Monday, August 31, 2009

Please sign this petition to help save Thich Nhat Hanh's monastery

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/savebatnha

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

UCLA STUDY ON FRIENDSHIP AMONG WOMEN

UCLA STUDY ON FRIENDSHIP AMONG WOMEN

By Gale Berkowitz

A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are. By the way, they may do even more.

Scientists now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually counteract the kind of stomach quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis. A landmark UCLA study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women. It's a stunning find that has turned five decades of stress research---most of it on men---upside down. Until this study was published, scientists generally believed that when people experience stress, they trigger a hormonal cascade that revs the body to either stand and fight or flee as fast as possible, explains Laura Cousin Klein, Ph.D., now an Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State University and one of the study's authors.

It's an ancient survival mechanism left over from the time we were chased across the planet by sabre-toothed tigers. Now the researchers suspect that women have a larger behavioral repertoire than just fight or flight. In fact, says Dr. Klein, it seems that when the hormone oxytocin is released as part of the stress responses in a woman, it buffers the fight or flight response and encourages her to tend children and gather with other women instead. When she actually engages in this tending or befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect.

This calming response does not occur in men, says Dr. Klein, because testosterone - which men produce in high levels when they're under stress - seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin. Estrogen, she adds, seems to enhance it. The discovery that women respond to stress differently than men was made in a classic "aha" moment shared by two women scientists who were talking one day in a lab at UCLA. There was this joke that when the women who worked in the lab were stressed, they came in, cleaned the lab, had coffee, and bonded, says Dr. Klein. When the men were stressed they holed up somewhere on their own. I commented one day to fellow researcher Shelley Taylor that nearly 90% of the stress research is on males. I showed her the data from my lab, and the two of us knew instantly that we were onto something. The women cleared their schedules and started meeting with one scientist after another from various research specialties. Very quickly, Drs. Klein and Taylor discovered that by not including women in stress research, scientists had made a huge mistake: The fact that women respond to stress differently than men has significant implications for our health.

It may take some time for new studies to reveal all the ways that oxytocin encourages us to care for children and hang out with other women, but the "tend and befriend" notion developed by Drs. Klein and Taylor may explain why women consistently outlive men. Study after study has found that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. There's no doubt, says Dr. Klein, that friends are helping us live longer.

In one study, for example, researchers found that people who had no friends increased their risk of death over a 6-month period. In another study, those who had the most friends over a 9-year period cut their risk of death by more than 60%. Friends are also helping us live better. The famed Nurses' Health Study from Harvard Medical School found that the more friends women had, the less likely they were to develop physical impairments as they aged, and the more likely they were to be leading a joyful life. In fact, the results were so significant, the researchers concluded, that not having close friends or confidants was as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight!

And that's not all! When the researchers looked at how well the women functioned after the death of their spouse, they found that even in the face of this biggest stressor of all, those women who had a close friend and confidante were more likely to survive the experience without any new physical impairments or permanent loss of vitality. Those without friends were not always so fortunate. Yet if friends counter the stress that seems to swallow up so much of our life these days, if they keep us healthy and even add years to our life, why is it so hard to find time to be with them?

That's a question that also troubles researcher Ruthellen Josselson, Ph.D., co-author of Best Friends: The Pleasures and Perils of Girls' and Women's Friendships (Three Rivers Press, 1998). Every time we get overly busy with work and family, the first thing we do is let go of friendships with other women, explains Dr. Josselson. We push them right to the backburner. That's really a mistake; women are such a source of strength to each other. We nurture one another. And we need to have unpressured space in which we can do the special kind of talk that women do when they're with other women. It's a very healing experience.

Taylor, S. E.; Klein, L.C.; Lewis, B. P.; Gruenewald, T. L.; Gurung, R. A. R.; & Updegraff, J. A. (2000).

"Female Responses to Stress: Tend and Befriend, Not Fight or Flight", Psychological Review, 107(3), 41-429.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Please read: Mauna Kea is a Microcosm for the World's Current Ecological Dilemmas

http://www.naturalnews.com/026899_Mauna_Kea_Hawaii_YouTube.html
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Friday, August 21, 2009

Star Speaks About Mauna Kea's Sacredness

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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Bring Inner Peace With a Simple Word, & Remembrance


Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-18399-Honolulu-Health-and-Happiness-Examiner~y2009m8d20-Bring-Inner-Peace-With-a-Simple-Word--Remembrance

OM, like Amen, means the Divine which manifests as all that is. OM is the "word. As the Bible says in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word." One interpretation of "Word" in this passage is primal sound or vibration from which all other names and forms arise and to which we all return. OM is the Alpha and the Omega.

Repetition of OM or AUM dissolves the mind into its Divine Source. If you chant OM several times out loud it purifies the atmosphere. It clear the mind, and it brings you peace. Try it. Chant at least 7 OM's in succession. Make each breath last as long as possible. Take a deep breath in and start the exhalation with Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh then Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh then Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Also, try this with a group of people. In the group, each person - all together - chants OM continuously with no breaks for 5 minutes. Fill the air with OM. It will ring through your whole heart and body. You will experience such joy and peace. (Note: If you feel self-conscious, then please just continue and practice allowing your voice to be heard. Practice self-acceptance, and your body will begin to relax.)

Each day, practice chanting OM for five or ten minutes. (Even one minute helps so much.) Then sit for a moment of Silence. You will be amazed! Experience is better than all words! Practice is better than tons of study. As Rumi said so beautifully, "Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open teh door to the study and begin reading. Take down the dulcimer. Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground."


Try repeating OM as a mantra for meditation. Repeat OM silently to yourself. You can practice this all day long and everyday. It will always bring peace to your heart and life. It will bring you into the "new" as my beloved guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati teaches us (www.kashi.org). When the mind wanders bring it gently back to OM again and again.

You can also practice this with the word "God" or your name for your Beloved. Repeat "God" all day long. When the mind wanders and gets stressed, simply bring the thoughts back to God. Aloha.

© 2009 Heather Havey, M.A. www.peacethroughkindness.com

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100 Items That Disappear First in a Disaster

100 Items That Disappear First in a Disaster
Link to full article below

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy..target of
thieves; maintenance, etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers (Shipping delays increasing.)
3. Portable Toilets (Increasing in price every two months.)
4. Seasoned Firewood (About $100 per cord; wood takes 6 - 12 mos. to
become dried, for home uses.)
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce,
stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel (URGENT $2.69-$3.99/gal. Impossible to stockpile too
much.)
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots
8. Hand-Can openers & hand egg beaters, whisks (Life savers!)
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugars
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat (White rice is now $12.95 - 50# bag. Sam's Club,
stock depleted often.)
11. Vegetable oil (for cooking) (Without it food burns/must be boiled,
etc.)
12. Charcoal & Lighter fluid (Will become scarce suddenly.)
13. Water containers (Urgent Item to obtain. Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR
PLASTIC ONLY)
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a
room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders
17. Michael Hyatt's Y2K Survival Guide (BEST single y2k handbook for sound
advice/tips.)
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term
lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula/ointments/aspirin, etc
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins (Critical, due to daily canned food diets.)
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is
dangerous without this item.)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products
25. Thermal underwear (Tops and bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets & Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum foil Reg. & Hvy. Duty (Great Cooking & Barter item)
28. Gasoline containers (Plastic or Metal)
29. Garbage bags (Impossible to have too many.)
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, paper towel
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake liquid every 3 to 4 months.)
32. Garden seeds (Non-hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit: 1(800) 835-3278
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire extinguishers (or.. large box of Baking soda in every room...)
37. First aid kits

To read the full article:
http://www.frugalfolks.com/emergenc.html#A

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FRUIT & VEGETABLE GARDENING – More about Pots

FRUIT & VEGETABLE GARDENING – More about Pots
by Diana Greenwood Mead
August 11, 2009 Link to full article below

This is the time of the year when most things in the garden are going well – flowers are flowering as though the sun would always shine, and the fruit & vegetables are ripe for picking – some of them growing with such enthusiasm that you can’t keep up with the picking!

Now is a good time to take stock and decide what should be changed or added to next year – not that you should move plants when they are at the height of their production, but it is helpful to make a few notes and take a some cuttings. I grow great swathes of lavender as I love hanging bags of the dried flowers in my closets and layering more in drawers and on shelves, but I’ve realized that in my tiny garden the bushes are just in the wrong place, so I’m taking a dozen cuttings to be ready for planting out next spring.

To read the full article:
http://www.supermarketguru.com/index.cfm/go/sg.viewArticle/articleId/663

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FedEx Expands Hybrid-Electric Fleet by 50%

FedEx Expands Hybrid-Electric Fleet by 50%
July 23, 2009 Link to full article below

FedEx Corp. has expanded its hybrid-electric delivery fleet from 172 to 264 with the addition of 92 retrofitted trucks. These hybrids are touted as the first standard FedEx delivery trucks converted to hybrid-electric systems. The retrofitted hybrid vehicles will be placed into service in California, primarily in the Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco metropolitan areas.

The retrofit hybrid trucks are projected to improve fuel economy by 44 percent, decrease particulate matter by 96 percent and reduce smog-causing (NOx) emissions by 75 percent compared to the standard FedEx Express delivery truck.

The hybrid conversions were produced in Charlotte, N.C., over the past six months and created 50 new, temporary green jobs in the area. The converted hybrids were developed with Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) and Eaton Corporation, which provided the hybrid-electric systems.

To read the full article:
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/07/23/fedex-expands-hybrid-electric-fleet-by-50/

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EXCELLENT ARTICLE - 20 Foods That Make You Smarter

20 Foods That Make You Smarter
By Sara Ost, EcoSalon
August 18, 2009 Link to full article below

[CAVEAT: Not completely Vegan]

Simply put, your brain likes to eat. And it likes powerful fuel: quality fats, antioxidants, and small, steady amounts of the best carbs.

On a deadline? Need to rally? Avoid the soda, vending machine snacks and tempting Starbucks and go for these powerful brain boosters instead. The path to a bigger, better brain is loaded with Omega-3 fats, antioxidants, and fiber. Give your brain a kick start: eat the following foods on a daily or weekly basis for results you will notice.

20 foods that will supercharge your brain:

1. Avocado

Start each day with a mix of high-quality protein and beneficial fats to build the foundation for an energized day. Avocado with scrambled eggs provides both, and the monounsaturated fat helps blood circulate better, which is essential for optimal brain function. Worst alternative: a trans-fat-filled, sugar-laden cream cheese Danish.

Green it: you don’t need to buy an organic avocado – conventional is fine. But make sure your supplementary protein is free range, cage free, or organic.

2. Blueberries

These delicious berries are one of the best foods for you, period, but they’re very good for your brain as well. Since they’re high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, they are safe for diabetics and they do not spike blood sugar. Blueberries are possibly the best brain food on earth: they have been linked to reduced risk for Alzheimer’s, shown to improve learning ability and motor skills in rats, and they are one of the most powerful anti-stress foods you can eat. Avoid: dried, sweetened blueberries.

Green it: buy local and organic, and be mindful of seasonality. When blueberries are out of season, opt for cranberries, grapes, goji berries, blackberries or cherries to get your brain boost.

3. Wild Salmon

To read the full article:

http://www.alternet.org/story/141963/


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Whole grain cereals, popcorn rich in antioxidants, not just fiber, new research concludes

Whole grain cereals, popcorn rich in antioxidants, not just fiber, new research concludes
Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042 American Chemical Society 18-Aug-2009 Link to full article below


WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2009 — In a first-of-its kind study, scientists reported today at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) that snack foods like popcorn and many popular breakfast cereals contain "surprisingly large" amounts of healthful antioxidant substances called "polyphenols."

Polyphenols are a major reason why fruits and vegetables — and foods like chocolate, wine, coffee, and tea — have become renowned for their potential role in reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

Until now, however, no one knew that commercial hot and cold whole grain cereals — regarded as healthful for their fiber content — and snack foods also were a source of polyphenols.

To read the full article:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-08/acs-wgc080309.php

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Snack Foods Healthier Than Previously Thought

Snack Foods Healthier Than Previously Thought
Researchers Discover Surprising Amounts Of Antioxidants
August 18, 2009 Link to full article below

Snack food isn't normally known for being healthy, but new research suggested whole grain snacks might provide the same amount of antioxidants as fruits and vegetables.

Researchers at the University of Scranton studied the amount of antioxidants in hot and cold cereals and snack food.

They found popcorn provided a significant amount of healthy antioxidants, more than the pasta, crackers and chips they tested.

Whole grain cereals were also a substantial source of antioxidants, with wheat cereals having the most, followed by corn, oats and rice cereals.

To read the full article:
http://www.clickondetroit.com/health/20450088/detail.html

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Hidden Link Between Stress, Aging and Caffeine

The Hidden Link Between Stress, Aging and Caffeine
by Caroline MacDougall Link to full article below

It’s the common complaint you hear uttered by friends, family and
co-workers throughout the day. “I just can’t get going without my cup of
coffee!” What happened to the days of childhood when we used to bound out
of bed with plenty of energy and we kept going at an energetic pace until
night? Most people assume that age causes diminished energy supply, but
the latest research is shedding new light on lifestyle practices that
ultimately lead to fatigue.
Although we reach for the coffee or tea cup hoping to boost our energy,
studies show that we are actually inducing a state of stress. Caffeine
drives the adrenal glands to produce stress hormones that can remain in
the blood stream up to 18 hours after consumption. These hormones produce
the “fight or flight” response nature designed to help save our lives when
every bit of energy was required to survive an impending disaster such as
an attack by a foe.

To read the full article:
http://healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?Id=2155

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Exercise May Beat Fatigue in Prostate Cancer

Exercise May Beat Fatigue in Prostate Cancer
By Amy Norton Link to full article below

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Staying active through moderate walking may
help prevent fatigue in men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate
cancer, a UK study shows.

Cancer patients commonly develop fatigue as the stress of the illness and
the physical effects of treatment take their toll. It's common for
patients undergoing treatment to be told to take it easy, and some may
self-impose limits on their daily activities, according to the study's
lead author Dr. Phyllis M. Windsor.

But in her team's study of 66 men with cancer confined to the prostate
gland, those who were physically active during their month of radiation
treatment showed no substantial increase in fatigue. The same was not true
of patients in the non-exercising "control" group, according to findings
published in the August issue of the journal Cancer.

To read the full article: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20040818/hl_nm/cancer_prostate_dc

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Glossary of Edible Flowers

GLOSSARY OF EDIBLE FLOWERS

Anise hyssop: Lilac-colored blossoms. Strong anise-licorice taste. Sweet
and tasty. Flavor similar to root beer. Great in salads, sweet pastries,
butter cookies and as a garnish. Leaves can be used to make tea.

Bachelor's buttons: blue blossoms with fuzzy silver-gray leaves. Bland
taste.

Bergamot Red, pink, white and violet flowers. Perfumy, tea-like taste.
Goes nicely with peach desserts.

Borage: Large blue flowers. Cucumber-like flavor. Great in salads, dips,
fruit compotes and candied for desserts. also known as anchusa.

Calendula: Yellow or gold flowers. Slightly green, tangy, peppery taste..
Nice
with corn muffins.

Carnations: Pink, yellow, white or red flowers. Bland and sometimes bitter
flavor.

Chives: Lavender flowers. Mild onion flavor
Chrysanthemums: White, yellow, orange, red, pink and purple flowers. Each
color
has a different flavor, some strong and bitter.

Daisies: White with yellow centers. Mild flavor.

Dandelions: Yellow. Bitter flavor.

Day lilies: Many shades of orange and yellow. Slightly sweet, nut-like
flavor.
A cross between asparagus and zucchini. Interesting with pasta and
mushrooms.

Dianthus: Red, pink or white flowers. Little flavor. Pink variety spicy,
like
cloves.

Geraniums (scented): Pink, red, white or purple flowers. Flavored leaves
(rose,
lemon, mint, apple and nutmeg). May be slightly sour or bitter. A nice
addition
to cake batter.

Herb flowers: Most popular are chives, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram,
basil, onion, garlic, cilantro and sage. Recommended for salads, atop
vegetables, and as a pizza topping.

Johnny jump-ups: violet, mauve, yellow and white flowers. Light
winter-green
flavor. Great in salads and as garnish for pastry and desserts.

Lavender: purplish flowers. Lemon flavor. Excellent in cream for desserts.

Lilacs: white, violet, blue, pink, white, yellow and magenta flowers.
Light
floral flavor. Can be slightly bitter.

Lovage: yellow and white flowers. Mild celery flavor.

Marigolds: yellow, orange and gold flowers. Mild peppery taste. Some
varieties
less intense and bitter. Others citrusy and milder. Goes well with
mushroom
salad.

Mustards: bright yellow flowers. Hot, pungent mustard flavor. Great in
salads.

Nasturtiums: rainbow of colors. Piquant, like watercress. Great in salads,
salsas, compound butters, vinaigrettes, grilled dishes and stuffed with
guacamole.

Pansies: blue, orange and purple flowers. Mild flavor. great as a garnish,
in
salads and for candying.

Rocket: white with red and pink veins. Less piquant. Smoky, nutty flavor.
Superb in spring salads.

Rose petals: white, yellow, orange, pink and red flowers. Sweet to bitter.
Red
flowers have a mineral flavor. Lighter colored varieties are more delicate
in
taste. Great in jams, sugars, vinegars, syrups, jellies and teas.

Safflower: orange flowers. Slightly bitter in taste. Good in salads,
cooked in
rice or added to pasta as a garnish.

Squash: orange and yellow flowers. Vegetable flavor with the mild taste of
raw squash. Great for stuffing, frying or sauteing when whole. Cut into
julienne for pancakes, omelets, soups and salad.

Tulips: wide variety of colors. Little flavor, slightly sweet or bitter.

Violets: purple flowers. Mild taste (except viola odorata, which is
sweet).
Excellent for candying and as garnishes for desserts and tea sandwiches.
Good in salads.

Source: The National Culinary Review, June'94
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Excellent article: Eating Our Way In And Out of Our Symptoms

Eating Our Way In And Out of Our Symptoms
By Colleen Huber, Naturopathyworks.com
Link to full article below

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." - Hippocrates

We truly live at a strange crossroads in human history.

Over the last few decades, the human species has been hypnotized by the
temptations offered by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The
1950s ushered in the “better living through chemicals” age. And we
believed, and we bought and swallowed and injected and are still consuming
them in massive amounts, and, most recklessly, injecting such chemicals as
ethyl mercury, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), aluminum and formaldehyde
into our babies as part of vaccines, without any prior safety testing.

To read the full article:
http://www.mercola.com/2004/sep/1/eating_symptoms.htm

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Excellent Article: 11 Dirty Little Secrets Your Grocery Store Is Hiding

11 Dirty Little Secrets Your Grocery Store Is Hiding
By Tina McCarthy, EcoSalon
August 17, 2009 Link to full article below

True or false? Your local grocer employs a scheming team of experts who work behind the scenes to orchestrate every little detail in a devious effort to squeeze every cent they can out of you.

It’s true. Even your favorite organic food stores are guilty of this. So, how can you beat them at their own game? Here’s what you need to know:

Baked Goods – Not So Fresh

Although there are exceptions, most of what you find in the bakery sections at grocery stores was frozen when it arrived. Sure, the scene they set up can be quite convincing: employees in white chef hats working behind the counter with flour-coated hands. But, if you think you’re getting freshly baked goods, chances are you’re mistaken.

Manipulative Placement

The most expensive items and those that aren’t general diet staples are typically placed at eye level...

To read the full article:
http://www.alternet.org/story/141971/

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Vitamin C Foundation Releases Its List of the Top Ten Websites that Disseminate Misinformation about Vitamin C

Vitamin C Foundation Releases Its List of the Top Ten Websites that
Disseminate Misinformation about Vitamin C
Published on 8/9/2004
by Healthy News Service Link to full article below

HOUSTON, TX- The Vitamin C Foundation released a list of the Top Ten
Websites That Disseminate Misinformation About Vitamin C today. Topping
the list are websites hosted by prestigous organizations such as the
National Library of Medicine's "Medline Plus," the National Institutes of
Health, the Mayo Clinic, Quackwatch, Consumerlab.com, WebMD and the Merck
Manual.
The most often published misinformation about vitamin C is that mega-doses
of this vitamin are washed away in the urine and produce nothing more than
expensive urine. A recent study published by National Institutes of Health
researchers dispels this belief. High oral doses of vitamin C have now
been demonstrated to produce three times higher concentation in the blood
plasma than previously thought possible. [Annals Internal Medicine 2004
Apr 6;140(7):533-7] Since 1996 the National Institutes of Health and the
Institutes of Medicine have published spurious information that blood
plasma saturation for vitamin C is achieved with a 200 milligram of oral
dose and additional amounts are worthless.

To read the full article:
http://healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=9670

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Sunday, August 16, 2009

Recipe: Vegan Yogurt

A creamy (and way better!) alternative to yogurt

Source: http://beautiful-vegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/creamy-and-way-better-alternative-to.html



If you have a very powerful blender like the vitamix blender then you can do it all together- otherwise do it like this:

In a blender:
1 1/2 c 'raw', unsalted cashews
1 c water
1 t vanilla extract or a small bit of scraped vanilla bean
1/4 c agave nectar
1/2 t sea salt

In a food processor:
4 c frozen (or fresh) berries of any kind
3 T fresh lime juice
then add what was in your blender to the food processor until it becomes smooth.
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Excellent article - Become Happier By Choosing your Thoughts Consciously

Become Happier By Choosing your Thoughts Consciously by Heather Havey


The mind is designed to take care of us. It collects data and then reminds us of this data through random, rapid thoughts and mental images. This ability is such a miraculous gift, and it allows us to operate intelligently and successfully in our lives.

However, please keep in mind that our brain is a 3-pound lump of cells. It easily mis-perceives and misinterprets data. When this happens, especially when it perceives life from a lens of insecure beliefs, then we can be tormented and we can suffer the effects of what many spiritual practitioners call the "monkey mind." Every being in existence experiences this most of their lives. We tend to trust and believe our thoughts blindly, and as a result we react to them all the time.

Meditation and taking silent, peaceful times each day are invaluable tools because they bring us enhanced space with which to observe our thoughts. One additional tool that we can practice is a variation of meditation. This practice is simple: Observe how our thoughts make us feel.

If a thought makes you suffer - if it gives you negative emotions such as doubt, anger, sadness, jealousy, and so on - then the thought is one that is based upon limited perceptions and often false beliefs that we have accepted as true. Bryon Katie once brilliantly said, "When a thought hurts, that's the signal that it isn't true."

To read the full article: http://www.examiner.com/x-18399-Honolulu-Health-and-Happiness-Examiner~y2009m8d15-Become-Happier-By-Choosing-your-Thoughts-Consciously
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Take the Power back: Choose Life and Health

Take the Power back: Choose Life and Health by Heather Havey, M.A.

Because our population is exploding, and our earth is heating up...Because developers are cutting down every stand of trees and replacing them with parking lots, stores, lawns, and oversized homes...Because we are in trouble...

1. Plant lots of trees.

Plant a tree each week for the rest of your life. Give them as gifts. Trees shade and cool the earth, give us the oxygen we breathe, add beauty, provide animal habitat, and so much more.

2. Grow your own food or buy local.

Please read the full article, with more tips: http://www.examiner.com/x-18399-Honolulu-Health-and-Happiness-Examiner~y2009m8d16-Take-the-Power-back-Choose-Life-and-Health

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Excellent article: 12 Surprising Uses for Leftover Oatmeal

12 Surprising Uses for Leftover Oatmeal
The health-promoting cereal grain is good for your skin, pets, neutralizing odors, crafts and other applications.
Link to full article below

More Than Just Food
You may think of oatmeal as on the bland side of the food aisle, as something that your doctor told you to eat but that you're not thrilled about. Or maybe it's something you take only with a lot of cream and sugar. But even if you already love oatmeal, you might not know that you can use it to save money and get crafty, as well as get healthier. Don't throw out any excess!

The healthiest type of oatmeal is made from whole-grain, steel-cut oats, also known as coarse-cut or Irish oats, because they retain more of the nutritious (though tough) bran layer. The more common "rolled oats" are steamed, flattened and lightly toasted. "Instant" oatmeal is pre-cooked and usually has sweeteners and flavors added. Nutritionists say you're better off buying unsweetened, and adding a touch of honey, maple syrup, agave or other flavoring yourself.

Oats are an excellent source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamine, iron, beta-glucan (which may help regulate blood sugar) and the antioxidants known as avenanthramides (which may help promote healthy circulation). Oatmeal is also believed to help reduce harmful cholesterol levels and it may boost the immune system.

But what happens when you have too much of a good thing, or you just don't get around to eating it and your oatmeal gets old and stale in your cupboard? Don't throw it out! It has many great uses besides filling up your family (in some cases you really can put food on your family):

Treat Acne
Many people swear by oatmeal as a natural remedy to acne. One easy recipe is to cook up some of the stuff, let cool until lukewarm, then apply to the affected areas. Let stand for several minutes, then rinse.

Some people prefer to use oatmeal-based scrubs (see slide 7). Others bathe with "colloidal oatmeal," which is made by mixing oatmeal that has been ground into a very fine powder in water.

Neutralize Odors
Few realize that oatmeal can help absorb odors. Try placing an open container of the stuff in your fridge. Some people use oatmeal to line ashtrays, and claim the flakes help neutralize the smell of smoke.

To read the full article:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/oatmeal-uses-skin-460809?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

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Victory For Hemp! Oregon Legalizes Industrial Production

Victory For Hemp! Oregon Legalizes Industrial Production
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY
08. 6.09 Link to full article below

Good news: Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski has signed into law a bill permitting the production, trade and possession of industrial hemp, Current reports. The bill received bi-partisan support, passing by a vote of 46-11 in the state House of Representatives, and by 27-2 in the Senate:

The law sets up a state-regulated program for industrial hemp growing.

16 States Have Pro-Hemp Laws

To read the full article:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/oregon-legalizes-industrial-hemp-production.php?dcitc=weekly_nl

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Celebrating National Farmers' Market Week: Make sure you visit your own local farmers' market this week

Celebrating National Farmers' Market Week
Make sure you visit your own local farmers' market this week
by Kelly Rossiter
Toronto, Canada
Wed Aug 05, 2009 Link to full article below

This week marks National Farmers' Market Week in the United States. According to The Huffington Post this recognition began in 2000. In almost ten years, the local food movement has gained a huge foothold and the number of farmers' markets has increased at an astonishing rate across North America.

To read the full article:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/celebrating-farmers-market-week.html?campaign=th_weekly_nl

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Goodbye Pools, Lawns and a Whole Lot More: Why Life in the Southwest as We Know it Will Be History


Goodbye Pools, Lawns and a Whole Lot More: Why Life in the Southwest as We Know it Will Be History
By Alex Steffen, Worldchanging
August 10, 2009 Link to full article below

This piece first appeared in Worldchanging.

It is likely to be a source of unhappiness for us that we have taken natural bounty for granted in designing our civilization. But it is likely to prove tragic that we have assumed not only the indestructibility of nature (heck, some fossils still argue that climate change is impossible because it is not within human abilities to wreck the climate), but also that the particularly beneficial circumstances of the 20th century are what is ecologically "normal." Nowhere is this more evident than in arid regions, and nowhere is it better studied than in the American Southwest.

There, in the deserts and mountains, we Americans have built huge cities, farms and ranches, and one of the world's leading tourism industries (think Vegas) predicated on the reliability of cheap, plentiful water. This was a mistake. Water in the very near future will be neither cheap nor plentiful, and much of the Southwest is destined for real trouble.

To read the full article:
http://www.alternet.org/story/141887/

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4,000 Baby Loggerhead Sea Turtles Get a Helping Hand Out to Sea

4,000 Baby Loggerhead Sea Turtles Get a Helping Hand Out to Sea
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California
Science & Technology
08. 6.09 Link to full article below

One of the most dangerous parts of a sea turtle's life is getting from the nest where it hatched out into the open ocean. The event is even more worrisome when you're an endangered species, such as is the case with loggerheads. So it's exciting to say that thanks to the help of 70 volunteers, more than 4,000 loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings made it out to sea.

Turtle Care Sunshine Coast and Coolum Coast Care tracked 56 nesting sites this year along Sunshine Coast in Australia, helping protect them from predators during incubation, then helping the baby turtles hatching from the nests make it safely to the water.

To read the full article:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/4000-baby-loggerhead-sea-turtles-get-a-helping-hand-out-to-sea.php?dcitc=weekly_nl


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EXCELLENT ARTICLE: 15 Horrifying Reasons to Never Let Anyone You Love Near a McDonald's

15 Horrifying Reasons to Never Let Anyone You Love Near a McDonald's
By Sarah Irani, EcoSalon
August 15, 2009 Link to full article below

The Golden Arches: the ultimate American icon. Super Size Me taught us that fast food culture brings obesity, heart disease, hypertension and a whole slew of other problems. How bad do you really want that Big Mac? Here are 15 reasons you’ll never let anyone you love get near those Golden Arches.

1. Real food is perishable. With time, it begins to decay. It’s a natural process, it just happens. Beef will rot, bread will mold. But what about a McDonald’s burger? Karen Hanrahan saved a McDonald’s burger from 1996 and, oddly enough, it looks just as “appetizing” and “fresh” as a burger you might buy today. Is this real food?

2. You would have to walk 7 hours straight to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fries and Big Mac. Even indulging in fast food as an occasional treat is a recipe for weight gain…unless you’re planning to hit each treadmill in the treadmill bay afterwards.

3. Containing less fat, salt and sugar, your pet’s food may be healthier than what they serve at McDonald’s.

To read the full article:
http://www.alternet.org/story/141959/

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H2Uh-Oh From Arrowhead to Volvic, Fiji's not the only bottled water with a PR challenge.

H2Uh-Oh
From Arrowhead to Volvic, Fiji's not the only bottled water with a PR challenge.
By Jen Phillips Link to full article below

WET REGRET Water comes from the Las Vegas municipal supply. A test by the Environmental Working Group found it had 200% of the allowable trihalomethane, a carcinogen, and included several chemicals known to cause DNA damage.

Dasani (Coca-Cola)
WET REGRET Coca-Cola's bottling plant near the village of Plachimada in Kerala, India, began pumping groundwater in 2000. When wells dried up and villagers couldn't irrigate their fields, Coke offered a goodwill gesture: heavy-metal-laced sludge from the plant to use as fertilizer. After company ignored years of protests—and two government orders to install wastewater treatment and provide drinking water to villagers—the state ordered Coke plant to close in 2004. (Coke won the right to reopen the next year.)

Arrowhead (Nestlé)
WET REGRET Nestlé is seeking a permit to pipe 65 million gallons a year from a spring in rural Colorado. When critics raised concerns about the effect of climate change on local water supplies, Nestlé said it was "illogical" to base decisions on changes "many years in the future."

To read the full article:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/09/h2uh-oh

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Bottled Water Boom Appears Tapped Out

Bottled Water Boom Appears Tapped Out
Environmental Concerns, Recession Put Crimp in Sales
By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 13, 2009 Link to full article below

The recession has finally answered the question that centuries of philosophers could not: The glass is half-empty.

That's because sales of bottled water have fallen for the first time in at least five years, assailed by wrathful environmentalists and budget-conscious consumers, who have discovered that tap water is practically free. Even Nestle, the country's largest seller of bottled water, is beginning to feel a bit parched. On Wednesday, it reported that profits for the first half of the year dropped 2.7 percent, its first decline in six years.

The biggest loser? Water.

To read the full article below:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/12/AR2009081203074.html

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6 Easy Ways to Eat Gluten-Free and Feel Better

6 Easy Ways to Eat Gluten-Free and Feel Better
By Lisa Truesdale Link to full article below

Got gluten?

You might wish you didn’t.

Gluten is a generic name for the storage protein found in grains; in wheat, for instance, it's called gliadin. Gluten basically binds starches together; it's the stuff that makes dough, well… doughy.

If you regularly feel uncomfortable after a gluten-rich meal (like pasta and bread), gluten could be the culprit. “Uncomfortable” can mean anything from feeling slightly bloated and gassy (mild gluten sensitivity) to much more severe symptoms like excruciating cramps, vomiting, migraines, dizziness, even loss of consciousness — signs that you may have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is the most serious form of gluten intolerance.

To read the full article:

http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/6-Easy-Ways-to-Eat-Gluten-Free-and-Feel-Better.html


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This vegan's wedding pointers

This vegan's wedding pointers
by Catherine Capozzi
July 22, 2009 Link to full article below

Weddings are all about love, compassion, and commitment. Such sentiment should extend not only to the people, but to the entire event. In my planning process, I find the wedding process to be marked with extravagence, consumerism, and consumption as well as the aforementioned values. Reconciling the extravagent materialism with being eco-friendly and sticking with the core values is already proving difficult. For example, do I truly need little droplets of crystal hanging from my flowers? What does this extra drop of “bling” (a word, by the way, that I never want to hear again after it being mentioned 35 times in a “We” channel wedding special) indicate about me, anyway?
Vegans are in a unique situation for weddings because no one really knows what to expect from them.

To read the full article:
http://www.examiner.com/x-4348-Phoenix-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m7d22-This-vegans-wedding-pointers

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High cholesterol linked to dementia risk

High cholesterol linked to dementia risk
Aug. 4, 2009 Link to full article below

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 4 (UPI) -- A 40-year study suggests having high cholesterol in midlife increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease in later years, U.S. and Finnish researchers say.

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente and the University of Kuopio in Finland say the study of of 9,844 men and women suggests high cholesterol in midlife -- 240 or higher milligrams per deciliter of blood -- increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease later in life by 66 percent. Borderline cholesterol levels of 200-239 mg/dL raised the risk for vascular dementia by 52 percent, the study said.

The researchers tracked the study participants for 40 years.

To read the full article:
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/08/04/High-cholesterol-linked-to-dementia-risk/UPI-85761249419054/

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Study: High-Fat Diets Not Only Make Us Fat, But Lazy and Stupid, Too

Study: High-Fat Diets Not Only Make Us Fat, But Lazy and Stupid, Too
(In as Little as 4 Days!)
Avoid the "high-fat hangover." Try these 18 Steps to a Greener, More Healthy Diet.
By Dan Shapley Link to full article below

In just over one week, you can make yourself fatter, lazier and -- yes -- stupider. All you have to do is frequent the drive-thru at your favorite fast-food joints.

At least, that seems to be the case with rats, according to new University of Cambridge research published by the The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Scientists fed rats a high-fat diet and in four days the suffered from a decreased ability to exercise, and in nine days they experienced "significant" short-term memory loss. By the fourth day of a high-fat binge, the accumulation of a protein in their cells' energy-producing mitochondria sapped the rats' ability to use oxygen, causing their hearts to both work harder and grow bigger. By day nine, they were having trouble completing a maze and made more mistakes than their counterparts fed a low-fat diet.

To read the full article:
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/high-fat-diets-47081401?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

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The Superbug in Your Supermarket

The Superbug in Your Supermarket
A potentially deadly new strain of anti-biotic-resistant microbes may be widespread in our food supply. Protect your loved ones with Prevention's Special Report.
By Stephanie Woodard
Link to full article

About 2 years ago, dozens of workers at a large chicken hatchery in Arkansas began experiencing mysterious skin rashes, with painful lumps scattered over their hands, arms, and legs. "They hurt real bad," says Joyce Long, 48, a 32-year veteran of the hatchery, where until recently, workers handled eggs and chicks with bare hands. "When we went and got cultured, doctors told us we had a superbug." Its name, she learned, was MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This form of staph bacteria developed a mutation that resists antibiotics (including methicillin), making it hard to treat, even lethal. According to the CDC, certain types of MRSA infections kill 18,000 Americans a year--more than die from AIDS.

Soon coworkers at the nearby processing plant, where hundreds of thousands of chicken carcasses are prepped daily for sale, began finding the lumps.

To read the full article:
http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/the-superbug-in-your-supermarket/9b99ce1071ff1210VgnVCM10000030281eac____/news.voices/in.the.magazine/august.2009.issue
http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/the-superbug-in-your-supermarket/9b99ce1071ff1210VgnVCM10000030281eac____/news.voices/in.the.magazine/august.2009.issue?print=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prevention.com%2Fcda%2Farticle%2Fthe-superbug-in-your-supermarket%2F9b99ce1071ff1210VgnVCM10000030281eac____%2Fnews.voices%2Fin.the.magazine%2Faugust.2009.issue


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Twenty-one day vegan kickstart

Twenty-one day vegan kickstart
by Kyle Wardstrom
August 13, 2009

Are you ready for a challenge? This challenge just may make you feel better, have greater health, lessen your impact on standard animal abuses and climate-change. If you're ready for a change, take the 21-day vegan kickstart starting on September 8th.

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is an organization that promotes healthy living and sustainability. PCRM is starting a program on Sept. 8th to get you on the right track with your health. If you "opt-in" you will receive daily emails of tips "that will put you on the path to weight loss, better health, and greater well-being", daily recipes that will help you break your craving for unhealthy foods, weekly nutritional webcasts and social support from other participants and nutritional professionals. What better way to start your post-Labor Day year!

To read the full article:
http://www.examiner.com/x-19017-San-Jose-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m8d13-Twentyone-day-vegan-kickstart

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6-year-old vegetarian from Brandon teaches her mom a thing or two

6-year-old vegetarian from Brandon teaches her mom a thing or two
Brooke English, 6, finishes off her salad and peanut butter and jelly sandwich dinner at her Brandon home. An animal lover, she gave up meat two years ago.
By Elisabeth Parker
eparker@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3431
Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 Link to full article below

BRANDON — Brooke English gave up eating meat for ethical reasons: She loves animals.

Sometimes, though rarely, she eats fish. But she hasn't had a bite of chicken or beef or pork in two years.

Brooke is 6. She recently munched a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a salad in her Brandon home, where there's an ideological divide. Brooke lives with her mother, who eats meat.

These days, Brooke is not alone. Young children are deciding to cut meat out of their diets and many of their meat-eating parents are backing them.

To read the full article:
http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/general/article1024417.ece


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Optimistic Women Have Healthier Hearts

Optimistic Women Have Healthier Hearts
Your overall approach to life may predict your risk for getting, and dying from, heart disease.
Develop good coping strategies, lean on your friends, and be realistic about expectations.
By Emily Main
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA Link to full article below

If you want to really cut healthcare costs and reform the system, go to a town hall meeting with positive ideas in hand, not as a hostile protestor. Otherwise, you might just set yourself up for a heart attack. According to a new study published in the journal Circulation, hostility increases the risk of both developing and dying from various kinds of heart disease, while remaining positive can actually keep your heart healthy.

To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/optimism-and-heart-disease-women?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_08_14-_-Top5-_-NA
http://www.rodale.com/print/1776

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Use Windows for Cross Ventilation Keep cool and comfortable with less air conditioning.

Use Windows for Cross Ventilation
Keep cool and comfortable with less air conditioning.
By Brian Clark Howard Link to full article below

In many areas, you can save money on cooling bills by opening up your windows in the mornings and evenings, when the temperatures are typically more pleasant.

Cross ventilation works by taking advantage of high and low pressure zones created by wind to draw fresh air through a building. Breezes enter through a window or vent, bringing fresh air, while the pressure difference on both sides of the building pulls stale air out an opening in the other side. The key, of course, is to have open windows (or vents) on opposite sides of the structure.

To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/cross-ventilation-460708?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

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Joel Salatin, America's Most Influential Farmer, Talks Big Organic and the Future of Food

Joel Salatin, America's Most Influential Farmer, Talks Big Organic and the Future of Food
08. 5.09
Link to full article below

Joel Salatin is a self-described environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer, or as the New York Times calls him, "the high priest of the pasture." You may remember him from The Omnivore's Dilemma, in which he was profiled at length by Michael Pollan. Salatin's innovative farming system—where the animals live according to their "ness," the earth is used for symbiosis, and happiness and health is key—has gained attention from around the country, and he travels in the winter giving lectures and demonstrations. He is the author of a number of books including Holy Cows and Hog Heaven, Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal, You Can Farm, Pastured Poultry Profit$, and Family Friendly Farming. I talked to Joel Salatin about how he got started farming, his appearance in the new film Food, Inc., the government's role in farm politics, and his ideas on the future of food. Suffice it to say, it's not as simple as conventional vs. organic.

To read the full article: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/joel-salatin-americas-most-influential-farmer.php?dcitc=weekly_nl

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Vegetarians

Can you believe that only 3% - 7.2% of the US is vegetarian! (http://tinyurl.com/vegstat2)

But up to 50% of the worldwide population is vegetarian! (http://tinyurl.com/vegstat).

These statistics are hard to verify online, but this is what various sources claim.

You would think we would have paid attention to one of the greatest minds of our time, Einstein, saying that eating a vegetarian diet is the single most important thing that we can do to ensure our survival as a species.
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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Paul Neves on the new Thirty Meter Telescope In Hawaii

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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Top 5 Places to Swim with Dolphins

Top 5 Places to Swim with Dolphins

Many people dream of swimming with dolphins in the beautiful blue ocean. Dolphins are extremely social and gentle to humans. Imagine gliding along with or side-by-side with these gentle creatures. Stop dreaming and start planning. There are many dolphin watching destinations available to those who want to have the experience of a lifetime. Here are the top 5 destinations to swim with dolphins around the world.

1. Akaroa, New Zealand

Akaroa is one of the best places in the world for a wild dolphin swim because you will find large pods of Dusky dolphins there virtually all year round and it's rare for any of the dolphin expedition boats to come back without finding them.

The abundance of marine life is due to the nutrients in the water - a result of the1200 metre deep trench that occurs just off the coast of Kaikoura - so it's not rare to see whales on a dolphin swimming trip too. In Akaroa harbor you will get to spend some time with the Hectors dolphin and your chances of swimming with them are pretty good because they inhabit the inner harbor daily during the summer months and the outer harbor during winter.

2. Oahu and Kona, Hawaii

On a swim with dolphins in Hawaii tour you are most likely to come across spinner and spotted dolphin and some tour operators boast a 99% success rate of finding these amazing marine creatures on day excursions. The Hawaiian name for dolphin is nai'a, and refers to most all dolphins found here. With 13 species of toothed dolphins swimming in the warm waters of Hawaii, the most common are: the Hawaiian spinner, spotted, bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphins. Other often seen members of the dolphin family are pilot and false killer whales.

In certain areas in Hawaii, spinner dolphins are seen on an almost daily basis. So called for their high, spinning leaps, spinner dolphins are known as playful, eager bow-riders throughout much of their range. It is thought that since the islands have formed, the Hawaiian spinner dolphins have regularly come into shore along the west coast of Oahu.

3. Azores Archipelago

The Azores provide one of the best habitats in the world for marine mammals as more than 24 species (25% of the world's known species) have been identified off the coast. The Islands provide a natural sanctuary in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean for both migrating and resident species. The Azores has the biggest variety of dolphin of any area worldwide and it's possible to find eight different species if you are lucky.

Super pods of up to 1000 individuals can be seen too as they come close to the shores of the island to take advantage of the plentiful food supply. Azores is a fabulous wild dolphin swim destination.

4. Bimini, Bahamas

Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to the US, only 48 miles east of Miami and a short 25-minute flight. Alice Town is the commercial centre of Bimini. Bimini is blessed with very warm, shallow and clear waters, allowing travellers to interact with the Atlantic spotted dolphins which abound. Atlantic Spotted Dolphins are fun loving, intelligent, friendly, and playful. The wild spotted dolphins of Little Bahama Bank like to swim side by side with humans.

The average human encounter with dolphins can last from a few minutes to several hours each. The relationship is voluntary based on trust, play, and curiosity. Very active snorkeling and free diving are good ways to keep their attention.

5. The Red Sea

The Red Sea is a very good place to swim with spinner and bottlenose dolphins. Some tour operators report an 80% dolphin swim success rate over the past three years. There are four species often seen in the Red Sea - common dolphins, bottlenose, spinners and the shy Risso's dolphin. Dolphins can be observed all year round and there is a good chance you will see them from your boat wherever you go.

The best sites to swim with dolphins are Samadaii in Marsa Alam. Dolphins are sighted all year round in the lagoon and can be seen mating in May. At Sha'ab Ali you can snorkel in the lagoon at sunset and stand a good chance of being joined by an inquisitive school of bottlenoses.

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