Living Well

2009-03-21T16:58:00.000+13:00

from Linda

Why Are So Many Of Our Youngsters Going Through 'Preschool Puberty'?

Hormone-mimicking chemicals found in food, water, and many consumer goods may well be the cause of why children as young as eight are showing signs of sexual development.

Kids these days are growing up too fast -- in more ways than one. American girls are reaching puberty up to a year earlier than in previous generations, with some children showing signs of sexual development as young as age 3. In extreme cases, girls are budding breasts before they've even learned to read.

Researchers call this phenomenon "precocious puberty," which some say is on the rise. Forty-eight percent of African-American girls and 15 percent of Caucasian girls show physical signs of puberty by age 8, according to a study of 17,000 U.S. girls published in Pediatrics in 1997. In a subsequent study of more than 2,000 boys, lead author Marcia Herman-Giddens found that 38 percent of African-American boys and 30 percent of Caucasian boys showed signs of sexual development by age 8.

What's going on? Although scientists have yet to prove definitive causes, many suspect that hormone-mimicking chemicals, obesity and stress all contribute to precocious puberty. The chemicals, often called endocrine disruptors, are of particular concern because they're everywhere -- in food, water, personal-care products, some plastics and many consumer goods.

Pediatrician Darshak Sanghavi notes in The New York Times that outbreaks of precocious puberty are most often traced to accidental exposure to drugs in hormone-laden products. He describes a case in which a kindergarten-age boy and his younger sister had both begun growing pubic hair. In addition, the boy was exhibiting aggressive behavior

When Sanghavi's colleagues examined the children, they discovered that both had extremely elevated levels of testosterone -- equivalent to those of an adult male -- and that their father was using a concentrated testosterone skin cream "for cosmetic and sexual purposes." The children had absorbed the testosterone from normal skin contact with their father.

Of course, we can't blame it all on testosterone. Phthalates, ubiquitous industrial plasticizers common in everything from personal-care products to vinyl and plastic packaging, mimic estrogen. So do compounds in some pesticides and flame retardants. A growing body of evidence suggests that these and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals can interfere with sexual development, an idea widely introduced in the groundbreaking book "Our Stolen Future" by Theo Colburn, Diane Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers.

In the two decades since the book's publication, evidence has mounted that substantiates its main thesis. The September, 2006 issue of Alternative Medicine points out that a number of human studies have found possible links between endocrine disruptors and early puberty. One study found that Puerto Rican girls whose breasts developed earlier were three times more likely to have elevated levels of phthalate esters in their blood.

Some researchers have linked precocious puberty with factors including obesity, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle. "In the animal industry, to hasten puberty, they keep the animals confined, they feed them really rich diets, and they grow really fast," Marcia Herman-Giddens notes in Alternative Medicine. "That is exactly what we are doing to our children."

Parents can take practical steps to minimize their children's risk for early puberty and encourage healthy lifestyles:

Avoid meat, milk and dairy products containing growth hormones
Buy organic produce
Minimize soy, which mimics estrogen
Choose green household products
Encourage children to eat well and exercise
Prevent babies from chewing on plastic toys
Avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products, including vinyl shower curtains and toys and packaging that bear the number "3," indicating they're made with PVC.

Source : http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=19328

Plastic danger

2009-01-20T16:27:00.000+13:00

Information on the toxins in plastic such as parabens and pthlates -

No plastic containers in microwave.

No water bottles in freezer.

No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic

Bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.

Recently, Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at CastleHospital ,

Was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.

He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us.

He said that we should not be heating our food in the

Microwave using plastic containers...

This especially applies to foods that contain fat.

He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin

Into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body...

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic

Containers for heating food... You get the same results, only without the dioxin.

So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc.,

Should be removed from the container and heated in something else.

Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.

It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.

He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away

From the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons...

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when

Placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high

Heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food.

Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Bottled water in your car

Very dangerous.

This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially inAustralia .

A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and the Doctor told her: women should not drink bottled water that has be en lef t in a car.

The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be careful and do not drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be aware and just might save us! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!

2008-12-11T17:37:00.000+13:00

Hi - a bit more from me - Linda

What In The World Are You Putting On Your Skin?

Is your bathroom cabinet bulging with toxins? Is your make-up or toiletries bag a cocktail of chemicals that could do you harm? Yes is probably the answer to both questions. Check out the ingredients list on your bottles and jars: the higher up the list these 15 come, the greater the concentration.

Formaldehyde - Combined with water, this toxic gas is used as a disinfectant, fixative, germicide and preservative in deodorants, liquid soaps, nail varnish and shampoos. Also known as formalin, formal and methyl aldehyde, it is a suspected human carcinogen and has caused lung cancer in rats. It can damage DNA, irritate the eyes, upper respiratory tract and mucous membrane, and may cause asthma and headaches. It is banned in Japan and Sweden.

Phthalates hit the headlines last year for being "gender benders". They are a family of industrial plasticisers already banned in the EU from being used in plastic toys, but are still in hairsprays, top-selling perfumes and nail varnishes. They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes and ingested from contaminated food or breastfeeding. Animal studies have shown they can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system -especially developing testes.

Parabens are listed as alkyl parahydroxy benzoates -butyll methyl/ethyl/ propyllisobutyl paraben on some toothpastes, moisturisers and deodorants. They are used as a preservative, but are oestrogen mimics. Research suggests that parabens in antiperspirant deodorants can cause breast cancer. Oestrogen-type chemicals have also been linked to testicular cancer and a reduction in sperm count.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is one of the major ingredients in nearly every shampoo, bubble bath, liquid soap etc. Why, when it is a known skin irritant, stops hair growth, can cause cataracts in adults, damage children's eye development and cause urinary tract infection?

Toluene is a common solvent found in nail enamels, hair gels, hair spray, and perfumes. It is a neurotoxin and can damage the liver, disrupt the endocrine system and cause asthma.

Propylene Glycol is a cosmetic form of mineral oil (refined crude oil) used in industrial antifreeze. People handling it are warned by the manufacturer to avoid skin contact and wear respirators and rubber gloves etc, and yet this is a major ingredient in most moisturisers, skin creams, baby wipes and sun screens. Why? It's cheap and gives the "glide" factor in body lotions - but is in fact robbing lower layers of skin of moisture. Lanolin and collagen also clog pores and cause skin to age faster than if nothing was used.

Talc is recognised as carcinogenic and has been linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer and general urinary tract disorders. So don't dust it on your baby's, or anyone else's, bottom!

Parfum/perfume A typical cosmetic can contain up to 100 chemicals in the perfume alone! 95 per cent of these chemicals are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum -26 of which are on an EU hit list. Fragrances have been linked to allergies and breathing difficulties and they penetrate the skin.

Xylene is listed as xytol or dimethylbenzene on nail varnish bottles. It can damage your liver, is narcotic in high concentrations and causes skin and respiratory tract irritation.

Diethanolamine Also Tri and Mono (DEA, TEA and MEA) are absorbed through skin where they accumulate in products also containing nitrates, they react and form nitrosamines which are carcigonemic.

Aluminium is found in most deodorants and has been linked to Alzheimer's. If you want to stay alert, and still smell fresh and clean switch to a safer one.

Triclosan sometimes listed as 5-chloro-2 (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, is in deodorants, toothpastes, vaginal washes and mouthwashes. Toxic dioxins are produced during its manufacture or incineration. It is stored in breast milk and in fish, and can break down in water to create a member of the dioxin family.

For information on how to detox including a great detoxification program see The Food Matters Detox & Rejuvenation Guide

Watch this clip to find out more about the harmful toxins in our environment and how they could be harming you or your loved ones.

2008-12-02T03:34:00.000+13:00

Sunlight: Is It Good Or Bad For You?

(Compiled by Mike Adams, based on an interview with Dr. Michael Holick, author, The UV Advantage)

Vitamin D prevents osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast cancer and even effects diabetes and obesity. Vitamin D is perhaps the single most underrated nutrient in the world of nutrition. That's probably because it's free: your body makes it when sunlight touches your skin. Drug companies can't sell you sunlight, so there's no promotion of its health beneﬁts. Truth is, most people don't know the real story on vitamin D and health. So here's an overview taken from an interview between Mike Adams and Dr. Michael Holick.

1. Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.

2. The healing rays of natural sunlight (that generate vitamin D in your skin) cannot penetrate glass. So you don't generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.

3. It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in your own body.

4. A person would have to drink ten tall glasses of vitamin D fortiﬁed milk each day just to get minimum levels of vitamin D into their diet.

5. The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Canada, the UK and most U.S. states are far from the equator.

6. People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. That's why prostate cancer is epidemic among black men -- it's a simple, but widespread, sunlight deﬁciency.

7. Sufﬁcient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in your intestines. Without sufﬁcient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.

8. Chronic vitamin D deﬁciency cannot be reversed overnight: it takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body's bones and nervous system.

9. Even weak sunscreens (SPF=8) block your body's ability to generate vitamin D by 95%. This is how sunscreen products actually cause disease -- by creating a critical vitamin deﬁciency in the body.

10. It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.

11. If it hurts to press ﬁrmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic vitamin D deﬁciency right now.

12. Vitamin D is "activated" in your body by your kidneys and liver before it can be used.

13. Having kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body's ability to activate circulating vitamin D.

14. The sunscreen industry doesn't want you to know that your body actually needs sunlight exposure because that realization would mean lower sales of sunscreen products.

15. Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription required.

On the issue of sunlight exposure, by the way, it turns out that super antioxidants greatly boost your body's ability to handle sunlight without burning. Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful "internal sunscreens" and can allow you to stay under the sun twice as long without burning. Other powerful antioxidants with this ability include the superfruits like Acai, Pomegranates (POM Wonderful juice), blueberries, etc.

Diseases and Conditions Caused by Vitamin D Deﬁciency:

· Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which greatly impairs calcium absorption.

· Sufﬁcient vitamin D prevents prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, colon cancer and schizophrenia.

· "Rickets" is the name of a bone-wasting disease caused by vitamin D deﬁciency.

· Vitamin D deﬁciency may exacerbate type 2 diabetes and impair insulin production in the pancreas.

· Obesity impairs vitamin D utilization in the body, meaning obese people need twice as much vitamin D

· Vitamin D is used around the world to treat Psoriasis.

· Vitamin D deﬁciency causes schizophrenia.

· Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by a melatonin imbalance initiated by lack of exposure to sunlight.

· Chronic vitamin D deﬁciency is often misdiagnosed as ﬁbromyalgia because its symptoms are so similar: muscle weakness, aches and pains.

· Your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes and cancer is reduced 50% - 80% through simple, sensible exposure to natural sunlight 2-3 times each week.

· Infants who receive vitamin D supplementation (2000 units daily) have an 80% reduced risk of developing type 1 diabetes over the next twenty years.

Shocking Vitamin D Deﬁciency Statistics:

· 32% of doctors and med school students are vitamin D deﬁcient.

· 40% of the U.S. population is vitamin D deﬁcient.

· 42% of African American women of childbearing age are deﬁcient in vitamin D.

· 48% of young girls (9-11 years old) are vitamin D deﬁcient.

· Up to 60% of all hospital patients are vitamin D deﬁcient.

· 76% of pregnant mothers are severely vitamin D deﬁcient, causing widespread vitamin D deﬁciencies in their unborn children, which predisposes them to type 1 diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and

· schizophrenia later in life. 81% of the children born to these mothers were deﬁcient.

· Up to 80% of nursing home patients are vitamin D deﬁcient.

What You Can Do:

Sensible exposure to natural sunlight is the simplest, easiest and yet one of the most important strategies for improving your health. I urge you to read the book, "The UV Advantage" by Dr. Michael Holick to get the full story on natural sunlight. You can ﬁnd this book at most local bookstores or through BN.com, Amazon.com, etc. Note: This is not a paid endorsement or an afﬁliate link. I recommend it because of its great importance in preventing chronic disease and enhancing health without drugs or surgery. This may be the single most important book on health you ever read. If more people understood this information, we could drastically reduce the rates of chronic disease in this country and around the world. Sunlight exposure is truly one of the most powerful healing therapies in the world, far surpassing the best efforts of today's so-called "advanced medicine." There is no drug, no surgical procedure, and no high-tech procedure that comes even close to the astonishing healing power of natural sunlight. And you can get it free of charge. That's why nobody's promoting it, of course.

Hi from Linda

Fw: FW: MELAMINE (Read to the end with the country BAR CODES)

2008-11-26T22:32:00.000+13:00

MELAMINE !!

(Read to the end with the country BAR CODES)

Make sure you read to the very end – very interesting –

perhaps the best way to tell where things are made….

China milk poisoning incidents make everyone afraid to look at the daily news report.

Everyday, the reports are changing. No one can clearly tell us what to eat and what not to eat.

1.What really is poisoned milk?

It is milk powder mixed with 'MELAMINE'

What is Melamine used for?

It is an industrial chemical used in the production of melawares.

It is also used in home decor - i.e.kitchens.

We all MUST understand that Melamine is used in INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

- - - - - it CANNOT be eaten.

2.Why is Melamine added to milk powder?

The most important nutrient in milk is protein.

And, Melamine has this same protein that contains 'NITROGEN'

Adding Melamine into milk reduces the actual milk content required,

and therefore it is cheaper than all milk. So it lowers the capital required

in the production of milk products. Therefore it earns the business man more profit!

Below is Melamine; doesn't it look like milk / milk powder?
It doesn't have any smell, so cannot be detected.

3.When was it discovered that it had been added to milk products?

In 2007, US cats and dogs died suddenly. It was found that their pet food from China contained Melamine.

Early in 2008, in China , an abnormal increase in infant cases of kidney stones was reported.

In August 2008, China Sanlu Milk Powder tested positive for Melamine

Sept. 2008, the New Zealand government asked China to investigate this problem
Sept. 21, 2008, they found that many food products in Taiwan tested for Melamine

4.What happens when Melamine ingested and digested?

Melamine remains inside the kidneys. It forms into stones blocking the tubes.
Pain will be imminent and the person cannot urinate. Kidney(s) will then swell.

Although surgery can remove the stones, it may cause irreversible kidney damage.
It can lead to the loss of kidney function, which will require on-going kidney dialysis; or lead to death
because of uremia.

What is dialysis? In fact, it should be called 'blood washing'; it is filtering all of the body's blood into
a machine and then returning the blood back to the body.

A dialysis machine

The whole process takes 4 hours; and it is necessary to have dialysis

once every 3 days for the rest of your life.

Below: A dialysis center

Why is the contamination much more serious in babies?

A baby's kidneys are so very small and they drink a lot of milk powder.

China currenty has 13,000 infants hospitalized

It does not matter how much Melamine a human being ingested (ate) (took).

The important point is: 'MELAMINE CANNOT BE EATEN!'

5.What foods are to be avoided?

Foods from China that contain dairy products should be avoided.

Remember:
Anything chinese-looking and milky/creamy (as above)

Also
6.Which companies are affected?

Hereunder are the companies affected with Melamine.

---------------------------------------------------------

7.What do we do next?

Avoid the above foods for at least six months.

If you own or operate a snack bar, a restaurant, or a coffee shops, etc.,

stop selling dairy products for the meantime.

If you have infants at home, change to mother's milk or find other substitutes.

Finally, share this information with friends so they will understand the risk of milk poisoning.

The whole world needs to know of "Made In China" 'black-hearted' goods.

Do you know how to tell which products are made in

the USA, or in the Philippines, in Taiwan, or in China?

Here's How:

The first 3 digits of the barcode identify the country code

wherein the product was made.

For Example: ALL barcodes that start with 690, 691, 692, etc. up to and including 695 are all MADE IN CHINA.
Barcodes starting with 471 are on products Made in Taiwan.

Taiwanese barcode

You have a right to know. But government and related departments

never inform or educate the public. Therefore we must educate ourselves,

be vigilant, and RESCUE ourselves.

Today, Chinese businessmen know that consumers will not select products

'Made in China'. So, they make every effort not to show or state the country

of origin on their products. However, you can now refer to the barcode.

DO remember if the first 3 digits are one of those between 690 and 695 inclusive then it is a product Made in China .

OTHER BARCODES:
00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Liechtenstein
628 ~ Saudi-Arabia
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
740 ~ 745 - Central America

All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.

Please inform your family and friends.

Be aware! And help others to be aware!

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Book now AirNZ vs Pacific Blue & heaps more!

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Kind Regards,

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19 Argyle St
Herne Bay, Auckland 1011
Ph. 09 376 9513 Mob. 021 0222 2438

Acidic or alkiline foods?

2008-11-13T02:42:00.000+13:00

Hi - it is important that we try and keep our bodies as alkiline as possible to avoid many modern day diseases (including arthritis, cancers etc) - I had a test recently and was bang on even though I drink a coffee a day - so you dont have to be holier than though but be aware of your acid alkiline balance and yes get as many vegies into your body as you can!

Linda

(NaturalNews) Maintaining a balanced PH is one of the most important things we can do to enjoy vibrant health and avoid disease. Unfortunately, most people are far too acidic, which creates an environment open to unwanted invaders and ill health. The incredible rise in modern day diseases is a symptom of our overly acidic diets.

In fact, many claim it is almost impossible to get cancer when our bodies are consistently alkaline. Furthermore, eating from a list of alkaline foods keep us vibrant and younger looking.

Fortunately, becoming more alkaline is not as difficult or as technical as it sounds. Balancing our PH can be done simply by consuming more foods and drinks which have an alkaline effect on the body.

Here is a list of Alkaline foods for Optimum health:

* Alfalfa

* Barley Grass

* Beets

* Broccoli

* Cabbage

* Carrot

* Cauliflower

* Celery

* Collard Greens

* Cucumber

* Dulce

* Eggplant

* Garlic

* Green Beans

* Green Peas

* Kale

* Lettuce

* Mushrooms

* Onions

* Parsnips

* Peas

* Pumpkin

* Radishes

* Spinach

* Spirulina

* Sprouts

* Sweet Potatoes

* Tomatoes

* Watercress

* Almonds

* Grapes

* Amaranth

* Apples

* Apricots

* Kiwi

* Artichokes

* Leeks

* Asparagus

* Limes

* Bananas

* Mangos

* Olive oil

* Berries

* Onions

* Brussels sprouts

* Oranges

* Buckwheat

* Okra

* Pears

* Pineapple

* Quinoa

* Fennel

* swiss chard

* Flaxseed oil

* Wheat grass

* Grapefruit

* Watermelon

Some of the most acidic foods are:

* White flour

* sugar

* artificial sweeteners

* ready made meals

* processed meats

* alcohol

* carbonated drinks

* cakes

* ice cream

* cheese

* milk

* MSG

Some of the healthiest acidic foods are brown rice, oats, fish, beans and lentils.

Most experts suggest eating four times more from the list of alkaline foods than from the acidic foods. Don't get stressed if you don't achieve this, it's an ideal to shoot for.

The most important thing we can do is to ensure that the majority of foods that we eat are fruits and vegetables.

Lets eat chocolate!

2008-11-13T02:35:00.000+13:00

Chocolate is actually one of the healthiest foods on the earth! Research is continually proving that chocolate is actually a super food. The problem is that most chocolate has been highly processed and heated, stealing all the nutrients.

Further, Many ingredients are added to chocolate which have a negative impact on our health. Sugar, for example, destroys the immune system, and causes diabetes, premature aging and other serious health complaints. Studies show that adding milk to chocolate cancels out all of the goodness. In addition, researchers have found that commercial chocolate can be contaminated with extremely high quantities of the toxic metal lead.

You may be asking yourself what is left if you can't have milk chocolate, dark chocolate or any sort of processed chocolate. Fear not, the absolutely delicious raw chocolate is taking the world by storm. You don't need to avoid chocolate this holiday season because you can have raw chocolate.
Raw chocolate is chocolate that has not gone through any sort of heating or processing, so all of the nutrients are still in tact.

So What are the Nutrients?

Chocolate contains more magnesium than any other food. Magnesium is the number one mineral deficiency in the west. It is the most powerful stress relieving mineral. It also relaxes the muscles and builds strong bones and teeth.

Chocolate is also power packed with antioxidants, which protect us from aging and disease. The following is a list of the foods with the highest ORAC values (the number given to foods based on their antioxidant activity):

Unprocessed Raw Cacao - ORAC 28,000
Acai Berries - ORAC 18,500
Dark Chocolate - ORAC 13,120
Prunes - 5,770
Goji Berries - 3,472
Pomegranates - 3,307
Raisins - 2,830
Blueberries - 2,400

Amazing! You can see that even heated dark chocolate has a high antioxidant level. Unfortunately, most dark chocolate has sugar added to it.

Chocolate is actually higher in the antioxidant resveratrol than red wine. The media have been giving red wine a lot of attention over the last few years because it is rich in this antioxidant, which is know for protecting cells from free radical damage and inhibiting the spread of cancer. It is also know to your lower blood pressure and normalize your anti-inflammatory response.

Chocolate is also rich in sulphur, which is the beauty mineral. Sulphur is essential for gorgeous skin, lustrous hair and strong nails.

Chocolate is one of the only sources of PEA, which is a compound that increases the serotonin levels in the brain, which increases joy. No wonder people are so attracted to chocolate!
Yum - I am for the dark chocolate even though it is cooked! Linda
More Benefits of Chocolate

Chocolate may help prevent cardiovascular disease in diabetics because of their high levels of flavanol. Research has shown that people with diabetes that drank flavanol rich cocoa for one month showed dramatic improvements in their blood vessel function. In fact, the improvements they noticed were as high as those found in taking drugs. Chocolate is an amazing super food for keeping your heart healthy and for improving elasticity in your blood vessels.

Chocolate helps people to feel amazing. Besides PEA, the rich creaminess of chocolate has been known to boost sex drive and make us feel alive. And the good news is that it doesn't have to contain milk, sugar, aluminium, or any other ingredients that may have a negative impact on our health. Raw chocolate can be combined with other super foods so that we can indulge our sweet tooth and improve our health at the same time.

Cell phones

2008-11-13T02:22:00.000+13:00

A Dangerous Call - Is Your Cell Phone Frying Your Brain?

They are both fashion accessories and an essential part of our lives. Yet since they first became widely available in the 1990s, there have been nagging doubts about just how safe mobile phones really are. Could they cause cancers in the brain? Does living near a mobile phone mast raise your risk of other cancers?

Professor Denis Henshaw, head of the Human Radiation Effects Group at Bristol University, says: "We are steeped in denial over the safety of mobile phones and related technologies." He points, as an example, to a recent Austrian study which found a raised risk of breast cancer near phone masts. "We have emission levels in the UK similar to those in Austria and yet there is no warning to people of possible dangers."

Contrast the UK position with that in other countries, where at the very least they take the approach that when it comes to this new technology, its better to be safe than sorry. The German government has taken a more cautious line over wi-fi. Last September, the German environment ministry recommended that people should keep their exposure to radiation as low as possible by replacing wi-fi with a cabled connection. Three years ago, the Vienna Chamber of Doctors put up more than 21,000 posters in surgeries and other places with very specific warnings about mobile phones, such as: "Use your phone as little as possible" and "Men - never keep a phone in your trouser pockets as it can reduce fertility."

A study last month reported that out of 360 men attending an infertility clinic, those who used their mobile the most had the poorest sperm quality. Last October, two Swedish professors pulled together the results of 11 studies involving people who had used mobiles for more than a decade and found they were 20 per cent more likely to develop a benign tumour in the inner ear, and 30 per cent more likely to develop a type of brain tumour known as a malignant glioma.
Last month, the Irish Doctors Environmental Association said that the current thermal-based guidelines were clearly no longer appropriate and called on the government to "immediately start research into the non-thermal effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation". "There is absolutely no doubt these effects exist," says Dr Andrew Goldsworthy, a biologist and expert in low frequency microwave radiation, and honorary lecturer at Imperial College in London.

"For instance, we've known for more than 30 years that electromagnetic fields affect the behaviour of calcium in living cells." He claims that this could explain the symptoms reported by people who say they are affected by pulsed microwave radiation - the sort emitted by mobile phones. "The textbook symptoms of too little calcium - such as fatigue, muscles cramps, irregular heart rhythm and gut problems - are very similar to those reported by people who say they are affected by microwave radiation," he says.

"Mobile phones and the rest aren't going to go away, but could we do more to acknowledge the possible problem so people can make an informed choice about using them and can learn to deal with the effects?"

Red Cabbage

2008-11-13T02:17:00.000+13:00

Hi Guys - a little info about Red Cabbage - it grows easily in the garden and I slice it and put it in the salad - the colour is great!

Linda

Red Cabbage Found To Contain 36 Anti-Cancer Properties

Red cabbage contains 36 different varieties of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids that have been linked to cancer protection, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring pigments that give fruits and berries their red, blue and purple coloration. A variety of studies have shown that in addition to protecting against cancer, anthocyanins can improve heart health and brain function. Another recent laboratory study by the ARS found that some varieties of anthocyanin have twice the antioxidant effect of vitamin C. The effects of those different antioxidants in the human body have not yet been tested.

In the current study, researchers fed 12 volunteers a carefully controlled diet that contained either 2/3, 1 1/3 or 2 cups of cooked red cabbage per meal. The volunteers ate two meals per day for three days. The researchers found that participants absorbed the most anthocyanins when eating the largest serving of cabbage. In addition, they identified 36 different varieties of the chemical in the vegetable, eight more than were previously known.

Another recent study, conducted by Japanese researchers, found that anthocyanins modify the functioning of fat cells and may help fight the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, including hyperglycemia, high blood pressure, central obesity, lowered HDL ("good") cholesterol and elevated triglyceride levels.

Toxic Free Homes

2008-11-12T02:33:00.000+13:00

Hi - here is an interesting report written by a New Zealaner whose children were getting sick and she investigated why - we have to question what we buy and why - do we even need a cleaner on that floor ? I mostly use water - I have so many people who come into the gardens and say they or their children are sick with cancer and they lead moderate lifestyles - this would be the reason - a constant drip of chemicals from our pillows (they contain a neuro toxin) to the makeup we put on our faces - there is alot we can do - it is about making the right choices - pick the eco tick or make your own cleaners

Linda

pThere are lots of hazards our kids have to face everyday such

as burns, falls, electrical shocks and choking. But there is

another hazard that you might not even be aware of. I know I

wasn't! That hazard is: toxic chemicals.

Scientists and doctors are discovering that there is a

connection between our health and the use of everyday

household cleaners and personal care products. If you have

a typical Kiwi home you've probably got dozens of them

already which you purchased from the supermarket, chemist

or department store. Just take a look under your sinks in your

laundry, kitchen or bathroom. They're all there

But the fact is there has been very little actual testing done on

many of these substances especially when it comes to longterm

disease.

Did you know that according to the International Institute

for Children's Environmental Health, that there have been

about 80,000 synthetic chemicals developed for the world

marketplace since World War II? (1). And since then, about

1500 new chemicals are introduced annually (2). It's kind of

ironic how these products which were and are being developed

to help the world, could actually be contributing to the rise

of certain chronic health problems in children, like asthma,

eczema, learning problems and cancer.

To me it's easy to see why we haven't seen it coming. I believe

it's a combination of our commercial laws, the 'profit at almost

any cost' attitudes of the manufacturers and the fact that

many of the suspected diseases these products cause are

slow to show themselves. If a toddler drinks 'Janola' we know

she will get sick and we can take steps (if we're quick enough)

to prevent death or serious injury. But what about the longterm

health effects of a parent's regular use of the same

product? The answer is nobody knows. There's just not

enough research available. And to me, it's not good enough.

we're poiSoning our KiDS

- without Knowing it!

Have we always been this sick? After World War II the death rate from cancer in New Zealand was

about one in thirty. Now, it's approximately one in four (3). The incidence of central nervous system

disorders like Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis rises annually. Also on the rise are stillborn deaths,

birth defects, and infertility. Asthma was once a rare disease. Now it's common. It's the same with

eczema. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) may affect between 4-6 children between 6-14 years of age

in New Zealand. The incidence of cancer in children in the US has jumped 26% between 1975 and

1988 (4). Although other factors are involved, more and more scientists are linking these ailments to

long-term chemical exposure.

breaSt cancer in new ZealanD

One in nine New Zealand women will get breast cancer at some

time during their lives. Considerable attention has been focused

on breast cancer over recent years, but almost all of this has

been done on early detection or on figuring out the genetic

factors that underlie a small percentage of cases (less than

10%).

Meanwhile the more than 50% of breast cancer that is explained

by known risk factors is ignored. According to Dr Meriel Watts,

Environmental Health researcher from Auckland, there has

been official silence on the likely environmental causes of

this epidemic in New Zealand despite scientific evidence that

implicates hundreds of chemicals in breast cancer. Many of

these chemicals are found in the average home and can be

eliminated from our immediate environment (5).

are our KiDS guinea pigS?

According to American Doctor Herbert L Needlemann M.D in his book Raising Children

Toxic Free, "only a fraction of new chemical compounds invented and dispersed into

our environment have been tested for human toxicity. We are by default conducting a

massive clinical toxological trial. And our children and their children are the experimental

animals".

Q: what iS the Source of chemicalS?

a: your home.

We spend most of our time indoors and most of that time at home. Because of

that, we are most likely to be exposed to toxic chemicals (6). Young children spend

even more time in the home than older children or adults.

In 1987 the US Environmental Protection Agency undertook a programme to

identify and compare the urgency of environmental problems. Among the top

hazards were those found indoors, including exposure to cleaning products (7).

Another study, conducted over a 15 year period found that women who worked at

home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs away

from home. The study concluded that the increased death rate was due to daily

exposure to the hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household products (8).

Obviously the children in these homes are also exposed to the same chemicals,

with even greater risk of illness.

I have found it important to understand how toxic chemicals can enter a human body. It goes a long

way to realising how harmful products may be affecting your health or the health of your children and

to find safe alternatives to replace them.

There are 3 ways toxic chemicals can enter your body. By eating or drinking it, by breathing it and by

absorbing it through the skin.

ingeStion is eating or drinking something. Most accidental poisoning deaths occur this way.

Each year in New Zealand around 500 children under 5 are admitted to hospital overnight or longer for

a poisoning. About one child per year dies. Although hospital stays can be short, some of the injuries

caused by poisonings result in lifelong consequences. According to Emergency Dept data provided by

Kidzfirst Hospital in South Auckland, around three quarters of these poisonings occur in the home.

Of all children aged 5 or younger, the most common poisonings occur as a result of household cleaning

or personal care products (9).

Young children are curious and learn by putting things in their mouths. Unfortunately young children

can't read labels! Lemon scented furniture polish smells like lemonade. A mothball designed to kill

bugs looks like a mint lolly. You can take action right now by moving toxic substances out of reach

of children. Even substances like perfume, and mouthwash can be lethal if swallowed. The news

seems to be full of stories of toddlers who have their throats burnt away by caustic and toxic automatic

dishwashing formulations.

To me, having these products under a sink and accessible to young children is the same as having a

loaded gun in the same place!I

inhalation is breathing in something. Poisoning is more common than swallowing and can

even be more harmful. This is a gradual poisoning that happens over time as children breathe the

vapours from toxic chemicals. Toxic fumes can be released even when a container is tightly sealed.

Don't believe me? Just walk down the 'cleaning products' isle of your local supermarket. You can

immediately smell fumes! This is called 'outgassing'.

Did you know that when you inhale toxic fumes, the poisons go directly to your brain, heart, liver and

kidneys? This can immediately cause headaches, muscle aches and light headedness. All symptoms

of poisoning. Many products like shampoos give off toxic vapours that can irritate your nose, mouth,

throat and lungs and cause sinus infections.

Children can inhale toxic vapours while you are cleaning even if you keep the products out of their

reach. Toxic residues on bed sheets and pillow cases from everyday laundry cleaning products can be

inhaled throughout the night while children are sleeping.

abSorption occurs when a substance

is admitted through the skin. We all know that

Nicotine patches are very effective and work

because of the principle of absorption. So does

using a moisturiser. Well, the same thing applies

for toxic products. Although it's not often thought

of, the skin is permeable and very easily allows

toxic substances to enter our bodies.

Most people are not aware of absorption; for

example when cleaning the bathroom. Skin

absorption can even happen when you come into

a contact with a surface that was treated with

a chemical days or even weeks earlier. This is

especially a problem for children as they may be

touching or crawling around on recently cleaned

surfaces with toxic residues.

acute toxicity

This is basically a one-time exposure that leads

to life threatening effects or death. An example

would be a child swallowing a cleaning product

that was not kept out of reach. The national

Poisons Centre has been set up to handle calls

relating to this type of poisoning.

chronic toxicity

This form of poisoning is more insidious. This

occurs when we are repeatedly exposed to toxins

in small amounts over a long period of time. The

effects of these exposures can be cancer, birth

defects, and genetic changes which may not show

up for years.

If you smoke a single cigarette it will most likely not cause cancer, but

if you smoke then repeatedly over a long period of time, the chances

of contracting the disease are considerable. It's the same with toxic

cleaning products. Repeated use every day or week for years may

result in chronic poisoning except that now, your family or children are

also affected not just you!

Studies also show how chemicals can become more harmful as they

combine with each other.

why ShoulD i worry?

Many people who are not sick may think 'Why should I worry?" Well,

they should worry because these products are universally injurious,

even to fit and healthy people. Should a teenager worry about the

long-term effects of smoking when he/she has only just started and

is in good health?

Of course! Remember, it took decades for scientists to work out the

link between smoking and cancer deaths in smokers.

Chemicals enter and can stay inside our bodies, particularly in our

adipose fat tissue. One study showed that 100% of the people tested

had toxic styrene in their fat from drinking from disposable plastic

foam cups or eating takeaways from foam containers. Number

two on the list, again found in 100% of the people tested, was

1,4 Dichlorobenzene, a chemical frequently used in household

deodorizers! (10).

Children are particularly at risk from toxic chemicals because they have special vulnerabilities.

Their bodies are less developed. Children's bodies are far from being fully formed. Their immune

system is less developed and cannot protect against toxic exposure as an adult can.

Developing cells in children's bodies are more susceptible to damage than adult cells that have

completed development, especially for the central nervous system. During the development of

a child, from conception through to adolescence, there are particular windows of vulnerability to

environmental hazards. Exposure at these moments of vulnerability can lead to permanent and

irreversible damage. Even small doses of neurotoxins, which could be harmless in an adult, can

alter a child's nervous system development (11).

Proportional to their body weight, children eat, breathe and drink more than adults, and thus

take in far higher concentrations of the toxins in our environment. For example, proportionally

they drink seven times more water and breathe in twice as much air as adults (12).

Children put more foreign objects in their mouths. It's an essential part of learning especially for

babies and younger children. While protecting our children from bacteria may motivate parents

and day-care centres to use toxic cleaning products, the same chemicals may be causing chronic

problems for the child later in life.

how Safe are

houSeholD proDuctS?

The laws don't protect us. Most of us believe that the government has laws that protect us from

harmful products. Yes there are laws but they don't protect us very well.

Unfortunately, many products are assumed to be safe and are allowed to be sold in the marketplace

without adequate testing. Of the 17,000 chemicals that appear in common household products, only

30% have been adequately tested for their negative effects on our health; less than 10% have been

tested for their effects on the nervous system; and nothing is known about the combined effects of

those chemicals when mixed within our bodies (13).

cleaning proDuctS

Cleaning products are among the most hazardous substances you will find in your home. But did

you know there is no requirement for pre-market testing of these products? Manufacturers of these

hazardous products are not even required to list the exact ingredients on the label! You can't look at

a label and be sure, for instance, that a mould and mildew cleaner doesn't contain pentachlorophenol

a substance that can kill. Some products are even protected by 'trade secrets'.

Here's a short list of some of the dangers associated with common household cleaning products.

air freShener Toxic. May cause cancer. Irritates nose, throat and lungs.

all-purpoSe cleaner Causes eye damage. Irritates nose throat and lungs.

bleach Toxic by swallowing, vapours are harmful, causes central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

carpet Shampoo Toxic. May cause cancer. Central nervous system and liver damage.

DiShwaSher Detergent Toxic. Causes eye injuries. Damages mucous membranes and throat.

DiShwaShing liQuiD Harmful if swallowed. Irritates the skin.

DiSinfectant Very toxic. Causes skin, throat and lung burns, causes coma.

Drain cleaner Toxic. Causes skin burns. Causes liver and kidney damage.

fabric Softener Toxic. May cause cancer. Causes central nervous system disorders.

floor/furniture poliSh Toxic. Central nervous system disorders. May cause lung cancer.

launDry Detergent Toxic. Irritates the skin and lungs.

oven cleaner Toxic. Causes skin, throat and lung burns.

Spot remover Toxic. May cause cancer. Causes liver damage.

Stain remover Toxic. May cause cancer. Vapours can be fatal.

toilet bowel cleaner Very toxic. Causes skin, nose, throat and lung burns.

winDow cleaner Toxic. Causes central nervous system disorders, liver and kidney disorders.

perSonal care proDuctS

Personal care products are designed to be applied to the skin. Because they can be absorbed into the

body, we need to be careful about the safety of these products. You would think these product would

be tested for safety according to regulations as strict as those for the food we eat. Unfortunately they

are not.

The law does not require that cosmetics be tested for safety before they are allowed to be sold. Only

AFTER harm has been done, enough complaints are received and after enough evidence is collected

can production of a harmful product be stopped.

Here's a short list of some of the dangers associated with common personal care products.

Shampoo May cause cancer. Irritates eyes, skin and lungs.

DanDruff Shampoo May cause cancer and organ degeneration, causes CNS disorders.

nit Shampoo Toxic.

DeoDorant Soap May cause cancer. Causes asthma. Irritates lungs.

bubble bath Causes bladder & kidney infections. Irritates skin & nose.

mouSSe anD hairSpray May cause cancer, causes lung disease, irritates the skin.

mouthwaSh Toxic to children. May cause cancer.

breath Spray May cause cancer.

coSmeticS May cause cancer. Causes CNS damage, irritates skin and lungs.

perfume/cologne Toxic. May cause cancer. One accidental swallow could kill a child.

about aeroSolS

Aerosol cans have extra danger apart from what toxic chemicals they may contain. The propellant gases

inside them are toxic. Common symptoms from exposure to these propellants include headaches,

nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, eye and throat irritation and skin rashes. In the long term,

exposure can cause heart problems, birth defects, lung cancer and liver damage.

The fine mist that an aerosol dispenses can be easily inhaled and absorbed. If the product contains

toxic agents (which many cleaning and personal products do) it can leave a small residue of toxic

substances on surfaces where children crawl, play eat and sleep.

Given that most products that come in aerosol cans also come in a pump-spray or other device for

application, my advice is to not have aerosol cans in the house especially if you have children.

the happy enDing

For every toxic household cleaning or personal care product there is a safe

alternative. A number of conscientious companies are now offering household

products that are safer and more natural. Now, there is really no reason to risk

your health and the health of your loved ones any longer.

Along with a few like-minded parents, I have spent time researching a host of

alternatives and look forward to sharing my findings with you in the near future.

S.T.

Debra Lynn Dadd, Home Safe Home

Dr Meriel Watts, The Poisoning of New Zealand

Institute for Children's Environmental Health

www.iceh.org

Safekids New Zealand Information & Resource Centre

www.safekids.org.nz

ACC Poisoning Prevention Brochure

http://www.acc.co.nz/wcm001/groups/external_ip/documents/internet/wcm000015.pdf

New Zealand Poisons Information Service

http://www.toxinz.com/index.aspx?code=FPZZ002

A list of toxic ingredients in everyday household products

http://www.radianceayurveda.co.nz/toxin_ingredients.htm

Healthy Eating

http://www.healthrecipes.com/household_poison.htm

referenceS

10.

11.

12.

13.

U.S EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides & Toxic Substances. Endocrine disruptor

screening and testing advisory committee. Final report Washington D.C 1998.

Oleskey, Christopher, PhD and McCally, Michael, MD, A Guide to Biomonitoring and Body

Burdens of Industrial Chemicals, Centre For Children's Health and the Environment, Mt

Sinai School of Medicine, NY 2001.

Ministry of Health. New Zealand Health Information service.

Cancer Institute (U.S).

Merial Watts PhD, Chemicals & Breast Cancer: A Backgrounder. Nov 2003.

World Resources Institute, 1994 Information Almanac.

Lance A. Wallace, The Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) Study: Summary

and Analysis,Vol.1. Washington D.C. EPA, 1987.

Nancy Sokol Green, Poisoning Our Children (The Noble Press 1991).

Safekids New Zealand Information & Resource Centre. Child Poisonings Factsheet.

Let's Stop Poisoning Our Children, Debra Lynn Dadd 2004, R M Barry Publications.

Landrigan PJ, Carlson JE, Bearer CF, Cranmer JS, Bullard RD, Etzel RA, Groopman J,

McLachlan JA, Perera FP, Reigart JR, Robieson L, Schell L, Suk WA, "Children's Health

and the Environment: A New Agenda for Prevention Research." Environmental Health

Perspectives 106 Supplement 3: 787-794 (June 1998).

National Academy of Sciences: Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children. National

Academy Press 1993.

World Resources Institute, 1994 Information Almanac.

Hi info on processed meat and cancer

2008-10-17T03:17:00.000+13:00

Can Hot Dogs Cause Cancer?

75% of all Americans do not even eat five servings a day of fruits or vegetables. That is bad enough. It is even worse with cancer patients. A study of over 9,000 survivors of six different types of cancer showed that only 15% to 19% were meeting the "5-A-Day" recommendation. That means that 81% to 85% were not. The researchers commented that these findings indicate that even a cancer diagnosis may fail to improve fruit and vegetable consumption.

Better nutrition helps cancer patients live longer. This may seem too obvious to state, but its significance is still hidden from the people who most need to know it: the cancer patients themselves. Another study found that "The majority of new patients with cancer presenting to a medical oncologist are at risk of malnutrition or malnourished." Specifically, 66% of patients were either at risk for malnutrition or malnourished. In other words, two out of three new cancer patients are eating wrong. Perhaps very wrong.

The best solution is prevention, and prevention has to start long before cancer. In fact, it starts before birth. A recent review looked at 45 years of research on the protective effect of prenatal vitamin supplementation on the frequency of childhood cancer. It concluded that "maternal ingestion of prenatal multivitamins is associated with a decreased risk for pediatric brain tumors, neuroblastoma, and leukemia." Vitamin supplements reduced the chance of a brain tumor by 27 percent. Vitamins lowered children's leukemia risk by 39 percent. Risk of neuroblastoma was cut in half. Clearly, prenatal vitamin supplements are very important cancer fighters.

Prevention must then be continued throughout childhood. To illustrate how extraordinarily important vitamin supplements are, consider this: Children who eat hot dogs once a week actually double their risk of a brain tumor. Kids eating more than twelve hot dogs a month have nearly ten times the risk of leukemia as children who eat none. However, hot-dog-eating children taking supplemental vitamins were shown to have a reduced risk of cancer.

Although this research was done over 14 years ago, remarkably little has been said of it in the news media. Howard Straus of the Gerson Institute comments: "When children die from small toy parts, the toys are instantly recalled. When the connection between hot dogs, ham and lunch meat is manifest, and it has been documented numerous times, silence."

But hot dogs? Just how important a factor are hot dogs?

Americans eat an estimated 20 billion hot dogs per year. According to the American Meat Institute's "National Hot Dog and Sausage Council," on a single July 4 day alone, Americans eat "150 million hot dogs, enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. over five times. During Hot Dog Season, Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs or 818 hot dogs consumed every second during that period." That is a lot of exposure.

What are hot dog eaters exposed to? Hot dogs and other "cured" meat products typically contain chemical additives such as sodium nitrite, a color and anti-bacterial preservative that has long been suspected as promoting cancer. Now there is a controversial television commercial that spotlights the risks to children, see the youtube video above.

The good news is that vitamins such as vitamin C help counteract harmful byproducts (nitrosamines) of heating and eating nitrites. Perhaps this is why nutritionally-oriented physicians have for so long been advocating vitamin supplements along with a no-junk-food diet for children. In addition to cancer prevention, vitamins are part of the cancer cure. Abram Hoffer, M.D., has had considerable success using high doses of vitamins as supportive therapy for over 1,500 cancer patients. He writes that such treatment "has increased the longevity from 5.7 months to approximately 100 months, which is very substantial, and half of the patients are still alive." Vitamin supplements dramatically reduce side effects of cancer therapy, and yet vitamins do not otherwise interfere with conventional cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy. This makes nutritional therapy perfect for adjunctive cancer treatment, and a very good idea for cancer prevention.

People fighting cancer, or wanting to prevent it, need to eat better. That means far more vitamins, and far fewer hot dogs.

Source: http://www.orthomolecular.org

from Linda

Microwaves

2008-10-14T03:35:00.000+13:00

What Is Your Microwave Doing To Your Health?

Is it possible that millions of people are ignorantly sacrificing their health in exchange for the convenience of microwave ovens? Why did the Soviet Union ban the use of microwave ovens in 1976? Who invented microwave ovens, and why? The answers to these questions may shock you into throwing your microwave oven in the trash.

Over 90% of homes have microwave ovens used for meal preparation. Because microwave ovens are so convenient and energy efficient, as compared to conventional ovens, very few homes or restaurants are without them. In general, people believe that whatever a microwave oven does to foods cooked in it doesn't have any negative effect on either the food or them.

Of course, if microwave ovens were really harmful, our government would never allow them on the market, would they? Would they? There is evidence to prove that microwave cooking is not natural, nor healthy, and is far more dangerous to the human body than anyone could imagine.

However, the microwave oven manufacturers are suppressing the facts and evidence. Because of this, people are continuing to microwave their food - in blissful ignorance - without knowing the effects and danger of doing so.

So where is the evidence?

In 1991, there was a lawsuit in Oklahoma concerning the hospital use of a microwave oven to warm blood needed in a transfusion. The case involved a hip surgery patient, Norma Levitt, who died from a simple blood transfusion.

It seems the nurse had warmed the blood in a microwave oven. This tragedy makes it very apparent that there's much more to "heating" with microwaves than we've been led to believe. Blood for transfusions is routinely warmed, but not in microwave ovens. In the case of Mrs. Levitt, the microwaving altered the blood and it killed her.

It's very obvious that this form of microwave radiation "heating" does something to the substances it heats. It's also becoming quite apparent that people who process food in a microwave oven are also ingesting these "unknowns".

Dr. Hans Ulrich Hertel, who is now retired, worked as a food scientist for many years with one of the major Swiss food companies that do business on a global scale. A few years ago, he was fired from his job for questioning certain processing procedures that denatured the food.

In 1991, he and a Lausanne University professor published a research paper indicating that food cooked in microwave ovens could pose a greater risk to health than food cooked by conventional means.

An article also appeared in issue 19 of the Journal Franz Weber in which it was stated that the consumption of food cooked in microwave ovens had cancerous effects on the blood. The research paper itself followed the article. On the cover of the magazine there was a picture of the Grim Reaper holding a microwave oven in one of his hands.

Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to conceive and carry out a quality clinical study on the effects microwaved nutrients have on the blood and physiology of the human body.

His small but well controlled study showed the degenerative force produced in microwave ovens and the food processed in them. The scientific conclusion showed that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food; and, changes took place in the participants' blood that could cause deterioration in the human system.

Ten Reasons To Throw Out Your Microwave Oven:

Continually eating microwave processed food causes permanent brain damage.

The human body is unable to metabolize the unknown by-products created in microwaved foods.

Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.

The effects of by-products remain in the human body long-term.

Minerals, vitamins and nutrients are reduced by microwaving so that the body gets little or altered components that cannot be broken down.

The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals by microwaves.

Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths. This may partially explain the rapid increase of the colon cancer rate in America.

Long term consumption of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

It also causes immune system deficiencies through alterations in the lymph glands and blood serum.

Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory and concentration, emotional instability and a decrease of intelligence.

This article was written by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell

Source: www.mercola.com

For more research on this important topic please visit this link: http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards.htm

I have thrown out my microwave - Linda

Good News about honey

2008-10-14T03:22:00.000+13:00

Honey or Cough Medicine?

When it comes to helping a child fight off a cough, the centuries-old remedy of honey is still the best, researchers say. The natural sweetener is a traditional soother and remains better than costly over-the-counter medicines. In a study, a dose before bedtime easily outperformed a cough suppressant widely used in commercial treatments.

Honey was better at cutting the severity, frequency and disturbance from night time coughs of those suffering upper respiratory infection. It also helped their sleep, suggesting that parents may be wasting their money on expensive alternatives sold in chemists and supermarkets.

The study compared honey to dextromethorphan (DM), the active ingredient in many cough mixtures. Scientists in Pennsylvania found that DM made no significant difference to symptoms compared with having no treatment for the 105 children aged two to 18 in the research. They were divided into groups receiving honey, a honey-flavoured DM medicine or no treatment about 30 minutes before bedtime. Parents rated honey as significantly better than DM or no treatment, according to the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The researchers said that honey offered a "safe and legitimate alternative" to DM, which can occasionally cause severe side effects in children, including muscle contractions and spasms. Honey's ability to help coughs may be due to the way it soothes on contact and stimulates saliva.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

A Note from the Food Matters team:

We recommend using the highest quality Raw Organic Honey that you should be able to find at your local health food store. This honey retains a higher array of nutrients and has the enzymes still intact enabling the body to utilize the nutrients more efficiently.

From Linda

Lets Eat Blueberries!

2008-10-14T03:04:00.000+13:00

Food For Thought

If you are getting forgetful as you get older, then a research team from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England may have good news for you. They have found that phytochemical-rich foods, such as blueberries, are effective at reversing age-related deficits in memory, according to a study soon to be published in the science journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. The researchers working at the Schools of Food Biosciences and Psychology in Reading and the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter supplemented a regular diet with blueberries over a 12-week period, and found that improvements in spatial working memory tasks emerged within three weeks and continued throughout the period of the study.

Blueberries are a major source of flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins and flavanols. Although the precise mechanisms by which these plant-derived molecules affect the brain are unknown, they have been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake. It is believed that they exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal (brain cell) connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration.

The enhancement of both short-term and long-term memory is controlled at the molecular level in neurons. The research team was able to show that the ability of flavonoids to induce memory improvements are mediated by the activation of signalling proteins via a specific pathway in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. "Impaired or failing memory as we get older is one of life's major inconveniences. Scientists have known of the potential health benefits of diets rich in fresh fruits for a long time. Our previous work had suggested that flavonoid compounds had some kind of effect on memory, but until now we had not known the potential mechanisms to account for this".

Dr. Whiteman added "This study not only adds science to the claim that eating blueberries are good for you, it also provides support to a diet-based approach that could potentially be used to increase memory capacity and performance in the future. Indeed, Dr. Spencer's research team plan on extending these findings further by investigating the effects of diets rich in flavonoids on individuals suffering from cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease."

Source - www.newsmax.com
Linda

R: Kate Sylvester

2008-09-25T01:37:00.000+12:00

Hi Guys - I thought you might be interested in this - not that I am recommending you buy Kate Sylvester - a bit out of our price range I think!

Top Kiwi fashion designer committed to organics

Kate Sylvester

Leading NZ fashion designer Kate Sylvester is about to launch a new organic cotton range in her stores for this summer, as part of a strong philosophy to make her business as sustainable as possible.

Sylvester is already using organic cotton and merino wool in her clothing ranges, and she is also committed to ethically-produced materials, made in New Zealand as much as possible.

Next season, there will be an even bigger collection of organic merino garments.

Sylvester says she aims to offset the extra cost of organic cotton and merino wool by savings in areas like lower electricity use and waste output, due to a range of recycling and other eco-friendly measures.

She has implemented sustainability measures in all her offices and stores with the backing of her 20 staff, and as a result the company has cut its waste in half.

She adds, "Already we have started measuring and actively reducing our carbon emissions. Each year an independent third party calculates our corporate emissions so that we can confirm and demonstrate our progress on reducing our impact on climate change."

Sylvester has a very strong conscience regarding the environmental impact of much of the world's clothing manufacturing. For example, she notes the waterways in the Mexican city of Tehuac are constantly coloured blue by the discharge of dyes from denim laundries that put the finishing touches on American jeans destined for export.

In Uzbekistan, large-scale cotton growing has turned large areas in desert and virtually drained the Aral Sea dry. She notes cotton uses about 25 per cent if the world's agricultural insecticides and 10 per cent of its pesticides.

"As consumers start to realise the environmental impact of conventional cotton, they are demanding pesticide- and insecticide-free, non-genetically modified cotton." - Kate Sylvester

Sylvester says as consumers start to realise the environmental impact of conventional cotton, they are demanding pesticide- and insecticide-free, non-genetically modified cotton. Currently, organic cotton accounts for less than one percent of all cotton production, but the figure is rising every year.

Sylvester notes in the UK, organic cotton ranges are now available in chain stores such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco. And big brands such as Levi's and Nike have started introducing organic cotton into their main lines.

NZ has been slower to catch on to this trend. Sylvester says while there is a strong move towards organic baby clothing here, adults are not yet demanding the same environmentally-friendly standards in their clothes.

Sylvester says, "What we've discovered is we can't change our entire business overnight as the fashion industry as a whole has a number of sustainability issues. But here at Kate Sylvester we've begun by tackling the basics now, and will endeavour to maintain and build our sustainability, and hopefully inspire others to do the same."

Sylvester won the 'Emerging small and medium Business Award' at the recent Sustainable Business Network Awards. She is working towards getting the Green Tick for her company, an international eco-labelling system which certifies products as environmentally sustainable.

Sylvester and her partner, Wayne, say a big concern for them is the kind of future they are creating for their children. They have also promised to keep the pursuit of sustainability a permanent part of their business plan.

She says, "Fashion is our core business, but we are making sustainability our business too".

GE Foods

2008-09-24T01:59:00.000+12:00

Hi - Just some new stuff about GE foods

Recent Studies have shown cellular, organ, blood or immunological abnormalities in laboratory animals -Rats fed GE potatoes developed precancenrous digestive tracgt cell growth, inhibited dev elopment of brain, liver and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver, enlarged pancreases and intestines, and immune system damage. Disruption to functional DNA will always happen with the GE pocess. This results in disruption to cellular pathways, so that new toxins, carcinogens and allergens can be formed in transgenic plant cells

Toxicity:

Glyphosate-tolerance ( when everything dies around the plant but the plant - a Mo nanto beauty) has been GE into alliums (ONIONS) - It is the second most commonly used herbicide in the US. The claims are that it is non-toxic to animals and environmentally friendly but in fact it is toxic to human placental cells within 18 hours at concentrations lower than those used agriculturally. Toxicity increases when accompanied by Roudup additives(as is commonly done) - It is also lethal to worms and amphibians.

The Future?

A UK study reviewed over 400 scientific papers that found organic food contained higher levels of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium ( all these elements are lacking in NZ conventional soils)

Before we concentrate too much on the genetics, we should remember that it's not just what you grow, it is the way that you grow it

Linda

2008-09-23T02:09:00.000+12:00

Hi Everyone I thought you would be interested in the microwave article and the cough medicine particularly - I joined their newsletter - this is the dvd I told you about called Food Matters which is particularly good about taking foo and health into your own hands - any way I will post their interesting bit from the newsletter = you can of course join up to have news letters sent to you if you wish - happy days

Linda

What Is Your Microwave Doing To Your Health?
Find out why numerous countries have banned microwaves and 10 reasons why you might consider doing the same in your home.

Are Super-Bugs a Real Threat?
Are these new so called "Super-Bugs" the problem or does it have to do with our weakened immune systems?

Honey or Cough Medicine?
Here is some new information that should help you decide between the drug or natural approach next time you or your children have a cough.

Healing Music...
Discover what scientists have found out about the healing power of music.

Food Matters
www.foodmatters.tv

Sprouts - Super foods

2008-09-10T02:13:00.000+12:00

Hi Guys

Some interesting stuff about sprouts - to sprout buy some sprout seeds - preferably organic - they are cheap - put some in a bowl (yes an ordinary breakfast bowl is fine - no need for a special sprouter)and fill with water put in the pantry overnight - then for a couple of days just rinse with water (fill with water and then completely empty) when the sprouts have little tails (yes fun for the kids to do!) they are ready to eat - you can get fun sprouting seeds such as red cabbage so they sprout red and have heaps of antioxidants - so give it a go

- this is what nutritionists these day are calling 'nutrient dense' foods - because of seed manipulation this has reduced the amount of vitamins/minerals in our food (yes even if grown organically) and then poisons are then poured on therefore five plus a day can be killing us slowly

- I have alot of people who come into the gardens who have lead good lives - no cigarettes, lots of alcohol etc - and they have in their forties cancer and there is growing evidence that we are slowly dripping toxins into our body (including makeup, shampoos etc) but there is alot we can do - we do have the buying power in our control - buy less have poison free food/makeup/ cleaners etc.

Sprouts: Year Round Vitamins

Looking for a food source that grows anywhere, any season, from seed to the table in less than a week? Sprouts are simply unsurpassed.

Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional of all foods. They are 'real life' vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes. Their nutritional value was discovered by the Chinese thousand of years ago. In recent times, numerous scientific studies suggest the importance of sprouts in a healthy diet.

As an example, a sprouted Mung bean has the carbohydrate content of a melon, vitamin A of a lemon, thiamine of an avocado, riboflavin of a dry apple, niacin of a banana and ascorbic acid of a loganberry.

Sprouts have a higher biologic efficiency value than whole seeds, raw or cooked. Because of this, less food is required, yet more nutrients reach the blood and cells. The sprouting process, under the action of light, creates chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been shown to be effective in overcoming protein deficiency anaemia.

Sprouts also have a regenerating effect on the human body because of their high concentration of RNA, DNA, protein and essential nutrients which can be found only in living cells. (Synthetic supplements are not life food.)

The chemical changes that occur in the sprouting seed activate a powerful enzyme factory, never to be surpassed in the later growth stages of any legumes. (See article by Dr. Peavy). The rich enzyme concentration can heighten enzyme activity in your metabolism, leading to regeneration of the bloodstream.

Sprouted grain appears to prevent depletion of youth due to sexual practice (vitamin E). Some vitamins increase during sprouting by 500%! In wheat, vitamin B-12 quadruples, other B vitamins increase 3 to 12 times. Vitamin E content triples. Fibre content increases three to four times that of whole wheat bread.

To begin with, sprouts are the most reliable year-round source of vitamin C, carotenoid A, and many B vitamins (such as folacin), all of which are usually in short supply in our diet. Sprouting seeds, grains and legumes greatly increases their content of these vitamins. For example, the vitamin A content (per calorie) of sprouted Mung beans is two and a half times higher than the dry bean, and some beans have more than eight times more vitamin A after being sprouted.

Dry seeds, grains and legumes, while rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, contain no vitamin C. After sprouting they contain around 20 milligrams per 3.5 ounces, a tremendous increase. Also, if grown in decent soil or taken from our own garden, seeds, grains and legumes will be high in organic minerals so your sprouts will be an excellent source of minerals as well as vitamins.

The great advantage in getting vitamins from home grown sprouts is that you retain consistently high vitamin content. In the dead of winter, when you can't grow anything and fresh produce is scarce, sprouts will provide a reliable source of fresh, high-nutrient vegetables rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins. This will keep your immune system strong and your health in top condition when almost everyone else is getting sick. Many people come down with colds and flu more often in the winter because they're not getting the fresh vegetables and fruits that would normally keep their immune systems strong.

Have you ever heard of a vegetable that continues to gain vitamins after you harvest it? Sprouts do! Even after you harvest and refrigerate them, they will continue to grown slowly, and their vitamin content will actually increase. Contrast that with store-bought fruits and vegetables, which start losing their vitamins as soon as they're picked and often have to be transported great distances.

While fresh fruits and vegetables provide enzymes, sprouts are far more concentrated and should be eaten in the summer with every large meal even when you have your own vegetables and fruits. In the winter and spring, when your own vegetables and fruits are not available, sprouts are doubly important. Sprouts should become and integral part of your diet year-round.

However, for highest food value, you need to make your own sprouts. Freshly picked from your own sprout garden, they contain the highest level of enzymes and vitamins. If they are immediately refrigerated, the 'life force' will stay in the seed as they remain fresh and slowly continue to grow.

If they are not immediately refrigerated after harvest, sprouts will stop growing and the enzymes and vitamins will start decomposing. As that happens, the enzyme and vitamin content will decline rapidly.

When you buy sprouts at the supermarket it's impossible to tell how long they've been out on the shelves and exposed to room temperature. Even a few hours at room temperature will cause a rapid loss of enzymes and vitamins.

Even worse, is the fact that some sprouts are treated with mould inhibitors to keep them fresh-looking as they sit at room temperature. Those long, white Mung bean sprouts seen in the store or salad bar have probably been treated with inhibitors so they could be grown to that length and preserved.

To really get the rejuvenating value of sprouts, you need to grow your own and eat them fresh.

From Super Nutrition Gardening by Dr. William S. Peavy & Warren Peavy, Avery Publishing Co.

10 Reasons to start sprouting now
Organic -100% Organically Grown. No Chemicals Ever. Ecologically friendly. No airplane fuel, oil, synthetic fertilizers, irradiation or preservatives involved.

Nutrition - Alive with active nutrients and enzymes. You can feel the vitamins!

Availability - Year round. Any Season. Any Climate. Any Place. From Malibu to Moscow.

Economy - Only 25-50 cents per pound average cost.

Freshness - Living food is picked at mealtime. Keeps 1-2 weeks in refrigerator.

No Green Thumb - It's so Easy! No soil. No jars. No Bugs. No Hassle.

Easy to Use - Only 1-2 minutes care per day. 1 Pound grows in only 9 inches space.

Variety - 14 Delicious Flavors to liven up your diet. Recipes Galore!

Self-sufficiency - Reduces dependence on commercially grown food. Great for camping, boating.

Digestibility - Baby plants' delicate cell walls easily release live-cell nourishment.

Steve Meyerowitz, Sproutman® is the author of several books on health, diet, and nutrition including Sprouts the Miracle Food, Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook, and Wheatgrass Nature's Finest Medicine. You can visit him at www.Sproutman.com *For recipe ideas, see "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook."©2004 by Steve Meyerowitz.

From Linda

Worm Bins

2008-09-06T20:20:00.002+12:00

Thanks to father Abriham (dad's nickname....long story don't ask) we are now the proud owners of a worm farm. We have been composting hard out now for about 2 years with just one bin. However with the ever expanding vege garden its time we needed a bit more, so a worm farm it is, can't wait to get it up and running, ordered my worms from WormsRUs today so they should be popping into our letter box at the beginning of next week!!
Worms R Us website is cool, it has a few different worm bin options (we have the can of worms one its made from 100% recycled plastic, we got ours from ecostore) its about $130 but there are much cheaper options at places like the Warehouse. Otherwise Worms R Us website also has ideas on how to make your own using old stuff (like tyres, old polystrene box's etc).
Linda is really onto it with all that too so let her know if you need any help.
Check out this website www.wormsRus.co.nz

RE: NZ Homeopathy site

2008-09-03T02:43:00.000+12:00

Hi Guys, I found this site with some excellent info about foods - well worth a visit

www.naturopath.org.nz/articles.html - Linda

Recycling game

2008-09-02T08:49:00.000+12:00

Hi - here is a cool recycling game to try whith the kids! Sort it! - the recycling game

From Linda

The story of stuff

2008-08-31T09:42:00.000+12:00

Hi Guys me again!

Here is a free video called The Story of Stuff -It is really worth a watch

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

A 20-minute animation of the consumerist society, narrated by Anne Leonard, to view online or download. Includes footnoted - let me know what you think

Recycling - North Shore

2008-08-30T16:27:00.000+12:00

Click to enlarge the image below

We can now recycle all numbers from 1-7!

Recycling Plastics 1-7
North Shore City Council residents and businesses can now recycle all plastic bottles and containers with the numbers 1 to 7 displayed in the recycling triangle on the base or side of the item.
Previously the only plastics residents and businesses could recycle were plastic bottles numbers 1 and 2.
This means that products such as ice cream containers and lids, yoghurt pottles, dip containers and takeaway containers can all be recycled.
The base or side of the item must have a recycling symbol, with a 1 to 7 on it. If it doesn’t have this, it cannot go in the mobile recycling bin for collection.
Polystyrene – North Shore City Council does not have a market for polystyrene eg polystyrene meat trays, foam hot drink cups and polystyrene packaging. So even though they have the recycling symbol 6 on them, they cannot go in the mobile recycling bin. They must be broken up and placed in the orange Council pre-paid rubbish bags.
Items should be squashed to ensure that all of the recyclable items will fit into the mobile recycling bin.

Visit the website to get fully up to speed on what we can recycle;
http://www.northshorecity.govt.nz/our_environment/Waste_Minimisation/recycling.htm

Food Matters

2008-08-30T14:34:00.001+12:00

Check out this doco;

http://www.foodmatters.tv/index.html

"Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine, And Thy Medicine Be Thy Food." - Hippocrates

That is the message from the founding father of modern medicine echoed in this brave new documentary film brought to you by Producer-Directors James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch.

'Food Matters' is a hard hitting, fast paced look at our current state of health. Despite the billions of dollars of funding and research into new so-called cures we continue to suffer from a raft of chronic ills and every day maladies. Patching up an over-toxic and over-indulgent population with a host of toxic therapies and nutrient sparse foods is deﬁnitely not helping the situation.

In a personal quest of discovery James & Laurentine together with a ﬁlm crew and the editorial and production expertise of Enzo Tedeschi have set out on an independent mission to uncover the wholesome truth. The filmmakers have interviewed several world leaders in nutrition and natural healing who claim that not only are we harming our bodies with improper nutrition, but that the right kind of foods, supplements and detoxification can be used to treat chronic illnesses as fatal as terminally diagnosed cancer.

'Food Matters' seeks to uncover the business of disease and at the same time explore the safe, cheap and effective use of nutrition and supplementation for preventing and often reversing the underlying causative aspects of the illness. With the premise of the film being: access to solid information helps people invariably make better choices for their health.

The 'Food Matters' duo have independently funded the film from start to finish in order to remain as unbiased as possible, delivering a clear and concise message to the world. Food Matters.

$1b govt fund to insulate every NZ home

2008-08-30T14:27:00.001+12:00

Dan Eaton National affairs editor - The Press | Wednesday, 27 August 2008

The Government will establish a $1 billion fund to insulate every house in New Zealand as part of its flagship climate-change policy.

Details of the fund were announced yesterday by the Green Party, which hailed it as a major concession gained in return for its support for Labour's controversial emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill has been on hold for months as the Government worked to secure the support of the Greens and New Zealand First.

With National opposed to rushing the bill through before this year's general election, the votes of the two smaller parties are essential for its passage.

With the Greens having thrown their weight behind it, the fate of the scheme now lies with NZ First.

Leader Winston Peters said yesterday he expected to announce the party's position in the next few days.

He claimed much of the credit for the insulation fund.

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said her party decided at yesterday's weekly caucus to support the scheme.

She said that in addition to the insulation fund, set up using money generated by the scheme, the legislation would provide a cash payout to households to help offset a rise in electricity costs.

Although the bill was flawed, it was better than nothing and the party's six MPs would be voting for it, Fitzsimons said.

"The truth is that if the whole world did what New Zealand is doing in this emissions trading scheme, then the world would fail because the action needed is a lot stronger than that," she said. "However, on balance and given the very significant changes we have achieved, we have decided that it is better to make a start than to do nothing."

Prime Minister Helen Clark welcomed the decision. She said the legislation was now "poised for passage", and talks with NZ First were progressing well.

Fitzsimons said the insulation fund would be administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Board through a mixture of "straight-out grants" for low-income families and "heavily subsidised loans" for those with higher incomes.

She said there would be "a cash payment that is universal but differentiated" to help offset higher electricity prices from 2010.

She declined to give further details, indicating that it was a concession largely won by NZ First.

Peters refused to elaborate, saying details had yet to be finalised, but he described it as "a cost-of-living fund".

National opposes the bill, saying it is a rushed response to climate change that carries high economic risks.

Leader John Key said that if his party won the election it would develop its own scheme and introduce it within nine months of taking office.

"If the ETS passes before the election and National becomes the government, we will be changing the ETS to reflect our principles," he said.

Aspartame

2008-08-30T14:19:00.001+12:00

Hi Again
I just wanted to share with you some research I have been doing about Aspartame - the sweetener in diet, light or Max products - plus used in a lot of food as a flavour enhancer.

Aspartame - know symptoms:
Crosses the blood brain barrier
Distorts and destroys brain cells
Converts to formaldehyde - this attaches to fat cells and will not metabolise out of your body - in fact it just keeps building on to the cells
Masks symptoms such as - Migraine, Lupus, ME, Fibromyalgia etc.
Crosses into the placenta and causes ADD condition, Autism etc
Causes cancers - particularly brain cancer

Here is a section on aspartame from the safe foods website http://www.safefood.org.nz/:
This article is available in .PDF format here 104 Kb
Aspartame - what is it?
It is a controversial artificial sweetener, 951 (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-methyl-ester). It is cheaper and about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
It comprises two amino acids — aspartic acid and phenylalanine, bound together with methanol. Occurring in natural form, these are bound up, but in aspartame they are not, breaking down readily to formaldehyde (accumulative and known to cause cancer), formic acid (venom in ant stings) and DKP (known brain tumour agent).
What's it in?
More than 6000 products worldwide: sugar-free and diet products, eg NutraSweet & Equal packs & sachets, chewing gum, sweets e.g. Mentos, Extra & Smints, some Eta potato chips, Yoplait Diet-Lite & Weightwatchers yoghurts; Jarrah, Weight-watchers, Nestle & Ovaltine drinks; sports drinks; dietary supplements e.g. Redoxon, silver top Berocca, Healtheries products incl. chewable children's vitamins; 124 medicines incl. 81 for children e.g. Lemsip, Panadol.
Augmentin, Berocca, Children's Panadol, Claramax rditabls tablet, gastrolyte powder, gaviscon, Lemsip, metamucil, nicotinell, Panadol cold and flu, throat lozenges Healtheries Boost Immunity Vitamin C and Echinacea, effervescent tablets, most chewing gums and some mints.
How can you tell?
Products containing aspartame often don't mention it. They might just have the warning "Phenylketonurics, contains phenylalanine" or its food number, 951. Dietary supplements and medicines don't have to be labelled with their ingredients in NZ.
What does it do to your health?
According to independent (non-industry funded) doctors and researchers, aspartame can cause a range of symptoms ranging from mild and transitory to debilitating and life-threatening, eg headaches, memory loss, vision loss, depression, seizures, coma and cancer. It can worsen or mimic the symptoms of such diseases and conditions as MS, lupus, ADD, diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It interacts with drugs & MSG, and induces carbohydrate cravings (= weight gain). The methanol in aspartame affects the dopamine system of the brain causing addiction. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is classified as a severe metabolic poison and narcotic.

Slow food in tight times

2008-08-20T16:19:00.000+12:00

Helpful Websites:
http://www.familybudgeting.org.nz/

In light of increased oil prices (Peak Oil has been reached and the situation will just get worse I have DVD's on this matter if anyone is interested) and this will be increasing the cost of food
Including the fact that land is increasingly being used to grow crops for ethanol/methanol production and this is decreasing the area used to grow crops E.g. There is a world shortage at the moment for rice.
So our budgets will be increasing more important - this site gives free budgeting advice to families and individuals. They have handy budget worksheets and tools can be found on this site too.

Some tips on saving money:

1:Dont buy processed foods :

- these are full of toxins - colourings and preservatives that store in the fat cells of our children and do not metabolise out of the body (as an aside the formaldehyde that Abby was talking about clings to the fat cells and then builds up on each cell with every contact of formaldehyde - formaldehyde is a neurotoxin which destroys and misshapes our brain neurons)

2: Instead - Cook - It is commonly being called Slow Foods around the world - this puts the food back into our control - if we cook we know what is in our foods - Abby also has a copy of Fast Food Nation which shows how eating processed fast foods contribute to obesity, cancer, nutritional definciency etc - check out this website:

(If anyone wants help to start a garden or compost/worm farm I am happy to help!)

Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.^[1]

The slow food movement is a reaction to a fast food lifestyle predominant in many modern cultures. By choosing to become a part of the Slow Food movement, you are making a choice to be a co-producer rather than a consumer; an active, proactive and informed part of the food chain that recognises the "connections between plate and planet".^[2] This article discusses a few ways to become involved and become a Slow Foodie yourself.

Steps

Understand what slow food means. Slow food is about more than food; it is about a lifestyle that connects our food consumption to the wider social, ethical, lifestyle, political, environmental and spiritual elements around us. Slow food is about eschewing haste and recognising that over-reliance on fast food damages our health, social fabric and cultural food traditions.
Join a Slow Food group in your region. The Slow Food movement has enlisted over 80,000 members in at least 122 countries, so it's probable you have a group near you.^[3] Your local group will be known as a "convivium" and you will find your local group via Slow Food Where To Find. Of course, you don't have to join to be a part of the Slow Food movement; it is just a chance to be with like-minded people and to have the chance to share ideas and to participate in events together; benefits that may enthuse you.
Get cooking. That's right. Stop buying the pre-made selection and start pulling out your recipe books. Look for family heirloom recipes passed down through the generations; many of us can recall delicious meal occasions prepared by family members, or even by ourselves before the need for speed overtook us. Be careful about your recipe choices, however. The fancy cookbooks might call for ingredients that need to be imported from many thousands of miles away; avoid these and favour recipes that let your local produce take centre stage, including veggies and fruit from your own garden.
Shop locally. Shopping locally is a key element to being a Slow Foodie. Shop at your local farmer's markets, your local fruit and vegetable store and even consider asking for veggies from your neighbours if they're growing some. Not only do you save the wear and tear on the environment from all the energy consumed in long-range transportation but you also know where your food came from and that's a very reassuring feeling. The greatest benefit of shopping locally though? The food is as fresh as possible and that just tastes the best.
Avoid genetically modified food. Whilst some companies may put forth a vision that genetically modified food is the promise of the future, there remain many questions about the speed at which such modification is occurring and the means by which it is being achieved. Certainly, we have been modifying our food for centuries but the key word here is centuries, not a matter of years. The Slow Food movement has a fundamental opposition to the use of genetically modified food products because in making a large swathe of common food sources generic, we risk losing the all important diversity and quality of food available around the world and replacing it with mono-crops that become more susceptible to disease, providing less healthy variety and possibly increasing the chances of human-induced disease through over-concentration on a few food types.
Buy organic. Where possible, prefer organic produce over conventionally grown food. You reduce your exposure to pesticides, fungicides and fertiliser chemicals and you get produce that many studies have suggested are higher in nutrients that bolster the immune system, presumably because plants not treated with pesticides must produce more antioxidants to protect themselves.^[4] Organic food is an important part of the Slow Food movement because organic food is low impact and harm reducing, especially when practiced on a non-industrial scale.
Grow your own food. Whether you have space only for a container of herbs or space for a large veggie patch, you can become a direct force in your own food production. For dwellers in small residences, use the window sill and balcony to grow herbs and fruit trees in pots. For those with larger gardens, plant vegetables in seasonal rotation and enjoy the freshest there is. It is really important to involve children in gardening, to aid their understanding of the connection between soil, food and their own health. Start children with easy-to-grow plants, such as radishes, herbs and peas. Encourage children to eat some of their crop raw, straight from the garden, so that they can taste just how delicious a fresh pod of peas or cob of corn really is.
Share your home-cooked meals. Not everybody can cook. Those who are infirm, disabled or simply too busy to consider the value of slow food are just some examples of people who are not in a position to cook. Share your cooking talents around to help out those less fortunate; and if you are trying to convince others about the message of slow food, what better way than by setting the example with your own delicious food? Tempt them...
Cook with the kids. The earlier that children get involved in the kitchen, the better. Children who know how to cook are not at the mercy of the fast food industry and know automatically how easy it is to whip up their own fresh food at home. Moreover, in teaching kids how to cook, you share a family tradition together that will bind you closer together and this helps to pass on traditional family knowledge. Encourage kids to enjoy cooking at home by letting their imaginations take a key part in the cooking process; creating shapes and food themes is a fun part of making food for the table, as in this image.
Pack a healthy lunch. For work, school, outings and play, take a home-prepared lunch. Soup can be kept warm in a thermos, sandwiches can be kept fresh by pre-cutting the filling but only adding it to the bread at lunchtime and homemade baked goods, cut fruit and veggies, salads and leftovers can contribute to a well-rounded and tasty lunch that lets you spend more time enjoying your lunch hour and keeping extra money in your wallet. Save that extra money for a delicious meal once a month in a restaurant that follows Slow Food principles.

Tips

The Slow Food movement began in Italy, in 1989. Carlo Petrini advocated against fast food and was the founding member of the Slow Food movement.^[5]
Drink municipal water where safe; bottled water requires high energy usage to bottle and transport and there are concerns about leakage of chemicals from the plastic bottles. It is better to agitate for sustained municipal water supplies than to pay more per litre for water than for fuel; water that often is filtered municipal supplies anyway! Add a filter to your home taps and enjoy what you are already paying for and support the local waterworks.
Many traditional cooking methods have fallen into disuse because of the time that they required to prepare and cook. Many people have solved this problem by preparing large quantities of old-style food in one day (imagine that you were going to have many guests), then freezing it in meal sized containers for easy defrosting and consumption. Freezers are very useful tools for the modern kitchen.
Never forget that your slow cooker can be started in advance and allowed to cook all day, maintenance-free; and that when in a rush, a pressure cooker can greatly reduce the time necessary to cook items or entire meals! (Pressure cooking a half gallon of fresh-snapped green beans requires less than 10 minutes, and entire roast beef only takes 15 minutes per pound of meat.) Additionally, a huge "bale" of fresh spinach microwaves in minutes! Not all "slow" cooking has to be inconvenient or a long ordeal -- the word "slow" refers more to Anti-Fast-Food.

Warnings

Test your soil for toxins. If you live in an urban area, or anywhere that may have once been industrial you would be well-advised to test your soil before growing vegetables. Even healthy looking soil could be contaminated with lead, mercury, zinc, cadmium, or PCBs. In the US, the local Agriculture Office should offer these testing services to their residents, along with relevant advice concerning growing things in your immediate area.
It is easy to believe that organic farming and fair trade products are safer and better for the world. However, many experts disagree with the hype. Remember that while "organic" uses no pesticides or fertilizers and is thus "clean," it is a business model just like any other, and presents its own problems and challenges.^[6]

Things You'll Need

Time (though not as much as you'd think)
A passion for food that is good, clean and fair
Farmers' markets, local fruit and vegetable stores
Garden or container garden

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ Slow Food, Our Philosophy
↑ Slow Food, Our Philosophy
↑ Where We Are
↑ New York Times: Is Organic Food Provably Better?
↑ Wikipedia, Slow Food

Linda

Good old Garlic

2008-08-19T11:16:00.000+12:00

Garlic has been used for centuries for its ability to fight of disease and increase stamina.
Today it is widely known for its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. It is also excellent for treating parasites in the stomach and intestines. It also helps to reduce mucus build up and congestion in the respiratory system.

Garlic is most effective raw or if cooked added right at the end of the cooking process to reduce heat damage.....now Garlic breath is enough to ward off even the most fearsome vampires, however chopping raw Garlic to a pill type size and swallowing with a glass of water leaves your breath smelling fresh as a daisy!!!

Now is the time to be planting Garlic too. Its as easy as buying some bulbs from the supermarket, letting them sprout, separating the cloves out and planting them in your garden. They are a wonderful companion plant. When planted on the boundary of the garden it repels bugs from coming through to eat all your more tasty plants growing in the middle of the garden.

So with all the colds and flu going around at the moment get chomping on this immunity wonder food, you'll be amazed at how well it works!!!

Food for thought - Peta

2008-07-29T17:10:00.000+12:00

Nice work Mel...

Just want to leave you guys with a question (I will answer 'why' when I return from Italy - wahoooo)

Go to your cupboards and refrigerator, and take a look at how many packaged food items you have in your kitchen - for example, cereal, salad dressing and ice cream. After reading the ingredients to each item, ask yourself:

1. how many words am I unable to pronounce?

2. which of these ingredients have I never heard of and/or have no idea what it is?

The fact of the matter is food and additive manufacturers, like drug manufacturers, are running the largest study ever run in history - and we are the guinea pigs!

In a standard Burger King strawberry milkshake, you will find the following chemicals, and these are for the flavouring alone (i.e. not including the ice cream):

Amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl Nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerbate, heliotropin, hydroxyphrenyl-2butanone (10% solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, g-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent (3)!

Scary!

A couple of key points:

1. if you can't pronounce a word on the label, don't eat it

2. The longer is lasts on the shelf, the worse it is for you - most things nature will not last more than a few days.

Dave's Tip of the Week

2008-07-29T12:04:00.001+12:00

We try really hard to do the right thing at home, but sometimes this all goes out the window when we leave the house! Dave noticed that at the workshop in Albany, bottles and cans etc that we would recycle at home were just going into the rubbish. I’m sure this is a common situation in many workplaces, especially on site where tradesmen work. So, be the change you want to see in the world and institute a simple recycling program in your workplace, it could be as easy as simply taking a cardboard box to work, labeling it RECYCLING, and placing it next to the rubbish bin. When it is full take it home to recycle it! Easy!

CHECK OUT THE BLOG www.livingwellnz.blogspot.com

2008-07-29T09:55:00.001+12:00

ABBY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

We often know very little about the clothes we wear.... where they were made, the conditions those clothes makers worked in, what the fabric was treated with, how these fabrics are grown or made?

Here is a little info as food for thought....

Traditionally cotton has been organically grown for over 4000 years. But in the mid 20th century widespread use of chemicals fertilisers and pesticides began to be used on cotton crops.

Spraying conventional cotton fields

Today conventional cotton production uses approximately a quarter of the worlds agricultural insecticide production, which makes it one of the heaviest users of toxic chemicals.

Horrifying fact: did you know that despite its image as the most "natural" and "pure" of fibres, cotton is one of the most pesticide-intensive crops there is. To put it into perspective, the chemicals used to grow cotton are so toxic they eventually render the ground infertile.

Not only does Cotton carry these pesticide residues, but almost all polyester/cotton blend fabrics are finished with formaldehyde, a carcinogen, added to make fabrics wrinkle or flame resistant.

Bamboo clothing and organic cotton are completly biodegradeable, do not contain harmful chemicals and are must less exhausting on the planet......

I'm starting to change my boys into mostly organic cotton clothing and untreated wool blend fabrics (alot of wool is sprayed to stop is pilling) Most of these products are made in the fair trade projects in India or in New Zealand. Its more expensive, but they just have less stuff which is in some ways alot easier than having heaps and heaps of clothes. There isn't much stuff around for adults but if you know of anything let me know....

cheers

Abs xxx

Plant strawberries now

2008-07-21T18:14:00.001+12:00

Its time to get those strawberry plants in the ground.....when you check out the article below from www.organicnz.org you'll want to be growing your own or eating organically

Highly toxic Endosulfan found in lettuce, strawberries, courgettes

13-05-2008

The deadly toxic pesticide endosulfan has been found in lettuce, strawberries, courgettes in the latest government food residue testing.

Endosulfan, already banned in 56 countries because of its high toxicity and environmental persistence, has been nominated by the European Union for a global ban under the Stockholm Convention.

"That this old-fashioned organochlorine pesticide is still being used by New Zealand is deeply embarrassing for New Zealand on the global stage, and that it is still turning up as residues in our daily food is complete unacceptable for the health of New Zealanders", said Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa Co-ordinator Dr Meriel Watts.

"It is an endocrine disruptor, mimicking oestrogen at very low levels of exposure and is implicated in breast cancer. It is also a neurotoxin and is linked to Parkinson's disease, it causes birth defects, and it undermines the immune system. As well as that, many hundreds of people have been killed overseas, particularly in Africa and India, by exposure to this pesticide when used in agriculture."

"All over the world endosulfan contaminates the environment - New Zealand use probably contributes to the residues found in elephant seals in the Antarctic. It also contaminates human breast-milk, adipose tissue, placental tissue and umbilical cord blood, meaning that the unborn child is exposed, and then re-exposed on birth through breast milk. Any use whatsoever adds to this global environmental and human burden."

In 2005 New Zealand faced the embarrassment, and a $30 million dollar loss, when Korea found illegal residues of endosulfan in NZ export beef.

"ERMA is reassessing endosulfan and we hope this will bring about a final ban on it but in the meantime, we call on growers to immediately stop use of this highly toxic and destructive pesticide," said Dr Watts and Soil & Health Association spokesperson Mr Browning.

"New Zealand needs to be a leader in removing pesticides not a follower," said Mr Browning, "Organic foods produced without such pesticides are the fastest growing sector of the food and beverage trade internationally."

Hmmm don't think i'll be partaking in supermarket strawbs this year!!!!

Eco tip of the week

2008-07-12T18:32:00.001+12:00

ABBY'S TIP OF THE WEEK

As i'm sure most of you have heard that the UK and Europe are banning childrens drink bottles with the number 7 recycling symbol on the bottom, due to the plastic properties leaching into the fluid and causing carcinogenic effects. NZ has not banned these products yet dispite the ever increasing knowledge of the harmful effects of storing and heating food and fluids in plastic. In the lastest Good Magazine they had stainless steel drink bottles advertised. They are called Eco Tanker's and come in a range of sizes. I bought a tiny one for Riley's first sippy cup and one for Jess. They're really styley and will last forever and the best thing is that there's nothing harmful that can contaiminate their water. I'm going to buy one for Scotty and I this week.

To have a look go to http://www.justherbal.co.nz/.

From

Abs xxx

Peta's Tip o' the Week

2008-07-11T14:44:00.000+12:00

Very cool article

2008-07-06T16:33:00.000+12:00

It was great to see this article on the front page of the Shore Times this week, drawing attention to one super-power-savers success using solar panels. It also highlighted the ridiculous $200 charge imposed by North Shore City Council for the installation of solar panels. Isn't this what local authorities should be encouraging? Click image to enlarge and read.

Tip - Shantel

2008-07-05T20:43:00.000+12:00

We keep 4 small bins in the kitchen (cupboard) one for food scraps, paper etc for the compost, one for glass, cans etc for the recyling bin, one for paper recycling and the other for anything else that can't be recycled. It's helped us halve (or more) the amount of rubbish we put out each week.

Reply - Peta

2008-07-05T20:40:00.000+12:00

ooooh I'm liking this Abs! Great work on initiating this, what better place to start than inspiring friends. I have included a link below to a website that gives you tips on how you and your household can reduce their impact on the environment + save some $$ too. You can create your own 'next steps' plan which is quite handy as often its hard to think 'well what can I actually do'..
http://www.sustainability.govt.nz/user?destination=pledge/edit
Think of your house as an extension of your skin, it needs to breath just as much as you need to. Therefore using chemical heavy cleaning products is like spraying them directly on to you skin. Unless you are airing your house daily, you skin is absorbing all the leftover residue.

Tip from Greer

2008-07-05T20:38:00.002+12:00

Draft stop insulation tape in door frames - it's made such a difference in our old house!

Reply - Jo

2008-07-05T20:38:00.001+12:00

This is awesome Abs, good on you for raising awareness. It will definitely make me more conscious of what I buy at the supermarket! I always feel so guilty when I forget my eco bags but I usually end up just chucking everything in the boot and doing a million trips to and from the car to unpack everything when I get home. And well, as you know, I am keeping up with the cloth nappies, anything to reduce those landfills. Power to the Greenies xxx

Reply - Linda

2008-07-05T20:37:00.000+12:00

Hi - This is wonderful darling - great innovation - I pledge to not buy things that are packaged or to leave the package at the checkout for them to deal with it - I have been meaning to do this for a while - yeah Lets save the world for our children - something worth standing up and fighting about! Women need to unite and know that it is important to do these things - it feels a bit how it must have felt in the war when women united to run the countries - come on girls - we can do it!
P.S. send to your e mail networks and see how many people we can encourage!

The beginning of a positive change

2008-07-05T20:30:00.000+12:00

As most of you know I'm pretty into the whole saving the planet thing....definitely something that has been installed in me by lovely Lindy Loo who is the most knowledgeable person i know when it come to environmental matters. Thanks to her i feel like I'm starting to do my bit to make sustainable changes that will help make a change. Just the other day she bought me the Women's Weekly ( i think its the first one she's every bought....) as it was a green issue, if you haven't got it already rush out and grab it if you can, it has 57 pages on how to make small changes that if we all made them would make a huge impact on the environment. So anyway after reading that and another mag that Mel Jayne bought me for my birthday (good NZ's first sustainable living mag) i felt well and truly inspired to get it together and try to make our family and the way we live as sustainable as possible.

So i was thinking that maybe we could have like a fortnightly or monthly email where we can all give each other ideas on what we've tried and how its worked....i know i always find hearing what other people are doing really motivating....for example the other day i was talking to Mel Jayne, she was telling me how she's been teaching Ethan about why there's a power crisis and how to be a power saver, they've shopped up a storm on candles and have candle lit evenings from time to time now....that's so awesome, romantic and fun, and so candles have now been added to my shopping list too! Before she told me that i must say i hadn't really been overly cautious with power conservation, so anyway that's all changed.
I also had a great talk the other night with Peta who had so many great ideas and knowledge around organic foods and how sprays, additives and preservatives affect our health.
We're all really knowledgeable in different ways so i think we need to share it.

So this is my wee story .... After cleaning out the fridge the other night i separated all the recycling (we can recycle up to number 7 now on the shore, composted all fruit and vege waste and the rest went in the bin....i had a tiny pile for the bin and a huge one for recycling and compost. So all inspired with my minimal waste and armed with my reusable cloth shopping bags i decided to go shopping to really try to purchase as little packaging as possible (what a mission as everything seems to be wrapped hard out) and all NZ made (less carbon miles)....so i managed to buy in season and packed all fruit and veges that i would usually put in lots of little plastic bags into one big calico bag then just separated them at the check out, it was actually just so easy. Also i tried to buy only food that was in containers with the numbers 1-7 recycling symbol. Of course there were still things that i had to buy that didn't fit my criteria (toothpaste and toothbrushes for example) but hey at lest I'm trying.....as i was so aware of the packaging thing i found myself looking at other people in the supermarket my god its actually horrifying some the the stuff people buy and how many plastic bags they need for things, obviously waste minimisation isn't in the forefront of their minds!!! I felt so good walking out of there knowing i was really trying to do my bit.

I'm hoping if your keen to share your story's and idea's that maybe we could all forward them on to everyone we know (whether you thing they'd be interested or not) .... it might be just be the motivation they need to start making changes for looking after our beautiful planet?