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

No paragraph should begin with ‘Renderers convert dead animals into…’ and end with ‘crayons.’ Yet this is exactly how the Introduction Paragraph started and ended in a report provided to the 108th Congress in 2004. The report provided to Congress discusses dead animals rendered into various products such as pet food and crayons.

The elected Representatives of the 108th Congress were provided a startling report in 2004; compiled by the Congressional Research Services, authored by Geoffrey S. Becker. The report titled Animal Rendering: Economics and Policy explained the processes of the Rendering Industry, and what the products they produce become part of.

The 2004 report to Congress is found in the library of Congressional Research Service. http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/… It is the most recent information reported to Congress on the Rendering Industry (according to documents within the Congressional Research Service library). The ‘Introduction’ paragraph explains the little discussed industry. “Renderers convert dead animals and animal parts that otherwise would require disposal into a variety of materials, including edible and inedible tallow and lard and proteins such as meat and bone meal (MBM). These materials in turn are exported or sold to domestic manufacturers of a wide range of industrial and consumer goods such as livestock feed and pet food, soaps, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, plastics, personal care products, and even crayons.”

“And even crayons”? Dead animals and animal parts turned into crayons?

The Rendering Industry claims to be the ‘first recyclers’. Their task of removing waste material is disgusting to ponder; however, it is a necessary evil. “Renderers annually convert 47 billion pounds or more of raw animal materials into approximately 18 billion pounds of products.” Besides the leftovers from processing human foods in the U.S., ‘renderers collect and process about half of all livestock and poultry that die from diseases.’

Again…crayons?

To provide a complete understanding of rendering, the Congressional report explains the two types of rendering facilities. “Integrated plants operate in conjunction with animal slaughter and meat processing plants and handle 65%-70% of all rendered material.” These ‘integrated rendering plants’ render (or cook) “most edible animal byproducts (i.e., fatty animal tissue), mainly into edible fats (tallow and lard) for human consumption.” Of concern to consumers “These plants also render inedible byproducts (including slaughter floor waste) into fats and proteins for animal feeds and for other ingredients.” To the contrary of integrated rendering plants, “Independent operations handle the other 30%-35% of rendered material. They pick up and process fat and bone trimmings, inedible meat scraps, blood, feathers, and dead animals from meat and poultry slaughterhouses and processors, farms, ranches, feedlots, animal shelters, restaurants, butchers, and markets. Almost all of the resulting ingredients are destined for nonhuman consumption (e.g., animal feeds, industrial products).”

Diseased animals and dead animals removed from farms and/or animal shelters, rendered into animal feed (including pet foods), should be a violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Federal law specifically prohibits any diseased animal or euthanized animal to become part of any food; human or animal. Despite Federal laws to prevent any food from containing a diseased animal, the FDA allows pet food to contain these rendered illegal ingredients. Although crayons are not classified as food, many, if not most children put them in their mouths; it is horrifying to think crayons could contain the remains of a diseased/dead animal.

It is simply incomprehensible to consider that no one of the 535 members of the 108th Congress, of which this report was prepared for, did anything to prevent children’s crayons from containing rendered dead animal parts; nothing to prevent pet food from violating Federal law.

For at least four years, our Representatives in Congress have been aware of, and done nothing to change the facts that rendered diseased animals and shelter pets become animal feed ingredients. Federal laws, developed by Congress to protect the foods of humans and animals, should have prevented this from ever being a concern. With more and more development of bio-fuel plants, why wasn’t someone of the 108th Congress thinking these horrendous rendered ingredients would be better used to produce bio-fuel than crayons and pet foods? It is long past time; immediate action is necessary to stop the rendered remains of diseased animals and shelter pets from becoming ingredients of pet foods, soaps, ‘and even crayons’. Hideous and criminal ingredients cannot continue to put children, pets, and their people at risk.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton has an international pet people following providing dog and cat lovers a trusted source for pet food and pet food ingredient information. She’s been called courageous, perseverant, even “the Caped Crusader for Pets” for her 16 year study of pet food. Susan Thixton is the author of hundreds of pet industry articles and the 2006 released book Truth About Pet Food (currently being updated for a second edition). She developed and publishes the pet product consumer magazine Petsumer Report and is a frequent speaker and radio guest all over the U.S. and Canada with more than 70 appearances in the last 2 years.

Source: www.naturalnews.com

After a lifetime of mind indoctrination and brainwashing by the disease establishment, it’s often next to impossible to break away. We have been taught throughout our lives that the answer to our physical problems resides in our doctor’s office. We’ve been made to believe that science reveals all answers and our own innate common sense is worth nothing. It is just this type of mind control that compels women to line up for mammograms, even though their common sense tells them that radiation causes cancer. The good news is that now there is a much safer alternative scientifically proven to be effective at early detection. For women who feel they must spend their time looking for lumps, two recent studies have documented the value of thermography

Breast thermography uses heat to detect abnormalities

The thermogram is a test using heat radiating from your own body to detect problems in the breast. It involves no contact with the body, no compression, and is completely painless. A thermogram combines advanced digital technology with ultra-sensitive infrared camera imaging. It does not use radiation, and can be done as frequently as anyone thinks is necessary. Thermograms work by creating infra-red images (heat pictures) that are then analyzed to find asymmetries anywhere in the chest and underarm area. Any abnormality that causes change in heat production is seen on a thermogram, so any source of inflammation such as infection, trauma to the breast, and even sun burn will cause abnormality in the thermal picture.

Breast thermography detects patterns of heat generated by the increased circulation produced by abnormal metabolic activity in cancer cells. This activity occurs long before a cancer starts to invade new tissue. A breast thermogram has the ability to identify a breast abnormality five to ten years before the problem can be found on a mammogram.

There’s science behind this process

Normal tissue that is non-cancerous has a blood supply under the control of the autonomic nervous system. This system can either increase or decrease blood flow to cells. However, abnormal tissue indicating cancer or pre-cancer ensures its own survival by secreting chemicals that override the autonomic nervous system regulation, thereby creating its own steady blood supply. Cancers can be thought of as off the power grid of the body.

When a woman’s hands are placed in cold water, an autonomic nervous system reflex occurs in the breasts. This reflex causes the blood vessels in non-cancerous tissue to constrict, but does not result in constriction of blood vessels supplying any cancerous growth. The resulting difference in blood flow can result in cancer showing up as ‘hot spots’ on thermograms.

A study reported in the American Journal of Surgery, October edition, included 92 women who had undergone a breast biopsy based on prior mammogram or ultrasound results. 60 of the biopsies were malignant, and 34 were benign (two of the women had two biopsies). These women were then given thermograms. Results indicted the thermograms identified 58 of the 60 malignancies for a sensitivity rate of 97%.

Another study reported in the May-June edition of the Journal of Medical Engineering and Technology, reported a study of 15 women with palpable breast cancers who were preoperatively thermogrammed with three different infrared cameras – micro bolometer, quantum well, and photo voltaic - to compare the ability of these cameras to differentiate breast cancer from normal tissue. The quantum well and the photo voltaic cameras demonstrated the frequency difference between normal and cancerous breast tissue, with the photo voltaic camera displaying the greater clarity. The researchers reported that with selected image processing operations, more detailed frequency analyses could be applied to any suspicious area.

What goes on during a breast thermogram

Thermograms are taken at thermography centers. The woman disrobes above the waist and acclimates to room temperature for ten minutes after which the first of two series of images of the breasts is taken. Then the woman places her hands in cold water for one minute, after which the second set of images is taken. The images are evaluated by thermologists using signs and criteria established by the American Academy of Thermology to interpret thermogram data.

Breast thermograms do not diagnose breast cancer. They simply detect physiological changes in breast tissue that have been shown to correlate with the presence of cancer or pre-cancerous states as do mammograms. Breast cancer is only diagnosed by pathologist’s microscopic examination of breast tissue.

Thermography centers have been around for several years in most major cities. They are definitely the wave of the future for early breast cancer detection. Amazingly, most traditional physicians don’t know anything about them and continue to recommend mammograms.

Positive results suggest the need for further evaluation

Althouth a breast thermogram is a much safer form of screening that a mammogram, it too is just a screening. A thermogram evaluation yields a score ranging from 1 to 5. A rating of 1 implies no detectable thermal abnormalities, while a ranking of 5 suggests thermal abnormalities correlating with very significant risk for breast cancer. Positive results on a thermogram suggest the need for further evaluation as do positive results from a mammogram.

Early thermal abnormalities may result in a recommendation to repeat the process in 60-120 days. Depending on the rating score and clinical findings, a referral may be made for targeted ultrasound or to a breast specialist for possible biopsy. At this point, any practitioner so trained may recommend nutritional, metabolic, environmental, or lifestyle interventions to address the thermal abnormalities.

Many providers of thermograms accept self-referrals as well as referrals from healthcare practitioners. However, they are not as readily covered by insurance, in keeping with the trend in the insurance industry to cover toxic treatments but not procedures geared to keeping us healthy.

A recent study suggested that many breast lumps disappear on their own

Scientists who completed a recent study on the effects of mammograms concluded that some of the cancers detected could spontaneously regress if they were not discovered and treated. This conclusion appeals to common sense, because we know one of the basic principals of function in the body is constant striving to heal and restore homeostasis.

The disease establishment wants us to devote time and energy in a continuous search for breast lumps. We are told to examine ourselves every morning, and get as many mammograms as we can. After all, the sooner we can find the tiniest lump, the sooner we can be herded into the great cancer machine, and more money will be available to feed that machine. Yet when we are finally spit out the other end of that machine we are often ruined and unable to ever regain our health. Women have been turned into recruitment agents for this machine. We have been programmed to the point that many women never go a day without worrying about breast cancer.

As a people we tend to have limits to our physical, mental, emotional and psychological resources. How we direct these resources is our choice. We can spend our resources taking tests, examining ourselves for lumps and worrying. Or we can spend our time and resources raising our health status to the level where breast cancer becomes a non-issue.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025170.html

Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using “alternative” treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.

Update note: This breaking news article has been updated from its original version to clarify the nature of the FDA’s GRAS “approval” for stevia. In the original breaking news, we reported that the FDA had granted GRAS approval to stevia. Technically, the FDA has only issued letters of “no objection” regarding companies’ self-affirmation of GRAS approval for stevia. In other words, the FDA hasn’t technically granted approval to stevia but has affirmed it will not object to companies using it in foods and beverages. This puts stevia in a “grey zone” where the FDA could potentially target selected companies (small stevia producers) while ignoring other companies (Coca-Cola and Cargill, for example), even while they use essentially the same sweeteners.

The rest of the original breaking news article, shown below, has been corrected to account for this clarification:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued letters of non-objection for the use of a natural, zero-calorie sweetener it once sought to wipe out from the U.S. marketplace. Following political pressure from powerful consumer product corporations (Coca-Cola and Pepsi, primarily), the FDA has once again fallen in step with the interests of Big Business and legalized a food and beverage ingredient that it once aggressively oppressed.

In this case, however, the approval of this ingredient happens to be in the best interests of consumers. Why? Because it will largely replace aspartame, an artificial sweetener chemical linked to numerous neurological disorders, including headaches, eye disorders and other problems.

It will also unleash a wave of stevia-sweetened products for consumers, and that’s good news for diabetics or anyone seeking healthier products sweetened with an herbal extract rather than a synthetic chemical.

I publicly predicted this FDA decision just two weeks ago an article containing thirty-one predictions for 2009 (http://www.naturalnews.com/024976.html). The FDA’s approval of stevia is prediction #8, for those keeping track. (Interestingly, at least two of the top 13 predictions for 2009 have already come true in the last month of 2008!)

The circumstances surrounding this FDA approval of stevia reveal yet again the true loyalties of the agency. When stevia threatened the profits of aspartame, it was routinely suppressed by the agency. FDA thugs seized imports of stevia at the border, destroyed millions of dollars in stevia products, threatened companies with fines for daring to sell stevia, and even ordered one company to destroy its recipe books that mentioned stevia in dessert recipes. But now, when Coca-Cola and Pepsi want stevia approved, the FDA suddenly reverses its oppression and decides to legalize the herb.

Again, this is a rare case where the FDA’s decision benefits consumers, but the circumstances behind the decision were in no way motivated by consumer interest. They were motivated by corporate profits.

Betty Martini’s victory
What’s so profitable about stevia? Well, thanks to the efforts of Betty Martini and others who have been warning about the dangers of aspartame, word has spread across the ‘net to the point where informed consumers no longer want to consume aspartame at all. In other words, the aspartame opponents succeeded in destroying the consumer acceptability of aspartame! And that led the big players (Coke, Pepsi, etc.) to look for something that would be more acceptable to consumers.

That search led them to stevia. And once Big Business got behind the herb, it was only a matter of time before the FDA caved in to commercial interests and legalized the herb.

Realize this crucial point: The FDA’s decisions these days are based entirely on corporate profits and have absolutely nothing to do with science, safety or consumer interests. Remember, it was just a few days ago that the FDA declared infants, children and even pregnant women could now eat essentially unlimited quantities of mercury in fish, without any negative health consequences whatsoever! This is the same agency that says children can “safely” eat melamine, bisphenol-A, MSG, sodium nitrite and all sorts of other dangerous, toxic substances that harm human health.

So don’t be fooled for a minute into thinking that the FDA’s approval of stevia has anything to do with serving the People.

Stevia victory!
Nevertheless, this approval of stevia stands as a major consumer victory. And I want to take a minute to applaud three people who deserve big-time credit for spreading the word about aspartame, thereby creating demand for stevia that has finally led to its approval:

• Dr. Betty Martini (http://www.mpwhi.com/main.htm)
• Jeff Rense (www.Rense.com)
• Dr. Russell Blaylock (www.RussellBlaylockMD.com)

There are many others, of course, and even NaturalNews may deserve some credit (I’ve been promoting stevia for ten years now), but the main credit goes to Dr. Betty Martini who has fought aspartame for well over a decade.

In fact, the approval of stevia is paving the way for the banning of aspartame! And I predict aspartame will eventually be banned or removed from the GRAS list, but that would have never happened unless an alternative were available. Stevia is that alternative.

Is Cargill’s stevia really safe?
There is some speculation that the patented stevia being used by Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other big businesses is in some way less natural than the traditional stevia we’ve been buying at health food stores for years. Some have wondered how their patented stevia (Truvia) could actually be patented unless there were some synthetic molecules in it.

It’s a reasonable question, but at the moment, I’m not aware of any evidence of Truvia being adulterated or synthesized in any way at all. In fact, I personally welcome the ingredient and applaud Cargill for pressuring the FDA into getting this GRAS approved. There is no evidence I’m aware of that their stevia is genetically modified or altered in any way. Of course, if such evidence emerges, I’ll make it available here on NaturalNews, but at the moment I’m supporting this Truvia ingredient and would even consume it myself. That’s always subject to change if new information emerges, of course.

Sherry Weiss Poall, who works for the RF Binder public relations agency that serves Cargill, has been distributing safety research data about Truvia since July, 2008, but since those studies were paid for by Cargill, many people might dismiss their objectivity.

In any case, I believe that the natural health community should cautiously embrace this ingredient for the time being. It is, after all, a hugely positive move for the food and beverage industry to be able to ditch aspartame and shift to an herbal sweetener. If anything, this is a monumental victory for natural health over synthetic chemicals. It’s a victory that took over a decade to become a reality, but it has finally arrived in the United States thanks to this late decision by a reluctant FDA.

Watch for stevia-sweetened products to appear on store shelves everywhere. You’ll also see lots of formulations that will combine stevia with other sweeteners to provide higher sweetness with fewer overall calories (and a lower glycemic index).

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Source: www.naturalnews.com

Anyone who is striving to be health conscious in today’s society soon realizes that teaching healthy eating principles and habits to our children is vitally important. Many things can be taught simply by example and in this vein here are some ideas for healthy eating activities, ideas, and tips especially geared for children.

Like it or not, our kids are part of a convenience culture. This means that it is likely that they have become accustomed to diets full of sugary, salty, fatty foods that do not contain enough fresh ingredients, like fruits and vegetables. If this doesn’t describe your kids then congratulations you are doing a great job!

Did you know that current research suggests that by age two children will have developed food preferences that will be with them for their entire lives? To a large extent, these food preferences are shaped and molded by their mothers. If a mother dislikes a vegetable and therefore doesn’t serve it to her children, they will not learn to like it or eat it. Start kids eating right from the very beginning. Eight-year-olds generally prefer the same foods they did when they were four years old.

Your children will be set up for a life of misery and health problems if they do not learn the benefits of healthy eating as children. Children who do not get enough vitamin A, folic acid, and zinc are predisposed to many childhood diseases.

If you find that your family’s diet needs an overhaul, it’s never too late to make these changes. There will be a time of retraining for the taste buds, but with a little determination and imagination, changing to a healthier lifestyle can be done. Achieving a new appreciation for real foods will be something that will benefit everyone for the rest of their lives.

Tips to Encourage Healthy Eating for Kids:

1. Try adding vegetables to your kids’ favorite dishes. This is a great way to boost nutrients and make the foods that your kids like even more nutritious.

2.Do everything you can to eliminate food additives from your children’s diet. It has been proven that artificial colors and flavors negatively affect children’s behavior. Sodium benzoate, a commonly used preservative, has been found to increase hyperactivity in small children. This behavior includes inattention, impulsivity, and over activity.

3.Serve real food for breakfast. Making a pot of oatmeal is every bit as easy as pouring a bowl of cold cereal. It takes no more than five minutes to cook a bowl of oatmeal, and your children will benefit from this breakfast all day long. Children simply perform better after eating oatmeal than just about any other breakfast you could serve. The glucose contained in the oatmeal has been found to boost memory and attention. Other beneficial breakfasts include whole-grain breads, apples, oranges, grapefruit berries, grapes, yogurt, milk, and bran cereal.

4.If you find yourself with a picky eater, institute the one bite rule. In this way, kids have to try foods that many times they only think they don’t like. There have been studies that conclude that it takes seven attempts with a new food for a child to like it and accept it.

5.Strive to add berries and greens to as many food choices as possible. Berries contain many beneficial antioxidants. Greens must be eaten often and are very important part of everyone’s healthy diet.

6.Involve kids in cooking and kitchen preparation. Encourage them to help you. Even though it will create more mess, it will encourage them and teach lifelong kitchen skills. Young children can help make salads and can help create soups. Let them help you decide what healthy dish to prepare. Allow them to help you shop, and then bring the healthy fruits and vegetables home to use in the kitchen.

7.Pack healthy lunches and snacks and try to make them interesting. Dried fruits and nuts and seeds are great for lunches, as well as yogurt and cubes of cheese with different chopped vegetables. Use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes out of sandwiches.

8.Teach children to avoid junk food by your own good example. People who are addicted to junk food will lead miserable lives filled with disease. Impart an enthusiasm for real foods to your children.

9.Take your children to the grocery store and set them loose in the produce department. Allow them to explore new and unusual fruits and vegetable. Encourage them to find items they’ve never seen before and would like to try.

10.Experiment with taste distinctions. Allow them to explore the sweet, savory, bitter, and sour tastes of different foods. Introducing new tastes and smells will encourage food exploration.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025074.html

Being overweight or obese can be influenced by how we eat as opposed to what we eat. These are the findings of recent research into eating habits.

Many of us eat with other things going on at the same time, for example, working or playing on the computer, or watching TV. This typically means we are concentrating on something else and we tend to eat fast. When we eat fast, we often don’t feel satisfied and tend to eat more.

When we eat fast, we don’t give our brain enough time to notify our body when we’ve had enough. Research in Japan (published in the British Medical Journal Online) found that fast eaters were three times more likely to be overweight especially when they ate until they were full.

This research was conducted with 3,200 Japanese men and women aged 30-69 years between 2003 and 2006 by Professor Hiroyasu Iso and colleagues from Osaka University, Japan.

Clearly we need to be mindful about what we are eating, as well as how we are eating. Our behaviour is a determining factor in weight gain. Another factor in overeating is related to our emotions. Often we eat when we feel down, and we need to be aware of this behavioural pattern if we are to improve our eating habits.

For some people other behavioural factors may influence overeating. For example, after a certain time of overeating, the body is unable to send messages about having eaten enough. People report that because of this they can eat and eat, and never feel full.

Some cultures emphasize the importance of eating and urge you to concentrate on the way you are eating, including chewing the food well and enjoying the food. They also believe it is important to be grateful for the food and to appreciate everything that is involved in putting that food in front of you. Here you are being mindful on one thing.

Eating Tips
(1) Have a break between courses: this is because it takes around 20 minutes for the stomach to register being full.
(2) Chew your food really well: this gets digestion going and helps give you the feeling of being full
(3) Concentrate on eating without the TV, or talking, etc, until you have finished: this helps your brain register you are eating and helps digestion
(4) Avoid eating if you are stressed or very emotional about something: this avoids overeating and problems with digestion

For people who have overeating problems, support can be found with Overeaters Anonymous (OA). The group started in California in 1960, and there are now groups meeting in over 65 countries. Members range in weight with some having moderate control over overeating and others with no control at all.
Overeaters Awareness Week is from November 9-15. OA is free and welcomes anyone needing help with eating problems including overeating, binge eating, as well as anorexia.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025073.html

Sure, the microwave is convenient: what other device allows you to heat your food up in a matter of seconds? And, they‘re so widely used that you‘d be hard pressed to find a gas station or office building without one. But there‘s a reason why I haven‘t had a microwave in my kitchen for over 15 years and—much to the distress of my employees—pulled it out of the office over three years ago. This is something that you likely already intrinsically suspect but don‘t want to acknowledge due to the convenience factor—microwaves are bad for your food, and they‘re even worse for you.

There are many concerns with microwave ovens, among them:

• Carcinogenic toxins could be leached from plastic or paper plates or covers and mix with your food.
• The food temperature may become extremely hot, at temperatures high enough to cause burns or steam buildup that could explode—this is especially problematic for baby bottles, and is one of the reasons why baby bottles should never be heated in the microwave (microwaving can also break down the disease-fighting ability of breast milk).
• Vegetables and other food lose valuable, cancer-fighting nutrients when cooked in the microwave.
• The chemical structure of foods changes when microwaved, with unknown consequences.

There have been very few studies done to determine what kinds of changes occur in foods that are microwaved, but rest assured the changes are significant.

Consider the 1991 lawsuit involving a woman who had hip surgery and died because the blood used in her blood transfusion was warmed in a microwave. Blood is routinely warmed before transfusions, but not by microwave. The microwave altered the blood and it killed the woman.

Microwave cooking vibrates the molecules in your food to levels they were never designed to experience. This tends to damage the highly perishable nutrients so they are unable to nourish you the way they were designed to do.

A study published in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli “zapped” in the microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of the beneficial antioxidant chemicals it contains. By comparison, steamed broccoli lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants.

Besides the loss of nutrients, microwaving forms new compounds (radiolytic compounds) that are unknown to humans and nature. It’s not yet known exactly what these compounds do in the human body. It will likely be a difficult thing to sort out, especially when there are previously unknown compounds being introduced to humans from a variety of sources such as new food products (i.e., olestra) and genetically-modified foods.

Perhaps the most concrete evidence of the dangers of microwaves comes from Dr. Hans Hertel, a Swiss food scientist, who carried out a small but high-quality study on the effects of microwaved food on humans. His conclusions were clear and alarming: microwave cooking significantly altered the food’s nutrients enough so that changes occurred in the particpants’ blood—changes that suggested deterioration. The changes included:

• Increased cholesterol levels
• More leukocytes, or white blood cells, which can suggest poisoning
• Decreased numbers of red blood cells
• Production of radiolytic compounds (compounds unknown in nature)
• Decreased hemoglobin levels, which could indicate anemic tendencies

Dr. Hertel and his team published the results in 1992, but a Swiss trade organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electro-apparatuses for Households and Industry, had a gag order issued, which prohibited Dr. Hertel from declaring that microwaves were dangerous to health. The gag order was later removed in 1998, after the Swiss court ruled that the gag order violated the right to freedom of expression. Switzerland was ordered to pay Dr. Hertel compensation as well.

So, what can you do to avoid microwaves? Well, my first suggestion is to get rid of it in your home so you won‘t be tempted to use it. If it’s not there, then you can’t use it! Then, try consuming a lot of your food raw. Ideally, at least one-third of the food in your diet should be raw, since this is the form that will give you the maximum amount of nutrients. A quick and easy way to consume a large amount of raw vegetables, which is generally great for your health, is by vegetable juicing.

If you do want to cook some food or heat up leftovers, and are panicking at the thought of not having a microwave, I highly recommend trying out the Turbo Oven.

Though I don‘t cook most of my food, when I do I use the Turbo Oven. The Turbo Oven not only eliminates the need to cook with additional fats such as oil and butter, but it also prepares delicious and healthy meals that are full of nutrients in half the time of traditional ovens.

With the Turbo Oven, you can cook a whole chicken as quickly as 45 minutes whereas a traditional oven could take you up to two hours. It also uses up to 80 percent less energy than standard ovens used in the home. So, you will not only reduce cooking time by 50 percent, but you will save money on energy costs too.
[You can order a Turbo Oven at www.ncmags.com/store]

Of course, you can also opt to use your regular oven or stove. This may seem time-consuming at first, but you’ll soon adjust and may actually start to enjoy the natural time it takes to heat up or prepare your food. During this time, you can relax with your family, read, write, listen to music or do anything that will help you to slow down and prepare for the meal you’re about to enjoy.

You may notice that taking more time to prepare your food will transcend to other aspects of your life as well, and you’ll enjoy a slower, more relaxed lifestyle than the majority of those around you.

By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege, www.mercola.com,

Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven

Based on research from the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies:

1. Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term—permanent—brain damage by “shorting out” electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2. The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.
3. Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.
4. The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.
5. Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6. The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.
7. Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.
8. The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.
9. Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10. Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

By Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell
 www.herbalhealer.com

Considering the span of your lifetime in which you probably indulged in the standard American diet and lifestyle; eight weeks is a short period of time in which to reverse your unhealthy habits and create new healthy habits. No doubt you probably experienced both successes and failures during the 8 weeks. Transitioning to a healthier lifestyle is a work in progress and you are taking positive actions so don`t beat yourself up over your failures. Concentrate on your successes and continue to build on them. In this article we will explore the essential components of optimal health. Before continuing you may review the previous article: http://naturalnews.com/022045.html

In this article we will cover more in depth four essential components of optimal health:

1. Managing Stress
2. Exercise
3. Diet
4. Mind, Body, Spirit and Self-talk

Optimal health isn’t just about “eating right”. Your health is affected by how you (do or don’t) manage stress in your life, how sedentary you are, what you say to yourself and your beliefs. Optimal health encompasses your whole lifestyle.

Stress

Stress is the most common cause of ill health, probably resulting in as many as 70-90% of all visits to the family physician. Stress in our lives comes from many areas; workplace and/or school, financial, relationship problems being the three top situations where stress arises.

Chronic stress may lead to such chronic illnesses as: depression, cardiac disease, ulcers, obesity, anxiety disorder, sexual dysfunction, decreased immune system health and even possibly cancer. It is imperative you learn to manage the stress in your life because it is a very real danger to your health.

So how do you manage stress? Many people use food, alcoholic drink or cigarettes to give them a short term relief from stress. However, in the end this will only result in greater stress due to their long term negative effects on health. A better way to manage stress is to examine your life and determine what is creating stress in your life. Actually write down what you feel your sources of stress are on paper. If you started a journal during the 8 weeks use your journal for this. (If not why didn’t you?) Now would be a good time to start a journal. You may find you have a list of stress sources. After you have determined your stress sources write down three positive actions you might take to relieve the stress of each of these sources.

Sometimes the actions needed to resolve stress are not “quick fixes”. For example you may need to see a financial expert to set up a program for reducing your debt or a relationship counselor to heal your relationships or perhaps, you may need to find a new job more in line with your passions. Those things take time.

For a temporary relief from stress you may:

1. Stretch your arms above your head. Reach for the ceiling!
2. Move your hands in a circle to relieve stress in your wrists.
3. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in thru your nose and
slowly out thru your mouth. Count to ten slowly as you inhale and again as you exhale.
4. Take a walk around your desk, down the hall or even better, outside where you can appreciate the beauty of nature, benefit from the sunlight and breathe fresh air.
5. Have a bite of dark chocolate. I DO mean just a bite! Some chocolates are
healthier than others. Be choosy!
6. Try Rescue Remedy: A Bach Flower remedy you can find in most health stores.

Keep in mind those who indulge in a daily routine of exercise and eat optimally nutritious meals find dealing with stress much easier.

Exercise

A regular routine of exercise is imperative for optimal health and longevity. Exercise helps relieve stress, combats depression, increases your energy level, helps prevent osteoporosis and high blood pressure, boosts good “HDL” cholesterol, helps to maintain a normal weight, promotes better sleep and improves your sex life. Exercise is one of the keys to optimal health.

It is said the average person watches four hours of television a week. We all have time to exercise. It’s a choice. There are many kinds of exercise. You can find something you enjoy doing! Take a class in ballroom dancing, or square dancing, join a gym, start walking everyday, hire a personal trainer to develop an exercise routine which accommodates your needs, the possibilities are endless! There is a form of exercise you can do no matter your age or physical ability. But check with your doctor first if you have been sedentary and/or have health issues.

If we can watch television for four hours a day we can certainly find the time to exercise for 30 minutes. Your health and quality of life depend on it!

Diet

Probably the biggest stumbling block one encounters in their journey to transitioning to a healthier lifestyle centers around food. Most people have a hard time deciding what to eat because they aren`t accustomed to having to think about what they eat. In our culture we are so used to reaching for convenience foods. It’s hard to stop pulling into the local drive-up junk food place or nuking your dinner. But if you have the desire to live a life of quality with optimal health you must stop eating junk food. You will need to develop a repertoire of nutritious recipes you enjoy. In the first eight weeks you have made an attempt at eating a salad every day and increasing your vegetable intake. That wasn’t easy but it was a good first step. Hopefully, you have at least decreased your intake of junk food, if you haven’t totally cut it out yet.

Your next step with food is to consider eating 75% of the vegetables and fruits you eat raw. Women should eat 7 servings and men should eat 9 servings per day. Remember a serving is ½ cup. Now why would you want to eat 75% raw? Because food in it’s natural state contains enzymes that are destroyed when you cook food at high temperatures. Your body needs those enzymes. Every function in the body is run by enzymes. One of the chief reasons processed food is not good for you is because enzymes are destroyed in cooking/food processing. Many illnesses can be traced to enzyme deficiencies.

Lest you think your only option for eating raw is eating salads let me tell you that is far from true! Considering you have probably spent your lifetime eating predominately cooked food this is going to take some work on your part. Obviously, you aren’t just going to dive in and start eating this way. Eating 75% raw is something you work up to. The good news is you’ve already started! You can learn more about eating raw and how to transition to eating 75% raw by reading any of these books:

1.”12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food” by Victoria Boutenko and Gabriel Cousens
2.”Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life” by Juliano, Erika Lenkert,and Juliano Brotman
3.”Living on Live Food” by Alissa Cohen

Food in it`s natural state supports our immune system. We have taken food in its natural state, and adulterated it with additives, processing, coloring etc. As a result we have many chronic diseases and acutely severe diseases such as cancer. We must return to eating foods in their natural state. Every cell in your body is created from what you eat. If you assist your immune system by giving it the nutrients it needs your immune system will assist you in combating, recovering from and even preventing chronic illness.

Mind, Body, Spirit

We are not just physical beings. We are also mental and spiritual beings and the balance between mind, body and spirit contributes to our degree of optimal health. There is so much busy-ness in life we frequently forget to care for the deeper inner us when, in fact, the spirit facet of us needs care just as our mind and body do. Whether one explores spirituality by engaging in one of the worlds many faith traditions or embarks on an independent path it is a journey vitally important to optimal health.

Our connection with spirit paves the foundation for our understanding and experience of the concepts of forgiveness and gratitude, the importance of service and compassion and the equal importance of giving and receiving. Connection with spirit helps us to choose love, make positive choices, have meaningful relationships and connect to the joy of being. These are all integral to managing stress, feeling happiness and creating optimal health in our life. In optimal health spirit uplifts the body and mind. It is important to take some time to give some thought as to what part spirituality plays in your life.

You may further explore spirituality in these books:
1. “Finding Joy: A Practical Spiritual Guide to Happiness” by Dannel Schwartz and Mark Hass
2. “There`s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem” by Wayne Dyer
3. “The Laws of Spirit: A Tale of Transformation” by Dan Millman

Self Talk

What is it you say to yourself when you’re alone? Self-talk is key to mind/body interaction. What it is you say to yourself over and over colors your attitude, raises or lowers both your energy and stress levels, it may affect your relationships or finances, your emotional state and even the degree of success you have in life. Your self-talk has very real effects upon your health and life.

Negative self-talk such as “I can’t”, “I’m dumb”, or “I’m fat” demoralizes you,lessens your self-esteem and creates a setting for depression to take hold and your immune system to be weakened. On the other hand positive self-talk such as “I’m good”, “I can do it” or “I’m a beautiful person” raises self-esteem, combats depression and motivates you to take positive action. It gives you a sense of well-being,less stress and a stronger immune system.

Are you in a negative rut with your self-talk? Sometimes people fall into a habit of negative self-talk which becomes very hard to overcome and change. But you can! When you find yourself thinking something negative immediately replace the thought with a positive one. Take some time in your journal writing to make a list of your good qualities and the things and people in your life for which you feel gratitude. Focus on solutions instead of problems. Be your own best friend.

So what are your next plans in transitioning to a healthier lifestyle? Consider these suggestions:

1. If you haven’t completely stopped eating fast and/or processed food resolve to do so. It’s a hard habit to break, but as you incorporate more fresh vegetables and fruits into your daily nutrition regimen you will find it will become easier to say no to less healthier options.
2. Go to the library or bookstore and get a raw food book(s) and discover the amazing array of healthy gourmet options open to you. You will be pleasantly surprised! Gradually incorporate recipes and ideas from these books into your daily nutrition regimen. This will also help you to stop eating unhealthy foods.
3. Continue to journal about your successes and thoughts and feelings regarding transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. It makes a difference to write it down!
4. Plan your meals a week at a time so that less healthier options aren’t inviting.
5. Don’t forget about your stress list positive actions. Go to work resolving your stress issues.

Lastly, be proud of yourself for taking responsibility for your health. Continue to make small changes in your day to day life which enhance your new healthy lifestyle. A balanced life with optimal health is a great joy. One in which you can experience the complete fullness of life. Don’t settle for anything less!

About the author
Pam Murphy, M.S.,RRT, a healthcare professional for 27+ years, is a Holistic Nutritionist, a nutrition expert at self-growth.com and enjoys helping others improve/support their wellness. Visit her at http://surviving-medicine.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025075.html

The safety of MSG is a controversial issue that deserves much more attention, debate and discussion within the health industry, the mainstream media and the public. Independent researchers, experts and whistle-blowers claim that MSG functions not only as a flavor enhancer, but as a harmful neurotoxin that has adverse effects in the short term and long term for much more than 2% of the public. However, the FDA regards MSG as generally safe and claims that only 2% of the public suffers from adverse reactions to it. They allow many companies, such Kraft, Pringles and Campbell’s Soup, to hide it in seemingly benign ingredients without including it on the label. In many ways, the FDA has been part of a cover-up of hidden MSG in many food and beverage products as well as a cover-up of MSG’s potential health risks. The public deserves the right to have proper labeling of MSG and to be completely aware of its many health risks in order to make fully informed decisions.

The terms “MSG” and “Processed Free Glutamic Acid” can be used interchangeably because they`re essentially and functionally equivilant. Sodium has no function in MSG other than to turn it into the salt form commonly known as monosodium glutamate. The only way a smart consumer can avoid it is by knowing the list of ingredients that contain or result in MSG.

Food and beverage companies often use Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG) as a cheap flavor enhancer. However, according to independent studies and researchers/insiders such as neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock, ex-food processing scientist and engineer Carol Hoernlein (www.msgtruth.org), consumer advocate Debbie Anglesey (www.msgmyth.com), Dr. John W. Olney, and MSG activists and investigators Jack Samuels & Dr. Adrienne Samuels, the founders of the Truth in Labeling Campaign (www.truthinlabeling.org), Processed Free Glutamic Acid is also a harmful neurotoxin and excitotoxin that leads to and/or worsens many health problems ranging from headaches, migraines, mood change, nausea, pains in joints/bones, sleep disorders, chronic post nasal drip, heart irregularities and excessive perspiration to Asthma, ADD, Depression, Obesity and many more. It is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Lou Gehrig`s (ALS), Parkinson`s and Alzheimer`s.

According to the FDA and The Glutamate Association (see www.msgfacts.com), MSG is regarded as natural and generally safe. The FDA`s wordy rules and regulations treat bound glutamate and free glutamate as one despite that free glutamate is processed and more harmful to your health than bound glutamate, which is found in protein that had not been processed by manufacturers or through fermentation. Jack Samuels commented that “the staff at the FDA are unbelievably fantastic in their ability to write in a way that deceives the public, but loosely based on fact. We refer to such writing as half truths. Read the FDA points carefully and you will see how MSG can be hidden in foods.” The FDA has not returned phone calls to comment about this important matter yet.

Please feel free to watch this 60 Minutes segment about hidden MSG from 1991.

The FDA allows companies to hide Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG) in many seemingly benign ingredients without disclosing its presence or precise quantity on labels. Moreover, the FDA considers all of those ingredients to be natural even though they contain the artificial chemical, Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG).

The following ingredients always contain various amounts of unlabeled Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG):

Autolyzed yeast
Calcium caseinate
Dry milk powder
Dry mily protein
Gelatin
Glutamate
Glutamic acid
Hydrolyzed corn gluten
Hydrolyzed soy protein
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Monopotassium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Natrium glutamate
Sodium caseinate
Textured protein
Yeast food
Yeast nutrient

The following ingredients often contain or result in various amounts of unlabeled Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG):

Barley malt
Bouillon
Broth
Carrageenan
Citric acid
Corn Starch
Corn Syrup
Enzymes
Flavors/Flavoring
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Maltodextrin
Malt extract
Malted Barley
Malt flavoring
Natural chicken flavoring
Natural beef flavoring
Natural flavors/flavor
Natural pork flavoring
Pectin
Protein fortified food
Seasonings
Soy protein isolate
Soy protein or soy protein concentrate
Soy sauce
Stock
Ultra-pasteurized
Whey
Whey protein
Whey protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate

Regardless of whether or not Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG) is safe, why doesn`t the FDA require companies to disclose it on food/beverage labels? Why does the FDA consider MSG to be natural? Why isn`t the list of ingredients that contain MSG fully exposed to the public, students, doctors and the mainstream media? Why are food and drugs regulated by the same administration and not separate ones? What will it take to bring accountability and democracy into the health industry?

When asked whether the public has the right to know all sides of the issue of MSG so that they can make fully informed decisions, Heidi Rebello, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs at the FDA, replied, “Yes, of course. Why wouldn`t they?” In reality, though, the public doesn`t know all sides of the issue given the cover up of hidden MSG and all of its health hazards. Recall that the FDA had once were part of the cover-up claiming that cigarettes were safe for the public.

Please feel free to continue consuming McDonald`s, Burger King, Dorito`s, Pringles, Pepsi, Entenmann`s, Snapple, Glaceau Vitamin Water and Campbell`s Soup if you desire to, but at least consume it while knowing all of the risks to your health. Do you trust independent studies/researchers or the FDA? Would you take the health risks to consume a food or beverage that has MSG, a controversial, potentially toxic ingredient, even if it`s allowed to be hidden on labels? Do you believe that the FDA is truly living up to its mission statement (click here)? Decide for yourself, do the research, and, most importantly, ask questions.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025066.html

A report from the Royal Veterinary College in London, Professor D.L. Chan, points out that veterinarians should begin to look at nutrition to play a larger role in the health of pets. Similar to human doctors, most veterinarians don’t write ‘prescriptions’ of nutritional supplements for their pet patients. However, Professor Chan believes nutritional therapies need further veterinary exploration.

The very first sentence of a recent paper published by Dr. D.L. Chan of the Royal Veterinary College in London explains it all; “Nutrition plays a critical role in the proper development and maintenance of optimal health in animals.” Dr. Chan not only acknowledges the power of nutrition in maintaining optimal health in animals, but his paper cites many clinical studies where nutrition actually improves and eliminates disease. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/ab…

One of the most promising nutritional supplements discussed by Dr. Chan is Omega-3 fatty acids; a source of Omega-3 is fish oil. Research has existed for years regarding maintaining good health by adding fish oil supplement to a human and animal diet; Dr. Chan quotes some very interesting research of Omega-3 actually treating and/or curing disease. He quotes a “landmark study” that demonstrated a diet enriched with Omega-3 greatly improved the health conditions of patients suffering from respiratory and lung disease.

Another amazing example of the power of fish oil is the brain recovery of Randal McCloy Jr, the only surviving coal miner in the 2006 Sage Mine disaster (West Virginia). After more than 40 hours of exposure to carbon monoxide, Randal McCloy “had a massive heart attack from the carbon monoxide exposure, he was in kidney failure, liver failure, he was dehydrated, he was hypothermic, and he was in the deepest of coma.” Neurosurgeon Dr. Julian Bailes and other doctors were “uncertain if his brain would recover from its extensive injuries.” Randal McCloy was given extremely high doses of fish oil, and his brain functions started to improve. http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahandfr…

Dr. Barry Sears, a leading U.S. researcher of Omega-3 states fish oil is so remarkable because if its ability to reduce inflammation, especially ‘silent inflammation’, which is “below the perception of pain.” Per Dr. Sears, silent inflammation is the first clinical sign that you are no longer well. Dr. Sears’ website states fish oil is the nutritional way to “reduce silent inflammation, then your state of wellness could be extended indefinitely.”
 http://www.zonediet.com/OMEGA3/tabid/64…

Unfortunately for pet owners, as stated in Dr. Chan’s paper, very few studies are available for veterinarians researching diets enriched with fish oils treating critically ill pets; he states human studies suggest “a great potential to benefit such patients.” However, research is readily available and vast on the health maintenance benefits of fish oil for humans and pets. Because of known contaminants, fish oil supplements for you or your pet should be of a pharmaceutical grade or very pure. Look for five star rated fish oils (five star being the purest); available at most health food stores (make sure and ask the rating) or one such five star rated fish oil available online at http://www.trilogyonline.com/Trilogy/Pe…

Antioxidants were the next topic; Dr. Chan’s report suggested veterinarians incorporate antioxidants into animal health maintenance and treatments of disease. “With the depletion of normal antioxidant defenses, the host is more vulnerable to free radical species and prone to cellular and sub-cellular damage (for example, DNA and mitochondrial damage). Replenishment of antioxidant defenses attempts to less the intensity of the signals that eventually leads to multiple organ dysfunction.” Various studies of companion animals benefiting from antioxidants include positive improvement of congestive heart failure, pancreatitis, gastric and renal diseases.

The USDA’s list of top 20 food sources of antioxidants are: small red beans, wild blueberries, red kidney beans, pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries, artichokes, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, Red Delicious apples, Granny Smith apples, pecans, sweet cherries, black plums, russet potatoes, black beans, plums, and Gala apples.

Lastly, the veterinarian directed paper of Dr. Chan’s reports on the importance of amino acids. “Certain amino acids also serve as an energy source for certain cells; perhaps the most pertinent example being glutamine, which is the preferred fuel source for enterocytes and cells of the immune system.” Studies have shown that in response to stress, ‘there may be a dramatic increase in demand of particular amino acids and they must be obtained by the diet’. Recent studies have shown positive responses of the amino acid glutamine including cellular expression of ‘heat shock proteins, which enable cells to withstand a great deal of injury and remain viable and functional.” Dietary sources of L-glutamine include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, wheat, cabbage, beets, beans, spinach, and parsley.

Dr. Chan continues on the importance of glutamine, “As the gastrointestinal tract is in fact the largest immune organ, dysregulation of the immune response further compromises the host and leads to multiple organ dysfunction. Given the relationship between critical illness and gut atrophy, supplementation with the gastrointestinal tract’s preferred energy source, glutamine, is an attempt at restoring the integrity and function of this vital organ system.”

While more than likely it will be years in the future before veterinarians as a group begin utilizing nutritional therapies to treat disease and illness in our pets, the above research can be put to good use by pet owners to maintain the good health of their pets. A health promoting pet food provided to your dog or cat needs to provide quality meats, supplemented with Omega-3 and antioxidants. Call the pet food manufacturer and obtain their assurance meats provided in the pet food are human grade/quality; and look for several different quality meat proteins in the pet food. Look for berries and other antioxidant providing ingredients on the pet food label, and look for fish meal or fish oil ingredients. Avoid pet treats that don’t provide the same health promoting ingredients. An alternative would be to give your dog treats of apple slices and your cat canned pumpkin as a treat; both are natural sources of antioxidants. Furthermore, add fish oil supplements to their diet on a daily basis. Science has proven the tremendous benefits of these foods and food supplements; let your pet show you how well they work!

Wishing you and your pet the best,

About the author
Susan Thixton has an international pet people following providing dog and cat lovers a trusted source for pet food and pet food ingredient information. She’s been called courageous, perseverant, even “the Caped Crusader for Pets” for her 16 year study of pet food. Susan Thixton is the author of hundreds of pet industry articles and the 2006 released book Truth About Pet Food (currently being updated for a second edition). She developed and publishes the pet product consumer magazine Petsumer Report and is a frequent speaker and radio guest all over the U.S. and Canada with more than 70 appearances in the last 2 years.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025043.html

Commonly used fragranced products emit a wide variety of chemicals into the air, some of which are federally regulated as toxic or hazardous substances, according to a study conducted by researcher Anne C. Steinemann of the University of Washington-Seattle and published in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review.

“I didn’t find a brand that didn’t emit at least one toxic chemical,” Steinemann said.

Steinemann became concerned about the contents of fragranced products after receiving more than 200 complaints from consumers about side effects.

“I actually witnessed someone having a seizure when exposed to an air freshener,” she said.

Steinemann put six different fragranced products - dryer sheets, a fabric softener, a laundry detergent, and three different air fresheners (one solid, one spray and one oil) - into an isolated, room-temperature enclosure and used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that they emitted. She found that together, the products emitted almost 100 different VOCs, every one at levels higher than 300 micrograms per cubic meter.

This concentration is considered high enough to pose a risk in the case of toxic substances.

Ten of the detected chemicals are federally regulated as toxic or hazardous, including three considered hazardous air pollutants (acetaldehyde, chloromethane, and 1,4 dioxane).

Steinemann noted that one of the air fresheners is used in commercial airline bathrooms and another is regularly used in schools and medical facilities. Yet federal law does not require manufacturers disclose any of the ingredients used to make fragrances, let alone other chemicals that might be emitted during use.

“If an ingredient is hazardous, they still don’t need to list it,” she said. “They can just put on a warning label [such as ‘don’t inhale’].”

Steinemann recommended that consumers use unscented laundry products and avoid synthetic air fresheners.

“Use baking soda, open a window, cut open an orange, or use spearmint leaves,” she advised.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/025008.html