Natural Communities Magazine A magazine devoted to the local natural wellness culture.

U.S. Congressman Ron Paul has introduced HR 778, a bill “to authorize the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption.”

Under the bill, the federal government could not “take any action … that would prohibit, interfere with, regulate, or otherwise restrict the interstate traffic of milk, or a milk product, that is unpasteurized and packaged for direct human consumption solely on the basis that the milk or milk product is unpasteurized.”

Passage of the bill into law would repeal a current federal regulation prohibiting raw milk and raw milk products for human consumption in interstate commerce. The bill would not force a state to legalize the sale of raw milk from local producers, nor would it force a state to allow the sale of raw milk from out-of-state producers in its retail stores. The bill would, however, enable consumers to enter into transactions to obtain raw milk and raw milk products from other states without the transactions being in violation of federal law.

The consumption of raw milk is legal in every U.S. state, but its sale is currently illegal in about half of them.

Sources:

Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund February 1, 2009

111th Congress 1st Session, H.R. 778

Dr. Mercola’s Comments

Again, Congressman Ron Paul rises to the challenge and pushes for sanity and reason, calling the regulatory restrictions on raw milk “unconstitutional.”

The U.S. federal regulation in question (
21 CFR 1240.61) states that:

“…no person shall cause to be delivered into interstate commerce or shall sell, otherwise distribute, or hold for sale or other distribution after shipment in interstate commerce any milk or milk product in final package form for direct human consumption unless the product has been pasteurized….”

If Ron Paul’s bill H.R. 778 passes into law, it will repeal this regulation and enable you to buy raw milk and raw milk products from other states – if it’s not available in your own — without the transaction violating federal law. Because whereas consuming raw milk is legal in all states, only about half of all U.S. states allow the sale of raw milk products.

And currently, if you were to purchase your milk products from another state where the sale is legal, you’d be violating the law by bringing it, or shipping it, across the border.

This bill would do away with that nonsense.

As Congressman Paul stated when he introduced the bill:

“My office has heard from numerous people who would like to obtain unpasteurized milk. Many of these people have done their own research and come to the conclusion that unpasteurized milk is healthier than pasteurized milk.

Americans have the right to consume these products without having the Federal Government second-guess their judgment about what products best promote health. If there are legitimate concerns about the safety of unpasteurized milk, those concerns should be addressed at the state and local level.”

Bravo!

And he is right — demand for raw milk is growing all across the U.S. In Massachusetts, for example, the number of dairies licensed to sell raw milk has grown from 12 to 23 over the past two years alone. And, according to the Northeast Organic Farming Association, dairies are selling more raw milk than they were just five years ago, and consumers call in every week looking for advice on where to find it.

Current Regulations are Based on Flawed Assumptions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that raw milk can carry disease-causing bacteria. However, what they fail to realize is that raw milk contains good bacteria, enzymes and raw fats that help to boost your immune system and aid digestion, and that raw milk from healthy grass-fed cows are FAR less likely to harbor disease-causing bacteria to begin with.

The process of pasteurization is used to extend shelf life and to immobilize certain bacteria. However, it is normal for milk to contain some bacteria, and human societies have benefited from these bacteria in milk for thousands of years. In fact, bacteria:

* Are earth’s oldest life forms
* Are everywhere
* Are essential for your survival
* Comprise more than 90 percent of the cells in your body

Raw milk is an absolutely marvelous whole food, and fermented milks have superior nutrient value and digestibility. Today these products are marketed as containing “probiotics,” as if it was something brand new.

Pasteurized milk, on the other hand, is simply not designed for your best long-term health interests, and will invariably cause you problems if you drink it long enough.

Government agencies would have you believe that if there are bacteria in your milk, it will make you sick. But this is the same type of oversimplified and incorrect logic that allowed pasteurized milk to proliferate the market in the first place.

In reality, bacteria is in milk for a reason, and as long as it comes from a healthy cow, the good bacteria will keep the bad bacteria in your gut  in check, and will proceed to do the same inside of your body.

The public obsession with killing bacteria misdirects efforts at improving public health — because relatively few bacteria are pathogenic. By constantly sterilizing, pasteurizing, and disinfecting, the balance is actually tipped in favor of the pathogens!

Time to Correct the Error

Now is a great time for you, as a concerned consumer (whether you actually drink raw milk or not), to take notice and join in the efforts to allow people everywhere to pursue health and not be thwarted by regulations based on flawed assumptions.

H.R. 778 has been assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and is currently seeking co-sponsors. You can track the status of the bill by entering “HR 778” in the Search field for “Bill Number” on  www.thomas.gov.

More Reasons Why Raw Milk Good for You

Pasteurizing milk not only kills potential disease-causing bacteria, it also wipes out all the beneficial bacteria, and destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamins, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, and, yes, promotes pathogens. It can, and frequently does, also cause allergies and other autoimmune dysfunction.

From a health perspective, there’s simply no rational justification to ever drink pasteurized milk, even organic pasteurized milk.

Raw milk, in contrast has numerous health benefits, as it:

• Still contains all of the valuable enzymes that are destroyed during pasteurization. Without them, milk is very difficult to digest. So if you have a lactose intolerance, it will simply disappear once you start consuming raw dairy products.
• Is an outstanding source of healthy, “good” bacteria and micronutrients, including lactobacillus, acidophilus, and vitamins, which are virtually eliminated by the pasteurization process of commercial milk. It is an outstanding nutrient to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your intestine.
• Still contains natural butterfat, which is homogenized or removed in commercial milk. Without butterfat, your body cannot absorb and utilize the vitamins and minerals in the water fraction of the milk. Butterfat is also your best source of preformed vitamin A, and contains re-arranged acids with strong anti-carcinogenic properties.
• Does not contain synthetic vitamin D, which is known to be toxic to the liver, yet is still added to most commercial milk.
• Contains healthy unoxidized cholesterol.

And if that’s not enough, raw-milk drinkers also rave about these additional benefits:

• You feel the health benefits: Raw milk is not associated with any of the health problems surrounding pasteurized milk, such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin rashes, diarrhea, and cramps. Even people who have been allergic to pasteurized milk for many years can typically tolerate and even thrive on raw milk.
• It tastes better: As with any food, fresher is always better and this applies to milk as well. Fresh raw milk is creamier and better tasting than pasteurized milk that has a shelf life of several weeks.

You do have the right – in fact, the obligation – to come to your own conclusions about what’s healthy for you. It’s part and parcel of eating for your nutritional type, which is the best way for you to optimize your health as what’s good for someone else may not be so great for your particular biochemistry.

Shouldn’t we all have the right to choose which kind of milk we want to drink?

I think so. And thankfully, so does Ron Paul.

Source: www.mercola.com

The use of mouthwashes that contain alcohol as an ingredient can drastically increase a person’s risk of cancers of the mouth, head and neck, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Australia’s University of Melbourne and University of Queensland School of Dentistry.

Researchers studied use of mouthwash among 3,210 people and compared it with rates of mouth, head and neck cancers.

“We see people with oral cancer who have no other risk factors than the use of [mouthwash containing alcohol], so what we’ve done is review all the evidence,” said lead researcher Michael McCullough, chair of the Australian Dental Association’s therapeutics committee,

The researchers found that all participants who used an alcohol-containing mouthwash at least once per day had a significantly increased risk of cancer, independent of other risk factors such as smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages. Among those who both used alcohol-containing mouthwash and regularly drank alcoholic beverages, the risk of cancers of the larynx, pharynx or oral cavity was five times that of people who drank but did not use mouthwash. The risk of cancer in people who smoked and used alcohol-containing mouthwashes was an astonishing nine times that of non-mouthwash-using smokers.

“Since this article, further evidence has come out,” McCullough said. “We believe there should be warnings. If it was a facial cream that had the effect of reducing acne but had a four to fivefold increased risk of skin cancer, no one would be recommending it.”

The body breaks down alcohol, also known as ethanol, into a carcinogenic compound called acetaldehyde. The researchers note that due to the way that mouthwash is swished around, acetaldehyde may thereby accumulate in the oral cavity.

In addition, the researchers believe that alcohol makes mucus membranes more permeable to other chemicals, allowing nicotine and other carcinogens increased access to the body’s tissues.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025729.html

[Here is a very important health freedom petition.  Please add your signature and forward this to everyone who would be interested in their health freedom]…

Dear NaturalNews readers,

This may be the most important email I’ve ever sent you.

Today, we’ve launched the much-anticipated Health Revolution Petition at www.HealthRevolutionPetition.org

This petition is a groundbreaking new petition that calls for real, revolutionary health freedom reforms in America! If its provisions are enacted, it would:

• End FDA tyranny and oppression of natural product companies
• End the persecution of alternative medicine and healing arts practitioners
• Ban GMOs in the food supply and require honest labeling of irradiated foods
• Protect America from CODEX “harmonization”
• Allow full income tax deductions for ALL health-related expenditures (herbs, supplements, gym memberships, etc.)
• Provide $350 a month in health care credits to each U.S. resident, allowing them to spend it on the health-enhancing products and services of their choice
• End mandatory vaccination policies across America
• Restore honest science to the FDA’s review of drugs
• Require the open publication of all drug trials
• End Big Pharma’s bribery of doctors
• Hold drug company CEO’s criminally liable for the harm caused by drugs they advertise to consumers
• Restrict the advertising of junk foods and soda pop to children
• Ban man-made, non-natural chemicals in personal care products
• Invest in disease prevention and consumer education about nutrition
• Protect the environment from dangerous drugs that pollute the water supply

… and more. If you believe in these things, and you are a resident or citizen of the USA, then please sign this petition right now at www.HealthRevolutionPetition.org

We are gathering 100,000 signatures, then delivering this petition to every member of Congress (both House and Senate), plus President Obama and members of his administration. The costs for all this are being funded by the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center ( www.ConsumerWellness.org) where I serve as the volunteer executive director.

To your health,
- Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

The new $800 billion economic stimulus bill contains some striking new “Big Brother” health care language that should give pause to all freedom-loving Americans. For starters, the bill requires the electronic tracking of the medical records of all Americans. All your private medical data will be stored in a government database, including your history of disease, pharmaceutical treatments, surgeries and even emergency room visits.

How would you like the government knowing all the details about your drug rehab? Or alcoholism treatments? Abortion? Sexually-transmitted disease diagnosis? Pregnancy status? Blood test results?

But it gets even more interesting than that: Under the new provisions found in the bill, all U.S. doctors will now be stripped of autonomy and forced to follow the medical treatment guidelines dictated by the government.

This news should rock the medical world (once they truly understand it). It means doctors can no longer make their own decisions about patients’ needs or treatment protocols. From now on, all health care decisions will be centrally planned by a dictatorial, Big Brother health care authority in the federal government.

How to turn doctors into sheeple

As Bloomberg.com reports (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?…), Tom Daschle was one of the architects of this plan, and he says that doctors “have to learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”

Any doctor that deviates from that plan would be penalized by the government. That means, for example, that a local doctor who knows the patient and his family, and who is aware of specific local circumstances affecting that patient will no longer be able to apply any of that knowledge in treating the patient. All treatments will be dictated from the government, obliterating the whole point of allowing doctors to operate with some degree of autonomy in the first place.

Effectively, this bill transforms the entire U.S. medical profession into nothing more than pill-pushing puppets. It wipes out the intelligence of a local doctor and replaces it with the stupidity of Big Government.

If the government says all expectant mothers must be screened for depression and put on antidepressant drugs, then all the doctors have to play along and do that if they don’t want to be fined or have their medical licenses taken away. If the government says nutritional supplements are dangerous and cannot be recommended to patients, then all doctors must remain silent and avoid telling patients the truth about helpful nutritional supplements. Whatever the government dictates must now be mirrored by all practicing doctors.

And don’t forget: The U.S. government is largely controlled by the pharmaceutical companies, and that means these health care dictates are almost certain to emphasize pharmaceutical treatments, disease “screening” and disease mongering provisions designed to sell more drugs. You can count on there being increased requirements for vaccinations (HPV vaccines, too) and mental health screenings (psychiatric drugs, anyone?).

Communism is alive and well in America’s health care system

Americans asked for health care, but what they got was Health Communism. There is absolutely no reason to believe that a centrally-controlled government body has any ability to make good health care decisions for individual patients across America. There is also no reason to believe the U.S. government will safeguard patient medical data or even respect the privacy of patients. This is the same government, after all, that has been caught routinely spying on its own citizens by tapping phone lines, emails, faxes and internet traffic.

If anything, the U.S. government has proven itself over the past few years to be the enemy of the American people on the issue of health care. Just look at the actions of the FDA in censoring nutritional supplement health claims (http://www.naturalnews.com/019366.html), or the FTC in assaulting herbal product companies (http://www.naturalnews.com/025303.html). This government is clearly dead set against health care in America, and the more we put government in charge of making health care decisions, the worse the outcome is going to be.

Obama cried “catastrophe” in urging lawmakers to pass this economic stimulus bill. It’s funny how fear is now being used to pass every trillion-dollar spending scandal in Washington these days. That’s one thing the government learned very well from 9/11 - fear sells. And it sold Congress on this stimulus bill, too.

But in terms of health care, the only thing this bill is going to stimulate is more disease, more dead Americans and more profits for Big Pharma. There’s nothing in the bill about ending FDA censorship, or teaching the public about nutrition, or banning pharmaceutical advertising on television. All this bill has accomplished is to spend Americans ever more quickly into financial destitution and medical desperation. It is one of the final nails in the coffin of American prosperity.

From now on, America will largely be defined by disease and debt, and the Obama administration apparently has no answer to either one.

Watch out, folks. The government is here to save us.

If you’re looking for REAL solutions, stay tuned to NaturalNews.com. We are only a few days away from launching our new health freedom petition which demands real health care reform and an end to the dark era of Big Pharma domination over health care.

That petition will be announced right here on NaturalNews.

Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025575.html

The way that energy drinks are marketed and used places consumers at significant risk of caffeine intoxication, according to a study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

“The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a 10-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola, yet the caffeine amounts are unlabeled and few include warnings about potential health risks of caffeine intoxication,” said study co-author Roland Griffiths.

The symptoms of caffeine intoxication include anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, pacing, tremors, rapid heartbeat and digestive upset. In particularly high doses, caffeine can be fatal.

The researchers noted that because energy drinks are marketed as dietary supplements rather than food products, manufacturers are not required to disclose how much caffeine they contain. In addition, the FDA maximum of 71 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounces does not apply. The average 12 ounce cola contains approximately 35 milligrams of caffeine, while a six-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains anywhere from 80 to 150 mg. Yet some energy drinks may contain hundreds of milligrams of caffeine per can.

Part of what makes energy drinks dangerous is that companies mainly market them at teenagers and young adults, pushing them as performance enhancers without warning of potential side effects. As a consequence, many youths drink the products in large quantities throughout the day, like any other beverage.

“It’s notable that over-the-counter caffeine-containing products require warning labels, yet energy drinks do not,” co-author Chad Reissig said.

Also dangerous is the regular practice of mixing energy drinks with alcohol, which 27 percent of college students report doing at least once per month. Because caffeine is a stimulant and alcohol a depressant, people who mix the two tend to feel as if they are less intoxicated than they actually are.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025529.html

Writings about the soybean date back to 3000 B.C., when the Emperor of China listed the virtues of soybean plants for regenerating the soil for future crops. His praises centered on the root of the plant, not the bean. These ancient writing suggested that the Chinese recognized the unfitness of soybeans for human consumption in their natural form. Now 5000 years later, we are once again catching on to the anti-nutritive qualities of the soybean, and realizing that the only soybean worth eating is one that has been fermented.

The key to releasing the nutrients of the soybean has been known for thousands of years

About 1000 B.C. some smart person in China discovered that a mold, when allowed to grow on soybeans, destroyed the toxins present and made the nutrients in the beans available to the body. This process became known as fermentation and led to the creation of the still popular foods tempeh, miso, and natto.

A few centuries later, a simpler process was developed to prepare soybeans for consumption. After lengthy soaking and cooking, the beans were treated with nigari, a substance found in seawater. The end product was tofu. During the Ming dynasty, fermented soy appeared in the Chinese Materia Medica as a nutritionally important food and an effective remedy for diseases.

Unfermented soybeans contain potent anti-nutrients

In their natural form, soybeans contain phytochemicals with toxic effects on the human body. The three major anti-nutrients are phytates, enzyme inhibitors and goitrogens.

These anti-nutrients are the way nature protects the soybean plant so that it can live long enough to effectively reproduce. They function as the immune system of the plant, offering protection from the radiation of the sun, and from invasion by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. They make the soybean plant unappetizing to foraging animals. All plants have some anti-nutrient properties, but the soybean plant is especially rich in these chemicals. If they are not removed by extensive preparation such as fermentation or soaking, soybeans are one of the worst foods a person can eat.

Unfermented soy has been linked to digestive distress, immune system breakdown, PMS, endometriosis, reproductive problems for men and women, allergies, ADD and ADHD, higher risk of heart disease and cancer, malnutrition, and loss of libido.

Groups most at risk of experiencing negative effects from the anti-nutrient properties of soy are infants taking soy baby formula, vegetarians eating a high soy diet, and mid-life women going heavy on the soy foods thinking they will help with symptoms of menopause.

Soybeans contain high levels of phytates

All legumes contain phytate (also known as phytic acid) to some extent, but the soybean is particularly rich in this anti-nutrient. Phytate works in the gastrointestinal tract to tightly bind minerals such as zinc, copper, iron, magnesium and calcium. It has a particularly strong affinity for zinc, a mineral that supports wound healing, protein synthesis, reproductive health, nerve function, and brain development. It is believed that people living in developing countries are shorter than those in developed countries because of zinc deficiency caused by eating too many legumes. There is also evidence that mental development can be negatively impacted by a diet high in phytate.

In most legumes such as other varieties of beans, soaking is enough to break down most of the phytate content. However the soybean requires that the enzymes be released in the fermentation process to reduce its phytate content to the point where it becomes fit for consumption. This means that fermented soy foods like miso and tempeh have the lowest levels of phytate and are the best choices for anyone wishing to eat soybean products. Tofu is also a good choice, as long as care is taken to replenish loss nutrients.

Whole soybeans, soy milk, soy chips, soy protein isolates, soy flour and all the other myriad of products made from processed soybeans and advertised as health foods have much higher levels of phytate and are not worth eating.

Unfermented soy products are rich in enzyme inhibitors

When food is eaten, digestive enzymes such as amylase lipase and protease are secreted into the digestive tract to help break it down and free nutrients for assimilation into the body. The high content of enzyme inhibitors in unfermented soybeans interferes with this process and makes carbohydrates and proteins from soybeans impossible to completely digest. When foods are not completely digested because of enzyme inhibitors, bacteria in the large intestine try to do the job, and this can cause discomfort, bloating, and embarrassment. Anyone with naturally low levels of digestive enzymes such as elderly people would suffer the most from the enzyme inhibiting action of soy.

Soybeans can block production of thyroid hormone

Soybeans have a high content of goitrogens, substances that can block the production of thyroid hormone as well as cause goiter formation. Low thyroid activity plagues women in America, particularly middle-aged women. Thyroid hormone stokes the cellular furnaces, known as mitochrondia. When thyroid production is low, energy levels as well as body heat are also low. Low thyroid level is what makes old people move so slowly and seem like every action is a huge chore. Low thyroid means the action of the heart is reduced, resulting in lack of oxygen to the cells, a prime condition for cancer.

Genistein, an isoflavone found in soybeans, can also block thyroid production. Phytate can accentuate these effects because it binds up zinc and copper, leaving little of these important minerals available to make thyroid hormone.

A transport protein called GLUT1 is shut down by genistein. This protein sends glucose into the cells where it is used to generate energy. Slowing the transport of glucose means less energy production not only of thyroid hormone, but of every other action in the body.

Another way in which soy isoflavones reduce energy in the body is by inhibiting tyrosine kinases, enzymes involved in the transfer of energy from one molecule to another. These enzymes drive cell division, memory consolidation, tissue repair, and blood vessel maintenance and regeneration.

It is this action of regulating cell division that made genistein a popular substance for fighting cancer. When research on this anti-cancer effect of genistein became know, the soy industry feverishly developed products that would appeal to Western women looking for genistein. In the middle of all this excitement, little attention was paid to how the energy reducing effects of genistein lowered cellular energy in normal cells.

The benefits of genistein come at a high cost

Women have been encouraged to use high genistein soy products to alleviate symptoms of menopause and as a guard against bone loss and breast cancer. But given the full range of effects of genistein in the body, high consumption could result in age-related memory loss. Commercial soybean products offer genistein levels as high as 20 to 60 mg per serving. Asians are presented as an example of the benefits of eating soybean products because their incidence of breast cancer and osteoporosis is low. However, the Asian diet of fermented soybean products such as miso and tempeh includes only around 5 mg of genistein a day.

Genistein slows the growth of blood vessels to tumors, another action that makes it popular as a cancer fighter. However, it has the same effect on blood vessels serving normal cells. Eating a regular diet high in genistein could result in the starvation of healthy blood vessels, resulting in a reduced supply of oxygen to cells, setting up a cancer promoting situation.

In a graphic example of how genistein slows cellular energy, a study found that eating high levels of it slowed hair growth by 60 to 80 percent

A decade ago a study of 8,000 Asian men showed that those consuming the highest amounts of tofu had smaller brain size and nearly three times the rate of senile dementia as those who ate the lowest amounts. These results suggest that eating foods high in isoflavones such as soy protein isolates may accelerate the aging of the brain.

Fermentation releases nutrients and transforms soybeans into nutritious food

People filling up their shopping carts with raw or cooked soybeans, soy milk, and other non-fermented soybean products do not realize that the isoflavones they contain will not be available to their bodies. Most of the isoflavones in soy products are bound to carbohydrate molecules called glucosides. In this form genistein is actually called genistin. It is fermentation that transforms genistin into genistein. Many products in the U.S. do not distinguish between genistin and genistein on their labels.

Even with fermented soy foods, a little goes a long way. The nutrients found in miso, tempeh, and natto can be beneficial in the moderate amounts found in the typical Asian diet, but have the potential to do harm in higher amounts. In China and Japan, about an ounce of fermented soy food is eaten on a daily basis.

When fermented soy foods are used in small amounts they help build the inner ecosystem, providing a wealth of friendly microflora to the intestinal tract that can help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients, and boost immunity.

Dr. John Lee, author of several books on the health of women, recommended that women wishing to consume soy production eat only miso, tempeh, natto. Tofu can also be eaten provided it is accompanied by fish or some other protein source and some seaweed or kelp to replenish bound minerals. Eating small amounts of these foods will provide the cancer protective effects of genistein without causing the other potential problems of genistein. Dr. Lee recommended avoiding genistein and isoflavone supplements, and soy protein isolates.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025513.html

Bottled water is typically considered to be a healthy alternative to drinking plain tap water. In fact, Americans drink approximately eight million gallons of bottled water every year. While bottled water is definitely a better choice than soft drinks or sports drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup, bottled water is not a good choice for the wellbeing of the earth. Here are some of the health and environmental issues associated with consuming bottled water.

1. It takes three to five times more water to manufacture the plastic water bottle than actually is contained in the water bottle itself. Because each bottle should only be used one time (so as not to contaminate water with phthalates) this seems to be an inordinate amount of water utilized in the manufacturing process.

2. Plastic is a petroleum product so using plastic water bottles depletes this non-renewable resource. The Pacific Institute has calculated that the manufacturing process for making plastic water bottles used in the US consumes roughly 17 million barrels of oil every year.

3. Plastic water bottles are not recycled the way they should be. It is estimated that in 2005 only about 12% of plastic water bottles were recycled. This is partly because water bottles are many times not included in local recycling plans. Another factor is that bottled water is often consumed away from home and so is disposed of in mixed-trash containers instead of being recycled. In a 2002 study by Scenic Hudson it was reported that 18 percent by volume of recovered litter from the Hudson River was beverage containers. In landfills, water bottles will remain biodegrading for approximately 1,000 years. Incinerating used water bottles produces toxic byproducts including chlorine gas and ash that contains heavy metals.

4. Roughly 94 % of the bottled water in the U.S. is bottled domestically. Of this percentage, approximately 25 percent sold is just reprocessed municipal water according to a 1999 study by the National Resources Defense Council.

5. Using plastic bottles that contain Bisphenol A is detrimental to human health. Bisphenol A behaves similarly to estrogen. This means that when enough of this accumulates in the body there will be negative health effects. Bisphenol A has been linked to obesity, diabetes, breast cancer, and hyperactivity.

Alternatives to Plastic Bottles:

Stainless steel, glass, and aluminum water bottles are safer and more earth-friendly. There are also many companies manufacturing BPA-free and phthalate-free plastic water bottles.

Whatever kind of plastic is used, it is important to hand wash any plastic food and beverage items in warm (not hot) water. Washing plastic items at the high and sustained temperatures of an automatic dishwasher is detrimental to human health and should be avoided at all costs.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025480.html

The FDA has admitted that meat and milk from the offspring of cloned mammals such as cows, pigs, goats and sheep could very well have already entered the food supply in the United States.

“It is theoretically possible,” agency spokesperson Siobhan DeLancey said.

In January, the FDA declared that foods derived from cloned animals and their offspring were safe for human consumption. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, however, asked food companies to voluntarily maintain a ban on products from clones.

The voluntary ban did not extend to the offspring of cloned animals.

Clones are organisms artificially developed directly from the DNA of a single organism, rather than the mixing that is difficult in sexual reproduction. They are made by implanting the nucleus of an adult cell into an egg cell, which is then incubated by a surrogate mother.

According to critics of the technology, very little research has been conducted on the safety of consuming meat or dairy products from clones or their offspring, thus making it premature to bring such products to market.

“It worries me that this technology is out of control in so many ways,” said Charles Margulis of the Center for Environmental Health. He said that the FDA’s announcement that clones’ offspring might already been food supply “is just another element of that.”

A number of major U.S. food producers have announced that they will not use any ingredients derived from cloned animals, due in part to safety concerns. Companies enforcing a ban on clone products include Smithfield Foods, General Mills, Campbell Soup, Nestle, California Pizza Kitchen, Supervalu, Kraft Foods and Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the United States.

Kraft said that consumer demand influenced its decision.

“Research in the United States indicates that consumers are currently not receptive to ingredients from cloned animals,” said Director of Corporate Affairs Susan Davison.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025467.html

Everyone has preferred oft-used methods for easing tension or stress. Sometimes these methods are productive and other times coping methods cause more problems than the original sources of stress. Some positive coping methods are meditation, exercise, deep breathing, journaling, and listening to music. Negative coping strategies include drinking alcohol to excess, smoking, using drugs and overeating. Stress-reduction methods that have positive long-term health benefits are the best choices. It is important to remember that stress is not nearly as critical as how it is dealt with. Here are some suggestions for positive coping methods.

Adjust Environment: Color, lighting and sound can either be soothing and comforting, or jarring and unhealthy.

*Light: Inadequate or artificial indoor lighting can cause stress that creates agitation, disorganized thinking, physical discomfort, and even disease. Conventional fluorescent lighting produces light that is deficient of some of the wavelengths that are contained in natural sunlight. Studies have shown that replacing this kind of lighting with full-spectrum fluorescent that more closely resembles sunlight can reduce stress levels.

*Sound: The sounds around us can either ease or contribute to stress. For this reason, it is important to become aware of how noise affects us.

*Color: Color can have both an emotional and physiological impact on stress levels. The impact of color comes from different vibrations inherent in different colors.

Seek Respite: A change of pace can enable one to find a new way to view a problem. Stop and find something else to do. Take a break. Take a nap. Force the mind to focus on something other than the source of stress.

Physical Activity: In the face of negative emotions such as sadness, anger, or pain, physical activity can help both emotionally and physically. Try physical activities like walking, hiking, stretching, jogging, running, or riding a bicycle to release pent-up energy associated with high stress levels. Even ten minutes of activity can be very effective for reducing stress levels.

Improve Time Management: Learning how to manage one’s time will reduce stress and make one more effective at reaching daily goals. Use a daily planner or a “to do” list and learn how to minimize interruptions that consume precious time.

Learn How to Delegate: Delegating tasks not only reduces stress and creates more time; it also promotes trust in relationships.

Be Aware of Stress Symptoms: When under stress, the heart beats faster, muscles tighten, breathing becomes shallower, and often nausea or headache will result. When symptoms of stress appear, stop and take a break.

Get Adequate Sleep: Getting enough sleep will enable one to better handle stress. Sleeping environment is important as well. Make sure that nothing interferes with peaceful sleep.

Learn How to Laugh: Laughter is a great way to fight stress. Studies have shown that laughter causes a measurable decrease in stress and a measurable increase in the immune system. Laughter increases blood flow to the brain and at the same time endorphins are released into the body making one feel better.

Find Someone to Talk To: Stress can be reduced by talking it over with someone. Find someone who will listen without judgment and who will help find solutions. Seek out optimistic people because these people tend to have lower stress levels in their own lives.

Learn Affirmations: Find some positive phrases that fit, learn them, and repeat them often. Write uplifting notes to yourself.

Say No When Necessary: Having too many responsibilities creates stress. Know your limitations and stay within them. Be sure to say NO without feeling guilty!

Breathe Deeply: Stress promotes shallow, rapid breathing. This deprives the body of oxygen and further exacerbates stress. Consciously breathing slowly and deeply will help the body relax.

Eat a Nutritious Diet: Often stress leads people to eat unhealthy foods, but this will only worsen the stressful situation. Highly refined foods have a bad effect on blood sugar levels and this will contribute to feelings of stress. Eating whole foods will help the body stay regulated and within normal levels.

Count Those Blessings: Focusing on problems contributes to stress. Trying to dwell on the things that are right will encourage feelings of appreciation. Appreciation is a powerful stress-buster.

Get a Massage: A massage will increase blood flow, lower blood pressure, help one rest, and elevate mood.

When all else fails, take a day and give it to yourself. Make it a day that you do not put anyone else ahead of yourself for that period of time. Spend time in activities that will renew the spirit and reaffirm priorities. This should make it possible to return to regular life feeling refreshed and renewed with a better sense of purpose and direction.

Source: www.naturalnews.com

The next time you stop in for your annual check-up with your doctor, chances are you’ll be checking on your cholesterol levels. With fears spiked about having high cholesterol, even those in the low-risk categories are monitoring their levels religiously. After all, there’s nothing like the merit badge of a low cholesterol reading. It’s good enough to put a big, bright smile right across your face or it may just drive you into depression. That’s right. Those charmingly low numbers may be the cause behind depression, anxiety, violence and even suicide.

This is hardly an extremist idea fed by a few confused souls. Just take a look in the British Medical Journal published in September of 1996, where a French study looked at over 6,000 men. The study revealed that men with low cholesterol were three times more likely to commit suicide. A similar study at Payne Whitney Clinic in New York showed a similar result: when dividing men into four groups based on cholesterol levels, suicide risk doubled in the group with the lowest levels.

Equally as disturbing is the link between low cholesterol and violent, impulsive behavior. Dr. Vivian Mitropoulou and her colleagues at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York examined 42 patients with personality disorders. Low cholesterol was a strong indicator of irrationally aggressive behavior.

Just one of the many studies linking low cholesterol to deep depression came from Finland’s National Public Health Institute, where a study of almost 30,000 people showed men with lower cholesterol readings were the most likely to suffer from crippling depression.

All of these disorders may be explained by low serotonin levels, which are often connected to violent and suicidal behavior. Dr. Beatrice Golomb from The University of California looked at studies linking low cholesterol to violence. She points out that studies which placed monkeys on a diet low in fat and cholesterol suffered from dramatically lower serotonin levels. These low-serotonin monkeys exhibited climbing aggression and violence.

Of course, these findings aren’t enough to convince most doctors to overlook other evidence that points toward cholesterol causing health problems. After all, they need to keep writing prescriptions for those cholesterol-lowering drugs that draw in billions of dollars to the industry each year.

Aside from that, these findings are something to seriously consider if you’ve had a history of depression or violence and your cholesterol levels are running low. Your physician may claim these levels are good for your heart, but there’s a chance they could be affecting your head.

Source: www.naturalnews.com