What you put on the dinner table affects the planet. Eating lower on the food chain is a very effective tool to reduce our individual carbon-footprints. Apparently, this is still such an unpopular choice that we're looking for a high-tech solution, rather than go the easy route and reduce our meat consumption. Did you know that eating vegan helps the environment more than driving a hybrid car? If you were a vegan or vegetarian, or reduced meat consumption while driving a gas-guzzling hummer, you'd be 10 steps ahead of a meat eating prius owner!
Meat consumption is expected to double, across the global, between 2000 and 2050. Yikes! Hopefully there will be some forward progress towards a reduction in the number of animals being produced for food.
For the last few years, it seems that "the obesity epidemic" has been one of those hot topic issues. You read about it everywhere and hear about it on the news with some regularity. And now that it's January again, it seems like you hear something new every day. I guess it's not so surprising after all. As humans, our diets are comprised of more refined foods, foods which are high in saturated fats, trans-fats, sugars, and over processed grains stripped of their nutrients. And food is omnipresent. One of the ways to combat this problem is to shift to a vegan diet. The major killers of Americans—heart disease, cancer, and stroke—have a dramatically lower incidence among people consuming primarily plant-based diets.

Selection of adverse effects from short-term and/or long-Term use of Aspertame (found in all diet sodas and most packaged "food".

Note: It often takes at least sixty days without *any* aspartame or nutrasweet to see a significant improvement. Improvement in health is also often accompanied by weight loss. Check all labels very carefully (including vitamins and pharmaceuticals). Look for the word "aspartame" on the label and avoid it. (Also, it is a good idea to avoid "acesulfame-k" or "sunette.") Finally, avoid getting nutrition information from junk food industry PR organizations such as IFIC or organizations that accept large sums of money from the junk and chemical food industry such as the American Dietetic Association.

seizures and convulsions
dizziness
tremors
migraines and severe headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
memory loss (common toxicity effects)
slurring of speech
confusion
numbness or tingling of extremities
chronic fatigue
depression
insomnia
irritability
panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction)
marked personality changes
phobias
rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction)
asthma
chest pains
hypertension (high blood pressure)
nausea or vomitting
diarrhea
abdominal pain
swallowing pain
itching
hives / urticaria
other allergic reactions
blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia)
menstrual cramps and other menstraul problems or changes
impotency and sexual problems
food cravings
weight gain
hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair
burning urination & other urination problems
excessive thirst or excessive hunger
bloating, edema (fluid retention)
infection susceptibility
joint pain
brain cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
death

I've been off of diet soda for about 2 weeks now. In fact, I was raised drinking diet coke almost my entire life because my parents were big consumers of this poison. The biggest change I've noticed so far has been mental clarity, more positivity (the sweetener was causing depression!), and less cravings for sugary foods. It was very difficult the first week but I promise you will never ever want to go back. I've been drinking a lot of herbal teas instead which are delicious and healthy! Good luck to any diet soda drinkers out there, you can do it!

The following article was written by Nancy Deville. I encourage you to visit her website and read her blog entries. They are very eye opening and I think you'll find them very helpful.

If you are eating factory foods, you are most likely consuming MSG, a flavor enhancer that damages brain cells and leads to serious neurological diseases.
The additives that always contain MSG are hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein, autolyzed yeast and hydrolyzed oat flour.

Additives that frequently contain MSG are malt extract, malt flavoring, bouillon, broth, stock, flavoring, natural flavoring, natural beef or chicken flavoring, seasoning and spices.

Additives that may contain MSG or that can be high in naturally occurring glutamate are carrageenan, enzymes, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate and whey protein concentrate.[i]

The bottom line is that if you are reading labels, you are not eating real food. Real food doesn’t need flavor enhancers. It’s delicious on its own.

“God’s Pharmacy!!! Amazing!
A sliced carrot looks like the human eye, the pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye…and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function, and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, bok choy, rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. (NOTE: This is natural sodium… not just “salt”… my addition. - Dr. Bill) If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Eggplant, avocados and pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? …. It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm cells to overcome male sterility.
Sweet potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.
Grapefruits, oranges, and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like body cells. Today’s research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.”
So, what do you think? Interesting how these foods that actually look like body components, relate to them! It is also worth noting that health is supported by eating the right foods… naturally, without chemicals, additives, and processing. Natural food… natural health!

Imagine a big pharma company that decides to study the numerous health benefits of Vitamin B6. B6 is important to expectant mothers, and to anyone that desires healthy blood cell function, and it’s also important in over 100 enzymatic reactions involving protein metabolism. So… they study the vitamin and chemically produce their own “super-B6″ pharmaceutical version of B6 and call it “MC-1.” Now, they are petitioning the FDA to stop the sale of regular B6, because it is “adulterated” since natural B6 contains their drug… MC-1. I kid you not!

“(NaturalNews) Big Pharma is constantly finding new ways to destroy the natural supplements market, in much the same way that the American Medical Association once sought to destroy the chiropractic industry (for which it was later found guilty of conspiracy in U.S. courts, by the way). The latest attack against vitamins comes from an FDA petition filed by Medicure Pharma, Inc., which has astonishingly asked the FDA to ban the sale of Vitamin B6! Vitamin B6, of course, is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in numerous vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Its natural form is called pyridoxal 5′-phosphate or P5P for short. It’s an essential nutrient for expectant mothers, growing children and anyone who wishes to be healthy. It’s absolutely crucial for healthy blood cell function, and it’s used in over 100 enzymatic reactions involving protein metabolism. So why would a pharmaceutical company petition the FDA to outlaw the sale of this essential nutrient? It’s simple: Because Big Pharma wants to market its own form of Vitamin B6 and call it a ‘drug.’ Medicure Pharma, Inc., has been studying the clinical effects of Vitamin B6 (which they call ‘MC-1′) on humans. This is part of a process for receiving FDA approval on MC-1 as a ‘drug,’ and then marketing this drug through the conventional medical system (and selling it at markups that can reach 500,000% over the cost of the actual ingredients)…
So what’s the logic behind banning Vitamin B6? It’s simple: Medicare Pharma wants the FDA to declare Vitamin B6 to be “adulterated” because it contains a drug. Which drug does it contain? Well, MC-1, of course! Do you see the circular reasoning here? Vitamin B6 is a naturally-occurring vitamin, but if a drug company gets FDA approval on Vitamin B6 (with a different name), then that very same drug company can petition the FDA to ban Vitamin B6, claiming it contains their drug! I know this sounds incredibly stupid. And it is. But it isn’t unprecedented. In fact, the very same thing happened with red yeast rice. A few years ago, drug companies discovered that red yeast rice (a natural supplement) contained powerful, natural compounds that balance cholesterol levels. These compounds are called lovastatins (sound familiar?) Drug companies ripped off the lovastatin molecules from red yeast rice, then patented them. Once they achieved FDA approval for their ’statin drugs,’ it was easy to file a petition requesting the outlawing of red yeast rice, claiming the supplement was ‘adulterated’ with drugs! Which drugs? Statin drugs, of course — the very same drugs that were isolated from red yeast rice in the first place! This is why the FDA has been on a terror campaign to outlaw red yeast rice supplements. They’ve sent warning letters to online retailers and threatened numerous companies with legal action. The point of all this is to eliminate red yeast rice from the marketplace because it competes with statin drugs. And it’s the exact same strategy now being following by Medicure Pharma in its attempt to get the FDA to ban Vitamin B6.”

What a crazy world we live in!

"Surfing is not a matter of life and death. Its more important than that"

Our endocrine system is made up of glands and hormones working together to regulate the body's functions such as growth, development, organ function, and maturation. When a synthetic chemical is absorbed into our bodies and disrupts our its normal functions its called an endocrine disruptor. Chemicals that disrupt our bodies can alter our hormone levels, stop or stimulate hormone production, and change how hormones travel through our body.
(Natural Resources Defense Council: www.nrdc.org/health/effects)

Three common synthetic chemicals include DDT, PCB, and Dioxins. DDT, used for controlling insects, has been banned in the United States after Rachael Carson's pinnacle book came out called Silent Spring. She observed that the chemical had reproductive effects on birds and other wildlife. PCBs cause negative effects on animal's immune systems, reproductive systems, nervous systems, and endocrine systems. Poisonous dioxins increase the risk of cancer, skin lesions, and altered liver function among animals. Environmental health scientists have gathered evidence over the past 20-30 years that proves endocrine disruptors effect fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and humans. Over 2,000 chemicals enter our market every year, and the majority of them aren't even tested to determine their toxicity! Humans' metabolism, reproduction, growth, and development are disrupted by artificial chemicals.
(Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/nheerl/endoctrine_disruptors/ddt_pcb_dioxins.html)

Not only are endocrine disruptors thriving in products we use every day, they are not labeled on packaging. PCBs and DDT were banned in the US in the 1970s, but dioxins are still being released. They exist in the air, water, and soil, eventually making their way into the food chain, animals, and our blood stream. They are not banned simply because the FDA and the EPA allows them to be produced, and their has obviously not been an influential person like Rachael Carson to come along and fight for their removal. The only way to guard your own health is to buy organic cleaning products, food, personal products, and BPA free plastics.

The carbon trading industry that hardly existed five years ago is predicted to be worth one hundred billion by the end of 2008. It officially began in 1997 by Kyoto Protocol, setting out to eliminate carbon emissions. 182 nations signed on to this policy and began creating ways to reduce earth-warming emissions of greenhouse gases which consist of carbon dioxide and methane. Companies that sign on to this concept build an eco-friendly reputation. It is said that consumers are 70% more likely to do business with globally conscious companies. The United States is not one of the 182 countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol. However, our new president elect, Obama, supports these types of plans. Under such policies like the Kyoto Protocol, there is a system called "cap and trade". The amount of greenhouse gases emitted by an industry, region, or country is limited and purchased or granted through the government. One permit equals one ton of carbon dioxide. If the permit owner emits more than they have purchased or been granted, they must buy more in the open market. In contrast, if less is emitted one may sell their extras. Eric Klein, a senior broker at an emissions trading company called TSF Green, states “What a cap-and-trade tries to accomplish is the most cost-effective way to achieve emissions reductions”.

In 1990, the U.S. Clean Air Act created a cap-and-trade system to reduce acid rain caused by sulfur-based pollutants. Under this act came mandatory carbon trading programs. One mandatory program is the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. This series of amendments instructed power plants to measure their amount of emissions and report them to the Environmental Protection Agency. The effectiveness of this cap-and-trade system is debatable; companies are allowed to their own reporting through their own calculations rather than using an accurate monitoring system developed by scientists. Many reports are believed to be falsely calculated. The United States is likely to follow this model, however our president ensures that all greenhouse gases emitted will be costly.

Before the election, Barack Obama recently stated that he will establish a cap-and-trade system that will drastically reduce greenhouse gases by the year 2050. His plan, if implemented, will require carbon permits to be purchased through an auction rather than an open market where the prices are set by the industry. Obama said “The market will set the price, but unlike the other cap-and-trade proposals that have been offered in this race, no business will be allowed to emit any greenhouse gases for free." President Bush claimed that a cap-and-trade system in our country would hurt the economy and cause disadvantages to other rapidly developing countries. Obama is clearly ready to undergo risky measures to fight off global warming and implement cap-and-trade in the United States.

by: Amy L Hammond

A synthetic chemical called bisphenol-A, also known as BPA, was introduced in the 1950’s and became an ingredient in the recipe for plastic making. The chemical makes plastics more durable, but scientists believe it can cause major health problems. Environmental policy specialist Sheldon Krimsky says regulators should be banning BPA and other chemicals when lab testing shows harmful effects in mice in very small doses.

It’s estimated that 100,000 synthetic chemicals have been approved for consumer goods and industrial production. What’s scary is that very few toxins or substances have actually been banned. Manufacturers don’t have to prove that an ingredient in their product is safe; scientists must prove that they are unsafe. BPA is only one harmful ingredient, but it is the most harmful to humans because it can leak into our food and water through products such as plastic bottles, plastic wrap, soda can liners, “microwave-safe” packaging, dental implants, and eyeglass lenses. People in the US are exposed to over two billion pounds of BPA each year. For decades scientists have published many peer-reviewed articles to try and warn the public.

These numerous articles reveal how BPA causes health problems in animal testing studies at very low doses. Earlier this year, Health Canada quoted “BPA is toxic to human health”. Why isn’t the US convinced as well? Evidence from tests in way back in the 1930’s show bisphenol-A alters the hormone systems of animals and humans. In recent tests, male mice whose mothers were exposed to BPA had enlarged prostates. Other areas of concern include reproductive and developmental disorders. Sheldon Krimsky states “What we do know is that the BPA molecule attaches to a hormone receptor on cells in our body. We also know that it is biologically active which means our bodies do not simply break it down and expel it”. Regulators seem to want more specific information before they consider a ban.

In my opinion, the information scientists have uncovered should be plenty. All we really need to known is that it’s potentially harmful to humans. Since it is morally wrong to conduct testing on humans, we must take the side effects it has on animals seriously and ban it from entering our food and water. We don’t have to give up plastic; BPA is not a necessity. To see if a plastic container contains BPA, simply look on the bottom of the bottle or package. If the letters “PC” or the number “7” is present, it probably has BPA. All other plastics are free of the chemical. Staying cautious of which plastics contain this health hazardous chemical seems to be the only solution until government regulation improves.

By Amy Lei Hammond
source: Scientific American Earth 3.0, 2008