Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability's topics - tribe.net

Disclosure and Free Energy

2009-12-27T19:22:20Z

We need to get the truth out to the masses. Please visit www.myspace.com/qcdfe for more information. start your own local city or state disclosure and free energy page , and they will never be able to win. Thank you!!

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Natural Mystic Magazine

2009-12-23T21:47:09Z

www.naturalmysticmagazine.com, we are working on next issue and 1issue 1 will be available online in Late January.. want a hard copy ck site and subscribe..its only available on west coast streets, hawaii free..subscribe if out of this area or want direct copies sent to you..Bless

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Diatomaceous earth

2009-11-20T17:05:36Z

Diatomaceous earth as a diet supplement:

I've read about it being useful to de-worm your pets cleanse your colon and some people make claims that the stuff increases nearly every single health aspect of the body from the hair to the skin to heart, liver kidneys, the teeth and maybe makes you 40 years younger skinny and good looking.

If people would not make stuff up and try to pass their fanciful imaginings along as medical fact it might go a long way to helping people understand the actual benefits of things. I remember when Vitamin C was the magic cure all for everything even some bozos were in Mexico overdosing patients with it claiming it's cure Tetanus, Cancer, Tuberculosis, Lupus even vaginal warts. Every one with a terminal disease died, the rest all stayed sick. Yet these magic pixi dust cure alls manage to keep circulating and duping folks.

I can understand how Diatomaceous earth might work to kill intestinal worm parasites but, by the same exact function ( abrasion) would not the stuff be a potential cancer causing agent since irritation can cause cancer?
All those little sharp edgy things in the colon and intestines. Wouldn't that amount to irritation?
Any ways I'm curious.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Soaking raw nuts

2009-11-20T16:55:51Z

Hiya...so how long do I soak various nuts? I heard 6 hours for cashews..with a bit of sea salt. I've been soaking the almonds overnight. Will I mess it up if I soak a certain nut too long?

Thanks in advance.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 13 replies

looking for people to help us create our self sufficient, renewable energy driven, organic homestead in France

2009-10-19T23:20:28Z

We are looking for people to help our communal dream become reality...

French Manoir / farm in Normandy with organic kitchen garden, 2 fields of 2 hectares, chickens etc..We now want to create Biosphere/Geodesic dome, full organic self sufficiency aiming towards being carbon neutral and using renewable energy. We are looking for people interested in the technological side of self sufficiency as well as running a small organic kitchen garden. Creative people welcomed, We are both musicians, non smokers, not drinkers. The house contains a studio and we work developing and recording bands and artists..,Ideally we would want to feed ourselves and our clients with vegetables and food from the farmstead. Over the years we have had quite a few WWOOFERS (world organic farming volunteers) which has proved successful but unfortunately most people are only available for a few weeks or months as this organisation is more geared for shorter stays, we are looking for someone, or a couple who would like to become a more permanent part of our team.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

Meet Up Oct.9-11/12 Mentone Alabama

2009-10-02T04:04:56Z

Meet Up - Mentone Alabama - Intentional Community/Retreat/Eco-Village Minded
- Causal Camping Weekend - Just Fun & Company - Oct.9th - 11th/12th
- If Interested See Group ASAP At: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject

http://facebook.com/KnightsIntent

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

hybrid car rental

2009-09-21T06:40:46Z

does anyone know of any good green car rental companies? i know about zipcar.com

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Legalize Hemp and Cannabis in California

2009-09-13T19:19:11Z

Hi Family,

Right now there are two competing signature drives to put cannabis legalization initiatives on the ballot in California for November 2010.

One is found at www.taxcannabis2010.org

The other is found at www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org

Please look carefully at the text of both laws (the text of each is finalized at this point) and make up your own mind which one you support.

I am supporting www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org because this law will protect cannabis users from discrimination in healthcare, employment, and housing. It is a full legalization measure for hemp and cannabis which will restore full human rights to cannabis users and growers all across California.

I have two parts to my plan. The first part is to publicly post and distribute our "Call to Arms" in order to recruit volunteers. This document is available here-

www.imgur.com/dbU83

The second part of the plan is to ask everyone who volunteers to make a pledge for how many signature they will collect in the next 30 days or so. 15-30 signatures is a good number. You can probably get that number from your family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors without having to solicit in public too much. This is an "out of the closet" movement. We will have to proudly advocate human rights for cannabis smokers in order to get support from legitimate people. I can supply stickers equivalent to each persons pledge number. These stickers can be used to generate interest and be given to people who sign the petition. Here is the sticker design-

www.imgur.com/2cjvb

Feel free to distribute and use these images. But don't copyright them because you are not the one who created them.

We have 146 days in order to get the number of signatures that we need. Our petition is hot off the press on 9/11 and we are collecting the first signatures yesterday 9/12.

We are polling 56% public support for cannabis legalization in California, so this is an initiative which is not doomed. It's time has finally arrived. Now is the time to do this and to do it right. We may only get one chance. If a law which is not exactly what we want is implemented then we may lose our critical mass and our ability to set it right.

If you want to help me in any way please contact the CCI campaign at www.CaliforniaCannabisInitiative.org or write me at deep_space_underground@yahoo.com

Love,
-Fully Committed

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Frequency of Colon Cleansing?

2009-08-28T02:12:09Z

I read all about colon cleansing on http://www.colonzone.org and completed the first one last night. I feel so much different - definitely noticed a huge impact on my body.

What I'm wondering though, does anyone have any experience with how often you should be doing these? It seems like it can vary, so just curious on some personal experiences.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Tian Gong Tribe!

2009-08-25T18:08:19Z

Just got the new version of the Tian Gong Tribe up and running!

Tian Gong is a Qi Gong school for energy & spiritual healing. A place where body, mind & soul work together, we offer weekly classes, practice groups, energy transmissions & workshop intensives to accelerate personal growth & development. This unique form of Qi Gong incorporates meditation, physical movement, sound healing, Eastern & Western spiritual wisdom & ancient alchemical practices.
Practicing Tian Gong Qi Gong helps to restore & strengthen emotional, mental & physical health & balance. Even more importantly, Tian Gong distinguishes itself through intermediate & advanced courses which lead students to a deeper understanding of karma, reincarnation & soul health. Teachings are based on Eastern philosophy grounded in 8,000 years of wisdom passed down by sages & ancient cultures around the world, as well as new Universal messages.

With a mission to provide global humanitarian relief aid and a curriculum that emphasizes energy-based environmental sustainability, social philanthropy and disaster relief skills, we hope that anyone interested in changing the world for the better will find a home in your heart here — because finding your inner peace will lead the world to global peace.

Come to one of our group practices!

Berkeley
7:30 - 9 pm, every Tuesday
Rudramandir, a Center for Spirituality and Healing
830 Bancroft Way, Lotus Room #114

San Francisco
7 - 8:30pm, every Tuesday
300 Bella Vista Way

Santa Cruz
7 - 8:30 pm, every Thursday
The Garden Sanctuary, 3070 Prather Lane, Soquel, CA 95065

Sebastopol
7-8:30pm, every Tuesday
Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 6780 Depot St, Sebastopol, CA 95472

Call 510-883-1920 for info about classes in Marin, San Diego, San Mateo, Sacramento, and Union City.

See our flier and website for upcoming events and workshops!
www.TianGong.org

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

BAN MIND CONTROL/ DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS TORTURE AND ABUSE

2009-08-19T21:27:47Z

I know this sounds like science fiction or a conspiracy theory, but it's not. It is a complete reality and a huge danger to humanity. Please check out the following petition and sign it. As crazy as this may sound but mind control energy weapons is a reality. Millions of people are suffering from the mental abuse and torture of these weapons that are not openely talked about or known, or "declassified." The abuse is largely sexist and racist and targets people who are of certain ethnicities... primarily who are not white. The abuse is deliberate, cruel, and is done by directing energy beams, via satellite or other means, onto the body/person/ brain of the individuals targeting certain centers of the brain to elicit responses or actions. The companies, military, governments who are doing this also use sound weapons to direct sounds, subtle or not, vibrations and energy in the mind or environment of the victims to harrass, abuse, and control the actions of these individuals. Whether they are able to do control the person or not, they definitely abuse and severely mentally and psychologically hurt the victims.

BAN MIND CONTROL/DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS TORTURE AND ABUSE

To: the President of the United States, Members of the U.S. Senate and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, see more...your Governor, Members of your State Senate, Members of your State House, the President of the United States, Members of the U.S. Senate and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Started by: Soleilmavis L

WE CONCERN ABOUT THE ABUSE AND TORTURE OF THE FOLLOWINGS :- DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS; NEUROLOGICAL WEAPONS; MIND CONTROL WEAPONS; BODY AND BRAIN MANIPULATION WEAPONS; PSYCHOTRONIC WEAPONS; SPACE WEAPONS; NON-LETHAL WEAPONS; COINTELPRO; ANDany other unacknowledged or as yet undeveloped means inflicting death or injury on, or damaging or destroying, a person (or the biological life, bodily health, mental health, or physical and economic well-being of a person) through the use of land-based, sea-based, or space-based systems using radiation, electromagnetic, psychotronic, sonic, laser, or other energies directed at individual persons or targeted populations or the purpose of information war, mood management, or mind control of such persons or populations.Please help to ban abuses and tortures of above-mentioned weapons.
Yours Sincerely,
Soleilmavis
peacepink.ning.com

"Mailtem" members of THE WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN AGAINST the (secret) Abuse and Torture That Uses Mind Control, Directed Energy Weapons and Manipulation Weapons on Every Living Being.
peacepink.ning.com/forum/to...m-members

1.

This petition ends on Dec 31.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

New Gaia Center: Ecological Holistic Health Center, Intentional Community Permaculture Farm and Restaurant, and Nature Reserve in Atitlan, Guatemala

2009-08-11T17:16:50Z

Hello friends from around the world. Good news!

We have a site secured for the mind-body health center and intentional community I have been dreaming. Photos and a full description of the operation coming to the website soon. For now, more information is on our facebook group at:
www.facebook.com/s.php
and Tribe group: tribes.tribe.net/projectnuevomundo

Project Nuevo Mundo is a network of individuals committed to redirecting the development of our planet and the life it sustains through the creation of consciousness-transforming, healing projects and centers in communities both foreign and domestic.

This reflects momentum gathering around the world towards a new consensus that emphasizes a more balanced existence with the rest of the natural world based on small-scale, cooperatively organized and relatively self-sufficient human settlements.

Join me if you are interested in a future in development (economic, social, spiritual), fair trade, microcredit, community-building, health and clean water access, media relations and organization, refugee work, education, environmental advocacy and spreading alternative energies. Use this space to discuss possibilities, ideas, and the projects that currently engage us.

We support the philosophy of the Solidarity Economy, creating opportunities for work-exchange and reducing the neccessity for monetary transactions. On our site, you will find many ways to travel the world, learn, and volunteer with little to no finances.

Here is a little information about the site we have built in Guatemala and now and need your help to start the project and community! (calling all WWOOF work-exchange volunteers, vegan gourmet kitchen apprentices, gardeners, landscapers, mural-painters, massage therapists, yoga instructors, therapists and mind-body healers...). We can make this happen together!

-Beautiful lakeside land going up about two-hundred meters
-Two minutes by boat from beautiful Santiago Atitlan, the largest town on the lake (but not accessible except by boat, which we have one)
-Beautiful hiking paths on our private land as well as public trails
-Solar powered jacuzees, and unlimited supply of solar-heated water
-Sauna sweatlodge
-1000 watt sound-system :)
-Fully producing organic garden (all vegan) with retail outlet store (Salud para Vida) in San Pedro Atitlan and restaurant on-site. Sprouting, raw food, green juicing, etc. this is happening already.
-Plenty of camping space (we hope to build a hostel soon to accomodate backpackers)
-Housing for rent (although this is luxury, to generate income)
-WWOOF positions and work-exchange opportunities opening up in January (we will need a kitchen position, a maintenance and cleaning position, and a gardening position to start. We will also be constructing ecological houses for work-exchange people
-Opportunities to work for one year (including building a small habitation from local materials) in exchange for legal ownership of the habitation and a small plot of land for personal garden
-We are specifically looking for yoga instructors, massage therapists, landscape designers, green builders and permaculture-organic agriculture enthusiasts. We would like to beautify the space with flowers, murals, stained-glass designs. Let´s get creative! When we develop the center we will need a variety of mind-body healers.
-Future plans: 1-2 week workshops on organic farming, vegan cooking, sailing, etc. We plan on hosting conferences, parties, weddings, Vipassana meditation retreats, camping trips for disadvantaged children from Guatemala City to get in touch with nature and rediscover their roots. We are very open to ideas and want to experiment. Get it?

We will be posting up a complete picture of the operations with photographs on our coming website, www.projectnuevomundo.org , in the next couple of weeks. We are also looking for people to pool money together to purchase more land and build a meditation center and more housing. Will be keeping news of the project up to date, please spread the word to interested friends and invite them to the group.

Right now, we are looking for a green design architect, a yoga instructor, and a massage therapist.

Email contact: projectnuevomundo@gmail.com

Love and Light
David

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Join Us

2009-08-08T01:23:00Z

Become A Part Of Reality - See:
http://intentionalone.com/essence/presentlreality.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Interesting article on toxins and our health

2009-08-07T15:02:52Z

Learn What's in Our Chemical Soup
If you can, that is. Our label laws are little help. But there are ways to know, and act.

By: By Amanda Euringer, 13 July 2009, TheTyee.ca

View full article and comments: http://thetyee.ca/News/2009/07/13/ToxicSoup/

My daughter is glaring at me. I have told her that nail polish, like TV and fast food, might be considered "normal," but is banned in our house. She is working on her best pre-teen "I hate mom" look, something I have grown accustomed to. Mood swings, self-consciousness, and a general feeling of mortification at everything I do or say have become commonplace in our home. Our doctor tells me that -- based on her development -- my tween will have her period within the year. Except she isn't a tween; she is only nine.

She is not alone. All her friends in Grade 4 are "budding." The mothers gather in groups, whispering, comparing notes, bewildered that our daughters are going through such a huge hormonal change at least three years earlier than any of us did. An eternity of time in child-years. Three years that should be spent hating boys, and running amok in disheveled groups. Instead, they're talking about periods, body odor, and going through the horror of buying their first bras. At nine.

And those are just the social implications. The Breast Cancer Fund website says early-onset puberty in girls is heavily linked to the global breast cancer epidemic.

Of course we had heard of this happening, you know, down in Latin America. But we represent the best in B.C. holistic childrearing; our children have been raised on organic snacks, and non-GMO grains. They were refused TV, and brought to expensive Montessori pre-schools. We are young, fit, healthy and educated, so how could this be happening to our children?

Our kids as guinea pigs

North America has become a great chemical experiment and our children are the guinea pigs. By the time we tuck them into bed at night, they have spent the day in contact with a cornucopia of toxins, in combinations that no scientist has ever studied. Our carpets are off-gassing, air fresheners are nerve-deadening, and our shampoos are potentially altering fetal development. According to recent studies by Heather Stapleton and the Boston University School of Public Health, even our babies are crawling in a sea of toxic dust-bunnies that can lead to cancer and infertility.

What can we do? As consumers, we don't have the right to know what is in our cars, homes and children's toys that is making us sick. Want to know if your child can get cancer from her water bottle? Better break out your science degree, if the toxins are listed at all. Unlike European countries, which force manufacturers to fully disclose toxic content in plain language, Canada has no labelling requirements for most consumer goods. Canadian companies are allowed to protect their "trade secrets" even at the cost of human health.

What is that cost? Up to $9 billion per year are spent dealing with respiratory diseases, cardiovascular illness, congenital affliction and cancer associated with mostly preventable adverse environmental exposures. That's the finding of a 2007 study entitled The Environmental Burden of Disease in Canada produced by Simon Fraser University. And that doesn't take into account things like dropping sperm counts, and early-onset puberty, for which it would be hard to estimate a cost.

Even though we know we are poisoning our environment and ourselves through a dangerous addiction to consumerism, most of us continue to feel unable to control what is happening to the planet. Ineffectual Kyoto accords, green initiatives (like hybrid cars) that only the rich can afford, along with a recent study from Wal-Mart Canada that showed that 79 per cent of Canadians choose price over the environment when it comes to buying products -- these all inspire the general feeling that going green may be going the way of the dinosaur during hard economic times.

Perhaps our apathy about buying green stems from our skepticism about green claims that we cannot check. A study put out in March by BBMG (a socially conscious marketing agency) found a 23 per cent "green trust gap" in U.S. consumers.

But what if we could check the ingredients of many of the products we use every day? What if we had the ability to control what kinds of chemicals were being manufactured and used in the world around us? Sound impossible?

Not entirely. The rights you do not have as a consumer, you wield in the workforce. Canadians have -- right now -- real power to change our environment through labour laws that have existed since the mid-'90s, and are arguably the strongest environmental laws in the country.

More importantly, a number of ordinary people are already quietly doing just that. This is the first in a five-part series that looks at how we can control what is happening in our environment, and how a new breed of eco-warrior is emerging from what some might find and unlikely source, the labour unions.

What are manufacturers trying to hide?

According to the Cancer Smart 3.0 Consumer Guide, put out by Toxin Free Canada (formerly the Labour Environmental Alliance), toxins break down into three main categories: carcinogens, reproductive toxins and endocrine disruptors.

In plain language, carcinogens are substances that cause cancer by altering or damaging the cell's DNA: a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. We continuously make copies of our DNA; the quality and integrity of those copies determine our health.

Asbestos and vinyl chloride (predominantly used in the production of PVC) are examples of carcinogens that have been effectively reduced in consumer and workplace components. But industrial and household cleaners, pesticides, insecticides, and pet-flea control are just some of the products that still contain "safe" (according to industry standards) amounts of carcinogens.

Reproductive toxins are substances that poison the reproductive system. They can cause damaged sperm in men, infertility in women and early puberty. They can also damage growth in children and fetuses. Heavy metals like arsenic, or the lead recently found in some imported toys, are the most common offenders.

Recent research by Kim Dietrich at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine found a link between lead contamination in fetal development or during early childhood, and adult antisocial behavior leading to arrest. Even a tiny amount, a five- microgram/decilitre increment in prenatal or childhood blood lead levels, was associated with a 26 per cent increase in the rate of arrest for violent crimes.

Mercury is another good example, and can be found in everything from the fillings in our teeth, to "silent" light switches. In the book Slow Death By Rubber Duck, one of the authors ate tuna for every meal for three days. Simply upping his tuna intake catapulted the mercury in his blood to levels that would be dangerous to a pregnant woman.

Possibly the least understood and most terrifying are the endocrine disruptors. Unlike other chemicals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can cause damage even at extremely low levels of exposure. These chemicals mimic natural human and animal hormones. When released into nature, they can either block natural hormones, or exaggerate their effects.

Tony Clement, when he was federal health minister, banned baby bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA) because tests on mice show that it mimics estrogen, and can affect early childhood development. Another well-known EDC is polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).

Even if we restrict their use, many EDCs persist in the environment by accumulating in the food chain through the fats of mammals.

EDCs have been found in the breast milk of both humans and animals, even those who live far away from any obvious pollutants. Significant EDC contamination can come from the air, drinking water, and particularly skin through contact with chemicals in household and industrial products, cosmetics and clothing.

With EDCs the poison is not the dose; it's the timing. These chemicals can profoundly affect fetal or early child development at critical growing stages. They can cause emasculation, improper development of reproductive organs, including incomplete development of testes, and early-onset puberty in both animals and humans.

Even more sinister are the implications for women. New studies have shown that regular exposure to EDC's during pregnancy -- even at low doses -- can potentially affect the next two generations, since the eggs for the next generation are already being developed in the fetus. In other words, your grandmother -- in some ways -- was carrying you inside her body.

Poisons passed on

"What people are realizing now," says Mae Burrows, executive director of Toxic Free Canada, from her office in Vancouver, "is that you can't just look at the lifestyle of the 45-year-old woman who is developing breast cancer; you have to look at what her grandmother was exposed to."

As a consumer, I can only hope to curb the sea of toxins in which my daughter has been swimming since she was in utero. Unseen substances around her may have already affected her physical growth. We have been playing with powerful chemicals in everything from the fuel for our cars, to the teething toys we gave our children to suck as babies.

In the next article, we will look at how we can use Canada's labour laws to educate ourselves on toxic ingredients, and reduce the mass consumption of unnecessary chemicals in our environment.

On Wednesday, 'Toxics: The Right to Know, Part 2.' The Tyee looks at how we can use our labour laws to curb chemicals to safe levels, and how to decide what "safe" means when it comes to some of the most toxic ingredients made by man.

Amanda Euringer, a journalist based on Bowen Island, British Columbia, received a $5,000 grant to pursue this series from the independent panel that reviews applications to the Tyee Fellowship funds.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 3 replies

No Impact Man movie trailer

2009-08-07T14:55:18Z

Follows the Beaven family as they abandon their high consumption Fifth Avenue lifestyle in an attempt to make a no-net environmental impact for the course of one year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fITT6rVPds

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

E-wasteland

2009-08-07T14:52:16Z

London-based photographer Sophie Gerrard has created a photo series called "E-wasteland," a graphic look at the toxic effects of electronic waste on India's land and its people.

http://www.sophiegerrard.com/SophieStoriesEwaste1.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Cathedral of Junk

2009-08-07T14:48:18Z

Vince Hannemann didn't have any grand plans of becoming one of Austin's favorite "weird" spots when he began the cathedral of junk back in 1988; he just thought it would be fun and cool to do it. He's worked on it steadily ever since and it's estimated to contain over 60 tons of junk. Featuring a hollow frame with which he's wrapped everything from old children's toys to bicycle parts, the cathedral is surprisingly structurally sound: it's been given the okay by several city engineers as safe for the public.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photomajik/3187548567/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerryhayesaustin/2320526288/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurasejud/3032561336/

Source: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/at-austin/the-cathedral-of-junk-austin--087157

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Walking through the solution

2009-08-07T14:44:26Z

Hey group,
A bit of shameless back patting about to happen...

3 years ago I chose to take a stand and be responsible for creating a strong solution to climate change that anyone could follow.Also to demystify the web of green options each person has in front of them.

It became a software application that took every known source on going green I could find and summarize it into one place. During this research I also did the math needed, so every action has a specific savings in $ and CO2.
Knowing that the average person does not have the same amount of time to educate themselves...I created an online assessment that would give the program clarity into each persons unique options and give a day by day coaching plan on how to green their lifestyle.
No matter where you are starting from...skinny or huge footprint.
I have just finished and launched yesterday.
I am going to market the complete program for $29 and give $15 of that to a non-profit also needing money to further their own Global Warming solutions. It took some time to build those partnerships but they are good and solid programs.
Here is a bit more information and the URL
Please support this effort and spread it out to your connections( if you find it useful)
This has been a labor of love and I hope you find it useful.

PS. I have a certain number of "free" memberships I can give if you need it just email me through the website or here on Tribe.
PPS . WE DO NOT SELL ANY PRODUCTS

Going Green Today is an in-depth online program that looks at your lifestyle and creates simple green living options just for you. We give you an easy-to-follow action plan that walks you through reducing your carbon footprint by at least 35% and helping you to save $2000 this year.
visit us at
www.goinggreentoday.com

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Crude Trailer

2009-08-07T00:30:55Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTnm01lWsTg

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Special Events

2009-07-25T14:50:29Z

Does anyone know if any events going on during Aug. and Sept. in the Northwest and West coast? I am looking to be apart of this community and help out any way I can.

Please reply to this post or email me at phil.rish@gmail.com

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 5 replies

Obama’s War On Cancer Sticks

2009-07-03T03:47:36Z

Obama may puff on a cigarette every now and then, but that doesn’t mean he thinks it’s okay for you to do it. On Monday, he signed a bill that will seriously regulate cancer sticks. Under this bill, the Food and Drug Administration gets to rule over tobacco companies with an iron fist. By January, cigarette companies will have to register with the FDA and offer up a list of the ingredients in everything they’re making. The president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids called this “the strongest action the federal government has ever taken to reduce tobacco use.” [USA Today]

Here is exactly what the bill prescribes:

* In about a year, you won’t see tobacco company’s logos on clothing or promotional items in the sporting or entertainment world. This
makes sense, since there’s nothing athletic about a cig.
* By next July, you can say goodbye to the terms “light,” “low” or “mild.” Peeps are going to have a much more difficult time making
themselves feel better about puffing away.
* In 2011, the warning labels on tobacco products are going to be even bigger and bolder. Maybe cancer stick packages should just be
one, big warning label?
* Flavored cigs are going to be off the market by fall. This is good because, let’s face it, these are like the lolipops of cigarettes and
totally appeal to kids.

Source: TheFrisky

http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-obamas-war-on-cancer-sticks/

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 7 replies

U.S. urges caution in weighing risks of ADHD drugs for children

2009-06-20T18:34:19Z

U.S. federal health regulators are urging parents to keep their children on attention deficit drugs like Ritalin and Adderall despite new evidence from a government-backed study that the stimulants can increase the risk of sudden death.

Published Monday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the study suggests a link between use of the stimulant drugs and sudden death in children and adolescents. The drugs, used to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, already carry warnings about risks of heart attack and stroke in children with underlying heart conditions, but researchers have questioned whether they pose the same risks to children without those problems.

Healthy children taking the medications were more likely to die suddenly for unexplained reasons than those not taking the drugs, according to the study from the National Institute of Mental Health.

The study was partially funded by the Food and Drug Administration, but agency experts said its methods — which relied on interviews with parents and physicians years after the children's deaths — may have caused errors.

"Since the deaths occurred a long time ago, all of this depended on the memory of people, relatives and physicians, involved with the victims," said Dr. Robert Temple, the FDA's director of drug review.

The agency urges parents to discuss safety concerns with their doctor but to keep children on the treatments.

The study compared a sample of 564 children who died of unexplained causes to 564 children who were killed in car accidents. Among the unexplained deaths, 10 children were taking an ADHD drug compared with two of the patients killed in car accidents.

The researchers used car accident victims as a comparison group because sudden childhood deaths are rare and difficult to track.

More in-depth study underway

"While the data have limitations that preclude a definitive conclusion, our findings draw attention to the potential risks of stimulant medications for children and adolescents," the authors conclude.

But the FDA said it is collecting data for a larger, more in-depth study of the drugs that should be completed by the fall.

"We're not sure this study tells us something we didn't know," Temple said of Monday's publication. "We didn't think it gave an unequivocal answer as to whether there is such a risk."

About 2.5 million U.S. children currently take drugs for ADHD, according to government researchers. The American Heart Association recommends doctors consider giving children echocardiograms before starting them on ADHD drugs, though experts stress there is little hard data about the drugs' risks.

Sales of the drugs topped $4.8 billion US last year, according to health care analysis firm IMS Health. The most popular brands include Shire's Adderall, Johnson & Johnson's Concerta and Novartis' Ritalin.

All of the drugs are used in Canada.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/06/15/adhd-drugs-children.html

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Alternative medicine goes mainstream in U.S. hospitals

2009-06-20T18:26:20Z

At one of the top trauma hospitals in the U.S., a nurse circles a patient's bed, humming and waving her arms as if shooing evil spirits. Another woman rubs a quartz bowl with a wand, making tunes that mix with the beeping monitors and hissing respirator keeping the man alive.

They are doing Reiki therapy, which claims to heal through invisible energy fields. The anesthesia chief, Dr. Richard Dutton, calls it "mystical mumbo jumbo." Still, he's a fan.

"It's self-hypnosis" that can help patients relax, he said. "If you tell yourself you have less pain, you actually do have less pain."

Alternative medicine has become mainstream. It is finding wider acceptance by doctors, insurers and hospitals like the shock trauma centre at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Consumer spending on it in some cases rivals that of traditional health care.

People turn to unconventional therapies and herbal remedies for everything from hot flashes and trouble sleeping to cancer and heart disease. They crave more "care" in their health care. They distrust drug companies and the government. They want natural, safer remedies.

But often, that is not what they get. Government actions and powerful interest groups have left consumers vulnerable to flawed products and misleading marketing.

Dietary supplements do not have to be proved safe or effective before they can be sold. Some contain natural things you might not want, such as lead and arsenic. Some interfere with other things you may be taking, such as birth control pills.

Number of products soars

"Herbals are medicines," with good and bad effects, said Bruce Silverglade of the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Contrary to their little-guy image, many of these products are made by big businesses. Ingredients and their countries of origin are a mystery to consumers. They are marketed in ways that manipulate emotions, just like ads for hot cars and cool clothes. Some make claims that average people can't parse as proof of effectiveness or blather, like "restores cell-to-cell communication."

Even therapies that may help certain conditions, such as acupuncture, are being touted for uses beyond their evidence.

An Associated Press review of dozens of studies and interviews with more than 100 sources found an underground medical system operating in plain sight, with a different standard than the rest of medical care, and millions of people using it on blind faith.

How did things get this way?

Fifteen years ago, Congress decided to allow dietary and herbal supplements to be sold without federal Food and Drug Administration approval. The number of products soared, from about 4,000 then to well over 40,000 now.

Ten years ago, Congress created a new federal agency to study supplements and unconventional therapies. But more than $2.5 billion US of tax-financed research has not found any cures or major treatment advances, aside from certain uses for acupuncture and ginger for chemotherapy-related nausea. If anything, evidence has mounted that many of these pills and therapies lack value.

In a survey of more than 2,000 adults conducted for Health Canada in 2005, 71 per cent reported they regularly take vitamins and minerals, herbal products and homeopathic medicines.

Health Canada's guidelines for natural health products aim to clear up confusion about conflicting health claims and warnings about mixing natural products with other medicines.

The products are finding ever-wider use in the U.S.:

* Big hospitals and clinics increasingly offer alternative therapies. Many just offer stress reducers like meditation, yoga and massage. But
some offer treatments with little or no scientific basis, to patients who are emotionally vulnerable and gravely ill. The Baltimore hospital,
for example, is not charging for Reiki, but wants to if it can be shown to help. Other hospitals earn fees from treatments such as
acupuncture, which insurance does not always cover if the purpose is not sufficiently proven.

* Some medical schools are teaching future doctors about alternative medicine, sometimes with federal grants. The goal is to educate
them about what patients are using so they can give evidence-based, nonjudgmental care. But some schools have ties to alternative
medicine practitioners and advocates.

* Health insurers are cutting deals to let alternative medicine providers market supplements and services directly to members. At least
one insurer promotes these to members with a discount, perhaps leaving an incorrect impression they are covered services and
medically sound.

Problems found for 1 in 4 supplements

A few herbal supplements can directly threaten health. A surprising number do not supply what their labels claim, contain potentially harmful substances like lead, or are laced with hidden versions of prescription drugs.

"In testing, one out of four supplements has a problem," said Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent company that rates such products.

Even when the ingredients aren't risky, spending money for a product with no proven benefit is no small harm when the economy is bad and people can't afford health insurance or healthy food.

But sometimes the cost is far greater. Cancer patients can lose their only chance of beating the disease by gambling on unproven treatments. People with clogged arteries can suffer a heart attack. Children can be harmed by unproven therapies forced on them by parents who distrust conventional medicine.

Mainstream medicine and prescription drugs have problems, too. Popular drugs such as the painkillers Vioxx and Bextra have been pulled from the market after serious side-effects emerged once they were widely used by consumers. But at least there are regulatory systems, guideline-setting groups and watchdog agencies helping to keep traditional medicine in line.

Self-policing

The latest government survey shows the magnitude of risk: More than a third of Americans use unconventional therapies, including acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic, and native or traditional healing methods. These practitioners are largely self-policing, with their own schools and accreditation groups. Some states license certain types, like acupuncturists; others do not.

Tens of millions of Americans take dietary supplements — vitamins, minerals and herbs, ranging from ginseng and selenium to fish oil and zinc, said Steven Mister, president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, an industry trade group.

"We bristle when people talk about us as if we're just fringe," he said. Supplements are "an insurance policy" if someone doesn't always eat right, he said.

In fact, some are widely recommended by doctors — prenatal vitamins for pregnant women, calcium for older women at risk of osteoporosis, and fish oil for some heart patients, for example. These uses are generally thought to be safe, although independent testing has found quality problems and occasional safety concerns with specific products, such as too much or too little of a vitamin.

'Treat you like someone special'

Some studies suggest that vitamin deficiencies can raise the risk of disease. But it is not clear that taking supplements will fix that, and research has found hints of harm, said Dr. Jeffrey White, complementary and alternative medicine chief at the National Cancer Institute. A doctor with a big interest in nutrition, he sees the field as "an area of opportunity" that deserves serious study.

So does Dr. Josephine Briggs, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the federal agency Congress created a decade ago.

"Most patients are not treated very satisfactorily," Briggs said. "If we had highly effective, satisfactory conventional treatment we probably wouldn't have as much need for these other strategies and as much public interest in them."

Even critics of alternative medicine providers understand their appeal.

"They give you a lot of time. They treat you like someone special," said R. Barker Bausell, a University of Maryland biostatistician who wrote Snake Oil Science, a book about flawed research in the field.

Legitimate products

That is why Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, a cancer specialist at the Weill-Cornell Medical Center in New York, said he includes nutrition testing and counselling, meditation and relaxation techniques in his treatment, though not everyone would agree with some of the things he recommends.

"You do have people who will say 'chemotherapy is just poison,'" said Gaynor, who tells them he doesn't agree. He'll say: "Cancer takes decades to develop, so you're not going to be able to think that all of a sudden you're going to change your diet or do meditation [and cure it]. You need to treat it medically. You can still do things to make your diet better. You can still do meditation to reduce your stress."

Many people buy supplements to treat life's little miseries — trouble falling asleep, menopausal hot flashes, memory lapses, the need to lose weight, sexual problems.

The Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act of 1994 exempted such products from needing FDA approval or proof of safety or effectiveness before they go on sale.

"That has resulted in consumers wasting billions of dollars on products of either no or dubious benefit," said Silverglade.

Many hope that U.S. President Barack Obama's administration will take a new look. In the meantime, some outlandish claims are drawing a backlash.

"The outliers were making the public feel that this entire industry was just snake oil and that there weren't any legitimate products," said Andrea Levine, ad division chief for the business bureaus.

The FDA just issued its first guidelines for good manufacturing practices, aimed at improving supplement safety. Consumer groups say the rules don't go far enough — for example, they don't set limits on contaminants like lead and arsenic — but they do give the FDA more leverage after problems come to light.

The Federal Trade Commission is filing more complaints about deceptive marketing. One of the largest settlements occurred last August — $30 million US from the makers of Airborne, a product marketed with a folksy "invented by a teacher" slogan that claimed to ward off germs spread through the air.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/06/08/alternative-medicine.html

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Ginger quells nausea from chemotherapy

2009-06-20T18:03:55Z

Taking the supplements before chemotherapy may be key to success

Ginger capsules can help ease nausea from chemotherapy, according to the largest study of its kind of the folk remedy.

About 70 per cent of people with cancer who receive chemotherapy complain of nausea and vomiting, the researchers said.

While there are drugs to effectively control vomiting, nausea is often worse because it lingers, said the study lead's author, Julie Ryan of the University of Rochester in New York.

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 644 cancer patients, those who took lower doses of ginger supplements showed a 40 per reduction in nausea levels compared with those who took dummy capsules.

"We were slightly beside ourselves," said Ryan, who will present the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., on May 30.

People with cancer may cut their treatments short or refuse chemo because of the nausea, according to the society.

While ginger has long been touted for morning sickness and motion sickness, studies have shown mixed results.

Pre-empting nausea

The latest trial suggested timing may be key.

Unlike earlier studies in which patients waited until their treatment day to start taking ginger, in this experiment participants started taking the capsules three days beforehand.

"It was just a different way of thinking to treat nausea, to try and pre-empt it," Ryan said.

About two-thirds of the study participants had breast cancer and the rest had other forms of the disease.

Participants were given one of three doses of ginger extract (0.5, 1 and 1.5 grams) or dummy capsules along with standard anti-vomiting drugs. They rated their nausea levels on a seven-point scale at various times of day during chemotherapy treatment and three days after.

No side-effects reported

Those receiving 0.5 gram or 1 gram of ginger showed the best results, with no side-effects reported.

It could be that earlier absorption of ginger into the body may have anti-inflammatory effects, Ryan proposed.

The researchers used capsules containing concentrated, purified ginger extract. It is not known whether ginger teas or powdered ginger spice could also help, since they were not tested.

The American Cancer Society warns people should talk to their doctor before trying ginger because it can interfere with blood clotting during cancer treatment or surgery.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute paid for the study. The researchers had no ties to the manufacturer of the ginger capsules, Aphios Corp.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/05/15/ginger-chemotherapy-nausea.html

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Health Canada weighs fortifying junk foods

2009-06-20T18:02:52Z

Health Canada wants to allow food manufacturers to add nutrients to a wider variety of foods, including junk food — a proposal that has some health specialists worried.

Canada has mandatory fortification programs to add vitamin D to milk and folic acid to flour, but the new proposal to allow discretionary fortification has some critics concerned that companies will sell junk food such as cookies and chips with vitamins or minerals added as a healthy alternative.

"I think it's just an advertising ploy and gimmick with no health benefit whatsoever," said Dr. Tom Ransom, an endocrinologist and obesity expert with Capital Health in Halifax.

"My concerns are people might be avoiding healthy foods because they think, 'Now I don't need my apple a day, I can have a chocolate bar a day.'"

The industry group Food & Consumer Products of Canada released a report Wednesday calling on the federal government to speed up its two-to-five-year decision-making process for food additives and health claims.

"We're not looking here at all for less regulation," said Nancy Croitoru, president and CEO of the trade association representing companies that manufacture food and consumer products.

"What we're looking for is smarter regulation so that we can really provide Canadians with the healthy products that are now available out there."

Health Canada did not make anyone available to talk to CBC News about the proposed policy change. The department's website said focus group participants did not suggest people would increase the amount of junk food they eat as a result of added vitamins.

The department said the change would increase nutrients in the food supply. Food companies could market enhanced products as good or excellent sources of the added nutrient, while consumers would be protected from excessive vitamins and mineral nutrients in foods.

But foods with added nutrients, mineral or bacterial cultures would not be a good source of nutrition for a society already struggling with an obesity epidemic, Ransom said. Adding vitamins does not remove fat or calories from the products.

Health Canada was expected to publish the draft regulatory changes for public comment weeks ago, but hasn't explained the delay.

Vanessa Williams, a high school student in Halifax, said she isn't sure she would eat a vitamin-enhanced version of the bag of cheese snacks she had for lunch.

"If it tasted the same, yeah, maybe," Williams said. "I guess if it is sort of better for you, you should probably go for that over Cheetos puffs."

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/05/12/junk-food-fortify.html

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Doctors propose stricter limits on drug industry's influence

2009-06-20T18:00:46Z

Medical associations should stop accepting so much funding from pharmaceutical companies and device makers, a group of physicians in the U.S. said Thursday.

Writing in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the authors called on professional medical associations, or PMAs, to find other ways to pay for medical conferences and continuing-education classes for doctors.

The proposal aims to prevent the appearance or reality of undue industry influence, the doctors said.

"The recommendations are rigorous and would require many PMAs to transform their mode of operation and, perhaps, to forgo valuable activities," the 11 authors wrote.

Medical groups may need to run fewer events or charge higher membership dues to make up the difference, the authors acknowledged.

"To maintain integrity, sacrifice may be required. Nevertheless, these changes are in the best interest of the PMAs, the profession, their members and the larger society."

Examples of potential threats to integrity include:

* Disease treatment guidelines recommending certain drugs, which guidelines are written by doctors who own stock in the companies
making the medications.
* Freebies at medical meetings, such as tote bags or pens, that are emblazoned with drug company logos.
* Research sponsorship with strings attached, such as drug makers deciding how to use the information.

"It has not always been flattering to see how physicians' relationships to industry appear to have coloured their judgment in matters of public health," said Dr. Steven Nissen, a former president of the American College of Cardiology and a co-author of the JAMA article.

The authors' proposal includes exceptions for instances where doctors can easily distinguish marketing from education, such as exhibits of devices at medical conferences, or advertising in medical journals.

The proposal's authors include JAMA editor in chief Dr. Catherine DeAngelis; Dr. James Scully, CEO of the American Psychiatric Association; and Dr. Gerald Thomson, former president of the American College of Physicians. It reflects their opinions.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, an industry trade group, said in a statement that there's no evidence that funding doctors' educational activities creates bias when guidelines are followed, and that the group has recently updated its code of conduct.

The American Medical Association restricts gifts from drug companies to physicians. In a written statement, Dr. Joseph M. Heyman, chairman of the AMA's board, did not indicate whether his group would consider the new proposal put forth in the JAMA article.

Dr. Jerome Kassirer, a long-time critic of ties between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry, praised the proposal but said it's unlikely that large medical groups would follow it fully, given their reliance on industry funding.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/01/doctors-pharmaceutical-industry.html

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Frito Lay Canada recalls pistachios over salmonella concerns

2009-06-20T17:59:55Z

A brand of pistachio nuts is being voluntarily recalled by Mississauga, Ont.-based Frito Lay Canada over concerns the product may be contaminated with salmonella.

The company and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a warning to the public Tuesday not to consume Munchies brand pistachios.

The affected product is sold in 50-gram packages (UPC 0-60410-04595-4) bearing dates between Aug. 4 and Dec. 15, 2009.

The CFIA said the packages contain pistachios linked to the U.S. recall of more than 900,000 kilograms of nuts by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. due to salmonella contamination.

The Munchies brand has been distributed nationally in Canada, but there have been no reported illnesses associated with consumption of the product.

Eating food contaminated with salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes deadly infections in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, as well as less serious illnesses in otherwise healthy people.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/01/pistachios-salmonella-frito-munchies.html

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Computer-based visual exercises help stroke survivors regain vision

2009-06-20T17:59:19Z

People who go partially blind after a stroke may regain some vision after doing a set of visual exercises on a computer for several months, researchers say.

"We were very surprised when we saw the results from our first patients," said Prof. Krystel Huxlin, the neuroscientist who led the study of seven patients at the University of Rochester Eye Institute, in a news release issued by the university's medical centre.

"This is a type of brain damage that clinicians and scientists have long believed you simply can't recover from. It's devastating, and patients are usually sent home to somehow deal with it the best they can."

Huxlin and her colleagues studied four women and three men, the youngest of whom were in their 30 and the oldest in their 80s, who had all had a stroke anywhere from eight to 40 months before the study began.

Five of the subjects completed the study, the results of which appear in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, and came out with "significantly improved vision," the scientists said in the news release.

The participants were all people who had suffered a stroke that damaged part of the brain know as the primary visual cortex, which passes visual information along to other areas of the brain that process it.

Such people often have trouble reading, driving or navigating in stores without bumping into people or objects. In designing the experiment, the researchers focused on motion perception since that is the aspect of vision critical for such everyday tasks, the news release said.

Follow the dots

Despite suffering a stroke, the patients' eyes still took in visual information, but their damaged brains couldn't make sense of it.

The researchers aimed to build on the patients' "blindsight" by recruiting healthy regions of the brain to improve vision. Specifically, the aim was to stimulate the healthy middle temporal region of the brain so extensively that it could take on some of the tasks normally handled by the damaged visual cortex.

"Can we train those brain regions so hard and stimulate the brain to such a degree that this visual information is brought to consciousness, so the person is aware of what they're seeing?" Huxlin asked.

Study participants were trained to stare at a computer screen on which a group of about 100 small dots would appear that moved like a flock of birds in one direction and then disappeared. The subjects had to decide whether the dots were moving left or right.

Even though patients couldn't see the dots per se, they were aware that there was something happening that they couldn't quite see, Huxlin said.

Over time, the subjects learned to make their blindsight visible. As their brains learned to "see" a new area, their success rate of choosing the correct direction improved from 50 per cent initially (about what would be expected from random guessing) to 90 per cent — enough to resume driving, shopping or exercise for some patients.

As patients improved, researchers moved the dots farther and farther into what was the patient's blind area, as a way to challenge the brain, to coax it to see a new area, the news release said.

"Basically, it's exercising the visual part of the brain every day," said Huxlin. "It's very hard work, very grueling. By forcing patients to choose, you're helping the brain re-develop."

Patients did about 300 tests at a time, equivalent to spending about 15 to 30 minutes in front of a computer once or twice a day, every day, for nine to 18 months.

The research was funded by Research to Prevent Blindness, the Pfeiffer Foundation, the Schmitt Foundation and the U.S. National Eye Institute.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/31/stroke-blind.html

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Transit use associated with better fitness, say Canadian researchers

2009-06-20T17:58:28Z

People who use public transit are three times more likely to meet fitness guidelines than those who don't, say researchers at the University of British Columbia.

That conclusion comes from an examination of telephone travel surveys from metropolitan Atlanta, Ga., showing transit riders met requirements by walking to and from stops.

Researchers used the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's suggested daily minimum of physical activity of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, five days a week.

The survey also suggests the more people drove their cars, the less likely they were to get their 30 minutes of daily physical activity.

"The idea of needing to go to the gym to get your daily dose of exercise is a misperception," associate professor Lawrence Frank, who teaches community and regional planning, said in a release. "These short walks throughout our day are historically how we have gotten our activity.

"Unfortunately, we've engineered this activity out of our daily lives."

The report, published in the current Journal of Public Health Policy, does not examine motivation, but its authors suggest some possibilities.

"Whether these results may be caused by transit users' preference for an active lifestyle, travel constraints, or choice of residential location warrants further analysis," they write.

The researchers conclude that making transit incentives more broadly available may produce indirect health benefits by getting people walking, even if it's just in short bouts.

The survey was based on interviews with 18,326 people who were asked to keep diaries of their modes of travel over the course of two consecutive days in 2001 and 2002.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/27/transit.html

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Stop smoking before 15th week of pregnancy, cut risk of premature birth: study

2009-06-20T17:57:53Z

First the good news: Australian researchers say women who stop smoking before 15 weeks of pregnancy cut their risk of giving birth prematurely and having small babies to the same level as non-smokers.

Now the bad: Women who don't quit by 15 weeks are three times as likely to give birth prematurely and twice as likely to have small babies, compared to women who stopped smoking.

The lesson, says lead author Dr. Lesley McCowan from the University of Auckland, is that that maternity care providers need to emphasize the importance of mothers-to-be giving up smoking as early as possible.

The findings are based on a study of 2,500 healthy women, 80 per cent of whom were non-smokers and 10 per cent of whom had stopped smoking before 15 weeks. The remaining 10 per cent smoked past 15 weeks.

Timing critical to reduce risk

Doctors already know that when pregnant women stop smoking their likelihood of premature births and delivering low-birth weight babies decreases, but this is one of the few studies to examine whether there is a critical time by which smoking must stop to reduce such risks.

Another important finding was that women in the study who stopped smoking reported they were not more stressed than women who continued to smoke.

In conclusion, the authors write that their "results are of considerable public health importance.

"The data suggest that the adverse effects of smoking on these late pregnancy outcomes may be largely reversible if smoking is ceased early in pregnancy, offering an important incentive for pregnant women who smoke to become smoke-free early in pregnancy."

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/27/smoking.html

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Perimeter Fencing : Closure of Golden Gate Park by Outside Lands

2009-06-17T17:30:16Z

When
21 AUG -- 3 SEPT 2009 (and in 2010--2013)

Where
21st Ave -- 44th Ave: Most of the West End of GGP: Polo Fields, Speedway, Lindley, Marx, Little Speedway Meadows, and the connective areas

Whom
All unauthorized users

How
Chain--link fencing

What to Do
Spread the word about our loss of access to GGP, the displacement of fauna, and the destruction of flora
by letter, word of mouth, phone, email, text, etc.

Call your supervisor: 554-5184; 554-5163 (fax); 554-5227 (TTY)

Call SF Rec and Park: 831-2700

Attend the Public Meetings
8 June, 7pm, Zephyr Coffee House
11 June, 7pm, Taraval Police Station
15 June, 6pm, Grace Luthern Church
18 July, 10am, Sunset Rec Center

Like last year, Another Planet Entertainment plans to displace San Franciscans from Golden Gate Park. For about two weeks San Franciscans and visitors are getting kicked out of huge portion of GGP by a private entity so that it can make a profit. Chunks of time and space like this are going to add up quickly. Say good bye to Speedway Meadows and hello to the Walmart greeter ....

When
21 AUG -- 3 SEPT 2009 (and in 2010--2013)

Where
21st Ave -- 44th Ave: Most of the West End of GGP: Polo Fields, Speedway, Lindley, Marx, Little Speedway Meadows, and the connective areas

Whom
All unauthorized users

How
Chain--link fencing

What to Do
Spread the word about our loss of access to GGP, the displacement of fauna, and the destruction of flora by letter, word of mouth, phone, email, text, etc.

Call your supervisor: 554-5184; 554-5163 (fax); 554-5227 (TTY)

Call SF Rec and Park: 831-2700

Attend the Public Meetings
8 June, 7pm, Zephyr Coffee House
11 June, 7pm, Taraval Police Station
15 June, 6pm, Grace Luthern Church
18 July, 10am, Sunset Rec Center

[keywords: Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, Golden Gate Park, Chain link fencing, public property, privatization, SF Rec and Park, Disaster Capitalism, open space, public domain, public funds, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Another Planet Entertainment, Polo Fields, Speedway, Lindley, Marx, Little Speedway Meadows]

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

natural springs in/near massachusetts?

2009-06-16T19:05:59Z

so i just finished watching Daniel Vitalis presentation on natural spring water and am now interested in finding a spring near me where i can bottle my own spring water.

Anyone know of any springs in the Massachusetts area? or NH perhaps?

i'm near cambridge mass.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Xtreme Eating Awards

2009-06-07T22:10:56Z

Some oversized appetizers, entrees and desserts at chain restaurants are nutritional train wrecks, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

On Tuesday, the Washington, D.C.-based consumer group announced its 2009 Xtreme Eating Awards. These are some of the dishes, with nutritional data attached, that the group identified as packed with calories and artery-clogging saturated fat:

DINING OUT: How to avoid busting the bank or your buttons
SUCCESS STORY: Accountant saves cash, calories by cooking at home
KIDS' MEALS: Some pack whole day's worth of calories

•Applebee's Quesadilla Burger, a beef patty with cheddar cheese, pepper-Jack cheese, bacon, Mexi-ranch sauce, pico de gallo tucked into two white flour tortillas served with fries. It packs 1,820 calories, 46 grams of saturated fat and 4,410 milligrams of sodium. The chain suggests diners can top the dish with fries with chili and still more cheese.

•Chili's Big Mouth Bites, four bacon cheeseburgers with sides of fries, onion strings and jalapeno ranch dipping sauce. The tally: 2,350 calories, 38 grams of saturated fat, 3,940 milligrams of sodium.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: KFC | The Cheesecake Factory

•Uno Chicago Grill's Mega-Sized Deep Dish Sundae, a monster chocolate chip cookie topped with a large portion of ice cream and covered with whipped cream and chocolate sauce drizzle. It has 2,800 calories and 72 grams of saturated fat.

•Olive Garden's Tour of Italy with lasagna, lightly-breaded chicken Parmigiana and creamy chicken alfredo served in one entree for 1,450 calories, 33 grams of saturated fat and 3,830 milligrams of sodium. The tally goes up if diners add breadsticks for 150 calories each and a plate of garden fresh salad with dressing for 350 calories.

•The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken and Biscuits, a chicken breast served over mashed potatoes with shortcake biscuits, mushrooms, peas and carrots and covered with country gravy. Total: 2,500 calories. It's almost equal to eating a KFC 8-piece Original Recipe bucket plus five biscuits, which has 2,380 calories and 56 grams of fat.

•The Cheesecake Factory Fried Macaroni and Cheese, crispy crumb-coated macaroni and cheese balls with a creamy marinara sauce. It equals 1,570 calories, 69 grams of saturated fat and 1,860 milligrams of sodium. You might be better off eating an entire stick of butter with 57 grams of saturated fat and 800 calories, the group says.

"It's as if restaurants are on a mission to make bad food even worse," says Jayne Hurley, a CSPI nutritionist. Fifteen years ago, restaurants entrees or appetizers might top out at 1,000 calories, and now we are finding in them in the 2,000 calories range."

Mark Mears, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for The Cheesecake Factory, says, "With over 200 items on our menu, we have literally something for everyone. We have items that are very healthy, and we have some items that are more indulgent. The portions at The Cheesecake Factory have always been generous. They are perfect for sharing and/or taking home for a second meal, which dilutes the effects of the nutritional information."

And Stacey Sullivan, a spokeswoman for Chili's Grill & Bar, says the company prides itself on offering a variety of menu options, including a recent expansion of the Guiltless Grill menu where all items contain less than 750 calories and 8 grams of saturated fat, "to meet our guests' needs, be they health-conscious or indulgent."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-06-02-extremeeating_N.htm

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Ginger quells nausea from chemotherapy

2009-05-25T03:35:09Z

Ginger capsules can help ease nausea from chemotherapy, according to the largest study of its kind of the folk remedy.

About 70 per cent of people with cancer who receive chemotherapy complain of nausea and vomiting, the researchers said.

While there are drugs to effectively control vomiting, nausea is often worse because it lingers, said the study lead's author, Julie Ryan of the University of Rochester in New York.

In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 644 cancer patients, those who took lower doses of ginger supplements showed a 40 per reduction in nausea levels compared with those who took dummy capsules.

"We were slightly beside ourselves," said Ryan, who will present the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., on May 30.

People with cancer may cut their treatments short or refuse chemo because of the nausea, according to the society.

While ginger has long been touted for morning sickness and motion sickness, studies have shown mixed results.

Pre-empting nausea

The latest trial suggested timing may be key.

Unlike earlier studies in which patients waited until their treatment day to start taking ginger, in this experiment participants started taking the capsules three days beforehand.

"It was just a different way of thinking to treat nausea, to try and pre-empt it," Ryan said.

About two-thirds of the study participants had breast cancer and the rest had other forms of the disease.

Participants were given one of three doses of ginger extract (0.5, 1 and 1.5 grams) or dummy capsules along with standard anti-vomiting drugs. They rated their nausea levels on a seven-point scale at various times of day during chemotherapy treatment and three days after.

No side-effects reported

Those receiving 0.5 gram or 1 gram of ginger showed the best results, with no side-effects reported.

It could be that earlier absorption of ginger into the body may have anti-inflammatory effects, Ryan proposed.

The researchers used capsules containing concentrated, purified ginger extract. It is not known whether ginger teas or powdered ginger spice could also help, since they were not tested.

The American Cancer Society warns people should talk to their doctor before trying ginger because it can interfere with blood clotting during cancer treatment or surgery.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute paid for the study. The researchers had no ties to the manufacturer of the ginger capsules, Aphios Corp.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/05/15/ginger-chemotherapy-nausea.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Health Canada weighs fortifying junk foods

2009-05-25T03:28:31Z

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Cheap quality yurts?

2009-05-16T16:52:47Z

I might have to move back in with family in the near future. They have a large back yard and I may have the option of building a yurt. I am wondering if anyone has any tips about an affordable place to get one or way to build a similar structure for less money.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 3 replies

Food, Inc. Trailer

2009-05-02T15:53:45Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Closure of Golden Gate Park: Outside Lands Music Festival

2009-05-02T15:52:57Z

(Unofficial Public Notice)

When
21 AUG -- 2 SEPT 2009 (and 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)

Where?
Polo Fields, Speedway Meadow, Lindley Meadow, Marx Meadow, Little Speedway Meadow, as well as the adjacent connective areas will be closed to the public

To whom
All unauthorized users (e.g., persons with(out) dogs, nature lovers, bikers, runners, writers, picnickers, artists, Parcourse exercisers, scientists, poets, et al.) will be denied access to the areas above for at least 12 days

How?
Chain--link fencing

Why?
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival (3 days)

What to Do?
Realize this closure will efficiently serve as a basis for future closures in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013

Spread the word about our loss of access and the gradual privatization of our park by letter, word of mouth, phone, email, text, tweets, blogs

Complain specifically to your SF district supervisor: Phone: 554-5184; 554-5163 (fax); 554-5227 (TTY); Post: 1 Carlton B Goodlett Pl., San Francisco, CA 94102; Email: board(dot)of(dot)supervisors(at)sfgov(dot)org

Participate in the Planning Meetings to be held 60/30 days before the festival as explained by your district supervisor

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Bartcop.com on The New American Dream

2009-04-19T00:58:59Z

http://www.newamericandream.net/index.html

The New American Dream

Feature Interview
The Weekend
April 17

Bartcop.com's Terry Coppage, from Tulsa:

"Well, as you might know, I've got a smart mouth, always had a smart mouth.

And in 1993 my boss said, 'Bart, you ought to try this Internet thing, it's brand-new.' "

Poetry:
by Doug Draime
by Del "Abe" Jones

Columns:
A Progressive Pondering Healthcare — Joe Mayer of Rochester, Minnesota
Who's Killing Americans? Is it Dick Cheney? — Jim Fetzer, of Duluth, Minnesota

Political Art by Ben Heine of Brussels

and some other stuff ....

Thanks for stopping by.

The Dream Team
http://www.newamericandream.net/index.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Healthy & Sustainable Eco-Community in Costa Rica

2009-04-18T14:34:09Z

Are you looking for your slice of Eden? A place with eternal spring weather, tropical fruit trees dripping with fruit and a clean, crystal clear river that you can dive into?

Just outside of San Mateo de Orotina, Costa Rica, Eden awaits!

Kopali Communities is now selling 40 lots in the Rio Machuca Valley, only one hour from the San Jose international airport and just a half an hour to the beautiful Pacific beaches. Each lot has breathtaking views, clean drinking water and its own legal title. There is also a hotel & retreat center site on the property, providing potential business opportunities for the residents of the community.

Lots available starting in the $80's. For more information check out our website at www.kopalicommunities.com |email info@kopalicommunities.com or call Jeff @ 305.542.5400. If you are interested in seeing the project, just let us know. Come be our neighbor in paradise!!

Love,
The Kopali Family

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Happy Earth Day - April 22nd

2009-04-17T13:59:42Z

From Canada:

http://www.earthday.ca

Top 10 Actions to reduce your ecological footprint:

http://www.earthday.ca/pub/resources/top10.php

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

A SPIRITUAL C * NSP * R* CY

2009-04-16T20:07:00Z

A SPIRITUAL C * NSP * R* CY

We think this is so harmonically tuned to the spirit of Tribe and all of the mankind who are working towards a more peaceful, abundant, natural and consciously emerging planet. We trust you will feel the sentiment of it and pass it on...

with love and blessings

in the spirit of cooperation, family and global community

Sunny and Pierre Soleil

A SPIRITUAL C * NSP * R* CY

On the surface of the world right now there is
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly, at the same time,

something else is happening deep down.

An inner emergence is taking place

and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent awakening.
From the inside out. From the ground up.

This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual C * nsp * r * cy.
There are 'sleepers' awakening in every nation on the planet.

You won’t see us on the T.V .
You won’t read about us in the newspaper
You won’t hear about us on the radio

We don’t seek any glory
We don’t wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles

Some of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes

in every country and culture of the world;
in cities big and small, mountains and valleys;

in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.

You could pass by one of us on the street
and not even notice

We go undercover
We insinuate into the system

from behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done

During the day some of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront and at any hour
is where the real work takes a place

Some might call us the Conscious Warriors
Rainbow Warriors of Light, Spiritual Activists,
Lightworkers, Shamans, Helians [healing beings]

However we know ourselves as,
we are slowly creating a new world

with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy

Our orders come from from the Central Spiritual Intelligence or The Celestial Concourse Administration...
Whether it's the CSI or the CSA or our own deepest access to global consciousness
We are all dropping soft, secret love b *m b s when no one is looking

Poems * Hugs * Music * Photography * Movies * Gifting * Kind words * Smiles * Inspiration * Meditation & prayer * Compassion * Workshops * Community Gatherings * Dance * Social alternatives * Websites * Blogs * Random acts of kindness and outgoing concern for the whole before self

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways
with our own unique gifts and talents

Be the change you want to see in the world
That is the motto that fills our hearts.

We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the
power of all the oceans combined.

Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates
shall be moved ....

Love is the new religion of the 21st century
You don’t have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it

It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings..

Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you

We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have.

All are welcome
The door is open

author unknown

Welcome H.E.R.E. We love you

SunWaterClear & WindWaterClear

Harmonic Emergence - Return to Earth H.E.R.E.

http://harmonicemergence.org/ - our foundation site
http://www.panoramio.com/user/2861230 A photographic tribute to the hallowed forests we roam
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/justcamping/ Small informal forest gatherings. More than just camping
http://www.everytrail.com/
http://tribes.tribe.net/harmonicemergence Join us on Tribe.net

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Hi, I'de like to meet you!

2009-04-16T05:14:56Z

I have come here to help in building a stronger online community. Through building a community electronically via the internet, we are one step closer to uniting the world. My hope is that this is a big step in the right direction, one toward peace and understanding among the people of the world. Let us build bridges of understanding together! I firmly believe it is up to all the people of Earth to create a better world, not corporations, politicians, and other demagogues. Now we have the means to do so and make no mistake this is truly the dawning of a new age!

So visit my profile if you like, say hello, add me to your friends, and just communicate in general. I am also contributing to a blog if your interested; www.riseupforthenewday.net. Remember there can be no community without communication!

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

This Week on The New American Dream

2009-04-13T22:31:00Z

http://www.newamericandream.net/index.html

The New American Dream
... well ... because we're dreaming of Dick Cheney and George Bush in a big black car limousine motorcade with those little American flags on the front quarter panels on their way to prison

... we're dreaming of a USA truth commission and Cub Scout tours of the "secret" FBI and CIA

and some other stuff

This Week's Feature Interviews:

Monday - Timbre Wolf, a musician who moved from Tulsa to Hawaii

Tuesday - Al Markovitz, of Norfolk, Virginia, the Tulsa of the east coast, editor of the Blue Collar Review, "journal of working class literature"

Wednesday - Aimee England, the mayor of Tulsa — no, actually, Aimee lives in Michigan and spent over twenty years working in an independent, radical bookstore

Thursday - Lee Rayburn, radio show host, formerly of Air American Radio and also Madison, Wisconsin. [never been to Tulsa.]

Friday - Bartcop, of Bartcop.com, from where else? Tulsa.

Columns:
Steve Clemens of the Twin Cities
Lydia Sems from Atlanta

Poetry:
More from Ava Bird of Berkeley

and some other stuff

Thank you.

The Dream Team
http://www.newamericandream.net/index.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Ontario targets companies' use of toxic chemicals

2009-04-10T21:39:10Z

Ontario proposed new legislation on Tuesday to get companies to cut back on their use of toxic chemicals.

Environment Minister John Gerretsen said the legislation, if passed, would make Ontario the first province in Canada to require big companies to track and report on their use of toxic chemicals, as well as develop plans to cut their use of the substances, he said.

While keeping track and coming up with a plan to cut chemical use would be mandatory, the proposed law will not force companies to actually implement their plans. It will be up to businesses to decide whether they want to follow through, Gerretsen said.

"They do not have to follow that plan immediately," he acknowledged. "But as a result of the public pressures that will be applied from the reporting of those plans, et cetera, we feel that in the long run, that is the better way to go than to come up with mandatory targets."

That doesn't worry Aaron Freeman, policy director with Environmental Defence.

"It sounds troublesome, because we know that voluntary regulation doesn't work in a wide range of environmental areas," Freeman said, "but a model of mandatory reporting and then voluntary target-setting actually works very well."

The state of Massachusetts, for example, passed a similar law in 1989 and 10 years later, companies there had collectively cut back by half the amount of toxic waste they produced. The Ontario law is reportedly based on the one in Massachusetts.

If passed, Ontario's law would be more effective than federal legislation on toxic chemicals, Freeman said.

Currently, Ottawa requires big polluters to report how much is coming out of the smokestack, but not what is going into the products they're making.

"Much of the pollution that we're exposed to doesn't come out of a smokestack. Quite a bit of it is in products themselves — things that are common every day items, in many cases that are found around the home," Freeman said.

Sarah Miller, a spokesperson with the Canadian Environmental Law Association, is optimistic about the pending announcement, saying companies that reduce their use of dangerous substances often find it helps their bottom line.

"They see the wisdom of reducing the cost of getting rid of hazardous waste," she said.

Miller says manufacturers also find they are better able to market their wares in Europe, where there are stricter standards for dangerous substances in consumer products.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/07/toxics.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Sask. adopts British program to increase time with patients

2009-04-10T21:38:26Z

Saskatchewan is borrowing from Great Britain's health-care system to implement a program which promises to double the amount of time caregivers spend with patients.

Health-care professionals are gathering in Saskatoon on Tuesday afternoon for a conference where they will learn about Britain's Releasing Time to Care system.

According to the creators of the program, nurses in Britain were able to double the amount of time they spent on patient care by becoming more efficient with other tasks.

As an example, they cited how a well organized hospital ward could reduce the amount of time nurses spend hunting for supplies.

In Saskatchewan, two hospital units have been testing the program — Pasqua Hospital's oncology ward in Regina and the medicine unit at Moose Jaw Union Hospital. They started in late 2008 and have already noted success, according to nurses on the units.

Other wards may be added to the program, if they are approved by the agency overseeing the program's introduction in Saskatchewan, the provincial Health Quality Council.

The council plans to select 12 more acute care hospital units to implement the system in September 2009. In early 2010 the program will be available to other wards across the province.

Health-care leaders from British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Ontario are also attending Tuesday's workshop.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/06/nursing-system.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Doctors propose stricter limits on drug industry's influence

2009-04-10T21:37:44Z

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Frito Lay Canada recalls pistachios over salmonella concerns

2009-04-10T21:36:48Z

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Computer-based visual exercises help stroke survivors regain vision

2009-04-10T21:36:05Z

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Transit use associated with better fitness, say Canadian researchers

2009-04-10T21:34:40Z

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Stop smoking before 15th week of pregnancy, cut risk of premature birth: study

2009-04-10T21:34:05Z

If you're a smoker and planning to get pregnant, there's good news and bad news.

First the good news: Australian researchers say women who stop smoking before 15 weeks of pregnancy cut their risk of giving birth prematurely and having small babies to the same level as non-smokers.

Now the bad: Women who don't quit by 15 weeks are three times as likely to give birth prematurely and twice as likely to have small babies, compared to women who stopped smoking.

The lesson, says lead author Dr. Lesley McCowan from the University of Auckland, is that that maternity care providers need to emphasize the importance of mothers-to-be giving up smoking as early as possible.

The findings are based on a study of 2,500 healthy women, 80 per cent of whom were non-smokers and 10 per cent of whom had stopped smoking before 15 weeks. The remaining 10 per cent smoked past 15 weeks.

Timing critical to reduce risk

Doctors already know that when pregnant women stop smoking their likelihood of premature births and delivering low-birth weight babies decreases, but this is one of the few studies to examine whether there is a critical time by which smoking must stop to reduce such risks.

Another important finding was that women in the study who stopped smoking reported they were not more stressed than women who continued to smoke.

In conclusion, the authors write that their "results are of considerable public health importance.

"The data suggest that the adverse effects of smoking on these late pregnancy outcomes may be largely reversible if smoking is ceased early in pregnancy, offering an important incentive for pregnant women who smoke to become smoke-free early in pregnancy."

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/27/smoking.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Superfoods for Super People\

2009-04-07T05:58:14Z

Hey Everyone

I'm helping a new superfood company get of the ground and they are doing what the others can only dream of and making the stuff affordable for the masses. Ya gotta buy bulk but its some of the tastiest and highest quality stuff I've seen. Lots of new herbs and medicinal foods .
Check it out here www.arcanerealities.com/Superfoods.html and use my code E104 Arcane in the sign up screen . we are creating a whole slew of movies about parasites , how to use the products and revolutionary ways of living
If you have any questions hit me up off the website at www.arcanerealities.com

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Dreaming the NEW American Dream

2009-04-04T17:51:39Z

California poets Ava Bird & Rex Butters, and....

Santa Cruz artist Russell Brutsche - Karen Kwiatkowski of Virginia

Protests to stop immigration raids ... and more.
____________________

http://www.newamericandream.net

The New American Dream

What's New?

* Karen Kwiatkowski column
* Ava Bird poetry
* Rex Butters poetry
* Gary Mennie poetry

Columns:
Sherwood Ross — why not shut down a few prisons in the United States as well?
Mickey Z — Americans are cowards, too comfortable, will never-ever-not-in-one-million-years revolt-or-even-bother-to-stand-up — no matter what the rich folks do to them.
Lydia Sems — It's The American Dream that is the problem.

and more from Jack Saunders ...

Resistance:
* Planned civil disobedience in Minnesota to stop raids against immigrants
* Protests at Creech AFB against U.S. drone terroristic activity
*100 days of protest against Guantanamo to culminate

All this, Northern Exposure, The Big Lebowski, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights ... a certificate for free toast ... and more.

Join us.

The New American Dream
Dude.
... because ... Sister Mary Anne told us, "There are no wrong questions, if you don't know the answers."

... from the Dream Team

http://www.newamericandream.net

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Mosquito Laser

2009-04-04T15:26:02Z

Yay, less chemicals!
Yikes, in the wrong hands... (sarcasm).
This just looks too weird & interesting not to share. The link below has the full story.

The current implementation uses a Dell computer as the "brains" of the mosquito killer. It uses Maglite flashlights to illuminate mosquitoes, creating silhouettes on a backdrop. A camera spots these silhouettes and blasts the mosquitoes with the laser. Colonies of anopheles stephensi, one species of mosquito that transmits malaria, are cultivated as test victims of the new weapon.

In recent testing, the device scored a number of hits, killing mosquitoes with deadly efficacy, leaving only smoldering carcasses littering the ground. The laser even distinguished, based on wing beat, blood sucking female mosquitoes and relatively innocuous male mosquitoes which feed off of sugary nectar (in the lab they're fed sweet raisins). While the females met death by laser, the males were left blissfully untouched, albeit without female companionship. Mr. Myhrvold describes, "If you really were a purist, you could only kill the females, not the males."

However, he adds that ultimately humans will probably "just slay them all."

http://www.dailytech.com/Death+by+Laser+Bacteria+and+More++Mosquito+Research+Advances/article14591.htm

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Training for Transition in Oakland on May 30th & 31st

2009-04-02T15:57:07Z

Why is the Transition Town model taking off so rapidly? How is it that a grassroots movement intent on the downsizing of modern life is receiving such a groundswell of enthusiasm? What can we do as communities do to address the overwhelming and intertwined issues of peak oil, climate change and economic instability?

Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town model and author of The Transition Handbook, From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience, writes, “It is one thing to campaign against climate change and quite another to paint a compelling and engaging vision of a post-carbon world in such a way as to enthuse others to embark on a journey towards it.” Hopkins proposes that cities might be transmuted from “large, bland places with a few ‘entertainment’ venues, to diverse places with gardens, ponds, artworks, more opportunities for meeting and working with people and generally more to see and do,” where people had “less reason to travel to be entertained.”

“Rebuilding local agriculture and food production, localizing energy production, rethinking healthcare, rediscovering local building materials in the context of zero energy building, rethinking how we manage waste, all build resilience and offer the potential of an extraordinary renaissance — economic, cultural and spiritual.”

Come together to explore the aspects of life that this area needs to develop in order to sustain itself and thrive in the face of oil depletion, economic instability and climate change. How do we increase the resilience of our communities and drastically reduce carbon emissions? Many organizations in the Bay Area have been devoting themselves for years to essential issues related to this question. The Transition Town model is an opportunity to bring all of the ongoing good work into a cohesive framework aimed at creating a sustainable life for all.

Training for Transition is a 2-day "fundamentals" course for those wishing to know how to set up, run, and maintain a successful transition initiative. It is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to delve into both the theory and practice of Transition.

Price for the weekend is $215.00 if you register before May 15 and $235.00 if you register after May 15.

For more details on Transition Initiatives and Transition Training, please visit: transitiontowns.org/Transiti...ingDetail

Facilitators: Scott McKeown (Transition Sebastopol) and Kat Steele (Transition Big Sur). Both are certified Transition Trainers and are part of the Transition US Training Pool.

To register, please visit: www.regonline.com/transitiontowntraining

Questions? Contact Chris Kresser at transitiontowntraining@gmail.com

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Alabama Intentional Community Forming

2009-03-31T23:15:21Z

Alabama Intentional Community Forming

Intentional Community In Central Alabama Now Forming. Get In On The Process If Your In Alabama or Have A Desire To Relocate Once Formed. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theedenproject and http://intentone.com http://intentone.ning.com [network] For On-Going Discussions. Sustainable Living, Self-Sufficiency, Gardening, Friends Becoming Family, etc.

The Eden Project
The Essence Of Eden

Be A Founding Member

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

The Future of Food

2009-03-31T14:39:08Z

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3764995188693165078&hl=pt-BR

Collect the heirloom seeds, friends, and protect them as best you are able.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

?s about that Kali tantra dance

2009-03-19T14:15:49Z

I have ?s. I can not find an email to her.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

alternative gas

2009-03-07T06:19:53Z

hello. i watched a video a year or 2 ago about a woman who put veggie oil into her jetta with no engine converter. does anyone in here have any info about putting veggie into a car like a honda civic. the woman said in the video, veggie cleans ur car out and it doesnt hurt the car. i dont have a car but when i do, i want to put veggie oil into the car. ive heard time and time again that u dont need an engine converter for veggie oil being put into ur car. what is true about this? i heard different things from different ppl yet i dont see anything factual about putting veggie oil into a car with an engine converter.

i was wondering does anyone know? can someone give me some links?

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 4 replies

Yardsharing and Seed Angels - We need you!

2009-03-05T23:14:59Z

We have a couple projects going that don't need funding - just participants!

The first is hyperlocavore.com. Hyperlocavore is a yardsharing community - built to support people in the practice of creating 'yardsharing' arrangements to grow food together.

Many people want to grow food but they lack one or two of these four things:
-time
-space
-skills
- physical strength

Forming a yardsharing group with your friends, neighbors, family or with your religious communities is easy - and free! You can set up a 'seeking yardshare' group for your area (like Chicago, South Side) or a private group for your own yardshare "Grandma's Backyard Garden"

CSAs are filling up fast. Community gardens have waiting lists. Food is getting more and more expensive.
Find some people and start growing together!

The other project we've started is The Great Let's Get Growing Seed Share.
We are asking experienced gardeners to become 'seed angels,' to adopt a newbie gardener and send them some garden seeds! I have sent four newbie gardeners enough seed that each of them will have huge beautiful edible gardens this summer. It's easy - it cost me less than 4 dollars to get four gardens going!

If you are an experienced gardener we need you to become a seed angel!
If you are a newbie food grower - sign up!

It's FREE
http://hyperlocavore.wordpress.com/2009/03/05/the-great-lets-get-growing-seed-share/

If you think these are good ideas please help us get the word out to your communities! Blog it, tweet it, share it!

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Lady Bugs

2009-03-04T15:35:34Z

Anyone know how to get rid of lady bugs that are in the house without killing them? A friend of mine is overrun with them.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Electrolyzed water replaces harsh/toxic cleaners

2009-03-04T01:37:44Z

Simple salt water can be converted into a potent yet non-toxic degreaser and disinfectant...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2008791573_magicwater27.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-magicwater23-2009feb23,0,1620173.story

http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/electrolyzed-water-miracle-cleaning-fluid-made-from-water-salt.html

http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=09-P13-00009&segmentID=7

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=100781

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Soap / baking soda

2009-02-26T14:47:15Z

Hello
i was watching a video from raw spirit festival and one lady was talking about how we could use baking soda instead of soap.
anyone experienced this? ihave been using it some.. not bad..

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 5 replies

Pickens Plan Action Alert

2009-02-22T16:01:37Z

Pickens Plan Action Alert

"Contact Congress about The American Renewal and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1) One version of H.R. 1 has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now another has passed the Senate. Critical elements of the wind piece of the Pickens Plan are in one or both versions of the bill, which now goes to Conference to create a final version.

We need to make one final push on the stimulus package to ensure our pieces are included. Please fill in the following form to send your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives an email asking them to support the Pickens Plan components of the Stimulus Package. Even if you already emailed your Senators last week, please send an email again today to ensure your U.S. Representative also receives the message."

http://capwiz.com/pickensplan/issues/alert/?alertid=12648356&type=CO

;

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

quicksilver in corn syrup

2009-02-13T06:51:11Z

A spoonful of sugar helps the mercury go down:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Algae: The Biofuel Revolution

2009-02-12T15:18:06Z

Algae: The Biofuel Revolution

"The sustainable energy age has begun. It was recently announced that a company in Florida called Green Flight International (GFI) has plans to construct a $100-million, algae biofuel plant aimed at making fuel for the aviation industry as well as for ground-based transportation

GFI has also completed the world's first jet-aircraft flight powered by 100% biofuel. GFI president and CEO Douglas Rodante says that "algae-based biofuel would be able to replace petroleum without alterations to engines or infrastructure, and could be used for all sorts of transportation."

The potential of algae biofuel for both vehicles and air travel is so promising that it will play a large role in helping America finally become energy independent. Biofuel from algae completely eliminates the food vs. fuel concerns of other biofuels, and CO2 will be significantly reduced. Algae are the fastest growing plants in the world, and that fact translates into 20,000 gallons of biofuel per acre! Soybean, corn, switchgrass and other biofuels cannot even compete......."

Read the full blog:

http://solargreenenergy.blogspot.com/2008/11/algae-biofuel-revolution.html

http://solargreenenergy.blogspot.com

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 10 replies

Trisodium Phosphate in Cheerios...

2009-02-09T15:40:24Z

A friend pointed out that cheerios have trisodium phospate in them. When we were at Safeway, I looked at the ingredients and sure enough it was listed. I use TSP to wash walls and items prior to painting.

I looked it up online, and General Mills says the TSP helps the dough bind.

Disgusting.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 9 replies

Channel G

2009-02-03T04:26:42Z

Come check out the Ginormous Love of Channel G!
We promote the sustainable solutions of non-profits around the world!
http://tribes.tribe.net/channelg
Red Feather- building straw bale houses for elderly, homeless Native Americans.
watch video here:
www.channelg.tv/video.php

Join our Tribe, and help spread the Good word!!
http://tribes.tribe.net/channelg

http://www.channelg.tv

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Space to promote your green project

2009-01-26T00:02:25Z

Hi All,

I've set up a blog at http://www.ideaplants.org. The goal of this blog is to promote green ideas. So if there's any green project you are working on, contact me (http://ideaplants.org/grow-the-site/) and tell me about your project!

Some things I'd be interested to know from you :
> What is your project about and in what way is it green/sustainable?
> Who's involved/how big is the team?
> How is it financed/organized?
> Do you have a website?
> How did the idea evolve & what are the next steps?
> What motivates you to develop the idea?

I look forward to hearing from you :)

Best wishes,

Mira
--
www.ideaplants.org

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Eco Couture – Buy Local, Save the Economy and The Planet

2009-01-22T18:04:54Z

Wear Your Values

Coco Chanel once said “Fashion is not something that exists only in dresses. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

At the end of its journey clothing and fabric scrap takes up a huge amount of landfill. Add to that the environmental costs of packaging, transport, color dying, printing, and laundry and it creates a dangerous and enormous carbon footprint. This is the reason fashion designed with recycled materials comes as a welcome new fashion trend. There are countless ways to reduce your fashion carbon footprint and rebuild the economy. The choice is ours to support local designers and in turn save the planet and create jobs.

“Several studies have shown that buying from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community and creating jobs. Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution. Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our communities, provide the most jobs to residents.“ Source: sconnect.org

RecycledForDancing.com designs by Deborah Paulino are collectable works of art that show the nature of transformation, and draw attention to the human connection to one another and the environment. Combined are an array of fabrics from different eras and areas of the world that are either surplus, recycled or vintage.

The reconstruction process starts with hand washing the fabrics in oxygen bleach, then looking at the fabric, shape, color, then sketching out a design. Often several pieces are used to make one piece of clothing and it can take time, sometimes weeks searching through thrift shops, to find the right elements that compliment each other. Once all the elements are in place the construction takes place, then fittings and finishing touches - sometimes tailoring alterations, other times embellishments such as beading, appliqué, or distressing. When the garment is finished and ready for retail, it is then steam cleaned for any leftover dust and allergens and de-wrinkle and refresh the fabric. The results are one of a kind sincere works of art that are well-made, timeless, and fun to wear. For more info please visit http://www.recycledfordancing.com and check out the latest Winter 08/09 Collection

Retail Store Locations for Recycled for Dancing

Recycled for Dancing
Studio By Appointment:
Haight Ashbury, San Francisco, 94117
Phone 9 am to 6 pm: 415 420 5871
http://www.recycledfordancing.com

Distractions
1552 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
Walking - Upper Haight, Between Ashbury and Clayton
Open 11 am to 7 pm - 7 Days a week.
Phone: 415 252 8751

Trunk
554 Haight St.
San Francisco, California
Walking - Lower Haight, Between Steiner and Filmore
Open 11 am to 8 pm Wednesday to Monday
Phone: 415 861 5310
http://www.pandorastrunk.com

Jalina's
19 E Blithdale Road
Mill Valley, California
Phone: 415 388 4682

Arara
665 San Jose Ave.
San Francisco, California
Walking - between 28th and 29th / Bernal Heights -Noe Valley
Phone: 415 756 5826
http://www.ararasf.com

“On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock.” Thomas Jefferson

For more info please visit http://www.recycledfordancing.com and check out the latest Winter 08/09 Collection.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 5 replies

THE ENERGY BEHIND ENLIGHTENMENT

2009-01-22T05:27:33Z

Most people use ten percent or less of the Brain. Through the awakening of Kundalina energy the brain can organically evolve to a higher performance. No time has been spent investigating perhaps the most powerful energy of nature. Religious experience and its root.

Kundalini is the evolutionary potency in all humans. A fundamental bioenergy. It comes from an Indian word meaning “to join the soul with the cosmic soul,” In the ancient Indian language Sanskrit it is a term referring to a coiled force or energy originating at the base of the spine, and seated near the sex organs a coiled up sleeping snake. Implies latent energy or potential to expand. Serpent Power when activated travels up the seven chakras which are the nerve centers along the spinal cord and enlightens the mind. Expanding consciousness the nirvana of Buddha. It is responsible for human evolution and all-psychic abilities genius and spiritual illumination. Kundalini is the biological way to expand the mind.

Kundalini is the “secret” behind yoga and all other esoteric psychology’s and genuine occult mysteries. A scientifically measurable biochemical essence Kundalini is the substance that is the nourishment of consciousness. It penetrates the nervous system and influences the nerves to become the instrument of higher consciousness. This subtle substance is a snake-like force that fuels the mind in order to sustain a more active state, producing an awakened Kundalini individual, Note: snakes have two hemi penises and the power to hypnotize.

Such inner power is represented by the two snakes on King Tut’s headdress and the feathered serpent of Mexico and South America, The serpent in the Garden of Eden. The upward flow of Kundalini nectar (prana force, bioplasmic stream) is concentrated in the reproductive fluids of both men and women. When Kundalini is activated a reverse action takes place, feeding the center of the brain. “cavity of Brahma” in the brain’s ventricular cavity. Kundalini is the power that controls it. All great saints’’ mystics’ poets and people of genius, as well as the insane were influenced in this way.

If an experiment were performed it would prove the existence of the Kundalini force and show its physiological effects on the body. It could bridge the gap between science and mysticism and show the essential truth of religious experience and tradition. Religion has always been a companion of humanity. Religion came to guide humanity. No scientist could doubt the reality of this phenomenon once it has been observed and measured.. Such an experiment would uncover the vale of darkness and delusion under which humanity has been living. This evolutionary force needs publicity and actual proof would provide it. The results will speak for themselves. It will be a discovery more important than anything that has preceded it.

It is only from an awakened perspective that such observation can be made and this potential lies within everyone. As humanity evolved from cave men to the United Nations it becomes inevitable that this discovery will come to light and that there is indeed a purpose. A planned creation to our being. God protects our blue-green planet earth from the inferno of intergalactic space. Why? Because humanity has to attain to other states of consciousness for which all these recourses are needed to do this. We have been granted an intelligence to make the best use of it.

Life’s purpose and evolution’s power lead to cosmic laws, which must be obeyed for nature’s divine grace within us all to come to light. These laws as spoken of in all religions occult and mystical beliefs describe a path to enlightenment. As great empires have come and gone, so too must humanity’s faiths change.

My teacher, the late Pundit Gopi Krishna, an Indian Yogi-scientist and world renowned expert of Kundalini who has written over twenty books on the subject states, “We all know what happened whenever a political system became despotic and oppressive, a social system exacting and corrupt, and a religious system excessively authoritarian and dogmatic. There arose a demand for revision and reform. Political revolutionaries, reformers and prophets appeared on the scene, The old system was overthrown often with dreadful bloodshed, suffering and pain and a new one installed in its place. We have to cooperate with inner evolution.”

What is needed for a more positive harmonic peaceful and prosperous existence is a fuller understanding of humanity’s need for god. As society accelerates the brain must work increasingly beyond the point of balance. We are giants of intellect and dwarfs of the spiritual. We give no time to the spirit. Bringing on grave consequences. Gopi Krishna says. “ We have given too much emphasis to the material side of life at the cost of the spiritual side.” Time must be set aside for prayer, meditation, yoga or some other spiritual act in order to keep life’s evolutionary needs in balance and maintain inner sanity. Yoga meditation provides a channel for the opening of a powerful energy (inspiration) which can enable anyone to blossom into a genius, an artist, a poet, a mystic.

If this force awakens in an impure or out of balance form it can result in evil genius fanaticism delusions of grandeur, or mental illness (like manic depression and schizophrenia). There is a lot that is not understood that kundalini research will explain.

The brain is subject to the influence of countless factors connected with the life environment and the family history of an individual. When even slightly tainted or stained do to the pressure of reality or various causes such as wrong mode of life, unhealthy environment, faulty heredity, shock, frustration, repression, tension and numerous other factors. If the mind is abnormal the brain too must be a shareholder in the abnormality. There are subtle changes in some neuronic structures in the cranium. The real root of the abnormality is an impure or toxic condition of the prana. If you do not live a disciplined life then the awakening of this center can be unhealthy. A distorted vision of the same power. It means that the system is not pure and that the energy is not working in a healthy way.

There is a positive spiritual energy force within us all. Which has a physical counterpart in the human body that feeds a certain portion of the brain cavity of Brahma. This is a living electricity or intelligent energy that is needed to open the brain. The macrobiological changes and its effect can be observable and scientifically verified. Elevations of consciousness can only occur through the transformation brought by kundalini and by no other agency.

Nature shows compassion to humanity in order to help guide us safely through transgressions. God to me is a universal god that is not tied to any one organized religion. It gives us chance after chance. But when we digress off the path unhealthy results occur. We can not blame nature but ourselves. We have intelligence, we have reason, and we have learning. But if by having everything we ignore it then of course nature has no alternative except to teach us by suffering. Heaven is always merciful and all compassionate.

Great prophets, mystics, inventors, sages and people of genius have come to guide our race towards evolution’s goal. The study of the past will show the common thread within these great men and woman. Study is needed in order to educate us about how life should be led to be more in harmony with the forces of nature, which govern our life. A life of humility – love – purity - truth - moderation and compassion.

But how can we prove kundalini’s effect on the body? We can perform an experiment in a controlled environment. This experiment would take on hundred individuals with a healthy average intellect - normal typical people all with a great urge to awaken with a deep passion for spiritual matters and who are prepared to mold their lives in consort with the spiritual laws. Men and women aged twenty to thirty five. They would be put in a peaceful environment and subjected to various tests over a period of five years or more.

Scientists can observe them as the subjects try to awaken their kundalini. They will awaken to differing degrees. Tests will document the physiological changes that occur and will provide the empirical proof of what happens to the body as the kundalini force is awakened. I hypothesis that there are definitive biological differences in the blood, the cerebrospinal fluid and the composition of the brain matter in its subtle layers. Research on brain mapping. EEG ceg ces and the electricity in the body may show the kundalini force. The brain activity will be increased and its effect will be found all over the body. There will be metabolic processes, which can be measured. There will be physiological changes, which can be measured. This will convince the biologist that this change of the mind of the brain has physiological counter part. The result will start humanity towards a greater understanding of this evolutionary mechanism.

Once it is proved that the potential to awaken lies within everyone and is the most valuable asset we have, people will strive for it. The result on humanity will be comparable to the splitting of the spiritual atom. Instead of releasing a nuclear holocaust it will unleash the beginning of a utopian age, our cosmic destiny that can transform a mortal into an immortal and eternal source of happiness.

The awakening of these energies produces genius in mortal man or woman. Creativity, love and compassion emerge and pathways are opened to a future, awakened humanity. We will become the trailblazers of our own inevitable destiny. A utopian age of peace and harmony will follow. All political and spiritual processes will be developed for the highest good. Individuals will develop their “inner Sun” to the fullest during their lifetime. Kundalini research is part of an evolutionary force that compels us to look for enlightenment as an experience accessible to all. To awaken is the goal nature has set for us.

The time is right for we can use state of the art technology to study the phenomenon. We can study the common thread that lies at the root of all religion mysticism which is to guide humankind’s understanding of evolutionary change The understanding of kundalini is now becoming provable for the first time.

Sigmund Freud in fact understood that the libido is directly responsible for mental imbalances. At some point in time we will discover that all we know can be reduced to the bio-chemical. This center of the brain cavity of Brahma is still undiscovered but could be called the “third eye” or the “philosopher’s stone”. Kundalini will for the first time reveal how energy is supplied to the brain and that it is superintelligent. Freud’s concept about libido is of a psychic energy drawn from the libidinous tendencies in human beings. Which is to say the reproductive energy but only from a psychic point of view. He does not say that it has organic roots. This is what famed psychologist Wilhelm Reich emphasizes that this libido must have roots deep in the biochemical structure of the body.

The sex organs in a state of awakened kundalini produces a vast amount of fluid to feed the newly activated part of the brain. Sexual energy may well be directly connected to a mechanism that is affected by evolutionary advancement. Kundalini is the fundamental bioenergy stored primarily in the sex organs. This basic life force is normally associated with the genitals for simple continuance of the species by providing a sex drive. The tie in to the human sex drive and higher consciousness must be explored. Why do men have ejaculation while asleep or wake up with erect penises. There is a force of nature that needs physical release to be sane.

It is called the “goddess Kundalini” or “Mother Nature” because a mother’s love is similar to the bliss of higher consciousness. Woman have more feelings! Life is part of them - menstruation each month reminds them of that. Soulmates, man-woman have intercourse to prolong the race (children). Plus experience the love, kundalini evolutionary force of completion, happiness and bliss that keeps growing.

Sexual or relaxation exercises may release inner pressure of an over-taxed libido. An evolutionary super-nectar, extraordinary life force feeds the mind, a kissing food of unlimited bliss. The sublimation raising up of sex energy is the basic lever of all spiritual disciplines. But the all-inclusive nature of sex energy is a misnomer. Reproduction is but one of the aspects of the life energy of which the other theater of activity is the brain.

Humanity’s basic needs are for sex, god and a need for prayer to control our environment i.e.. hope within everyone lies the ability to awaken. Humanity needs love to balance our own unbalanced state and give us time to meditate, to control our over-taxed brain. Humanity’s sex drive may well be the only time some people relax from their hectic lifestyles. There is a need to just kick back and enjoy. Sex could be a form of deep meditation and experience between two soul mates. Loves deep blissful passion, kundalini’s purest expression an active prayer one of the most powerful forces in the universe. A positive experience that ends in an explosion of uncontrollable bliss. However for the average person, sex is not a deep meditation but is merely a physical release, a small slice of love’s true potential.

What is needed is that deep magnetism of love - a yin/yang of a universal constant. First came the big bang theory for the creation of the universe, now the love theory of creation states that the universe is a constant - always was here. That pure love magnetism, that yin/yang. Example. Trees love earth. Earth love the sky the sky loves the stars space… Love is consciousness … The universe is male and female and in love with both forces.

Suppression of sexuality out of contempt or hatred of our lower nature is an act of ignorance leading only to atrophy of the sexual system. Celibacy is contrary to nature. Since enlightenment is an evolutionary process with heredity playing an important role stamping the genera of the enlightened so that their biological gains through spiritual disciplines can be passed to their progeny. DNA research will eventually discover the consciousness gene.

Sexual energy has been represented in ancient art and statues by an erect organ. Showing the upward streaming of the reproductive essence that effects the transformation of consciousness.

In order to discover the factual evidence behind consciousness, one must first study kundalini energy and its effects. Scientific proof will free humanity to accept the fact that within everyone lies the temple of god leading to a clear realization of our own divine nature. Man’s incomprehensible inner bliss and oneness with divinity and a way of life that overpowers doing wrong or any other action that goes against this cosmic evolutionary force. The misunderstanding of kundalini has led to environmental decline that seems rooted to ultimate destruction of Planet Earth i.e. ozone layer, burning of rain forests, religious wars and terrorism, rape and murder….

It is one relationship not just to their own kundalini but also towards each other. It is the combination of the two that will lead not only to harmony but also to sharing and ultimately to progress. The appeal especially in these times is kundalini which offers hope promise. There is negative energy (i.e. ours) that can be transformed into positive communal conscience which will try to eradicate feelings of helplessness, negativity, pain and the burden of feeling isolated.

Why are people so selfish? Due to not having an understanding of kundalini. Just desperation, helplessness and power struggles which lead to hurting others and ourselves or apathy both of which have a profound effect on our history and the mood of the energy.

Our goal and objective is to create a paradise on earth. A peaceful co-existence, long lives, greater achievements and more freedom. A utopian society living by the laws uncovered by the experiment. A union with the divine is a sum total of the physical laws of the universe. We are in the process of taking the next evolutionary leap. The new century is here.

The study of what lifestyle would be best to advance ones inner potential is a task that may take eons to complete. With the help of divine grace may we free the veil that covers the eyes of the blind masses. We who have been chosen for this colossal task are the humble instruments of this evolutionary force. We will do our part to understand this unfathomable awareness of our eternal souls. The universe is ruled by an intelligent power! Consciousness does not change in birth or death it is bigger than our individual soul. Consciousness is an eternal om...

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Channel G!

2009-01-11T15:06:09Z

Please check out Channel G.
Join our tribe,
and help spread the Good word.
Thanks!

http://tribes.tribe.net/channelg
http://www.channelg.tv
http://www.myspace.com/channelg

video: http://www.channelg.tv/video.php

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Where to buy Wind Turbine for home?

2009-01-05T19:12:58Z

Where to buy Wind Turbine for home?

I've seen all kinds of websites discussing all kinds of renewable energy etc but where in the hell is one suppose to go to purchase a wind turbine for ones own home? And can one buy a "do it yourself kit"? to save some money? I just want to put an order in for what I need & be done with it.

What are the storage cell options? Do they freeze in winter - what's the deal there? And what does the maintenance consist of? Can I do that myself too?

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 3 replies

Plastic Bags

2009-01-02T16:13:38Z

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, and making them requires an estimated 12 million barrels of oil!

Reusable bags are a great way to reduce use of unnecessary resources and waste.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

Children under 6 shouldn't get cough and cold medicines, Health Canada advises

2008-12-24T19:00:31Z

Don't give cold and cough medications to children under the age of six, Health Canada advised Thursday after reviewing the effectiveness and potential dangers of the drugs.

"Given the number of adverse events that have been reported, especially in children under the age of six, Health Canada has decided that from now on these products should no longer be recommended," Dr. Marc Berthiaume, director of the marketed pharmaceuticals and medical devices bureau at Health Canada, said from Ottawa.

The department has warned parents about giving the medications to children under the age of two.

Health Canada is expanding the restriction to age six because it received 124 reports of adverse reactions, 80 of them serious, in children under six from January 1995 to 2008.

Of these, five children under age two who were taking the medications died, although it has not been confirmed that misuse or overdose of the products was the cause, Berthiaume said.

Other rare side-effects included convulsions, increased heart rate, and hallucinations.

No labels for fall cold season

There was also no evidence of benefit from the medications, and cold symptoms get better on their own with time, Health Canada said in the advisory posted on its website.

Last year, a review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also turned up 54 deaths related to decongestants, and another 69 from antihistamines dating back to 1969.

It used to be common practice to give the medications, said Cindy Landles, a daycare provider in Winnipeg. Since the first warning was given, many parents chose to let their children fight off colds on their own or under the care of a family doctor.

"Right now we have no children taking cough medicine, and we haven't actually all winter," Landles said.

A spokesperson for the pharmaceutical industry said they stand by the products, and noted that better studies are needed to try to convince Health Canada officials about the safety.

"We certainly accept that technology has advanced now that we can do these studies in young children and so those studies are going forward," said Gerry Harrington, director of public affairs for the Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association of Canada in Ottawa.

New labels on cough and cold medications should be completed by the fall of 2009, Health Canada said.

In the meantime, the medications should not be used without consulting a pharmacist or health-care practitioner, it advised.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/12/18/cough-drugs-children.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

U.S. government plans more research on bisphenol A

2008-12-24T18:56:17Z

U.S. federal health officials, criticized for declaring that a controversial chemical is safe, have refused to back down and instead plan more research.

The Food and Drug Administration, in a letter to independent scientific reviewers released Monday, said it is re-evaluating its research on bisphenol A and carrying out additional studies. The letter was the agency's initial response to an independent report that found deep flaws in the FDA's conclusion that the chemical — used in food packaging — is safe.

Known as BPA, bisphenol A is used for hardening plastics that go into all sorts of consumer products. The canning industry uses it for coatings that prevent leaks and bacterial contamination in metal food containers. But Canada has banned it in baby bottles, because of concern it could cause developmental problems in infants. BPA mimics some of the effects of estrogen, a powerful hormone.

"FDA is re-evaluating available data, and planning for the acquisition of additional data that will strengthen the exposure estimates from all dietary sources of BPA, with particular attention to dietary sources relevant to infants and children," the agency's letter said.

Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist with Consumers Union, said that while additional research would be useful, "the big, noteworthy part is what's missing from this letter, which is the lack of any FDA action while it investigates serious health concerns."

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/12/15/bisphenol-fda.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Auto bailout - Revenge of the Electric Car

2008-12-15T14:57:12Z

Auto bailout - Revenge of the Electric Car

Revenge of the Electric Car
http://solargreenenergy.blogspot.com/2008/11/revenge-of-electric-car.html

http://solargreenenergy.blogspot.com/

There are some great video clips in the link above - check 'em out. One of which is a recent press conference demanding General Motors apologize to the American people for destroying the automaker’s EV1 plug-in electric vehicle.

As a reminder of the stubbornness of the US car industry & Congress over the last 30 years - watch the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 4 replies

Action item: Michael Pollan for Sect. of Agriculture

2008-12-10T23:15:02Z

Background info and a petition for signing, requesting Obama administration please appoint Michael Pollan as the next Sect. of Agriculture.

http://www.pollanforsecretaryofagriculture.org/

Please invite friends to sign.

You may also be interested to view this excellent 2:35 minute YouTube clip speaking to the issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt1V9cqPkcw&feature=channel

Thanks!

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

FDA finds traces of melamine in U.S. infant formula

2008-12-04T16:37:10Z

Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but federal regulators insist the products are safe.

The Food and Drug Administration said last month it was unable to identify any melamine exposure level as safe for infants, but a top official said it would be a "dangerous overreaction" for parents to stop feeding infant formula to babies who depend on it.

"The levels that we are detecting are extremely low," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

"They should not be changing the diet. If they've been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That's in the best interest of the baby."

Melamine is the chemical found in Chinese infant formula — in far larger concentrations — that has been blamed for killing at least three babies and making at least 50,000 others ill.

Previously undisclosed tests, obtained by the Associated Press under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, show that the FDA has detected melamine in a sample of one popular formula and the presence of cyanuric acid, a chemical relative of melamine, in the formula of a second manufacturer.

Separately, a third major formula maker told AP that in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula.

The three firms — Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson — manufacture more than 90 per cent of all infant formula produced in the United States.

The FDA and other experts said the melamine contamination in U.S.-made formula had occurred during the manufacturing process, rather than intentionally.

FDA began testing formula in September

The U.S. government quietly began testing domestically produced infant formula in September, soon after problems with melamine-spiked formula surfaced in China.

Sundlof said there have been no reports of human illness in the United States from melamine, which can bind with other chemicals in urine, potentially causing damaging stones in the kidney or bladder and, in extreme cases, kidney failure.

Melamine is used in some U.S. plastic food packaging and can rub off onto what we eat; it's also contained in a cleaning solution used on some food processing equipment and can leach into the products being prepared.

Sundlof told the AP the positive test results "so far are in the trace range, and from a public health or infant health perspective, we consider those to be perfectly fine."

That's different from the impression of zero tolerance the agency left on Oct. 3, when it stated: "FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns."

FDA scientists said then that they couldn't set an acceptable level of melamine exposure in infant formula because science hadn't had enough time to understand the chemical's effects on infants' underdeveloped kidneys. Plus, there is the complicating factor that infant formula often constitutes a newborn's entire diet.

The agency added, however, that its position did not mean that any exposure to a detectable level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula would result in harm to infants. Still, the announcement was widely interpreted by manufacturers, the news media and Congress to mean that infant formula that tested positive at any level could not be sold in the United States.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, for example, told its members: "FDA could not identify a safe level for melamine and related compounds in infant formula; thus it can be concluded they will not accept any detectable melamine in infant formula."

It was not until the AP inquired about tests on domestic formula that the FDA articulated that while it couldn't set a safe exposure for infants, it would accept some melamine in formula — raising the question of whether the decision to accept very low concentrations was made only after traces were detected.

On Sunday, Sundlof said the agency had never said, nor implied, that domestic infant formula was going to be entirely free of melamine. He said he didn't know if the agency's statements on infant formula had been misinterpreted.

Melamine added to range of products in China

In China, melamine was intentionally dumped into watered-down milk to trick food quality tests into showing higher protein levels than actually existed. Byproducts of the milk ended up in infant formula, coffee creamers, even biscuits.

The concentrations of melamine there were extraordinarily high, as much as 2,500 parts per million. The concentrations detected in the FDA samples were 10,000 times smaller — the equivalent of a drop in a 242-litre trash bin.

There would be no economic advantage to spiking U.S.-made formula at the extremely low levels found in the FDA testing. It neither raises the protein count nor saves valuable protein, said University of California, Davis chemist Michael Filigenzi, a melamine detection expert.

According to FDA data for tests of 77 infant formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product — Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the product, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.

Three tests of Mead Johnson's Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron, detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid, a melamine byproduct.

The FDA said last month that the toxicity of cyanuric acid is under study, but that meanwhile it is "prudent" to assume that its potency is equal to that of melamine.

And while the FDA said tests of 18 samples of formula made by Abbott Laboratories, including its Similac brand, did not detect melamine, spokesman Colin McBean said some company tests did find the chemical. He did not identify the specific product or the number of positive tests.

McBean did say the detections were at levels far below the health limits set by all countries in the world, including Taiwan, where the limit is 0.05 parts per million.

"We're talking about trace amounts right here, and you know there's a lot of scientific bodies out there that say low levels of melamine are always present in certain types of foods," said McBean.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/26/melamine-formula.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Healthy & Sustainable Eco-Community in Costa Rica

2008-12-02T14:11:50Z

Come check us out! www.kopalicommunities.com
Hope all is well!
Kopali

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Years of exposure to BPA linked to health risks in humans: study

2008-11-22T23:47:00Z

People exposed to years of low levels of bisphenol A, a chemical commonly found in plastic food containers, may be at higher risk of developing heart disease and diabetes — the first such finding in humans — U.S. researchers reported Tuesday.

BPA makes plastic hard and shatterproof. The chemical is also used to line cans and is found in water bottles and baby bottles, as well as consumer products like CDs.

In Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, David Melzer, a professor of epidemiology and public health at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, England, and his colleagues said those in the top one-fifth for BPA concentrations in their urine had nearly three times the odds of cardiovascular disease, compared with those showing the lowest levels.

"It is the first evidence we’ve ever had on ordinary U.S. adults living ordinary lives," Melzer said in a release.

Those with the highest levels also had 2.4 times the odds of Type 2 diabetes, compared with those in the lowest one-fifth, after adjusting for age and sex.

Also, higher BPA concentrations were linked with "clinically abnormal" concentrations of liver enzymes that are a marker for liver damage.

The findings were based on an analysis of data from the 2003-04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which looked at 1,455 adults who gave urine samples as part of U.S. government study that monitors exposure to environmental pollutants.

"Higher BPA exposure, reflected in higher urinary concentrations of BPA, may be associated with avoidable morbidity in the community-dwelling adult population," the study's authors concluded.

Limit exposure

"Measuring who has disease and high BPA levels at a single point in time cannot tell you which comes first," noted Dr. Lisa Schwartz of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Frederick vom Saal of the division of biological sciences at the University of Missouri at Columbia, agreed longer-term follow-up studies are needed.

"While the evidence is preliminary in humans, the findings should spur U.S. regulatory to follow the recent action taken by Canadian regulatory agencies, which have declared BPA a 'toxic chemical' requiring aggressive action to limit human and environmental exposures," vom Saal and chief scientist John Peterson Myers of the Environmental Health Sciences, a non-profit group in Charlottesville, Va., wrote.

Both are longtime critics of the chemical.

It's not clear why BPA may increase the risk of disease in humans. Earlier studies involving laboratory animals may provide an explanation, said study co-author Tamara Galloway of the University of Exeter.

"They have suggested that bisphenol A acts like a hormone where it disrupts the actions of hormones, particularly estrogen, and that might be having some effect on insulin resistance and on the way that fat is distributed in the body," Galloway said.

Risk greatest in youngest

A causal role for BPA is also plausible, vom Saal said, given that BPA changes the programming of genes during critical periods during development in fetuses and newborns. Vom Saal has served as an expert witness and consultant on BPA litigation.

Reports by Health Canada, the U.S. National Institutes of Health expert panel, and U.S. toxicology program also concluded that exposure to BPA poses the greatest risk of adverse effects in these young age groups.

Since production of BPA worldwide has now reached about seven billion pounds per year, eliminating exposure from food and beverage containers would be easier than finding safe ways of disposing it that don't pollute landfills or waterways, vom Saal said.

"Thus, even while awaiting confirmation of the findings of Lang et al, decreasing exposure to BPA and developing alternatives to its use are the logical next steps to minimize risk to public health," the editorial said.

The report was released early to coincide with a hearing on BPA held Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which defended its assessment that the chemical is safe.

"Right now, our tentative conclusion is that it's safe, so we're not recommending any change in habits," said Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's office of food additive safety.

To lower their exposure, consumers can avoid plastic containers displaying the recycling number 7, many of which contain BPA, or the letters "PC" for polycarbonate, the type of plastic.

The American Chemical Council, a trade group representing chemical makers, has long maintained that BPA does not pose a risk to consumers at the levels to which they are exposed. In a statement, the group called the study flawed, saying it has major limitations.

"As the authors themselves note, they do not conclude that the presence of BPA is causing adverse health effects — they merely noted a statistical association," the council said.

But the editorial in the medical journal said the FDA is relying on studies that use outdated testing methods, and fails to take into account that since BPA is hormonally active, it does not follow the classic concept that "the dose makes the poison."

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/09/15/bpa-jama.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

Kiehl's Aloe Vera Biodegradable Body Cleanser

2008-11-22T15:07:04Z

In partnership with Pitt, Kiehl’s just introduced its first Cradle to Cradle Certified product. The delicately scented liquid body cleanser, is formulated without parabens, SLS or dyes and is packaged in a 100 percent post consumer recycled bottle.

http://www.kiehls.com/_us/_en/body/aloe-vera-biodegradeable-liquid-body-cleanser.htm

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Cargo Plant Love Lipsticks

2008-11-22T02:10:44Z

Cargo Cosmetics’s PlantLove Botanical Lipstick is planted inside a box made of paper embedded with real flower seeds, which can be used in your garden or flower pot. Inside the box, you’ll find a tube made entirely out of corn. In the tube is lip-loving lipstick infused with Orchid Complex and meadowfoam seed oil as well as jojoba and shea butter.

Add to that the fact that Cargo will donate $2 from the sale of every $20 tube to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and you’ll want to plant a big, bright kiss on everyone you meet.

http://www.cargocosmetics.com/plantlove.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Get Brita to recycle Its filters

2008-11-17T14:09:49Z

A campaign to get Clorox, the owner of Brita, to take back and recyce/reuse filters.

www.takebackthefilter.org/

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

Fuel Trailer

2008-11-12T02:57:39Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diktzWD5ehM

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Online handbook aims to cut exposure to cancer-causing agents

2008-11-12T02:11:36Z

Canadian Cancer Society guide details substances linked with the disease

A new Canadian Cancer Society handbook available online details the environmental substances known to or suspected of causing cancer, and what can be done to limit exposure.

The Environment, Cancer and You handbook discusses asbestos, radon gas, electromagnetic fields, flame retardants, labelling of consumer products, phthalates in plastics, Teflon and non-stick cookware, and water chlorination byproducts.

"We know now, more than ever, that Canadians are concerned about the environment and cancer," said Heather Logan, the society's director of cancer control policy and information. "And we wanted to provide a resource that was clear, comprehensive and really understandable to give people practical advice to reduce their exposure to cancer-causing substances in the environment."

The online resource, available in English and French, explains that asbestos and radon gas increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer, in particular, and what steps Canadians can take to determine if they're at risk for exposure and how to prevent it.

Radon, for example, is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas released through the natural decay of uranium in rocks and soil. Some areas in Canada are at higher risk of exposure to radon gas, which can seep into homes and other buildings through the basement and contaminate indoor dust particles in the air.

Taking precautions

The handbook also points out other agents or phenomena the society considers of possible concern, such as electromagnetic fields from power lines, despite the absence of definitive scientific evidence.

"People have the right to know what the science tells us, what they can do if they choose to reduce their risk, even if the science is unclear," Logan said. "If they want to be as precautionary as they can, we're providing some of that information to take the most proactive steps that they can, if they want to.

"Where the science is really clear, our recommendations are much more precise."

Because the handbook is presented online, it can be quickly updated as new scientific evidence comes available, she said.

Environmental agents are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to what causes the many types of cancer.

An individual's genetic makeup and exposure to pathogens (such as the human papilloma virus, which causes a high percentage of cervical cancers) also are determining factors.

"I think it's fair to say that the current estimate, the current available evidence around environmental exposure and cancer risk, and determining what proportion of cancer is attributable to the environment, is probably lower than it actually is," she said.

"What the actual number is, we just don't have firm enough evidence to say that."

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/07/cancer-enviro.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Pet food sickened dozens of people in U.S.

2008-11-12T02:10:52Z

Handling of dry food source of salmonella infection

Dry pet food contaminated with salmonella sickened at least 79 people over three years, U.S. health officials said Thursday while warning that pet food may be an under-recognized source of infections in humans, especially young children.

"This outbreak is the first documented outbreak to associate human salmonella infections with contaminated dry dog food and to trace human illness to a contaminated pet food plant," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said in its weekly report on illnesses and deaths.

No one is known to have died of the rare strain, called Salmonella enterica serotype Schwarzengrund. The illnesses occurred between Jan. 1, 2006, and Oct. 31, 2008.

Among the seven cases where age information was available, six were two years old or younger.

In five cases where people visited a health-care professional, two had bloody diarrhea and one had to be hospitalized. No information on symptoms was available for the other cases.

"Dry pet food has a one-year shelf life," the CDC said.

"Contaminated products identified in recalls might still be in the homes of purchasers and could cause illness. Persons who have these products should not use them to feed their pets but should discard them or return them to the store."

No illness was reported in any pet.

On Sept. 12, Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of more than 100 products in the U.S., including Special Kitty, Pedigree and Member's Mark, among others.

On Oct. 1, the company announced its factory in Everson, Pa., would be closed permanently, the CDC said.

Wash hands after handling pet foods

Since 2006, at least 13 recall announcements involving 135 pet products such as dry dog food and cat food, pet treats, raw diets and pet supplements have been issued because of salmonella contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The last reported case in the outbreak was tested on Sept. 18, the CDC said.

In March, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced a recall of Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat, made by Alberta-based Rollover Premium Pet Food, because the pet food may contain salmonella bacteria.

Consumers and health departments should be aware that all dry pet food, pet treats and pet supplements might be contaminated with pathogens such as salmonella, the CDC said. Canned pet food is unlikely to be contaminated because the manufacturing process should eliminate bacterial contamination, the agency added.

To prevent infection, people should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap immediately after handling dry pet foods, especially before preparing and eating food for humans, health officials in the U.S. and Canada recommend.

Infants should be kept away from pet feeding areas, and children under five should not be allowed to touch or eat any types of dry pet food, treats or supplements, the CDC advised.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/06/pet-food-salmonella.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Eating wild game linked to higher lead levels in blood

2008-11-12T02:07:36Z

North Dakota health officials are recommending that pregnant women and young children avoid eating meat from wild game killed with lead shot.

The recommendation is based on a study released Wednesday that examined the lead levels in the blood of more than 700 state residents. Those who ate wild game killed with lead shot appeared to have higher lead levels than those who ate little or no wild game.

The elevated lead levels were not considered dangerous, but North Dakota says pregnant women and children younger than six should avoid eating venison harvested using lead shot.

Those groups are considered most at risk from lead poisoning, which can cause learning problems and convulsions, and in severe cases can lead to brain damage and death.

The study, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state health department, is the first to connect lead traces in game with higher lead levels in the blood of game eaters, said Dr. Stephen Pickard, a CDC epidemiologist who works with the state health department.

A separate study by Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources previously found that fragments from lead shot spread as far as 46 centimetres away from the wound.

"Nobody was in trouble from the lead levels," Pickard said. "The effect was small but large enough to be a concern."

Pickard said the study found "the more recent the consumption of wild game harvested with lead bullets, the higher the level of lead in the blood."

Officials in North Dakota and other states have warned about eating venison killed with lead ammunition since the spring, when a physician conducting tests using a CT scanner found lead in samples of donated deer meat.

The findings led North Dakota's health department to order food pantries to throw out donated venison. Some groups that organize venison donations have called such actions premature and unsupported by science.

The Canadian government began phasing out the use of lead shot in 1999 to cut down on the amount of the pollutant, which can poison birds.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/06/lead-wild-game.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Even a little caffeine linked to underweight baby, study finds

2008-11-12T02:03:25Z

Pregnant women who consume caffeine — even about a cup of coffee daily — are at higher risk of giving birth to an underweight baby, researchers said on Monday.

The new findings published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) also linked any source of caffeine, including that from tea, cola, chocolate and some prescription drugs, to relatively slower fetal growth.

The findings are the latest in mounting evidence indicating the amount of caffeine a person consumes may directly impact one's health, especially when pregnant. In January, U.S. researchers found that pregnant women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day are at twice the risk of having a miscarriage as those women who avoid caffeine.

Babies born underweight are more likely to develop a range of health conditions when they grow older, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.

Women who drank one to two cups of coffee daily, or between 100-199 milligrams, had a 20 per cent increased risk of having a baby of low birth weight, the study found.

This was compared to women who consumed less than 100 milligrams daily.

"Caffeine consumption during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction and this association continued throughout pregnancy," Justin Konje at the University of Leicester in Britain and colleagues wrote.

"Sensible advice would be to reduce caffeine intake before conception and throughout pregnancy."

Looked at 2,645 women

Konje and his team, which included researchers from the University of Leeds, looked at 2,645 women at an average age of 30 who were between eight and 12 weeks pregnant.

The women reported an average caffeine consumption during pregnancy of 159 milligrams per day, lower than new recommended limits of 200 milligrams in Britain.

The likelihood of having a low birth weight baby rose to 50 per cent for women who consumed between 200 milligrams and 299 milligrams each day, about two to three cups of coffee.

The impact was about the same as from alcohol and the association with low birth weight was maintained throughout a woman's pregnancy, the study found.

Even small amounts may prove harmful but Konje said in a telephone interview the best advice was to limit caffeine consumption to below 100 milligrams a day.

"We couldn't say that there was a lower limit for which there is no effect," he said. "My advice is if possible to reduce caffeine intake to a minimum. You have to be realistic because you can't ask people to stop taking caffeine."

Such studies don't prove that caffeine causes problems.

Dr. Gideon Koren, director of the Motherisk Program at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, has said that women need not stop drinking coffee, but should avoid overindulging.

For women of childbearing age, Health Canada's recommended maximum daily caffeine intake is no more than 300 milligrams.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/03/caffeine-pregnancy.html

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Healthy & Sustainable Eco-Community in Costa Rica

2008-10-25T04:53:14Z

Hey everyone - FINALLY, you can come to our new website at www.kopalicommunities.com to find out more about our ultra-ecolocial, sustainable eco-village in Costa Rica!! It's been 3 years in the making and we're finally ready to begin offering home-sites in our community, Valle de Machuca. Please come to the site and have a look for yourself. Feel free to send any questions or comments to info@kopalicommunities.com and we'll get right back to you!

Hope you're doing well and feeling happy!!!!
Lots of love,

Kopali Team

www.kopalicommunities.com

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Neighborhood carshares

2008-10-24T15:56:41Z

Has anyone tried doing a really small scale neighborhood carshare? I've seen some websites for community carshare programs in larger cities, which seems really cool. I live on a "1 block" urban community of sorts...we have our own yahoo group, have potlucks, share rentals for things like sewer snakes, house and pet watch, etc. I'd like to propose a carshare to them, but am not sure what this sort of thing would entail...mostly in regard to ownership and insurance. If anyone has any experience with carshares I'd be interested in hearing both the good and the bad.
Thanks.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 4 replies

Transition Culture: From oil dependency to local resilience

2008-10-23T04:16:20Z

This caught my eye and my imagination.
Now it has my full attention.

There are now over 40 Transition Towns in the UK, with more joining as the idea takes off. With little proactivity at government level, communities are taking matters into their own hands and acting locally. If your town is not a Transition Town, this upbeat guide offers you the tools for starting the process. It is a process which is, as Richard Heinberg writes in his Foreword, “more like a party than a protest march”.
http://transitionculture.org/

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 7 replies

Genetically Engineered Foods Edge Closer To Dinner Plate, FDA To Develop GE Rules

2008-10-17T02:48:35Z

FrankenChicken moved closer to your dinner table after the FDA announced they're going to begin developing the procedures and guidelines that will allow farmers to genetically engineer animals to have more desirable traits and then sell them to you in the supermarket. For instance, featherless chicken or faster-growing fish. They will not require food to be labeled as genetically modified as long as there's no change in the final product, a move Consumers Union called "incomprehensible."

Source: http://consumerist.com/5051927/genetically-engineered-foods-edge-closer-to-dinner-plate-fda-to-develop-ge-rules

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 1 reply

Bike Commuter Benefits Act Passes

2008-10-16T18:20:09Z

Great news for bike commuters. After seven long years, the bicycle commuter tax provision has finally passed both the House and Senate as part of the $700 billion financial bailout bill package and was signed into law by President Bush. The benefit, up to $20 per month, goes into effect in 2009. Employers may reimburse employees, tax free, for "reasonable" expenses related to their bike commute, including equipment purchases, bike purchases, repairs, and storage if the bicycle is used as a "substantial part" of the commuter's trip to work for the month. Thanks to Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Senator Ron Wyden for their years of work on this benefit.

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 2 replies

Save Southern Oregon Old-Growth Forests Now!

2008-10-16T18:19:32Z

Please take just a couple minutes to call or write the governor of Oregon today- he is the only person standing between the passing of this truly disastrous and sweeping assault on our public forests. If we can hold this off 'til Bush is out of office 100,000's of acres may be saved from the chainsaws!

The Bush Land Management Legacy

When the BLM released the WOPR (Western Oregon Plan Revision) draft plan in 2007, 30,000 members of the public commented; over 90% asked the BLM to save the remaining older forests, protect clean drinking water, and concentrate forest management on restoration and thinning small trees to protect communities from wildfire. The BLM ignored this common ground, common sense approach to forest management.

More of the Same

The final plan will: 1) remove BLM forests from the scientific framework of the Northwest Forest Plan; 2) ramp up clearcut logging across hundreds of thousands of acres; 3) remove streamside buffers that protect clean water and fish; and 4) log some of the last remaining older forests in western Oregon.

By The Numbers

The WOPR will increase logging by nearly 400% compared to current logging levels; get over 70% of the timber volume from clearcutting; shrink streamside reserves by 50%; add 180 million tons more carbon to the atmosphere compared to no logging (equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 1 million cars driven for 132 years) and result in 1,300 miles of new roads.

Take Action today!

The Final Plan outlines a destructive management strategy that KS Wild and our allies will continue to challenge, and we need your help. Under law, Governor Kulongoski is allowed a 60-day "consistency review" period that began last week. Governor Kulongoski is the only elected official standing between the Bush Administration and western Oregon's forests and salmon. It is imperative that the governor hears from you today! Let him know you appreciate these public lands - that you visit them, recreate in them and value them for the wildlife habitat, water and climate services they provide. If you live outside of the state, please join Oregonians in contacting Oregon's Governor and remind him that these are public forests - entrusted to the government to manage on behalf of all Americans.

This is a very unpopular proposal from a very unpopular administration in their 11th hour. Help us stop WOPR in its tracks!

Please contact Governor Kulongoski and ask that he help protect all of Oregon’s remaining public old-growth and not promote clearcutting on our public lands. Urge him to reject the WOPR and tell the BLM to come back with a plan that moves us forward in the forest.

Governor Kulongoski
Phone: 503-378-4582
Snail mail: 160 State Capitol, 900 Court St., Salem, Oregon 97301-4047;
Email online: www.governor.state.or.us.

Visit www.kswild.org/ to send or view a sample letter to Governor Kulongoski.

Thank You!

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Some U.S. cereals more than half sugar: report

2008-10-02T13:48:24Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some breakfast cereals marketed to U.S. children are more than half sugar by weight and many get only fair scores on nutritional value, Consumer Reports said on Wednesday.

A serving of 11 popular cereals, including Kellogg's Honey Smacks, carries as much sugar as a glazed doughnut, the consumer group found.

And some brands have more sugar and sodium when formulated for the U.S. market than the same brands have when sold in other countries.

Post Golden Crisp made by Kraft Foods Inc and Kellogg's Honey Smacks are more than 50 percent sugar by weight, the group said, while nine brands are at least 40 percent sugar.

The most healthful brands are Cheerios with three grams of fiber per serving and one gram of sugar, Kix and Honey Nut Cheerios, all made by General Mills, and Life, made by Pepsico Inc's Quaker Oats unit.

"Be sure to read the product labels, and choose cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar and sodium," Gayle Williams, deputy editor of Consumer Reports Health, said in a statement.

Honey Smacks has 15 grams of sugar and just one gram of fiber per serving while Kellogg's Corn Pops has 12 grams of sugar and no fiber.

Consumer Reports studied how 91 children aged 6 to 16 poured their cereal and found they served themselves about 50 to 65 percent more on average than the suggested serving size for three of the four tested cereals.

Consumers International, which publishes Consumer Reports, said it would ask the World Health Organization to develop international guidelines restricting advertising and marketing of foods high in sugar, fat or sodium to children.]

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49096420081001

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Park(ing) Day in LA

2008-09-21T17:03:41Z

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/gardening/small-space-garden-inspiration-parking-day-la-063563

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

They call it a boob tube for a reason

2008-09-17T10:22:38Z

Quit your TV. I know it's hard, but we both know it's an unhealthy relationship:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/974860/a_guide_to_giving_up_television.html?cat=2

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Garden on the inside

2008-09-17T10:21:25Z

If you can't do it outside, bring the garden in:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/980642/creating_a_garden_style_living_room.html?cat=6

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies

Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day

2008-09-17T10:20:25Z

If you're lazy, busy, or just have kids, this is the article for you. And your breakfast.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/988668/tasty_and_nutritious_breakfast_options.html?cat=22

posted in Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability - 0 replies