedom Protection Act, which will be reintroduced in the House this Spring. If passed, it would finally legalize factually true speech about dietary supplements, allowing health supplement companies to accurately describe the health benefits of the products they offer to the public.

• Listen to the exclusive interview I conducted with health freedom attorney Jim Turner. You can listen here: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Podcas... (Health Ranger Show #67)

• Sign the NaturalNews Health Revolution Petition that's scheduled to be announced later this month. If you're not already subscribed to NaturalNews, join our free email newsletter here: www.NaturalNews.com/readerregistration.html

• Forward this article to someone you know, and link to this article from your blog or website. Digg it, too, and help spread the word about how the FTC is destroying America's freedom of speech, freedom of religion and dietary supplements industry.

Where is the mainstream media on this story? Have you noticed, by the way, how the mainstream media remains mysteriously absent on reporting this story? It should be one of the biggest stories in America today.

The FTC is waging a war of attrition against the dietary supplements industry? The FDA is engaged in an extortion racket that targets supplement companies? Yes, these events are happening right now. And, mysteriously, the mainstream media hasn't covered this story in the least.You can decide for yourself why that might be the case.

I already happen to know the REAL reason, but I'm not going there in this story. Perhaps we'll cover that later. Someone conducting an all-out investigative report on this FTC story deserves a Pulitzer Prize, no doubt. But this story cannot possibly run in any mainstream newspaper or magazine, because it would be canned before it ever saw the light of day.

NaturalNews remains one of the very few places where you can still get honest news reported by intelligent people who don't have a corporate-sponsored agenda driving their editorial decisions. I earn no money from this article, and I remain a volunteer writer for NaturalNews. There is nothing for sale in these words. This is in no way commercial speech. It is FREE Speech. That is precisely what puts this article out of the jurisdiction of the FTC and FDA. It is the only reason why this website has survived the campaigns of tyranny and illiteracy waged by these two organizations. And I can guarantee you this: NaturalNews will out-live both the FTC and the FDA. Their days are numbered, and the People will yet be victorious in their quest to take back the power that has been stolen from them by Washington tyrants and bureaucrats. We are on the verge of a popular revolution in America today. The People are fed up with Washington at every turn, and they ready for real change.

Remember this: Both the FTC and FDA are but one paycheck away from total collapse. When the U.S. government goes belly up and can no longer pay its soldiers, bureaucrats and tyrants to keep up the appearance of authority, the entire system will dissolve within days, leaving a landscape of disillusioned patriots, hungry for freedom and ready to embrace new ideas on how to structure a sustainable society. Mark my words: the USA experiment is drawing to a close. It had a great start (the Constitution and Bill of Rights are both sacred documents, in my opinion), but after enough time, the tyrants managed to grab power anyway. Today, the USA is a failed experiment of runaway power, runaway debt, consumerism and greed. When this experiment comes to an end, the FTC and FDA will go with it, and the people of this great land will finally be set free to control their own destiny, to create a new USA (or whatever it might called) where liberty reigns supreme over tyranny and the sovereign citizen is one again recognized as the source of all political power.

Dangers Of Soy!

2009-01-13T09:25:00.003-05:00

(From Mercola.com) Long article, lots of links but worth the reading. I'm convinced soy is not only NOT a health food, but in fact quite dangerous to one's health. )

The Evidence Against Soy

Dow Chemical and DuPont, the same corporations that brought misery and death to millions around the world through Agent Orange, are now the driving forces behind the promotion of soy as a food for humans. They are financing anti-meat and anti-milk campaigns aimed largely at those concerned about animal welfare and the environment, trying to convince them that imitations such as "soymilk" are not only healthier than the real thing, but better for the earth too.

There is no evidence that consuming soy products can improve health, reduce environmental degradation or slow global warming. In fact, the evidence suggests quite the opposite.

The studies below regarding the effects of soy on health are eye-opening, particularly the review by the American Heart Association -- which no longer supports the health claims about soy endorsed by the U.S. government.

Overall risks and benefits of soy assessed
Latest review by American Heart Association
Soy inhibits iron absorption
Poor iron bioavailability
Poor calcium bioavailability
Calcium and zinc absorbed better from milk than from soy -- even without phytates
Soy provides no benefits with respect to heart disease risk
Soy causes bladder cancer
Soy isoflavones during pregnancy increase breast cancer risk in female offspring
High levels of cadmium in soy formula
Soy linked to peanut allergy and increased risk for asthma
Whole milk vs. soy beverage -- asthma risk
Persistent sexual arousal syndrome associated with increased soy intake
Genistein: Does it prevent or promote breast cancer?
New Tricks for Getting Rid of Toxins in Your System...
Find Out More

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

If you were to carefully review the thousands of studies published on soy, I strongly believe you too would reach the conclusion that any possible benefits of consuming soy are FAR outweighed by the well documented risks.

Now, I’m not against all forms of soy. Properly fermented products like natto and tempeh have been consumed for centuries and do not wreak havoc in your body like unfermented soy products do.

For example, the enzyme nattokinase—derived from natto--is a safer, more powerful option than aspirin to dissolve blood clots, and has been used safely for more than two decades.Unfortunately, many Americans still believe that unfermented and processed soy products like soy milk, soy cheese, soy burgers and soy ice cream are good for them.

85 Percent of Consumers Believe the Lies About Soy:

The rise of soy as a health food is in large part due to highly successful marketing to otherwise health conscious Americans who set the trend. According to the survey Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition 2008 (by the United Soybean Board), 85 percent of consumers now perceive soy products as healthy.

The survey also found that consumers rank soybean oil among the top three healthy oils, with 70 percent recognizing soy oil as a healthy oil, and depend on soybean oil, commonly sold as vegetable oil, as one of their two most frequent cooking oils
This is a tragic case of shrewd marketing of misinformation and outright lies taking root among the masses, which will likely take some time to undo.

Ever since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a health claim for soy foods in 1999 (which said diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease), soy sales have skyrocketed. In the years between 2000 and 2007, food manufacturers in the U.S. introduced over 2,700 new foods with soy as an ingredient, including 161 new products introduced in 2007 alone.

This has resulted in a booming multi-billion dollar business. From 1992 to 2007, soy food sales increased from a paltry $300 million to nearly $4 billion, according to the Soyfoods Association of North America.

However, the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit nutrition education foundation, submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January of this year, asking them to retract its heart-health claim from soy in light of the inconsistent and contradictory evidence showing benefits, and its many proven health risks.

What’s So Wrong With Soy?

Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities--protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products. Says Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, “Today's high-tech processing methods not only fail to remove the anti-nutrients and toxins that are naturally present in soybeans but leave toxic and carcinogenic residues created by the high temperatures, high pressure, alkali and acid baths and petroleum solvents." Dr. Daniel also points out the findings of numerous studies reviewed by her and other colleagues -- that soy does not reliably lower cholesterol, and in fact raises homocysteine levels in many people, which has been found to increase your risk of stroke, birth defects, and yes: heart disease.

Other common health problems linked to a high-soy diet include:

Thyroid problems, including weight gain, lethargy, malaise, fatigue, hair loss, and loss of libido
Premature puberty and other developmental problems in babies, children and adolescents
Cancer
Brain damage
Reproductive disorders
Kidney stones
Weakened immune system
Severe, potentially fatal food allergies
Most soy, perhaps about 80 percent or more, is also genetically modified, which adds its own batch of health concerns.

Despite these findings, many people still want to believe the hype, thinking that these studies must somehow be wrong. But the content of soy itself should be a clue. For example, non-fermented soy products contain:
Phytoestrogens (isoflavones) genistein and daidzein, which mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen
Phytates, which block your body's uptake of minerals
Enzyme Inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion
Hemaggluttin, which causes red blood cells to clump together and inhibits oxygen take-up and growth
High amounts of omega-6 fat, which is pro-inflammatory

You’re Consuming Soy Whether You’re Buying “Soy Products” or Not :

Even if you know better than to gulp down large amounts of soy milk, slabs of tofu, and other soy snacks, you are still consuming soy if you’re eating processed food, in the form of soybean oil and lecithin. So depending on your dietary habits, your (unfermented) soy consumption could really add up. In fact, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln at the National Institutes of Health told CNN.com he estimates that soybeans, usually in the form of oil, account for 10 percent of the average person’s total calories in the United States! When you consider that 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food goes toward processed food, this amount of “accidental” soy intake is not surprising.

As a side note, I’d like to make a quick statement here to address some of my readers’ concerns about my reduced CoQ 10 supplement, ubiquinol, which also contain soy bean oil. Unfortunately, the reduced CoQ 10 (ubiquinol) – which is the optimal form of CoQ 10 that your body needs, especially if you’re over 25 – is only produced by a multi-billion dollar Japanese pharmaceutical company that holds ALL the world patents on it. Hence, there’s no way to replace the soy, even though that would have been my preference. However, as in all things, moderation is key. If I thought there were ANY significant health risks from consuming this small amount of soy oil, then I would not personally take two a day – which I do. I do however avoid all processed forms of soy products, and severely limit my intake of other unfermented soy, which is easy to do by simply avoiding processed and “fast” foods.

Which Soy Foods Should be Avoided … and How do You Avoid Them?

Because soy is so pervasive in the U.S. food supply, avoiding it is not an easy task. The best way to completely avoid soy in the food supply is to buy whole foods and prepare them yourself. This may also be your only option if you’ve developed a soy allergy and need to eliminate soy from your diet entirely.

If you still prefer to buy readymade and packaged products, for whatever reason, Dr. Daniel offers a free Special Report, "Where the Soys Are," on her Web site. It lists the many "aliases" that soy might be hiding under in ingredient lists -- words like "boullion," "natural flavor" and "textured plant protein."

Which Soy Foods DO Have Health Benefits?

The few types of soy that ARE healthy are all fermented varieties. After a long fermentation process, the phytic acid and antinutrient levels of the soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties -- such as the creation of natural probiotics -- become available to your digestive system.The fermentation process also greatly reduces the levels of dangerous isoflavones, which are similar to estrogen in their chemical structure, and can interfere with the action of your own estrogen production.

So if you want to eat soy that is actually good for you, following are all healthy options:

Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor. It's loaded with nattokinase, a very powerful blood thinner. Natto is actually a food I eat regularly, as it is the highest source of vitamin K2 on the planet and has a very powerful beneficial bacteria, bacillus subtilis. It can usually be found in any Asian grocery store.

Tempeh, a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.

Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).

Soy sauce: traditionally, soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes, however be wary because many varieties on the market are made artificially using a chemical process.

Related Articles:
Soy: Too Good to be True Soy: Is it Healthy or is it Harmful? Why Soy Can Damage Your Health

Skin Care Matters!

2009-01-12T08:05:00.000-05:00

It MATTERS what you put on your skin!

More and more people are paying attention to the foods they eat -- hence the increased demand for organic food. However, most people overlook the importance of caring for the skin -- the largest organ of the body. Most everything we put on our skin can be absorbed into the blood stream. Sobering, huh? Have you looked at the ingredients in your hand lotion lately? Your cosmetics? Your hair spray? Hair dye (scary!)? Perfumes? Body Washes? etc.

I put together my personal favorites -- my "top five websites for information regarding skin care products." Bookmark these links. They will afford you vital information regarding products you probably put on your skin every day.

The following are good websites:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
http://www.notjustaprettyface.org
http://www.herbalmusings.com
http://www.barbthrasher.amazonherb.net
http://www.ewg.org

A good rule of thumb: If you wouldn't eat the products you slather on your skin, you shouldn't be putting them ON your skin. Put another way: If you aren't willing to ingest the ingredients -- then perhaps you shouldn't be putting them on your skin.

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2009-01-08T13:48:00.000-05:00

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With every delicious sip of ZAMU™ you are flooding your body with life-enhancing nutrients that support a positive life experience.

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Coconut Oil Is Nature's Candida Cure!

2009-01-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

Nature’s Candida Cure: Coconut Oil Solves Yeast Problems
by Elizabeth Walling, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews)

Often mis-diagnosed and even dismissed, candida is culprit behind numerous health problems. The symptoms associated with candida include fatigue, poor memory, mood swings, chronic coughs, frequent sinus infections, reoccurring fungal infections, blurred vision, sugar cravings and abdominal pain, to name a few.

As many as 40 million people in the United States suffer from candida, most without realizing the core issue. Many people who have candida overgrowth will end up treating the symptoms instead of the root of the problem, causing an endless spiral downward, sometimes for many years.Even those who realize their symptoms are linked to candida find conventional drugs are not a permanent or effective solution. Not to mention medical treatments are often accompanied by side effects worse than the original symptoms.

It's no wonder candida patients are seeking an alternative natural treatment. And fortunately, coconut oil can provide the answer. In countries where coconuts are regularly consumed, candida occurrences are surprisingly low, as noted by Dr. Bruce Fife, a strong believer in the healing power of coconut oil. Although many people in these regions live in conditions that typically promote candida overgrowth, they rarely suffer from candida. This is because coconut oil is high in both lauric acid and caprylic acid, which both have antiviral, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. These components of coconut oil target harmful bacteria but leave friendly bacteria alone, which helps balances the flora in the digestive system. They also kill off excess yeast and other fungal overgrowth in the body.

Studies in Iceland and Nigeria show coconut oil is an effective agent for killing off candida yeast. If you've heard conflicting reports and are concerned about whether or not coconut oil is healthy, keep in mind the natural, unrefined fats in coconut oil are medium-chain saturated fats–the kind that are more easily converted into energy instead of being stored. Adding a moderate amount of coconut oil to your diet should be considered safe. In fact, the saturated fat content in coconut oil makes it an excellent choice for cooking, because the oil is not damaged at high temperatures like other cooking oils.Be sure not to buy coconut oil that has been hydrogenated. This destroys the beneficial attributes of coconut oil and makes it high in dangerous trans-fatty acids.

The best kind of coconut oil is organic virgin coconut oil, which is closest to its natural state and will provide the most health benefits. Both Dr. William G. Crook and Dr. Bruce Fife suggest working up to consuming about three tablespoons of coconut oil daily. It's best to start with one teaspoon per day and then work up to the full amount. The more severe the candida, the slower you should work up to this number to prevent overwhelming die-off symptoms as excess yeast is killed off. These symptoms are flu-like and include headaches, chills and fatigue. They will normally last about 3-5 days, depending on the severity of your candida.

Adding coconut oil to your diet is not difficult to do. Depending on the brand you buy, coconut oil has a very light flavor suitable for almost any purpose. You can easily substitute coconut oil for butter on toast or cooking oil in recipes. Try adding a tablespoon to coffee, or stir some into your oatmeal. You can use coconut oil topically if you have a breakout of athlete's foot or yeast rash. Coconut oil can also be used for localized treatment of jock itch and yeast infections. For any topical treatment, apply a small amount of coconut oil to the affected area 3-4 times each day. This treatment is most effective if you are also taking the oil internally.

EU Launches 1984-Style Crackdown On Light Bulbs

2009-01-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

Panic buying in UK as proles forced to use mercury filled, seizure causing, flawed “low energy” alternative
Paul Joseph Watson
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Panic buying of 100 watt incandescent light bulbs has surged in the UK after shops stopped stocking the item in anticipation of an EU ban on all traditional light bulbs to be enforced in Britain by 2012.

While parts of the UK shivered under Arctic temperatures of -12 degrees, the EU and the Labour Party furthered its agenda to outlaw one of man’s greatest ever inventions all in the name of preventing global warming.

British citizens will be forced to completely switch over to so-called “low energy” bulbs, or CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) in three years, despite the fact that CFL’s cause illnesses such as skin rashes, eyestrain, migraine, headaches and even seizures in those who suffer from epilepsy.
The EU is even flouting its own regulations to mandate the changeover - the “low energy” bulbs contain mercury which is banned as a toxic substance by the EU, leading to problems with disposal.

Indeed, even if one were to accept the premise that changing light bulbs can save the earth when humans have no control over a gargantuan radiation-spewing fireball that comprises 99.8% of the Solar System’s mass called the Sun, CFL bulbs are notorious in the UK for the fact that they routinely break and are too weak to illuminate a room properly. People will simply use more lamps to offset the bad lighting, thereby completely defeating the object of “low energy” lighting in the first place.

CFL’s also fail to work inside ovens, refrigerators, or inside enclosed fittings, such as garages or patios and they are also incompatible with dimmer switches.

But the real agenda behind the farce has nothing to do with saving the planet and everything to do with exploiting people’s legitimate concerns about the environment to enforce regulation of behavior as a curtain raiser for more taxation and control over our personal lives. A startling parallel can be drawn from George Orwell’s dystopian classic, 1984, in which a black market for sharp razor blades emerged after The Party ensured that shops only provided blunt ones to prevent the proles from slashing their wrists. Now the proles of 2009 Airstrip One are busy buying up the remaining stock of the traditional light bulb.

From the book,
Everyone kept asking you for razor blades. Actually he had two unused ones which he was hoarding up. There had been a famine of them for months past. At any given moment there was some necessary article which the Party shops were unable to supply. Sometimes it was buttons, sometimes it was darning wool, sometimes it was shoelaces; at present it was razor blades. You could only get hold of them, if at all, by scrounging more or less furtively on the ‘free’ market.
‘I wanted to ask you whether you’d got any razor blades,’ he said. ‘Not one!’ said Winston with a sort of guilty haste. ‘I’ve tried all over the place. They don’t exist any longer.’

100 watt light bulbs will cease to exist on the open market in the UK within weeks and they will be followed by all incandescent light bulbs within three years as the genius of Thomas Edison 140 years ago that marked one of mankind’s greatest achievements is made obsolete by world government regulation.

When are we going to put a stop to this? If they can ban the humble light bulb with barely a whimper of dissent then what is stopping them from banning books, free speech, and anything else they deem a threat to the wider society?

As Christopher Brooker writes in today’s Daily Mail, “A knee-jerk decision taken by a bunch of sanctimonious, ignorant politicians once again bring home to us what it means to have handed over the power to run our country to this crazily undemocratic form of government known as the European Union.”

“It is destined in one way or another to cause most of us considerable inconvenience and aggravation - all to achieve virtually no practical benefit at all.”

The “benefit” from all this will be an energy saving equivalent to the output of a single small coal-fired power station, even if one accepts the increasingly discredited notion that CO2 emissions cause global warming and as Britain itself freezes under Arctic temperatures and the world experiences its coldest year this decade in anticipation of what many are predicting is the onset of a new ice age.

But the enforcers simply don’t give a damn and will continue to claim that global cooling is a part of global warming and that even if hell itself freezes over, our personal lives and behavior must be regulated, outlawed and taxed in order to save the world from the chicken little scenario of man-made climate change while the real environmental problems continue to be shunned.

Mercury In Fluorescent Bulbs Is Toxic And Dangerous To Your Health

2009-01-06T16:29:00.000-05:00

I'm including the below article from NaturalNews.com because I've been trying to sound the alarm about the dangers of compact fluorescent bulbs. Regular lightbulbs are being phased out but there is still time to halt the insanity!

My daughter broke several compact fluorescent bulbs WHILE PREGNANT...and was unaware of the mercury present in the bulb. She cleaned up the mess as anyone would a regular bulb. And then she vacuumed. Scary to realize she, her family, and unborn child were all exposed to toxic mercury.

This is unacceptable! Mercury in lightbulbs? Who are we kidding? Please read the below:
_______________________________________

Mercury in Compact Fluorescent Bulbs More Hazardous than Previously Thought
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Environmental scientists and waste industry officials are warning that a massive shift to compact fluorescent light bulbs will lead to far more mercury contamination than has been widely supposed.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs use mercury and heated gas to generate light, in contrast to traditional incandescent bulbs, which generate light by heating up a wire filament. The fluorescent bulbs have been touted as an important step in reducing energy consumption, because they use only half as much energy as incandescent bulbs and last nearly seven times as long.

And while it has always been known that the mercury in the bulbs is a dangerous neurotoxin, it has been generally assumed that the bulbs are safe, since consumers are only exposed to the chemical if the bulb breaks.

If a bulb does break, however, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises a complex, 11-step process for safely disposing of it. The room should be aired out for 15 minutes to dispose of any fumes, then the bulb should be picked up with gloves, placed in a double bag and disposed of as toxic waste. Duct tape should be used to do clean up residue, never a vacuum cleaner. The next time the area is vacuumed, the bag must be disposed of immediately.

"It's kind of ironic that on the one hand, the agency is saying, 'Don't worry, it's a very small amount of mercury.' Then they have a whole page of [instructions] how to handle the situation if you break one," said Ellen Silbergeld of Johns Hopkins University, editor of the journal Environmental Research.

Most consumers simply throw away compact fluorescent bulbs in the trash, Silbergeld said, where the bulbs will eventually break and release their mercury. But the waste industry has no plans for dealing with the expected influx as the bulbs become even more popular.

"This is an enormous amount of mercury that's going to enter the waste stream at present with no preparation for it," she said.

For Insomniacs: Cherries Found To Be Natural Sleep Aid.

2009-01-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

From NaturalNews.com

Cherries Found to Be a Natural Sleep Aid
by Jo Hartley

(I note with interest from below article -- that Montmorency cherries might be helpful in attaining sleep. Since so many of my friends and family struggle with this issue, I'm adding this article to "Barb's Wire.")

(NaturalNews) There is a tart cherry called Montmorency that contains a significant level of melatonin and hence is helpful as a natural sleep aid. The University Of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio recently discovered these properties in the tart cherry.

Melatonin was discovered in 1958 by a dermatologist named Aaron Lerner at Yale University.

Melatonin is a natural hormone that is produced in the pineal gland located at the base of the brain. It triggers sleepiness during night hours. Melatonin production can be disrupted because of staying up at night utilizing artificial light. Melatonin has been found to decrease with age. This is why elderly people often have trouble sleeping or staying asleep at night. Stress can also cause melatonin levels to drop thus causing poor sleep and insomnia.

What Foods Contain Melatonin?
Melatonin is most plentiful in tart cherries, especially the Montmorency variety. Other foods including milk, peanuts, turkey, chicken and almonds contain tryptophan. Tryptophan raises brain serotonin which then can be converted to melatonin.

Bananas also contain melatonin but the level is not high enough to be effective for inducing sleep.

Side Effects of Melatonin
Taking melatonin supplements should be done carefully. A high level of melatonin in the blood can cause insomnia and nightmares instead of the desired peaceful rest. The maximum effective sleep-inducing dose is 0.1 to 0.3 milligrams.

The level of melatonin found in tart cherries provides a significant amount to positively induce sleep. Melatonin is sold in over-the-counter supplements, although these supplements often have a dosage of 2-3 milligrams and sometimes even higher. These levels are at least ten times the maximum effective dosage.

Best Melatonin for Sleep
Although melatonin is easily obtained as a supplement and can be purchased without a prescription, experts tell us that the greatest benefits of melatonin are achieved by consuming melatonin through food consumption.

An effective strategy for better sleep is to utilize nature. Cherries can be obtained in concentrate form and can be taken at the end of each day to improve the quality of resting time, to reset your biological clock and to encourage wakefulness during the day.

Other Benefits of Melatonin

Melatonin may also help delay the effects of aging. Researchers at the University of Granada in Spain recently revealed that melatonin neutralizes the oxidative and inflammation process caused by aging. This suggests that melatonin may slow the aging process. These researchers are suggesting that daily melatonin intake (especially for people from age 30 or 40) could potentially help delay some illnesses related to aging.

How to Enjoy Cherries Daily
Tart cherries are readily available year-round. Dried and frozen tart cherries and cherry juice (or juice concentrate) are easy to find. Here are some ways to incorporate tart cherries into your daily diet.

1. Add dried cherries to trail mix or granola.

2. Add dried cherries to your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt or pancakes.

3. Add dried cherries to tossed salads, fruit salads and chicken salads.

4. Make cherry muffins instead of blueberry muffins.

5. Add dried cherries to oatmeal cookies instead of raisins.

6. Add dried cherries to couscous, rice pilaf, grits, risotto and pasta.

7. Add frozen cherries to smoothies.

8. Thaw frozen cherries for a few minutes and then layer with yogurt and granola.

9. Make a cherry spritzer by adding cherry juice concentrate to cold seltzer water.

10. Drink cherry juice as you recover from a workout. Some experts think cherry juice may help relieve exercise tension.

The Lluvia Story

2009-01-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

The Lluvia™ Story

Nature's Ultimate Recipe for Youthful, Glowing Skin.

The Lluvia™ Story Begins with Rain. Lluvia (“jú-vee-ah”) is the Spanish word for rain.

Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, a life-sustaining cycle of fresh rain nourishes pristine botanicals. Rain is the vital essence and life force of the Rainforest, providing nutrients for growth and regeneration. With over 215,000 species of plants, the Amazon Rainforest has been called the greatest celebration of life on earth. Lluvia™ skin care captures the essence of this concentrated life energy to renew the health and vitality of your skin.

New Discoveries Found in Rainforest Plants Promote Beauty Naturally

Many plants in the Rainforest have long been recognized for their therapeutic health value. Now, scientific studies demonstrate the numerous benefits of using these unique botanicals in renewing skin tissues.
Recent discoveries of antioxidant compounds, taspines and other naturally-occurring phytoelements in Rainforest plants set a new standard in natural skin care therapy. These beneficial compounds give us a new natural choice for clear glowing skin that is alive and well nourished.

Superior Antioxidant Protection

Lluvia™ brings you a unique balance of highly effective, skin-soluble antioxidants known to prevent and repair free radical damage. Free radicals are abnormal molecules caused by environmental toxins, stress and the sun’s UV rays. These rogue particles hasten the aging process by attacking and damaging fibroblast cells that produce collagen – the main component of healthy skin tissue. Our superior Rainforest antioxidants provide a powerful defense against free radicals, neutralizing them while helping to boost healthy collagen production in order to slow down and diminish visible signs of aging.

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Lluvia Home Page
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Zamu Now Available

2009-01-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

ZAMU™ IS NOW AVAILABLE!

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