10 Reasons to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
February 27 2010 | 22,801 views

GM foods won’t solve the food crisis

A 2008 World Bank report concluded that increased biofuel production (crops grown for fuel rather than food) is the major cause of the increase in food prices.  GM giant Monsanto has been at the heart of the lobbying for biofuels -- while profiting enormously from the resulting food crisis and using it as a PR opportunity to promote GM foods!

GM crops do not increase yield potential

Despite the promises, GM has not increased the yield potential of any commercialized crops. In fact, studies show that the most widely grown GM crop, GM soy, has suffered reduced yields.

GM crops increase pesticide use

U.S. government data shows that in the U.S., GM crops have produced an overall increase, not decrease, in pesticide use compared to conventional crops.

There are better ways to feed the world

A major UN/World Bank-sponsored report compiled by 400 scientists and endorsed by 58 countries concluded that GM crops have little to offer global agriculture and the challenges of poverty, hunger, and climate change, because better alternatives are available.

Other farm technologies are more successful

Integrated Pest Management and other innovative low-input or organic methods of controlling pests and boosting yields have proven highly effective, particularly in the developing world.

GM foods have not been shown to be safe to eat

Genetic modification is a crude and imprecise way of incorporating foreign genetic material into crops, with unpredictable consequences. The resulting GM foods have undergone little rigorous and no long-term safety testing, but animal feeding tests have shown worrying health effects.

Stealth GMOs in animal feed -- without consumers’ consent

Meat, eggs and dairy products from animals raised on the millions of tons of GM feed imported into Europe do not have to be labeled. Some studies show that if GM crops are fed to animals, GM material can appear in the resulting products, and that the animals’ health can be affected.

GM crops are a long-term economic disaster for farmers

A 2009 report showed that GM seed prices in America have increased dramatically, cutting average farm incomes for U.S. farmers growing GM crops.

GM and non-GM cannot co-exist

GM contamination of conventional and organic food is increasing. An unapproved GM rice that was grown for only one year in field trials was found to have extensively contaminated the U.S. rice supply and seed stocks. In Canada, the organic oilseed rape industry has been destroyed by contamination from GM rape. In Spain, a study found that GM maize “has caused a drastic reduction in organic cultivations of this grain and is making their coexistence practically impossible”.

You can’t trust GM companies

The big biotech firms pushing their GM foods have a terrible history of toxic contamination and public deception. GM is attractive to them because it gives them patents that allow monopoly control over the world’s food supply. They have taken to harassing and intimidating farmers for the “crime” of saving patented seed or “stealing” patented genes -- even if those genes got into the farmer’s fields through accidental contamination by wind or insects.

Sources:

  GM Watch February 2010

Guest Comment by Jeffrey M. Smith

1. Eating genetically modified (GM) foods may cause disease

GMOs may be the greatest health disaster in the American diet. Within 9 years of their introduction in 1996, multiple chronic illnesses jumped from 7 percent to 13 percent of the population,^[1] food allergies doubled in less time, and many other ailments have been on the rise.
Millions may already be suffering health problems caused by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their diet. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine has urged doctors to prescribe non-GMO diets for all patients, and cites animal studies that show how GMOs cause disorders such as vital organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system problems, accelerated aging, infertility, and dysfunctional regulation of insulin and cholesterol.

Baby rats from moms that ate GM soy were smaller than those fed natural soy. More than half the GM soy group died within three weeks. Irina Ermakova, 2005-2007.

2. GMOs might cause infertility or hurt newborns

When GM soy flour was added to the diets of female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to only a 10 percent death rate among mothers fed natural soy.^[2] The GM-fed offspring were smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.^[3] When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles changed from the normal pink color to dark blue.^[4] Mice testicles also showed changes, including damaged young sperm cells.^[5]

The DNA in mice embryos functioned differently when their parents ate GM soy.^[6] And an Austrian government study reported that mice fed GM corn had fewer and smaller babies.^[7]
About two dozen US farmers say that thousands of their pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies, others gave birth to bags of water.
Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.^[8] Investigators in the state of Haryana, India, report that most buffalo that ate GM cottonseed had reproductive complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died.^[9]

3. GM corn contains a toxic pesticide in every bite

Some GM varieties produce poison—their DNA creates an insect killing “Bt-toxin” in every cell. Monsanto and others claim that the toxin is safe for humans and mammals because the gene that produces it comes from the soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis.
Farmers have long used these natural bacteria as a pesticidal spray. But when the spray was widely dispersed to fight gypsy moths in Washington and Vancouver, about 500 people reported allergic and flu-like symptoms.^[10]

Genetic engineers insert the bacteria’s toxin-creating gene into corn and cotton plants, which produce a more toxic poison. It’s thousands of times more concentrated than the spray and cannot be washed off.
Now, thousands of Indian farm laborers who are exposed to Monsanto’s Bt cotton plants are suffering from the same symptoms as those in the Pacific Northwest.^[11]
In addition, thousands of sheep, goats, and buffalo have died after grazing on Bt cotton plants.^[12] Countless other livestock have suffered reproductive disorders, skin disruptions, and upper respiratory ailments.
In one small feeding study, all the sheep that consumed Bt plants died within a month. Those that ate natural plants remained healthy.^[13]
Bt corn is also linked to animal deaths in Germany^[14] and The Philippines,^[15] and according to an Italian government study, evokes serious immune responses in mice.^[16] Even Monsanto’s 90-day rat feeding studies with Bt corn showed vital organ damage and signs of toxicity.^[17]

4. GMOs might cause allergies

Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 percent.^[18] There are many reasons why people may be more reactive to GMOs.

• GM soy, corn, and papaya fail the allergy screening protocol recommended by the World Health Organization; their GM proteins have properties of known allergens.^[19]
• The widespread collateral damage resulting from the process of creating GMOs can introduce new allergens or elevate existing ones. GM corn contains a new unintended allergen^[20] and GM soy has up to seven times more of the soy allergen trypsin inhibitor.^[21]
• Preliminary allergy tests confirm that some people have skin prick reactions to GM soy, but not to a wild natural variety.^[22]
• Consuming GMOs may also provoke allergies to other foods.
• Mice not only reacted to Bt-toxin^[23] and an experimental GM pea,^[24] they then started reacting to other foods that previously had no impact.
• GM soy drastically reduces digestive enzymes in mice.^[25] If your digestive ability is also impaired, you could become allergic to many types of food.

5. GMOs have higher residues of poisonous herbicide

The primary reason crops are engineered is to allow them to drink poison. They’re called herbicide tolerant, and are inserted with bacterial genes that allow them to survive otherwise deadly doses of toxic herbicide.
Biotech companies sell the seed and herbicide as a package. Monsanto sells Roundup Ready crops and Roundup herbicide. Bayer CropScience sells Liberty Link crops and Liberty herbicide.
Between 1996 and 2008, US farmers sprayed an extra 383 million pounds of herbicide on these poison drinking GMOs.^[26]
Because weeds are becoming resistant to the overused herbicide, farmers are spraying considerably more each year. The last 2 years of the 13-year study alone accounted for 46 percent of the increased herbicide use.

6. GM genes can convert your intestinal bacteria into living factories that continuously produce pesticides or other harmful products

The ONLY published GMO human feeding study (that’s right, there’s only one) confirmed that genes transfer from GM soybeans into the DNA of bacteria living inside our small intestines and continue to function.^[27]
Human subjects that ate Roundup Ready soybeans ended up with “Roundup Ready gut bacteria”—unkillable with Roundup. If the pesticide-producing Bt gene in corn chips were also to transfer, it could turn your intestinal flora into living pesticide factories—possibly for the long term.

7. GMOs are approved without adequate safety studies

In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration claimed they had no information showing that GM foods were substantially different from conventionally grown foods. Therefore absolutely no safety studies were required.
But secret internal memos made public by a lawsuit show that the actual consensus among FDA scientists was that GMOs can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies.
Sadly, the FDA official in charge of policy ignored the warnings. He was Michael Taylor, Monsanto’s former attorney and later their vice president.
Because of him, the same biotech companies who have been found guilty of hiding toxic effects of their chemical products are now in charge of determining whether their GM foods are safe. A close look at their so-called GMO safety studies shows how they rig research to avoid problems. They’ve got bad science down to a science.
Tragically, Michael Taylor, who may be responsible for more food-related illness and death in human history, is now back at the FDA as the US Food Safety Czar.

8. GMOs cause irreversible genetic pollution

GMOs cross pollinate and spread into the environment. A total recall is impossible.
The self-propagating genetic pollution already released will outlast the effects of global warming and nuclear waste.

9. GMOs work against feeding a hungry world

The most authoritative evaluation of agriculture, the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development,^[28] determined that the current GMOs have nothing to offer the goals of reducing hunger and poverty, improving nutrition, health and rural livelihoods, and facilitating social and environmental sustainability.
The report was a three-year collaborative effort with 900 participants and 110 countries, and was co-sponsored by all the majors, e.g. the World Bank, FAO, UNESCO, WHO. In reality, GMOs reduce yield,^[29] increase farmers’ dependence on multinationals, reduce biodiversity, increase herbicide use, and take money away from more successful and appropriate methods.
In developing nations, GMOs can be catastrophic.
In India, for example, Monsanto convinced hundreds of thousands of farmers to take out high interest loans to pay for expensive GM cotton seeds and associated chemicals. Inconsistent yields left desperate farmers unable to even pay back their loans. The UK Daily Mail estimates that an astounding 125,000 indebted GM cotton farmers committed suicide.^[30]

10. By avoiding GMOs, you help create a tipping point to drive them out of our food supply

Because GMOs give no consumer benefits, if even a small percentage of us start rejecting brands that contain them, GM ingredients will become a marketing liability. Food companies will kick them out.
The tipping point can come quickly.
In Europe, for example, within 10 weeks of a high profile GMO safety scandal that hit the papers in 1999, virtually every major food company committed to stop using GM foods. In the US, a consumer rebellion against genetically modified bovine growth hormone used on dairy cows has also reached a tipping point. Drugged milk and/or yogurt has been rejected by Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Dannon, Yoplait, and about 60 of the top 100 dairies so far.
The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America is designed to achieve a tipping point against GMOs in the US. The number of non-GMO shoppers needed is probably just 5 percent of the population.
They key is to educate consumers about the documented health dangers and provide a Non-GMO Shopping Guide, to make avoiding GMOs much easier. Thus, by choosing healthier non-GMO brands, and telling others about GMOs so they can do the same, we can quickly reclaim a non-GMO food supply.
Visit the Campaign’s website for GMO educational materials to read, watch, listen to, and pass onto others.

Take Action Against GM Alfalfa Now … We Need Your Help!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is, for the first time, conducting an analysis known as an environmental impact statement (EIS) on a GM crop. This crop is Monsanto’s genetically engineered Roundup Ready alfalfa, and we need your help to voice your opinion and help keep this plant from getting approved.
In 2006, the Center for Food Safety sued the USDA for illegally approving GM alfalfa. Federal courts agreed and banned GM alfalfa until the USDA could provide an EIS -- which they did in December 2009.
There is now a comment period open to the public, but it ends on March 3, 2010 -- so time is running out.
The USDA’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement admits that if GM alfalfa is approved:

• GM contamination of non-GM and organic alfalfa crops will occur
  
• GM contamination will economically impact small and family farmers
  
• Foreign export markets will be at risk due to rejection of GM-contaminated products
  
• Farmers will be forced to use more toxic herbicides to remove old stands of alfalfa
  

Yet, the USDA has brushed off these concerns as insignificant, and intends to approve GM alfalfa anyway. They even went so far as to say in the EIS that consumers don't care if their organic food is GM contaminated and neither do organic farmers!
This case is not only important for the future of GM alfalfa … the final decision on this case could have broad implications for the future of all GM crops.
So please call your Congressional Representatives today and ask them to urge Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack to deny approval of Monsanto's GM alfalfa.
To do so, call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator/Representative’s office. You can find the name of your Senator/Representative here.
When you speak with the agriculture staff person (or leave a message), be sure to let them know that you DO NOT support the deregulation of GM alfalfa. You can also mention these reasons, which were compiled by the Center for Food Safety, as to why:

• GM contamination of non-GM and organic crops would be inevitable
• You won’t buy products that are GM-contaminated
• Alfalfa is a major food source for livestock and GM alfalfa would destroy the integrity of organic dairy products
• You support the rights of farmers to grow the crops of their choice, and GM contamination makes that impossible
• GM crops increase pesticide use, harming human health and the environment
• Ask your Representative and Senators to contact Secretary Vilsack and urge him to deny USDA approval of Monsanto's GM alfalfa

You can also submit your comments online here, and the True Food Network has compiled a sample email that you can use for inspiration.
Again, the deadline for public comment is March 3, so please let your opinion be heard. Tell your Representative and Senators that the USDA is wrong -- you DO care if your organic food is contaminated with GM crops, and you do NOT support the approval of Monsanto’s genetically engineered Roundup Ready alfalfa.

About the Author

International bestselling author and filmmaker Jeffrey M. Smith is the leading spokesperson on the health dangers of GMOs. His first book, Seeds of Deception, is the world’s bestselling and #1 rated book on the subject. His second, Genetic Roulette, documents the health dangers of GMOs and why current assessments are not competent to protect consumers.
He is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, which runs the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, and lives with his wife in Iowa—surrounded by genetically modified corn and soybeans.

Please click on title of this post to go to the link to see the footnotes.

Saturated Fat is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease

Click on the title of this post to go to the article. Make sure after you read the article you click on the comments. Often times the comments are very informative.

Hazards of Genetically Engineered Food

Click on the title of this post and watch the video at that link.

Beeswax Candles

This is from some site I can't remember where:
Beeswax is a sweet, simple renewable fuel that burns long and bright. It is non-toxic and hypo allergenic. Beeswax has the highest melting point of any other candle wax and thus provides ridiculously long burn times.

Beeswax Emits Negative Ions!
Yes it's true and finally there is a scientific study to back up the hype! For years alternative health practitioners, entomologists and most notably beeswax candle makers have celebrated the fact that beeswax is the only candle fuel that emits negative ions which in turn cleanse the air. In a study performed by a Japanese laboratory comparing the negative ion emissions of a paraffin candle versus a beeswax candle the paraffin candle did indeed emit negative ions but did so at a significantly lower rate than the beeswax candle. So while beeswax is not the only fuel to emit negative ions it is definitely superior to paraffin and does not contain the carcinogenic compounds that paraffin does.

How do negative ions work?
Airborne contaminates like dust, mold and odors are held aloft by positively charged ions. Negative ions are drawn toward positive ions, latch on and the now weighted contaminates fall to the ground. A rainstorm is an example of a negative ionic event and that is why the air smells so fresh and clean after a rainstorm.

Types of Beeswax
The 100% pure beeswax candle market is dominated by two general types of beeswax; highly filtered beeswax and unrefined beeswax.

Highly Filtered Beeswax
Highly filtered beeswax has been cleaned of impurities (honey and pollen) using an intensive filtration system. The end product is a fantastic candle fuel but unfortunately it lacks the sweet honey fragrance found in raw beeswax. Many manufacturers and sellers of filtered beeswax candles talk about the “subtle” honey scent but really the proper description would be “barely recognizable” honey scent. Filtered beeswax can be white or yellow.

Unrefined Beeswax
Unrefined beeswax is no doubt a magical substance. It varies in appearance as radically as did the flowers from which the bees took pollen. The color ranges from a dull brown to an almost translucent bright yellow and the honey scent, while always present can also be very different from wax to wax. One thing is sure, what makes for fragrant raw beeswax also causes problems in burning. These impurities tend to clog the wick, weaken the flame and cause tunneling. The larger the diameter of candle, the more problems you will encounter. 7/8" Tapers are a great candle to use raw beeswax with; 3" pillars are more troublesome. The very lightest yellow raw waxes are certainly better than their darker counterparts but they too require a much larger, more robust wick to carry the particulate load. This can lead to excessive smoking.

New! Lightly Filtered Beeswax
At Bluecorn we have created the best of both worlds by using lightly filtered beeswax that burns cleanly and easily and retains the quintessential sweetness of the unrefined wax.

Honeycomb Beeswax
Honeycomb candles are rolled from a solid sheet of filtered beeswax that has been imprinted with the honeycomb pattern. The finished product is a very lightweight candle that burns much more quickly than a solid beeswax candle.

Test for Stroke

from HSI:
Quick diagnosis of a stroke is essential. But this can be difficult because early signs are often subtle. If irregular behavior raises suspicions of a stroke, here's an easy four-step stroke test that can help you spot a problem:

1) Ask the suspected victim to smile
2) Ask him to repeat a simple sentence
3) Ask him to raise both arms
4) Ask him to stick out his tongue straight out

If any one of the four tests can't be completed, call 911 immediately and describe symptoms to the dispatcher.
Then be ready to move quickly. The quicker the better.

Suffering

"Even suffering is part of the truth of our life. Thus, trying to
shield the youngest from every difficulty and experience of
suffering, we risk creating, despite our good intentions, fragile
persons of little generosity:
The capacity to love, in fact, corresponds to the capacity to suffer,
and to suffer together." Benedict XVI

Penance

"Penance is nothing more than accepting all our crosses daily willingly. No matter how small, accept them with love. "
---I forgot where I got this quote--possibly Grou

My Favorite Saint Quotes on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

from the blog Catholic Fire:

On this feast day of the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, I would like to share some of my favorite quotes from the saints on Mary.

* St. Josemaria Escriva: "Love our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle." "When you see the storm coming, if you seek safety in that firm refuge which is Mary, there will be no danger of your wavering or going down."
* St. Alphonsus Liguori: "Such is the will of God that we should have everything through Mary."
* Venerable Pope John Paul II: "From Mary we learn to surrender to God's will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust when all hope is gone. From Mary we learn to trust her Son and Christ the Son of God."
* St. Bonaventure: “It is the privilege of the glory of Mary, that after God, our greatest happiness is from her.”
* St. Teresa of Avila: “The devotions we practice in honor of the glorious Virgin Mary, however trifling they may be, are very pleasing to Her Divine Son, and He rewards them with eternal glory.”
* St. Philip Neri: “Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God’s grace than to employ the intercessions of the Holy Virgin.”
* St. Louis de Montfort: “When the Holy Spirit finds Mary in a soul, He enters that soul completely and communicates Himself completely to that soul.”
* St. Catherine of Siena: “Mary is the most sweet bait, chosen, prepared, and ordained by God, to catch the hearts of men.”

12 Foods You Don't Have to Buy Organic?

[Don't just read this list and discard the rest of the article. Further down shows why some of the foods on this list may not be so safe. I don't remember where I got this article from...possibly from Six-Wise]

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the Guide to Pesticides, the following twelve foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown. Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume:

* Broccoli
* Eggplant
* Cabbage
* Banana
* Kiwi
* Asparagus
* Sweet peas (frozen)
* Mango
* Pineapple
* Sweet corn (frozen)
* Avocado
* Onion

The biggest study ever into organic food – a four-year EU funded project called the Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) project – found that organic food is FAR more nutritious than ordinary produce, and can help improve your health and longevity. You're likely to hear more about this again, once they publish their findings in full, which is expected to occur by the end of this year.

This study may have considerable impact, as its findings may even overturn government advice – at least in the U.K. – which currently states that eating organic food is no more than a lifestyle choice.

For example, this study found that:

* Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
* Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
* Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants

The researchers even went so far as to say that eating organic foods can help to increase the nutrient intake of people who don't eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Food grown in healthier soil, with natural fertilizers and no chemicals, simply has to be more nutritious. It is common knowledge -- though knowledge that is greatly suppressed in the United States. But science is catching up, making suppression of this fact more difficult to sustain.

A 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, for example, found that organic foods are better for fighting cancer. And in 2005, scientists found that, compared to rats that ate conventional diets, organically fed rats experienced various health benefits, including:

* Improved immune system status
* Better sleeping habits
* Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets
* Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)

Does this mean that you should ditch all of your conventional produce and meat, and only buy certified organic foods? Well, yes … and no.

What Should You Buy Organic?

Aside from the fact that organic food contains higher levels of vital nutrients, organic foods are also lower in other residues and compounds that are seriously detrimental to your health, such as herbicide- and pesticide residues.

Additionally, the use of pesticides and herbicides in conventional farming practices contaminates groundwater, ruins the soil structure and promotes erosion. They've also been linked to the mysterious "colony collapse disorder" that threatens pollinating honeybees around the world. With that in mind, buying or growing as much organic food as possible is not only best for your health, but for the health of the entire planet.

That said, however, certain fruits and vegetables are subjected to far heavier pesticide use than others. And with food prices rising, many are looking for ways to buy the healthiest foods possible at the lowest cost. One such way would be to focus on purchasing certain organic items, while "settling" for others that are conventionally-grown.

This is where the EWG study of pesticide residue on produce really helps.

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories tested, these 12 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic:

* Peaches
* Apples
* Sweet bell peppers
* Celery
* Nectarines
* Strawberries
* Cherries
* Lettuce
* Grapes (imported)
* Pears
* Spinach
* Potatoes

Conventionally-grown strawberries, in particular, were found to be highly toxic due to a poisonous blend of pesticides in a previous 2007 EU study as well.

But be VERY careful as the list above is for fruits and vegetables. Non-organic meats have far higher concentrations of pesticides than all of the fruits and vegetables. And the highest concentration of pesticides is actually in non-organic butter.

So if you can only buy one organic food item it should be butter. Next priority would be meats and once those are addressed, you will want to focus on the fruit and vegetable list above.

Locally-grown organics are your absolute best bet, but bear in mind that many times buying locally-grown food is your best choice even if it's grown conventionally, as the environmental impact of shipping organic produce across the globe can cancel out many its benefits. Organic farming standards are also questionable in many parts of the world.

These Conventionally-Grown Foods are Low in Pesticide Residue -- But Watch Out For GMO Varieties!

While you may have heard about the most common GMO food sources, such as corn, many people are clueless about JUST HOW MUCH of your produce is now available in GMO varieties. And, perhaps even worse, just how many deliberate GMO field trials are actually going on, all across the world.

A perfect example of the repercussions of this practice can be seen in Hawaii, where non-GMO papaya seed supplies are now so seriously contaminated by GMO seeds that at least 50 percent of organic seeds test positive for GMO!

That means you have a greater than 50/50 chance of buying GMO even when buying organic Hawaiian papaya…

Although the U.S. does not require GMOs to be labeled, you can still find out whether or not your produce is genetically engineered, by looking at its PLU code. For example:

* A conventionally grown product carries a 4-digit PLU code (Ex: conventionally grown banana: 4011)
* An organic product carries a 5-digit code, starting with the number 9: (Ex: organic banana: 94011)
* A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) product has a 5-digit code, starting with the number 8: (Ex: GE banana: 84011)

Here are a few other fruits that are LOW in pesticide residue, and therefore good candidates to purchase as conventionally-grown, however, double-check to make sure you're not buying a GMO variety.

* Avocado – A new GMO avocado variety is scheduled to be introduced this year that is immune to "stress" and pests, per an Indian state report published in March, 2008.

* Bananas – The first GMO banana with extra genes that increase its levels of pro-vitamin A and iron is being unleashed in Australian field trials this year. At Cornell University, researchers are also working to develop a banana that carries the hepatitis B vaccine.

* Pineapple -- GMO pineapples, designed to produce greater levels of proteins, vitamins and sugars may already be on the market. Australia applied for pineapple into environment all the way back in 2002. The pineapple is called "Smooth Cayenne," which has delayed flowering and herbicide resistance. It also contains the tobacco acetolactate synthase gene (suRB) from Nicotiana tabacum.

* Kiwi -- The transgenic variety of kiwi fruit is the Actinidia deliciosa from Italy.

Remember, if you can't afford to purchase all organic food, at least aim to buy produce that has a lower toxic load and is non-GMO.

Can the sun cause skin rash?

Lack of essential fatty acids and antioxidants can cause skin rash from the sun. SPF suntan lotion is toxic and compounds the problem.

Recorded by David J. Getoff, CTN, CCN, FAAIM, Vice President PPNF.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN (8.1 MB - Run Time = 23 Min 28 Sec)
http://www.ppnf.org/catalog/ppnf/ppnf_speaks_out.htm

Pillows – a hot bed of fungal spore

from HSI:
"Pillows – a hot bed of fungal spores" is the somewhat threatening title of a discussion in the Allergies forum. And while you may not want to even think about what really goes on in your pillows, asthma patients and people with weak immune systems need to be aware of how to avoid problems caused by fungal spores.

An HSI member named BaronVonLucis starts the thread off with a press release from the University of Manchester where researchers examined samples from feather and synthetic pillows. Four to 16 different species of fungus were detected. Synthetic pillows were particularly vulnerable to Aspergillus fumigatus, a species of fungal spores that can trigger disease and create a condition known as Aspergillosis, which prompts infection and aggravates asthma.

The press release is followed by this: "Question from the Baron: What would be good way to disinfect pillow? Soak with CS or GSE [colloidal silver / grapefruit seed extract]?"

Billy: "After reading this I soaked my pillow case and pillow liner in CS and GSE and hung them out in the sun. My pillow is the memory foam type and would take forever to dry. I may just spray it with the disinfectants. I hope this helps my asthma."

Five days later, Billy posted this follow up: "It may be a coincidence but after I soaked my pillow case & liner in CS & GSE and after encasing my pillow & mattress in zip-up bags, I'm now off all asthma meds."

Jo UK: "This must be why most Europeans put their duvets and pillows out of the window each morning - sunlight and fresh air are the best cleaning agents for bedding."

Naturalway: "My grandmother always put the bedding out in the sun. Also, she had a dryer but always hung the clothes out. She said the sun killed germs. I've been hanging my clothes out in the sun, instead of using the dryer, as well as the bedding. Guess I'll put the pillows out, too."

Ruth: "I was told by an allergist (old school) 15 years ago that putting my son's pillow and stuffed animals in the freezer for 8 -12 hours would kill the dust mites. You'd think this would also kill the fungi as well."

Jerry: "We have used the Medibed pillow and mattress cover for a couple of years now and they are excellent. They provide a barrier between you and the mattress (and pillow). They go on underneath your sheets and pillow cases and you just take them off every three months and wash them. Dust mites and their feces are a bigger problem than people realize. Oprah even had a show about it a while back."

Leppert: "After this thread's reminder I washed my down pillow in hot water (front loading machine) with a dropperful of Citricidal GSE, one scoop of Tide, and two full scoops of Oxyclean. I put on the longest cycle. I used vinegar in a couple extra rinses. It turned out really great."

Why are Babies Being Born Toxic?

Why are Babies Being Born Toxic …
and What Does This Mean for YOU and Your Family?
by www.SixWise.com

Babies, who represent what is most innocent and pure about humanity, are being exposed to high levels of chemicals while still in the womb. Sadly, this chemical exposure leads to babies being born toxic with greatly heightened potential to develop chronic diseases much earlier in life.
EWG’s study found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in babies’ cord blood, including pesticides, consumer product ingredients and wastes from burning coal, gasoline andgarbage. Also found in the babies’ cord blood samples were:

• Eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellants in fast food packaging, clothes and textiles
  
• The Teflon chemical PFOA, which has been called a likely human carcinogen by the EPA's Science Advisory Board, was among the eight perfluorochemicals detected.
  
• Dozens of widely used brominated flame retardants and their toxic by-products
  
• Numerous pesticides
  

Further, out of the 287 total chemicals detected in umbilical cord blood, EWG reports that:

• 180 cause cancer in humans or animals
  
• 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system
  
• 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests
  

“The dangers of pre- or post-natal exposure to this complex mixture of carcinogens, developmental toxins and neurotoxins have never been studied,” EWG’s report stated.
EWG further shared their shocking findings with the data that follows:
Chemicals and pollutants detected in human umbilical cord blood:

• Mercury (Hg) -- tested for 1, found 1

Pollutant from coal-fired power plants, mercury-containing products, and certain industrial processes. Accumulates in seafood. Harms brain development and function.

• Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) -- tested for 18, found 9

Pollutants from burning gasoline and garbage. Linked to cancer. Accumulates in food chain.

• Polybrominated dibenzodioxins and furans (PBDD/F) -- tested for 12, found 7

Contaminants in brominated flame retardants. Pollutants and byproducts from plastic production and incineration. Accumulate in food chain. Toxic to developing endocrine (hormone) system

• Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) -- tested for 12, found 9

Active ingredients or breakdown products of Teflon, Scotchgard, fabric and carpet protectors, food wrap coatings. Global contaminants. Accumulate in the environment and the food chain. Linked to cancer, birth defects, and more.

• Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and furans (PCDD/F) -- tested for 17, found 11

Pollutants, by-products of PVC production, industrial bleaching, and incineration. Cause cancer in humans. Persist for decades in the environment. Very toxic to developing endocrine (hormone) system.

• Organochlorine pesticides (OCs) -- tested for 28, found 21

DDT, chlordane and other pesticides. Largely banned in the U.S. Persist for decades in the environment. Accumulate up the food chain, to man. Cause cancer and numerous reproductive effects.

• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- tested for 46, found 32

Flame retardant in furniture foam, computers, and televisions. Accumulates in the food chain and human tissues. Adversely affects brain development and the thyroid.

• Polychlorinated Naphthalenes (PCNs) -- tested for 70, found 50

Wood preservatives, varnishes, machine lubricating oils, waste incineration. Common PCB contaminant. Contaminate the food chain. Cause liver and kidney damage.

• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) -- tested for 209, found 147

Industrial insulators and lubricants. Banned in the U.S. in 1976. Persist for decades in the environment. Accumulate up the food chain, to man. Cause cancer and nervous system problems.

Babies are Extremely Vulnerable to Chemical Exposures
A 1993 report from the National Academy of Sciences explained just why children are so at risk from exposures to environmental chemicals:

• A developing child's chemical exposures are greater pound-for-pound than those of adults.
  
• An immature, porous blood-brain barrier allows greater chemical exposures to the developing brain.
  
• Children have lower levels of some chemical-binding proteins, allowing more of a chemical to reach "target organs."
  
• A baby's organs and systems are rapidly developing, and thus are often more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposure.
  
• Systems that detoxify and excrete industrial chemicals are not fully developed.
  
• The longer future life span of a child compared to an adult allows more time for adverse effects to arise.
  

The EPA also concluded in 2003, after reviewing 23 studies of early life exposures to cancer-causing chemicals, that carcinogens average 10 times the potency for babies than adults, and some chemicals may be up to 65 times more powerful in babies.
Potential Health Effects to Early Chemical Exposures
No one knows for sure what the result of these toxic exposures will be, however there are already signs that signal the dangers. For instance:

• Kids who were conceived in June, July or August have, on average, test scores for math and language that are 1 percent to 1.5 percent lower than scores of kids who were conceived during other months. Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine found this correlation is due to the increased pesticide exposure the fetus receives during the summer months. Aside from lower test scores, birth defects are also more common between April and July, as are premature births.
  
• Girls appear to be reaching puberty at younger and younger ages, and studies suggest that environmental chemicals that mimic hormones might be involved in this phenomenon. Specifically, those chemicals include DDE, a breakdown of the pesticide DDT, and compounds used to make plastics, including bisphenol A, or BPA, andphthalates.
  
• A study by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that babies born to mothers who live near landfills have a greater risk of birth defects.
  

These findings have implications not only for women who are pregnant right now, but also those who may become pregnant in the future. They also apply to families with young children right now … and any adult who wishes to keep their own chemical body burden to a minimum.
“As a Rule”: What is good for a pregnant mother and her baby is good for us all!
What Can You do to Lower Your Chemical Exposure and Help Detox Those You’ve Already Had?
There are many strategies available to help you keep your chemical exposure to a minimum, both in the immediate future and the long term:

• Buy organic produce, meats, eggs and dairy products as much as possible to reduce pesticide exposure.
  
• Eliminate chemical cleaners from your home.
  
• Use safe, natural brands of cosmetics and other toiletries. Most health food stores carry chemical-free varieties of everything from shave cream to moisturizing lotion.
  
• Replace the need and cost for most household toxic chemical cleaners
  
• Use proper precautions, including masks, gloves, protective clothing and adequate ventilation, when exposure to chemicals cannot be avoided.
  
• Avoid using synthetic air fresheners, laundry detergents and fabric softeners,
  
• Choose glass storage containers for your food and drinks when possible, and avoid heating your food in plastic containers or covered in plastic wrap.
  
• Be especially diligent in avoiding chemicals, such as paint, new carpeting (which outgases chemicals), pesticides, hair color, etc., while pregnant or breastfeeding.
  
• Avoid using synthetic pesticides in your home or yard.
  
• Dispose of chemicals properly to reduce environmental contamination.
  
• Filter your home's air to remove airborne pollutants. 
• Water R/O or spring--not in plastic bottles

How to Detox Toxins in Your Body Right NowAt Sixwise we highly recommend that you use HMD™ (Heavy Metal Detox), the natural oral formula that helps to effectively eliminate heavy metals from your body, without any side effects.
HMD™ is actually the ONLY chelator that has undergone a $1 million, three-year double-blind placebo-controlled research trials with several hundred people! During these three years over 25 different natural products and combinations were tried but the synergistic components of HMD™ were the only ones that worked for all metals tested. It presently has a worldwide patent-pending.
Dr. George John Georgiou -- HMD™ Inventor and worldwide Patent holder -- has 9 degrees and diplomas, including two doctorates and has been researching natural heavy metal chelators for a number of years, after he discovered that he became ill himself with mercury poisoning after replacing 12 amalgam fillings with composites.
After a number of years of searching, Dr. Georgiou discovered a unique synergistic formula comprising three natural components: Chlorella Growth Factor, Cilantro or the herb Coriandrum sativum and a homaccord of Chlorella. None of these natural products worked when tested individually, but when combined there was a “magic” synergy that eliminated a large number of toxic metals, including the ones mentioned here.It is not only a very powerful chelator of toxic metals, but a very gentle one too. It has been tried and tested in many thousands of people worldwide, including children with autism, with no side effects when used at the correct dosage. It has therefore been dubbed “The Gentle Chelator.”
Important Note for Pregnant Women and Women Trying to ConceiveDr. Georgiou advises AGAINST using any type of chelator, even the gentle HMD™, when you are pregnant or breastfeeding, as the mobilization of metals in the mother will go through the placenta into the baby. It is recommended that women detoxify before pregnancy and after breastfeeding finishes -- you can then give the baby a couple of drops of HMD to help the little one detoxify too.

Due to many requests we are providing you more specific links to the DrHMD.com line of products. Click here to learn more about: DrHMD.com ULTIMATE DETOX PROTOCOL.

Pass It On! Because YOU Know Loved-ones Who Will Love and Appreciate This Article!

Recommended Reading
How Many Dangerous Chemicals are in Your Shampoo (Including Your Organic and Baby Shampoo!)?


Four Common but Toxic Chemicals to Avoid During Pregnancy, Pre-Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

---

Sources
EWG Report, Body Burden – The Pollution in Newborns

Spiritual Plan for Life

A good spiritual plan includes the following. If you are not doing any of these add one at a time until it becomes a habit then add another. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day.

-Daily Mass
-Daily Rosary
-Frequent Confession
-Morning Prayers including the morning offering
-Evening Prayers including examination of conscience
-Spiritual reading
-Formative reading
-Bible reading
-Annual retreat
-Monthly day of recollection
-Particular examin

Stressed About Office Work? Here’s How to Relax

Posted by: Dr. Mercola Identifying Your Sources of Stress

The first step to dealing with work-related stress is identifying the source of it.
There are two types of factors that cause work-related stress, internal and external. Once you determine the types of stress factors affecting you, you will be able to effectively find coping strategies to dealing with it.
Some external factors may include:

• Personality conflicts with a co-worker or dealing with a difficult supervisor.
• Technology overload--attached to work through e-mail, pagers, cell phones and faxes.
• Understaffed due to cutbacks and downsizing.
• Lack of training or supervision.
• Working an excess number of hours and finding you are spending more time at work than at home.
  

Internal factors include:

• Perfectionism--setting unrealistic expectations for yourself.
• Having unrealistic expectations of your job.
• Taking on too much and ignoring your limitations.

Finding effective ways of dealing with stress while you’re at work can help you improve your sense of control over your life at work and better prepare you to plan and prioritize your time at work and at home.
How to Deal With Stress at Your Desk

If your job involves working on a computer all day, you may not be able to find the time to take many breaks away from your desk. However, for your mental health it is important to make a point of practicing occasional stress reduction techniques throughout the day. This will allow you to clear your mind so you’re able to produce quality work and reenergize your body physically. For those aches and pains and moments of stress during your workday, you could try these simple tips sitting right at your desk:

• Raise your shoulders and try to touch your ears. Stay in this position for a couple of seconds, then release. Try this about 10 times or until your shoulders feel less tense.
  
• For at least 30 seconds, shake your wrist.
  
• Take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds, then slowly exhale. Do this five times.
  
• Quickly rub the palms of your hands together until they get hot, then close your eyes and place your palms over your eyes. You will find the heat relaxes the eyeballs.
  

De-Stressing at the End of the Workday
Unwinding from the stresses of your workday should begin before you leave the office. Here are some great tips that will help you leave stress at the office where it belongs:

• Start winding down from your workday 30 minutes before you leave for the day. You can do some professional reading, straightening or cleaning your office area or putting away files. This should be any task that is not demanding and can be done leisurely.
  
• Make a tomorrow’s to-do list and put a star by two items that will give you a sense of accomplishment.
  
• If you have to deal with traffic on your way home, try picking up books on tape or a comedy tape. Music is great therapy so why not put on your favorite CD and belt it out.
  
• Aromatherapy produces a calming effect, particularly the scent of lavender, which you could spray on your dashboard or buy a lavender-scented air freshener.
  
• Take some winding down time for yourself when you get home. This could be some kind of aerobic activity or reading a book or favorite magazine.
  
• Put the thoughts from your day out of your mind and get a good night’s sleep.
  

The Powerful Stress-Relieving Benefits of Exercise
Exercise is also an excellent way to relieve tension and ward off the physical consequences of stress. Studies have shown that during exercise, tranquilizing chemicals, endorphins, are released in the brain. Exercise is a natural way to bring your body pleasurable relaxation and rejuvenation.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Walking
• Swimming
• Jogging
• Bicycling
• Hiking
• Cross-country skiing
• Volleyball

Using Humor to Relieve Stress of the Workday
In addition to these tips, many studies have shown that humor has increased work productivity. It has been cited as the best antidote to stress. A good hearty laugh has been proven to increase the immune system’s activity, lower stress hormones and increase the antibody immunoglobulin A, which protects the upper-respiratory tract. Other benefits of humor that make your work environment a more pleasant place to be includes that it shows you are easy to work with, it makes people like you and want to be around you, it enhances your creativity and can change a negative perception into a positive one.
Since stress in the office has become such a prominent issue in our society, people have resorted to seeking a variety of products from the practical to the bizarre to help alleviate their stress at the office.
These products range from:

• Punching bags
• Desk pillows
• Stress relief aromatherapy kits for the office
• Having a dog at the office
• Essential oils in vaporizers
• Stress reduction office massages

With stress-related complaints accounting for 75 percent to 90 percent of all physician office visits and all of the medical ailments related to it, choosing not to deal with stress is not an option. Sleep, exercise and following a nutritious eating program are the foundation of relieving stress and maintaining your optimal health both in and out of the office.
For people constantly "on the go" and contending with overwhelming schedules daily, I recommend you consider the book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. In this book you will find practical and realistic approaches to improving your personal productivity. It is also available on audiocassette, which is great because you could listen to it while in traffic and discover ways to effectively manage your time and prioritize your goals.

(The best thing to do for dealing with stress is to put God first--prioritize your spiritual life. Have a spiritual plan and try to stick with it at least 80% of the time. You will definitely start to progress and with progression comes peace. You see things clearly. Things that used to stress you don't. Life is short the only thing that matters is loving God and doing His holy will so you can get to heaven. This isn't something to stress about either.)

De-stress Tips

Here is a list of de-stressing tips.

from: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/relieve.html#relievequick

Relax Now List
Visualize yourself in a tranquil place.
Gain control of your breathing.
Repeat a helpful quote or word.
Get away from the noise.
Use your imagination.
Use good scents. (essential oils)
Laugh.
Cry.
A List of Relaxing Thoughts
See problems as opportunities.
Don't take it personally.
There is no right answer.
It's not a perfect world.
Let go, and let God.
This too shall pass.
Refute negative thoughts.
Stop overgeneralizing.
Control yourself, not others.
Be yourself.
De-Stress List
Exercise .
Meditate .
Take a nap.
Get a massage .
Practice yoga or tai chi. (pray and/or exercise)
Listen to soothing music.
Use guided imagery tapes. (?)
Take an aromatherapy bath.
Use biofeedback or hypnotherapy. (?)
Take time-out: a short walk or a long vacation .
Take a news fast: stop being a receptacle for the world's problems.
Let's Get Physical List
Do exercises that work your leg muscles, as in "Run away!"
Bounce on a rebounder or jog in place.
Climb stairs or use a stair-stepper.
Walk it off or run around the block.
Use a treadmill. (It works for lab rats.)
Use short bursts of muscular energy, as in "Put 'em up!"
Shadowbox or have a punching bag handy.
Do push-ups, sit-ups, and other upper body work with dumbbells.

Soy

From Mercola.com:
It is crucial, however, to make a distinction between the health effects from fermented versus non-fermented soy, which I will go over toward the end of this comment, because as you will see, fermented soy dishes do have some redeeming qualities that conventional soy products lack.
Perfect Food or Brilliant Propaganda?
In recent years soy has emerged as a 'near perfect' food, with supporters claiming it can provide an ideal source of protein, lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, reduce menopause symptoms, and prevent osteoporosis, among other things.
But how did such a 'perfect' food emerge from a product that in 1913 was listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product?
Lipid specialist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD shed some light on this issue when she said, "The reason there's so much soy in America is because they [the soy industry] started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry. Once they had as much oil as they did in the food supply they had a lot of soy protein residue left over, and since they can't feed it to animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another market."
In short, the soy industry CREATED a market where there was none, to profit from their waste products. It required multi-million dollar advertising campaigns and intense lobbying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but now about three-quarters of U.S. consumers believe soy products are healthy.
It's like a re-run of the water fluoridation propaganda machine, which began in the 1940s as solution to the fluoride pollution from aluminum plants. The disposing of fluoride had become a costly problem that needed a radical solution. The solution was to create the false belief that fluoride had some health benefit, and today, not only are you likely consuming this toxic waste product in your municipal tap water, but you may even believe it's good for your teeth, AND industry is getting PAID rather than paying for toxic waste removal…
Soy has become a grossly misunderstood food category, to be added to the ranks of coconut oil, saturated fats and vegetable oils. The two former have gained a negative reputation where a good one actually applies, whereas vegetable oil, along with soy, have emerged with sparkling reputations that cover up an unsavory truth.
The Truth About Soy
For just a brief look at what's really going on, consider that numerous studies have found that soy products can actually:

• Increase thyroid damage, especially in women
• Increase the risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in both sexes, and cause abnormalities in infants
• Contribute to thyroid disorders, especially in women
• Promote kidney stones
• Weaken your immune system
• Cause severe, potentially fatal food allergies

Despite these findings, many people still want to believe the hype, thinking that these studies must somehow be wrong. But the content of soy itself should be a clue. For example, non-fermented soy products contain:

• Phytoestrogens (isoflavones) genistein and daidzein, which mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen
• Phytates, which block your body's uptake of minerals
• Enzyme Inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion
• Haemaggluttin, which causes red blood cells to clump together and inhibits oxygen take-up and growth
• High amounts of omega-6 fat, which is pro-inflammatory

Furthermore, most soybeans are grown on conventional farms that use toxic pesticides and herbicides, and many are from genetically engineered plants. When you consider that two-thirds of all processed food products contain some form of soy, it becomes clear just how many Americans are consuming GM products, whose long-term effects are completely unknown.
Like Feeding Birth Control Pills to a Baby
One of the most disturbing ill effects of soy has to do with its phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and drinking just two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle.
The FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, however no warnings exist on soy.
Soy products are particularly problematic for infants, and soy infant formulas should be avoided at all cost. It's been estimated that infants who are fed soy formula exclusively receive the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of estrogen every day!
When testing the blood of soy formula-fed infants, concentrations of isoflavones have been found to be 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than natural estrogen concentrations in early life. It should be obvious that the potential damage to your child can be quite significant. Not to mention the fact that soy formula lacks other vital nutrients for normal and healthy brain- and biological development.
Soy Also Contributes to Dangerously Lopsided Intake of Essential Fats
One of the most important things you can do for your overall health is to balance your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These two types of fat are both essential. However, the typical American consumes far too many omega-6 fats in their diet while consuming very low levels of omega-3.
The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is probably close to 1:1. But the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 today averages from 20:1 to 50:1!
That spells serious danger for your health. Even the mainstream health media is now reporting that lack of high quality omega-3 is one of the most serious health issues plaguing contemporary society.
The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil; oils that are overabundant in the typical American diet. And when you consider the fact that some form of soy or corn (oftentimes both) is found in just about every processed food product on the market, it really helps to explain these excessive omega-6 levels.
What About Soy as a Source of Protein?
While soybeans are relatively high in protein compared to other legumes, they are still a poor source of protein because other proteins found in soybeans act as potent enzyme inhibitors.
These "anti-nutrients" block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion, effectively cancelling out any potential benefit you may have thought it had.
Regular soy consumption can also lead to chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake.
It is believed that it is this ability to interfere with enzymes and amino acids that might be one of the reasons for why soy has such a negative effect on your brain. Isoflavones in tofu and other soy foods might exert their influence by interfering with the tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanisms required for optimal hippocampal function, structure and plasticity.
High amounts of tyrosine kinases are found in your hippocampus, a brain region involved with learning and memory. One of soy's primary isoflavones, genistein, has been shown to inhibit tyrosine kinase in the hippocampus, effectively blocking the mechanism of memory formation.
If You Want to Benefit From Soy, Make Sure it is Fermented !
There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts. If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass on ALL processed soy milks, tofu, soy 'burgers', soy 'ice cream', soy 'cheese', and the myriad of other soy junk foods that are so readily disguised as health foods.
The study above affirms this as well, showing that consumption of tempeh was related to better memory, particularly in participants over 68 years of age. Their explanation for this difference between (unfermented) tofu versus (fermented) tempeh is that the fermentation process produces high amounts of folate, which might have a protective effect against the phytoestrogens.
Additionally, not only does the fermentation process blunt the anti-nutritive effect of the soybeans' phytic acid, it also produces probiotics -- the "good" bacteria your body is absolutely dependent on – that increase the quantity, availability, digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in your body.
As a side note, formaldehyde (used as a preservative) was also introduced as a potential culprit rather than the tofu itself in this article. Granted, formaldehyde is somewhere at the very bottom of the list of things you want to consume for good health, but even so, there are so many studies confirming the benefits of fermented soy and the dangers of non-fermented soy products in general that I believe preservatives play a secondary role in the outcome, if any.
Soy is a broad and deep subject that cannot be fully covered in a single article, so for further reading, I recommend you review my related articles below as well as my Soy Index Page, which contains links to many of my best articles and important research findings on soy.

Vanillin --bad for you

From reader post from Mercola.com

With respect to vanillin, I fully agree with Larisa 67. I am rather too fond of dairy-free dark chocolate and usually puchase Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, which contains natural Bourbon vanilla beans. When New Zealand based Whittakers began selling their 72% Dark Ghana slabs in Australia at less than half the price per gram of Lindt, I decided to give it a go. But every single time I did so, within 36 hours of consuming their chocolate, I became almost psychotic. I carefully studied both labels. They appeared to have the same ingredients. Then I suddenly noticed one extra word - "flavour" - on the Whittaker's packaging so I telephoned Whittakers and asked exactly what flavour they used. Their answer was "vanillin". At that stage, I had never even heard of vanillin. I immediately consulted a book by Australian additives expert Sue Dengate and was informed that vanillin was generally OK. But this contradicted what I knew was happening to me whenever I consumed the Whittakers chocolate! So I googled" vanillin +anger" and "vanillin +rage" and came up with thousands of hits. World economic crisis or not, I now studiously avoid any chocolate that lists vanillin or simply the word "flavour" as an ingredient!

Artificial additives like artificial colors and flavors in sweets & artificial vanilla (called vanillin) in chocolate are the cause of behavior issues with children. My kids become very aggressive if they eat sweets with artificial additives or artificial vanilla, which are in most all of the mainstream candies kids have access to. There are all natural candies available and parents should look for these to give their kids. Sugar/sweets are not the culprit, it is the non-food petroleum based artificial additives causing the problems. I am a volunteer for The Feingold Assn. of the U.S. (a 30 yr old non-profit) and help 100's of families each year take artificial additives out of their children's diets. The families I help, see improvements in behavior, learning and health when these harmful additives are removed. They do have an addictive quality like most chemicals do, and many kids actually go through a detox when 1st starting the Feingold program, but the results are so worth it. More info an be found at www.feingold.org .

top 10 anti-pollutant houseplants

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
October 20 2009 | 20,540 views
Over the years there has been quite a bit of debate about whether houseplants really can filter indoor air by removing toxins and particles. NASA tests in a spacecraft packed with plants showed markedly better air, but proving that plants are efficient filters in other situations hasn't been so easy.
But houseplants can't hurt. Not only might they take out some of the air pollution, but some think they may offer some protection against electromagnetic radiation. But which houseplants should you pick?

The New Ecologist made a list of the top 10 anti-pollutant houseplants. They rate the best as:

The Feston Rose plant
Devil’s Ivy
Phalaenopsis
English Ivy
Parlor Ivy
African Violets
Christmas Cactus
Yellow Goddess
Garlic Vine
Peace Lily

Underground Wellness videos

I just ran across this guy who does these videos. He is a bit entertaining and has some videos promoting the truth about many health issues. For the most part he is pretty much on target. They can be good to pass on to friends and family who may have fallen for some health lies like: 'saturated fat is bad for.'

stupidity of the avoidance of saturated fats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjdy0n_gJq8&feature=channel

Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jYhv6Zi-Us&feature=response_watch

deceptive fat loss products: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjN0gCZtTwc&NR=1&feature=fvwp

on sleep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeeAVkF_TeE&NR=1

Carbs and blood sugar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu8XMP_J19o&feature=channel

on fluoride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEKSU5FaVYA&feature=channel

on water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcgXKpXNyvs&feature=channel

on splenda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYh5bkwyuRs&feature=channel

on stevia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6079M5nPtsE&feature=channel

on aspartame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nscWKkAGAw&feature=channel

on vegetable oil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T5nhFJPyN0&feature=channel

Depression hypothyroidism fuoride etc

Misc. posts from vital vote at Mercola.com:

I've gotten a few requests about what exactly I did to get off the meds. I actually thought I was doing all this to deal with candida and inflammatory polyarthritis and being able to get off meds was a pleasant surprise. I was on Cymbalta, Klonopin, Neurontin, Wellbutrin and Buspar at the time I decided to change my life. I had been on various antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs for most of my adult life.

Diet changes included no sugars, no grains, nothing processed, no starchy veggies, no root veggies except garlic and onions, no fruit except occasional berries and granny smith apples, no soy, plenty of good fats. Only dairy is raw milk kefir and occasional sheep's milk cheese. My meat is from a local farm and is largely free range/grass fed. Produce is 99% organic and mostly from a local farm. About the only organic exception is avocados. I did not go to these extremes with produce, pretty much sticking to the EWG guidelines, but I've started reacting to unknowns in many non-organic produce and don't feel safe doing otherwise. I have multiple chemical sensitivity.

Supplements that helped get me off the drugs I attribute mostly to 6 grams of fish oil/day and at least 1 gram of elemental magnesium per day, usually in the form of mag citrate but I also like magnesium malate. About 2 years ago, I posted here on Dr. Mercola's site for help getting off these drugs. The outpouring of support was amazing. Although I couldn't afford many of the things suggested, just people's kindness and caring went very far. If you are on antidepressants, especially SSRIs and SSNRIs, go to www.theroadback.org.

I now also know that know that hypothyroidism, even subclinical is a major factor in depression, so if you are suffering from depression I'd advise getting FREE T3 and FREE T4 tested and getting it interpreted correctly which is near impossible. For more information on hypothyroidism go to www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

I second what she said about Free T3 and Free T4 levels to detend hypothyroidism, but would recommend avoiding the Website she mentions. That Website thinks there is only one medication that should be used to treat hypo, and the truth is that no one medication is right for everyone.

I wanted to bring up a point about the hypothyroidism that you may or may not be aware of. Fluoride's potential to impair thyroid function is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that -- up until the 1970s -- European doctors used fluoride as a thyroid-suppressing medication for patients with HYPER-thyroidism (over-active thyroid). Fluoride was utilized because it was found to be effective at reducing the activity of the thyroid gland - even at doses as low as 2 mg/day. Today, many people living in fluoridated communities are ingesting doses of fluoride (1.6-6.6 mg/day) that fall within the range of doses (2 to 10 mg/day) once used by doctors to reduce thyroid activity in hyperthyroid patients. While it may be that the thyroid in a patient with hyperthyroidism is particularly susceptible to the anti-thyroid actions of fluoride, there is concern that current fluoride exposures may be playing a role in the widespread incidence of HYPO-thyroidism (under-active thyroid) in the U.S.

Hypothyrodisim, most commonly diagnosed in women over 40, is a serious condition with a diverse range of symptoms including: fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, muscle pains, increased levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL), and heart disease.. The drug (Synthroid) used to treat hypothyroidism is now one of the top five prescribed drugs in the U.S. All of this information and more is available at the Fluoride Action Network in the Health effects Database look in the thyroid section or click here: www.fluoridealert.org/.../thyroid

8 ounces of water fluoridated to 1 ppm has a quarter milligram of the drug fluoride in it drink 1 liter or 32 ounces of water and you have consumed 1 milligram of fluoride. Drink 1 gallon and you have taken a 4 milligram dose of fluoride. www.youtube.com/.../FluorideIsBad <>

I have to agree that proper nutrition is a huge key to resolving depression and also to living well with thyroid issues. In 2002, I had RAI for hyperthyroid and gained a ton of weight. I was put on Synthroid at a dose where my doctor thought my levels were optimal, but I was unable to lose the weight, even with more exercise and good mutrition. I found STTM and discovered that there were alternative meds to Synthoid, about which my endo was totally clueless. I tried one of the alternatives, with the help of a new doctor, and discovered I also had adrenal issues. Now, 6 years later, most of my health issues have been totally resolved, and I am doing very well. I didn't feel that STTM pushed one particular thyroid replacement, only that it told me of alternatives to synthetic meds.

Nobody's mentioned gluten intolerance! I was on Wellbutrin and Celexa for almost 5 years. Terrible brain zaps getting off! I hated it. My dermatologist suggested a blood test for gluten intolerance and I was positive. I am now gluten free and drug and depression free. If I eat something that is cross contaminated with gluten, I get depressed and irritable! Read the side effects of gluten intolerance and depression and irritability is always there. Get off gluten!

I just want to encourage anyone reading this. I got off over 25 years of antidepressants with diet, magnesium and fish oil and am more emotionally stable than at any time in my life.

Depression is also linked to chronic low level inflammation. It is no accident that the supplements mentioned are also anti-inflammatory in nature.

By using Turmeric, Ginger and Krill Oil, I accidentally resolved a life long depression problem brought on by undiagnosed Crohn's Disease.

When you spend some time investigating, you will find most all inflammatory diseases have depression and/or anxiety as symptoms. Most doctors and Psychiatric professionals do not make this correlation.

As a nurse and after a breast cancer diagnosis in 1999 I went on a raw food diet and still eat that way today. My depression magically lifted. I was so full of energy and my mood was constantly up from the nutritious food I was giving my body as noted at http://www.RawFoodDietCure.com . Eating 2 bananas in a row can often lift a depression, low mood or low energy levels through its effect on serotonin and dopamine.

I would consider protein intake to be the major factor in diet that can alleviate depression and Isay this from personal experience of going from a low protein diet and feeling depressed, to a high protein diet and feeling much better, along with scientific evidence as supplied by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. www.radiantrecovery.com

The feel good brain chemicals rely so much on tryptophan, the amino acid found in some protein foods and also the trytophan has to be able to cross the blood brain barrier, so some healthy carbs can assist with that.

So I do believe diet can help with depression, omega 3s I agree and also though and maybe even more important, is a good intake of protein so that your body has the basic building blocks it needs to create the feel good chemicals.

St. John Wort tea is the best for depression. Make sure to buy organic. Omega-3 is also great for depression.

Last year I cured myself of life-long depression & anxiety by going gluten-free. The only time that I've become depressed since I started the GF diet was after I had a food that contained 'natural flavors' which turned out to be MSG (gluten). I'm interested in trying the Krill oil to supplement my diet and I highly encourage everyone to attempt natural and dietary methods to treat depression. Life CAN be good! :)

laundry detergent, shampoo, or air freshener? Fragrances

( from: www.hsibaltimore.com )

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that indoor air is often 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. And according to Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D. – an environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington – the contents of many air freshener brands and scented products may actually INCREASE indoor pollution. Dr. Steinemann became interested in air fresheners and other household products after hearing numerous reports from people who believed these items made them feel sick. When she conducted a chemical analysis of three best- selling air fresheners and three laundry products, she says, "I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found." To avoid legal issues, Dr. Steinemann didn't reveal any brand names of the products tested.

STUDY RESULTS:

• In six products, Dr. Steinemann found nearly 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• 10 of the VOCs are regulated as either toxic or hazardous
• Three are classified as carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants, which have no safe exposure level according to the EPA
• One of the VOCs was methyl chloride, linked to nervous system, liver, and kidney damage in animals
• Each of the six products contained at least one of the 10 toxic or hazardous VOCs

None of the product labels listed any of these VOCs. No surprise there because U.S. laws don't require manufacturers of household products to list contents. Reacting to this study, one toxicologist told the Baltimore Sun: "At the very minimum, we should have a right to know what is in these product

So what's the real danger in getting an occasional whiff of laundry detergent, shampoo, or air freshener?

In the e-Alert "Something in the Air" (2/14/05), I told you about a UK study in which researchers monitored VOC levels for one year in 170 homes where mothers spent their days at home with children.

STUDY RESULTS:

• In homes where air fresheners were used daily, mothers averaged nearly 10 percent more frequent headaches than mothers in homes where air fresheners were used once a week or less
• In the "daily" homes, mothers had more than 25 percent higher risk of depression compared to mothers in the "once a week" homes
• In the "daily" homes, infants were 32 percent more likely to suffer from diarrhea
• Infants in the "daily" homes had a significantly higher rate of earaches than infants in "once a week" homes

Researchers noted that the daily use of air fresheners and other aerosol products created a gradual accumulation of VOCs.

Dr. Steinemann suggests that consumers avoid air fresheners and choose fragrance-free products. But beware – some manufacturers simply use a masking fragrance to neutralize the aroma of scented products.

Another thing that fragrances have that are bad for you are phytoestrogens which we know cause prostate problems in men and wreak havoc in women and mess up everyone's thyroid. Other things to avoid besides fragrances that have phyotestrogens are plastics, soy, and pesticides. Fragrances that the dear good God made are fine as in the completely natural ones found in flowers and herbs which can be distilled and found in essential oils.

Diabetes

From westonaprice.org:

Complications of diabetes include heart disease and circulation problems; kidney disease; degeneration of the retina leading to blindness; neuropathy resulting in numbness, tingling, pain and burning in the extremities; foot ulcers leading to gangrene; and high risk of infection.

Compared to dozens of hormones that are produced when our blood sugar drops too low, the body has only two mechanisms to deal with blood sugar that goes too high. One is exercise--any muscular activity drives the sugar from the blood into the muscle cells where it is used as fuel. The second is the production of insulin. Insulin production is the body’s way of saying that the sugar level is too high, that the body is overfed with sugar. Insulin helps remove sugar from the blood into the cells where it is stored as fat. (It is interesting to note that the type of fat that is made by the body under the guidance of insulin is saturated fat.)

The second conclusion we can draw is that the cause of type II diabetes is actually quite simple. Type II diabetes occurs when for many years the consumption of foods that raise the blood sugar chronically exceeds the amount of sugar needed by the muscles for exercise. This forces the body to gradually make more and more insulin in order to bring this sugar level down. Eventually, the body cannot make enough insulin to lower the sugar level, the sugar level remains chronically high and the patient is diagnosed with diabetes.

Along the way a curious thing happens called insulin resistance. This means that as the blood sugars are chronically elevated, and the insulin levels are rising, the cells build a shield or wall around themselves to slow down this influx of excess sugar. Insulin resistance is a protective or adaptive response, it is the best the body can do to protect the cells from too much glucose. But as time goes on the sugar in the blood increases, more insulin is made by the pancreas to deal with this elevated sugar and the cells resist this sugar influx by becoming insulin resistant, in a sense by shutting the gates. This leads to the curious situation in which blood sugar levels are high but cellular sugar levels are low. The body perceives this as low blood sugar. The patient has low energy and feels hungry so he eats more, and the vicious cycle is under way.

Having a chronically elevated insulin level is detrimental for many other reasons. Not only do high insulin levels cause obesity (insulin tells your body to store fat), but they also signal that fluid should be retained, leading to edema and hypertension. Chronic high insulin provokes plaque development inside the arteries and also suppresses growth hormone needed for the regeneration of the tissues and many other physiological responses.

During the 1980s, researchers began to ask whether obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension and other common medical problems that occur together are really separate diseases, or manifestations of one common physiological defect. The evidence now points to one defect and that is hyperinsulinemia, or excessive insulin levels in the blood. Hyperinsulinemia is the physiological event that links virtually all of our degenerative diseases. It is the biochemical corollary or marker of the events described in heart disease.

The question we need to answer, then, is what causes hyperinsulinemia? In basic biochemistry we learn about the three food groups: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Under normal circumstances it is the carbohydrates that are transformed into the sugar that goes into the blood. Fats are broken down into fatty acids and become the building blocks for hormones, prostaglandins and cell membranes. Proteins are broken down into amino acids which then are rebuilt into the various proteins in our bodies. Carbohydrates are used for one thing only and that is energy generation. This allows us to define a "balanced" diet, which is one where the energy used in movement and exercise equals the energy provided by the carbohydrates we consume.

For a person of a given size, protein and fat requirements are relatively fixed and can be controlled with the appetite. (It is actually difficult to overeat fats and proteins, as our bodies make us nauseous when we do.) However, carbohydrate intake should be intimately related to our level of activity. If we run a marathon every day, a balanced diet would probably include about 300 grams of carbohydrates per day, the amount contained in 20 potatoes or 6 brownies. If we sit on the couch all day, obviously our requirement for energy food will be less. In this case a balanced diet would include only about 65-70 grams of carbohydrate per day. Any more, and our bodies are forced to make more insulin and the whole vicious cycle begins.

The problem of diabetes can be summarized by saying that the western diet has us eating like marathon runners, when in fact most of us simply sit on the couch. When we regulate the carbohydrate intake to match our exercise level, type II diabetes cannot develop, and in fact, I have found that most cases of type II diabetes respond well to treatment when these basic principles are kept in mind. Type I diabetes responds equally well to a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet. In fact, before insulin was available, the only way to treat type I diabetes was a high-fat diet from which carbohydrate foods were completely excluded because the body does not need insulin to assimilate proteins and fats.

Unless eaten to great excess, fats do not contribute to diabetes--with one exception. Trans fatty acids in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils can cause insulin resistance. When these man-made fats get built into the cell membrane, they interfere with the insulin receptors. In theory, this means that one could develop insulin resistance without eating lots of carbohydrates. But in practice, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are always used in the very high-carbohydrate foods--french fries, cookies, crackers, donuts and margarine on bread or potatoes--that flood the bloodstream with sugar. Trans fatty acids in modern processed foods present a double whammy for which the human species has developed no defenses.

DIET FOR DIABETICS

Studies of indigenous peoples by Weston Price and many others reveal the wisdom of native diets and life-style. For not only did so-called primitive peoples follow the "perfect" anti-diabetes life-style program, but their diets incorporated specific foods only recently discovered to play an important role in the prevention and treatment of this disease. In general, indigenous peoples had a low carbohydrate intake coupled with a lot of physical activity. In fact, those peoples especially prone to diabetes today, such as northern Native Americans and Inuits, consumed virtually no carbohydrate foods. In warmer climates, where tubers and fruits were more abundant, these foods were usually fermented and consumed with adequate protein and fat. It is only in the change to Western habits that their so-called "genetic" tendency to diabetes manifests.

There are three other nutritional factors in indigenous diets that are helpful for diabetics. First, the diets were rich in trace minerals. Modern science has shown us that trace mineral deficiencies--particularly deficiencies in zinc, vanadium and chromium--inhibit insulin production and absorption. Without vanadium, sugar in the blood cannot be driven into the cells and chromium is necessary for carbohydrate metabolism and the proper functioning of the insulin receptors. Zinc is a co-factor in the production of insulin. Traditional foods were grown in mineral-rich soil, contained mineral-rich bone broth and salt, and included mineral-rich water or beverages made with such water. In the modern diet, the best sources of zinc are red meats and shell fish, particularly oysters. Extra virgin unfiltered olive oil supplies vanadium, and chromium is found in nutritional yeast, molasses and organ meats like liver.

Second, indigenous peoples ate a portion of their animal foods, such as fish, milk or meat, uncooked--either raw or fermented. This strategy conserves vitamin B6, which is easily destroyed by heat. Vitamin B6 is essential for carbohydrate metabolism; it is often the rate-limiting vitamin of the B vitamin complex because it is one of the most difficult to obtain in the diet. Indigenous peoples intuitively understood the need to eat a portion of their animal foods completely raw.

Third, traditional peoples consumed foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins, including butterfat from grass-fed animals, organ meats, shellfish, fish liver oils and the fats of certain animals like bear and pig. High levels of vitamin A are absolutely essential for the diabetic because diabetics are unable to convert the carotenes in plant foods into true vitamin A. Vitamin A and vitamin D also protect against the complications of diabetes, such as retina and kidney problems. And vitamin D is necessary for the production of insulin.

Putting all these rules together, we find that a nutrient-dense traditional diet fits all the requirements for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The diet should include sufficient trace minerals from organic and biodynamic foods, Celtic sea salt, bone broths, shellfish, red meat, organ meats, unfiltered olive oil and nutritional yeast. High levels of vitamins A and D are essential, as are raw animal foods to provide vitamin B₆.

Most importantly, diabetics must strictly limit their daily carbohydrate intake. While the optimum amount of carbohydrate foods depends somewhat on activity levels, most diabetics need to start on a 60-gram-per-day carbohydrate regimen until their sugars normalize. I recommend The Schwarzbein Principle as a guide to carbohydrate consumption. The book contains easy-to-use charts that allow you to assess carbohydrate values. During the initial period of treatment, which can take up to a year, average blood sugar levels should be determined by a blood test that measures HgbA1c, a compound that indicates average blood sugar levels over a period of about 6 weeks. Carbohydrate restriction will also help with weight loss.

For Type II diabetics, this diet should help both blood sugar levels and weight to normalize, after which the daily carbohydrate intake can be liberalized to about 72 grams per day. This level should be maintained throughout the life of the diabetic. The same approach applies to the Type I diabetic, although it may not allow him to get off insulin. However, strict carbohydrate restriction should reduce insulin requirements, help keep blood sugar stable and, most importantly, prevent the many side effects associated with diabetes.

Please note that in this approach there are no restrictions on total food intake, nor do we pay attention to the so-called glycemic index of various carbohydrate foods. Fats consumed with any carbohydrate food will lower the glycemic index. Worrying about glycemic indices adds nothing to the therapy and only increases time spent calculating food values rather than enjoying its goodness. One should eat abundantly from good fats and proteins--only carbohydrate foods need to be restricted.

With this approach, diabetics can expect greatly improved quality of life and even a complete cure.

Eggs and Cholesterol busting a myth

From HSI:
Two years ago the British Heart Foundation (BHF) acknowledged new evidence about dietary cholesterol in eggs. Previously, the BHF had advised against eating more than three eggs per week.

Victoria Taylor – a BHF dietician – told the BBC: ""There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol."

Finally! A little common sense from the mainstream! Thank you, Victoria.

More recently, University of Surrey researchers evaluated a variety of egg nutrition studies and found that the misconception that eggs raise cholesterol levels is based on out-of-date evidence.
Professor Bruce Griffin of the Surrey team told the BBC that the idea that egg intake is linked to high cholesterol and heart disease "must be corrected." And as if he were reading from a past e-Alert, Prof. Griffin added that eggs are in fact quite nutrient-dense.

So how in the world did eggs get such a bad rap in the first place? In case you missed it, here's how HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., explained it in the e-Alert "Egging On" (3/18/09): "The studies on cholesterol/eggs and heart disease were done using POWDERED eggs! However, there is a familial hypercholesterolemia where some have to ease up on egg intake, but primarily the problem has always been OXIDIZED cholesterol – cholesterol heated and exposed to air for an extended period...not an issue in a real egg, where the yolk sac insulates the cholesterol from oxidation."

Dr. Spreen adds that eggs are a rare good source of sulfur. In addition, you'll get plenty of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins B, D, A, and riboflavin, and minerals, including calcium, potassium, and iron.
(www.hsibaltimore.com)