Antibacterial Soaps, Triclosan, and You

Antibacterial Soaps, Triclosan, and You
April 29th, 2010

In this disease-phobic world, we’re taught to wash our hands at every turn, to take germ-killing antibiotics at the first sign of sniffles, and to use antibacterial detergents to kill any bugs that might lurk on surfaces or clothes. But ironically, in our energetic quest to destroy all germs, we use chemicals and drugs that might be destroying the very health we seek to preserve. For instance, the FDA recently admitted that it “should” reevaluate the safety of triclosan, an antibacterial chemical commonly found in a dizzying array of household items. Products containing triclosan include liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, dishwashing liquids, shaving gels, toothpastes, deodorants, cutting boards, mattresses, toilets, blankets, credit cards, air filters, countertops, earplugs, swimming pool liners, socks, workout clothes, toys, and so on and so on. In fact, triclosan is in so many products that it’s simultaneously regulated by three agencies: the EPA
for its application as a pesticide (yes, you read that correctly), the FDA for its use in personal care products and medical devices, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

You’ve got to suspect bad news associated with any substance that’s simultaneously a pesticide and a component in toothpaste. In fact, the chemical structure of triclosan resembles that of PCBs, which are among the most toxic of all substances. Officially, it’s a chlorophenol — a substance comprised of chlorine and phenol — and neither part of that equation inspires confidence. Tests have shown that when exposed to chlorinated tap water (either externally or internally if you swallowed some toothpaste, for example), triclosan forms chloroform gas, a probable human carcinogen, as well as dioxins, which are extremely toxic endocrine disrupters that bio-accumulate in human tissue. That’ll make you think twice about the hygienic benefits of washing your hands with Softsoap, or brushing your teeth with Colgate Total (both products contain triclosan) before bed.

Triclosan originally was developed as a surgical scrub for medical professionals. Now, in addition to its application in pesticides and fungicides, it’s used to eliminate odors and sanitizer products. Rep. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts wants the FDA to ban triclosan. He says, “The proliferation of triclosan in everyday consumer products is so enormous, it is literally in almost every type of product — most soaps, toothpaste, cosmetics, clothes and toys. It’s in our drinking water, it’s in our rivers, and as a result, it’s in our bodies. . . .It clearly is something that creates a danger.” Studies have found triclosan present in the urine of 75 percent of the population, in breast milk, and in 58 percent of US waterways.

The problem with triclosan, experts contend, is that it’s potentially a hormone disrupter. Research shows that it interferes with normal brain development as well as reproductive system development and function. A 2006 study found that even at low doses, triclosan disrupted thyroid function in bullfrogs, while another study in 2009 concluded that triclosan exposure significantly reduces thyroid hormone concentrations in rats.

Please read the full article:
http://www.jonbarron.org/blog/2010/04/antibacterial-soaps-triclosan-and-you.html

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President's Cancer Panel: Eat Organic, Avoid Plastics

President's Cancer Panel: Eat Organic, Avoid Plastics
A landmark report says the government has been grossly underestimating the effect of environmental toxins on our cancer risk.
By Leah Zerbe

Eat pesticide-free organic food, drink from stainless steel or glass containers, and never heat plastic in the microwave or dishwasher.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Finally, the U.S. government's talking prevention. Real prevention. Not a scan to detect a disease already growing in your body, but rather, the idea of reducing exposure to environmental toxins—like chemicals used in farming and in plastics—to reduce the risk of cancer. The newly released Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk, What We Can Do Now report from the President's Cancer Panel urges the public to eat foods grown without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics, while suggesting practical advice such as not heating plastic in the microwave and not using water bottles that may contain BPA, or bisphenol A, a chemical linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and heart disease.

It's likely industrial foodmakers, plastic makers, and biotech companies aren't happy about the report. In fact, there were rumors flying just last week that the food industry threatened to block legislation that would ban BPA from food packaging. But with this report, for the first time in a long time, observers say it feels like human health may come before corporate interests. "This is an enormously important document from a highly credible source. For the past 30 years, there has been systematic effort in the U.S. to downplay the importance of environmental factors in carcinogenesis," says internationally recognized public and preventive health expert Phil Landrigan, MD, professor and chair of the department of community and preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. "There has been disproportionate emphasis on lifestyle factors and on cancer screening, and not enough attention paid to discovering and controlling
environmental exposures."

Read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/presidents-cancer-panel?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2010_05_07-_-Top5-_-NA

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7 Ways to Cut Your Medical Costs

7 Ways to Cut Your Medical Costs
Stop the CAUSE ... No Need for a Cure!
“Sick care” is expensive ... fortunately, “wellness care” is not.
by www.SixWise.com

http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2010/May/05/7-Ways-to-Cut-Your-Medical-Costs.htm

The salutation "Be Well" is easier said than done.

We would all like to wake up with overflowing energy, a clear mind and a sunny disposition … invigorated and excited about what the day will unfold. But for many this scenario is fleeting or, worse, rarely attained.

But there is something important you should know.

Taking medications to resolve your symptoms is only a temporary fix – one that often leads to side effects and typically does nothing to treat the underlying cause of your health issues, symptoms and illness complaints. Not only are medications expensive, but they will be hard pressed to give you the vim and vigor you’re truly after.

Are there options? Instead of taking medications, might you be better off seeking to stop the cause. When you focus on replacing the cause of the illness, instead of a cure for the symptom you are addressing your health issues ny eliminating the root source, snuffing it out like fingertips squelching a flame. As then, there is no need for a cure.

You have within your ability the power to make positive changes in your life that will greatly reduce, if not eliminate the causes of fatigue, irritability, a clouded mind and even chronic disease.

And, again, when you stop the cause, you will have no need for a cure … you will already “be well.”

You’ve heard the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Taking the steps that follow will help you to prevent a host of chronic health complaints down the road, thereby drastically reducing your medical costs and keeping you in good health, naturally.

1. Ditch Your Nightly Cocktails (Even Wine)

Most everyone knows that heavy drinking is a big health no-no. But when you delve into moderate or light drinking, that’s where things get cloudy.

Moderate drinking -- one drink or less per day for women and two drinks or less per day for men, according to the CDC -- can in fact have health benefits.

For instance, while heavy drinking increases the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke, moderate drinking has beneficial heart effects, particularly to those most at risk -- men over the age of 45 and post-menopausal women. It appears to reduce the risk of blood clots in coronary arteries that can lead to coronary artery disease and heart attack.

That said, drinking is well-known to increase your risk of cancer – by up to 30 percent, according to a Kaiser Permanente study.

Upon looking into the drinking habits and health of over 70,000 women, researchers found that even one or two drinks a day increased women’s breast cancer risk by 10 percent. The risk of cancer jumped to 30 percent among those who had more than three drinks a day.

"A 30 percent increased risk is not trivial. To put it into context, it is not much different from the increased risk associated with women taking estrogenic hormones. Incidentally, in previous research completed at Kaiser Permanente, we have found that smoking a pack of cigarettes or more per day is related to a similar (30 percent) increased risk of breast cancer," Arthur Klatsky, MD said in a press release.

Further, it didn’t matter whether the women drank wine, beer or spirits; each increased the risk of breast cancer similarly.

So while drinking a glass of red wine or a bottle of dark beer (two for men) every day is not likely to harm your health if you're healthy, you may be better off avoiding it entirely.

2. Eliminate Environmental Toxins

Scientists are now beginning to discover that exposure to chemicals -- indoors, outside, at work and even in the womb -- is a major contributor to chronic diseases plaguing the nation. The Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) has released a toxicant and disease database that summarizes links between chemical contaminants and 180 diseases or conditions in humans.

Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report stating that one-quarter of the world is disease burden -- and one-third of the disease burden among children -- is due to environmental factors that could be modified.

So, needless to say, the more steps you can take to reduce your, and your family’s exposure to these toxic chemicals, the better! For instance, the following pervasive chemicals are harmful to your health and should be avoided:

1.Bisphenol-A: A chemical used in plastic bottles, toys, pacifiers, can liners and more that leach into the contents and mimics the female hormone estrogen, which may affect fertility and promote cancer.

2.Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Gases emitted from paint, carpeting, air fresheners and other building supplies that have been linked to cancer and damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system.

3.Phthalates: Chemicals found in soft plastics (plastic wrap, food storage containers, toys) and many personal care products that may cause reproductive and developmental harm, organ damage, immune suppression, endocrine disruption and cancer.

4.Organophosphates: Widely used pesticides linked to cancer, decreasing male fertility and Parkinson's disease.

5.Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs): Used in non-stick pans and wrinkle-free clothing, PFCs have been linked to cancer.

Fortunately, changing your lifestyle to minimize your exposure to these and other toxins may NOT be as cumbersome as you think. You can read about some of the top ways to reduce exposure in this past article, but for starters you can swap your chemical cleaners (which linger on surfaces and in your home’s air) for far safer and more effective antimicrobial PerfectClean cleaning supplies that can eliminate the need and use of toxic cleaners eliminating toxic exposure.

Microscopic Fibers

Microscopic Analysis

1.Polyester / Polyamide conjugated filament before splitting

2.8-triangular polyester micro-denier fibers surrounding the polyamide core = hub & spokes

8 Polyester (4-6 micron’s)

Hub and Spokes = Polyamide core

3.Complete separation MUST occur to achieve performance. The less separation the less performance.
Cleaning your home with PerfectClean cloths regularly will not only minimize your exposure to chemical cleaners, but will also help you to STOP picking up chemical residues that are lingering around your home on counter tops, sinks, table tops, hand rails, door knobs, etc.

Airborne toxins in your home -- which are worse than the air outside due to nano (smallest) particles and microscopic soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols that cannot be seen by the human eye -- are being recirculated daily. These air toxins, which may cause cancer, asthma, and other health issues, are in the indoor air we breathe every minute -- making you and your loved ones the air filters as it all collects in your lungs.

Nano Pollution and Health

For this reason it is highly recommended that you use a high-quality air filter to clean your home’s air. The Environmental Protection Agency says indoor air can be anywhere from two to five times as polluted as outdoor air -- and sometimes more than 100 times more polluted!

When you breathe in polluted air, the pollutants reach much further than your nose, mouth and even lungs. Polluted air affects all of your body's systems, particularly your respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Because people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, having clean air inside should be a top priority.

What should you look for in an air purifier?

The challenge with most air filters or purifiers is that air must be drawn to the unit, either through natural air flow, or through the use of a fan. This method results in uneven treatment and can leave pockets of polluted air, plus fans are noisy, subject to failure, and require higher levels of electricity.

3. Relieve Pain Naturally

Prescription and over-the-counter painkillers are big business in the United States, and only you and your medicine cabinet know how much money you’ve contributed to their billion-dollar market.

When pain strikes, a nationwide phone survey sponsored by Stanford University Medical Center, ABC News and USA Today found about 80 percent of Americans reach for over-the-counter drugs or home remedies to help, while 60 percent have also tried other pain-relief methods including prescription drugs, bed rest and prayer.

More than 10 percent of adults now rely on prescription painkillers everyday -- but interestingly, the survey reported that prayer and prescription drugs worked best, and equally well, in addressing Americans' pain.

So rather than reaching for a medication to relieve pain, what else works … for just pennies a day or less?

Regular exercise: Although you may be tempted to not move around much when you're facing pain, a regular exercise program can actually help to relieve pain. According to the Mayo clinic, exercise works by prompting your body to release chemicals called endorphins that actually block pain signals from reaching your brain.
Plus, exercise will help you to sleep better, have more energy to cope with your pain, and lose weight, which will relieve any excess strain on your joints. Try a variety of gentle exercise to start, such as the awesome program from MySheaNetics.com, which is a favorite among the SixWise.com staff.

If you're currently in pain, remember to consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

Stretching: After three weeks of stretching, stretching expert Jacques Gauthier was able to reduce his pain by 50 percent. Stretching helps to reduce tension in your muscles, improve flexibility and range of motion, and may slow the degeneration of your joints. The act of stretching alone will also improve your blood circulation and help you to relax--a key to pain relief.

Deep Sleep and Relaxation: Whether you're in pain from an injury or due to an underlying condition, your body will be able to fight and work toward healing that pain while you sleep.
Pain and sleep is a bit of a catch-22 though, in that often people with pain have trouble falling asleep.

Relaxation is also important, not only in helping you to fall asleep, but by reducing tension in your muscles, which can help to relieve pain or keep it from getting worse. Being relaxed may also help any other pain relief methods you're using to work better.

4. Nix Sinus Problems at Their Source

Sinusitis, an extremely common illness that affects an estimated 33 million people every year according to the Mayo Clinic, occurs when the lining of your sinus cavities (which are in the facial bones around your nose) become inflamed. This can prevent mucus from draining out of your sinuses, allowing viruses, bacteria and fungi to multiply and cause infection and swelling.

While acute sinusitis is usually caused by infection with a virus or single type of bacteria, chronic sinusitis is usually caused by infection with a mixture of bacteria or allergies. It can occur at any time but may also follow a respiratory infection, such as a cold.

There are a number of steps you can take to prevent chronic sinusitis from flaring up and help reduce the symptoms naturally.

If you have allergies, use these 26 simple steps to prevent allergy flare-ups, which will also reduce your chances of a sinusitis flare-up.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Avoid alcohol, which can cause your sinus membranes to swell.

Eat a variety of foods, like fruits and vegetables, to boost your immune system, which may help fight off an underlying infection, and reduce inflammation in your body.

Inhale steam from a kettle or pot of boiling water (being careful not to get burned) or use a humidifier.

Apply warm packs to your face.

Try nasal cleaning. Nasal cleansing, also known as nasal irrigation, involves using a neti pot to pour a lukewarm saline solution (pure water mixed with natural salt) inside one side of your nostril while tilting your head sideways so the water runs out of your other nostril.

This simple, inexpensive and soothing technique is actually one of the six purification techniques traditionally done by many prior to doing yoga and many Muslims do it before going to prayer.

This practice is quickly gaining many modern-day followers across the globe, simply because of how good it feels. Nasal cleansing using a well-designed neti pot can help you:

Clear your nasal passages
Remove excess mucus
Reduce dust and pollen by cleansing nasal passages
Relieve nasal dryness

It’s an incredibly simple process. The first step is to make your saline solution, which should be made with pure (distilled or purified) water that’s as close to the temperature of your body as you can get it mixed with about 1/4 teaspoon of natural, non-iodized salt, such as Ancient Secrets Nasal Cleansing Salt.

Then add it to your high-quality neti pot, of which Sixwise.com highly recommends Ancient Secrets Nasal Cleansing Pot. It is made from sturdy, lead-free ceramic and coated with a food-grade sealant. Its unique design also makes it very easy and effective to use, plus it’s dishwasher safe.

Ancient Secrets Neti Pot has a truly advanced design with easy-grip handle and better nozzle seal. It’s also balanced for ease of use with a concave grip for more assured control, and a better water chamber for less mess and easier cleaning.

5. Eat a High-Quality Diet

How healthy are your eating habits? Fill out this quick questionnaire to find out how healthy of an eater you really are ...

The American food system is in crisis, plagued with an industrial mentality that puts profits ahead of the people it is supposed to nourish. At the heart of the problem are the prevalent “filler” ingredients like corn, corn syrup, soy and wheat, which are found in virtually very processed food. A diet high in processed foods has been linked to obesity, heart disease, cancer and other chronic health issues.

Your diet really has a major influence on your health and your mood. For instance, according to Food and Behavior Research, a charitable organization trying to advance scientific research into the links between nutrition and human behavior, diet can play a role in preventing and managing the following conditions:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
Autistic spectrum disorders
Anxiety
Depression
Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder
Schizophrenia

So if you’re not feeling at your peak, it makes sense to try to eat a healthier diet. Some simple healthy eating tips include:

Cut out excess "empty" calories like those from soda, candy, cookies, sweetened drinks and chips first.

Avoid eating too many processed carbs (white sugar and white flour, etc.). These extra carbohydrates are easily converted into fat.

Bake, grill, steam or broil food instead of frying it (fewer calories and better for health and energy).

Include a healthy protein like lean meat, yogurt, cheese, nuts or beans with every meal to preserve muscle mass and satisfy hunger.

Eat a variety of whole fruit, rather than fruit juice.

Eat a wide variety of vegetables, including dark greens. Along with the many outstanding nutrients, the fiber in vegetables (and whole fruits) will help you feel full.

When choosing grains, pick items that have whole grains listed as the first ingredient on the label.

Limit added sugars in your diet in foods like soft drinks, candy, cake, cookies, pies and fruit drinks. For a healthier alternative to soda, try Ajmera’s line of all-natural delicious beverages. They’re 100 percent natural drinks with no preservatives and no artificial flavors or colors, plus they come in six delicious flavors.

6. Eat More Raw Foods

As The China Study, one of the most comprehensive looks at how your diet impacts your health, bore out, “a good diet is the most powerful weapon we have against disease and sickness.”

But what you may not know is that eating a diet solely of cooked foods, even healthy cooked foods, will leave a major nutritional gap in your body because they contain no enzymes.

Raw plant and animal foods (such as raw milk) are loaded with beneficial enzymes for your body. (Enzymes are actually special proteins that act as catalysts for the chemical reactions that occur to keep your body functioning.) However, enzymes begin to be destroyed at temperatures above 110-115 degrees. So if your food is cooked, pasteurized or processed, it will contain no enzymes whatsoever.

Your body contains 2,500 or more different enzymes, and they are very important. Enzymes in your saliva, for instance, help break apart starches, while those in your stomach help break down protein. Enzymes in your intestines, meanwhile, are responsible for breaking apart all of your food, whether fat, protein or carb.

These digestive enzymes are what allow your food to be broken down, and the nutrients absorbed by your bloodstream.

The ideal way to add enzymes to your diet is simply by eating more raw foods. Be generous with consuming raw fruits and vegetables, and also consider adding other sources of raw food to your diet, such as raw milk and raw-milk cheese.

For some delicious, enzyme-rich raw food recipes, try out the book "Alive in 5": Raw Gourmet Meals in Five Minutes. Even those who are new to raw foods will enjoy the simple recipes (most can be prepared in five minutes!) for lasagna, spaghetti marinara, stuffed mushrooms, broccoli in cheese sauce, apple pie and more. They're healthy and delicious, and will make you want to eat raw for the taste value alone.

Another option if your diet consists primarily of cooked foods is to take an enzyme supplement. There are numerous enzyme supplements available on the market to help increase your levels, but Sixiwse.com highly recommends the plant-based, acid-resistant digestive enzyme formulation, AbsorbAid Platinum from NutritionsFinest.com.

This vegetable-based digestive enzyme system combines its effective ratio of proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases with two "acid-tolerant" bacteria or a probiotic combination, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum.

This product addresses not only the digestive enzyme system deficiencies recognized in most adults, but it combines two effectively beneficial bacterial strains that are metabolically complementary and help create a symbiosis with the digestive enzyme system complex and helps promote immune system excellence.

7. Stay Out of Hospitals as much as Possible and Reduce the Amount of Antibiotics You Take to Avoid These Superbugs

“MRSA” and “C. diff” infections have been spreading across the United States like wildfire. More people died from each of these superbugs that thrive on antibiotics than the number of people who died from the Swine Flu (H1N1) last year but you don’t see government-paid TV commercials about deadly “MRSA” or “C. diff”. That’s likely due to there not being any highly profitable drugs that stop either.

In fact it’s interesting that if anything the antibiotic drugs are known to strengthen these superbugs, which could hurt sales and profits of the large drug companies if the word gets out!

That is why we are here to warn you!

In both cases (“MRSA” and “C. diff” superbugs), you are more likely to become infected if you’ve recently spent time in a hospital and / or if you’ve taken antibiotics.

Fortunately, the healthier you are, the less likely you are to contract MRSA or C. diff. Even the CDC states, “People in good health usually don’t get C. difficile disease.”

However, taking antibiotics even when you are healthy makes you susceptible to both deadly superbugs. That’s something you won’t likely hear stated on the nightly news. They have drug companies as advertisers and can’t afford to rock the boat!

Along with following the steps above and using antibiotics only when absolutely necessary, you can further lower your risk of “C. diff” and “MRSA” (and any associated medical costs) by balancing the good and bad bacteria in your gut.

Why? Because 70 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system. This means that if your gut is overrun with bad bacteria, there’s a good chance your immune system will not be functioning at its best.

Studies have shown that probiotics may be helpful with both immune system modulation and allergies, plus they’re imperative if you’ve recently been on antibiotic therapy.

One More Major Reason Why These 7 Steps Will Save You Big Bucks

When you purchase health insurance, your rates are based on your current health status. If you are eating healthy, not drinking excessively, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking, you will receive the best price available.

As you integrate the seven cost-saving measures into your everyday life, you may find that you lose weight and become healthier, as well. If your health improves (lower weight, better blood pressure, cholesterol readings, etc.), you can then contact your health insurance carrier and request to have your premium reduced to the preferred category (you will likely need to show medical proof of this for consideration).

So while reaping all the benefits of staying well, you will even be able to save on your health insurance costs.


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Earth May Have Reached Its Tipping Point :(

Earth May Have Reached It's Tipping Point.

Article
link >

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100510/ts_afp/unenvironmentbiodiversityeconomy

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Sugar: Number TWO Cause of Physical Problems

SUGAR - NUMBER TWO CAUSE OF PHYSICAL PROBLEMS
From Hallelujah Acres

2. SUGAR

After animal products, which we took a long look at in
last week's Health Tip #415, the next most popular
DEAD,
FIBERLESS, and good-for-nothing KILLER food of our day
is
refined SUGAR! However, it is not a food substance at
all,
but rather a dangerous poison. Yet it is consumed by
almost
everyone in America, on a daily basis, and it does
horrible
things within the body. It is also something God never
intended our physical bodies to ever have to contend
with.
The only sugar God designed our physical bodies to
ever
have to deal with were the natural sugars found in the
LIVING, raw fruits and vegetables, that He, God,
created
and placed in the Garden!

Are you aware that a hundred years ago, the average
annual
intake of refined sugar was approximately 5 pounds per
person per year? Today, the average annual intake of
refined sugar is around 170 pounds per person per
year.
That means that if a person is consuming the Standard
American Diet (SAD), that person is placing into their
God
made physical bodies, over 50 teaspoons of refined
sugar
each and every day of their life. Thus a person who
lives
to the age of 70 will have placed into their body,
during
their lifetime, some 12,000 pounds of refined sugar.
Well,
let's take a look at what all that sugar is doing
within
our beautiful, God designed, physical body?

(1) REFINED SUGAR IS A DEAD FOOD

Refined sugar originated in a living plant, which
contained its complete complement of enzymes, but by
the
time it reaches the refined sugar stage, all life has
been
destroyed, and it has become a very DEAD food. Let's
look
for a moment at what they do with the original sugar
cane
or beet as they turn the living sugars found in the
plant,
into a refined, DEAD, product. The following
information
was taken from a newsletter written by Charlotte
Gerson:

"Sugar is a basic element in starchy food, however,
processed sugar is a completely different matter. The
sugar
we purchase in the supermarket for personal
consumption is
processed sugar. This kind of sugar is heated up in
chalk-
milk, so that calcium and protein are extracted. After
the
process, it becomes alkaloid, destroying all vitamin
content. In the second phase the sugar is mixed with
acid
chalk, carbonic gas, sulfur dioxide and finally with
natrium bicarbonate. The mixture is cooked and cooled
off
several times and thereafter crystallized and
centrifuged.

The dead mass is then treated with strontium
hydroxide.
Subsequently it arrives at the refinery where it is
passed
over chalk carbon acid to clean it. Dark coloring is
removed by adding sulfuric acid and then it is
filtered
with bone charcoal. Finally, it is colored with
Indathrenblue or the highly toxic Ultramarine. This
product's chemical composition is C12H22O11, which you
can
buy in shops as 'pure cane' sugar."

(2) REFINED SUGAR CONTAINS NO FIBER

Another important thing to understand about refined
sugar
is that just like we saw with foods of animal origin,
sugar
is devoid of all fiber. Let's remember here, that God
designed our bodies to move food through a very
extensive
digestive tract through means of fiber, and foods
containing no fiber create problems.

(3) REFINED SUGAR IS FRAGMENTED

Through heating and mechanical and chemical
processing,
all vitamins, proteins, fats, enzymes - indeed - every
single nutrient is removed until nothing but pure
white
sugar, pure 'naked calories,' pure refined
carbohydrate
remains. Sixty-four food elements are destroyed in the
processing. Fragmented foods set up nutritional
imbalances
that precipitate health problems galore.

(4) REFINED SUGAR IS HIGHLY ACIDIC

Like animal source foods, refined sugar is also 'acid
forming.' This means that the body must take vital
alkaline
minerals, calcium being the most plentiful, from the
body's
cells to metabolize refined sugar. This high sugar
use,
along with the consumption of animal products, causes
the
body to take so much calcium from our bones and teeth
that
the bones become osteoporotic and teeth decay.

(5) REFINED SUGAR CREATES BLOOD SUGAR DISORDERS

One pound of apples contains 263 calories, whereas,
one
pound of candy has 1800 calories. Refined sugar in
junk
foods is concentrated far beyond what the human body
was
ever designed by God to ever have to process at one
time.
Thus the body has to somehow deal with this incredible
large amount of sugar if it is going to survive. The
body
does deal with it, but in doing so, it often results
in
physical problems called DIABETES and HYPOGLYCEMIA.

DIABETES - In Health Tip #415 we learned that the
primary
cause of diabetes was the fat contained in animal
products.
But when a diabetic consumes refined sugar, the
pancreas
has difficulty producing adequate insulin when the
blood
sugar rises. Concentrated amounts of sugar cause a
rapid
rise in blood sugar. Chronic intake of sugar
eventually
exhausts the pancreas as it tries to compensate. Thus
the
diabetic is condemned to having to take
ever-increasing
amounts of insulin to compensate. Diabetes is the
'Number
Three Killer Disease," in America, preceded only by
cardiovascular related diseases and cancer.

HYPOGLYCEMIA - is the flip side of diabetes.
Hypoglycemia
occurs when the body still has a fairly strong
pancreas.
The body overreacts to a concentrated sugar intake and
releases too much insulin from the pancreas. Blood
sugar
levels then plummet far below the normal stable level.
The
suffering Hypoglycemic often experiences fatigue;
headaches; mental depression, and irritability. These
symptoms are often dealt with by the intake of some
more
refined sugar, and so the Hypoglycemic is often caught
in
an endless cycle that often causes the pancreas to
wear out
from all of the constant over stimulation - which
often
results in Diabetes, because now the sufferer cannot
produce sufficient insulin for normal metabolic
activities.

(6) REFINED SUGAR PROMOTES EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY

After a "sugarholic" has consumed a box of candy, or
bag
of cookies, or any large amount of refined sugar, they
know
how self-abused and depressed they feel. Sadly,
studies
reveal a strong link between juvenile and adult
criminal
offenses and sugar addiction. Similar research reveals
a
link between mental illness and sugar abuse. And
hypoglycemic reactions, for the very sensitive
consumer,
promote extreme irrationality, emotional instability,
and
oftentimes aggressiveness. Recent studies are
revealing
that sugar may be as involved in mental illness,
divorce,
and crime as alcohol has been found to be. Depression
is
also one of the most rapidly growing problems in our
society today, and refined sugar is one of the major
contributing factors! ADD and ADHD are running rampant
among our children and even some adults! It is a
problem
doctors are trying to treat with drugs, such as
Ritalin.
Isn't it a sad commentary, that these emotional
problems,
that were caused by the very toxic and poisonous,
addictive
drug (poison) called refined sugar, are then treated
with
another poison, a doctor prescribed drug! How sad! You
mother's who are having a problem with your child's
behavior might consider removing all sugar from their
diet.

(7) REFINED SUGAR CONTRIBUTES TO HEART DISEASE

Fat is not the only contributing factor in heart
disease.
Large amounts of refined sugar cause the insulin in
the
body to convert blood glucose (sugar) into fatty acids
and
triglycerides. Those on a high-sugar diet show
significantly higher levels of fat in their blood than
those who eat no refined sugar. This high fat content
in
the blood is directly related to the development of
plaque
build-up within the arteries, and ultimately, to
hardening
of the arteries.

(8) REFINED SUGAR LEADS TO ADDICTION AND WEIGHT GAIN

Sugar is highly caloric in its pure form, but then it
is
often combined with something containing high fat,
like
shortening, along with some salt, producing a tempting
goodie like candy, fudge, or a donut. Often these high
sugar foods are consumed with a high sugar drink, like
soda
pop. All of this sugar contributes to weight gain.
Recently
I read that if a person consumes just one 12-ounce can
of
soda pop a day, the 11-teaspoons of sugar in that soda
pop
could add 12 pounds to their weight in just one year.
Furthermore, because of the way it plays havoc with
emotions, refined sugar is highly addicting - it works
exactly like a protoplasmic poison, a drug. This means
that
once a sugarholic sufferer has given into this
crystalline
sweetness, they can't stop the addiction. And if they
dare
face withdrawal, the 'sugar blues' give them no peace
until
they return to the sugar, and resign themselves to
remain
fat.

Refined sugar is every bit as addictive as nicotine
and
alcohol! We have found that when a person decides to
adopt
The Hallelujah Diet, they usually do not have a great
deal
of difficulty eliminating the animal products, white
flour
products, table salt, or even caffeine (which is
another
addictive drug), but many find that the most difficult
substance to eliminate is refined sugar. Sugar has a
powerful addictive influence upon many people. Have
you
ever noticed that children, who are allowed to have
candy,
are always asking for more, while never being
satisfied no
matter how much you give them? It is because their
bodies
have become addicted to sugar and there bodies are
screaming for a fix.

(9) REFINED SUGAR COMPROMISES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Let's remember that the immune system is what God
built
into each of our physical bodies to protect us from
the
germs, viruses, and bacteria of this world. It is our
first
line of defense! Refined sugar is an immune system
suppressant! In other words, refined sugar cripples
and can
even knock out this first line of defense. Does that
not
give us a clue as to why so many people experience
infections, colds, the flu, along with other flu like
symptoms, and more? This editor hasn't experienced a
cold
or the flu, since eliminating refined sugar, and
adopting a
basically living plant source diet 30 years ago!

(10) SUGAR CONTRIBUTES TO A MYRIAD OF OTHER PHYSICAL
PROBLEMS

Refined sugar is associated with malnutrition and
decreased resistance to disease. Refined sugar impacts
quality of life as it increases the severity of PMS;
decreases cognitive or intellectual function,
especially in
children; sugar also contributes to our current
epidemic of
heart disease, and so much more.
Following is just a partial list of other health
problems
related to the intake of refined sugar: Acne,
addiction to
drugs and caffeine, alcoholism, allergies, anxiety,
behavior problems, binge eating, bloating, bone loss,
Candidiasis, depression, difficulty concentrating,
eczema,
edema, emotional problems, fatigue, food cravings,
hormonal
problems, hyperactivity, insomnia, menstrual
difficulties,
mental illness, mood swings, premature aging,
psoriasis,
and the list goes on and on.

To summarize, refined sugar and products made with it,
are
the second most often cause or contributing cause of
the
physical problems being experienced today. Refined
sugar
products are all DEAD, and FIBERLESS, and following
animal
source foods, the second most popular of the deadly,
KILLER
foods of our day. No wonder God says: "My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge." Isn't it a sad
commentary, that instead of dealing with our physical
problems by dealing with their causes, and eliminating
those causes, we deal with their causes and symptoms,
with
the consumption of other poisonous drugs! All because
we
have failed to nourish our physical bodies the way
that God
designed in Genesis 1:29!

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New research shows grapes reduce risk for heart disease and diabetes

New research shows grapes reduce risk for heart disease and diabetes
by S. L. Baker, features writer
NaturalNews
Thursday, May 06, 2010

The millions of Americans with heart disease and type 2 diabetes didn't develop these diseases out of the blue. Their disorders are the result of a cascade of problems including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, abdominal fat and other symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Now University of Michigan (U-M) scientists say they've found something that could help put the brakes on this downward spiral of ill health. It's not a new drug but a delicious and easy lifestyle change: just eat grapes.

The U-M research findings, announced April 26th at the Experimental Biology convention held in Anaheim, California, showed grape consumption lowered blood pressure, improved heart function and reduced other risk factors for heart disease and metabolic syndrome, a condition affecting an estimated 50 million Americans that often leads to type 2 diabetes. The scientists stated the beneficial effects of grapes appear to be due to the rich supply of phytochemicals in the fruit.

Continue reading: http://www.naturalnews.com/028731_grapes_diabetes.html

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19 of the Greatest Ocean Heroes of All Time

19 of the Greatest Ocean Heroes of All Time
See the men and women who have been on the frontlines of protecting our blue world.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/ocean-heroes-460410

Wallace J. Nichols
As David Rockefeller, Jr. recently told The Daily Green, "Ninety-five percent of environmental conservation efforts go to the land, with only five percent left for oceans. Yet 71% of the globe is covered by oceans." Seen from space, Earth is a blue marble.

To bring this concept home, sea turtle researcher and conservationist Wallace "J." Nichols, PhD started the Blue Marbles Project, a global initiative that asks participants to pass along a blue marble to someone they see expressing care for the oceans. So far 60,000 marbles have been shared, and the stories have been told via social media and other outlets. Nichols was recommended to TDG by two members of our Facebook community. He is a research associate with the California Academy of Sciences and is the founder of OceanRevolution.org. "We ocean lovers need to be the voice for the ocean," Nichols told TDG.

Alexandra Paul
Alexandra Paul has been acting for 20 years, and is best known for her leading role on the international hit Baywatch. Paul has long had a deep commitment to the environment and social justice, and has campaigned tirelessly for oceans protection. She has spoken to thousands of young students about the issue, and co-hosted the environmental cable access talk show Earth Talk Today for seven years. She is a long-time vegetarian and driver of electric vehicles, and appeared in Who Killed the Electric Car?.

Paul has written and produced several other environmental programs, and blogs at Huffington Post about living a better, greener life. She has been recognized by the UN and other groups for her advocacy work.

Carl Safina
Carl Safina, PhD is the president and co-founder of the Blue Ocean Institute, which uses science, art and education to inspire conservation of the seas. A marine ecologist and recreational (and part-time commercial) fishermen, the Brooklyn-born Safina became alarmed at the collapsing of fish populations. In response, he has helped lead campaigns to ban high-seas drift-nets, re-wrote federal fisheries law and promoted a United Nations global fisheries treaty. In 1990 he founded the Living Oceans Program at the National Audubon Society, which he ran for a decade.

Safina has written extensively on the oceans, including the award-winning Song for the Blue Ocean and Eye of the Albatross.

Ransom Aldrich "Ram" Myers, Jr.
Also recommended by one of TDG's Facebook fans is Ransom Aldrich "Ram" Myers, Jr., PhD (1952-2007). Myers was a world-renowned marine biologist and conservationist. He started life as the son of a Mississippi cotton planter, and won an international science fair at age 16 for his X-ray crystallograph.

Myers spent most of his career studying marine life in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Canada, where he drew international attention to collapsing fish stocks. He sounded the alarm about precipitous decline of Atlantic cod, bluefin tuna and many shark species.

David Helvarg
David Helvarg is an environmental advocate and journalist and who penned The War Against the Greens, Blue Frontier, 50 Way to Save the Ocean and his new memoir, Saved by the Sea: A Love Story with Fish. Helvarg is the founder and president of the Blue Frontier Campaign, which works with government to craft ocean policy.

Recently, Blue Frontier has been pressuring the Obama administration to lead a new direction in ocean conservation. The group also supports Roz Savage's solo trans-Pacific row to Australia and Margo Pellegrino's Seattle to San Diego paddle in a small outrigger, both to promote ocean awareness. Helvarg is also working to save Point Molate, the last 422 acres of undeveloped but also unprotected headlands and offshore eelgrass meadows on San Francisco Bay, which the Richmond, California city council is trying to sell for a casino/resort development.

Peter Benchley
Another project of Helvarg's group is the Blue Frontier/Peter Benchley Awards, the next of which will take place June 25 at the California Academy of Sciences museum in San Francisco. This recognizes achievement in ocean conservation in a range of areas, including science, policy, media, exploration and seaweed (marine grassroots) leadership. It is named for Peter Benchley (1940-2006), who is best known as the creator of Jaws, but who also spent years working on marine conservation.

Before he became a best-selling novelist, Benchley was a journalist who worked for the Washington Post and Newsweek. After his story about a man-eating shark became a cultural phenomenon, Benchley used his time in the limelight to educate the public about oceans issues. He spoke and wrote extensively on the topic, producing non-fiction as well as serious and pop fiction.

Sylvia Earle
A lion(fish) among voices for the sea, Sylvia Earle recently used her TED Award pulpit to argue that we "need to think blue as well as green." She added, "It's a mystery to me why we've neglected the oceans the way we have."

Sylvia Earle is a world renowned oceanographer who has logged some 7,000 hours under the waves, has set several diving records (including diving while pregnant) and is a National Geographic "Explorer in Residence." She is also a best-selling author and tireless speaker and advocate for ocean policy reform.

Charles William Beebe
Another Brooklyn-born ocean advocate was Charles William ("Will") Beebe (1877–1962), who was a naturalist, curator, explorer and author. Beebe went on many eco-adventures around the globe, delighting his many readers and introducing the natural world to an increasingly urbanizing public. His deep-sea explorations led to the development of the bathysphere (pictured, Beebe at left), which set several records in the 1930s for deep descents.

Beebe produced leading scholarship on birds, and was a fixture at the Bronx Zoo. He devoted considerable efforts to environmental education, and helped preserve tropical forest in the Caribbean.

Ted Danson
Ted Danson is an Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor who is best known for his role on Cheers. But Danson is also a longtime hero of the oceans, having advocated on their behalf for more than 30 years. In 1987, he founded American Oceans Campaign, after being upset that California beaches were too polluted to take his daughter to. That group merged with Oceana in 2002, when Danson became a board member and ardent supporter.

Danson narrated the critically acclaimed 2009 documentary The End of the Line, about overfishing, and he has been working on a book about the state of the world's seas, forthcoming from Rodale. You can catch Danson these days on the shows Damages and Bored to Death.

David Rockefeller, Jr.
Billionaire heir David Rockefeller, Jr. recently sat down for an exclusive interview with TDG. Rockefeller is a lifelong sailor and founder of the group Sailors for the Sea, which aims to organize recreational boaters in support of ocean conservation. The group is also currently sponsoring Around the Americas, a fact-finding and educational sail around the Western Hemisphere.

The Cousteau Family
A name that needs no introduction when it comes to oceans is Cousteau. Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997) was an explorer, scientist, filmmaker, naval officer and inventor who introduced millions of people around the world to the wonders of the oceans, and was a passionate and eloquent voice for protecting them. His son Jean-Michel Cousteau has carried on his legacy with the Ocean Futures Society, as have several other Cousteaus, including Celine and Fabien, who are shown here with Jean-Michel in the Dry Tortugas during production of "America's Underwater Treasures" for PBS. Alexandra and Philippe Cousteau are also heavily involved in ocean conservation.

Archie Fairly Carr, Jr.
Archie Fairly Carr, Jr. (1909–1987) was a herpetologist at the University of Florida and a pioneering conservationist who put the plight of endangered sea turtles on the global map. His long career helped shape and define the emerging field of conservation biology, as shown in the 2007 book The Man who Saved Sea Turtles by Frederick R. Davis.

Ed Ricketts
Edward Flanders Robb Ricketts (1897-1948), commonly known as Ed Ricketts, was a pioneering marine biologist and philosopher. His 1939 study Between Pacific Tides helped set the stage for modern conservation ecology, and since it was accessible and widely read it brought about awareness of the fragile coastlines, particularly in fast-developing California. Ricketts was not well accepted by the scientific establishment during his time, since he had not completed a college degree, but his work is influential even today.

Ricketts was also a profound influence on Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, who was a close friend. They collaborated on The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951), and as a result of their interactions, Steinbeck would imbue much of his work with themes of nature and environmental degradation. Several of the author's characters, including "Doc" in Cannery Row and Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath, are modeled after Ricketts. He died in a tragic collision at a railroad crossing.

Sigourney Weaver
Actress Sigourney Weaver grew up near the ocean on the East Coast, but told TDG that she used to take the oceans for granted, until she learned about the myriad threats they face. Now she is an informed and passionate spokesperson for the issue. She recently narrated NRDC's powerful Acid Test film about ocean acidification. She also played a blue character on a little movie called Avatar, which had an environmental theme or two.

Paul Watson
To many in the environmental and animal rights movements, Paul Watson needs no introduction. The captain of the Sea Shepherd Society is also increasingly known from the hit reality show Whale Wars, about the group's ongoing battles to block Japanese whalers. Watson was a co-founder of Greenpeace, and he has fought for the Earth for decades, often putting himself directly in the harpoon's path.

Eddie Vedder, the longtime vocalist of Pearl Jam, is a surfer and paddler who has done a lot of work with the conservation group Surfrider over the years on behalf of ocean conservation. Vedder has raised funds, volunteered his time and worked to spread awareness about the oceans around the world.

His bandmates have also long been committed to environmental causes, most notably lead guitarist Stone Gossard.

John Halas
In 2009, John Halas won the first annual Ocean Hero award from Oceana, for his long efforts to protect coral reefs. Halas is a marine biologist and manager of the Upper Region of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. He also developed an anchor and mooring buoy system that is less damaging to fragile corals, and which has spread around the world.

Halas has helped people protect sensitive marine habitats in at least 38 countries.

The Cove Filmmakers
The stirring, dramatic documentary The Cove has helped build global awareness about the annual dolphin slaughter in a small Japanese fishing town. The fact that it won an Academy Award certainly didn't hurt. The film introduced many to Ric O'Barry's passionate, tireless crusade on behalf of marine mammals.

The Cove also makes a case against over fishing, and it warns of the toxic burden of mercury pollution, which poisons our food supply.

Robert Ballard
Robert Ballard is a pioneering ocean archaeologist and explorer who is best known for finding the wrecks of the Titanic, Bismarck, Yorktown and JFK's PT boat. Ballard is a former commander in the U.S. Navy and is a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. Ballard also founded the Institute for Exploration.

In addition to his inspiring explorations, Ballard has spoken out about the importance of better understanding and protecting the oceans. He has helped educate thousands of kids through the distance learning project he founded, the JASON Project, which is now part of National Geographic.Share this on Facebook: Share