'60 Minutes' Blows it on Coal Segment
By Tara Lohan, AlterNet
April 27, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/138605/%2760_minutes%27_blows_it_on_coal_segment/
http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/138605/?type=blog
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/www.alternet.org/138605/
[Read comments:
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/138605/%2760_minutes%27_blows_it_on_coal_segment/#comments ]
Last night the CBS news program "60 Minutes" did a segment about so-called clean coal. Unfortunately, they missed the boat ... big time.
Here's their intro:
The future of our climate might be summed up in one question: what do we do about coal? Coal generates nearly half the electricity in the United States and the world. But it's the dirtiest fuel of all when it comes to carbon dioxide, or CO2, the leading greenhouse gas.
The entire segment focused on whether it was possible to get carbon capture and sequestration technology (CCS) to trap CO2 gases from coal-burning power plants onto all of our coal plants in time to stave off our climate crisis. To begin with, the technology has serious problems and there is no way that it can be implemented in the time frame top scientists tell us we need to drastically reduce our CO2 emissions -- less than 10 years.
Despite all that, the basis of their segment was also flawed from the get go. Cleaning up coal is not the answer to the climate crisis. In fact, what we should be doing is getting rid of it altogether.
In the segment Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy says, "We can't abandon coal. We have to find a way to keep it and use it in the future. And that means the ability to clean it up."
This is a flat out lie. Transitioning away from coal is the best thing we can do. And one of the main reasons why was never addressed by "60 Minutes." Coal can never be clean. Period. We can spend decades and decades as the Earth warms to try to figure out how to capture carbon emissions and find a way to safely dispose of them, but we can never make the process of extracting it from the ground a clean deal.
To read the full article or more by this author: http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/www.alternet.org/138605/
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Swine Flu Crisis Lays Bare the Meat Industry's Monstrous Power
The Swine Flu Crisis Lays Bare the Meat Industry's Monstrous Power
By Mike Davis, Comment Is Free
April 28, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/138798/the_swine_flu_crisis_lays_bare_the_meat_industry%27s_monstrous_power/
http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/138798
http://www.alternet.org/story/138798/
The Mexican swine flu, a genetic chimera probably conceived in the faecal mire of an industrial pigsty, suddenly threatens to give the whole world a fever. The initial outbreaks across North America reveal an infection already travelling at higher velocity than did the last official pandemic strain, the 1968 Hong Kong flu.
Stealing the limelight from our officially appointed assassin, H5N1, this porcine virus is a threat of unknown magnitude. It seems less lethal than Sars in 2003, but as an influenza it may be more durable than Sars. Given that domesticated seasonal type-A influenzas kill as many one million people a year, even a modest increment of virulence, especially if combined with high incidence, could produce carnage equivalent to a major war.
Meanwhile, one of its first victims has been the consoling faith, long preached by the World Health Organisation, that pandemics can be contained by the rapid responses of medical bureaucracies, independent of the quality of local public health. Since the initial H5N1 deaths in Hong Kong in 1997, the WHO, with the support of most national health services, has promoted a strategy focused on the identification and isolation of a pandemic strain within its local radius of outbreak, followed by a thorough dousing of the population with antivirals and (if available) vaccine.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/138798/
By Mike Davis, Comment Is Free
April 28, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/138798/the_swine_flu_crisis_lays_bare_the_meat_industry%27s_monstrous_power/
http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/138798
http://www.alternet.org/story/138798/
The Mexican swine flu, a genetic chimera probably conceived in the faecal mire of an industrial pigsty, suddenly threatens to give the whole world a fever. The initial outbreaks across North America reveal an infection already travelling at higher velocity than did the last official pandemic strain, the 1968 Hong Kong flu.
Stealing the limelight from our officially appointed assassin, H5N1, this porcine virus is a threat of unknown magnitude. It seems less lethal than Sars in 2003, but as an influenza it may be more durable than Sars. Given that domesticated seasonal type-A influenzas kill as many one million people a year, even a modest increment of virulence, especially if combined with high incidence, could produce carnage equivalent to a major war.
Meanwhile, one of its first victims has been the consoling faith, long preached by the World Health Organisation, that pandemics can be contained by the rapid responses of medical bureaucracies, independent of the quality of local public health. Since the initial H5N1 deaths in Hong Kong in 1997, the WHO, with the support of most national health services, has promoted a strategy focused on the identification and isolation of a pandemic strain within its local radius of outbreak, followed by a thorough dousing of the population with antivirals and (if available) vaccine.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/138798/
Imagine a World Without Seafood for Supper -- It's Nearer Than You Think
Imagine a World Without Seafood for Supper -- It's Nearer Than You Think
By Andrew Purvis, The Observer UK
April 29, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/environment/138874/imagine_a_world_without_seafood_for_supper_--_it%27s_nearer_than_you_think/
http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/138874
http://www.alternet.org/story/138874/
As I step off the train at Heysel, the vast art deco structure of the Palais du Centenaire rises like a cathedral. With its four soaring buttresses topped by statues, the Palais forms the centrepiece of the Parc des Expositions in Brussels, Belgium - a trade-fair complex built in the 1930s to commemorate a century of independence from the Netherlands. This is the temporary home of thousands of fish products from around the world as 23,000 delegates descend from 80 countries for the annual European Seafood Exposition - the world's largest seafood trade show and a grim reminder of man's dominion over the oceans.
"If I wanted people to understand the global fishing crisis, I would bring them here," says Sally Bailey, a marine program officer with the World Wide Fund for Nature, one of the more moderate NGOs combating the exploitation of the seas. Last year, one of the more militant groups - Greenpeace - managed to "close down" five exhibitors trading in critically endangered bluefin tuna, by deploying 80 activists to drape their stands in fishing nets, chain themselves to fixtures and put up banners that read: "Time and tuna are running out".
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/138874/
By Andrew Purvis, The Observer UK
April 29, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/environment/138874/imagine_a_world_without_seafood_for_supper_--_it%27s_nearer_than_you_think/
http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/138874
http://www.alternet.org/story/138874/
As I step off the train at Heysel, the vast art deco structure of the Palais du Centenaire rises like a cathedral. With its four soaring buttresses topped by statues, the Palais forms the centrepiece of the Parc des Expositions in Brussels, Belgium - a trade-fair complex built in the 1930s to commemorate a century of independence from the Netherlands. This is the temporary home of thousands of fish products from around the world as 23,000 delegates descend from 80 countries for the annual European Seafood Exposition - the world's largest seafood trade show and a grim reminder of man's dominion over the oceans.
"If I wanted people to understand the global fishing crisis, I would bring them here," says Sally Bailey, a marine program officer with the World Wide Fund for Nature, one of the more moderate NGOs combating the exploitation of the seas. Last year, one of the more militant groups - Greenpeace - managed to "close down" five exhibitors trading in critically endangered bluefin tuna, by deploying 80 activists to drape their stands in fishing nets, chain themselves to fixtures and put up banners that read: "Time and tuna are running out".
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/138874/
Texas cattle ranchers need water, aid fast
Texas cattle ranchers need water, aid fast
March 24, 2009
http://supermarketguru-com.advantex.net/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/363
The perfect storm is about to hit Texas cattle ranchers—and the U.S. beef industry and consumers could soon be worse off as a result.
This past January and February comprised the driest start of any year on record in the United States. That covers more than a century, meteorologists told USA Today. John Nielsen-Gammon, the climatologist for Texas, said the past eight months were the state’s driest ever.
The result: parched land, little grass for cows to graze, and ranchers selling off parts of their herds, including mother cows used to produce calves and regenerate herds. Some ranchers’ herds are already one-third smaller, and the sell-offs are continuing, auctioneers told the paper.
Texas Governor Rick Perry asked that all 254 counties be designated as disaster areas for 2009, and noted that “farmers and ranchers are unable to control the cause of their economic and physical losses, which exceed state, local and private sector assistance.”
Added Dr. Allan McGinty, Texas AgriLife Extension Service range specialist at San Angelo, “Soil moisture is almost non-existent in a large majority of our counties, resulting in an absence of cool-season forage plants for livestock. Dry forage conditions, higher than normal daytime temperatures and wind have added the additional risk of wildfire across most of the state.”
To read the full article: http://supermarketguru-com.advantex.net/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/363
March 24, 2009
http://supermarketguru-com.advantex.net/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/363
The perfect storm is about to hit Texas cattle ranchers—and the U.S. beef industry and consumers could soon be worse off as a result.
This past January and February comprised the driest start of any year on record in the United States. That covers more than a century, meteorologists told USA Today. John Nielsen-Gammon, the climatologist for Texas, said the past eight months were the state’s driest ever.
The result: parched land, little grass for cows to graze, and ranchers selling off parts of their herds, including mother cows used to produce calves and regenerate herds. Some ranchers’ herds are already one-third smaller, and the sell-offs are continuing, auctioneers told the paper.
Texas Governor Rick Perry asked that all 254 counties be designated as disaster areas for 2009, and noted that “farmers and ranchers are unable to control the cause of their economic and physical losses, which exceed state, local and private sector assistance.”
Added Dr. Allan McGinty, Texas AgriLife Extension Service range specialist at San Angelo, “Soil moisture is almost non-existent in a large majority of our counties, resulting in an absence of cool-season forage plants for livestock. Dry forage conditions, higher than normal daytime temperatures and wind have added the additional risk of wildfire across most of the state.”
To read the full article: http://supermarketguru-com.advantex.net/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/363
Olive oil: What are the health benefits?
Olive oil: What are the health benefits?
Is extra-virgin oil better than regular olive oil?
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037/METHOD=print
When choosing fats, olive oil is a healthy choice. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, a healthier type of fat that can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in your blood.
In contrast, saturated and trans fats — such as butter, animal fats, tropical oils and partially hydrogenated oils — increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL cholesterol levels.
To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037
Is extra-virgin oil better than regular olive oil?
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037/METHOD=print
When choosing fats, olive oil is a healthy choice. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, a healthier type of fat that can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in your blood.
In contrast, saturated and trans fats — such as butter, animal fats, tropical oils and partially hydrogenated oils — increase your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL cholesterol levels.
To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037
Very Cute: You might be a vegan if...
You might be a vegan if...
April 28, 2009
http://www.examiner.com/x-4198-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-You-might-be-a-vegan-if?cid=exrss-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner
Becoming a vegan can be an exciting transition for most but how do you know if you've fully made the switch? I've put together a series of tests to tell whether or not you've embraced the essence of veganism.
Because everyone else has jumped on the "Redneck" joke bandwagon, I thought I'd put together this list of funny...sometimes embarassing observations about vegans. More original work to follow.
You might be a vegan
If your friends envy your PS3 but you covet your buddy's juicer...you might be a vegan.
If it takes you a year to read through a book but you can read through a paragraph of ingredients in a fraction of a second...you might be a vegan.
If you find broccoli showing in a girl/boy's teeth sexy...you might be a vegan.
If you take more pictures of your food than people...you might be a vegan.
If you know what cyanocobalamin is...you might be a vegan.
To read the full article: http://www.examiner.com/x-4198-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-You-might-be-a-vegan-if?cid=exrss-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner
April 28, 2009
http://www.examiner.com/x-4198-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-You-might-be-a-vegan-if?cid=exrss-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner
Becoming a vegan can be an exciting transition for most but how do you know if you've fully made the switch? I've put together a series of tests to tell whether or not you've embraced the essence of veganism.
Because everyone else has jumped on the "Redneck" joke bandwagon, I thought I'd put together this list of funny...sometimes embarassing observations about vegans. More original work to follow.
You might be a vegan
If your friends envy your PS3 but you covet your buddy's juicer...you might be a vegan.
If it takes you a year to read through a book but you can read through a paragraph of ingredients in a fraction of a second...you might be a vegan.
If you find broccoli showing in a girl/boy's teeth sexy...you might be a vegan.
If you take more pictures of your food than people...you might be a vegan.
If you know what cyanocobalamin is...you might be a vegan.
To read the full article: http://www.examiner.com/x-4198-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-You-might-be-a-vegan-if?cid=exrss-Omaha-Vegan-Examiner
A dietitian's advice for preventing swine flu: vegan sausages
A dietitian's advice for preventing swine flu: vegan sausages
April 28, 2009
http://www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-A-dietitians-advice-for-preventing-swine-flu-vegan-sausages?cid=exrss-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner
Many of my fellow dietitians have jumped into the swine flu discussion with assurances that it is safe to eat pork. Swine flu, they say, is not transmitted through ham, bacon and other meats from pigs.
But, of course, it’s the production of these foods that gave us swine flu in the first place. Huge demands for pork and other meats can be met only by efficient production on factory farms, where animals are kept in the type of cruel and unhealthy confinement that gives rise to disease. So while eating pork may not directly cause swine flu, the demand for pork does cause it.
Moving away from meat and other factory-farmed products like dairy and eggs is the only responsible and meaningful response to diseases like swine flu. And happily, there are some great foods on the market to help consumers do this.
A couple of my favorite vegan sausage products are made by two northwest companies. Seattle-based Field Roast makes some outstanding sausages from grains, vegetables and legumes. Their Smoked Apple Sage sausages (made with Yukon Gold potatoes, Granny Smith
apples and rubbed sage) are exceptional.
To read the full article: http://www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-A-dietitians-advice-for-preventing-swine-flu-vegan-sausages?cid=exrss-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner
April 28, 2009
http://www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-A-dietitians-advice-for-preventing-swine-flu-vegan-sausages?cid=exrss-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner
Many of my fellow dietitians have jumped into the swine flu discussion with assurances that it is safe to eat pork. Swine flu, they say, is not transmitted through ham, bacon and other meats from pigs.
But, of course, it’s the production of these foods that gave us swine flu in the first place. Huge demands for pork and other meats can be met only by efficient production on factory farms, where animals are kept in the type of cruel and unhealthy confinement that gives rise to disease. So while eating pork may not directly cause swine flu, the demand for pork does cause it.
Moving away from meat and other factory-farmed products like dairy and eggs is the only responsible and meaningful response to diseases like swine flu. And happily, there are some great foods on the market to help consumers do this.
A couple of my favorite vegan sausage products are made by two northwest companies. Seattle-based Field Roast makes some outstanding sausages from grains, vegetables and legumes. Their Smoked Apple Sage sausages (made with Yukon Gold potatoes, Granny Smith
apples and rubbed sage) are exceptional.
To read the full article: http://www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m4d28-A-dietitians-advice-for-preventing-swine-flu-vegan-sausages?cid=exrss-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner
South Beach Diet
South Beach Diet
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/south-beach-diet/MY00499/METHOD=print
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/south-beach-diet/MY00499
Definition
The South Beach Diet is a popular weight-loss diet created in 2003 by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and outlined in his best-selling book, "The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss." The South Beach Diet is a commercial weight-loss diet, not a medical diet prescribed by your doctor.
The South Beach Diet, which is named after a glamorous area of Miami, claims that it is neither a low-carbohydrate diet nor a low-fat diet, and it doesn't require carb counting. The South Beach Diet, however, is lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein and healthy fats than is a typical eating plan. Most low-carb diets are those that limit your carbs to no more than 20 percent of your daily calorie intake. On the South Beach Diet, you can get as much as 28 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates. Because of this, the South Beach Diet is sometimes called a modified low-carbohydrate diet.
To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/south-beach-diet/MY00499
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/south-beach-diet/MY00499/METHOD=print
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/south-beach-diet/MY00499
Definition
The South Beach Diet is a popular weight-loss diet created in 2003 by cardiologist Arthur Agatston and outlined in his best-selling book, "The South Beach Diet: The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss." The South Beach Diet is a commercial weight-loss diet, not a medical diet prescribed by your doctor.
The South Beach Diet, which is named after a glamorous area of Miami, claims that it is neither a low-carbohydrate diet nor a low-fat diet, and it doesn't require carb counting. The South Beach Diet, however, is lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein and healthy fats than is a typical eating plan. Most low-carb diets are those that limit your carbs to no more than 20 percent of your daily calorie intake. On the South Beach Diet, you can get as much as 28 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates. Because of this, the South Beach Diet is sometimes called a modified low-carbohydrate diet.
To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/south-beach-diet/MY00499
Putting meat in its place
Putting meat in its place
By DEVRA FIRST
The Boston Globe
Monday, April 27, 2009
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090428/ARTICLE/904279961/2059/LIVING?Title=Putting-meat-in-its-place
Meat has been the central object of worship among food religionists for some time. Their bible, Fergus Henderson’s “The Whole Beast,” got chefs hot for nose-to-tail eating. Anthony Bourdain consumed all manner of animal bits and bobs on TV, and dissed those who didn’t want to do the same.
“Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food,” he wrote in “Kitchen Confidential.” David Chang built temples to the pig with his Momofuku restaurants in New York, and the press and adherents flocked.
Head cheese, sweetbreads, marrow and cockscombs became foodie darlings, and a certain machismo prevailed: It was wussy to not eat these treats, the funkier, the richer, the more indulgent the better.
But lately the food world has seen a slight retreat from this meaty fervor — a step back, a measured gaze, and a thought bubbling up: Perhaps less is, after all, more.
This isn’t polar opposition to the carnivorous lifestyle. People still love their meat. They are simply moving toward balance. In his recent book “Food Matters,” Mark Bittman argues for eating a vegan diet during the day and whatever you want at night. Philadelphia magazine restaurant critic Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond have a new cookbook out called “Almost Meatless,” filled with recipes that use only a small amount of meat in each dish, a flavorful accent rather than the star of the show. “My husband ... likes his lentil burgers a lot better with bacon on them, and I admit: so do I,” writes Manning in the intro.
During a talk at Tufts recently, author Michael Pollan shared with the audience his complicated formula for a healthy diet: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” (By “food,” he means the nonprocessed stuff, not what he calls “edible foodlike substances.”)
To read the full article: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090428/ARTICLE/904279961/2059/LIVING?Title=Putting-meat-in-its-place
By DEVRA FIRST
The Boston Globe
Monday, April 27, 2009
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090428/ARTICLE/904279961/2059/LIVING?Title=Putting-meat-in-its-place
Meat has been the central object of worship among food religionists for some time. Their bible, Fergus Henderson’s “The Whole Beast,” got chefs hot for nose-to-tail eating. Anthony Bourdain consumed all manner of animal bits and bobs on TV, and dissed those who didn’t want to do the same.
“Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food,” he wrote in “Kitchen Confidential.” David Chang built temples to the pig with his Momofuku restaurants in New York, and the press and adherents flocked.
Head cheese, sweetbreads, marrow and cockscombs became foodie darlings, and a certain machismo prevailed: It was wussy to not eat these treats, the funkier, the richer, the more indulgent the better.
But lately the food world has seen a slight retreat from this meaty fervor — a step back, a measured gaze, and a thought bubbling up: Perhaps less is, after all, more.
This isn’t polar opposition to the carnivorous lifestyle. People still love their meat. They are simply moving toward balance. In his recent book “Food Matters,” Mark Bittman argues for eating a vegan diet during the day and whatever you want at night. Philadelphia magazine restaurant critic Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond have a new cookbook out called “Almost Meatless,” filled with recipes that use only a small amount of meat in each dish, a flavorful accent rather than the star of the show. “My husband ... likes his lentil burgers a lot better with bacon on them, and I admit: so do I,” writes Manning in the intro.
During a talk at Tufts recently, author Michael Pollan shared with the audience his complicated formula for a healthy diet: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” (By “food,” he means the nonprocessed stuff, not what he calls “edible foodlike substances.”)
To read the full article: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090428/ARTICLE/904279961/2059/LIVING?Title=Putting-meat-in-its-place
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Algae Could 'Supply Entire World with Aviation Fuel'
BOEING EXECUTIVE
Algae Could 'Supply Entire World with Aviation Fuel'
04/15/2009
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,618859,00.html#ref=nlint
Although oil prices have fallen rapidly, the airline industry is still clamouring for alternative fuel sources. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, chief Boeing environmental strategist Billy Glover explains how a giant mass of algae may fuel jets in the future.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Glover, given the current low price of oil, why would airlines still even be interested in biofuels?
Glover: Indeed, the oil price has changed rapidly. But it has done that many times before and it will continue to do so. Even today, the highest operating expense for an airline is fuel. It remains a priority to find a way to mitigate that situation. That is why Boeing is trying to open up this avenue of alternative fuel. It can help that situation while having a better environmental performance at the same time.
Japan Airlines is one of the first to have conducted test flights with jets using biofuels.
AFP
Japan Airlines is one of the first to have conducted test flights with jets using biofuels.
To read the full article: http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,618859,00.html#ref=nlint
Algae Could 'Supply Entire World with Aviation Fuel'
04/15/2009
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,618859,00.html#ref=nlint
Although oil prices have fallen rapidly, the airline industry is still clamouring for alternative fuel sources. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, chief Boeing environmental strategist Billy Glover explains how a giant mass of algae may fuel jets in the future.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Glover, given the current low price of oil, why would airlines still even be interested in biofuels?
Glover: Indeed, the oil price has changed rapidly. But it has done that many times before and it will continue to do so. Even today, the highest operating expense for an airline is fuel. It remains a priority to find a way to mitigate that situation. That is why Boeing is trying to open up this avenue of alternative fuel. It can help that situation while having a better environmental performance at the same time.
Japan Airlines is one of the first to have conducted test flights with jets using biofuels.
AFP
Japan Airlines is one of the first to have conducted test flights with jets using biofuels.
To read the full article: http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,618859,00.html#ref=nlint
EPA Will Mandate Tests On Pesticide Chemicals
EPA Will Mandate Tests On Pesticide Chemicals
Goal Is to Gauge Risk to Humans, Animals
By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 16, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960_pf.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960.html
[Read comments:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960_Comments.html ]
The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time will require pesticide manufacturers to test 67 chemicals contained in their products to determine whether they disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates animals' and humans' growth, metabolism and reproduction, the agency said yesterday.
Researchers have raised concerns that chemicals released into the environment interfere with animals' hormone systems, citing problems such as male fish in the Potomac River that are bearing eggs. Known as endocrine disruptors, the chemicals may affect the hormones that humans and animals produce or secrete.
"Endocrine disruptors can cause lifelong health problems, especially for children," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a statement. "Gathering this information will help us work with communities and industry to protect Americans from harmful exposure."
Testing will begin this summer and will focus on whether these chemicals affect estrogen, androgen and thyroid systems. The tests eventually will encompass all pesticide chemicals.
To read the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960.html
Goal Is to Gauge Risk to Humans, Animals
By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 16, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960_pf.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960.html
[Read comments:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960_Comments.html ]
The Environmental Protection Agency for the first time will require pesticide manufacturers to test 67 chemicals contained in their products to determine whether they disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates animals' and humans' growth, metabolism and reproduction, the agency said yesterday.
Researchers have raised concerns that chemicals released into the environment interfere with animals' hormone systems, citing problems such as male fish in the Potomac River that are bearing eggs. Known as endocrine disruptors, the chemicals may affect the hormones that humans and animals produce or secrete.
"Endocrine disruptors can cause lifelong health problems, especially for children," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a statement. "Gathering this information will help us work with communities and industry to protect Americans from harmful exposure."
Testing will begin this summer and will focus on whether these chemicals affect estrogen, androgen and thyroid systems. The tests eventually will encompass all pesticide chemicals.
To read the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/15/AR2009041501960.html
Try No Dig Gardening for Your Backyard Vegetables
Try No Dig Gardening for Your Backyard Vegetables
by Warren McLaren, Sydney
04. 9.09
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/try-no-dig-gardening-for-your-backyard-vegetables.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
No-Dig Gardening is such a brilliant form of home-based agriculture I was convinced the TreeHugger archives would be rich with its merits. Was very surprised when I only found one mention, in a post chronicling Leonora's permaculture adventures in New Zealand. So I launched into the following first-person account of No-Dig, only to discover that in North America the same process might be better known as as Sheet Mulching. Nomenclature aside, it's worth covering the topic again. Especially if you want to grow your own veggies for a little food security.
Background to Cultivation Free Farming
No-Dig Gardening can probably trace its legacy back to visionary Japanese agricultural pioneer, Fukuoka Masanobu, who embarked on his Natural Farming experiment in 1938. His very productive organic farming methods did not require extensive soil tilling, weeding, or application of synthetic pesticide or fertilizer. Best known for his 1975 book One Straw Revolution, Fukuoka Masanobu advocated returning grain and rice straw stalks to the fields as a way of enriching soil development.
American home gardener, Ruth Stout, put out a book in 1971, called the No-Work Garden Book, which echoed Fukuoka’s decades of natural farming. Ruth, though maybe lacking some of the quiet humility and philosophy of her Japanese predecessor, also promoted covering gardens in a dense layer of straw and green mulch.
In the Antipodes we had Esther Dean, who released her own book Growing Without Digging in 1977, seeding a small cult following of No Dig gardeners. And, of course, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren who refined their concept of a nature-inspired agriculture with the publication of Permaculture One in 1978.
All would champion the idea that soil quality will dramatically improve if left undisturbed by cultivating, tilling, plowing, digging etc. They believed that soil was enriched with top layers of mulch decomposing to develop the appropriate communities of worms and micro-organisms that enhance food growth. Their ideas have since been embraced even in broad acre agriculture under the guise of no-till farming (see links below).
So How Does it Work in Practice?
There are many ways to implement a no-dig garden. What follows is just one method.
No Dig Beginnings photo
1. We selected a section of the yard that would get at least six hours of direct sunlight. Unfortunately we had to cut down a couple of trees to ensure this access when the sun dropped to lower plane in winter.
2. We set up four main beds, so we can practice crop rotation, which rests the soil and reduces chances of plant pests making a comfortable home in the soil.
Your first bed might get the root crops such as carrots, onions, beetroot and potatoes. The second is for Curcurbits, which are melons, pumpkins, squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Corn can also be planted here. For the third bed consider Acid Lovers: tomatoes, chillies, capsicums (peppers) and eggplant (aubergine). And in the last one go the Legumes, like peas and beans (These are also nitrogen enriching plants) and the Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, etc). Each year plant the same vegetables per bed, but one bed further round the rotation.
Separate non-rotating beds for herbs, and for perennials such as asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb, can also benefit from no dig methods.
To read the full article: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/try-no-dig-gardening-for-your-backyard-vegetables.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
by Warren McLaren, Sydney
04. 9.09
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/try-no-dig-gardening-for-your-backyard-vegetables.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
No-Dig Gardening is such a brilliant form of home-based agriculture I was convinced the TreeHugger archives would be rich with its merits. Was very surprised when I only found one mention, in a post chronicling Leonora's permaculture adventures in New Zealand. So I launched into the following first-person account of No-Dig, only to discover that in North America the same process might be better known as as Sheet Mulching. Nomenclature aside, it's worth covering the topic again. Especially if you want to grow your own veggies for a little food security.
Background to Cultivation Free Farming
No-Dig Gardening can probably trace its legacy back to visionary Japanese agricultural pioneer, Fukuoka Masanobu, who embarked on his Natural Farming experiment in 1938. His very productive organic farming methods did not require extensive soil tilling, weeding, or application of synthetic pesticide or fertilizer. Best known for his 1975 book One Straw Revolution, Fukuoka Masanobu advocated returning grain and rice straw stalks to the fields as a way of enriching soil development.
American home gardener, Ruth Stout, put out a book in 1971, called the No-Work Garden Book, which echoed Fukuoka’s decades of natural farming. Ruth, though maybe lacking some of the quiet humility and philosophy of her Japanese predecessor, also promoted covering gardens in a dense layer of straw and green mulch.
In the Antipodes we had Esther Dean, who released her own book Growing Without Digging in 1977, seeding a small cult following of No Dig gardeners. And, of course, Bill Mollison and David Holmgren who refined their concept of a nature-inspired agriculture with the publication of Permaculture One in 1978.
All would champion the idea that soil quality will dramatically improve if left undisturbed by cultivating, tilling, plowing, digging etc. They believed that soil was enriched with top layers of mulch decomposing to develop the appropriate communities of worms and micro-organisms that enhance food growth. Their ideas have since been embraced even in broad acre agriculture under the guise of no-till farming (see links below).
So How Does it Work in Practice?
There are many ways to implement a no-dig garden. What follows is just one method.
No Dig Beginnings photo
1. We selected a section of the yard that would get at least six hours of direct sunlight. Unfortunately we had to cut down a couple of trees to ensure this access when the sun dropped to lower plane in winter.
2. We set up four main beds, so we can practice crop rotation, which rests the soil and reduces chances of plant pests making a comfortable home in the soil.
Your first bed might get the root crops such as carrots, onions, beetroot and potatoes. The second is for Curcurbits, which are melons, pumpkins, squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Corn can also be planted here. For the third bed consider Acid Lovers: tomatoes, chillies, capsicums (peppers) and eggplant (aubergine). And in the last one go the Legumes, like peas and beans (These are also nitrogen enriching plants) and the Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, etc). Each year plant the same vegetables per bed, but one bed further round the rotation.
Separate non-rotating beds for herbs, and for perennials such as asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb, can also benefit from no dig methods.
To read the full article: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/try-no-dig-gardening-for-your-backyard-vegetables.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
10 Ways to Deal with Dust Mites and Get Real Allergy Relief
10 Ways to Deal with Dust Mites and Get Real Allergy Relief
http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/10-Ways-to-Deal-with-Dust-Mites-and-Get-Real-Allergy-Relief.html
Sneezing and wheezing? Chances are, dust mites are one source of your suffering.
High concentrations of dust mite allergens are a significant risk factor for the development of allergies and related diseases such as asthma and rhinitis (hay fever). Eighty percent of children and young adults with asthma are sensitive to dust mites. And studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) suggest that more than 45 percent of U.S. homes have bedding with dust mite concentrations that exceed a level equated with allergic sensitization.
Where Mites Flourish
Dust mites are microscopic creatures (smaller than 1⁄70 of an inch) that thrive in warm, dark, moist places—temperatures of 68° to 84°F and humidity levels at 75 to 80 percent. They thrive in bedding because that is where they find their biggest meals: They thrive on sloughed-off human and animal skin.
Under the microscope, dust mites appear as sightless, spider-like arachnids. They breathe through their skin, and while in dormancy, they are impervious to poisons, so insecticides are worthless even if you choose to use them.
You can also find dust mites in dust ruffles and bed curtains (because they trap dust easily) and on feathers, furs, protein-based textiles, and other organic fibers. Polyester bedding is also a well-known haven for dust mites because it traps moisture from perspiration.
10 Ways to Minimize Dust Mites
It's the feces and body parts from the dust mites that are the allergens, so simply killing the mites won't remove the allergen, although reducing populations is always a considerable help. To minimize mite populations, you need to make changes in your daily living and cleaning routines. While you may not be able to do all of these things, just implementing a few of these techniques will reduce the number of mites in the bedroom.
1. Direct sunlight kills dust mites, so hang bedding in the sun whenever possible. (Be mindful, though, that outdoor allergens can collect on bedding hung outside.)
2. Dust mites die when the humidity falls below 40 to 50 percent; use a dehumidifier if the weather is humid.
3. Wash bed linens once a week in hot water—the water temperature should be 130°F or higher—to kill mites.
To read the full article: http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/10-Ways-to-Deal-with-Dust-Mites-and-Get-Real-Allergy-Relief.html
http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/10-Ways-to-Deal-with-Dust-Mites-and-Get-Real-Allergy-Relief.html
Sneezing and wheezing? Chances are, dust mites are one source of your suffering.
High concentrations of dust mite allergens are a significant risk factor for the development of allergies and related diseases such as asthma and rhinitis (hay fever). Eighty percent of children and young adults with asthma are sensitive to dust mites. And studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) suggest that more than 45 percent of U.S. homes have bedding with dust mite concentrations that exceed a level equated with allergic sensitization.
Where Mites Flourish
Dust mites are microscopic creatures (smaller than 1⁄70 of an inch) that thrive in warm, dark, moist places—temperatures of 68° to 84°F and humidity levels at 75 to 80 percent. They thrive in bedding because that is where they find their biggest meals: They thrive on sloughed-off human and animal skin.
Under the microscope, dust mites appear as sightless, spider-like arachnids. They breathe through their skin, and while in dormancy, they are impervious to poisons, so insecticides are worthless even if you choose to use them.
You can also find dust mites in dust ruffles and bed curtains (because they trap dust easily) and on feathers, furs, protein-based textiles, and other organic fibers. Polyester bedding is also a well-known haven for dust mites because it traps moisture from perspiration.
10 Ways to Minimize Dust Mites
It's the feces and body parts from the dust mites that are the allergens, so simply killing the mites won't remove the allergen, although reducing populations is always a considerable help. To minimize mite populations, you need to make changes in your daily living and cleaning routines. While you may not be able to do all of these things, just implementing a few of these techniques will reduce the number of mites in the bedroom.
1. Direct sunlight kills dust mites, so hang bedding in the sun whenever possible. (Be mindful, though, that outdoor allergens can collect on bedding hung outside.)
2. Dust mites die when the humidity falls below 40 to 50 percent; use a dehumidifier if the weather is humid.
3. Wash bed linens once a week in hot water—the water temperature should be 130°F or higher—to kill mites.
To read the full article: http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/10-Ways-to-Deal-with-Dust-Mites-and-Get-Real-Allergy-Relief.html
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Caring for Your Dog: The Top Ten Essentials
Caring for Your Dog: The Top Ten Essentials
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/dog_care/caring_for_your_dog_the_top_ten_essentials.html
Your dog gives you a lifetime of unconditional love, loyalty, and friendship. In return, she counts on you to provide her with food, water, safe shelter, regular veterinary care, exercise, companionship, and more. Take care of these ten essentials, and you'll be guaranteed to develop a rewarding relationship with your canine companion.
1. Outfit your dog with a collar and ID tag that includes your name, address, and telephone number. No matter how careful you are, there's a chance your companion may become lost—an ID tag greatly increases the chance that your pet will be returned home safely.
2. Follow local laws for licensing your dog and vaccinating him for rabies. Check with your local animal shelter or humane society for information regarding legal requirements, where to obtain tags, and where to have your pet vaccinated.
3. Follow this simple rule—off property, on leash. Even a dog with a valid license, rabies tag, and ID tag should not be allowed to roam outside of your home or fenced yard. It is best for you, your community, and your dog to keep your pet under control at all times.
Please read the full article: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/dog_care/caring_for_your_dog_the_top_ten_essentials.html
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/dog_care/caring_for_your_dog_the_top_ten_essentials.html
Your dog gives you a lifetime of unconditional love, loyalty, and friendship. In return, she counts on you to provide her with food, water, safe shelter, regular veterinary care, exercise, companionship, and more. Take care of these ten essentials, and you'll be guaranteed to develop a rewarding relationship with your canine companion.
1. Outfit your dog with a collar and ID tag that includes your name, address, and telephone number. No matter how careful you are, there's a chance your companion may become lost—an ID tag greatly increases the chance that your pet will be returned home safely.
2. Follow local laws for licensing your dog and vaccinating him for rabies. Check with your local animal shelter or humane society for information regarding legal requirements, where to obtain tags, and where to have your pet vaccinated.
3. Follow this simple rule—off property, on leash. Even a dog with a valid license, rabies tag, and ID tag should not be allowed to roam outside of your home or fenced yard. It is best for you, your community, and your dog to keep your pet under control at all times.
Please read the full article: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/dog_care/caring_for_your_dog_the_top_ten_essentials.html
recipe: arugula salad
ARUGULA SALAD
- 1 large bunch arugula (approx 1/2 lbs.)
- 2 large vine tomatoes
- 1 apple
- handful of raisins
- 2 Tbls. ground flaxseeds
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 lime
DIRECTIONS: wash the arugula carefully, but don't cut it
up or anything... keep the leaves whole. Cut the tomatoes
and apple into big chunks. Toss with oil, salt, and vinegar.
Squeeze lime juice all over and sprinkle with flaxseeds
just before serving. Enjoy...
- 1 large bunch arugula (approx 1/2 lbs.)
- 2 large vine tomatoes
- 1 apple
- handful of raisins
- 2 Tbls. ground flaxseeds
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 lime
DIRECTIONS: wash the arugula carefully, but don't cut it
up or anything... keep the leaves whole. Cut the tomatoes
and apple into big chunks. Toss with oil, salt, and vinegar.
Squeeze lime juice all over and sprinkle with flaxseeds
just before serving. Enjoy...
Growing Salad Greens
Growing Salad Greens
by Diana Greenwood Mead
April 7, 2009
http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/394
Suddenly spring has sprung in my part of the world – every tree is misted with pale green and all sorts of wild flowers are showing their faces in the hedgerows. At this time of the year my thoughts turn to salads and it seems there are more and more varieties waiting to be grown. So, (while reminding myself of the few that were disappointing last year), these are some of the interesting salad vegetables I’m thinking of growing this spring:
Amaranth greens (also called Chinese spinach). I think the taste for amaranth leaves comes to us from India – certainly I encountered it first in Indian cooking. There are green and red amaranth leaves, both pretty, pleasant tasting and excellent in salads and stir-fries.
Pak Choi (or Bok Choi) and Mizuna greens are basics of Oriental cooking and fast and easy to grow for salads. Mizuna greens have feathery fine cut leaves and are deliciously peppery.
Beetroot leaves are very nice in a salad when young – and you have the bonus of a small beetroot at the other end!
To read the full article: http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/394
by Diana Greenwood Mead
April 7, 2009
http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/394
Suddenly spring has sprung in my part of the world – every tree is misted with pale green and all sorts of wild flowers are showing their faces in the hedgerows. At this time of the year my thoughts turn to salads and it seems there are more and more varieties waiting to be grown. So, (while reminding myself of the few that were disappointing last year), these are some of the interesting salad vegetables I’m thinking of growing this spring:
Amaranth greens (also called Chinese spinach). I think the taste for amaranth leaves comes to us from India – certainly I encountered it first in Indian cooking. There are green and red amaranth leaves, both pretty, pleasant tasting and excellent in salads and stir-fries.
Pak Choi (or Bok Choi) and Mizuna greens are basics of Oriental cooking and fast and easy to grow for salads. Mizuna greens have feathery fine cut leaves and are deliciously peppery.
Beetroot leaves are very nice in a salad when young – and you have the bonus of a small beetroot at the other end!
To read the full article: http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/394
Caffeine: How much is too much?
Caffeine: How much is too much?
By Mayo Clinic staff
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600
If you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you aren't alone. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, alleviating fatigue and increasing wakefulness.
When to consider cutting back
For most people, moderate doses of caffeine — 200 to 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day — aren't harmful. But some circumstances may warrant limiting or even ending your caffeine routine. Read on to see if any of these apply to you.
'Grande' is your middle name
Though moderate caffeine intake isn't likely to cause harm, too much can noticeably affect your health. Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee — can cause:
* Insomnia
* Nervousness
* Restlessness
* Irritability
* Nausea or other gastrointestinal problems
* Fast or irregular heartbeat
* Muscle tremors
* Headaches
* Anxiety
Even a little makes you jittery
To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600
By Mayo Clinic staff
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600
If you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you aren't alone. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, alleviating fatigue and increasing wakefulness.
When to consider cutting back
For most people, moderate doses of caffeine — 200 to 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day — aren't harmful. But some circumstances may warrant limiting or even ending your caffeine routine. Read on to see if any of these apply to you.
'Grande' is your middle name
Though moderate caffeine intake isn't likely to cause harm, too much can noticeably affect your health. Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee — can cause:
* Insomnia
* Nervousness
* Restlessness
* Irritability
* Nausea or other gastrointestinal problems
* Fast or irregular heartbeat
* Muscle tremors
* Headaches
* Anxiety
Even a little makes you jittery
To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600
Excellent article - Locavore to the Max: How to Forage
Locavore to the Max: How to Forage for Low-Impact, Recession-Proof Food
By Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publishing
April 7, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/135404/
You already know that shopping at your local farmers market or CSA is a great way to reduce your food miles. And, if you take that one step further, growing your own food can eliminate shopping altogether. But what's the 'greenest' form of feeding yourself? How can you feed yourself with the smallest possible carbon footprint? Foraging, of course! Finding your food underfoot.
The following tips will help you begin finding food everywhere you go. Whether you live in the city, country, or 'burbs, it is possible to skip the greasy junk at the mall that's been flown in from the other side of the planet in favor of the free food in the park beside your apartment. (Just make sure you're not in the dog park…'cuz ew!)
The following is an excerpt from When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency, by Matthew Stein. It has been adapted for the web.
WARNING: Never eat any wild plant unless you have 100 percent positive identification that it is edible, or you have taken the time to complete the 2-day plant edibility test described in Chapter 4 of When Technology Fails. A small bite of certain plants is enough to kill an adult.
Brief Guide to Wild Edible Foods
There are thousands of edible varieties of plants in North America. Some edible plants are truly delicious, but many considered edible taste bad and are primarily useful only in survival situations. A few of the more common and tasty wild edible plants are listed below. I suggest that you pick up one or two "real" guides to edible plants in your geographical region. Steve Brill's Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places is an excellent start. It is entertaining, practical, and offers varied cooking suggestions and recipes.
A good plant guide will also warn you about potentially poisonous "look-alike" plants that might be confused with the one that you think you are identifying. Harvesting wild edible plants can be fun and will help you make your diet more complete by adding more vitamins, minerals, and trace elements than are found in typical grocery store veggies. Use caution in your forays into wild edible plants, because nibbling on wild plants can kill you if you make a serious mistake. (For a list of recommended edible and medicinal plant guides, see the suggested references in Chapters 4 and 9 of When Technology Fails.) In addition, Foxfire 2 has an excellent section on foraging and cooking with wild greens from the Southern Appalachians.
Acorns. Acorns are the nuts from about 55 varieties of native oak trees. Gathered in the fall, acorns were traditional staple foods for several indigenous peoples. They were stored in baskets and crushed or ground into flour for cooking. In my local area, grinding depressions, where indigenous peoples ground their nuts into meal, are a common sight on the granite slabs adjacent to lakes and rivers. Some varieties of acorns are sweet and may be used without special preparation, but bitter varieties require treatment to remove excess tannic acid prior to eating. To remove bitterness, shell the acorns and boil in water until the water turns brown. Drain and repeat until the water stops changing color. If boiling is not an easy alternative, wrap nutmeats in a cloth and soak in a clear running stream for a few days until they taste sweet. Soaking acorn mush to remove bitterness takes less time than soaking the whole seed. Acorn meal makes excellent pancakes
and muffins.
There is a lot more excellent material to read for this article.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/135404/
By Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publishing
April 7, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/135404/
You already know that shopping at your local farmers market or CSA is a great way to reduce your food miles. And, if you take that one step further, growing your own food can eliminate shopping altogether. But what's the 'greenest' form of feeding yourself? How can you feed yourself with the smallest possible carbon footprint? Foraging, of course! Finding your food underfoot.
The following tips will help you begin finding food everywhere you go. Whether you live in the city, country, or 'burbs, it is possible to skip the greasy junk at the mall that's been flown in from the other side of the planet in favor of the free food in the park beside your apartment. (Just make sure you're not in the dog park…'cuz ew!)
The following is an excerpt from When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency, by Matthew Stein. It has been adapted for the web.
WARNING: Never eat any wild plant unless you have 100 percent positive identification that it is edible, or you have taken the time to complete the 2-day plant edibility test described in Chapter 4 of When Technology Fails. A small bite of certain plants is enough to kill an adult.
Brief Guide to Wild Edible Foods
There are thousands of edible varieties of plants in North America. Some edible plants are truly delicious, but many considered edible taste bad and are primarily useful only in survival situations. A few of the more common and tasty wild edible plants are listed below. I suggest that you pick up one or two "real" guides to edible plants in your geographical region. Steve Brill's Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places is an excellent start. It is entertaining, practical, and offers varied cooking suggestions and recipes.
A good plant guide will also warn you about potentially poisonous "look-alike" plants that might be confused with the one that you think you are identifying. Harvesting wild edible plants can be fun and will help you make your diet more complete by adding more vitamins, minerals, and trace elements than are found in typical grocery store veggies. Use caution in your forays into wild edible plants, because nibbling on wild plants can kill you if you make a serious mistake. (For a list of recommended edible and medicinal plant guides, see the suggested references in Chapters 4 and 9 of When Technology Fails.) In addition, Foxfire 2 has an excellent section on foraging and cooking with wild greens from the Southern Appalachians.
Acorns. Acorns are the nuts from about 55 varieties of native oak trees. Gathered in the fall, acorns were traditional staple foods for several indigenous peoples. They were stored in baskets and crushed or ground into flour for cooking. In my local area, grinding depressions, where indigenous peoples ground their nuts into meal, are a common sight on the granite slabs adjacent to lakes and rivers. Some varieties of acorns are sweet and may be used without special preparation, but bitter varieties require treatment to remove excess tannic acid prior to eating. To remove bitterness, shell the acorns and boil in water until the water turns brown. Drain and repeat until the water stops changing color. If boiling is not an easy alternative, wrap nutmeats in a cloth and soak in a clear running stream for a few days until they taste sweet. Soaking acorn mush to remove bitterness takes less time than soaking the whole seed. Acorn meal makes excellent pancakes
and muffins.
There is a lot more excellent material to read for this article.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/135404/
DO NOT EVER USE PLASTIC BAGS: one example why - turtles
Plastic Found in 1/3 of Leatherback Turtles, According to Study
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada
04. 9.09
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/plastic-bags-found-in-leatherback-turtles.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
"Leatherback turtles are ancient creatures with a modern problem: Plastic."
A new study has looked at "necropsy reports of more than 400 leatherback" turtles and found that about 1/3 of them had plastic in their digestive system. They're not saying it was the immediate cause of death, but as Mike James, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, says: "Eating something that is plastic can't be good for you, whether it leads to death or not." By saying no to plastic bags, you might be indirectly helping turtles...
leatherback turtle beach photo
A leatherback turtle laying her eggs. Photo: Flickr, CC
From Discovery News:
Leatherback turtles are critically endangered and highly charismatic creatures. They are big, weighing 1,000 pounds or more, with shells that can measure more than 6 feet across. These peaceful creatures have had the same basic body plan for 150 million years.
Leatherbacks are also popular for what they eat: namely, large quantities of jellyfish. The problem is that plastic bags look a lot like jellyfish, and plastic often ends up in the oceans, piling up in areas where currents -- and turtles -- converge. That led James to wonder how much often the turtles were swallowing plastic in their hunt for yummy jellyfish.
To read the full article: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/plastic-bags-found-in-leatherback-turtles.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada
04. 9.09
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/plastic-bags-found-in-leatherback-turtles.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
"Leatherback turtles are ancient creatures with a modern problem: Plastic."
A new study has looked at "necropsy reports of more than 400 leatherback" turtles and found that about 1/3 of them had plastic in their digestive system. They're not saying it was the immediate cause of death, but as Mike James, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, says: "Eating something that is plastic can't be good for you, whether it leads to death or not." By saying no to plastic bags, you might be indirectly helping turtles...
leatherback turtle beach photo
A leatherback turtle laying her eggs. Photo: Flickr, CC
From Discovery News:
Leatherback turtles are critically endangered and highly charismatic creatures. They are big, weighing 1,000 pounds or more, with shells that can measure more than 6 feet across. These peaceful creatures have had the same basic body plan for 150 million years.
Leatherbacks are also popular for what they eat: namely, large quantities of jellyfish. The problem is that plastic bags look a lot like jellyfish, and plastic often ends up in the oceans, piling up in areas where currents -- and turtles -- converge. That led James to wonder how much often the turtles were swallowing plastic in their hunt for yummy jellyfish.
To read the full article: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/plastic-bags-found-in-leatherback-turtles.php?dcitc=weekly_nl
Every 9.5 minutes another person gets HIV
In the USA ...
"There is a complacency…a false sense of security and a false sense of calm.
Every 9 1/2 minutes, someone's mother, someone's daughter, someone's father, someone's friend is infected with HIV."
--Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discussing Act Against AIDS, the CDC's new domestic HIV/AIDS campaign. (Washington Post, April 8, 2009)
"There is a complacency…a false sense of security and a false sense of calm.
Every 9 1/2 minutes, someone's mother, someone's daughter, someone's father, someone's friend is infected with HIV."
--Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discussing Act Against AIDS, the CDC's new domestic HIV/AIDS campaign. (Washington Post, April 8, 2009)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
EPA Is Reconsidering Dry Cleaners' Use of Cancer-Causing Chemical
EPA Is Reconsidering Dry Cleaners' Use of Cancer-Causing Chemical
by Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 8, 2009; Page A03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703748.html
[Read comments:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703748_Comments.html ]
The Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering whether to compel dry cleaners to phase out a cancer-causing chemical used in tens of thousands of operations nationwide, according to court documents filed late last week.
The issue of whether to ban perchloroethylene, a hazardous air pollutant linked to cancer and neurological damage, has been the source of a long-running fight between environmental groups and the federal government. In July 2006, the Bush administration ordered dry cleaners located in residential buildings to phase out the toxic solvent by 2020 but did not impose the same rules on the 28,000 other cleaners that do not operate in such mixed-use buildings. Instead, the EPA required these operators to use devices to detect leaks and to reduce emissions by conducting the wash and dry cycles in the same machine.
To read the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703748.html
by Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 8, 2009; Page A03
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703748.html
[Read comments:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703748_Comments.html ]
The Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering whether to compel dry cleaners to phase out a cancer-causing chemical used in tens of thousands of operations nationwide, according to court documents filed late last week.
The issue of whether to ban perchloroethylene, a hazardous air pollutant linked to cancer and neurological damage, has been the source of a long-running fight between environmental groups and the federal government. In July 2006, the Bush administration ordered dry cleaners located in residential buildings to phase out the toxic solvent by 2020 but did not impose the same rules on the 28,000 other cleaners that do not operate in such mixed-use buildings. Instead, the EPA required these operators to use devices to detect leaks and to reduce emissions by conducting the wash and dry cycles in the same machine.
To read the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703748.html
Wind turbines could more than meet U.S. electricity needs
Wind turbines could more than meet U.S. electricity needs, report says
The Interior Department report, which looks at the potential of wind turbines off the U.S. coast, is part of the government's process to chart a course for offshore energy development.
By Jim Tankersley
jtankersley@tribune.com
April 3, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-energy3-2009apr03,0,7532220.story
Reporting from Arlington, Va. -- Wind turbines off U.S. coastlines could potentially supply more than enough electricity to meet the nation's current demand, the Interior Department reported Thursday.
Simply harnessing the wind in relatively shallow waters -- the most accessible and technically feasible sites for offshore turbines -- could produce at least 20% of the power demand for most coastal states, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, unveiling a report by the Minerals Management Service that details the potential for oil, gas and renewable development on the outer continental shelf.
The biggest wind potential lies off the nation's Atlantic coast, which the Interior report estimates could produce 1,000 gigawatts of electricity -- enough to meet a quarter of the national demand.
To read the full article: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-energy3-2009apr03,0,7532220.story
The Interior Department report, which looks at the potential of wind turbines off the U.S. coast, is part of the government's process to chart a course for offshore energy development.
By Jim Tankersley
jtankersley@tribune.com
April 3, 2009
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-energy3-2009apr03,0,7532220.story
Reporting from Arlington, Va. -- Wind turbines off U.S. coastlines could potentially supply more than enough electricity to meet the nation's current demand, the Interior Department reported Thursday.
Simply harnessing the wind in relatively shallow waters -- the most accessible and technically feasible sites for offshore turbines -- could produce at least 20% of the power demand for most coastal states, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, unveiling a report by the Minerals Management Service that details the potential for oil, gas and renewable development on the outer continental shelf.
The biggest wind potential lies off the nation's Atlantic coast, which the Interior report estimates could produce 1,000 gigawatts of electricity -- enough to meet a quarter of the national demand.
To read the full article: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-energy3-2009apr03,0,7532220.story
Save the planet: Get rid of your cat
Save the planet: Get rid of your cat
Evidence is mounting that having a cat isn't very green: Along with humans, they are having a devastating impact on birds and marine life.
By Knute Berger
April 02, 2009
http://crosscut.com/2009/04/02/mossback/18925/
http://crosscut.com/2009/04/02/mossback/18925/print/
We're willing to tax plastic bags to save the planet, but are we willing to give up our pets? There's increasing evidence that our love of cats and dogs is having an adverse impact on the earth. Sure, pet owners experience joy and even the release of endorphins when they cuddle with Fluffy, but benign Fluffy is not.
A new report on the state of bird populations in the United States paints a grim picturefor the future diversity of bird species. The State of Birds survey indicates that fully one third of U.S. species are in decline. There are many pressures, most of them human, including habitat destruction. But the second biggest reason for the decline of birds: non-native species predation, which includes invasive critters, domestic animals, and house pets. Among pets, cats are the major threat. There are an estimated 77 million pet cats (pdf) in the U.S. (that doesn't count feral or stray populations which could more than double that number). Numbers vary but experts believe pet cats kill millions of birds in this country each year.
Urban cats are part of the problem in part because habitat fragmentation turns your yard from part of the larger wild system into an ecological island. Visiting birds are more isolated and vulnerable and can be more easily picked off by hunting cats who have the place staked out.
To read the full article: http://crosscut.com/2009/04/02/mossback/18925/
Evidence is mounting that having a cat isn't very green: Along with humans, they are having a devastating impact on birds and marine life.
By Knute Berger
April 02, 2009
http://crosscut.com/2009/04/02/mossback/18925/
http://crosscut.com/2009/04/02/mossback/18925/print/
We're willing to tax plastic bags to save the planet, but are we willing to give up our pets? There's increasing evidence that our love of cats and dogs is having an adverse impact on the earth. Sure, pet owners experience joy and even the release of endorphins when they cuddle with Fluffy, but benign Fluffy is not.
A new report on the state of bird populations in the United States paints a grim picturefor the future diversity of bird species. The State of Birds survey indicates that fully one third of U.S. species are in decline. There are many pressures, most of them human, including habitat destruction. But the second biggest reason for the decline of birds: non-native species predation, which includes invasive critters, domestic animals, and house pets. Among pets, cats are the major threat. There are an estimated 77 million pet cats (pdf) in the U.S. (that doesn't count feral or stray populations which could more than double that number). Numbers vary but experts believe pet cats kill millions of birds in this country each year.
Urban cats are part of the problem in part because habitat fragmentation turns your yard from part of the larger wild system into an ecological island. Visiting birds are more isolated and vulnerable and can be more easily picked off by hunting cats who have the place staked out.
To read the full article: http://crosscut.com/2009/04/02/mossback/18925/
Cows With Gas: India's Global Warming Problem
Cows With Gas: India's Global Warming Problem
By Madhur Singh / New Delhi
Saturday, Apr. 11, 2009
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1890646,00.html
Indolent cows languidly chewing their cud while befuddled motorists honk and maneuver their vehicles around them are images as stereotypically Indian as saffron-clad holy men and the Taj Mahal. Now, however, India's ubiquitous cows — of which there are 283 million, more than anywhere else in the world — have assumed a more menacing role as they become part of the climate change debate.
By burping, belching and excreting copious amounts of methane — a greenhouse gas that traps 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide — India's livestock of roughly 485 million (including sheep and goats) contribute more to global warming than the vehicles they obstruct. With new research suggesting that emission of methane by Indian livestock is higher than previously estimated, scientists are furiously working at designing diets to help bovines and other ruminants eat better, stay more energetic and secrete lesser amounts of the offensive gas.
Last month, scientists at the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad in western India published a pan-India livestock methane emission inventory, the first ever, which put the figure at 11.75 million metric tons per year, higher than 9 million metric tons estimated in 1994. This amount is likely to increase as higher incomes and consumption rates put more pressure on the country's dairy industry to become even more productive.
To read the full article:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1890646,00.html
By Madhur Singh / New Delhi
Saturday, Apr. 11, 2009
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1890646,00.html
Indolent cows languidly chewing their cud while befuddled motorists honk and maneuver their vehicles around them are images as stereotypically Indian as saffron-clad holy men and the Taj Mahal. Now, however, India's ubiquitous cows — of which there are 283 million, more than anywhere else in the world — have assumed a more menacing role as they become part of the climate change debate.
By burping, belching and excreting copious amounts of methane — a greenhouse gas that traps 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide — India's livestock of roughly 485 million (including sheep and goats) contribute more to global warming than the vehicles they obstruct. With new research suggesting that emission of methane by Indian livestock is higher than previously estimated, scientists are furiously working at designing diets to help bovines and other ruminants eat better, stay more energetic and secrete lesser amounts of the offensive gas.
Last month, scientists at the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad in western India published a pan-India livestock methane emission inventory, the first ever, which put the figure at 11.75 million metric tons per year, higher than 9 million metric tons estimated in 1994. This amount is likely to increase as higher incomes and consumption rates put more pressure on the country's dairy industry to become even more productive.
To read the full article:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1890646,00.html
A Solar Revolution May Be Coming to Your Town
A Solar Revolution May Be Coming to Your Town
By Mariah Blake, Washington Monthly
April 11, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/136152/
This winter, as Congress was scrambling to pass the stimulus package, the bottom fell out of the renewable energy sector -- the very industry that lawmakers have held out as our best hope of salvaging the economy. Trade groups like the American Wind Energy Association, which as recently as December was forecasting "another record-shattering year of growth," began predicting that new installations would plunge by 30 to 50 percent. Solar panel manufacturers that had been blazing a trail of growth announced a wave of layoffs. Some have since cut their workforces in half, as stock prices tumble and plans for new green energy projects stall.
But there is one place where capital is still flowing: Gainesville, Florida. Even as solar panels are stacking up in warehouses around the country, this city of 120,000 is gearing up for a solar power boom, fueled by homegrown businesses and scrappy investors who have descended on the community and are hiring local contractors to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops around town.
To read the full article:
http://www.alternet.org/story/136152/
By Mariah Blake, Washington Monthly
April 11, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/136152/
This winter, as Congress was scrambling to pass the stimulus package, the bottom fell out of the renewable energy sector -- the very industry that lawmakers have held out as our best hope of salvaging the economy. Trade groups like the American Wind Energy Association, which as recently as December was forecasting "another record-shattering year of growth," began predicting that new installations would plunge by 30 to 50 percent. Solar panel manufacturers that had been blazing a trail of growth announced a wave of layoffs. Some have since cut their workforces in half, as stock prices tumble and plans for new green energy projects stall.
But there is one place where capital is still flowing: Gainesville, Florida. Even as solar panels are stacking up in warehouses around the country, this city of 120,000 is gearing up for a solar power boom, fueled by homegrown businesses and scrappy investors who have descended on the community and are hiring local contractors to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops around town.
To read the full article:
http://www.alternet.org/story/136152/
'First’ organic chia enters US market
'First’ organic chia enters US market
By Lorraine Heller
07-Apr-2009
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/content/view/print/242583
‘Superfood’ firm Navitas Naturals has launched what it claims to be the first organically certified chia seed product available on the North American market.
The firm said it will supply the omega-3-rich seed both to the retail market and to the manufacturing sector.
Chia is the edible seed of the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family, which grows in Latin American countries including Mexico, Argentina and Peru. The seeds are said to be a significant source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are also rich in fiber (over 5 percent soluble fiber), protein (over 20 percent), amino acids, and a range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals (including calcium, B vitamins, zinc, boron, potassium, copper and phosphorus). They are also said to be a stable source of antioxidants.
“Modern consumers’ appetite for international food, combined with the growing trend for healthier organic options, is fueling the popularity of organic ‘power foods’ from around the world,” stated the company.
“By reintroducing ancient natural foods to the Western world, Navitas Naturals is expanding the functional food category and providing options with more bio-available essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals than most supplements and chemical extracts.”
Navitas said it sources its chia from the highlands of Mexico, where it is “sustainably harvested”. The product is USDA organic certified, said the firm.
The company explained that the essential fatty acid profile of chia seeds provides omega-3s and omega-6s in a ratio of 3:2.
to read the full article:
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/First-organic-chia-enters-US-market/?c=NAUpDVS3q2rXe8ZdclLApg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BWeekly
By Lorraine Heller
07-Apr-2009
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/content/view/print/242583
‘Superfood’ firm Navitas Naturals has launched what it claims to be the first organically certified chia seed product available on the North American market.
The firm said it will supply the omega-3-rich seed both to the retail market and to the manufacturing sector.
Chia is the edible seed of the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family, which grows in Latin American countries including Mexico, Argentina and Peru. The seeds are said to be a significant source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are also rich in fiber (over 5 percent soluble fiber), protein (over 20 percent), amino acids, and a range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals (including calcium, B vitamins, zinc, boron, potassium, copper and phosphorus). They are also said to be a stable source of antioxidants.
“Modern consumers’ appetite for international food, combined with the growing trend for healthier organic options, is fueling the popularity of organic ‘power foods’ from around the world,” stated the company.
“By reintroducing ancient natural foods to the Western world, Navitas Naturals is expanding the functional food category and providing options with more bio-available essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals than most supplements and chemical extracts.”
Navitas said it sources its chia from the highlands of Mexico, where it is “sustainably harvested”. The product is USDA organic certified, said the firm.
The company explained that the essential fatty acid profile of chia seeds provides omega-3s and omega-6s in a ratio of 3:2.
to read the full article:
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/First-organic-chia-enters-US-market/?c=NAUpDVS3q2rXe8ZdclLApg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BWeekly
Healthy eating: 10 ways to add pizazz
Healthy eating: 10 ways to add pizazz
If you think healthy eating is boring, you may simply need to get your creative juices flowing. Try these 10 simple ways to stick with your healthy-eating plan.
By Mayo Clinic staff
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-eating/NU00641
Whether you're just starting a plan for healthy eating or have been following a healthy diet for years, sticking to it can sometimes be challenging. But healthy eating doesn't have to be boring or tiresome. Flavorful food combinations, new cooking ideas and an inventive spirit can add pizazz to your meals and snacks and keep you motivated to meet your goals for healthy eating.
Here are 10 ways to keep you on course toward healthy eating:
1. Get out of the rut. Experiment with new foods and combinations. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Toss some mandarin orange or peach slices into a salad.
[abridged]
4. Go short. Make a nutritious snack rather than a full meal when time is tight. For example, spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or low-sugar, spreadable fruit. Or try low-fat corn muffins with apple and 'cheese' slices, or fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa, a small amount of Vegan sour cream and baked tortilla chips.
5. Be sneaky. Add crushed bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran to baked products, such as 'meatloaf', breads, muffins, casseroles, cakes and cookies. Also, use bran products as a crunchy topping for casseroles, salads or cooked vegetables.
6. Go greener. Vary your salad greens and enjoy the multitude of flavors and textures that are available besides plain iceberg lettuce. Choices include arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress. Buy a different variety each week or just mix and match.
To read the full article: target="_blank">http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-eating/NU00641
If you think healthy eating is boring, you may simply need to get your creative juices flowing. Try these 10 simple ways to stick with your healthy-eating plan.
By Mayo Clinic staff
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-eating/NU00641
Whether you're just starting a plan for healthy eating or have been following a healthy diet for years, sticking to it can sometimes be challenging. But healthy eating doesn't have to be boring or tiresome. Flavorful food combinations, new cooking ideas and an inventive spirit can add pizazz to your meals and snacks and keep you motivated to meet your goals for healthy eating.
Here are 10 ways to keep you on course toward healthy eating:
1. Get out of the rut. Experiment with new foods and combinations. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Toss some mandarin orange or peach slices into a salad.
[abridged]
4. Go short. Make a nutritious snack rather than a full meal when time is tight. For example, spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or low-sugar, spreadable fruit. Or try low-fat corn muffins with apple and 'cheese' slices, or fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa, a small amount of Vegan sour cream and baked tortilla chips.
5. Be sneaky. Add crushed bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran to baked products, such as 'meatloaf', breads, muffins, casseroles, cakes and cookies. Also, use bran products as a crunchy topping for casseroles, salads or cooked vegetables.
6. Go greener. Vary your salad greens and enjoy the multitude of flavors and textures that are available besides plain iceberg lettuce. Choices include arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress. Buy a different variety each week or just mix and match.
To read the full article: target="_blank">http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-eating/NU00641
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Solar to Go: A Mobile Solar Generator Makes Going Off-Grid a Little Easier
Solar to Go
A Mobile Solar Generator Makes Going Off-Grid a Little Easier
By Lydia Breen
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4567
John and Victoria Mc-Bride fell in love with their 100-acre California ranch the minute they set eyes on it. The property, located in the hills of northern San Luis Obispo County’s wine country, had a stunning view overlooking Santa Margarita Lake. Signs of wildlife—eagles, mountain lions, bears, coyotes and foxes—were everywhere. There was even room for a corral big enough to hold their dozen or so horses. The land had everything they ever wanted—except electricity.
Undeterred by the hardships of rustic living, the McBride’s bought their dream property and set up a modest shelter where they could spend weekends taking family and friends on remote horseback adventures. Their power needs were met by a gas generator and a wood-burning stove. But after six years spent hauling gas fuel from a distant town, the relationship with their noisy, belching generator went sour. Alternative options were limited. The price tag for extending power lines a half mile up the road to their property was set at $50,000.
The McBride’s began to wonder if there were other off-grid solutions that could meet their power needs. During a trip to the county fair, they happened across a booth run by Travis Semmes, a young conservationist and solar entrepreneur. Semmes showed them his portable mobile solar trailer, a device born from an idea he had while working with his father, a contractor who builds solar homes. The McBrides and Semmes struck up a conversation that turned into a friendship. A few months later, Semmes drove one of his brand-new units onto the ranch—a trailer with batteries and inverter inside. He disconnected the McBride’s sputtering old diesel generator, flipped up the solar panels on the trailer, connected some wires to the house, and the McBrides began a new relationship with the sun.
Because the couple lives modestly, they have more than enough electricity to run their kitchen appliances, space heater, lights, stereo, computer and wide-screen television. A wood-burning stove gets them through the coldest nights of the year. Their gas generator has only been used once in two years.
Semmes’ company, Mobile Solar Power, provided the first maintenance lesson: filling the batteries with water once a month, cleaning the solar panels during the hot, dusty summer months and equalizing the batteries twice a year. Semmes says the upkeep is relatively simple, but it’s not for everyone. “If you don’t remember to put air in your tires or add oil to an engine,” he says, “you probably shouldn’t buy one of our units.”
John McBride estimates it will take about a decade to recover his costs. In 15 years, it will be time to think about replacing the large 24-volt, 1,640-amp-hour battery bank, at a cost of roughly $7,000.
“We don’t mind a rustic life; it allows us not to be dependent on anyone,” he says. “I highly recommend the solar generator for anyone who lives out in the middle of nowhere. If we ever move, we can take the unit with us. We wanted to go solar because we like peace and quiet. And when everyone in town is losing their power in storms, we don’t.”
To read the full article: http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4567
A Mobile Solar Generator Makes Going Off-Grid a Little Easier
By Lydia Breen
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4567
John and Victoria Mc-Bride fell in love with their 100-acre California ranch the minute they set eyes on it. The property, located in the hills of northern San Luis Obispo County’s wine country, had a stunning view overlooking Santa Margarita Lake. Signs of wildlife—eagles, mountain lions, bears, coyotes and foxes—were everywhere. There was even room for a corral big enough to hold their dozen or so horses. The land had everything they ever wanted—except electricity.
Undeterred by the hardships of rustic living, the McBride’s bought their dream property and set up a modest shelter where they could spend weekends taking family and friends on remote horseback adventures. Their power needs were met by a gas generator and a wood-burning stove. But after six years spent hauling gas fuel from a distant town, the relationship with their noisy, belching generator went sour. Alternative options were limited. The price tag for extending power lines a half mile up the road to their property was set at $50,000.
The McBride’s began to wonder if there were other off-grid solutions that could meet their power needs. During a trip to the county fair, they happened across a booth run by Travis Semmes, a young conservationist and solar entrepreneur. Semmes showed them his portable mobile solar trailer, a device born from an idea he had while working with his father, a contractor who builds solar homes. The McBrides and Semmes struck up a conversation that turned into a friendship. A few months later, Semmes drove one of his brand-new units onto the ranch—a trailer with batteries and inverter inside. He disconnected the McBride’s sputtering old diesel generator, flipped up the solar panels on the trailer, connected some wires to the house, and the McBrides began a new relationship with the sun.
Because the couple lives modestly, they have more than enough electricity to run their kitchen appliances, space heater, lights, stereo, computer and wide-screen television. A wood-burning stove gets them through the coldest nights of the year. Their gas generator has only been used once in two years.
Semmes’ company, Mobile Solar Power, provided the first maintenance lesson: filling the batteries with water once a month, cleaning the solar panels during the hot, dusty summer months and equalizing the batteries twice a year. Semmes says the upkeep is relatively simple, but it’s not for everyone. “If you don’t remember to put air in your tires or add oil to an engine,” he says, “you probably shouldn’t buy one of our units.”
John McBride estimates it will take about a decade to recover his costs. In 15 years, it will be time to think about replacing the large 24-volt, 1,640-amp-hour battery bank, at a cost of roughly $7,000.
“We don’t mind a rustic life; it allows us not to be dependent on anyone,” he says. “I highly recommend the solar generator for anyone who lives out in the middle of nowhere. If we ever move, we can take the unit with us. We wanted to go solar because we like peace and quiet. And when everyone in town is losing their power in storms, we don’t.”
To read the full article: http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4567
Senior Partners: Older Americans and Mature Pets
Senior Partners: Older Americans and Mature Pets
By Rebecca Simmons
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/senior_partners_older_americans_and_mature_pets.html
When Marjorie Smith walked into the Idaho Humane
Society in Boise two years ago, the 72-year-old was
struggling with the recent loss of her son and the
9-11 tragedy.
Like thousands of other seniors, Smith was battling a
problem that threatened to consume her. The retired
secretary wasn't suffering from cancer or heart
disease, but from loneliness. Divorced and living
alone, Smith was looking for something, or someone, to
help her.
Gus had been waiting patiently, but his family still
hadn't come back for him. A ten-year-old Scottish
terrier, he had spent his entire life with the same
family. But once the children had grown up and moved
away, Gus was forced to spend his days alone. His
family felt that they didn't have the time to take
care of him anymore and decided to relinquish Gus to
the local shelter.
It's a common scenario all across America.
To read the full article: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/senior_partners_older_americans_and_mature_pets.html
By Rebecca Simmons
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/senior_partners_older_americans_and_mature_pets.html
When Marjorie Smith walked into the Idaho Humane
Society in Boise two years ago, the 72-year-old was
struggling with the recent loss of her son and the
9-11 tragedy.
Like thousands of other seniors, Smith was battling a
problem that threatened to consume her. The retired
secretary wasn't suffering from cancer or heart
disease, but from loneliness. Divorced and living
alone, Smith was looking for something, or someone, to
help her.
Gus had been waiting patiently, but his family still
hadn't come back for him. A ten-year-old Scottish
terrier, he had spent his entire life with the same
family. But once the children had grown up and moved
away, Gus was forced to spend his days alone. His
family felt that they didn't have the time to take
care of him anymore and decided to relinquish Gus to
the local shelter.
It's a common scenario all across America.
To read the full article: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/senior_partners_older_americans_and_mature_pets.html
Why the World Needs the U.S. to Act Now on Climate Change
Why the World Needs the U.S. to Act Now on Climate Change
By Sophie Ragsdale, The Nation
March 17, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/131858/
There are two clocks ticking for the god-fearing climate-conscious among us. The first counts down to Copenhagen, where on December 7 representatives from 192 countries will hammer out a successor to the Kyoto Protocol: a post-2012 global climate deal aimed at curbing greenhouse gases. The second hurtles us toward disaster, a "mankind-threatening juggernaut," the point at which atmospheric carbon dioxide exceeds a concentration of 450 parts per million. To the extent that global warming is contingent on carbon emissions, the tipping point will be determined at the UN Framework Conference for Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, the last stop on the Bali Roadmap toward what UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer has called "the most complex international agreement that history has ever seen.
In less than ten months, the Danish capital will host as many as 15,000 ministers and officials whose challenge is to collaborate a shared vision for long-term cooperative climate action. Specifically, they will determine burden-sharing agreements based on "common but differentiated responsibilities," and developed countries must pledge ambitious emissions reduction targets. The alternative business-as-usual approach, which is to do nothing, will shoot CO2 levels up to 900 ppm by 2100, causing worldwide temperatures to increase nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit and sea levels to rise anywhere from 3 to 7 feet, nearly tripling predictions made in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report.
In fact, temperatures are accelerating at such a clip that the IPCC's 2007 report, a gathering and distillation of thousands of peer reviews submitted by hundreds of the world's top climate experts, was outdated upon presentation. Since then, scientists have abandoned the language of numbers and data analysis in favor of urgent calls for immediate action. There are, of course, a few odd deniers, such as William Happer, professor of physics at Princeton University, who announced last week at an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing that we are actually in a "CO2 famine" and that increased levels "will be good for mankind." For the most part, however, the consensus is that if temperatures continue to rise as they are, we will not escape hell and high water within the next decade. And where policy is concerned, Obama is considered our last best chance to get it right. "We have only four years left for Obama to set an example to the rest of the
world," said James Hansen of the NASA Institute. "America must take the lead."
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/131858/
By Sophie Ragsdale, The Nation
March 17, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/131858/
There are two clocks ticking for the god-fearing climate-conscious among us. The first counts down to Copenhagen, where on December 7 representatives from 192 countries will hammer out a successor to the Kyoto Protocol: a post-2012 global climate deal aimed at curbing greenhouse gases. The second hurtles us toward disaster, a "mankind-threatening juggernaut," the point at which atmospheric carbon dioxide exceeds a concentration of 450 parts per million. To the extent that global warming is contingent on carbon emissions, the tipping point will be determined at the UN Framework Conference for Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, the last stop on the Bali Roadmap toward what UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer has called "the most complex international agreement that history has ever seen.
In less than ten months, the Danish capital will host as many as 15,000 ministers and officials whose challenge is to collaborate a shared vision for long-term cooperative climate action. Specifically, they will determine burden-sharing agreements based on "common but differentiated responsibilities," and developed countries must pledge ambitious emissions reduction targets. The alternative business-as-usual approach, which is to do nothing, will shoot CO2 levels up to 900 ppm by 2100, causing worldwide temperatures to increase nearly 7 degrees Fahrenheit and sea levels to rise anywhere from 3 to 7 feet, nearly tripling predictions made in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report.
In fact, temperatures are accelerating at such a clip that the IPCC's 2007 report, a gathering and distillation of thousands of peer reviews submitted by hundreds of the world's top climate experts, was outdated upon presentation. Since then, scientists have abandoned the language of numbers and data analysis in favor of urgent calls for immediate action. There are, of course, a few odd deniers, such as William Happer, professor of physics at Princeton University, who announced last week at an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing that we are actually in a "CO2 famine" and that increased levels "will be good for mankind." For the most part, however, the consensus is that if temperatures continue to rise as they are, we will not escape hell and high water within the next decade. And where policy is concerned, Obama is considered our last best chance to get it right. "We have only four years left for Obama to set an example to the rest of the
world," said James Hansen of the NASA Institute. "America must take the lead."
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/131858/
Raw Recipe: Raw Brownies, Raw Coconut Oil Fudge
(source unknown; shared by friend)
Raw Brownies
13 Mar 2009
2 cups cashews, soaked 30 minutes and drained
2 T cocoa powder or carob powder
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
4 T chopped hazelnuts
Water to blend
Blend all ingredients; the consistency will be thick. Spread mixture onto teflex dehydrator sheets. Dry, turning after 12 hours (peel off teflex sheet), until chewy brownie consistency, about 24 hours total.
= = =
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Coconut Oil Fudge
by Jan Jenson
13 Mar 2009
1-1/2 cups Pure Joy Coconut Oil (liquefied by placing in a bowl of hot water)
1-1/2 cups Rapadura (a whole unprocessed natural sugar), Sucanat or honey
1 cup carob powder or organic cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1/8 vanilla bean (scrape the inner beans out with a spoon) or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Melt the coconut oil. If using Rapadura or Sucanat, blend it in a dry blender until it becomes a light powder. Mix all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
Pour into a large glass lasagna pan or something equivalent in size. Let set up at room temperature (below 70 degrees) or in the refrigerator.
Cut into small candy-sized pieces.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 12 months.
Raw Brownies
13 Mar 2009
2 cups cashews, soaked 30 minutes and drained
2 T cocoa powder or carob powder
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
4 T chopped hazelnuts
Water to blend
Blend all ingredients; the consistency will be thick. Spread mixture onto teflex dehydrator sheets. Dry, turning after 12 hours (peel off teflex sheet), until chewy brownie consistency, about 24 hours total.
= = =
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Coconut Oil Fudge
by Jan Jenson
13 Mar 2009
1-1/2 cups Pure Joy Coconut Oil (liquefied by placing in a bowl of hot water)
1-1/2 cups Rapadura (a whole unprocessed natural sugar), Sucanat or honey
1 cup carob powder or organic cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1/8 vanilla bean (scrape the inner beans out with a spoon) or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Melt the coconut oil. If using Rapadura or Sucanat, blend it in a dry blender until it becomes a light powder. Mix all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
Pour into a large glass lasagna pan or something equivalent in size. Let set up at room temperature (below 70 degrees) or in the refrigerator.
Cut into small candy-sized pieces.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 12 months.
Veggie burgers given out to encourage students to take up vegan lifestyle
Group asks people to give up meat
Veggie burgers given out to encourage students to take up vegan lifestyle
By Jessica Ayala
3/18/09
http://www.thespartandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=4eaaef92-d53d-4b9c-8eaf-105578c70e3f
http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2009/03/17/News/100-Veggie.Burgers.Cant.Be.Wrong-3673724.shtml
Students got a glimpse of what it's like to be a vegetarian Monday as 100 veggie burgers where given out in front of the Student Union.
The Santa Clara County Activists of Animals, the Food Empowerment Project and students from the Environmental Club gave out veggie burgers and vegan chocolate chip cookies and brownies from the Sun Flour Baking Company to promote a different kind of diet.
"I think it's a really positive event to show people that they can have great food as well as protect the environment and save lives of animals," said Lauren Ornelas, founder and director for Food Empowerment Project.
Ornelas, who has been a vegan for 21 years, said that being a vegan has made her more aware of what she eats and has also allowed her to appreciate diverse ethnic foods.
Ryan Frazier, a former SJSU student and currently with the Santa Clara County Activists of Animals, said if the average person knew what the conditions are like in the factory farms, they would never buy meat products again.
to read the full article:
http://www.thespartandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=4eaaef92-d53d-4b9c-8eaf-105578c70e3f
Veggie burgers given out to encourage students to take up vegan lifestyle
By Jessica Ayala
3/18/09
http://www.thespartandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=4eaaef92-d53d-4b9c-8eaf-105578c70e3f
http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2009/03/17/News/100-Veggie.Burgers.Cant.Be.Wrong-3673724.shtml
Students got a glimpse of what it's like to be a vegetarian Monday as 100 veggie burgers where given out in front of the Student Union.
The Santa Clara County Activists of Animals, the Food Empowerment Project and students from the Environmental Club gave out veggie burgers and vegan chocolate chip cookies and brownies from the Sun Flour Baking Company to promote a different kind of diet.
"I think it's a really positive event to show people that they can have great food as well as protect the environment and save lives of animals," said Lauren Ornelas, founder and director for Food Empowerment Project.
Ornelas, who has been a vegan for 21 years, said that being a vegan has made her more aware of what she eats and has also allowed her to appreciate diverse ethnic foods.
Ryan Frazier, a former SJSU student and currently with the Santa Clara County Activists of Animals, said if the average person knew what the conditions are like in the factory farms, they would never buy meat products again.
to read the full article:
http://www.thespartandaily.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=4eaaef92-d53d-4b9c-8eaf-105578c70e3f
Spring Planting Tips
Spring Planting Tips
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-19-1430,00.html?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2009_03_18-_-growingatoz-_-spring_planting_tips
Get an extra-early start on your vegetable garden by trying one of these techniques:
Use raised beds first. Plant early vegetables in raised beds, which tend to drain better and warm up earlier than in-ground beds.
Warm the soil. Cover some of your garden beds with sheets of black plastic for a couple of weeks before you want to plant. Remove the plastic before planting, or plant seedlings through holes cut into it.
Build plastic tunnels. Protect early plantings from cold or overly wet weather by growing them under clear plastic. Linda Brewer, a horticulture research assistant at Oregon State University, uses rebar and PVC pipe to support the plastic over her early vegetable beds. "This gives me a chance to exclude rain and increase the rate at which the soil warms," she says.
Take advantage of microclimates in your yard. A protected garden bed in front of a south-facing wall may warm up a few weeks earlier than exposed areas.
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-19-1430,00.html?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2009_03_18-_-growingatoz-_-spring_planting_tips
Get an extra-early start on your vegetable garden by trying one of these techniques:
Use raised beds first. Plant early vegetables in raised beds, which tend to drain better and warm up earlier than in-ground beds.
Warm the soil. Cover some of your garden beds with sheets of black plastic for a couple of weeks before you want to plant. Remove the plastic before planting, or plant seedlings through holes cut into it.
Build plastic tunnels. Protect early plantings from cold or overly wet weather by growing them under clear plastic. Linda Brewer, a horticulture research assistant at Oregon State University, uses rebar and PVC pipe to support the plastic over her early vegetable beds. "This gives me a chance to exclude rain and increase the rate at which the soil warms," she says.
Take advantage of microclimates in your yard. A protected garden bed in front of a south-facing wall may warm up a few weeks earlier than exposed areas.
Sleep Problems on the Rise Due to Economy: How to Get Your Sleep Back
Sleep Problems on the Rise Due to Economy:
How to Get Your Sleep Back
by www.SixWise.com
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/Sleep-Problems-on-the-Rise-Due-to-Economy.htm?source=nl
The slumping economy has now made its way into many Americans’ bedrooms, where it’s interfering with sleep at alarming rates. Nearly one-third of Americans say they can’t get a good night’s sleep because they’re worrying about the economy, money or their job, according to a new poll by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
In fact, worries about money are more prominent than worries about global warming, the threat of a terrorist attack or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In all, 27 percent of those polled said their sleep had been disturbed in the past month due to money problems, such as:
* Personal finances (16 percent)
* The economy (15 percent)
* Losing their job (10 percent)
"What is very telling is that these Americans whose sleep is impacted by financial worries report that their sleep disturbance makes them much less likely to work efficiently, exercise, eat healthily, and have sex compared to their better-sleeping fellow Americans," report co-author Michael V. Vitiello, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at University of Washington told Yahoo News.
People who had trouble sleeping were also more than twice as likely to miss out on family events, leisure activities and work functions because they were tired, the poll found.
The Steep Risks of Too Little Sleep
“Getting enough sleep everyday is as important to your health as eating healthy and being physically active,” says Woodie Kessel, MD, MPH, Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS (ret.) who was a member of the 2009 Sleep in America poll taskforce.
Further, according to the Sleep Council, not sleeping enough could:
* Make you fat. People who sleep four hours a night or less are 73 percent more likely to be overweight than those who sleep enough. Even if you sleep less than six hours a night, you're 25 percent more likely to be overweight than those who sleep longer.
* Increase your appetite (also causing you to gain weight). Research by University of Bristol researchers found that people who slept for five hours had 15 percent more of a hormone called ghrelin, which increases your appetite, than those who slept for eight hours. Meanwhile, the short sleepers also had 15 percent less leptin, which is a hormone that suppresses appetite.
* Mimic the aging process. In fact, University of Chicago researchers found that sleeping for four hours a night for less than seven nights interferes with your ability to process and store carbs, and regulate hormone levels -- all of which may lead to aging.
* Impact your brain.
To read the full article: http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/Sleep-Problems-on-the-Rise-Due-to-Economy.htm?source=nl
How to Get Your Sleep Back
by www.SixWise.com
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/Sleep-Problems-on-the-Rise-Due-to-Economy.htm?source=nl
The slumping economy has now made its way into many Americans’ bedrooms, where it’s interfering with sleep at alarming rates. Nearly one-third of Americans say they can’t get a good night’s sleep because they’re worrying about the economy, money or their job, according to a new poll by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
In fact, worries about money are more prominent than worries about global warming, the threat of a terrorist attack or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In all, 27 percent of those polled said their sleep had been disturbed in the past month due to money problems, such as:
* Personal finances (16 percent)
* The economy (15 percent)
* Losing their job (10 percent)
"What is very telling is that these Americans whose sleep is impacted by financial worries report that their sleep disturbance makes them much less likely to work efficiently, exercise, eat healthily, and have sex compared to their better-sleeping fellow Americans," report co-author Michael V. Vitiello, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at University of Washington told Yahoo News.
People who had trouble sleeping were also more than twice as likely to miss out on family events, leisure activities and work functions because they were tired, the poll found.
The Steep Risks of Too Little Sleep
“Getting enough sleep everyday is as important to your health as eating healthy and being physically active,” says Woodie Kessel, MD, MPH, Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS (ret.) who was a member of the 2009 Sleep in America poll taskforce.
Further, according to the Sleep Council, not sleeping enough could:
* Make you fat. People who sleep four hours a night or less are 73 percent more likely to be overweight than those who sleep enough. Even if you sleep less than six hours a night, you're 25 percent more likely to be overweight than those who sleep longer.
* Increase your appetite (also causing you to gain weight). Research by University of Bristol researchers found that people who slept for five hours had 15 percent more of a hormone called ghrelin, which increases your appetite, than those who slept for eight hours. Meanwhile, the short sleepers also had 15 percent less leptin, which is a hormone that suppresses appetite.
* Mimic the aging process. In fact, University of Chicago researchers found that sleeping for four hours a night for less than seven nights interferes with your ability to process and store carbs, and regulate hormone levels -- all of which may lead to aging.
* Impact your brain.
To read the full article: http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/Sleep-Problems-on-the-Rise-Due-to-Economy.htm?source=nl
Dark fruit and veg may fight colon cancer cells
Dark fruit and veg may fight colon cancer cells
Source: telegraph.co.uk
17 Mar 2009
UK: Dark-coloured fruits and vegetables may help to protect against colon cancer, research has shown. Scientists found that the chemicals that give foods such as grapes, radishes, purple carrots and bilberries their colour significantly slow the growth of colon cancer cells.
Evidence from experiments on rats and on human colon cancer cells suggests that anthocyanins, the compounds that colour most red, purple and blue fruits and vegetables, slow the growth of the cells by anything from 50 to 80 per cent.
The findings take scientists a step closer to figuring out what gives fruits and vegetables their cancer-fighting properties.
"These foods contain many compounds, and we're just starting to figure out what they are and which ones provide the best health benefits," said Monica Giusti, the lead author and assistant professor of food science at Ohio State University, Columbus, who presented her findings yesterday at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
In studies on human colon cancer cells grown in laboratory dishes, the researchers tested the anti-cancer effects of anthocyanin-rich extracts from fruits and vegetables with deep colours. Anthocyanin pigments from radishes and black carrots slowed the growth of cancer cells from 50 to 80 per cent.
Pigments from purple corn and chokeberries (almost black berries from shurbs native to North America) not only stopped the growth of cancer cells, but also killed roughly 20 per cent of the cancer cells while having little effect on healthy cells.
This was confirmed by measurements which showed the amount of anthocyanin that was needed to reduce cancer cell growth by half. Extract derived from purple corn was the most potent, in that it took
the least amount of this extract (14 micrograms per millilitre of cell growth solution) to cut cell numbers in half. Chokeberry and bilberry extracts were nearly as potent.
Radish extract proved the least potent, as it took nine times as much to cut cell growth by 50 per cent. "All fruits and vegetables that are rich in anthocyanins have compounds that can slow down the growth
of colon cancer cells in experiments in laboratory dishes and possibly inside the body," Giusti told The Daily Telegraph.
In animal studies, rats induced with colon cancer cells were fed a daily diet of anthocyanin extracts either from bilberries and chokeberries, which are used as flavourings or to make jams and juices.
The anthocyanin extracts reduced signs of colon tumours by 70 and 60 per cent, respectively, when compared with control rats.
Giusti says the results suggest that anthocyanins may protect against certain gastrointestinal cancers. But she stops short of recommending one kind of fruit or vegetable over another. "There are more than 600 different anthocyanins found in nature," she said.
"While we know that the concentration of anthocyanins in the gastrointestinal tract is ultimately affected by their chemical structures, we're just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding how the body absorbs and uses these different structures."
Source: telegraph.co.uk
17 Mar 2009
UK: Dark-coloured fruits and vegetables may help to protect against colon cancer, research has shown. Scientists found that the chemicals that give foods such as grapes, radishes, purple carrots and bilberries their colour significantly slow the growth of colon cancer cells.
Evidence from experiments on rats and on human colon cancer cells suggests that anthocyanins, the compounds that colour most red, purple and blue fruits and vegetables, slow the growth of the cells by anything from 50 to 80 per cent.
The findings take scientists a step closer to figuring out what gives fruits and vegetables their cancer-fighting properties.
"These foods contain many compounds, and we're just starting to figure out what they are and which ones provide the best health benefits," said Monica Giusti, the lead author and assistant professor of food science at Ohio State University, Columbus, who presented her findings yesterday at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
In studies on human colon cancer cells grown in laboratory dishes, the researchers tested the anti-cancer effects of anthocyanin-rich extracts from fruits and vegetables with deep colours. Anthocyanin pigments from radishes and black carrots slowed the growth of cancer cells from 50 to 80 per cent.
Pigments from purple corn and chokeberries (almost black berries from shurbs native to North America) not only stopped the growth of cancer cells, but also killed roughly 20 per cent of the cancer cells while having little effect on healthy cells.
This was confirmed by measurements which showed the amount of anthocyanin that was needed to reduce cancer cell growth by half. Extract derived from purple corn was the most potent, in that it took
the least amount of this extract (14 micrograms per millilitre of cell growth solution) to cut cell numbers in half. Chokeberry and bilberry extracts were nearly as potent.
Radish extract proved the least potent, as it took nine times as much to cut cell growth by 50 per cent. "All fruits and vegetables that are rich in anthocyanins have compounds that can slow down the growth
of colon cancer cells in experiments in laboratory dishes and possibly inside the body," Giusti told The Daily Telegraph.
In animal studies, rats induced with colon cancer cells were fed a daily diet of anthocyanin extracts either from bilberries and chokeberries, which are used as flavourings or to make jams and juices.
The anthocyanin extracts reduced signs of colon tumours by 70 and 60 per cent, respectively, when compared with control rats.
Giusti says the results suggest that anthocyanins may protect against certain gastrointestinal cancers. But she stops short of recommending one kind of fruit or vegetable over another. "There are more than 600 different anthocyanins found in nature," she said.
"While we know that the concentration of anthocyanins in the gastrointestinal tract is ultimately affected by their chemical structures, we're just beginning to scratch the surface of understanding how the body absorbs and uses these different structures."
The Five Healthiest Beverages You Can Drink (Including Two You May Not Have Heard Of)
The Five Healthiest Beverages You Can Drink
(Including Two You May Not Have Heard Of)
by www.SixWise.com
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/The-Five-Healthiest-Beverages-You-Can-Drink.htm?source=nl
When you’re feeling parched and need to quench your thirst, the beverage you choose can make a big difference to your health. And while most of us know that soda and other sweet drinks are not the healthiest choices around, which beverages are truly health-promoting remains more of a mystery.
Ironically, while we need fluids for our very survival, continually choosing the wrong ones may push your health out of balance. So here we’ve detailed some of the best of the best when it comes to good-for-you drink choices. With these healthy beverages you really can do no wrong.
1. Water
Water is crucial for survival -- it's the base of all your body fluids, like blood and digestive juices, it helps nutrients from your food get absorbed and be transported, and it helps eliminate waste. Even becoming mildly dehydrated (when you lose as little as 1 percent to 2 percent of your body weight) can seriously impact your body's ability to function.
How much water do you need? It's commonly said that you should drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day to stay healthy, but this is really just a rule of thumb, as so many factors (weather, age, activity level, health) affect how much water your body needs.
In general, you can prevent dehydration by focusing on staying hydrated throughout the day. Keep water with you and drink it regularly -- before you get thirsty. If it's hot outside or you're exercising (or pregnant or breastfeeding), you'll need even more fluids so drink more water.
A word of caution: not all water is good for you. Tap water can be potentially contaminated with chemicals, pesticides or even pharmaceutical drugs. And bottled water, which is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has weaker regulations than the Environmental Protection Agency requires for tap water.
Plus, the bottles themselves often contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that mimics the female hormone estrogen, impacting fertility, reproductive health and potentially promoting cancer, heart disease, diabetes and liver problems.
To put your mind at ease and get safe, superior quality water that will promote your health rather than harm it, Sixwise.com highly recommends The Wellness Kitchen Water Filter. It reduces chlorine, chloramines, cysts, VOCs, pesticides, and herbicides below detectable levels for the life of the filter.
The Wellness Kitchen combines the best filtration and enhancement technologies to deliver the purest and most natural tasting water available. It effectively reduces harmful contaminants, while at the same time enhancing the water with adding important yet delicate wellness "ions and minerals" that your body needs.
And for times when you're on the go, the staff at Sixwise absolutely loves The Wellness H2.0.
The Wellness H2.O is a personal, reusable BPA-free water bottle that features a unique filtration system that not only purifies ordinary tap water, but also enhances the water for better absorption and hydration. With this special filtration process you'll have access to high quality water wherever you go.
2. Kefir
To read the full article:
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/The-Five-Healthiest-Beverages-You-Can-Drink.htm?source=nl
(Including Two You May Not Have Heard Of)
by www.SixWise.com
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/The-Five-Healthiest-Beverages-You-Can-Drink.htm?source=nl
When you’re feeling parched and need to quench your thirst, the beverage you choose can make a big difference to your health. And while most of us know that soda and other sweet drinks are not the healthiest choices around, which beverages are truly health-promoting remains more of a mystery.
Ironically, while we need fluids for our very survival, continually choosing the wrong ones may push your health out of balance. So here we’ve detailed some of the best of the best when it comes to good-for-you drink choices. With these healthy beverages you really can do no wrong.
1. Water
Water is crucial for survival -- it's the base of all your body fluids, like blood and digestive juices, it helps nutrients from your food get absorbed and be transported, and it helps eliminate waste. Even becoming mildly dehydrated (when you lose as little as 1 percent to 2 percent of your body weight) can seriously impact your body's ability to function.
How much water do you need? It's commonly said that you should drink eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day to stay healthy, but this is really just a rule of thumb, as so many factors (weather, age, activity level, health) affect how much water your body needs.
In general, you can prevent dehydration by focusing on staying hydrated throughout the day. Keep water with you and drink it regularly -- before you get thirsty. If it's hot outside or you're exercising (or pregnant or breastfeeding), you'll need even more fluids so drink more water.
A word of caution: not all water is good for you. Tap water can be potentially contaminated with chemicals, pesticides or even pharmaceutical drugs. And bottled water, which is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has weaker regulations than the Environmental Protection Agency requires for tap water.
Plus, the bottles themselves often contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical that mimics the female hormone estrogen, impacting fertility, reproductive health and potentially promoting cancer, heart disease, diabetes and liver problems.
To put your mind at ease and get safe, superior quality water that will promote your health rather than harm it, Sixwise.com highly recommends The Wellness Kitchen Water Filter. It reduces chlorine, chloramines, cysts, VOCs, pesticides, and herbicides below detectable levels for the life of the filter.
The Wellness Kitchen combines the best filtration and enhancement technologies to deliver the purest and most natural tasting water available. It effectively reduces harmful contaminants, while at the same time enhancing the water with adding important yet delicate wellness "ions and minerals" that your body needs.
And for times when you're on the go, the staff at Sixwise absolutely loves The Wellness H2.0.
The Wellness H2.O is a personal, reusable BPA-free water bottle that features a unique filtration system that not only purifies ordinary tap water, but also enhances the water for better absorption and hydration. With this special filtration process you'll have access to high quality water wherever you go.
2. Kefir
To read the full article:
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/The-Five-Healthiest-Beverages-You-Can-Drink.htm?source=nl
Cool Herbs for Spring Meals
Cool Herbs for Spring Meals
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-71-1010,00.html?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2009_03_18-_-growingatoz-_-cool_herbs_for_spring_meals
These herbs may thrive in cooler temperatures, but some seeds, such as those of parsley, can take up to a month to germinate, especially in cold spring soils. Soaking the seeds overnight and covering newly seeded beds with clear plastic help speed germination of direct-sown seeds.
If you start the plants indoors, make sure the plants' growth hasn't been hindered and that the transplants go into the ground when quite small, and take are not to disturb the roots during the planting process.
Most of the herbs can be sown outdoors six to eight weeks before the last frost.
Note: If you have poor soil, applying aged manure or granulated organic fertilizer to the soil during the seedling stage helps get plants off to a healthy start.
Parsley
Two different forms include the familiar curly parsley and the more flavorful flat-leaved Italian version, with leaves like celery and cilantro.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds or set out six- to eight-week-old transplants about a week before the last spring frost, spacing seeds or seedlings 8 to 10 inches apart.
Grow: Tolerates full sun or partial shade.
Cilantro
The emerald leaves have a distinctive flavor that combines parsley, sage, and citrus; and its seed (coriander), which is reminiscent of citrus and spice.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds a week or two before the last spring frost and again in late summer.
Grow: Best in full sun, with some afternoon shade in hotter regions.
Dill
Dill combines well with fish, mild cheeses, and vegetable dishes.
Sow: Best sown directly into the ground four to five weeks before the last spring frost; thin seedlings to 6 to 18 inches apart.
Grow: This aromatic annual thrives in full sun.
To read the full article: http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-71-1010,00.html?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2009_03_18-_-growingatoz-_-cool_herbs_for_spring_meals
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-71-1010,00.html?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2009_03_18-_-growingatoz-_-cool_herbs_for_spring_meals
These herbs may thrive in cooler temperatures, but some seeds, such as those of parsley, can take up to a month to germinate, especially in cold spring soils. Soaking the seeds overnight and covering newly seeded beds with clear plastic help speed germination of direct-sown seeds.
If you start the plants indoors, make sure the plants' growth hasn't been hindered and that the transplants go into the ground when quite small, and take are not to disturb the roots during the planting process.
Most of the herbs can be sown outdoors six to eight weeks before the last frost.
Note: If you have poor soil, applying aged manure or granulated organic fertilizer to the soil during the seedling stage helps get plants off to a healthy start.
Parsley
Two different forms include the familiar curly parsley and the more flavorful flat-leaved Italian version, with leaves like celery and cilantro.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds or set out six- to eight-week-old transplants about a week before the last spring frost, spacing seeds or seedlings 8 to 10 inches apart.
Grow: Tolerates full sun or partial shade.
Cilantro
The emerald leaves have a distinctive flavor that combines parsley, sage, and citrus; and its seed (coriander), which is reminiscent of citrus and spice.
Sow: Direct-sow seeds a week or two before the last spring frost and again in late summer.
Grow: Best in full sun, with some afternoon shade in hotter regions.
Dill
Dill combines well with fish, mild cheeses, and vegetable dishes.
Sow: Best sown directly into the ground four to five weeks before the last spring frost; thin seedlings to 6 to 18 inches apart.
Grow: This aromatic annual thrives in full sun.
To read the full article: http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-71-1010,00.html?cm_mmc=OGNews-_-2009_03_18-_-growingatoz-_-cool_herbs_for_spring_meals
Friday, April 3, 2009
Top 10 Plants for the Ultimate Easy Xeriscape Garden
Top 10 Plants for the Ultimate Easy Xeriscape Garden
As water conservation becomes increasingly important, gardeners are
looking for waterthrifty plants for their landscapes. The concept of
xeriscaping, which originated in the dry states of the Western U.S.,
is now becoming more popular throughout the country. The term
"xersicape" is derived from the Greek word xeros, which means dry.
The goal of xeriscaping is to create a visually attractive landscape
that uses plants selected for their water efficiency. Properly
maintained, a xeriscape can easily use less than one-half the water
of a traditional, bluegrass lawn-dominated landscape.
Santa Fe Greenhouses/High Country Gardens (PRWEB) December 15, 2004
-- As water conservation becomes increasingly important, gardeners
are looking for waterthrifty plants for their landscapes. The concept
of xeriscaping, which originated in the dry states of the Western
U.S., is now becoming more popular throughout the country. The term
"xersicape" is derived from the Greek word xeros, which means dry.
The goal of xeriscaping is to create a visually attractive landscape
that uses plants selected for their water efficiency. Properly
maintained, a xeriscape can easily use less than one-half the water
of a traditional, bluegrass lawn-dominated landscape.
David Salman—chief horticulturist for Santa Fe Greenhouses and its
mailorder catalog division, High Country Gardens—says the question he
is asked most frequently at his horticultural speaking engagements
is, "What are the best plants for a xeriscape?" In response to
popular demand, Salman has compiled the following list of his
favorite easy-to-grow xeric plants. These plants made the Top 10 list
because of their beauty, hardiness, adaptability to different
gardening conditions, and their ability to thrive with little or no
supplemental water. All of these plants are available from the High
Country Gardens catalog and website. To receive a free catalog, call
High Country Gardens at 1-800-925-9387, or order a catalog and/or
view the entire catalog online at www.highcountrygardens.com.
David Salman's Top 10 Xeriscape Perennial Plants
1. Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Named the Perennial Plant of the Year for 1995 by the Perennial Plant
Association, Russian Sage is one of the easiest plants to grow and
one of the longest-flowering plants in the xeric garden. Native to
the harsh high deserts of Afghanistan, Perovskia atriplicifolia has
white stems and aromatic silver-gray foliage crowned with smoky blue
flower spikes. Deep rooted, heat loving and drought tolerant, Russian
Sage thrives in almost any sunny location. It's not the least bit
picky about soils, and it thrives throughout USDA zones 4-9. This
wonderful plant grows to four feet tall by three feet wide at
maturity.
2. Penstemon pinifolius (Pineleaf Beardtongue or Pineleaf Penstemon)
Penstemon pinifolius is an outstanding but often overlooked species
from southern New Mexico and Arizona. Pineleaf Penstemon is
long-lived and grows easily in both xeric and traditional perennial
gardens. Blooming profusely for six to eight weeks in midsummer, this
plant's tubular orange flowers are irresistible for hummingbirds. As
the plant matures, its stems become woody, forming an attractive
evergreen shrublet with bright green, needlelike foliage. Pineleaf
Penstemon grows well in full sun, and it's deer and rabbit resistant.
It will reach 15 inches tall and about 24 inches wide. Zones 4-9.
3. Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' ('Grosso' French Lavender)
Wherever you travel in the French countryside, lavender is grown for
its oil and showy flowers. 'Grosso' French Lavender is a hybrid that
offers the beauty and resilience that lavenders are known for-plus
darker-than-normal blossoms. 'Grosso' is very showy when the blooming
plants are covered with 3- to 4-inch-long deep purple flower spikes,
which are held high over the compact foliage. It blooms throughout
the summer, reaching 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide. This plant
grows well in xeric conditions in zones 5-10.
4. Agastache x Desert Sunrise® (Hybrid Hummingbird Mint)
Agastache is a showy, fragrant group of perennial herbs that make
excellent companions to lavender. David Salman, chief horticulturist
for Santa Fe Greenhouses and High Country Gardens, discovered the
original Desert Sunrise plant in his garden a few years ago, when two
of the best southwestern species of this genus (Agastache rupestris
and A. cana) cross pollinated. This new perennial introduction is a
sturdy, vigorous grower that blooms nonstop from midsummer through
fall. The flower spikes are large, and the trumpet-shaped blossoms of
orange and pink draw hummingbirds by the score. When in bloom, the
flower spikes reach as tall as 48 inches and 24 inches wide in zones
5-10.
To read the full article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/12/prwebxml188576.php
As water conservation becomes increasingly important, gardeners are
looking for waterthrifty plants for their landscapes. The concept of
xeriscaping, which originated in the dry states of the Western U.S.,
is now becoming more popular throughout the country. The term
"xersicape" is derived from the Greek word xeros, which means dry.
The goal of xeriscaping is to create a visually attractive landscape
that uses plants selected for their water efficiency. Properly
maintained, a xeriscape can easily use less than one-half the water
of a traditional, bluegrass lawn-dominated landscape.
Santa Fe Greenhouses/High Country Gardens (PRWEB) December 15, 2004
-- As water conservation becomes increasingly important, gardeners
are looking for waterthrifty plants for their landscapes. The concept
of xeriscaping, which originated in the dry states of the Western
U.S., is now becoming more popular throughout the country. The term
"xersicape" is derived from the Greek word xeros, which means dry.
The goal of xeriscaping is to create a visually attractive landscape
that uses plants selected for their water efficiency. Properly
maintained, a xeriscape can easily use less than one-half the water
of a traditional, bluegrass lawn-dominated landscape.
David Salman—chief horticulturist for Santa Fe Greenhouses and its
mailorder catalog division, High Country Gardens—says the question he
is asked most frequently at his horticultural speaking engagements
is, "What are the best plants for a xeriscape?" In response to
popular demand, Salman has compiled the following list of his
favorite easy-to-grow xeric plants. These plants made the Top 10 list
because of their beauty, hardiness, adaptability to different
gardening conditions, and their ability to thrive with little or no
supplemental water. All of these plants are available from the High
Country Gardens catalog and website. To receive a free catalog, call
High Country Gardens at 1-800-925-9387, or order a catalog and/or
view the entire catalog online at www.highcountrygardens.com.
David Salman's Top 10 Xeriscape Perennial Plants
1. Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Named the Perennial Plant of the Year for 1995 by the Perennial Plant
Association, Russian Sage is one of the easiest plants to grow and
one of the longest-flowering plants in the xeric garden. Native to
the harsh high deserts of Afghanistan, Perovskia atriplicifolia has
white stems and aromatic silver-gray foliage crowned with smoky blue
flower spikes. Deep rooted, heat loving and drought tolerant, Russian
Sage thrives in almost any sunny location. It's not the least bit
picky about soils, and it thrives throughout USDA zones 4-9. This
wonderful plant grows to four feet tall by three feet wide at
maturity.
2. Penstemon pinifolius (Pineleaf Beardtongue or Pineleaf Penstemon)
Penstemon pinifolius is an outstanding but often overlooked species
from southern New Mexico and Arizona. Pineleaf Penstemon is
long-lived and grows easily in both xeric and traditional perennial
gardens. Blooming profusely for six to eight weeks in midsummer, this
plant's tubular orange flowers are irresistible for hummingbirds. As
the plant matures, its stems become woody, forming an attractive
evergreen shrublet with bright green, needlelike foliage. Pineleaf
Penstemon grows well in full sun, and it's deer and rabbit resistant.
It will reach 15 inches tall and about 24 inches wide. Zones 4-9.
3. Lavandula x intermedia 'Grosso' ('Grosso' French Lavender)
Wherever you travel in the French countryside, lavender is grown for
its oil and showy flowers. 'Grosso' French Lavender is a hybrid that
offers the beauty and resilience that lavenders are known for-plus
darker-than-normal blossoms. 'Grosso' is very showy when the blooming
plants are covered with 3- to 4-inch-long deep purple flower spikes,
which are held high over the compact foliage. It blooms throughout
the summer, reaching 30 inches tall and 24 inches wide. This plant
grows well in xeric conditions in zones 5-10.
4. Agastache x Desert Sunrise® (Hybrid Hummingbird Mint)
Agastache is a showy, fragrant group of perennial herbs that make
excellent companions to lavender. David Salman, chief horticulturist
for Santa Fe Greenhouses and High Country Gardens, discovered the
original Desert Sunrise plant in his garden a few years ago, when two
of the best southwestern species of this genus (Agastache rupestris
and A. cana) cross pollinated. This new perennial introduction is a
sturdy, vigorous grower that blooms nonstop from midsummer through
fall. The flower spikes are large, and the trumpet-shaped blossoms of
orange and pink draw hummingbirds by the score. When in bloom, the
flower spikes reach as tall as 48 inches and 24 inches wide in zones
5-10.
To read the full article: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/12/prwebxml188576.php
Fasting makes a comeback in modern medicine
Fasting makes a comeback in modern medicine
New York: Fasting, practiced for thousands of years as a cure for a variety of diseases, is making a comeback slowly among the practitioners of modern medicine.
Buchinger, on Germany's Lake Constance and a handful of other clinics around the world are beginning to offer fasting as one of the physical therapies and medical tourists are flocking to take advantage, according to Newsweek.
The magazine said by fasting the doctors at Buchinger mean a "minimalist diet of 300 calories per day, veggie broths and juices for two weeks to several months, accompanied by blood tests, purges and other treatments."
Director Frantoise Wilhelmi di Toledo was quoted as saying many hard-to-treat conditions, from arthritis to allergies and various skin disorders, benefit from the metabolic switch that takes place when the body starts living off its own reserves.
To read the full article: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14316166
New York: Fasting, practiced for thousands of years as a cure for a variety of diseases, is making a comeback slowly among the practitioners of modern medicine.
Buchinger, on Germany's Lake Constance and a handful of other clinics around the world are beginning to offer fasting as one of the physical therapies and medical tourists are flocking to take advantage, according to Newsweek.
The magazine said by fasting the doctors at Buchinger mean a "minimalist diet of 300 calories per day, veggie broths and juices for two weeks to several months, accompanied by blood tests, purges and other treatments."
Director Frantoise Wilhelmi di Toledo was quoted as saying many hard-to-treat conditions, from arthritis to allergies and various skin disorders, benefit from the metabolic switch that takes place when the body starts living off its own reserves.
To read the full article: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14316166
Daily Red Meat Raises Chances Of Dying Early
Daily Red Meat Raises Chances Of Dying Early
Study Is First Large Analysis Of Link With Overall Health
The new study says, "If people want to be healthy and live longer, consume less red and processed meat," global nutrition professor Barry Popkin said.
By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 24, 2009; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301626.html?hpid=topnews
Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to the first large study to examine whether regularly eating beef or pork increases mortality.
The study of more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans found that those who consumed about four ounces of red meat a day (the equivalent of about a small hamburger) were more than 30 percent more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer. Sausage, cold cuts and other processed meats also increased the risk.
Previous research had found a link between red meat and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, but the new study is the first large examination of the relationship between eating meat and overall risk of death, and is by far the most detailed.
To read the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301626.html?hpid=topnews
Study Is First Large Analysis Of Link With Overall Health
The new study says, "If people want to be healthy and live longer, consume less red and processed meat," global nutrition professor Barry Popkin said.
By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 24, 2009; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301626.html?hpid=topnews
Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to the first large study to examine whether regularly eating beef or pork increases mortality.
The study of more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans found that those who consumed about four ounces of red meat a day (the equivalent of about a small hamburger) were more than 30 percent more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer. Sausage, cold cuts and other processed meats also increased the risk.
Previous research had found a link between red meat and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, but the new study is the first large examination of the relationship between eating meat and overall risk of death, and is by far the most detailed.
To read the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301626.html?hpid=topnews
Thursday, April 2, 2009
How to start a home rainbarrel project
How to Start a Home Rainbarrel Project
30 Mar 2009
As we prepare for April’s gentle showers, there’s one thing that’s certain: we’ll need that rainwater once the weather warms up.
For most of us, it’s easy to take water for granted. Turn on the tap, and it’s there — usually. But shifting climate patterns and populations are challenging municipal water systems around the world. Australia is just emerging from one its most brutal summers in living memory. The U.S. Southwest is struggling through a multi-year drought, and big cites such as Atlanta have come perilously close to draining their taps dry.
Part of the problem is that virtually every drop of water you’ll use today is treated drinking water, from your morning coffee to the stuff you use in the yard. But we can take a little stress off the system by collecting rain whenever it’s available.
Rainfall is considered greywater — unsuitable for human consumption without further processing, but immediately useful for a variety of garden and household needs. Plants love rainwater, thanks to its softness and lack of chlorine treatment. So let’s start there, with a simple and inexpensive system designed to take a little load off your water bill while keeping your garden green.
Remember rain barrels?
A plastic rain barrel system Your grandparents may have kept a rain barrel. They’re one of humanity’s oldest means of storing fresh water. Rain barrels have seen something of a revival in recent years, thanks to modern construction techniques and better consumer awareness of the need to conserve water.
While you can spend more for a large commercially produced system, setting up a basic rain barrel system is the kind of project you can complete in an afternoon for less than a hundred dollars Since even a light rain can produce several hundred gallons of rooftop runoff, you’ll have little trouble filling your barrel. An inch of rain on a 1,000 square foot roof will put over 600 gallons into a gutter system — much more than most people collect. Ready to have some free water at the ready? Let’s go shopping!
Modern rain barrels
A contemporary rain barrel system is a simple affair. They’re also getting easier to find. Your local home improvement store is likely to have a couple ready-to-install models to choose from, and there are dozens of varieties available online. A typical setup is a diversion line which runs from your rain gutter downspout, a length of tubing, and one or more barrels with a cover. The barrel will be mounted with a spigot or hose fitting at the bottom for water withdrawal. You can also buy free-standing systems designed to collect rainwater on their own.
The barrel itself must be pretty sturdy: a 50 gallon unit will weigh over 400 pounds when full, more than enough to burst something like a plastic garbage can. You can buy them up to about 80 gallons in a variety of shapes, and it’s possible to daisy chain several together.
Clean Air Gardening and Aaron’s Rain Barrels both have broad selections of commercial rain barrels and related gear. If you’d prefer to homebrew a more traditional looking system, Kentucky Whiskey Barrels is a great source of handmade oak barrels retired from the Bourbon industry. In either case, you’re looking for a unit with a screen for excluding debris and insects (crucial in mosquito-prone areas), and a secure lid to keep out animals and curious children. Plastic barrels should feature opaque coloring to discourage algae growth, and UV-resistant plastic.
Setting up your barrel
Barrels should be elevated to ease watering. Cinder blocks are a popular and cheap way to do this. If you’ve got pets or children. you’ll want to be sure your barrel is located close to where you’ll eventually want water, but away from foot traffic. A tipped-over rainbarrel could easily injure or kill someone. Against a wall is a good choice. Use straps to secure the barrel if you have any questions about its security.
NaturalRainWater.com — a comprehensive rain barrel resource — has a gallery of installations to give you some ideas. Once your barrel is set up, it should be nearly maintenance free.
A fairly complex rain barrel system
While we’ve primarily discussed above-ground rainbarrels, it is also possible to construct much larger, below-ground systems. This is a considerably more expensive option, requiring pumps to extract the water and sometimes featuring filtration systems to make it potable. The diagram above — taken from a handout published by the King County (Washington) Department of Natural Resources and Parks — shows a hybrid arrangement capable of storing and distributing several hundred gallons of rainwater. You can download a PDF version of the pamphlet here.
If it routinely drops below freezing where you live during the winter, it’s wise to drain your barrel and store it for the season to avoid cracking. It will be ready to go again in plenty of time for spring.
But sometimes rain isn’t free
Think back to splashing through puddles as a kid. There’s something joyful about a good rain shower. Rain seems so simple, clean, and free.
That’s not always the case. In large sections of the Southwest, for instance, it’s illegal to harvest rainwater. This is largely the heritage of an era in which cattle and sheep ranchers wielded a lot of political power. They depended on rain to fill the streams which watered their flocks, so laws were passed to prohibit any impediment to stormwater runoff. That still includes rainbarrels.
You may also have local ordinances or neighborhood covenants prohibiting rainwater harvest. So check your local regulations and building codes before starting a rainbarrel project.
So enjoy!
As green home improvements go, rainbarrels are a fairly simple, low-cost project with long term returns. They help take some load off municipal water and waste treatment systems, add value to your home, and provide a hedge against drought for landscaping and kitchen gardens. Invest a few hours next weekend and gets started.
Here at Lighter Footstep, we’re big fans of HGTV. Here’s a video segment showing a solid DIY rainbarrel project using a 50 gallon food-grade plastic barrel and common plumbing accessories. It may provide some inspiration for your own setup.
Selected resources
Rainbarrels and supplies
* Aaron’s Rain Barrels
http://www.ne-design.net/
* Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rain+barrels&x=0&y=0
* Clean Air Gardening
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/rainbarrels.html
* Home Depot
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=rain%2Bbarrels&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
* Kentucky Whiskey Barrels
http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/?gclid=CPHjzdXjyJkCFQwxawodLXfQsg
* Rainwater Harvesting Specialists
http://www.irainharvest.com/
* Woodland Direct
http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Outdoor/Rain-Barrels
General rainbarrel information
* Rain barrel information and sources (King County, Washington)
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/stewardship/nw-yard-and-garden/rain-barrels.aspx
* Rainbarrel pictures (Treehugger Forums)
http://forums.treehugger.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4372&start=0&sid=b4d6bb4c8cfa58a92e7237d6b7360690
* Rainbarrel videos (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=rain+barrels&aq=0&oq=rain+barrel
* Rainwater Harvesting (Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting
* Super Cheap and Easy DIY Wooden Rain Barrel Idea (The Fun Times Guide)
http://green.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/03/cheap_diy_wooden_rain_barrel.php
* Two Alternatives to Rainbarrels (Planet Green)
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/rain-barrel-alternatives.html
30 Mar 2009
As we prepare for April’s gentle showers, there’s one thing that’s certain: we’ll need that rainwater once the weather warms up.
For most of us, it’s easy to take water for granted. Turn on the tap, and it’s there — usually. But shifting climate patterns and populations are challenging municipal water systems around the world. Australia is just emerging from one its most brutal summers in living memory. The U.S. Southwest is struggling through a multi-year drought, and big cites such as Atlanta have come perilously close to draining their taps dry.
Part of the problem is that virtually every drop of water you’ll use today is treated drinking water, from your morning coffee to the stuff you use in the yard. But we can take a little stress off the system by collecting rain whenever it’s available.
Rainfall is considered greywater — unsuitable for human consumption without further processing, but immediately useful for a variety of garden and household needs. Plants love rainwater, thanks to its softness and lack of chlorine treatment. So let’s start there, with a simple and inexpensive system designed to take a little load off your water bill while keeping your garden green.
Remember rain barrels?
A plastic rain barrel system Your grandparents may have kept a rain barrel. They’re one of humanity’s oldest means of storing fresh water. Rain barrels have seen something of a revival in recent years, thanks to modern construction techniques and better consumer awareness of the need to conserve water.
While you can spend more for a large commercially produced system, setting up a basic rain barrel system is the kind of project you can complete in an afternoon for less than a hundred dollars Since even a light rain can produce several hundred gallons of rooftop runoff, you’ll have little trouble filling your barrel. An inch of rain on a 1,000 square foot roof will put over 600 gallons into a gutter system — much more than most people collect. Ready to have some free water at the ready? Let’s go shopping!
Modern rain barrels
A contemporary rain barrel system is a simple affair. They’re also getting easier to find. Your local home improvement store is likely to have a couple ready-to-install models to choose from, and there are dozens of varieties available online. A typical setup is a diversion line which runs from your rain gutter downspout, a length of tubing, and one or more barrels with a cover. The barrel will be mounted with a spigot or hose fitting at the bottom for water withdrawal. You can also buy free-standing systems designed to collect rainwater on their own.
The barrel itself must be pretty sturdy: a 50 gallon unit will weigh over 400 pounds when full, more than enough to burst something like a plastic garbage can. You can buy them up to about 80 gallons in a variety of shapes, and it’s possible to daisy chain several together.
Clean Air Gardening and Aaron’s Rain Barrels both have broad selections of commercial rain barrels and related gear. If you’d prefer to homebrew a more traditional looking system, Kentucky Whiskey Barrels is a great source of handmade oak barrels retired from the Bourbon industry. In either case, you’re looking for a unit with a screen for excluding debris and insects (crucial in mosquito-prone areas), and a secure lid to keep out animals and curious children. Plastic barrels should feature opaque coloring to discourage algae growth, and UV-resistant plastic.
Setting up your barrel
Barrels should be elevated to ease watering. Cinder blocks are a popular and cheap way to do this. If you’ve got pets or children. you’ll want to be sure your barrel is located close to where you’ll eventually want water, but away from foot traffic. A tipped-over rainbarrel could easily injure or kill someone. Against a wall is a good choice. Use straps to secure the barrel if you have any questions about its security.
NaturalRainWater.com — a comprehensive rain barrel resource — has a gallery of installations to give you some ideas. Once your barrel is set up, it should be nearly maintenance free.
A fairly complex rain barrel system
While we’ve primarily discussed above-ground rainbarrels, it is also possible to construct much larger, below-ground systems. This is a considerably more expensive option, requiring pumps to extract the water and sometimes featuring filtration systems to make it potable. The diagram above — taken from a handout published by the King County (Washington) Department of Natural Resources and Parks — shows a hybrid arrangement capable of storing and distributing several hundred gallons of rainwater. You can download a PDF version of the pamphlet here.
If it routinely drops below freezing where you live during the winter, it’s wise to drain your barrel and store it for the season to avoid cracking. It will be ready to go again in plenty of time for spring.
But sometimes rain isn’t free
Think back to splashing through puddles as a kid. There’s something joyful about a good rain shower. Rain seems so simple, clean, and free.
That’s not always the case. In large sections of the Southwest, for instance, it’s illegal to harvest rainwater. This is largely the heritage of an era in which cattle and sheep ranchers wielded a lot of political power. They depended on rain to fill the streams which watered their flocks, so laws were passed to prohibit any impediment to stormwater runoff. That still includes rainbarrels.
You may also have local ordinances or neighborhood covenants prohibiting rainwater harvest. So check your local regulations and building codes before starting a rainbarrel project.
So enjoy!
As green home improvements go, rainbarrels are a fairly simple, low-cost project with long term returns. They help take some load off municipal water and waste treatment systems, add value to your home, and provide a hedge against drought for landscaping and kitchen gardens. Invest a few hours next weekend and gets started.
Here at Lighter Footstep, we’re big fans of HGTV. Here’s a video segment showing a solid DIY rainbarrel project using a 50 gallon food-grade plastic barrel and common plumbing accessories. It may provide some inspiration for your own setup.
Selected resources
Rainbarrels and supplies
* Aaron’s Rain Barrels
http://www.ne-design.net/
* Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rain+barrels&x=0&y=0
* Clean Air Gardening
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/rainbarrels.html
* Home Depot
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=rain%2Bbarrels&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
* Kentucky Whiskey Barrels
http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/?gclid=CPHjzdXjyJkCFQwxawodLXfQsg
* Rainwater Harvesting Specialists
http://www.irainharvest.com/
* Woodland Direct
http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Outdoor/Rain-Barrels
General rainbarrel information
* Rain barrel information and sources (King County, Washington)
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/stewardship/nw-yard-and-garden/rain-barrels.aspx
* Rainbarrel pictures (Treehugger Forums)
http://forums.treehugger.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4372&start=0&sid=b4d6bb4c8cfa58a92e7237d6b7360690
* Rainbarrel videos (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=rain+barrels&aq=0&oq=rain+barrel
* Rainwater Harvesting (Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_harvesting
* Super Cheap and Easy DIY Wooden Rain Barrel Idea (The Fun Times Guide)
http://green.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/03/cheap_diy_wooden_rain_barrel.php
* Two Alternatives to Rainbarrels (Planet Green)
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/rain-barrel-alternatives.html
15 Tips to Get Your Yard Ready for Spring
15 Tips to Get Your Yard Ready for Spring
by www.SixWise.com
Spring is definitely in the air, but winter has likely left your yard a work-in-progress. Last year’s dried up perennials, a patchy lawn, overgrown trees and shrubs … all are common sights at the start of the season. But with a bit of care and effort on your part, you can get your yard back in shape and be ready to enjoy the season as soon as the warm weather arrives.
In Your Garden
1. If you didn’t do so in the fall, trim back any perennials, including ornamental grasses, before they start to grow. The leaves and stalks should be cut close to ground level. Avoid pulling or yanking out stems, as this may break emerging shoots.
2. Pull back extra winter mulch from planting beds using a hand-rake or a long-handled rake. This allows earlier warming of the soil. Ideally, remove mulch on a cloudy day to prevent newly emerged plants from getting sunburned. (Later in the spring you can add a new layer of mulch to control weeds and help the soil retain moisture.)
3. Add a slow-release, organic fertilizer around perennials, bulbs and roses, then cover it with a new layer of mulch (2-4 inches thick) to promote healthy growth.
4. Check your soil for dampness. You should only begin digging and planting when the soil is dry (dry enough to crumble apart in your hand), as digging in wet soil can degrade its structure.
To read the full article:
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/April/01/15-Tips-to-Get-Your-Yard-Ready-for-Spring.htm?source=nl
by www.SixWise.com
Spring is definitely in the air, but winter has likely left your yard a work-in-progress. Last year’s dried up perennials, a patchy lawn, overgrown trees and shrubs … all are common sights at the start of the season. But with a bit of care and effort on your part, you can get your yard back in shape and be ready to enjoy the season as soon as the warm weather arrives.
In Your Garden
1. If you didn’t do so in the fall, trim back any perennials, including ornamental grasses, before they start to grow. The leaves and stalks should be cut close to ground level. Avoid pulling or yanking out stems, as this may break emerging shoots.
2. Pull back extra winter mulch from planting beds using a hand-rake or a long-handled rake. This allows earlier warming of the soil. Ideally, remove mulch on a cloudy day to prevent newly emerged plants from getting sunburned. (Later in the spring you can add a new layer of mulch to control weeds and help the soil retain moisture.)
3. Add a slow-release, organic fertilizer around perennials, bulbs and roses, then cover it with a new layer of mulch (2-4 inches thick) to promote healthy growth.
4. Check your soil for dampness. You should only begin digging and planting when the soil is dry (dry enough to crumble apart in your hand), as digging in wet soil can degrade its structure.
To read the full article:
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/April/01/15-Tips-to-Get-Your-Yard-Ready-for-Spring.htm?source=nl
The 15 Most Important Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic
The 15 Most Important Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic
by www.SixWise.com
As many shoppers trim their food budgets in response to the economy, you may also be scaling back on organic purchases, which are sometimes (though not always) more costly than conventional food products.
Unfortunately, non-organic fruits and vegetables are grown with potentially toxic chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Those chemical residues remain not only on the skin of the fruit, but also can be absorbed into the inner flesh.
Even low levels of pesticide consumed over time can be problematic. A study in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, for instance, found that people who had been exposed to low levels of pesticides were 1.13 times as likely to have Parkinson's disease as those who had never been exposed. Other studies have also linked pesticides to health problems including:
* Cancer
* Fertility problems
* Brain tumors
* Childhood leukemia
* Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
* Birth defects
* Irritation to skin and eyes
* Hormone or endocrine system problems
* Nervous system damage
Children, whose bodies are still developing, are especially at risk from pesticides, as are pregnant women, whose unborn children are extremely susceptible to damage from these toxic chemicals.
And if you eat produce, there's a good chance you're being exposed. According to Hazardous Pesticides in the European Parliament, released October 2007, the eight food samples they tested, which ranged from oranges to strawberries to grapes, contained 28 different pesticide residues, with an average of almost five per fruit!
Among them were 10 known carcinogens, 3 neurotoxins, 3 reproductive or developmental toxins, 8 suspected endocrine disrupters, and 2 contaminants classified as "Highly Hazardous" by the World Health Organization.
Three of the eight food samples contained pesticide residues so high they were technically illegal to sell, and the oranges contained illegally high levels of imazalil, a carcinogen. By eating just one orange, a 5-year-old would receive 70 percent of the "Acute Reference Dose" for that chemical.
Which Fruits and Veggies are MOST Contaminated?
Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a not-for-profit environmental research organization, releases a list of fruits and vegetables that are most and least contaminated with pesticide residues (you can view this year’s full list here).
By eating some of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you and your children are exposed to about 10 different pesticides a day, according to EWG. Fortunately, by avoiding the most-contaminated produce out there, and concentrating on the least contaminated instead, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by almost 80 percent, and be exposed to less than 2 pesticides per day, EWG says.
With that in mind, if you’re trying to decide which food products to buy organic, focusing on those on the following 2009 list of the MOST contaminated fruits and vegetables would be money well spent.
The MOST Contaminated Fruits and Veggies (Buy These Organic)
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Sweet Bell Pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes - Imported
11. Carrot
12. Pear
13. Collard Greens
14. Spinach
15. Potato
Peaches and apples had the most pesticides detected on a single sample, with nine pesticides on a single sample, followed by strawberries and imported grapes where eight pesticides were found on a single sample of each fruit, according to EWG.
On the flipside, the produce with the LEAST amount of pesticide residues were:
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn (frozen)
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas (frozen)
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet potato
To read the full article: http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/April/01/The-15-Most-Important-Fruits-and-Vegetables-to-Buy.htm
by www.SixWise.com
As many shoppers trim their food budgets in response to the economy, you may also be scaling back on organic purchases, which are sometimes (though not always) more costly than conventional food products.
Unfortunately, non-organic fruits and vegetables are grown with potentially toxic chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Those chemical residues remain not only on the skin of the fruit, but also can be absorbed into the inner flesh.
Even low levels of pesticide consumed over time can be problematic. A study in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, for instance, found that people who had been exposed to low levels of pesticides were 1.13 times as likely to have Parkinson's disease as those who had never been exposed. Other studies have also linked pesticides to health problems including:
* Cancer
* Fertility problems
* Brain tumors
* Childhood leukemia
* Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
* Birth defects
* Irritation to skin and eyes
* Hormone or endocrine system problems
* Nervous system damage
Children, whose bodies are still developing, are especially at risk from pesticides, as are pregnant women, whose unborn children are extremely susceptible to damage from these toxic chemicals.
And if you eat produce, there's a good chance you're being exposed. According to Hazardous Pesticides in the European Parliament, released October 2007, the eight food samples they tested, which ranged from oranges to strawberries to grapes, contained 28 different pesticide residues, with an average of almost five per fruit!
Among them were 10 known carcinogens, 3 neurotoxins, 3 reproductive or developmental toxins, 8 suspected endocrine disrupters, and 2 contaminants classified as "Highly Hazardous" by the World Health Organization.
Three of the eight food samples contained pesticide residues so high they were technically illegal to sell, and the oranges contained illegally high levels of imazalil, a carcinogen. By eating just one orange, a 5-year-old would receive 70 percent of the "Acute Reference Dose" for that chemical.
Which Fruits and Veggies are MOST Contaminated?
Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a not-for-profit environmental research organization, releases a list of fruits and vegetables that are most and least contaminated with pesticide residues (you can view this year’s full list here).
By eating some of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, you and your children are exposed to about 10 different pesticides a day, according to EWG. Fortunately, by avoiding the most-contaminated produce out there, and concentrating on the least contaminated instead, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by almost 80 percent, and be exposed to less than 2 pesticides per day, EWG says.
With that in mind, if you’re trying to decide which food products to buy organic, focusing on those on the following 2009 list of the MOST contaminated fruits and vegetables would be money well spent.
The MOST Contaminated Fruits and Veggies (Buy These Organic)
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Sweet Bell Pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes - Imported
11. Carrot
12. Pear
13. Collard Greens
14. Spinach
15. Potato
Peaches and apples had the most pesticides detected on a single sample, with nine pesticides on a single sample, followed by strawberries and imported grapes where eight pesticides were found on a single sample of each fruit, according to EWG.
On the flipside, the produce with the LEAST amount of pesticide residues were:
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn (frozen)
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas (frozen)
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet potato
To read the full article: http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/April/01/The-15-Most-Important-Fruits-and-Vegetables-to-Buy.htm
The Stunning Consequences of Not Getting Enough Sleep
The Stunning Consequences of Not Getting Enough Sleep
By Allison Ford, Divine Caroline
April 1, 2009
Nothing feels worse than hearing your alarm clock ring in the morning when your body is screaming for a few extra hours of rest. Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t get more sleep? If I had a choice between a year of unlimited Easter candy and a year of unlimited sleep, I’d say “Bye-bye Cadbury” and “Hello, bed!”
Many people don’t get as much sleep as they should. Since the invention of the light bulb, people sleep about 500 hours per year less than they used to. Whether we’re kept awake by our partner’s snoring or we stay up too late watching TV, we wake up tired, groggy, and cranky. No wonder the coffee industry does so well. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation has some side effects and they can’t all be remedied with a little extra caffeine.
This Is Your Brain on Sleep
While the mechanism of sleep isn’t fully understood yet, doctors and scientists do know that it’s one of our body’s most important processes. Studies show that sleep is important for cellular renewal, helping to replace muscle tissue and dead cells throughout the body. Studies have also shown that sleep is a key time for the brain to process and archive information, including memories. Deep, restorative REM sleep, the kind associated with dreaming, seems to stimulate regions of the brain used in learning.
Every night without adequate rest is like adding to a sleep debt—eventually it will have to be repaid. Even after one sleepless night, we can feel the first effects of sleep deprivation—irritability, memory loss, and drowsiness. Continued sleep deprivation can result in trouble concentrating, blurry vision, impaired judgment, and even more severe mental effects. After just a few days without any sleep, people can begin to experience hallucinations, mania, and nausea. Luckily, if you repay your sleep debt right away, those effects vanish immediately.
Short-Term Side Effects
Sleep deprivation doesn’t just cause mental deficits; our physical abilities are diminished too. Studies have demonstrated that not sleeping can reduce glucose metabolism by as much as 40 percent. We use stored glucose for energy and sleep deprivation can interfere with how the body stores and processes it. Sleep-deprived athletes also experience high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, as well as lower levels of human growth hormone, which is important for muscle repair. The immune system is also thought to be maintained while asleep; people who don’t get enough sleep tend to be more susceptible to infections and have slower healing times.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/134516
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/134516/the_stunning_consequences_of_not_getting_enough_sleep/
http://www.alternet.org/story/134516/
By Allison Ford, Divine Caroline
April 1, 2009
Nothing feels worse than hearing your alarm clock ring in the morning when your body is screaming for a few extra hours of rest. Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t get more sleep? If I had a choice between a year of unlimited Easter candy and a year of unlimited sleep, I’d say “Bye-bye Cadbury” and “Hello, bed!”
Many people don’t get as much sleep as they should. Since the invention of the light bulb, people sleep about 500 hours per year less than they used to. Whether we’re kept awake by our partner’s snoring or we stay up too late watching TV, we wake up tired, groggy, and cranky. No wonder the coffee industry does so well. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation has some side effects and they can’t all be remedied with a little extra caffeine.
This Is Your Brain on Sleep
While the mechanism of sleep isn’t fully understood yet, doctors and scientists do know that it’s one of our body’s most important processes. Studies show that sleep is important for cellular renewal, helping to replace muscle tissue and dead cells throughout the body. Studies have also shown that sleep is a key time for the brain to process and archive information, including memories. Deep, restorative REM sleep, the kind associated with dreaming, seems to stimulate regions of the brain used in learning.
Every night without adequate rest is like adding to a sleep debt—eventually it will have to be repaid. Even after one sleepless night, we can feel the first effects of sleep deprivation—irritability, memory loss, and drowsiness. Continued sleep deprivation can result in trouble concentrating, blurry vision, impaired judgment, and even more severe mental effects. After just a few days without any sleep, people can begin to experience hallucinations, mania, and nausea. Luckily, if you repay your sleep debt right away, those effects vanish immediately.
Short-Term Side Effects
Sleep deprivation doesn’t just cause mental deficits; our physical abilities are diminished too. Studies have demonstrated that not sleeping can reduce glucose metabolism by as much as 40 percent. We use stored glucose for energy and sleep deprivation can interfere with how the body stores and processes it. Sleep-deprived athletes also experience high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, as well as lower levels of human growth hormone, which is important for muscle repair. The immune system is also thought to be maintained while asleep; people who don’t get enough sleep tend to be more susceptible to infections and have slower healing times.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/134516
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/134516/the_stunning_consequences_of_not_getting_enough_sleep/
http://www.alternet.org/story/134516/
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