Friday, February 20, 2004
It's really a shame when a website sucks, especially when that websites message is a good one. Check out week 8's last link to see what I am talking about. There's nothing to it, it doesn't catch the audience's eye and it's boring. The colour is preety nasty too.
In Ayurvedic tradition, yogurt is not considered very digestible. On the other side, yogurt is great because it contains probiotics. Best way to make yogurt digestible and retain friendly thingies inside is to make a lassi. This is one recipe, perfect when it's hot outside.
Mango lassi
1/2 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cup water
Peel the mango and cut the flesh into a blender. Add enough water to cover the mango and puree until smooth. Add yogurt and the rest of the water and blend until smooth.
If you don't have mango, another way to make lassi is to blend 1/4 of yogurt and 3/4 of water adding pinch of salt, black pepper and cumin. These spices will add your digestion big time, and you will not even notice the taste.
Mango lassi
1/2 cup yogurt
1 1/2 cup water
Peel the mango and cut the flesh into a blender. Add enough water to cover the mango and puree until smooth. Add yogurt and the rest of the water and blend until smooth.
If you don't have mango, another way to make lassi is to blend 1/4 of yogurt and 3/4 of water adding pinch of salt, black pepper and cumin. These spices will add your digestion big time, and you will not even notice the taste.
Some things to consider trying when implementing a healthier lifestyle:
1. Get some fresh and raw food every day for the enzymes. Enzymes are the workers in the healing process. I regularily eat carrots, fruit smoothies, and sprouts. There is a wide variety of these available. Eat at least five large salads a week. Make the entire meal the salad. Put avacados in there for protein. Try to get at least 6 vegetables in each - onions, spinich, kale, tomatoes, etc. Be creative. Olive oil and cider vinegar with a little maple syrup for dressing - or honey mustard.
2. Try a variety of sea vegetables other than kelp. Try dulse, hijiki, wakame, etc. These are high in natural minerals. Minerals work with the enzymes in healing and in vitamin utilization.
3. Lot's of plain yogurt and fermented foods. These restore the natural microflora in the lumen that are destroyed by drugs. The microflora help digestion and assimilation of food and enhance immune function - among other things.
4. Educate yourself more. Look into Sally Fallon, Dr. Weston Price, and Dr. Doug Morrison. I'll leave you on your own here to do Internet searches.
1. Get some fresh and raw food every day for the enzymes. Enzymes are the workers in the healing process. I regularily eat carrots, fruit smoothies, and sprouts. There is a wide variety of these available. Eat at least five large salads a week. Make the entire meal the salad. Put avacados in there for protein. Try to get at least 6 vegetables in each - onions, spinich, kale, tomatoes, etc. Be creative. Olive oil and cider vinegar with a little maple syrup for dressing - or honey mustard.
2. Try a variety of sea vegetables other than kelp. Try dulse, hijiki, wakame, etc. These are high in natural minerals. Minerals work with the enzymes in healing and in vitamin utilization.
3. Lot's of plain yogurt and fermented foods. These restore the natural microflora in the lumen that are destroyed by drugs. The microflora help digestion and assimilation of food and enhance immune function - among other things.
4. Educate yourself more. Look into Sally Fallon, Dr. Weston Price, and Dr. Doug Morrison. I'll leave you on your own here to do Internet searches.
Taken from another source:
"MSG sprayed right on crops as they grow --
even fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables used in baby food
"In the 1970s, reluctant food processors "voluntarily" took processed free glutamic acid (MSG) out of baby food. Today it's back, in fertilizers called "Omega Protein Refined/Hydrolyzed Fish Emulsion" and "Steam Hydrolyzed Feather Meal," both of which contain hydrolyzed proteins; and in a product called AuxiGro WP Plant Metabolic Primer (AuxiGro) produced by Emerald BioAgriculture (formerly Auxein Corporation). AuxiGro is being sprayed on some of the vegetables our children will eat, into the air our children must breath, and onto the ground from which it can move into drinking water. Head lettuce, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts were among the first crops targeted. On September 12, 2000, the Auxein Corporation Web site gave the following information:
Crops registered include: Celery; Fresh Market Cucumbers; Edible Navy and Pinto Beans; Grapes; Bulb Onions; Bell, Green and Jalapeno Peppers; Iceberg Head Lettuce; Romaine and Butter Leaf Lettuce; Peanuts; Potatoes; Snap Beans; Strawberries; Processing Tomatoes; Fresh Tomatoes; and Watermelons.
"Today, there is no crop that we know of that has not been approved for treatment with MSG by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."
For the rest of this article, click on - http://truthinlabeling.org/msgsprayed.html
"MSG sprayed right on crops as they grow --
even fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables used in baby food
"In the 1970s, reluctant food processors "voluntarily" took processed free glutamic acid (MSG) out of baby food. Today it's back, in fertilizers called "Omega Protein Refined/Hydrolyzed Fish Emulsion" and "Steam Hydrolyzed Feather Meal," both of which contain hydrolyzed proteins; and in a product called AuxiGro WP Plant Metabolic Primer (AuxiGro) produced by Emerald BioAgriculture (formerly Auxein Corporation). AuxiGro is being sprayed on some of the vegetables our children will eat, into the air our children must breath, and onto the ground from which it can move into drinking water. Head lettuce, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and peanuts were among the first crops targeted. On September 12, 2000, the Auxein Corporation Web site gave the following information:
Crops registered include: Celery; Fresh Market Cucumbers; Edible Navy and Pinto Beans; Grapes; Bulb Onions; Bell, Green and Jalapeno Peppers; Iceberg Head Lettuce; Romaine and Butter Leaf Lettuce; Peanuts; Potatoes; Snap Beans; Strawberries; Processing Tomatoes; Fresh Tomatoes; and Watermelons.
"Today, there is no crop that we know of that has not been approved for treatment with MSG by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."
For the rest of this article, click on - http://truthinlabeling.org/msgsprayed.html
Here's a really good article on Electromagnetic Fields and why we shouldn't sleep with our cell phones near us:
ARE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS NEAR ONE'S HEAD REALLY SO DANGEROUS?
For years we've read about the warnings. Here is a study that adds laboratory data to the concerns.
FROM: Rob Harrill
206-543-2580
rharrill@u.washingtonedu
DATE: Feb. 18, 2004
Exposure to low-level magnetic fields causes DNA damage in rat brain cells, researchers find
Two brain cells from a rat exposed to a low-level electromagnetic field show significant amounts of damaged DNA, seen exiting from the cells. Findings by UW researchers suggest that such damage is cumulative.
Prolonged exposure to low-level magnetic fields, similar to those emitted by such common household devices as blow dryers, electric blankets and razors, can damage brain cell DNA, according to researchers in the University of Washington's Department of Bioengineering.
The scientists further found that the damage from brief exposures appears to build up over time.
The new study is scheduled to be published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and is available now on the Internet.
In the study, the researchers discovered that rats exposed to a 60-hertz field for 24 hours showed significant DNA damage, and rats exposed for 48 hours showed even more breaks in brain cell DNA strands. Exposure also resulted in a marked increase in brain cell apoptosis, or "cell suicide," a process in which a cell self-destructs because it can't repair itself.
A previous study showed similar damage, but it was conducted at 10 times the intensity and rats were exposed for just two hours. That indicates that the effects of exposure are cumulative, and duration can be as damaging as intensity, said Henry Lai, a UW research professor who conducted the study with fellow UW bioengineer Narendra Singh.
"In real life, people get this kind of exposure in brief doses - three minutes of exposure to a blow dryer, five minutes of exposure to an electric razor," Lai said. "We found that this could add up over time and could eventually lead to some health effect."
Since Lai first reported findings of magnetic field-induced DNA damage in 1995, several laboratories in Europe and India have reported similar effects.
Traditionally, scientists have held that low-level electromagnetic fields couldn't be harmful because they weren't potent enough to break chemical bonds in a living organism. Lai doesn't disagree - he simply suspects a more subtle mechanism is at work. He believes that the fields, rather than causing harm directly, initiate a process within the cells that leads to the damage.
Lai and Singh hypothesize that exposure to magnetic fields affects the balance of iron in certain cells, leading to an increase in free iron within the cell. That free iron undergoes a chemical reaction, which releases "free radicals," or charged atoms that attack cell structures, including DNA, lipids and proteins.
To test the idea, the researchers gave some of the rats drugs that either neutralize free radicals or decrease free iron before exposing the animals to the magnetic field. The treatments supported the hypothesis, effectively blocking the effects of the fields and protecting the rats' brain cell DNA from damage.
One significant implication of this is that certain types of cells with higher iron content - such as brain cells - may be more susceptible to damage from electromagnetic fields.
DNA damage in and of itself isn't unusual - all cells experience some DNA damage through normal wear and tear and repair themselves. Problems can occur when that damage is significantly increased because that also increases the likelihood of a mistake being made in the repair process, resulting in a mutation that could lead to such diseases as cancer.
Some types of DNA damage are more worrisome than others. A break on one side of DNA's ladder-like double helix is relatively easy to fix. Repairs are much harder if both sides of the helix are broken, and, as a result, the probability of a mutation is substantially higher. Lai and Singh found both single and double strand breaks in the exposed brain cells.
Lai said people shouldn't be overly alarmed by his research results. But they do need to be aware of the possibility that low-level electromagnetic fields might be harmful, especially given the fact that electrical devices are such a central component of daily life And most household appliances - blow dryers, razors, electric blankets, ovens, coffee makers, clocks - emit a 60-hertz field. More work needs to be done to fully understand the process at work and the risks involved, Lai added. In the meantime, he has some advice:
"People should do what they can to limit their exposure to as little as possible, especially in relation to electrical appliances that are used very close to the body."
ARE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS NEAR ONE'S HEAD REALLY SO DANGEROUS?
For years we've read about the warnings. Here is a study that adds laboratory data to the concerns.
FROM: Rob Harrill
206-543-2580
rharrill@u.washingtonedu
DATE: Feb. 18, 2004
Exposure to low-level magnetic fields causes DNA damage in rat brain cells, researchers find
Two brain cells from a rat exposed to a low-level electromagnetic field show significant amounts of damaged DNA, seen exiting from the cells. Findings by UW researchers suggest that such damage is cumulative.
Prolonged exposure to low-level magnetic fields, similar to those emitted by such common household devices as blow dryers, electric blankets and razors, can damage brain cell DNA, according to researchers in the University of Washington's Department of Bioengineering.
The scientists further found that the damage from brief exposures appears to build up over time.
The new study is scheduled to be published in Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and is available now on the Internet.
In the study, the researchers discovered that rats exposed to a 60-hertz field for 24 hours showed significant DNA damage, and rats exposed for 48 hours showed even more breaks in brain cell DNA strands. Exposure also resulted in a marked increase in brain cell apoptosis, or "cell suicide," a process in which a cell self-destructs because it can't repair itself.
A previous study showed similar damage, but it was conducted at 10 times the intensity and rats were exposed for just two hours. That indicates that the effects of exposure are cumulative, and duration can be as damaging as intensity, said Henry Lai, a UW research professor who conducted the study with fellow UW bioengineer Narendra Singh.
"In real life, people get this kind of exposure in brief doses - three minutes of exposure to a blow dryer, five minutes of exposure to an electric razor," Lai said. "We found that this could add up over time and could eventually lead to some health effect."
Since Lai first reported findings of magnetic field-induced DNA damage in 1995, several laboratories in Europe and India have reported similar effects.
Traditionally, scientists have held that low-level electromagnetic fields couldn't be harmful because they weren't potent enough to break chemical bonds in a living organism. Lai doesn't disagree - he simply suspects a more subtle mechanism is at work. He believes that the fields, rather than causing harm directly, initiate a process within the cells that leads to the damage.
Lai and Singh hypothesize that exposure to magnetic fields affects the balance of iron in certain cells, leading to an increase in free iron within the cell. That free iron undergoes a chemical reaction, which releases "free radicals," or charged atoms that attack cell structures, including DNA, lipids and proteins.
To test the idea, the researchers gave some of the rats drugs that either neutralize free radicals or decrease free iron before exposing the animals to the magnetic field. The treatments supported the hypothesis, effectively blocking the effects of the fields and protecting the rats' brain cell DNA from damage.
One significant implication of this is that certain types of cells with higher iron content - such as brain cells - may be more susceptible to damage from electromagnetic fields.
DNA damage in and of itself isn't unusual - all cells experience some DNA damage through normal wear and tear and repair themselves. Problems can occur when that damage is significantly increased because that also increases the likelihood of a mistake being made in the repair process, resulting in a mutation that could lead to such diseases as cancer.
Some types of DNA damage are more worrisome than others. A break on one side of DNA's ladder-like double helix is relatively easy to fix. Repairs are much harder if both sides of the helix are broken, and, as a result, the probability of a mutation is substantially higher. Lai and Singh found both single and double strand breaks in the exposed brain cells.
Lai said people shouldn't be overly alarmed by his research results. But they do need to be aware of the possibility that low-level electromagnetic fields might be harmful, especially given the fact that electrical devices are such a central component of daily life And most household appliances - blow dryers, razors, electric blankets, ovens, coffee makers, clocks - emit a 60-hertz field. More work needs to be done to fully understand the process at work and the risks involved, Lai added. In the meantime, he has some advice:
"People should do what they can to limit their exposure to as little as possible, especially in relation to electrical appliances that are used very close to the body."
Thursday, February 12, 2004
I found this really interesting and thought some of you may as well. If you aren't interested in herbs and food, just ignore this.
Cilantro supposedly removes heavy metals from your body.
I read an article about a lady who set off a sensitive metal detector in an air port. After a thorough search, personnel told her this was common because there is often mercury or other heavy metals, such as lead and aluminum in the kidneys. This just astounded her. She was aware that everyone is exposed to metals from food, air, toiletries, even medical treatments, but she had no idea they would remain in the body’s system with long range toxic effects; weakening the immune system, causing neurological disturbances to the brain or cardiovascular system, even sexual dysfunction.
She heard that cilantro, the leaves of the herb coriander, is reputed to remove mercury from the body. With some research, she learned about Dr. Yoshiaki Omura of The Heart Research Foundation in New York. He discovered that his patients, who suffered from recurrent infections, had deposits of heavy metals in their organs, and these organs were diseased. While testing the urine of one of his patients, who had recently eaten a Vietnamese soup made with large amounts of cilantro, he found increased concentrations of mercury that was excreted in the urine. Further testing showed him that along
with mercury, cilantro accelerated the excretion of lead and aluminum. Using only cilantro leaves, Dr. Omura was able to detoxify his patients of heavy metals in 3 weeks! And their infections cleared up permanently. His recommended “dose” is ¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems per day for
3 weeks. I would probably try this with a juicer with some beets and other veggies.
Beets also help eliminate toxins in the body and is a vegetable with the highest amount of folate.
Cilantro supposedly removes heavy metals from your body.
I read an article about a lady who set off a sensitive metal detector in an air port. After a thorough search, personnel told her this was common because there is often mercury or other heavy metals, such as lead and aluminum in the kidneys. This just astounded her. She was aware that everyone is exposed to metals from food, air, toiletries, even medical treatments, but she had no idea they would remain in the body’s system with long range toxic effects; weakening the immune system, causing neurological disturbances to the brain or cardiovascular system, even sexual dysfunction.
She heard that cilantro, the leaves of the herb coriander, is reputed to remove mercury from the body. With some research, she learned about Dr. Yoshiaki Omura of The Heart Research Foundation in New York. He discovered that his patients, who suffered from recurrent infections, had deposits of heavy metals in their organs, and these organs were diseased. While testing the urine of one of his patients, who had recently eaten a Vietnamese soup made with large amounts of cilantro, he found increased concentrations of mercury that was excreted in the urine. Further testing showed him that along
with mercury, cilantro accelerated the excretion of lead and aluminum. Using only cilantro leaves, Dr. Omura was able to detoxify his patients of heavy metals in 3 weeks! And their infections cleared up permanently. His recommended “dose” is ¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems per day for
3 weeks. I would probably try this with a juicer with some beets and other veggies.
Beets also help eliminate toxins in the body and is a vegetable with the highest amount of folate.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Just a bit of information on toothpaste. First of all, it contains fluoride, a by-product of atomic bombs. Labelled as a chemical that hardens teeth, it really turns teeth brown. It also attacks bones and joints. It is a very bad poison. It is almost impossible to find a brand of toothpaste that doesn't contain this substance. Though if you look at your local health food I'm sure you'll find a fluoride-free toothpaste.
Dr. Hulda Clark's book, The Cure For All Cancer, is an excellent resource on cleaning up your home environment. Everyone should have a copy of this book
in their kitchen.
One tip: avoid products with propyl-anything in them. Propyl alcohol is a big problem and in many products such as dish soap and shampoo.
I'm not advocating the book as a subsitute for "cancer cures" or "chemo and raditation", but it is a wonderful read. We use many products that are potentially dangerous to our health.
in their kitchen.
One tip: avoid products with propyl-anything in them. Propyl alcohol is a big problem and in many products such as dish soap and shampoo.
I'm not advocating the book as a subsitute for "cancer cures" or "chemo and raditation", but it is a wonderful read. We use many products that are potentially dangerous to our health.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
I've been busy this week and forgot all about the business of blogging.
This week I explored fun websites that are a great way to waste time.
Check out this week's sites and enjoy!
This week I explored fun websites that are a great way to waste time.
Check out this week's sites and enjoy!
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Well, here begins another week of blogging for school, blogging for fun, blogging for the greater good.
Here's a couple of "OR" questions that came up at a friend's house this weekend. You know, when your sitting around, bored out of your mind and looking to stir a debate....
ON POLITICS:
1. Legalize Pot OR Legalize Prostitution?
2. Big Government OR Small Government?
3. (American Slant) John Dean OR Deep Throat of Watergate Scandal?
ON CELEBRITIES:
1. The Joker OR The Riddler?
2. Goober OR Gomer Pyle?
3. Romeo OR Juliet?
4. Cheech OR Chong?
5. Betty OR Veronica?
ON SEX OR DATING?
1. Physical Love OR Emotional Love?
2. Man's Chest: Hairy OR Bare?
3. Feminism OR Chivarly?
4. One Night Stand OR Commitment?
5. Loved And Lost OR Never to Have Loved At All?
6. Partner: Younger OR Older?
ON THINKING OR DEEP THOUGHTS?
1. Abortion OR Adoption?
2. Up Or Down?
3. Few OR Many?
4. Give OR Receive?
5. Enlightenment OR Ignorance?
It's always interesting to see what people say when asked these "OR" questions and it brings up hours of conversation and hopefully respectable debate. No matter what, it is always important to listen to what someone's answers are and to respect them, even if you can't agree.
Here's a couple of "OR" questions that came up at a friend's house this weekend. You know, when your sitting around, bored out of your mind and looking to stir a debate....
ON POLITICS:
1. Legalize Pot OR Legalize Prostitution?
2. Big Government OR Small Government?
3. (American Slant) John Dean OR Deep Throat of Watergate Scandal?
ON CELEBRITIES:
1. The Joker OR The Riddler?
2. Goober OR Gomer Pyle?
3. Romeo OR Juliet?
4. Cheech OR Chong?
5. Betty OR Veronica?
ON SEX OR DATING?
1. Physical Love OR Emotional Love?
2. Man's Chest: Hairy OR Bare?
3. Feminism OR Chivarly?
4. One Night Stand OR Commitment?
5. Loved And Lost OR Never to Have Loved At All?
6. Partner: Younger OR Older?
ON THINKING OR DEEP THOUGHTS?
1. Abortion OR Adoption?
2. Up Or Down?
3. Few OR Many?
4. Give OR Receive?
5. Enlightenment OR Ignorance?
It's always interesting to see what people say when asked these "OR" questions and it brings up hours of conversation and hopefully respectable debate. No matter what, it is always important to listen to what someone's answers are and to respect them, even if you can't agree.
Monday, January 26, 2004
We arrived home safely only to realize that we had a long night of homework ahead. Sadly, I said goodbye and promptly sat at my desk to begin a night of wretched blogging and reading. I have many tasks to accomplish both this evening and tomorrow, but mostly I will think of my Leiver and how happy it is to be in such company.
I think I will make a pot of tea and add a wee bit of Stevia to it. Yum, yum.
It's cold and dark and the days are dreary, but still the people in my head march on. Like the ants down the path, slowly making their way to a new home beneath the rotten tree named Betsy. I didn't think ants were out and about during the month of January. I am learning all sorts of things these days.
I think I will make a pot of tea and add a wee bit of Stevia to it. Yum, yum.
It's cold and dark and the days are dreary, but still the people in my head march on. Like the ants down the path, slowly making their way to a new home beneath the rotten tree named Betsy. I didn't think ants were out and about during the month of January. I am learning all sorts of things these days.
My dear colleague L***h is a good driver, she cares about my safety, which in turn means I matter to her. I don't even fear from her daily road rage because she still uses caution when swearing, speeding or attempting to hit a person who is walking too slowly. I must go now, she and I need to drive home =:0
Sunday, January 25, 2004
I've been working on that query letter assignment for 401, my proposal is to write a feature on the dangers of aspartame. I thought I might as well post two websites that present some great insight.
There are also alternatives to aspartame that are not dangerous to the body. Stevia (a sweet herb) is one of them. (Check out the link under week four called "Alternatives Work"). I have to admit, I prefer Stevia over aspartame on taste alone. Stevia is extremely strong, so you only need to use the tiniest amount for flavour. If you make the mistake of putting too much of it on whatever you are consuming, as a friend of mine did, then you'll end up with so much sweetness it will repulse you. So start with very small doses.
Oh, it also tastes a bit like black licorice. You may or may not like that.
There are also alternatives to aspartame that are not dangerous to the body. Stevia (a sweet herb) is one of them. (Check out the link under week four called "Alternatives Work"). I have to admit, I prefer Stevia over aspartame on taste alone. Stevia is extremely strong, so you only need to use the tiniest amount for flavour. If you make the mistake of putting too much of it on whatever you are consuming, as a friend of mine did, then you'll end up with so much sweetness it will repulse you. So start with very small doses.
Oh, it also tastes a bit like black licorice. You may or may not like that.
