20 Ingredients To Memorize and Avoid In ANY Food You Consume

by Marco Torres | Prevent Disease

Image: www.directlyfitness.com

Artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners have saturated the food supply for more than four decades. We are on the precipice of discovering what our toxic food industry has done to our bodies and our environment. There is a heightened awareness and a sense of caution on the minds of most grocery shoppers, so let’s make it easier for them. Here are 20 of the most common toxic ingredients you must avoid in foods. The discovery of even one of these ingredients on a food label means “stay away.”

This list is by no means all inclusive as there are dozens of other culprits, but these are the most commonly used by the food industry with little regard to consumer’s health.

1. Artificial Flavors
Artificial flavorings are derived from chemicals made in a laboratory and offer absolutely no nutritional value and are a magnet for processed foods. They show up in almost everything today, including bread, cereals, flavored yogurt, soups mixes, and cocktail mixers, so they can be hard to avoid. Every single artificial flavor in the food industry has some kind of detrimental health effect. These include neurotoxicity, organ, developmental, reproductive toxicity and cancer.

2. Enriched Wheat
Wheat is already one of those grains that should be avoided, but the key word to watch out for is ‘enrichment’. That means niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, and iron are added after these and other key nutrients are stripped out in the first place during the refining process. That applies to whether it’s wheat, rye, or other grains. Enriched flour is really just refined flour that has had a few nutrients re-added to it, but not enough to make any food made from this nutritionally worthy.

3. Hydrogentated or Fractionated Oils
Fractionating oil is a process most often used on palm and palm kernel oil that involves heating the oil, then cooling it quickly so that it breaks up into fractions (hence the name). The key thing is that the filtration process separates out most of the liquid part of the oil, leaving a high concentration of solid unhealthy fat behind which is terribly toxic for human consumption.

Hydrogenated oils are oils that are often healthy in their natural state, but are quickly turned into poisons through the manufacturing and processing they undergo. They take these naturally healthy oils such as palm, kernel, soybean, corn oil, canola oil or coconut oil and they heat it anywhere from five hundred to one thousand degrees. They then become fantastic preservatives because all the enzymatic activity in the oil has been neutralized during the hydrogenating process. Hydrogenated oils are the closest thing you can get to plastic sludge running through your body. If you see “hydrogenated” anywhere on an ingredient list, run like the wind.

4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
The food additive “MSG” is a slow poison which hides behind dozens of names, such as natural flavoring, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, caseinate, textured protein, hydrolyzed pea protein and many others. Currently, labeling standards do not require MSG to be listed in the ingredient list of thousands of foods.

MSG is not a nutrient, vitamin, or mineral and has no health benefits. The part of MSG that negatively affects the human body is the “glutamate”, not the sodium. The bound glutamic acid in certain foods (corn, molasses, wheat) is broken down or made “free” by various processes (hydrolyzed, autolyzed, modified or fermented with strong chemicals, bacteria, or enzymes) and refined to a white crystal that resembles sugar.

There are a growing number of Clinicians and Scientists who are convinced that excitotoxins play a critical role in the development of several neurological disorders, including migraines, seizures, infections, abnormal neural development, certain endocrine disorders, specific types of obesity, and especially the neurodegenerative diseases; a group of diseases which includes: ALS, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and olivopontocerebellar degeneration.

5. Sugar
The single largest source of calories for Americans comes from sugar.Sugar is loaded into your soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks, and hidden in almost all processed foods–from bologna to pretzels to Worcestershire sauce to cheese spread. And now most infant formula has the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola, so babies are being metabolically poisoned from day one if taking formula. Sugar changes metabolism, raises blood pressure, critically alters the signaling of hormones and causes significant damage to the liver — the least understood of sugar’s damages. These health hazards largely mirror the effects of drinking too much alcohol, which they point out in their commentary is the distillation of sugar. If it’s not a natural sugar, it doesn’t belong in your food.

6. High Fructose Corn Syrup
A few years ago, the Corn Refiners Association petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow the term ‘corn sugar’ as an alternative label declaration for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The reason? Too many people were finding out how lethal HFCS was for the human body.

HFCS causes insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, increased weight gain, and not to mention manufactured from genetically modified corn.

7. Potassium Benzoate and Sodium Benzoate
Sodium Benzoate can convert into lethal carcinogenic poison when combined with absorbic acid. Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the “power station” of cells known as the mitochondria. “These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether.” he stated.

Potassium benzoate often shows up in seemingly innocuous foods such as apple cider, low-fat salad dressings, syrups, jams, olives, and pickles. It is just as hazardous as Sodium Benzoate so read your labels.

8. Artificial Coloring
Food colorings still on the market are linked with cancer. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food, have been linked to cancer in mice. Red 3, used to dye cherries, fruit cocktail, candy, and baked goods, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3, added to candy and beverages, has been linked to bladder cancer. The widely used yellow 6, added to beverages, sausage, gelatin, baked goods, and candy, has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.

9. Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K, also known as acesulfame potassium, represents one of the food additives used for sweetening aliments and drinks. It is approved by the FDA, but there are several potential problems correlated with consumption of this food additive. Even though there are many studies that attest its safety, acesulfame potassium is still suspected of causing benign thyroid tumors. In rats, the development of such tumors took only 3 months, a period in which the concentration of this additive in the consumed food was between 1 and 5 percent. This is a very short period of time, so the substance is believed to have significant carcinogenic properties. Methylene chloride, a solvent used in the manufacture of acesulfame potassium, is the substance that may give the food additive its potential carcinogenic characteristics.

10. Sucralose
Splenda/sucralose is simply chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon. Common chlorocarbons include carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethelene and methylene chloride, all deadly. Chlorine is nature’s Doberman attack dog, a highly excitable, ferocious atomic element employed as a biocide in bleach, disinfectants, insecticide, WWI poison gas and hydrochloric acid. Chlorocarbons are never nutritionally compatible with our metabolic processes and are wholly incompatible with normal human metabolic functioning. Sucralose is a very common additive in protein mixes and drinks so beware all of you who love to add these into your smoothies.

11. Aspartame
The sale of aspartame, with only four calories per gram and 200 times sweeter than sugar, is sold under the trademarks NutraSweet and Equal. Results indicate that aspartame is a multi-potential carcinogen, even consumed daily at 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. That is a lower quantity than the maximum recommended by the FDA. It’s one reason you should never purchase major brands of chewing gums.

12. BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are used to preserve common household foods. Any processed food that has a long shelf life is often filled with BHA. They are found in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. They are oxidants, which form potentially cancer-causing reactive compounds in your body.

13. Propyl Gallate 
Another preservative, often used in conjunction with BHA and BHT. It is sometimes found in meat products, chicken soup base, and chewing gum. Animals studies have suggested that it could be linked to cancer.

14. Sodium Chloride
A dash of sodium chloride, more commonly known as salt, is the culprit that the mainstream media and medical community claim we should stay away from. They’re right, but only because it’s not real salt. Common table salt (sodium chloride) has almost nothing in common with traditional rock or sea salt. If a food label lists salt, or sodium chloride as an ingredient, that’s the bad stuff and you need to avoid these foods wherever possible.

15. Soy
Although it’s often lauded as a healthy, cholesterol-free, cheap, low-fat protein alternative to meat, soy is NOT a health food. Any foods that list soy in any form as an ingredient should be avoided. Soy protein, soy isolate, and soy oil are present in about 60 percent of the foods on the market and have been shown to impair fertility and affect estrogen in women, lower sex drive, and trigger puberty early in children. Soy can also add to the imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

The only soy products fit for human consumption are fermented and organic and I can guarantee you will never find this type of soy in any processed foods. The majority of soy is GMO and you can’t get around this. Regardless of who I am speaking with, soy is one of those foods I use to gauge the nutritional IQ of others. You would not believe how many health practitioners and even Naturopathic Doctors still think soy is a health food. Please don’t touch this stuff.

16. Corn
We are at the point where all corn products, including fresh corn should be avoided. The percentage of genetically modified corn is just far too high. You will never know if you are actually consuming organic corn. Modified cornstarch, dextrose, maltodextrin, and corn oil should all be avoided. All are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation, cancer, and heart disease. While your body needs both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to perform at its full potential, most experts recommend an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 1:1–currently most Americans consume about 15-20 times more omega-6 acids than omega-3s.

17. Potassium Sorbate
As one of the most prolific preservatives in the food industry, it is difficult to find an ice cream without potassium sorbate. However, it is not only recommended to avoid this chemical, it’s a necessity to eliminate it from our foods. The food industry and its scientists will parrot endless myths that potassium sorbate is not a health threat because of its safety record and non-toxic profile. This could not be further from the truth.

Food and chemical toxicology reports have labeled potassium sorbate as a carcinogen, showing positive mutation results in the cells of mammals. Other studies have shown broad systemic and toxic effects on non-reproductive organs in animals. No long term studies have ever been initiated on either animals or humans, so there is simply not enough evidence to theorize what could happen after years of ingesting this preservative. However, based on short-term carcinogenic and toxic effects, is it worth the risk to find out?

18. Soy Lecithin
Soy Lecithin has been lingering around our food supply for over a century. It is an ingredient in literally hundreds of processed foods, and also sold as an over the counter health food supplement. However, most people don’t realize what soy lecithin actually is, and why the dangers of ingesting this additive far exceed its benefits.

Soybean lecithin comes from sludge left after crude soy oil goes through a “degumming” process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides. The toxic hexane extraction process is what is commonly used in soybean oil manufacture today. Another big problem associated with soy lecithin comes from the origin of the soy itself. Look out for this emulsifier in ice creams, chocolate and many processed creams.

19. Polysorbate 80
Polysorbate 80 has been found to negatively affect the immune system and cause severe anaphylactic shock which can kill. Food and Chemical Toxicology has shown that Polysorbate 80 causes infertility. It accelerates maturing, causes changes to the vagina and womb lining, hormonal changes, ovary deformities and degenerative follicles. What is very suspicious about this ingredient is its addition to vaccines. Scientists are obviously aware of its ability to cause infertility yet it continues to appear in children’s vaccines. You will also commonly find this in a child’s favorite treat, ice cream.

20. Canola oil
Canola or rapeseed oil is poisonous to living things and is an excellent insect repellent. It is an industrial oil, not a food. It is a genetically modified plant designed through intensive breeding and genetic engineering techniques. The Canadian government and industry paid the FDA $50 million dollars to have canola oil placed on the (GRAS) List, “Generally Recognized As Safe”. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find products that do not contain Canola oil. Please do not buy any food product containing canola oil.

Marco Torres is a research specialist, writer and consumer advocate for healthy lifestyles. He holds degrees in Public Health and Environmental Science and is a professional speaker on topics such as disease prevention, environmental toxins and health policy.

Source: RealFarmacy.com via Prevent Disease

Spirulina extract helps your body's natural anti-tumor cells activate

Image: annaliisasorganickitchen.com

(NaturalNews) Researchers have discovered breakthrough advances in antitumor immunotherapy in the wake of an eye-opening study showing how spirulina extract activates natural killer cells to destroy tumors.

What are natural killer cells?

Natural killer cells are the body's rapid responders when cells are under attack from virus or tumor formation. These unique cells can recognize viruses and tumors in the absence of antibodies and signal molecules, making them a potent innate immune system defender. NT cells are also great communicators, regulating interactions with macrophages and dendritic, endothelial and T cells. They possess the unique ability to limit or increase immune responses. Learning how to make these cells work is critical for helping people control inflammation, autoimmune disorders and tumors.

Spirulina extract eliminates tumors by exciting natural killer cell response

In a study from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Hokkaido University in Japan, spirulina extract was found to excite antitumor natural killer cell response.

For their study, the researchers transplanted tumors into a specific species of mice. After orally administering hot water extracts of spirulina to the mice, they watched for molecular signals in the major histocompatibility complex of the mice cells. At first, a sub cell line showed slight expressions of NT response, but as the study furthered, they noticed natural killer cell activation signals going off through expressions of Rae-1, a ligand for NK activation.

With natural killer cells now arriving onto the scene of the tumor-ridden cells, the implanted melanoma slowly regressed, until the natural killer cell defense effectively eliminated the entire tumor.

Molecular communications with in vitro bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells showed further natural killer cell activation properties that were derived from the oral spirulina treatments. Furthermore, through studies of cellular communication, the researchers noted that spirulina enhances NK activation against tumors through one specific pathway in the mice. A specific immune cell also worked in coordination with spirulina to exert synergistic antitumor activity. This BCG cell wall skeleton worked with spirulina to boost IFN gamma production, strengthening antitumor potential. When the two are used simultaneously, natural killer cells increase down the specific MYD88 pathway, creating an antitumor immunotherapy advantage.

Why spirulina is a must-have super food

Spirulina's antitumor capacity is just another credential to its long list of health benefits as a superfood.

Loaded with all eight essential amino acids, B vitamins and antioxidants like zeaxanthin and beta carotene, spirulina is indeed an immune system booster. With essential fatty acids like linolenic acid and probiotic strains, it's no wonder why tumors cannot coexist with spirulina.

Full of chlorophyll and phycocyanin, spirulina is also a potent blood purifier, helping transport oxygen to cells, as it promotes blood cell growth and rejuvenation to the body's existing supply.

Spirulina also helps detoxify the body in a major way, moving out metals like mercury, arsenic and cadmium that can accumulate in the soft tissues and compete with minerals like calcium for absorption.

As spirulina moves the bad out of the body, letting the good in, it is indeed a miracle in itself, also containing nearly 70 percent protein - more than any other food yet discovered. Daily consumption of this blue green algae leads to an influx of life-giving phytonutrients that promote mental clarity, energy and stamina in times of mental and emotional stress.

Tell your doctor that spirulina helps kill tumors

There really isn't a reason not to consume this wonderful algae. As scientists begin to understand spirulina's immunotherapy benefits, including its ability to eliminate tumors, how long will it be before the medical establishments puts down their radiation equipment and starts attacking cancer at its roots?

As a matter of fact, now is a great time to stop running around in pink ribbons, pink shirts, slogans and pink underwear. It's time to start standing up to the cancer industry. Talk to your doctor, your friends, your family about the antitumor, natural killer cell-stimulating properties of the nutrient-dense, blue green algae called spirulina.

Sources for this article include:

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://science.naturalnews.com/

Article source: naturalnews.com

Meat scrap leftovers now being reprocessed into ice cream: The dismal future of food

Image: Raw for Beauty

(NaturalNews)There appears to be no limit to how far the processed food industry will go to maximize its profits, even if it means reprocessing animal meat waste and adding it to completely unrelated foods like ice cream. This is the latest endeavor by industrial food researchers in Italy, Belgium, and elsewhere, who are right now developing novel methods to turn meat industry leftovers into protein-rich powders and slurry for the factory food industry.

As disgusting as it sounds, unused muscle tissue, tendons, bones, and other animal byproducts are loaded with proteins and fats that typically end up in landfills. According to FoodProcessing.com, up to 50 percent of the animal weight processed by the meat industry is composted, discarded, or incinerated. But modern science is hoping to basically recycle this waste and turn it back into food.

But this so-called food will not be recognizable as its own entity, at least not in the traditional sense. All those bones, meat trimmings, and poultry leftovers can effectively be converted into what the food industry has dubbed “animal protein hydrolysates.” These hydrolysates are basically liquified or powdered protein and fat blends that can be added to all sorts of other processed foods to boost their overall nutritional content.

‘Pink slime’-type animal gruel to be added to processed foods

Sure, various types of hydrolysates are already added to some processed foods currently on the market. But these hydrolysates are typically made from plants or milk, while the new animal protein hydrolysates are derived from actual animal flesh and bone, which puts them in a whole different league. Hydrolyzed whey protein, for instance, is merely derived from the whey of animal milk. But animal protein hydrolysates are essentially ground up and enzymatically processed animal flesh – recall an image of the infamous “pink slime” and you will get an accurate idea of what we are talking about here.

“It appears that the lipid-rich bonanza of ‘disused’ reject animal bits can easily be turned into a nutritious gunge, paste or gel of some type, apparently ideal for pumping by the [hecatombe] into processed foods such as ice cream,” writes Lewis Page facetiously for The Register about the concept.

“Despite the heroic efforts of the meat biz, in which every particle of jelly and gristle may be jetwashed out of the spinal column of a dead animal for later consumption – perhaps in sausage, pie or meat-paste format – and (as we have lately learned) the odd shortcut may be taken with respect to any dead horses that might be lying about, nonetheless huge tonnages of less-attractive meaty nourishment such as guts, eyes, tendons, cartilage, other connective tissue of various kinds, brains, hooves, genitals, etc. etc. all tend to go to waste.”

Industrial food processors claim reusing animal waste is ‘adding value’ to food

To the food industry, though, turning animal waste into food will add value to foods that might be lacking in nutrition. Belgium-based Proliver, for example, already manufactures a lined of chicken- and turkey-based “protein powders” that can apparently be injected into other meat products and used to thicken or enrich other foods: http://www.proliver.be/nl/home-1.htm
A Russian company has openly admitted that it plans to use animal protein hydrolysates to “enrich” ice cream. According to reports, the company, known as Mobitek-M, has already constructed a manufacturing plant in the Belgorod region of Russia that is capable of processing one hundred tons of “functional animal protein” per day.

Source: Raw For Beauty via Natural News

Sign this petition to ban GMOs and all other toxins from our food supply!

Image: bloginfo.educate-yourself.eu

Ban ALL Hazardous Food Additives, Ban GMOs and whole truths on food labels. Sign the petition here.

The FDA needs to do a widespread nationwide ban on many harmful food chemical additives that are making us all sick including:

- MSG (monosodium glutamate) a neurotoxin that negatively affects the brain and nervous system and can cause brain cancer.
- High Fructose Corn Syrup. Possible leading cause of diabetes.
- Aspartame (a.k.a. Equal) another neurotoxin that can cause brain cancer and turns into deadly formaldehyde just after it’s ingested and reaches around 86°F in the body;  the same undertaker’s embalming formaldehyde use to preserve dead bodies before burial.
- rBST harmful growth hormones injected into dairy cattle that gets into the milk supply
- Wheat Gluten.
- Trans Fat.
- Yeast Extract which is at least 60% MSG.
- Fluoride in our drinking water, toothpaste and in oral rinses. Fluoride is equally toxic as lead and has killed people. It does little to no good preventing cavities and it needs to be banned completely.
- 100% complete ban on all planting, growing, harvesting and consumption of all Genetically Modified plants as well as banning GMO living animals such as genetically altered catfish etc.

The mentioned harmful additives are the cause of a variety of cancers and are also the cause of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and neurological diseases like MS.

We also need the whole truths in food labels as well. If the front of the label says the product is All Natural and MSG free it cannot contain yeast extract which is at 60% MSG. I just seen this on a can of chicken broth made by a major manufacturer. There are many dozens of other food companies out there that do the same.

People are constantly getting sick and now they are totally outraged because the FDA has not taken action. The American people deserve a lot better and are demanding a sweeping change to eat much better healthier highly nutritious nontoxic food than this highly toxic GMO crap currently available in the grocery stores today.

You the FDA, must make these sweeping bold changes and BAN these highly toxic additives and GMOs plus tell the food companies that they cannot print bold face lies on their labels any longer. This must be done NOW!

Sign the petition here: http://www.change.org/petitions/fda-ban-all-toxic-food-additives-ban-gmos-and-whole-truths-on-food-labels-now

4 ways to remove fluoride from tap water

Natural Cures Not Medicine

Image: infowars.com

Fluoride has a dubious history starting with the mass fluoridation of people under Nazi rule. In recent years, there has been a push to remove fluoride from the tap water in the US, behind most European countries which have already removed the poisonous chemical from their water supplies.

Most politicians erroneously support fluoridation due to heavy lobbying in favor of the chemical, but more and more activists and consumers are making a stand for their water supply. It may only be a few years until we totally eradicate this twisted fluoridation scheme, but here is one way to remove fluoride and 99.9% of all other contaminants from your tap water: Distillation.

Once you are aware of the negative impact of fluoride on your health—and especially if you live in an area where the water is fluoridated—you will have to decide what to do about it. To complicate matters, fluoride is absorbed through the skin, and by inhalation. Showering and bathing in fluoridated water is also a problem. Fluoride is actually more dangerous when absorbed through the skin and/or lungs because it enters the bloodstream more easily, bypassing the gut where it binds with minerals from food.  When it is not feasible to remove the fluoride from your entire water supply, limiting time in the shower or bath and reducing the temperature of the water helps minimize the amount of fluoride absorbed.

To top it all off, fluoride is difficult to remove from water. Most water filter sales literature avoids the subject. When buying a water filter, you may be comforted by reading that the system you are purchasing removes 95 to 99% of contaminants, but if it does not specifically state that it removes fluoride, you can bet it doesn’t. Fluoride is a very small ion (atomic number 9). It cannot be “filtered” out of water.  At this time, fluoride removal is limited to four main methods discussed below.

How do I get the fluoride out of my water?

1 . Distillation
Distillation is capable of removing just about anything (except volatile compounds) from water.  If you have a distiller, you can remove fluoride. The obvious drawback to distillation is that the process is time and energy consumptive. Distillation also leaves the resulting water empty and lifeless. If you use distilled water you need to add minerals (salts) back to the water. (Read about salt and full-spectrum living water).  You should also consider structuring and energetically enhancing distilled water (returning the life force) using any of the methods in Chapters 11 and 12 of Dancing with Water. (Read about water’s liquid crystalline structure).

Here's a video from our previous post about distilling water to remove fluoride from tap water:


2.  Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (RO) represents a reverse of normal osmotic processes. It relies on pressure and a semi-permeable membrane to remove contaminants from water. RO can remove between 90 and 95% of fluoride (depending on the efficiency of the system and depending on how well the system is maintained). Contaminants are trapped by the RO membrane and flushed away in the waste water. The process requires between 2 and 4 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of RO water (depending on the quality of the water and the efficiency of the RO unit). Source water with an abundance of contaminants (including hard water) can reduce the efficiency of an RO system and it can shorten the life of the membrane.

Similar to distillation, RO has a good track record for removing almost everything from water. Quality RO systems include pre-filters to remove VOCs (volatile organic compounds), heavy metals, hard water minerals, and other contaminants that reduce the life of RO membranes. And similar to distillation, RO leaves water empty and lifeless. The addition of salts and the re-introduction of life force are necessary to bring RO water back to energetic compatibility with the human body.

3.  Activated alumina
Fluoride is strongly attracted to activated alumina (corundum/aluminum oxide) which has a large surface area with a huge array of tunnel-like pores. For this reason, activated alumina is the most commonly used fluoride removal media today. When used properly, it can remove up to 98% of the fluoride in water while also removing arsenic. The challenges with activated alumina are many. First of all, since the process works by ion exchange, the water must remain in contact with the media for an extended period of time—long enough for the fluoride to be adsorbed by the media. When the flow rate is faster than ¼ gallon/minute, there is not enough time to adsorb all the fluoride in the water. Another difficulty with activated alumina is that the media becomes saturated with fluoride. Depending on the amount of media in the system (how large the filter is) and on the amount of fluoride in the water, systems using activated alumina either need to be recharged or replaced often. The last difficulty with activated alumina is that aluminum is released into the treated water. This effectively trades one problem for another. Some systems address this; others do not.

There are many point-of-use filters that claim to remove fluoride using activated alumina. The problem with most of these systems is that they only work for a short period of time (usually far less than claimed) before they become saturated. The other difficulty is that point-of-use systems do not slow the flow rate enough to provide adequate time for adsorption.  Recent testing of a variety of these filters revealed that few functioned as claimed for more than a few weeks.  Unless the activated alumina can be cleaned and recharged or replaced regularly, and unless the flow rate is slow enough to allow time for adsorption, activated alumina may not be what you are looking for.

There are some “tank” type fluoride removal systems that are capable of working for many years with a backwashing and recharging cycle and an occasional topping off of the media. These systems are often used to remove fluoride from the whole home. Many consisder them the answer to the fluoride problem. They are not. The drawback to this type of system is an environmental problem. Caustic chemicals are required to backwash (sodium hydroxide) and to recharge (sulphuric acid) the media—chemicals that end up in the waste water. And when these “tanks” are eventually replaced, they end up in a landfill, loaded with fluoride, arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmuim.

4.  BC-Carbon
Bone-Char (BC) Carbon has been used for centuries to remove naturally-occurring fluoride from water. It works similar to the way bones in the human body attract fluoride.  Bone contains a porous matrix that is rich in surface ions. These can be readily replaced by fluoride and by some of the other contaminants that arrive along with fluoride (heavy metals).  Bone char effectively removes a number of contaminants.

When used alone, BC-Carbon can remove up to 90% of the fluoride in water. The efficiency of bone char can be improved by adding pre-filters that remove heavy metals and other contaminants before exposure to the BC-carbon. Bone char works best at a slightly acidic pH and may not work as well with hard water. This medium is being successfully incorporated in many systems where cartridges can be replaced as the media becomes saturated. But this method is also not without problems. Obviously, bone char is an organic medium. Medical grade bone char is important to ensure that the bone char itself is clean.

Sources: Natural Cures Not Medicine & dancingwithwater.com

WARNING: Food labeled 'all natural' are likely made with GMOs

Food Babe

As a consumer, it’s shocking to find out 100% all natural products can be chock full of GMOs.

I used to eat a lot of Lean Cuisine frozen meals back in the day. I was right out of college and wanted quick, easy and calorie controlled dinners I could have after work, which would take zero effort after my long days as a management consultant. All my girlfriends were doing it, we’d share with each other which new flavors were the best and talk about how low the calorie count was. I’d pop that sucker right into the microwave, in it’s plastic wrapping and bowl and have (what I thought at the time) a decent ready to eat meal that was healthy and “lean”.

Image: FoodBabe.com

Oh boy those were the days! This was a time period in my life where I was easily fooled by deceptive marketing I saw in persuasive, too-good-to-be-true messaging in commercials and on packages. I knew basically nothing about real food, GMOs, or chemically processed ingredients and I was sick.
Some say ignorance is bliss, considering all the alarming information there is to know about food these days and products to watch out for. But let me ask you, do you call living with chronic illnesses (asthma, allergies, endometriosis, and eczema) and being on several prescription drugs in your 20’s, bliss?

That’s why when I saw the recent commercial for the new Lean Cuisine meals called “honestly good” with the words “100% all natural” slapped on the package, I had to investigate. These meals promise all whole foods with whole grains, but when you look at the ingredient list, they have ingredients from the top 4 genetically engineered crops (corn, canola, soy and sugar beets). How can they call this product natural? Are they truly sourcing natural ingredients that aren’t developed in a laboratory? Well, I wanted to find out, so I called the headquarters.

Watch the video below to find out what happens. You’ll be shocked at the information and website the customer service agent directs me to learn about GMOs.


The customer service representative confirmed that there is a 70-80% likelihood that any and all Lean Cuisine products (including this Honestly Good line) contain GMOs and could not guarantee their product labeled 100% natural is free of GMOs. They also directed me to a website that was created by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) that is funded by Big Food, and Biotech companies like Monsanto. These are the same companies giving millions and millions of dollars to stop GMO labeling. This makes me wonder how many customer service representatives are instructed by their employers (BIG food companies) to spread this mass misinformation campaign to consumers. It’s absolutely atrocious.

As you can see below, the entire list of ingredients for each flavor has suspected GMOs – but for some reason (you can thank the FDA for the lack of regulation) they are allowed to put not just “all natural “– but “100% all natural” on the label.

Lean Cuisine sources their ingredients “domestically when possible.” It’s startling to see how many potential GMO ingredients there are in their new product line.

How are companies getting away with labeling an entire product line 100% all natural and still using GMOs?! Well, they are not exactly getting away with this. Even though the FDA does not have a strict definition around what natural means, these companies are being sued left and right because they are misleading the consumer with false advertising and claims.

The proof is in the labeling

Image: FoodBabe.com

Labeling a product 100% all natural and not being able to verify it (see video above), is extremely unfair to the consumer. This is fraudulent and irresponsible marketing that Lean Cuisine and parent company Nestle need to be held accountable for.

How long do you think it will be before Nestle/Lean Cuisine joins the ranks of General Mills (Nature Valley GranolaBars), Conagra (Wesson Oil), Pepsi (Naked Juice), Frito-Lay (Tostitos and Sun Chips), Kashi (Cereal),Barbara’s Bakery (Cereal), Pepperidge Farm (Gold Fish), etc? All of these companies have been or being sued for mislabeling their products as “all natural” when really their products contain synthetic material or GMOs.

Contact Lean Cuisine and tell them what you think at 1-800-993-8625 or facebook message them.

GMOs increases the use of toxic chemicals in our environment, kill bees and are linked to cancer, allergies and autoimmune disorders in animal studies.

To avoid GMOs, choose products with the USDA Organic Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified labels and remember, 100% natural does not equal GMO free. Review the product list above and see the items listed in red, if the product is conventional or marked natural, it likely contains GMOs. One of the most unsuspecting ingredients is “sugar” that comes from GMO sugar beets (unless listed as cane sugar) and “natural flavor” that usually starts with a base of GMO corn (and can also contain beaver anal secretions – ewwww!). Also, hidden GMOs can be found in any meat product that is labeled “all natural” because it is likely raised with GMO feed. Here’s a full list of common GMO ingredients.

If you know someone who’s buying “natural” products or perhaps eating Lean Cuisine or other frozen meals, share this video and information with them. We all need to spread the truth.

P.S. If you’d like to take further action, please sign the Organic Consumers Association’s petition that asks the FDA to reserve “natural” claims for foods that are produced without the use of genetic engineering.
Since the FDA is asleep at the wheel, any lawyers out there want to take this on?

GMOs are not found in nature! The DNA has been altered in a laboratory.

Source: foodbabe.com

How to grow the miracle herb turmeric at home

Some of the health benefits of turmeric include:

Image: www.gather.com

-Helps prevent gas
-Helps prevent cancer
-Natural Antibiotic
-Aids in weight management
-Natural antiseptic
-Reduces the side effects of chemo
-Natural analgesic

Se more health benefits of turmeric that we have posted about here.

Here is a good video that shows you how to easily plant this miracle herb so you can have it around all the time. Growing you own is the best way to ensure that your food (or medicine) is organic, fresh and packed with the most nutritional value.

Science Confirms Turmeric More Effective than 14 Different Pharmaceutical Drugs

Image: delicioushappens.com

by Sayer Ji | greenmedinfo.com

Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today.  Its medicinal properties and , and acquired either as a retail item or with 200 GMI-tokens, for those of you who are already are members and receive them automatically each month.
Downloadable Turmeric Document page
components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies.  In fact, our five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial physiological effects. This entire database of 1,585 ncbi-hyperlinked turmeric abstracts can be downloaded as a PDF at our

Related: How to grow turmeric at home

Given the sheer density of research performed on this remarkable spice, it is no wonder that a growing number of studies have concluded that it compares favorably to a variety of conventional medications, including:

Lipitor/Atorvastatin(cholesterol medication): A 2008 study published in the journal Drugs in R & D found that a standardized preparation of curcuminoids from Turmeric compared favorably to the drug atorvastatin (trade name Lipitor) on endothelial dysfunction, the underlying pathology of the blood vessels that drives atherosclerosis, in association with reductions in inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetic patients. [i]  [For addition curcumin and 'high cholesterol' research – 8 abstracts]

Corticosteroids (steroid medications): A 1999 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, the saffron colored pigment known as curcumin, compared favorably to steroids in the management of chronic anterior uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease.[ii]  A 2008 study published in Critical Care Medicine found that curcumin compared favorably to the corticosteroid drug dexamethasone in the animal model as an alternative therapy for protecting lung transplantation-associated injury by down-regulating inflammatory genes.[iii] An earlier 2003 study published in Cancer Letters found the same drug also compared favorably to dexamethasone in a lung ischaemia-repurfusion injury model.[iv]  [for additional curcumin and inflammation research – 52 abstracts]

Prozac/Fluoxetine & Imipramine  (antidepressants): A 2011 study published in the journal Acta Poloniae Pharmaceutica found that curcumin compared favorably to both drugs in reducing depressive behavior in an animal model.[v] [for additional curcumin and depression research – 5 abstracts]
Aspirin (blood thinner): A 1986 in vitro and ex vivo study published in the journal Arzneimittelforschung found that curcumin has anti-platelet and prostacyclin modulating effects compared to aspirin, indicating it may have value in patients prone to vascular thrombosis and requiring anti-arthritis therapy.[vi]  [for additional curcumin and anti-platelet research]

Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A 2004 study published in the journal Oncogene found that curcumin (as well as resveratrol) were effective alternatives to the drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, sulindac, phenylbutazone, naproxen, indomethacin, diclofenac, dexamethasone, celecoxib, and tamoxifen in exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity against tumor cells.[vii] [for additional curcumin and anti-proliferative research – 15 abstracts]

Oxaliplatin (chemotherapy drug): A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that curcumin compares favorably with oxaliplatin as an antiproliferative agenet in colorectal cell lines.[viii] [for additional curcumin and colorectal cancer research – 52 abstracts]

Metformin (diabetes drug): A 2009 study published in the journal Biochemitry and Biophysical Research Community explored how curcumin might be valuable in treating diabetes, finding that it activates AMPK (which increases glucose uptake) and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression  (which suppresses glucose production in the liver) in hepatoma cells. Interestingly, they found curcumin to be 500 times to 100,000 times (in the form known as tetrahydrocurcuminoids(THC)) more potent than metformin in activating AMPK and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). [ix]

Continue reading at greenmedinfo.com

Citations:

[i] P Usharani, A A Mateen, M U R Naidu, Y S N Raju, Naval Chandra. Effect of NCB-02, atorvastatin and placebo on endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, 8-week study. Drugs R D. 2008;9(4):243-50. PMID: 18588355
[ii] B Lal, A K Kapoor, O P Asthana, P K Agrawal, R Prasad, P Kumar, R C Srimal. Efficacy of curcumin in the management of chronic anterior uveitis. Phytother Res. 1999 Jun;13(4):318-22. PMID: 10404539
[iii] Jiayuan Sun, Weigang Guo, Yong Ben, Jinjun Jiang, Changjun Tan, Zude Xu, Xiangdong Wang, Chunxue Bai. Preventive effects of curcumin and dexamethasone on lung transplantation-associated lung injury in rats. Crit Care Med. 2008 Apr;36(4):1205-13. PMID: 18379247
[iv] J Sun, D Yang, S Li, Z Xu, X Wang, C Bai. Effects of curcumin or dexamethasone on lung ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats. Cancer Lett. 2003 Mar 31;192(2):145-9. PMID: 18799504
[v] Jayesh Sanmukhani, Ashish Anovadiya, Chandrabhanu B Tripathi. Evaluation of antidepressant like activity of curcumin and its combination with fluoxetine and imipramine: an acute and chronic study. Acta Pol Pharm. 2011 Sep-Oct;68(5):769-75. PMID: 21928724
[vi] R Srivastava, V Puri, R C Srimal, B N Dhawan. Effect of curcumin on platelet aggregation and vascular prostacyclin synthesis. Arzneimittelforschung. 1986 Apr;36(4):715-7. PMID: 3521617
[vii] Yasunari Takada, Anjana Bhardwaj, Pravin Potdar, Bharat B Aggarwal. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents differ in their ability to suppress NF-kappaB activation, inhibition of expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and cyclin D1, and abrogation of tumor cell proliferation. Oncogene. 2004 Dec 9;23(57):9247-58. PMID: 15489888
[viii] Lynne M Howells, Anita Mitra, Margaret M Manson. Comparison of oxaliplatin- and curcumin-mediated antiproliferative effects in colorectal cell lines. Int J Cancer. 2007 Jul 1;121(1):175-83. PMID: 17330230
[ix] Teayoun Kim, Jessica Davis, Albert J Zhang, Xiaoming He, Suresh T Mathews. Curcumin activates AMPK and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression in hepatoma cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Oct 16;388(2):377-82. Epub 2009 Aug 8. PMID: 19665995
[x] GreenMedInfo.com, Curcumin Kills Drug Resistant Cancers, 54 Abstracts
[xi] GreenMedInfo.com, Curcumin Kills Multi-Drug Resistant Cancers: 27 Abstracts.

How to regrow ginger at home from scraps you bought at the grocery store

Used for thousands of years in the far east, ginger tastes amazing and heals throughout the body! Ginger has multiple natural healing properties including but not limited to:

Heartburn:  Tea infused with fresh ginger has been known to be an effective treatment for heartburn.

Ovarian cancer:  A study out of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that the powder of ginger can trigger apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in ovarian cancer cells.

Women's health:  Again, ginger tea to the rescue!  If you are suffering from menstrual cramps, male some tea infused with ginger and add a bit of brown sugar to find natural relief.

Learn more about health benefits of ginger that we have written about here: Health benefits of ginger

Growing ginger at home has multiple upsides, including it being fresher and organic, not to mention saves you money. How to regrow ginger from scraps: 

Plant a small chunk off of your piece of ginger in potting soil with the newest buds facing up. Ginger enjoys non-direct sunlight in a warm moist environment. Before long, it will begin to regrow shoots and roots. Once the plant is established and you’re ready to harvest, pull up the whole plant, including the roots. Remove a piece of the ginger, and re-plant it to repeat the growing process.

Here is a good video on replanting ginger:

Top 10 Most Effective Detox Tips

Carly Fraser | Live Love Fruit

Image: healthybliss.net

Although our top detoxing organs like the liver, kidneys, and intestines help remove toxins, they sometimes need a little help. With the increase in toxic agents polluting the earth (be it in our food, air, water, household products or personal products), our organs become overwhelmed and eventually fail to function at their most optimal level. Living without toxic buildup is pretty much impossible, and this is why our bodies have been so brilliantly blessed with these amazing detox organs!

When our detox organs are compromised, we may start to feel overly tired, get sick more often or develop diseases and illnesses that can’t be explained otherwise. Free radicals from toxins build up in the body over time and can physically affect both the structure and function of cells, leading to a myriad of health problems. Fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, premature aging, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, skin conditions, arthritis, cancer, food allergies/intolerances are all signs that your body is suffering from toxic buildup.

Here are some simple, easy ways to help your body with the detox process and prevent toxic buildup.

1. Drink 1 litre of lemon water upon waking
Lemon water in the morning is an incredibly efficient way to flush out toxins. Sleep is the time the body can undergo repair and detoxification. Upon waking, making sure you drink at least 1 litre of water (especially with added lemon) takes the buildup of these toxins and flushes them out. Why add lemon? The lemon acts as a natural diuretic, which means that is helps flush out unwanted materials by increasing the rate of urination in the body. It will also help boost your immune system, balance your pH, help with weight loss, aid in digestion and hydrate your lymphatic system.

2. Can’t read it? Don’t eat it!
Eating heavily processed foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce is a sure way to increase toxic build-up in the body. If you can’t read the ingredients on labels, then put it back on the shelf and don’t think about buying it! Staying away from anything packaged (bottled, canned, boxed) is an easy way to avoid this issue altogether.

3. Become a friend to mono-meals
Mono-meals (eating one food item at a time – for example, just eating watermelon in the morning, or just eating oranges for a meal) are a wonderful way to speed up digestion and prevent unnecessary processing of different food groups in our intestine. When we overload our digestive tract with a variety of different foods, we become slowed down and tired – this also puts more stress and work involved in our organs which could otherwise use a break every once in awhile by eating more simply.

4. Boost your health with herbs
Dandelion, black walnut, cilantro, worm wood, milk thistle – the list goes on! These helpful herbs have been used for centuries to cleanse the various detox organs and systems of the body. They are known across many cultures to help with various ailments and health issues. Dandelion, for example supports bile production. Bile helps transport toxins out of the body, and prevents toxic buildup.

5. Eliminate animal products
If you want to truly get deep down into the detox process, you should eliminate all animal-based food products from your diet (this includes meat (fish, red meat & white meat), eggs, and dairy). Animal products produce an acidic state in the body which leaves acid residues in the blood and tissues. Animal products also produce highly putrefactive protein waste in the bowels. Cancer cells thrive on animal products (due to their highly acidic state in the body), and can rapidly multiply in this pH level.

In addition, animal products require an incredible amount of energy and enzyme power to digest and assimilate (much more than fruit and vegetables). When the body is focused on processing and digesting food, it cannot spare extra energy to go toward cleansing and repairing itself. Dumping animal products altogether will give your body more energy to focus on detoxing and repairing instead of digesting all the time.

6. Get your blood pumping
It is very beneficial to get sufficient exercise every day to help your body sweat out toxins and to keep your lymphatic system flowing. Exercising also helps burn fat (especially when you hit the higher intensity forms of exercise like high intensity interval training), and fat tends to hold onto toxins the firmest – allowing your body to shed fat is also helping it expel and clean out toxic waste.

7. Get in tune with nature
Spending time in nature is crucial! Even if you get to make it out to the park with trees and grass (or snow) a couple times a week will help ground yourself so you feel more alive! I personally try to go into a nearby forest a couple times a week and since I have been doing this I have felt an overall sense of calmness and serenity. I feel incredibly at home when I am surrounded by nature. What does going into nature have to do with detox? When we are stressed, free radicals are formed, and free radicals can be viewed as a form of toxin. Nature is simply a way to de-stress, connect with mother earth, and feel at one with the beauty of the natural world.

8. Drink more water
Why is water important to detox? If we are not properly hydrated, then our cells will draw water from the bloodstream and thus can put major pressure on the heart and vasculature in the body. Even mild dehydration prevents the kidneys from properly purifying the blood. When the kidneys aren’t functioning, then the workload on other detox organs like the liver and gallbladder become stronger, and can caused them to become severely stressed. Then health problems begin to develop (constipation, skin conditions, nosebleeds, UTIs, sinus problems, headaches) and symptoms may be wrongly attributed to something non-related.

Drinking at least 3-4L of water daily will dramatically improve your health and overall state of mind. You will digest your food better, your joints will ache less, you will lose weight and have better immunity. Water stimulates the kidneys, liver and digestive system and will in turn accelerate toxin and fat elimination.

9. Focus on raw fruit and vegetables
This point is a given – eating more raw fruit and vegetables will make you shine! The fibre in plant matter helps push out built-up waste matter in the colon (which is filled with toxins, and constantly gets re-absorbed back into the blood stream if not eliminated). Not only that, but the antioxidants in fruit and vegetables help combat free radicals in the body and helps the elimination organs with their job. Consuming fruit and vegetables in their raw state also makes the enzymes and nutrients more bio-available in your body, helping you become vitamin or mineral deficient-free. Vegetables and fruit are very easily digestible too, meaning that your body can put more energy toward expelling toxins, and repairing our cells and tissues.

10. Practice slowing down & breathing
Slowing down and appreciating the small things in life are crucial to attain a calm state of mind and reduce stress levels. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is especially important when cleansing/detoxing. It is also simple to attain this every day – take 10-15 minutes a day to sit with yourself and breathe. Focus on your breaths, and clear the mind. Free radicals are formed when we are stressed, so slowing down, breathing, practicing to be present and meditating are great practices to help calm and nourish your body.

Source: http://livelovefruit.com/2013/10/top-10-detox-tips/

7 Natural Alternatives that are Better than Drugs for Health and Healing

by Sayer Ji | GreenMedInfo

Image: commons.wikimedia.org

It is quite easy to get caught up in the allopathic model of treating surface symptoms, albeit naturally.  This
'natural allopathy,' if you will, entices people to look for 'natural cure' shortcuts and Band-Aids instead of address the deeper issues associated with avoiding, limiting and addressing environmental exposures, reducing stress, and improving diet and exercise, for instance. In a culture that pops hundreds of millions of doses of drugs and supplements on a daily basis, it is increasingly difficult to break free from the powerful psychological pull to ingest something -- be it a natural or synthetic "magic pill"; its effects real or imagined -- instead of address the underlying problems.

This is also why part of our project is to identify peer-reviewed published research from biomedical journals indicating that there are therapeutic actions, from walking to yoga, dietary changes to exercising, that are at least as effective and often superior to conventional drug-based treatments.

So, here is a good smattering of data that edifies the notion that sometimes, we do not need to "take anything" to stimulate our body's innate self-healing abilities, as non-invasive therapies – including doing nothing (i.e. watchful waiting) -- can accomplish favorable results:

Colored light versus Benzyl peroxide for Acne: A combination of blue and red light irradiation therapy was found superior to 5% benzoyl peroxide in treating acne vulgaris without side effects. [i] Another study found blue light irradiation therapy alone as effective as 5% benzyl peroxide in the treatment of acne, but with fewer side effects.[ii]

Dietary changes versus Drug Treatment for Hypertension: A high fiber, low sodium, low fat diet is superior to the beta-blocker drug metoprolol in hypertensive type 2 diabetic subjects. [iii]

Acupuncture and moxibustion versus pharmaceutical treatment for Sudden Deafness: Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy was found to be superior in treating sudden deafness as compared with the routine drug-based therapy.[iv]

Acupuncture versus Drug Treatment for treating Migraines: Acupuncture treatment exhibited greater effectiveness than drug therapy with flunarizine in the first months of therapy for migraine and with superior tolerability.[v]

Dietary changes versus high-dose steroid for Crohn's disease: An elemental diet is as effective as high dose steroid treatment in improving Crohn's disease activity in children, while superior in supporting the growth of the children.[vi] Two additional studies found similar results in adults with mild-to-moderately active Crohn's disease.[vii] [viii]

Aromatherapy massage versus Tylenol for Menstrual Pain: Aromatherapy massage on the abdomen was found superior to Tylenol for alleviating menstrual pain in high school girls.[ix]

Hypnosis versus Valium for Anxiety: Hypnosis during embryo transfer is as effective as diazepam in terms of pregnancy ratio and anxiolytic effects, but with fewer side effects.[x]

Yoga technique versus Antidepressant Drug for Depression: Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (a rhythmic breathing technique) was found superior to the drug imipramine in the treatment of depression.[xi]
Yogic intervention versus Drug treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Yogic intervention consisting of poses and breathing exercises was found superior to conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant IBS.[xii]

Foot Reflexology versus Drug treatment for Insomnia: Foot reflexology (Wooden needle technique) was found superior to the drug Alprazolam in the treatment of insomnia.[xiii]

Watchful waiting versus Drug treatment for childhood Ear Infection: Watchful waiting compares favorably to immediate antibiotic treatment for some children with non-severe acute otitis media.[xiv]

This sampling reflects only a minor subset of data within our Therapeutic Actions index, one of six databases on the GreenMedInfo.com open access site.  Presently, we have 216 distinct actions indexed, which can be viewed on our Therapeutic Actions Display Page. You may be surprised how simple conscious acts such as chewing your food thoroughly, laughing or a walk in the forest can produce healing responses within the human body.

Article source: greenmedinfo.com

Citations: 

[i] P Papageorgiou, A Katsambas, A Chu. Phototherapy with blue (415 nm) and red (660 nm) light in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Br J Dermatol. 2000 May;142(5):973-8. PMID: 10809858
[ii] Lúcia H F de Arruda, Vanessa Kodani, Antonio Bastos Filho, Carla Bassanezi Mazzaro. [A prospective, randomized, open and comparative study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of blue light treatment versus a topical benzoyl peroxide 5% formulation in patients with acne grade II and III]. An Bras Dermatol. 2009 Oct;84(5):463-8. PMID: 20098847

[iii] P J Pacy, P M Dodson, A J Kubicki, R F Fletcher, K G Taylor. Comparison of the hypotensive and metabolic effects of metoprolol therapy with a high fibre, low sodium, low fat diet in hypertensive type 2 diabetic subjects. Diabetes Res. 1984 Nov;1(4):201-7. PMID: 6099231

[iv] Xin-hua Fan, Ya-nan Ding, Xiang-hui Chang, Yu-lu Ouyang, Qiang Xie. [Comparative observation on acupuncture-moxibustion and western medication for treatment of sudden deafness]. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003 Jan;180(1):263-9. PMID: 20942277

[v] Gianni Allais, Cristina De Lorenzo, Piero E Quirico, Gisella Airola, Giampiero Tolardo, Ornella Mana, Chiara Benedetto. Acupuncture in the prophylactic treatment of migraine without aura: a comparison with flunarizine. Bone. 2009 Nov 26. PMID: 12390610

[vi] I R Sanderson, S Udeen, P S Davies, M O Savage, J A Walker-Smith. Remission induced by an elemental diet in small bowel Crohn's disease. Arch Dis Child. 1987 Feb;62(2):123-7. PMID: 3548602

[vii] M Okada, T Yao, T Yamamoto, K Takenaka, K Imamura, K Maeda, K Fujita. Controlled trial comparing an elemental diet with prednisolone in the treatment of active Crohn's disease. Hepatogastroenterology. 1990 Feb;37(1):72-80. PMID: 2179093

[viii] G Zoli, M Carè, M Parazza, C Spanò, P L Biagi, M Bernardi, G Gasbarrini. A randomized controlled study comparing elemental diet and steroid treatment in Crohn's disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1997 Aug;11(4):735-40. PMID: 9305483

[ix] Myung-Haeng Hur, Myeong Soo Lee, Ka-Yeon Seong, Mi-Kyoung Lee. Aromatherapy massage on the abdomen for alleviating menstrual pain in high school girls: a preliminary controlled clinical study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012 ;2012:187163. Epub 2011 Sep 22. PMID: 21949670

[x] Patrick Catoire, Laurent Delaunay, Thomas Dannappel, Dominique Baracchini, Sabine Marcadet-Fredet, Olivier Moreau, Luc Pacaud, Daniel Przyrowski, Emmanuel Marret. Hypnosis versus diazepam for embryo transfer: a randomized controlled study. Am J Clin Hypn. 2013 Apr ;55(4):378-86. PMID: 23724572

[xi] N Janakiramaiah, B N Gangadhar, P J Naga Venkatesha Murthy, M G Harish, D K Subbakrishna, A Vedamurthachar. Antidepressant efficacy of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) in melancholia: a randomized comparison with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and imipramine. J Affect Disord. 2000 Jan-Mar;57(1-3):255-9. PMID: 10708840

[xii] Indu Taneja, K K Deepak, G Poojary, I N Acharya, R M Pandey, M P Sharma. Yogic versus conventional treatment in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized control study. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2004 Mar;29(1):19-33. PMID: 15077462

[xiii] Yu-ling Gong, Yan-bo Zhang, Chang Han, Ying-yong Jiang, Yuan Li, Shi-chang Chen, Zeng-yu Liu. [Clinical observation on therapeutic effect of the pressing plantar reflex area with wooden needle for treatment of patients with insomnia]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2009 Nov;29(11):935-7. PMID: 19994698

[xiv] David P McCormick, Tasnee Chonmaitree, Carmen Pittman, Kokab Saeed, Norman R Friedman, Tatsuo Uchida, Constance D Baldwin. Nonsevere acute otitis media: a clinical trial comparing outcomes of watchful waiting versus immediate antibiotic treatment. Pediatrics. 2005 Jun;115(6):1455-65. PMID: 15930204

How to build an underground greenhouse that you can grow in all year

DIY Underground Greenhouse - #OccupyTesla

Image: www.treehugger.com

In Ground Greenhouses have many benefits; the surrounding Earth provides excellent insulation, it's not an eyesore on the surface and most of all protecting plants from frost. Links to learning below.

The underground greenhouse method allows for natural insulation, while optimizing solar absorbance. These partially subterranean greenhouses appear to be the best for growing winter horticultural crops, and have been adopted in numerous countries, such as Japan, Russia, Korea, and now even the United States. These underground greenhouses can be something built very small for an individual or family, or it can be much larger to accommodate for more commercial needs. But it has proven to be more beneficial for growers than conventional methods which are at the mercy of varying weather conditions. Cheaper than aquaponics, but more effort than urban homesteading, an underground greenhouse is almost universally viable, more than affordable, and ecologically smart.
http://www.exposingthetruth.co/underground-greenhouse/

Underground greenhouse diagram via #OccupyTesla

Oehlers method utilizes a coldsink to help keep warmer while Greigers plan utilizes insulation between bags and earth. All 3 plans utilize a form of thermal mass to retain warmth.
http://naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-pit-greenhouse-plans/

Here is a video of a tour of the Walipini underground greenhouse:


Directory pertaining to the Wallipini underground greenhouse method.
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Walipini_Underground_Greenhouses

Mike Oehler book to purchase
http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Sheltered-Solar-Greenhouse-Book/dp/0960446400/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357419115&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=earth+integrated+greenhouse

"Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse" - pit construction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hV8Teiskfo

GMO Farming Is Poisoning The World's Drinking Water

Image: Raw For Beauty

Monsanto’s Herbicide Linked To Groundwater Contamination

In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry last year, evidence surfaced that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the Monsanto’s patented herbicide Roundup, is flowing freely into the groundwater in areas where it is being applied.1 The researchers found that 41% of the 140 groundwater samples taken from Catalonia Spain, had levels beyond the limit of quantification – indicating that, despite the manufacturer’s claims, glyphosate herbicide does not break down rapidly in the environment, and is accumulating there in concerning quantities.

Why Is Groundwater Contamination An Important Finding?

Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface, that supplies aquifers, wells and springs.  If a chemical like glyphosate is mobile enough to get into the groundwater and is intrinsically resistant to being biodegraded (after all, it is being used to kill/degrade living things – not the other way around), significant environmental exposures to humans using the water are inevitable. After all, according to the USGS, 88,000 tons were used in the US in 2007 alone.

Keep in mind that glyphosate is considered by the EPA as a Class III toxic substance, fatal to an adult at 30 grams, and has been linked to over 20 adverse health effects in the peer-reviewed, biomedical literature.
This groundwater contamination study adds to another highly concerning finding from March, 2011, published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, where researchers found the chemical in 60-100% of all air and rain samples tested, indicating that glyphosate pollution and exposure is now omnipresent in the US. When simply breathing makes you susceptible to glyphosate exposure, we know we are dealing with a problem of unprecedented scale.

In fact, glyphosate’s broad spectrum toxicity has been identified to be one potential cause for the disturbing loss of indispensable food-starter bacteria from soils and cultured foods within certain regions of the world, indicating that GMO farming may be depleting the microbial biodiversity of the soil, and ultimately its ability to remain fertile.

Who Is Responsible For The Groundwater Contamination? 

Monsanto is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation, presently dominating the global genetically engineered seed market, with 90% market share in the US alone. It is also the world’s largest producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed as “Roundup,” among other brand names.  If you are eating corn and soy, or any of their ten thousand plus byproducts – and it does not have a USDA organic logo – you are getting the Monsanto “double whammy”: the genetic modification (GM) of your health (and gene expression) that follows the consumption of GM food (because we are – literally – what we eat), and ceaseless chemical exposure to glyphosate, as all Monsanto-engineered foods have been designed to be glyphosate-resistant, and therefore are saturated with it.

Is Monsanto’s Herbicide A New Agent Orange?

Roundup is not Monsanto’s first entry into the systemic herbicide market. Monsanto admits it manufactured the herbicide/defoliant Agent Orange from 1965 to 1969, which Vietnam estimated killed and maimed 400,000 people and resulted in the 500,000 children being born with birth defects.

The true devastation caused by Agent Orange was covered up for many years. We may find that Monsanto’s Roundup, and its primary active ingredient glyphosate, may be causing a similar degree of devastation to both environmental and human health under the lidless, though not very watchful eye (as far as business interests are concerned), of our regulatory agencies.

Indeed, glyphosate is a powerful endocrine disrupter. Exceedingly small amounts are capable of mimicking and/or disrupting hormonal pathways, cell receptor sites and signaling. Research culled from The National Library of Medicine links it to 17 adverse pharmacological actions, including carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, neurotoxicty, hepatoxicity, and nephrotoxicity.

Source: Raw For Beauty via Green Med Info