I have a vision to make a difference for the sake of the children. If I can show adults a way to improve their lives, they will be in a position to make life better for all the children in their lives and in the world around them. READ NOTE NO.1
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- Kansas City, MO
Yikes! This makes me crazy! I have always been thankful to use our safe nontoxic cleaners and personal care products in our home.I knew they were best for our children as they grew up. but I had no idea of this issue then!! I am so grateful I was protecting them all along!
Originally published by Christopher Gavigan for The Huffington Post)
A new report from the Danish Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) highlights the critical risks facing toddlers from gender bending chemicals in everyday products. Chemicals like phthalates (found in PVC and fragrances), parabens (found in lotions and sunscreens), and pesticides are increasingly being linked to hormone disruption – and two year olds have more in their blood than any previous generations.
What does it mean?
• Today’s boys have less sperm. Sperm counts are falling so fast that young men are about half as fertile as their fathers (and have about one-third the amount of sperm per milliliter as a hamster if you care to compare.)
• More boys are playing like girls. The DEFRA report highlights research from Rotterdam's Erasmus University that found that boys whose mothers were exposed to certain hormone disruptors were more likely to dress up in girl’s clothes and play with dolls and tea sets.
• Fewer boys are being born. According to coverage of the report in the Telegraph, "A Canadian Indian community living on ancestral lands at the eastern tip of Lake Huron, hemmed in by one of the biggest agglomerations of chemical factories on earth, gives birth to twice as many girls as boys. It's the same around Seveso in Italy, contaminated with dioxins from a notorious accident in the 1970s, and among Russian pesticide workers. And there's more evidence from places as far apart as Israel and Taiwan, Brazil and the Arctic.”
• Boys’ unmentionables are getting smaller. Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York discovered that boys born to women exposed to phthalates had smaller penises and other feminization of the genitals.
Many of the chemicals being criticized have received their fair share of criticism in the past. What’s new about this report is the emphasis on “chemical cocktails” – or the fact that these chemicals mixed together are far worse than they are alone. And, this is how we are exposed to them – in mixtures from our everyday environments – not isolated like they are often tested in the laboratory. Beyond the machismo these occurrences may invoke in many a male, the overwhelming concern is the threat to reproduction.
What can you do?
Reduce your exposure to hormone disruptors like pesticides, plasticizers, and chemically-laden personal care products.
• Eat organic food, whenever possible. Some of the offending chemicals mentioned in this report are stored in fat. So if you eat meat, choose low-fat cuts and remove excess fat. Also, choose low-fat dairy products.
• Avoid using plastic containers, especially for food and beverages. Use glass or stainless steel instead.
• Find safer personal care products. Cut back on how many and how much you use. And, maybe even try making your own (simple olive oil makes a wonderful skin moisturizer).
• Avoid using pesticides. Don’t give pests food or shelter. Clean up spills immediately, fix leaks, repair cracks, and mend torn screens. Yank weeds or pour boiling water on them instead of resorting to herbicides.
• Find safer toys, teethers and clothes for your family. Help friends out, too by sharing some handy, pocket-sized shopping guides.
Read more: http://healthychild.org/bl
Originally published by Christopher Gavigan for The Huffington Post)
A new report from the Danish Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) highlights the critical risks facing toddlers from gender bending chemicals in everyday products. Chemicals like phthalates (found in PVC and fragrances), parabens (found in lotions and sunscreens), and pesticides are increasingly being linked to hormone disruption – and two year olds have more in their blood than any previous generations.
What does it mean?
• Today’s boys have less sperm. Sperm counts are falling so fast that young men are about half as fertile as their fathers (and have about one-third the amount of sperm per milliliter as a hamster if you care to compare.)
• More boys are playing like girls. The DEFRA report highlights research from Rotterdam's Erasmus University that found that boys whose mothers were exposed to certain hormone disruptors were more likely to dress up in girl’s clothes and play with dolls and tea sets.
• Fewer boys are being born. According to coverage of the report in the Telegraph, "A Canadian Indian community living on ancestral lands at the eastern tip of Lake Huron, hemmed in by one of the biggest agglomerations of chemical factories on earth, gives birth to twice as many girls as boys. It's the same around Seveso in Italy, contaminated with dioxins from a notorious accident in the 1970s, and among Russian pesticide workers. And there's more evidence from places as far apart as Israel and Taiwan, Brazil and the Arctic.”
• Boys’ unmentionables are getting smaller. Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York discovered that boys born to women exposed to phthalates had smaller penises and other feminization of the genitals.
Many of the chemicals being criticized have received their fair share of criticism in the past. What’s new about this report is the emphasis on “chemical cocktails” – or the fact that these chemicals mixed together are far worse than they are alone. And, this is how we are exposed to them – in mixtures from our everyday environments – not isolated like they are often tested in the laboratory. Beyond the machismo these occurrences may invoke in many a male, the overwhelming concern is the threat to reproduction.
What can you do?
Reduce your exposure to hormone disruptors like pesticides, plasticizers, and chemically-laden personal care products.
• Eat organic food, whenever possible. Some of the offending chemicals mentioned in this report are stored in fat. So if you eat meat, choose low-fat cuts and remove excess fat. Also, choose low-fat dairy products.
• Avoid using plastic containers, especially for food and beverages. Use glass or stainless steel instead.
• Find safer personal care products. Cut back on how many and how much you use. And, maybe even try making your own (simple olive oil makes a wonderful skin moisturizer).
• Avoid using pesticides. Don’t give pests food or shelter. Clean up spills immediately, fix leaks, repair cracks, and mend torn screens. Yank weeds or pour boiling water on them instead of resorting to herbicides.
• Find safer toys, teethers and clothes for your family. Help friends out, too by sharing some handy, pocket-sized shopping guides.
Read more: http://healthychild.org/bl
Zooming away from jasmine. Not really. He totally loves her
Well, if it's good enough for the old folks, it's good enough for me. Oh, wait. Maybe I am the elderly? haha! I don't think so. As I just said to a friend, it's amazing how our kids grow up, I wonder if I ever will - I know that at least I haven't gotten older!
Anyway, this study was done in Japan. And I think it's good food for thought, especially as the Fall leaves have vanished from the trees. So before the winter doldrums hit, let's hit the green tea!
Here's what the researchers said:
Background: Green tea is reported to have various beneficial effects (eg, anti–stress response and anti-inflammatory effects) on human health. Although these functions might be associated with the development and progression of depressive symptoms, no studies have investigated the relation between green tea consumption and depressive symptoms in a community-dwelling population.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relations between green tea consumption and depressive symptoms in elderly Japanese subjects who widely consumed green tea.
Design: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 1058 community-dwelling elderly Japanese individuals aged ≥70 y. Green tea consumption was assessed by using a self-administered questionnaire, and depressive symptoms were evaluated by using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale with 2 cutoffs: 11 (mild and severe depressive symptoms) and 14 (severe depressive symptoms). If a participant was consuming antidepressants, he or she was considered to have depressive symptoms.
Results: The prevalence of mild and severe and severe depressive symptoms was 34.1% and 20.2%, respectively. After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% CI) for mild and severe depressive symptoms when higher green tea consumption was compared with green tea consumption of ≤1 cup/d were as follows: 2–3 cups green tea/d (0.96; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.42) and ≥4 cups green tea/d (0.56; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.81) (P for trend: 0.001). Similar relations were also observed in the case of severe depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: A more frequent consumption of green tea was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in the community-dwelling older population.
here's the link:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/co
Anyway, this study was done in Japan. And I think it's good food for thought, especially as the Fall leaves have vanished from the trees. So before the winter doldrums hit, let's hit the green tea!
Here's what the researchers said:
Background: Green tea is reported to have various beneficial effects (eg, anti–stress response and anti-inflammatory effects) on human health. Although these functions might be associated with the development and progression of depressive symptoms, no studies have investigated the relation between green tea consumption and depressive symptoms in a community-dwelling population.
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relations between green tea consumption and depressive symptoms in elderly Japanese subjects who widely consumed green tea.
Design: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 1058 community-dwelling elderly Japanese individuals aged ≥70 y. Green tea consumption was assessed by using a self-administered questionnaire, and depressive symptoms were evaluated by using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale with 2 cutoffs: 11 (mild and severe depressive symptoms) and 14 (severe depressive symptoms). If a participant was consuming antidepressants, he or she was considered to have depressive symptoms.
Results: The prevalence of mild and severe and severe depressive symptoms was 34.1% and 20.2%, respectively. After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratios (95% CI) for mild and severe depressive symptoms when higher green tea consumption was compared with green tea consumption of ≤1 cup/d were as follows: 2–3 cups green tea/d (0.96; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.42) and ≥4 cups green tea/d (0.56; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.81) (P for trend: 0.001). Similar relations were also observed in the case of severe depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: A more frequent consumption of green tea was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in the community-dwelling older population.
here's the link:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/co
(NaturalNews) Garlic is one of the most amazing medicinal herbs on the planet. It has been among my top-recommended healing foods and medicines for years. Most people know garlic as being anti-cancer. Others recognize its ability to naturally lower high cholesterol. But did you know that garlic also helps normalize high blood pressure?
Here, we present a collection of powerful quotes about garlic and high blood pressure, documented in some of the best health books ever written. Enjoy this collection of knowledge!
Garlic vs. high blood pressure
Onions have similar characteristics and are often used in combination with garlic. To preserve the beneficial effects of garlic it should not be boiled. The fresh juice is the most effective preparation. For nervous spasms, cramps and seizures, crush one clove of garlic in a glass of hot milk. For high blood pressure, take one clove of garlic each morning. Prepare oil of garlic by placing eight ounces of peeled minced garlic in a wide-mouthed jar with enough olive oil to cover. Close tightly and shake a few times each day; allow to stand in a warm place for three days.
- The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra
Garlic has achieved a legendary reputation as an antihypertensive medication. It's been used in China for centuries for that purpose, and the Japanese government officially recognizes garlic as a blood-pressure depressor. American scientists first tried garlic against high blood pressure in 1921. Garlic consistently lowers blood pressure in laboratory animals.
- The Food Pharmacy: Dramatic New Evidence That Food Is Your Best Medicine by Jean Carper
Eat more garlic. It is another legendary folk remedy for high blood pressure, and it is effective, according to recent studies. Long used in China and widely used today in Germany as a blood pressure medication, garlic can have a striking impact. In a recent double blind German test of Kwai, an over-the-counter garlic preparation, doses comparable to a couple of daily garlic cloves pushed diastolic blood pressure down in patients with mild high blood pressure.
- Food Your Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper
I heard a lot about garlic being a good remedy for colds, but I was hesitant to try it because I also heard it lowers high blood pressure. Since my blood pressure is normal, I thought the garlic might cause it to drop. Fortunately, I read where a medical doctor said that garlic normalizes high or low blood pressure, but does not disturb normal blood pressure. With this assurance, I tried Kyolic garlic tablets the next time I felt I was starting to come down with a cold. Within a few days, I felt fine.
- Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists by Richard Lucas
The confidence the Egyptians had in garlic is demonstrated by the fact that they reportedly used it to strengthen the workers who built the pyramids. Pliny recommended garlic for 61 maladies in his Historia Naturalis; Hippocrates recommended it as a laxative, diuretic, and cure for tumors of the uterus. Garlic has been used to treat high blood pressure for centuries in China and Japan. In first-century India, garlic and onion were thought to prevent heart disease and rheumatism. Garlic even had a reputation as an aphrodisiac in Shakespearean England.
copied from naturalnews.com
Here, we present a collection of powerful quotes about garlic and high blood pressure, documented in some of the best health books ever written. Enjoy this collection of knowledge!
Garlic vs. high blood pressure
Onions have similar characteristics and are often used in combination with garlic. To preserve the beneficial effects of garlic it should not be boiled. The fresh juice is the most effective preparation. For nervous spasms, cramps and seizures, crush one clove of garlic in a glass of hot milk. For high blood pressure, take one clove of garlic each morning. Prepare oil of garlic by placing eight ounces of peeled minced garlic in a wide-mouthed jar with enough olive oil to cover. Close tightly and shake a few times each day; allow to stand in a warm place for three days.
- The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra
Garlic has achieved a legendary reputation as an antihypertensive medication. It's been used in China for centuries for that purpose, and the Japanese government officially recognizes garlic as a blood-pressure depressor. American scientists first tried garlic against high blood pressure in 1921. Garlic consistently lowers blood pressure in laboratory animals.
- The Food Pharmacy: Dramatic New Evidence That Food Is Your Best Medicine by Jean Carper
Eat more garlic. It is another legendary folk remedy for high blood pressure, and it is effective, according to recent studies. Long used in China and widely used today in Germany as a blood pressure medication, garlic can have a striking impact. In a recent double blind German test of Kwai, an over-the-counter garlic preparation, doses comparable to a couple of daily garlic cloves pushed diastolic blood pressure down in patients with mild high blood pressure.
- Food Your Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper
I heard a lot about garlic being a good remedy for colds, but I was hesitant to try it because I also heard it lowers high blood pressure. Since my blood pressure is normal, I thought the garlic might cause it to drop. Fortunately, I read where a medical doctor said that garlic normalizes high or low blood pressure, but does not disturb normal blood pressure. With this assurance, I tried Kyolic garlic tablets the next time I felt I was starting to come down with a cold. Within a few days, I felt fine.
- Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists by Richard Lucas
The confidence the Egyptians had in garlic is demonstrated by the fact that they reportedly used it to strengthen the workers who built the pyramids. Pliny recommended garlic for 61 maladies in his Historia Naturalis; Hippocrates recommended it as a laxative, diuretic, and cure for tumors of the uterus. Garlic has been used to treat high blood pressure for centuries in China and Japan. In first-century India, garlic and onion were thought to prevent heart disease and rheumatism. Garlic even had a reputation as an aphrodisiac in Shakespearean England.
copied from naturalnews.com
One Healthy, Green Day at a Time's Notes
No. 6 Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderlyNov 30, 2009
No.5 Garlic is a Natural Medicine for Treating High Blood PressureOct 8, 2009
Note No.4 10 Riskiest Foods in America from MSNBCOct 6, 2009
Note no.3 U.S. Farmers' Markets 13% More Numerous What's next for the local food movement?Oct 5, 2009
note No.2 Cleaning TipsSep 30, 2009
How Can I Make a Difference Through My Business?Sep 27, 2009