Month: May 2012

Since about 2006, Ventria has been quietly cultivating rice that has been genetically modified (GM) with genes from the human liver for the purpose of taking the artificial proteins produced by this "Frankenrice" and using them in pharmaceuticals. With approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ventria has taken one of the most widely cultivated grain crops in the world today, and essentially turned it into a catalyst for producing new drugs.

Originally, the cultivation of this GM rice, which comes in three approved varieties (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/biotech_ea_permits.html), was limited to the laboratory setting. But in 2007, Ventria decided to bring the rice outdoors. The company initially tried to plant the crops in Missouri, but met resistance from Anheuser-Busch and others, which threatened to boycott all rice from the state in the event that Ventria began planting its rice within state borders (http://todayyesterdayandtomorrow.wordpress.com).

So Ventria's GM rice eventually ended up in Kansas, where it is presumably still being grown for the purpose of manufacturing drugs on 3,200 acres in Junction City. And while this GM rice with added human traits has never been approved for human consumption, it is now being cultivated in open fields where the potential for unrestrained contamination and spread of its unwanted, dangerous GM traits is virtually a given.

"This is not a product that everyone would want to consume," said Jane Rissler from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to the Washington Post back in 2007. "It is unwise to produce drugs in plants outdoors."

Though receiving tens of thousands of public comments of opposition, many rightly concerned about the spread of GM traits, the USDA approved open cultivation of Ventria's GM rice anyway. This, of course, occurred after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had refused approval for Ventria's GM rice back in 2003 (http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/publications/PharmaRice.pdf).

GM 'pharmaceutical' rice could cause more disease, suggests report
Besides the threat of contamination and wild spread, Ventria's GM rice, which is purportedly being grown to help third-world children overcome chronic diarrhea, may conversely cause other chronic diseases.

"These genetically engineered drugs could exacerbate certain infections, or cause dangerous allergic or immune system reactions," said Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst at the Center for Food Safety (CFS), who published a report back in 2007 about the dangers of Ventria's GM rice.

Rich in phytonutrients, flavonoids, and active phenolic compounds, cilantro has long been used by ancient cultures to prevent indigestion and other digestive disorders, and recent studies have confirmed that the herb does, indeed, help alleviate various stomach ailments. Dr. James A. Duke, Ph.D., a retired botanist from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and author of The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, for instance, says that drinking a cup of cilantro leaf tea can remedy any form of stomach discomfort (http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/benefits-of/cilantro).

Cilantro contains two specific compounds known as cineole and linoleic acid that both possess anti-arthritic and anti-rheumatic properties. Cilantro also contains a substance known as dodecenal that is twice as powerful as the antibiotic drug gentamicin at fighting infection and eradicating harmful microbes from the body. Cilantro is also a natural antiseptic that can help wounds heal more quickly, and is a natural chelator of heavy metals from the body.

Eating several tablespoons of cilantro-based pesto every day (http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_cilantroremheavymetals.html), in fact, or supplementing with cilantro capsules, is an excellent way to help cleanse your body of toxic heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, and lead, which can accumulate in tissue and elsewhere as a result of repeated environmental and dietary exposure. Adding cilantro juice to a cleansing coffee enema is another great way to detoxify your body of heavy metals naturally (http://www.naturalnews.com/027942_cilantro_heavy_metals.html).

Cilantro as a natural anti-inflammatory medicine
As far as inflammation is concerned, researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, India, found that rats given a powdered extract of coriander seeds to treat rheumatoid arthritis experienced far less swelling and inflammation compared to rats given a steroid treatment for the condition. The research team also found that coriander extract can alleviate joint inflammation associated with other types of arthritis as well.

"We undertook this experiment after we found [cilantro's] mention in the traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda and Unani for its anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic activities," said Surender Singh, co-author of the study which was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research. Traditional Ayurveda and Unani, after all, have long used cilantro, with much success, to treat inflammatory conditions (http://www.everydayhealth.com).

A 2004 study published in the journal Food Chemistry found similar benefits for both cilantro and coriander, but noted that cilantro leaf extracts are the most potent. Since those suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions have been found to have lower-than-normal antioxidant levels, and cilantro is a powerful antioxidant, it is hypothesized that the mechanism by which this medicinal herb alleviates inflammation is via its unique antioxidant content.

So how can you integrate cilantro into your own diet? Blending a handful of fresh, organic cilantro into your daily smoothie is one option (http://mariefrohlich.blogspot.com). You can also throw some cilantro in your regular juicing recipes, and also sprinkle it into salads, stews, and other meals. Chopped cilantro also tastes great when added to fresh salsas and dips, so you can try adding it to those recipes.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health report the result of a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in support of the potent effect of flavonoids from blueberries and other natural foods to significantly lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Data from prior studies has drawn a link between specific flavonoids from dietary sources such as berries and improvement in insulin sensitivity and signaling to improve metabolic syndrome, a series of biomarkers that lead to diabetes.

Flavonoid-rich foods including blueberries shield against metabolic syndrome and diabetes
The research consisted of 70,359 women in the Nurses' Health Study, 89,201 women in the NHS II, and 41,334 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who were free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at the outset of each study, and followed for a period of twenty years. Higher intake of berry flavonoids (anthocyanins) was significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes after adjusting for age, body weight, lifestyle and dietary factors.

The scientists found that consumption of anthocyanin-rich foods, especially blueberries, apples and pears was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This research supports prior studies showing that blueberries significantly boosted the production of adiponectin, the key hormone made in your white adipose tissue that prevents your liver from developing insulin resistance, ultimately leading to type 2 diabetes.

Blood sugar levels spike in response to a diet of highly refined carbohydrates, sugars, wheat products and excess processed foods. Insulin is released by the pancreas in an effort to stabilize blood sugar levels and usher glucose into the cells where it is needed for energy. Over time, blood sugar spikes cause insulin to become resistant and excess sugar remains in the blood leading to metabolic decline.

Blueberries and flavonoid rich natural foods help regulate the action of insulin by modulating adipose hormones to lower risk of diabetes and aid weight management issues. Consume at least one-half cup of berries every day or use an anthocyanin-rich supplement taken with meals to shield you from metabolic syndrome and the cellular devastation caused by diabetes.

Pregnancy, more than ever, is a time to go natural. It's best to get as much of your vitamins and minerals as you can from food. However it is difficult to get the RDA – recommended daily allowance – (which is a minimum!) of some vitamins and minerals from food alone. Deficiency can manifest in many ways, making it difficult for your health care provider to identify. Therefore, it is best to support your pregnancy with natural, food-based supplements.

Pregnancy supporting supplements
During pregnancy, a woman's intake requirement of many vitamins and minerals increases, including iron, calcium, and folic acid. That is why its best to take a good, food based prenatal vitamin. This does NOT mean one from a doctor. Prescription prenatal vitamins are made from synthetic sources. Most don't even have a label on them, so you don't know what you're getting – or not getting. They are not easily absorbed and it is easier to overdose on synthetic sources of some vitamins. For example, in a food based vitamin, you get beta carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A as needed. Vitamin A is crucial to your immune system, so you don't want to be deficient. Synthetic vitamin A, found in prescription prenatals, is animal based and it can be bad to get too much. Prenatals have the vitamins and minerals you expect in a multi-vitamin, including folic acid, but only some of the iron and calcium you need. Your body can't assimilate these together, so be sure to get the rest from your diet. Many prenatals will have extra offerings as well, such as ginger, to help with nausea.

Also crucial during pregnancy is omega 3 fatty acids, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Found in every cell of our bodies, DHA is critical for brain, eye, and central nervous system development, and it increases a developing baby's cognitive functioning, resulting in higher IQ levels and longer attention spans. For mom, it reduces the risk of pre-term labor and postpartum depression.

Best herbs for pregnancy
For centuries women have used the following herbs to nourish themselves and their babies, and to ease the discomforts of pregnancy. Each contains numerous vitamins and minerals necessary to good health.

Red raspberry leaf – tones the uterus, soothes spastic muscles, and improves contractibility of the uterus during labor. It nourishes the ovaries, reduces nausea and morning sickness as well as intestinal spasms caused by excess progesterone, and increases milk production. Also used for bleeding gums, mouth ulcers, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, and cold sores. Promotes healthy nails, bones, teeth, and skin.

Alfalfa – the "father of all foods", it promotes pituitary gland function, contains enzymes that enable food to be assimilated properly helping to normalize weight, reduces incidence of diabetes and digestive disorders, alkalizes the body, improves kidney function, reduces edema, normalizes bowel movements, improves sleep patterns, and reduces cholesterol.

Oatstraw – the premier herb for the nervous system, it nourishes the brain and endocrine system reducing anxiety, reduces leg cramps and heart palpitations, improves digestion and elimination, improves circulation to the uterus and placenta, improves bone density and tooth enamel, and offers relief from skin irritations.

Nettle – nourishes adrenals (improves energy) and immune system, helps with seasonal allergies, restores kidney function, increases resistance to illness, improves incontinence and UTIs, eliminates edema, improves liver function (jaundice), improves iron absorption (reducing anemia), stabilizes blood sugar, reduces headaches, increases milk supply, and reduces incidence of tearing and postpartum hemorrhage.

These herbs are easy to find and inexpensive. Mix together to make a wonderful tea. Take capsules or drink tea daily to nourish mom and baby, and have a healthy pregnancy.

One more honorable mention – Garlic – the best 'antibiotic' to use during pregnancy if you get sick.

The letter, which many experts see as the ominous writing on the wall for the grave severity of the circumstances, offers a disturbing glimpse into what is really going on across the Pacific Ocean that the mainstream media is apparently ignoring. While referencing the fact that all four of the affected reactors are still "badly damaged," Sen. Wyden seems to hint in his letter that Reactor 4, which has reportedly been on the verge of collapse for many months now, could be nearing catastrophic implosion.

Imminent collapse of Reactor 4 could create a mass extinction event of both humans and animals
According to Christina Consolo, an award-winning biomedical photographer and host of Nuked Radio, Reactor 4 has remained in such bad shape that even a very small earthquake could quickly level the building, sending the fuel from more than 1,500 unused fuel rods into the environment. And with Reactor 4 still filled with the highest levels of radioactive MOX and other fuels, the consequences of this potential collapse could be far worse than anything that has happened thus far as a result of the earthquake and tsunami.

"[S]itting at the top of [Reactor 4], in a pool that is cracked, leaking, and precarious even without an earthquake, are 1,565 fuel rods (give or take a few), some of them 'fresh fuel' that was ready to go into the reactor on the morning of March 11 when the earthquake and tsunami hit," writes Consolo. "If they are MOX fuel, containing six percent plutonium, one fuel rod has the potential to kill 2.89 billion people."

Sen. Wyden is also asking U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Gregory Jaczko to assess how much additional assistance their agencies might be willing to provide to help Japan, and the entire world, avoid a nuclear catastrophe of Biblical proportions.

"The scope of damage to the plants and to the surrounding area was far beyond what I expected and the scope of the challenges to the utility owner, the government of Japan, and to the people of the region are daunting," wrote Sen. Wyden in his letter, dated April 16, 2012. "The precarious status of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear units and the risk presented by the enormous inventory of radioactive materials and spent fuel in the event of further earthquake threats should be of concern to all and a focus of greater international support and assistance."

When Stuart Chaifetz, Akian's father, starting hearing reports that his otherwise calm and polite son was hitting teachers and having violent outbursts in class, he grew suspicious as to why, and began to question whether or not the allegations were even true. So he decided to send Akian to school one day with a hidden microphone on his body, and what he discovered was that Akian's teachers were verbally abusing, mocking, and bullying the young boy during class.

Besides inappropriately talking about their escapades with alcohol and their troubled marriages, the women in the clip can be heard yelling at Akian to "shut his mouth" on several occasions throughout the day. Jodi Sgouros, the aide of Akian's primary teacher, Kelly Altenburg, can be heard throughout the clips yelling at Akian, making fun of him, and at one point even maliciously mocking him when he asks a question about seeing his dad.

Akian's father, Stuart, created a 17-minute video montage highlighting some of the worst portions of the audio recordings, and also provided his own explanations as to what was happening when they occurred. You can view this disturbing video, which has since gone viral, at: http://youtu.be/tfkscHt96R0

Though Chaifetz had urged viewers not to try to contact the school district or the teachers involved, their identifies have since been made public after Jodi Sgouros, the teacher's aide, was quickly identified as the verbal perpetrator, and subsequently fired from the school. Teacher Kelly Altenburg, however, who had allowed the abuse and bullying to occur under her watch, and who can be heard in the clips laughing at Sgouros' mockery of Akian and other students, was reportedly transferred to Cherry Hill High School West.

Outraged over this blatant dereliction of responsibility by the school district, Chaifetz and his thousands of sympathizing supporters are demanding that Altenburg be fired from her new position. Supporters have even created a Change.org petition to the school to have Altenburg fired:
http://www.change.org

"I really hope this starts a conversation, and I hope people out there who are, who do have the power, can take a breath and say, 'If this can happen here, then it can happen in every state in every town,'" said Chaifetz to MyFoxPhilly.com.

The study looked at 8,964 people who had never been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants. During the six-month study, 493 of these people were diagnosed with depression or began taking antidepressants.

Researchers here found people who ate commercial baked goods and fast food suffered higher rates of depression than those who forewent these foods.

More specifically, compared to those who maybe occasionally or never have fast and processed foods, those who regularly indulge are 51% more likely to develop depression.

While small amounts of these foods significantly increase your risk of depression, researchers found the more you eat, the more you risk becoming depressed.

Researchers also found people who eat McDonald’s and processed foods more likely to be single, less active, and eat lesser amounts of healthy stuff like nuts, fish, vegetables and olive oil.

Fast- and processed-food frequenters are also more likely to work more than 45 hours a week and smoke cigarettes.

It doesn’t add up to a very happy picture.

These findings are nothing new. A study last year in the journal Preventive Medicine found that middle-aged women who indulge in fast food are more likely to suffer depression and increase their risk for numerous diseases.

The conclusions prove grim: despite Happy Meals and cute smiley-face logos, fast food detours and Little Debbies can leave you fat, sick, and really unhappy.

I’m a big fan of Paleo, lower-carb eating. That includes plenty of lean protein like grass-fed beef and wild salmon, copious green vegetables, low-glycemic fruits, and nuts and seeds. Your ancestors evolved on this diet, and it’s the one best suited for you to burn fat and enjoy abundant health.

That said, sometimes airport fast food and gas station snacks will be your only options. You’ve got to do the best with what you have. I want to show you how to make smart decisions in those circumstances.

You know, for instance, that at fast food joints, vegetable options are limited. So I want you to travel with Barlean’s Greens to get those alkalinizing greens you probably aren’t getting at fast food places.

You can always get a grilled chicken sandwich at these places and trash the bun. Some fast food places also do gourmet salads. Just skip anything fried or crunchy, and get the lowest-sugar dressing they offer. (Some of those packaged dressings come loaded with sugar and trans fat.)

More “upscale” fast food restaurants like Chipotle will customize your salad, so stick with those places whenever possible. I would suggest loading up a big salad with grilled chicken, avocado, salsa, and maybe some black beans with an olive oil and vinegar dressing.

My point is, you can make fast food work if you know how. I’m not suggesting you eat it every day, but if it’s your only option, you don’t have to succumb to the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Extra Value Meal. (Which is maybe an extra value to your wallet, but not to your health.)

Same deal with snacks. If you’re at a gas station and need something to tide you till dinner, bypass the candy and chip aisles for a bag of raw almonds or other nuts or seeds.

I see more gas stations carry healthier options like apples, hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, and nitrate-free jerky.

These provide smart, satisfying options to stay in fat-burning mode and not give in to junk foods that can trigger diabetes, depression, obesity, and lots of other health problems you most definitely don’t want.

KOB News 4 in Albuquerque reports that, after much deliberation, officials from the Albuquerque Water Authority decided that it is no longer necessary to fluoridate the city's water supply. Since some naturally-occurring fluoride is already present in the Albuquerque water supply, the city will instead "err on the side of caution," to quote the words of the Water Authority's David Morris.

And why, exactly, is the city employing "caution" in the matter? First, the fluoride that continues to be added to many water supplies across America is not actually fluoride at all. It is either sodium fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate, or fluorosilicic acid, all of which are highly-toxic, industrial waste byproducts with no scientifically demonstrable health benefits.

In fact, these poser fluoride compounds have been shown in many recent studies to cause severe health problems, including tooth decay. Synthetic fluorides are also responsible for causing developmental problems in children, brain damage, lowered IQ, thyroid disorders, bone damage, hormone disruption and cancer.

According to Shane Ellison, M. Sc., also known as The People's Chemist, fluoride directly attacks the structural integrity of the body, including collagen, a vital protein in the body that composes connective tissues like tendons, bones, cartilage, blood vessels, and even gut lining. Fluoride has also been shown to be mutagenic, which means it damages DNA and can lead to the development of cancer.

The foundation of oral health is not found in ingesting fluoride, in other words, but rather in maintaining optimal nutrition and oral health. Avoiding refined carbohydrates like processed sugars and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), for instance, which easily ferment in the mouth and cause tooth decay, is a practical, sensical way to stave off cavities.

Regular consumption of raw, grass-fed butter and dairy products can also help prevent the development of cavities, according to research conducted by the late Weston Price, a dentist whose nutritional protocols have helped many people improve their health and mitigate disease.

You can proactively help to get fluoride removed from your own town or city by learning more about fluoride, and using this information to educate your friends, neighbors, and local officials about its many dangers:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/

Here are some of recent scientific findings on microwaving food:

“The rise of widespread nutritional deficiencies in the western world correlates almost perfectly with the introduction of the microwave oven. This is no coincidence. Microwave ovens heat food through a process of creating molecular friction, but this same molecular friction quickly destroys the delicate molecules of vitamins and phytonutrients (plant medicines) naturally found in foods. One study showed that microwaving vegetables destroys up to 97% of the nutritional content (vitamins and other plant-based nutrients that prevent disease, boost immune function and enhance health).”“In other words, eating raw broccoli provides you with natural anti-cancer medicine that’s extremely effective at halting the growth of cancer tumours. But microwaving that broccoli destroys the anti-cancer nutrients, rendering the food “dead” and nutritionally depleted. There’s even some evidence to suggest that microwaving destroys the natural harmony in water molecules, creating an energetic pattern of chaos in the water found in all foods. In fact, the common term of “nuking” your food is coincidentally appropriate: Using a microwave is a bit like dropping a nuclear bomb on your food, then eating the fallout. (You don’t actually get radiation from eating microwaved foods, however. But you don’t get much nutrition, either.)”