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>>> 5 Natural Detoxifiers Every Home Should Have
http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/5-natural-detoxifiers-every-home-should-have
By Lance Johnson (Natural News)
For the health of the nation to change, individuals must stop relying on pharmacies and must instead start creating their own farmacies at home.
While pharmacies carry drugs that cover up symptoms, a personal farmacy provides beneficial herbs, spices, roots, vegetables, nuts, fruits, barks, clays, seaweeds and berries that come straight from a garden or are wild crafted from nature. These natural substances don't block normal bodily functions like pharma drugs do, but instead work in a purifying way at the cellular level without bringing all the harmful side effects. These natural substances are curative in a way that works with the body's natural processes. More importantly, using natural substances is a great prevention strategy.
Naturally anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiseptic, the following five natural resources are a must-have for any home farmacy. This beginner's list contains five staple, go-to detoxifiers that are perfect in the fight against toxins, cancer and disease.
Ditch The Pharma Drugs And Create Your Own Home Farmacy
1. Apple Cider Vinegar With The Mother
Apple cider vinegar is an inexpensive go-to remedy with a multitude of uses. As a daily tonic, a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a shot of water before meals provides necessary nutrients, probiotics and enzymes which aid in proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Apple cider vinegar is only medicinal when the "mother" is still intact. Unlike processed vinegars, which have been distilled and stripped of beneficial nutrients and enzymes, raw apple cider vinegar contains the "mother," which is a stringy, web-like substrate that floats in the vinegar. This "mother" passes on gut-friendly bacteria and pro-digestive enzymes. ACV is quick to cure stomach ailments and alkalize the body to prevent disease.
2. Turmeric, Curcumin
Turmeric, containing the active ingredient curcumin, is an anti-inflammatory, blood-purifying powerhouse. Many studies now report curcumin's skin-protecting, cancer-killing properties. Safe, effective and affordable, turmeric should be purchased from an organic source and utilized weekly as a great preventative medicine and cooking spice. As a natural detoxifier, turmeric cleanses the blood, purifying the liver and kidneys in the process. Used externally, it can remove boils. Used internally, it can aid in removing cysts.
3. Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay comes from the Earth and can be mixed in water to form a paste. Used externally, it can be applied and wrapped on skin conditions like poison ivy to help draw the poison out. Under normal circumstances, bentonite clay can be used as a facial mask to cleanse the pores, as well as stopping stinky foot odor and diaper rashes, to name a few benefits. Internally, bentonite clay is a natural colon cleanser. With its strong negative ionic charge, it attracts heavy metals, toxins, harmful bacteria and pesticides, removing them safely from the body in bulk off of cached colon walls.
4. Zeolite Clinoptilolite
Many companies now sell zeolite clinoptilolite in easy-to-use bottles. The best forms of zeolite are in micronized form. The micronized dispersion method allows tiny lava mineral zeolites to travel with water into the hard to reach cells of the body. Zeolite attracts and traps heavy metals and radioactive particles that have been stored up in the cells of the body. With the toxins now trapped in zeolite's dynamic structure, they are then flushed out of the body through body's waste systems. Zeolite is great to have during a time of toxin exposure and is great for anyone wanting to detoxify regularly from constant environmental exposure to pollutants.
5. Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal comes in a black powder and can be mixed in water to form a paste for external cleansing purposes. As a natural astringent, it can be diluted in water and consumed for internal detoxification. During a time of food-borne illness, chemical or drug poisoning, activated charcoal should be used first to help remove the poison and bacteria from the body. Activated charcoal should be in every emergency kit. It is quick and effective.
Start your own home farmacy today and take advantage of mother nature's tried and trusted natural remedies.
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Top five holiday foods that promote cancer, diabetes, heart disease and premature death
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043180_holiday_foods_toxic_ingredients_avoid.html#ixzz2n6wphFuu
5 Natural Detoxifiers Every Home Should Have
http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/5-natural-detoxifiers-every-home-should-have
>>> Can You Eat Quinoa Raw or Uncooked
by Michelle Kerns, Demand Media
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/can-eat-quinoa-raw-uncooked-3807.html
Quinoa can be eaten raw if it is soaked and sprouted properly.
Quinoa can be eaten raw or uncooked if it is first soaked and sprouted, but some experts advise that quinoa should always be cooked, not consumed as a raw sprout. It is equally nutritious in sprout form, but cooking may be a safer and more versatile way to include it in your diet. Called the mother of all grains by the ancient Incans, who considered it a sacred food, quinoa is a seed that resembles couscous. According to the Whole Grains Council, cooked quinoa requires only 15 minutes to prepare and provides more protein, vitamins and minerals per serving than grains like wheat.
Preparation
The online food site Chow recommends that if you plan on sprouting any type of seed and consuming it raw, you should seek out a reputable retailer that sells untreated seeds suitable for sprouting. When it comes to quinoa, the seeds also need to be unhulled for sprouting to be successful. Quinoa purchased at grocery or health food stores may not be unhulled and may not yield viable sprouts. Check directly with quinoa suppliers to determine if their product is the form that can be sprouted.
Sprouting Quinoa
The first step in preparing raw quinoa sprouts is to rinse the seeds and soak them for at least eight hours. Quinoa's individual seeds are coated with saponin, a natural insect repellent that can give quinoa a bitter taste if it isn't removed by soaking. The seeds should then be drained, rinsed and placed in a jar that is kept in a warm location away from direct sunlight. You will need to drain and re-rinse the quinoa three times daily for three days before the first edible shoots emerge. Use the raw quinoa sprouts on sandwiches or in stir fries and salads. Keep the sprouts in the refrigerator and dispose of them promptly if you notice mold.
Nutrition
While most seeds, grains and legumes do not provide all of the amino acids required by the body for protein synthesis, quinoa is one of the few plant-based foods that is a complete source of protein. Vegetarians and vegans can use it as a low-fat, low-cholesterol alternative to animal-based protein from meat or dairy products. Eaten cooked or raw, quinoa is a rich source of dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin E and phosphorus. Quinoa is also gluten-free, making it a good grain substitute for people with wheat sensitivities.
Considerations
Steve Meyerowitz, a cookbook author and raw food advocate who has been featured on PBS and the Food Network, and in "Prevention" magazine, advises against consuming quinoa as a raw sprout. Meyerowitz says that quinoa sprouts are prone to rot and that the health dangers posed by eating molded sprouts outweighs the benefits of eating quinoa raw. Before adding uncooked quinoa to your diet, speak to your doctor or an experienced nutritionist about the possible advantages and drawbacks.
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>>> Superfood Profile: Quinoa
Quinoa is the Gluten-Free Super-Grain of South America
S.E. Brinamon, Yahoo Contributor
http://voices.yahoo.com/superfood-profile-quinoa-6877422.html
Quinoa is a pseudo-grain from South America, and historically it was a staple food of the Incas. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) has gained popularity in recent years, especially amongst those on gluten-free diets. This article discusses the health benefits and health dangers of Quinoa, as well as ideas for adding this superfood to your diet.
Health Benefits of Quinoa
Quinoa is more nutritious than wheat or corn, and can easily replace both of these products in many recipes. A cup of Quinoa contains approximately 8 grams of protein, and is high in important nutrients such as copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. Quinoa also contains amino acids, which are important for proper metabolic and immune functioning. Because Quinoa does not contain gluten, people who have a sensitivity to wheat, barley or oats may be able to consume Quinoa without any of the sluggishness or inflammation caused by products that contain gluten.
Health Dangers of Quinoa
Quinoa should not be consumed raw, as the saponin content of the skin can be mildly toxic. If Quinoa is consumed in very large portions, the oxalic acid content could cause gastrointestinal problems, and may contribute to the formation of kidney stones. The chance of this occurring with normal portion sizes is unlikely, so just be sure not to overdo it. And although Quinoa is gluten-free, the lectin content may still cause adverse reactions for some people who have celiac disease. Always keep in mind that the health benefits of Quinoa cannot make up for an unhealthy diet or lifestyle. Adding superfoods to your diet should be part of a holistic approach to bettering your health that includes balanced nutrition, reasonable exercise and stress management.
Ideas for Adding Quinoa to Your Diet
Adding Quinoa to your diet can be easy and delicious. Quinoa is usually sold as a dry grain, and can be cooked on the stove top or in a rice cooker. Quinoa is also available in processed forms such as Quinoa flakes or Quinoa flour. Read below for some ideas on adding Quinoa to your diet.
*In dishes that call for rice, use Quinoa instead
*Replace wheat or barley with Quinoa
*Make Quinoa pilaf by mixing chopped vegetables with cooked Quinoa
*Add Quinoa to soups. Click here for a Minestrone Soup recipe that includes Quinoa: http://www.cookingquinoa.net/minestrone-soup/
*Try Quinoa flakes for breakfast instead of oatmeal or cream of wheat (add organic brown sugar or local honey to improve the taste).
*Use cooked Quinoa as a nutritious salad topping
*Replace your all-purpose flour with Quinoa flour for gluten-free baked goods
*Add cooked Quinoa to stir-fry. See a Quinoa Stir-Fry recipe here: http://www.cookingquinoa.net/stirfryrecipes/
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>>> GMO-Science Takes a Blow as Studies Are Retracted
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2099/12/31/retracted-gmo-studies.aspx?e_cid=20131203Z1A_DNL_artTest_A6&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=artTest_A6&utm_campaign=20131203Z1A
By Dr. Mercola
Monsanto is the world leader in GMO technology, and while several European countries have banned genetically engineered crops, the United States has allowed this chemical-heavy technology to overwhelm much of commercial farming.
The pesticide producers are one of the most powerful industries on the planet, the influence they possess is enormous. You have probably heard that an Elsevier journal has retracted the Seralini study which showed evidence of harm to rats fed a GMO diet, despite admitting they found no fraud or errors in the study.
This journal had also just recently appointed an ex-Monsanto employee as an editor - one could only guess the value of this strategy for the pesticide industry. Expect Seralini to sue as this story develops, as it appears he has a very strong case.
This probably would not have happened without the vigorous propaganda and blind faith seeded by industry spokespeople such as Dr. Pamela Ronald, a pro-GMO scientist who even promotes the genetic engineering of organic foods. She’s probably one of the top five scientists of the GMO peanut gallery.
Alas, the scientific ground on which the genetic engineering of plants is built may now be shakier than ever, thanks to arrogant scientists like Dr. Ronald, combined with the harassment of any scientist that dares to publish negative results about GMOs.
A recent article in Independent Science News1 questions whether she’ll be able to salvage her career, as two of her scientific papers (published in 2009 and 2011 respectively) were retracted this year.
With the loss of her credibility, and the domino effect these retractions are likely to cause within the scientific field, the entire chemical technology industry stands to suffer a great blow to its scientific integrity.
“Her media persona... is to take no prisoners,” Jonathan Latham, PhD writes.2 “After New York Times chief food writer Mark Bittman advocated GMO labeling, she called him ‘a scourge on science’ who ‘couches his nutty views in reasonable-sounding verbiage.’ His opinions were “almost fact- and science-free” continued Ronald.
In 2011 she claimed in an interview with the US Ambassador to New Zealand: ‘After 14 years of cultivation and a cumulative total of two billion acres planted, GE crops have not caused a single instance of harm to human health or the environment.’”
She may have to turn down her criticism a notch, considering the fact that not one but two of her own studies were found to contain sizeable scientific errors, rendering her findings null and void. Questions have also been raised about a third study published in 2011, according to the featured article.
Public Face of GMOs Loses Scientific Credibility
Ronald’s research group claimed to have identified a molecule used by rice plants to detect pathogenic rice blight, as well as a quorum sensing molecule (meaning a molecule that can coordinate gene expression according to the density of the local population).
These two studies, both of which are now retracted,3, 4 formed the basis of her research program at the University of California in Davis, which is investigating how rice plants detect certain pathogenic bacteria.
Ronald blamed the erroneous work by long gone lab members from Korea and Thailand, referring to the errors as a “mix-up.” She didn’t name her bungling colleagues, however. And while media coverage applauded Ronald for “doing the right thing” by retracting the studies, the featured article5 questions whether she really deserves such accolades:
“[S]cientific doubts had been raised about Ronald-authored publications at least as far back as August 2012... German researchers had been unable to repeat Ronald’s discoveries... and they suggested as a likely reason that her samples were contaminated.
Furthermore, the German paper also asserted that, for a theoretical reason, her group’s claims were inherently unlikely. In conclusion, the German group wrote: ‘While inadvertent contamination is a possible explanation, we cannot finally explain the obvious discrepancies to the results...’
Pamela Ronald, however, did not concede any of the points raised by the German researchers and did not retract the Danna et al 2011 paper. Instead, she published a rebuttal. The subsequent retractions, beginning in January 2013, however, confirm that in fact very sizable scientific errors were being made in the Ronald laboratory. But more importantly for the ‘Kudos to Pam’ story, it was not Pamela Ronald who initiated public discussion of the credibility of her research.
... Ronald’s footnotes [in the explanation that accompanied the retraction of her second article6 admit two mislabelings, along with failures to establish and use replicable experimental conditions, and also minimally two failed complementation tests. Each mistake appears to have been compounded by a systemic failure to use basic experimental controls. Thus, leading up to the retractions were an assortment of practical errors, specific departures from standard scientific best practice, and lapses of judgment in failing to adequately question her labs’ unusual (and therefore newsworthy) results.”
The Snowball Effect of Retracted Studies
According to data from Thomson Reuters,7 the numbers of scientific retractions have climbed more than 15-fold since 2001. What many don’t realize is that even a small number of retracted studies can wreak absolute havoc with the science-based paradigm. Other scientists who have based their research on the results from studies that, for whatever reason, end up being retracted, are now perpetuating flawed science as well. In one example, two retracted medical studies led to the retraction of another 17.
In this case, the first of Dr. Ronald’s retracted studies has been cited eight times.8 The second? 113 times.9 That sounds like an awfully large cleanup job in a field that’s already heavily criticized for its preponderance of “lousy science,” to use the words of award-winning geneticist Dr. David Suzuki.
The Problem with GMO Plant Science
It’s important to realize that genetically engineered plants and animals are created using horizontal gene transfer (also called horizontal inheritance). This is in stark contrast to vertical gene transfer, which is the mechanism in natural reproduction. Vertical gene transfer, or vertical inheritance, is the transmission of genes from the parent generation to offspring via sexual or asexual reproduction, i.e., breeding a male and female from one species.
Horizontal gene transfer, on the other hand, involves injecting a gene from one species into a completely different species, which yields unexpected and often unpredictable results. Proponents of genetically engineered crops assume they can apply the principles of vertical inheritance to horizontal inheritance, but according to Dr. David Suzuki, this assumption is flawed in just about every possible way and is “just lousy science.”
Genes don’t function in a vacuum — they act in the context of the entire genome. Whole sets of genes are turned on and off in order to arrive at a particular organism, and the entire orchestration is an activated genome. It’s a dangerous mistake to assume a gene’s traits are expressed properly, regardless of where they’re inserted. The safety of genetically modified food is based only on a hypothesis, and this hypothesis is already being proven wrong.
The kind of horizontal gene transfer that is currently used to create new crop seeds tends to produce highly inflammatory foreign proteins. As one would expect, were there a connection, inflammation-based chronic diseases have indeed increased right alongside with the proliferation of GMO foods in the US. Clearly, Dr. Ronald never bothered to look at such data, and her declaration that “GE crops have not caused a single instance of harm to human health or the environment”10 is as lacking in scientific support as her retracted research.
Results from Animal-Feeding Studies Correlate with Human Disease Patterns
According to Jeffrey Smith, who is one of the leaders in educating people about the concerns and dangers of GMOs, there are definitive correlations between the results from animal-feeding studies and the patterns of human disease we’re now seeing. For example, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has done a number of animal-feeding studies on GMOs and specifically enumerated the particular categories of diseases and disorders found in these controlled environments. These include:
Gastrointestinal problems
Immune problems
Reproductive problems
Organ damage
Dysfunction and dysregulation of cholesterol
Dysfunction and dysregulation of insulin
“You look at the three different corresponding factors: (1) what humans are getting better from, (2) what livestock is getting better from, (3) what afflictions are afflicting the lab animals fed with GMOs, and then you look at what diseases are really taking off in the United States – they’re the same categories,” Smith says.
For example, kidney problems have been demonstrated in 19 different animal-feeding studies, and kidney diseases are on the rise in the US. Could there be a connection? Smith and I both believe this to be the case. According to Smith:
“We heard from two people at a meeting in Arizona, someone whose husband was nearly on dialysis and someone else who had three kidney transplants – both situations reversed when they changed their diet.
You see things like the animal-feeding study out of Russia where the babies were a lot smaller after being fed GE soy, and you see the incidence of low-birth-weight babies is going up in the United States... Deaths from senile dementia moved along at a certain pace, and then when GMOs or Roundup were introduced, it shot up... So, you see these correlations between these four things now: (1) the animal-feeding studies, (2) people getting better [when removing GMO], (3) livestock getting better [when removing GMO], and (4) changes in the disease rates.”
GMO Foods Have Never Been Proven Safe for Long-Term Consumption
In 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for a moratorium on genetically modified foods, and said that long-term independent studies must be conducted, stating:
“Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food, including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. …There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation…"
Despite this sound warning, genetically engineered foods continue to be added to the US food supply with no warning to the Americans buying and eating this food. Genetic manipulation of crops, and more recently food animals, is a dangerous game that has repeatedly revealed that assumptions about how genetic alterations work and the effects they have on animals and humans who consume such foods are deeply flawed and incomplete. Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant claims genetically engineered crops are “the most-tested food product that the world has ever seen.” What he doesn’t tell you is that:
1.Industry-funded research predictably affects the outcome of the trial. This has been verified by dozens of scientific reviews comparing funding with the findings of the study. When industry funds the research, it’s virtually guaranteed to be positive. Therefore, independent studies must be done to replicate and thus verify results.
2.The longest industry-funded animal feeding study was 90 days, which recent research has confirmed is FAR too short. In the world’s first independently funded lifetime feeding study, massive health problems set in during and after the 13th month, including organ damage and cancer.
3.Companies like Monsanto and Syngenta rarely if ever allow independent researchers access to their patented seeds, citing the legal protection these seeds have under patent laws. Hence, independent research is extremely difficult to conduct.
4.There is no safety monitoring. Meaning, once the genetically engineered item in question has been approved, not a single country on Earth is actively monitoring and tracking reports of potential health effects.
Vote with Your Pocketbook, Every Day
The food companies on the left of this graphic spent tens of millions of dollars in the last two labeling campaigns—in California and Washington State - to prevent you from knowing what’s in your food. You can even the score by switching to the brands on the right; all of whom stood behind the I-522 Right to Know campaign. Voting with your pocketbook, at every meal, matters. It makes a huge difference.
I encourage you to continue educating yourself about genetically engineered foods, and to share what you’ve learned with family and friends. Remember, unless a food is certified organic, you can assume it contains GMO ingredients if it contains sugar from sugar beets, soy, or corn, or any of their derivatives.
If you buy processed food, opt for products bearing the USDA 100% Organic label, as certified organics do not permit GMO’s. You can also print out and use the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, created by the Institute for Responsible Technology. Share it with your friends and family, and post it to your social networks. Alternatively, download their free iPhone application, available in the iTunes store. You can find it by searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications. For more in-depth information, I highly recommend reading the following two books, authored by Jeffrey Smith, the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology:
•Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating
•Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods.
For timely updates, join the Non-GMO Project on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
Please, do your homework. Together, we have the power to stop the biotech industry from destroying our food supply, the future of our children, and the earth as a whole. All we need is about five percent of American shoppers to simply stop buying genetically engineered foods, and the food industry would have to reconsider their source of ingredients—regardless of whether the products bear an actual GMO label or not.
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Pro GMO scientist retracts studies
A little good news on the GM war
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2099/12/31/retracted-gmo-studies.aspx?e_cid=20131203Z1A_DNL_artTest_A6&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=artTest_A6&utm_campaign=20131203Z1A
>>> Harmful Effects of Textured Vegetable Protein
Jul 18, 2011
By Sarka-Jonae Miller
http://www.livestrong.com/article/495664-harmful-effects-of-textured-vegetable-protein/
Textured Vegetable Protein
Textured vegetable protein, TVP, is also known as isolated soy protein. It is a protein derived from soybeans, but the processing of soybeans into TVP includes chemical alterations. The makers of TVP first mix soybeans, with the oil removed, in an alkali solution, wash them in acid and then neutralize them in a different alkali bath. They then spray-dry the resulting soy curds using high temperatures that turn the curds into powder. More high temperature and pressure applied to the powder results in textured vegetable proteins that can be shaped into strips, chunks or granules for use in foods as meat substitutes. The processing adds flavor enhancers, artificial colorings, emulsifiers and thickening agents, including nitrosamine, which is a carcinogen -- a substance known or is suspected to cause cancer.
No carb vegetables Here are the 25 Lowest-Carb Vegetables. Eat Better Today! dLife.com/Low_Carb_Veggies_List
Harmful Effects of Soy
Soy is generally considered a health food, but some people are allergic to soy and experience symptoms such as tingling in the mouth, hives, itchy skin, swelling, wheezing, stomach pain, diarrhea and flushing. In rare cases, a person allergic to soy can have a fatal reaction, called anaphylaxis.
Harmful Effects of MSG
Textured protein contains MSG. If you eat TVP and you have an intolerance, you may experience effects such as an upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, rashes, mouth lesions, headaches, migraines, shortness of breath and heart attack-like symptoms. MSG consumption may also cause partial paralysis, panic attacks and neurological disorders that mimic Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS and ALS, says Dr. Royce Bailey of Park Ridge Cardiology in Hendersonville, N.C., in an online article titled "MSG And Obesity." Eating TVP and other foods with MSG may also cause you to eat more and gain weight because MSG increases your insulin response, tricking your body into thinking you need to eat more so you do not experience low blood sugar.
Benefits
Although MSG might not be good for you, soy products do offer some benefits. The Food and Drug Administration considers soy and textured vegetable protein generally safe foods and since 1999 has allowed the claim that 25 grams of soy protein daily may decrease the risk of heart disease to be put on food labels. Eating soy reduces the amount of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and does not lower the amount of HDL, or "good" cholesterol. Soy may also have a positive impact on bone density, but this has not been established conclusively.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/495664-harmful-effects-of-textured-vegetable-protein/#ixzz2mKltgRGm
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>>> Edible Seeds - 6 Superfoods You Aren't Eating
You can pack a powerful nutritional punch into these small packages.
BY EMILY MAIN
http://www.rodalenews.com/edible-seeds?cm_mmc=MSN-_-The%209%20Best%20Vegetarian%20Foods%20for%20Runners-_-Slideshow-_-6%20Superfoods%20You%20Arent
Growing a Healthier Diet
Any kid who grew up watching The Jetsons dreamed of the day she could eat her dinner in pill form, rather than having to sit through another plate of broccoli and cabbage. Fast-forward to reality, and we're still waiting for that dinner-in-a-pill. But there really are super-nutrient-dense foods that you can pop like pills without having to type anything into Rosie's computer. Just head to the seed aisle at your local grocery store.
Edible seeds are chock-full of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, says Sharon Palmer, R.D., author of the new book The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health Beginning Today (The Experiment, 2012). "People don't think about grabbing seeds as a snack or as a food source. People think of them as bird food more than anything else." But ignore them at your own health risk. In addition to being nutrient-dense, she adds, seeds are full of phytosterols, compounds in plants that are as effective as prescription statins at lowering cholesterol.
You need to eat just 1 ounce, about 2 tablespoons' worth, of the following seeds every day to reap their nutritional benefits, says Palmer. "And they're such easy snacks!" she says. (Get more tips like this in The Daily Fix, Rodale.com's free daily newsletter.)
Pumpkin Seeds
Eat 'em: Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, iron, and zinc, and they're one of the best sources of magnesium, a mineral that helps stabilize blood pressure, build bone strength, and even reduce stress. A French study found that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels.
Use 'em: Pumpkin seeds are healthy for men for one other reason: They're high in phytosterols, plant-based chemicals that help alleviate symptoms associated with having an enlarged prostate, such as urinary difficulties. Toast your own pumpkin seeds or eat them raw, or grind them into a meal that you can add to breads, pancakes, or other baked goods.
Sunflower Seeds
Eat 'em: Eat sunflower seeds, ward off sun damage. Just half a cup of sunflower seeds provides more than 100 percent of your daily requirement for alpha-tocopherol, the most active form of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from free radicals and UV damage. They're also a great source for the antidepressant phenylalanine, an amino acid the body turns into the brain chemical norepinephrine, which keeps you alert and focused.
Use 'em: You can just eat them raw, but why be boring? Look for sunflower-seed butter at the grocery store, and use that to replace peanut butter on toast and sandwiches and in your baking.
Chia Seeds
Eat 'em: Chia seeds are an incredible fiber resource with nearly half (11 grams) of the amount you need every day in a single ounce. They also contain 18 percent of your daily calcium requirement—more than triple that of milk—which helps your bones, and they have some of the highest levels of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids of any seed.
Use 'em: Chia seeds have no flavor, so you can add a tablespoon to any food you wish to without altering its flavor. You can even drink them. Add a tablespoon of chia seeds to 8 ounces of water or juice, and you'll notice they turn a bit gelatinous. This helps your body digest them better. If you don't like drinking the gel, use it in your baking, suggests Palmer. Soak 2 tablespoons of seeds in ¼ to ½ cup of water, let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and use the gel to replace 25 percent of the fat, oil, or eggs in baked goods.
Sesame Seeds
Eat 'em: More than just a decoration on the sesame chicken you just ordered, sesame seeds are incredibly rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, says Palmer. (Learn how to manage other common health problems naturally.)
Use 'em: Since they're so small, sesame seeds aren't great for snacking, but hummus is—and one of the main ingredients in that tasty spread is tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Or buy a jar of tahini and spread it on flatbreads or pitas, as you would peanut butter.
Hemp Seeds
Eat 'em: Hemp is one of very few plant proteins that supply you with all the essential amino acids, acids your body can't produce on its own to build muscle and create protein. The fatty acids in hemp seeds also boost your immune system, and the crop itself is highly sustainable, growing as fast as 10 feet in 100 days and naturally requiring very few pesticides. Along with chia and flax seeds (another of Palmer's favorite seeds), hemp seeds are an omega-3 powerhouse, rich in ALA, a fatty acid shown to ward off heart disease.
Use 'em: "I recommend that people eat at least one serving of those seeds every day," Palmer says. Hemp seeds have a slightly nutty flavor and taste good sprinkled into oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, or smoothies.
Papaya Seeds
Eat 'em: Addicted to pomegranate seeds? Then give papayas a try. The seeds are rich in oleic and palmitic acids, two fatty acids thought to ward off cancer, and in traditional Chinese medicine, a teaspoon of papaya seeds is often given to detoxify the liver.
Use 'em: Popular in Hawaiian cuisine, the seeds are often ground up and used like pepper in salad dressings and other foods, Palmer says
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>>> Hemp Seeds
http://www.rodalenews.com/7-stealth-health-foods?page=3
Hemp is a fast-growing crop that is inherently weed resistant. "It'll grow up to eight to 10 feet tall in 100 days," says organic agriculture pioneer Mike Fata, CEO of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Food and Oils. And the fact that it requires few, if any, pesticides makes hemp seeds a super-green diet staple.
Why They're Healthy: "Hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke," says Cassandra Forsythe, PhD, a nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut. What's more, a 1-ounce serving of the seeds provides 11 grams of protein—but not the kind of incomplete protein found in most plant sources. Hemp seeds provide all the essential amino acids, meaning the protein they contain is comparable to that found in meat, eggs, and dairy.
Eat Them: Toss 2 tablespoons of the seeds into your oatmeal, stir-fry, or post-workout shake.
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>>> 7 Economical Superfoods for Everyone
By Leah Zerbe
http://www.rodalenews.com/research-feed/7-economical-superfoods-everyone?cm_mmc=MSN-_-The%209%20Best%20Vegetarian%20Foods%20for%20Runners-_-Slideshow-
The media and food marketers often make a big deal out of the latest superfoods. Take goji berries or pomegranates as two recent examples. But trendy superfoods are usually pricey, unfamiliar, and unavailable locally, making them inaccessible to the masses.
In a post appearing in Food, Nutrition & Science, food expert Sharon Palmer, RD, suggests more familiar, readily available, and affordable superfood options. The best part? You can snag many of these items in organic form and on the cheap at a local farmer's market (or in your own backyard garden!)
Here's here list of affordable superfood choices:
1. Oats. Oats are rich in avenanthramide, an antioxidant that protects the heart. Other oat accolades? The superfood lowers cholesterol and has been shown to possess disease-zapping antimicrobial activity, making organic oatmeal the perfect affordable breakfast item for cold and flu season.
More details: The Grain Guide: Easy Recipes for the Healthiest Whole Grains.
2. Dry beans. Forget expensive steak and sausage. Dry beans and dry lentils pack a healthy low-fat, plant-based protein punch. Known as a "perfect food," just one cooked cupful can provide as much as 17 grams of fiber. Beans are also loaded with protein and dozens of key nutrients, including a few most people fall short on—calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Studies tie beans to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and colon cancers.
Soak beans overnight and rinse them well to eliminate most of the flatulence-causing compounds.
3. Garlic. This onion relative contains more than 70 active phytochemicals, including allicin, which studies show may decrease high blood pressure by as much as 30 points. High consumption of garlic lowered rates of ovarian, colorectal, and other cancers, according to a research review in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. To boost garlic's health effects, be sure to crush the cloves and let them stand for up to 30 minutes before heating them.
4. Cayenne pepper. If you can handle the heat, this powerhouse pepper is worth your while. The heat in cayenne peppers come from a phytochemical called capsaicin, which can help clear congestion, fight cholesterol, melt away body fat, and jump-start your metabolism. Sprinkle it over veggies and beans to sneak it into your diet.
5. Celery. Eating four sticks of celery a day can produce modest reductions in blood pressure, thanks to the vegetable's rich supply of phthalides, phytochemicals linked to cardiovascular health.
Bonus: Celery is loaded with androstenone and androstenol, pheromones that help attract women.
6. Tomatoes. Tomatoes are our most common source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease and breast cancer. Avoid canned tomatoes when possible: The epoxy can coating usually contains the harmful plastic chemical BPA. Instead, load up on in-season, organic tomatoes in bulk and preserve them for year-round enjoyment.
7. Onions. This bulb boasts far-reaching health benefits, including immunity-boosting compounds that can help prevent everything from the common cold to cancer. Onions are also rich in quercetin, a flavonoid shown to keep your blood healthy. It's also a must-have for natural allergy prevention.
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>>> Milk: Superfood or Poison?
Got a gallon of milk in the fridge? You need to read this.
By Cindy Kuzma, Men's Health
http://news.menshealth.com/milk-superfood-or-poison/2012/05/16/
If you drink milk, choose organic from grass-fed cows. It's full of heart-protecting, healthy fats.
The Tyrolean Iceman, found frozen in the Italian Alps, lived 5,300 years ago. But scientists recently uncovered evidence in his genome of a familiar modern condition: lactose intolerance.
No problem for him—his buddies hadn’t yet domesticated animals.
Since then, not only have we tamed cows and filled our dairy cases with their milk, we’ve also accumulated a confusing and often contradictory body of research about dairy—and an anti-dairy camp almost as outspoken as dairy lovers. (Wondering whether you should have a small smoothie or a large O.J.? Pick up Drink This, Not That! to decode your beverage choices.)
“Organic versus milk from cows treated with recombinant bovine growth hormone, super health food versus poison—take your pick. It’s hard to know where to start counting the issues people have with dairy,” says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and one of the most widely respected nutritionists in the industry. “Emotions run high because milk is primal—it’s everyone’s first food.” It also boasts an efficient public relations team funded by industry groups, she notes.
Truthfully, there are some people who absolutely shouldn’t have dairy: About 2.5 percent of modern Americans have a potentially life-threatening milk allergy. Nearly one in 10, like the Iceman, are missing the enzyme needed to digest milk and may need to take a lactase pill before drinking it.
But is milk good for the rest of us? We sifted through piles of studies and interviewed leading experts on both sides—and in the middle—to sort out the controversy.
The Claim: Milk can help you lose weight
True, there’s some evidence that people who regularly consume dairy are slimmer, but some studies have also found no connection. (If you want to drop pounds, watching what you eat and drink is a start—but that’s not all you need to do. Follow these 9 Weight Loss Rules That Work to lose fat in time for beach season.)
Experimental trials of milk as a diet aid have murkier results. A randomized controlled trial published last year in Nutrition & Metabolism found differences in fat and calories alone, not calcium and dairy, changed dieters’ body composition.
A 2008 study found participants who were told to cut calories, exercise, and drink milk as part of a community-based weight-loss program shed more pounds if they drank more milk. However, the study didn’t track calorie intake. These results may mimic the way dairy works in the real world. There’s probably no magical fat-melting ingredient in milk, but like any other nutritious food, you’ll lose weight if drinking it helps you cut calories, Nestle says. And it might: Protein has satiating effects, and a glass or small carton is relatively portion-controlled, says Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. (For more foods that’ll keep you satisfied for hours, stock your kitchen with these 5 Belly-Filling Foods.)
The Claim: Milk can help you build muscle
A growing body of research has boosted chocolate milk’s rep as the ideal postworkout recovery drink. Most recently, cyclists who chugged the stuff after a tough hour-and-a-half ride recovered more quickly than those who downed a carb-only sports drink, judged by muscle biopsies and their speed on the next ride.
Though most of the research on milk and recovery has been funded by the dairy industry, you shouldn’t throw it out automatically.
Most experts now agree that protein repairs damaged muscles after a hard workout. Milk is rich in whey protein, one of the best for building muscle because the essential amino acids it contains match up neatly to our physiological needs, says Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition and researcher at Georgia State University and author of Advanced Sports Nutrition. It’s certainly not the only food or drink that could refuel you, but chocolate milk has a convenient blend of nutrients that rehydrates you, restores sodium and potassium, and gives you sugar to replace the glycogen your muscles burned during hard cardio or weight-lifting workouts, he says. (Click here to learn The Right Workout Fuel for You.)
The Claim: Milk causes cancer
In the documentary Forks Over Knives, nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell explains experiments linking casein in milk to tumor growth in rats, which are frequently used to study human cancers. But the evidence that similar effects occur in humans isn’t compelling, Nestle says.
Some large-scale population studies back a link between milk and the risk of prostate cancer. For example, a 2010 paper found Canadian men had double the risk of prostate cancer if they consumed more dairy products, especially milk.
But to focus in on this study is like looking at “Guernica” through a toilet paper tube: Milk is associated with a decreased risk of colorectal and bladder cancer. Research is thin on the links between dairy and other malignancies.
Plus, these links don’t show that milk causes cancer. Dairy foods are one small part of a pattern of eating and other lifestyle habits that influence cancer risk. There are just too many other variables, Zeratsky says. (What does work? These tips to Cancer-Proof Your Body.)
The Claim: Organic milk is healthier than conventional
Cows at organic dairies aren’t treated with antibiotics, the overuse of which can lead to treatment-resistant superbugs. They also don’t receive recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). But does this difference affect the milk?
Under a program overseen by both the FDA and state regulatory agencies, the dairy industry tests every truckload of milk for antibiotic residue and removes offending batches from the food supply.
Even if you were to drink milk tainted with rBGH, digestive enzymes destroy it.
However, concerns remain regarding whether cows treated with rGBH produce milk with higher levels of insulin-like growth factor, a substance linked to cancer in humans. Nestle, for one, sticks to organic milk. Research hasn’t proven hormones or pesticides used in conventional farming are harmful, she says, but she’d prefer to avoid them.
The bottom line: Milk isn’t essential—but it can do your body good
Many cultures don’t eat dairy and have thrived, Nestle says. And with planning, vegans can have healthy diets. “I don’t know that milk can stand at the top of the pedestal and be the superfood,” says Zeratsky. Claims that it can do everything from boost brainpower to prevent gout—all made in the past few years—may be oversimplified or exaggerated. Many of them have been based on observational studies that don’t prove cause and effect.
“But I think milk offers many nutritional benefits that for many people improve the overall quality of their diet,” Zeratsky continues. Milk seems to offer the biggest bang for your buck, both in calories and dollars, according to a 2011 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. While only about 10 percent of the average American’s calories come from dairy, milk products are one of the top—and cheapest—sources of key nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, and vitamin B12.
“Milk is a very important food in that it can deliver a lot of nutrients with relatively few calories,” Benardot concludes—and dairy offers many options, from yogurt to cheese to gelato. “But in the end, milk products should be consumed as part of an otherwise varied diet to have the most beneficial nutritional impact.” After all, no single food is likely to fulfill all your dietary needs any more than the Iceman is likely to wake up and ask for a Klondike bar
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Vegetarian protein sources -
>>> 9 Super-Healthy, Vegetarian Protein Sources
You don't need a 20-ounce porterhouse to meet your daily protein requirement. There are much cheaper and healthier protein sources to choose from.
By Leah Zerbe and Emily Main
http://www.rodalenews.com/vegetarian-protein-sources?cm_mmc=MSN-_-The%209%20Best%20Vegetarian%20Foods%20for%20Runners-_-Slideshow-_-9%20Super
Escaping the Meat Market
According to the United Nations, the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than the world's plane, train, and automobile fleets combined. So if you're looking for a way to please The Lorax and stay well fed, start getting more of your protein from plants and reduce the amount of meat in your diet, especially the factory-farmed meat that's widely available in supermarkets. It's not just good for the planet, it's healthier for you, too. Harvard scientists recently completed a study finding that eating a single serving of red meat each day increases your risk of early death, and factory-farmed chicken, often touted as a healthier alternative to beef, can be contaminated with e. coli bacteria that can give you urinary tract infections.
The idea that protein only comes from meat is a myth. Nearly all foods contain small amounts of protein, and it's very easy to get your daily protein requirements from beans, grains, nuts, and certain green vegetables, which have less cholesterol and fat than meat and are usually cheaper, to boot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that women get 46 grams (g) of protein each day and that men get 56 g.
Beans & Lentils
Protein Content: beans, 12 to 14 g per cup cooked; lentils, 18 g per cup cooked
Why You Should Eat More: Beans and lentils are the cheapest source of protein out there. So whether you prefer kidney, garbanzo, white, black, or pinto beans, "Buy lots of cans of beans, rinse and drain them to remove 40 percent of the sodium, and use them in everything," suggests Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life. "White beans taste delicious in pasta: garbanzo or edamame in stir-fries; black beans and pinto in burritos, tacos, and quesadillas; and lentils or kidney are great in salads and whole grain pita lunches." To avoid bisphenol A, or BPA, a hormone-disrupting chemical, found in metal canned foods, buy Eden Organics brand (the company uses cans without BPA in their liners), look for frozen beans, or buy dried ones and cook them accordingly.
Nuts & Seeds
Protein Content: Nuts, 3 to 7 g per 1/3-cup serving, depending on the type (peanuts and pine nuts have the most); Seeds, 2 to 5 g per 1/3-cup serving, depending on type
Why You Should Eat More: Almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, and pine nuts are all good vegetarian protein sources. "Try a sprinkle of chopped nuts on everything from oatmeal to yogurt to salad, and nut-based dressings are healthy and delicious," says Blatner. On the seed side, Blatner recommends pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower. "I particularly like seed butter, such as sunflower seed butter, on toast with an apple for breakfast," she says.
Chia Seeds
Protein Content: 4 g per ounce
Why You Need to Eat More: Though the protein content isn't as high as some other vegetarian foods out there, chia seeds pack a huge nutritional punch. For starters, they're an incredible fiber resource with nearly half (11 g) of the amount you need every day in a single ounce. That helps fill you up and eat fewer calories. They also contain 18 percent of your daily calcium requirement—more than triple that of milk—which helps your bones. Chia seeds have no flavor, so you can add a tablespoon to any food you wish to without altering its flavor, and unlike flax, chia seeds don't need to be ground in order for your body to absorb all the nutrients.
Tofu & Tempeh
Protein Content: Tempeh, 18 g per serving; tofu, 8 g per serving
Why You Should Eat Them: "I call tofu the veggie white meat—anything chicken can do, tofu can do, too," says Blatner. "Tempeh [a fermented form of tofu] has a fabulous texture and is a great burger stand-in or perfect crumbled in chili or seasoned or broiled into a high-protein crouton on a salad." Look for organic products to avoid genetically modified soy and hexane, a cancer-causing contaminant that has been detected in heavily processed, nonorganic soy products. If you're not a fan of tofu or tempeh, you can still reap the protein benefits of soy in soy milk (8 g per glass) and edamame (green soybeans, which have 17 g per cup). But do go easy on soy products, as too much can raise estrogen levels and wreak hormonal havoc in both women and men. Aim for one serving of tofu, soy milk or edamame per day.
Hemp
Protein Content: Seeds, 6 g per ounce; Milk, 2 g per cup
Why You Need to Eat More: If you're allergic to soy, or just freaked out by its estrogenic activity, hemp products are your next best bet. Sold as a dairy alternative or as seeds, hemp is one of very few plant proteins that supply you with all the essential amino acids, acids your body can't produce on its own to build muscle and create more protein. The fatty acids in hemp seeds and hemp milk also boost your immune system, and the crop itself is highly sustainable, growing as fast as 10 feet in 100 days and naturally requiring very few pesticides.
Eggs
Protein Content: 6 g per egg
Why You Should Eat More: There's a reason the incredible, edible egg is such a popular breakfast choice. The protein in eggs has the highest biological value—a measure of how well it supports your body's protein needs—of any food, including beef. And the yolks contain vitamin B12, deficiencies of which are common in vegetarian diets and can cause attention, mood, and thinking problems while raising blood homocysteine levels—a risk factor for heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's. To get the healthiest eggs, find a local producer whose chicken flocks are small and feed off of grass, bugs, and organic grain; studies have shown that E. coli and salmonella contamination in eggs is directly related to the size of the flock.
Greek Yogurt
Protein Content: 15 to 20 g per 6-ounce serving
Why You Need to Eat More: All dairy products are good sources of protein. A glass of milk provides you with 8 g, but Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse, with twice the protein and half the sugar and carbs of regular yogurt. In fact, Greek yogurt contains the same protein as a three-ounce serving of lean meat. Top that with a handful of nuts and you could get half of your daily protein intake at breakfast. Mixing different vegetarian protein sources into your daily routine also insures that you're getting the right mixture of amino acids, which aid in building muscle and regulating your metabolism.
Avocados
Protein Content: 4 g per avocado
Why You Need to Eat More: All vegetables contain between 1 and 2 g of protein per cup, but avocados (which are technically fruits) surpass them all. Though 4 g may not sound like much, avocado protein contains all nine essential amino acids—the amino acids your body can't produce on its own to build muscle and create more protein—in addition to heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. There may even be a reason these fruits are in season during flu season. "Protein not only builds muscle and maintains organ structures, but is also needed to mount prompt, strong immune responses," explains Carol S. Johnston, PhD, RD, professor and director of the nutrition program at Arizona State University's College of Nursing and Health Innovation. "You want to have adequate protein intake daily to have amino acids ready for immune protein synthesis at the time of infection."
Pseudograins
Protein Content: 5 to 7 g of protein per cup, cooked
Why You Should Eat More: There are grains, and then there are pseudograins. Grains—wheat, barley, rye, brown rice and corn—all contain decent amounts of protein, and globally, wheat provides more plant-based protein than any other food. But intolerance to the gluten in wheat, barley, and rye is on the rise, owing to the increased use of these grains in processed foods. So if you want to go gluten free, look to corn, rice, and pseudograins, foods that are cooked and served like grains but are technically seeds, including quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, and wild rice. If you stick with corn, replace the standard yellow or white corn products with blue corn, which has 30 percent more protein.
Humanely Raised Beef
Protein Content: between 20 and 25 g per 3-ounce serving, depending on cut
Why It's OK to Eat Meat Occasionally: OK, so beef isn't vegetarian, but you don't have to give up meat entirely to get heart-, brain-, and planet-friendly protein. Grass-fed meats routinely show higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and other vitamins, as well as lower levels of E. coli, than factory-farmed beef. Shop for grass-fed beef at your local farmer's market, or order it online through U.S. Wellness Meats.
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>>> The 9 best vegetarian foods for runners
http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/the-9-best-vegetarian-foods-for-runners#4
Tofu
In addition to being rich in protein—a cup contains 10 grams—tofu is rich in isoflavones, which protect your heart. Just be sure to buy organic; nonorganic tofu is very often made with genetically modified soy and can be processed with hexane, a carcinogen.
Soymilk
If the texture of tofu turns you off, try soymilk instead. It has the most protein of any nondairy milk alternative, about 6 grams per cup, along with all the calcium and vitamin D you'd get from cow's milk. Again, look for organic brands, which aren't made with GMO soy.
Beans
To maximize your protein intake, load up on beans, which contain roughly 12 to 14 grams per cup, depending on the type. They also contain iron, which is needed to boost a runner's endurance.
Greek yogurt
It's got twice the protein of traditional yogurt, plus calcium for healthy bones.
Seeds and nuts
Run next to congested roadways? These protein powerhouses are also rich in vitamin E; studies show this antioxidant helps protect your lungs from damage caused by running in hot, humid or polluted air. Seeds and nuts are also rich in fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
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>>> Monsanto, the TPP, and Global Food Dominance
by Ellen Brown
Posted on November 26, 2013
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=94451861
(please note: The underlined words are 'clickable' links when accessed via the link at the bottom of this page)
“Control oil and you control nations,” said US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the 1970s. ”Control food and you control the people.”
Global food control has nearly been achieved, by reducing seed diversity with GMO (genetically modified) seeds that are distributed by only a few transnational corporations. But this agenda has been implemented at grave cost to our health; and if the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) passes, control over not just our food but our health, our environment and our financial system will be in the hands of transnational corporations.
Profits Before Populations
According to an Acres USA interview of plant pathologist Don Huber, Professor Emeritus at Purdue University, two modified traits account for practically all of the genetically modified crops grown in the world today. One involves insect resistance. The other, more disturbing modification involves insensitivity to glyphosate-based herbicides (plant-killing chemicals). Often known as Roundup after the best-selling Monsanto product of that name, glyphosate poisons everything in its path except plants genetically modified to resist it.
Glyphosate-based herbicides are now the most commonly used herbicides in the world. Glyphosate is an essential partner to the GMOs that are the principal business of the burgeoning biotech industry. Glyphosate is a “broad-spectrum” herbicide that destroys indiscriminately, not by killing unwanted plants directly but by tying up access to critical nutrients.
Because of the insidious way in which it works, it has been sold as a relatively benign replacement for the devastating earlier dioxin-based herbicides. But a barrage of experimental data has now shown glyphosate and the GMO foods incorporating it to pose serious dangers to health. Compounding the risk is the toxicity of “inert” ingredients used to make glyphosate more potent. Researchers have found, for example, that the surfactant POEA can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells. But these risks have been conveniently ignored.
The widespread use of GMO foods and glyphosate herbicides helps explain the anomaly that the US spends over twice as much per capita on healthcare as the average developed country, yet it is rated far down the scale of the world’s healthiest populations. The World Health Organization has ranked the US LAST out of 17 developed nations for overall health.
Sixty to seventy percent of the foods in US supermarkets are now genetically modified. By contrast, in at least 26 other countries—including Switzerland, Australia, Austria, China, India, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Russia—GMOs are totally or partially banned; and significant restrictions on GMOs exist in about sixty other countries.
A ban on GMO and glyphosate use might go far toward improving the health of Americans. But the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade agreement for which the Obama Administration has sought Fast Track status, would block that sort of cause-focused approach to the healthcare crisis.
Roundup’s Insidious Effects
Roundup-resistant crops escape being killed by glyphosate, but they do not avoid absorbing it into their tissues. Herbicide-tolerant crops have substantially higher levels of herbicide residues than other crops. In fact, many countries have had to increase their legally allowable levels—by up to 50 times—in order to accommodate the introduction of GM crops. In the European Union, residues in food are set to rise 100-150 times if a new proposal by Monsanto is approved. Meanwhile, herbicide-tolerant “super-weeds” have adapted to the chemical, requiring even more toxic doses and new toxic chemicals to kill the plant.
Human enzymes are affected by glyphosate just as plant enzymes are: the chemical blocks the uptake of manganese and other essential minerals. Without those minerals, we cannot properly metabolize our food. That helps explain the rampant epidemic of obesity in the United States. People eat and eat in an attempt to acquire the nutrients that are simply not available in their food.
According to researchers Samsell and Seneff in Biosemiotic Entropy: Disorder, Disease, and Mortality (April 2013):
Glyphosate’s inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals. CYP enzymes play crucial roles in biology . . . . Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body. Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
More than 40 diseases have been linked to glyphosate use, and more keep appearing. In September 2013, the National University of Rio Cuarto, Argentina, published research finding that glyphosate enhances the growth of fungi that produce aflatoxin B1, one of the most carcinogenic of substances. A doctor from Chaco, Argentina, told Associated Press, “We’ve gone from a pretty healthy population to one with a high rate of cancer, birth defects and illnesses seldom seen before.” Fungi growths have increased significantly in US corn crops.
Glyphosate has also done serious damage to the environment. According to an October 2012 report by the Institute of Science in Society:
Agribusiness claims that glyphosate and glyphosate-tolerant crops will improve crop yields, increase farmers’ profits and benefit the environment by reducing pesticide use. Exactly the opposite is the case. . . . (T)he evidence indicates that glyphosate herbicides and glyphosate-tolerant crops have had wide-ranging detrimental effects, including glyphosate resistant super weeds, virulent plant (and new livestock) pathogens, reduced crop health and yield, harm to off-target species from insects to amphibians and livestock, as well as reduced soil fertility.
Politics Trumps Science
In light of these adverse findings, why have Washington and the European Commission continued to endorse glyphosate as safe? Critics point to lax regulations, heavy influence from corporate lobbyists, and a political agenda that has more to do with power and control than protecting the health of the people.
In the ground-breaking 2007 book Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation, William Engdahl states that global food control and depopulation became US strategic policy under Rockefeller protégé Henry Kissinger. Along with oil geopolitics, they were to be the new “solution” to the threats to US global power and continued US access to cheap raw materials from the developing world. In line with that agenda, the government has shown extreme partisanship in favor of the biotech agribusiness industry, opting for a system in which the industry “voluntarily” polices itself. Bio-engineered foods are treated as “natural food additives,” not needing any special testing.
Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, confirms that US Food and Drug Administration policy allows biotech companies to determine if their own foods are safe. Submission of data is completely voluntary. He concludes:
In the critical arena of food safety research, the biotech industry is without accountability, standards, or peer-review. They’ve got bad science down to a science.
Whether or not depopulation is an intentional part of the agenda, widespread use of GMO and glyphosate is having that result. The endocrine-disrupting properties of glyphosate have been linked to infertility, miscarriage, birth defects and arrested sexual development. In Russian experiments, animals fed GM soy were sterile by the third generation. Vast amounts of farmland soil are also being systematically ruined by the killing of beneficial microorganisms that allow plant roots to uptake soil nutrients.
In Gary Null’s eye-opening documentary Seeds of Death: Unveiling the Lies of GMOs, Dr. Bruce Lipton warns, “We are leading the world into the sixth mass extinction of life on this planet. . . . Human behavior is undermining the web of life.”
The TPP and International Corporate Control
As the devastating conclusions of these and other researchers awaken people globally to the dangers of Roundup and GMO foods, transnational corporations are working feverishly with the Obama administration to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement that would strip governments of the power to regulate transnational corporate activities. Negotiations have been kept secret from Congress but not from corporate advisors, 600 of whom have been consulted and know the details. According to Barbara Chicherio in Nation of Change:
The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) has the potential to become the biggest regional Free Trade Agreement in history. . . .
The chief agricultural negotiator for the US is the former Monsanto lobbyist, Islam Siddique. If ratified the TPP would impose punishing regulations that give multinational corporations unprecedented right to demand taxpayer compensation for policies that corporations deem a barrier to their profits.
. . . They are carefully crafting the TPP to insure that citizens of the involved countries have no control over food safety, what they will be eating, where it is grown, the conditions under which food is grown and the use of herbicides and pesticides.
Food safety is only one of many rights and protections liable to fall to this super-weapon of international corporate control. In an April 2013 interview on The Real News Network, Kevin Zeese called the TPP “NAFTA on steroids” and “a global corporate coup.” He warned:
No matter what issue you care about—whether its wages, jobs, protecting the environment . . . this issue is going to adversely affect it . . .
If a country takes a step to try to regulate the financial industry or set up a public bank to represent the public interest, it can be sued . . . .
Return to Nature: Not Too Late
There is a safer, saner, more earth-friendly way to feed nations. While Monsanto and US regulators are forcing GM crops on American families, Russian families are showing what can be done with permaculture methods on simple garden plots. In 2011, 40% of Russia’s food was grown on dachas (cottage gardens or allotments). Dacha gardens produced over 80% of the country’s fruit and berries, over 66% of the vegetables, almost 80% of the potatoes and nearly 50% of the nation’s milk, much of it consumed raw. According to Vladimir Megre, author of the best-selling Ringing Cedars Series:
Essentially, what Russian gardeners do is demonstrate that gardeners can feed the world – and you do not need any GMOs, industrial farms, or any other technological gimmicks to guarantee everybody’s got enough food to eat. Bear in mind that Russia only has 110 days of growing season per year – so in the US, for example, gardeners’ output could be substantially greater. Today, however, the area taken up by lawns in the US is two times greater than that of Russia’s gardens – and it produces nothing but a multi-billion-dollar lawn care industry.
In the US, only about 0.6 percent of the total agricultural area is devoted to organic farming. This area needs to be vastly expanded if we are to avoid “the sixth mass extinction.” But first, we need to urge our representatives to stop Fast Track, vote no on the TPP, and pursue a global phase-out of glyphosate-based herbicides and GMO foods. Our health, our finances and our environment are at stake.
____________________________
Ellen Brown is an attorney, president of the Public Banking Institute, and author of twelve books, including the best-selling Web of Debt. In The Public Bank Solution, her latest book, she explores successful public banking models historically and globally. Her blog articles are at EllenBrown.com
http://ellenbrown.com/2013/11/26/monsanto-the-tpp-and-global-food-dominance/
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The Andersons (ANDE) -- >>> Invest Like A Young Buffett
Nov 27 2013
includes: ANDE, HVT, SALM
http://seekingalpha.com/article/1865801-invest-like-a-young-buffett?source=yahoo
Stock investors were not impressed when Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) recently announced it had taken a sizable position in energy giant ExxonMobil (XOM). Many commentators shrugged and some even tweeted out things like "yawn" in response to Berkshire adding the Dow component to its portfolio. That's because it joins a bunch of other Dow Industrial companies already in the Berkshire portfolio.
At the end of the third quarter, Berkshire had $104.9 billion invested in equities. Its top 4 holdings reads like a who's who of the Dow Industrials: American Express (AXP), Coca-Cola (KO), IBM and Wells Fargo (WFC). Just those four positions, alone, account for $58.4 billion of the portfolio. Berkshire disclosed its Exxon position was 40 million shares for $3.4 billion. It's another sizable large cap position.
Berkshire Is Too Big
Berkshire Hathaway has a market cap of $282 billion. It owns over 80 companies and invests in dozens more. But when you have a portfolio that is over $100 billion, you can't just buy any small cap stock that stokes your fancy. The larger you are, the more likely you are to invest in mid-to-large cap companies. Investing in dozens of small cap companies with $500 million market caps won't make a dent a portfolio that is worth $100 billion. For example, even if that $500 million doubles in value and becomes a $1 billion company, that's still just a drop in the bucket for a $100 billion portfolio. That's why Berkshire is now saddled with numerous well known Dow component companies and owns no shares in companies with market caps under $1 billion.
Small is King
If you want growth, you buy small cap companies. Those are companies whose market cap is under $1.5 billion. Earlier in his career, before Berkshire grew into a billion dollar behemoth, Buffett used to buy obscure small cap companies and ride them higher to great returns. If you really want to invest like Buffett, invest like the young Buffett. Forget all of Berkshire's recent purchases. Look for small cap companies that Buffett would have liked to own if he could he still buy small caps.
I did a screen for small cap stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and (Buy) stocks that also were value stocks, either through P/E, P/B or P/S, or a combination of those. And then I asked: Would a young Buffett have bought this stock?
3 Stocks That a Young Buffett Would Have Loved
1. Haverty Furniture
2. Salem Communications
3. The Andersons
1. Haverty Furniture (HVT)
Buffett is a lover of furniture companies. Berkshire Hathaway owns several, including Jordan's Furniture, a furniture retailer founded in 1918 in Massachusetts. But one of his more famous investments was the 1983 purchase of Nebraska Furniture Mart. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, it was started in 1937 by Rose Blumkin who sold it to Buffett with a handshake deal.
It has three stores, including one in Omaha, one in Kansas City and one in Des Moines, Iowa. Expansion into Northern Texas is expected in the next several years.
Haverty Furniture fits within Buffett's model. Founded in 1885, and public since 1929, it is headquartered in Atlanta and still has Havertys working in the management team. The company has now grown to over 119 stores in 16 states. On Oct 30, the company reported a record third quarter as it blew by the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 24%. Earnings of $0.42 were up 180% compared to the year ago quarter as the company cut expenses. Sales rose 11.6% with same-store-sales jumping 11.8%. The average ticket gained 5.6%.
The company finished the third quarter with $79.1 million in cash and NO debt. Valuations are still attractive even though the shares are at 2-year highs. Havertys is benefiting from the housing market recovery. Earnings are expected to rise 98% in 2013 and another 16% in 2014.
Forward P/E = 21.7
P/B = 2.3
P/S = 0.9
Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)
Market Cap: $650 million
2. Salem Communications Corporation (SALM)
Buffett has always had a thing for media companies, especially newspapers. Berkshire Hathaway still owns the Buffalo News, which he purchased in 1977. But if Buffett were young today, he may be more interested in other media platforms, including the Internet.
Salem Communications is the largest Christian and conservative radio broadcaster in America. Founded in 1986, it operates 101 radio stations in 39 markets. It also operates an Internet and publishing divisions, including Christianity.com, Jesus.org and Christian videos at GodTube.com. Its publishing division includes FaithTalk Magazine and Preaching and Townhall Magazine.
On Nov 5, it reported third quarter results which saw revenue rise 3.1% to $58.5 million. Radio revenue increased just 0.3% but that was because the heavy political ad buying of last year was absent. In its fourth quarter guidance, the company also cited the loss of political ads as a drag on revenue.
But Internet sales were the big driver for the quarter, rising 20.4% to $9.4 million from $7.8 million. While the company is expected to lose $0.21 a share this year, earnings are forecast to soar by 397% to $0.63 in 2014. The company has no forward P/E due to the expected loss in 2013. But its other valuation metrics are still attractive. Salem also pays a dividend, currently yielding 2.5%, which is rare for a company of its size.
Forward P/E = N/A
P/B = 1.1
P/S = 0.9
Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)
Market Cap: $224 million
3. The Andersons (ANDE)
Buffett likes "old" industry companies like railroads and chemicals. These are companies which are the building blocks of the economy. It's surprising, then, to see that Berkshire Hathaway doesn't own any agribusinesses outright.
The Andersons was founded in 1947 by Harold and Margaret Anderson as a single grain terminal in Ohio with the purpose of helping farmers get their corn to market. It has grown into a 6 division business with grain, plant nutrients, railcar leasing and repair, industrial products formulation, turf products, retail and ethanol operations.
On Nov 6, The Andersons posted a monster 50% beat as earnings were $0.91 compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of just $0.61. Ethanol and the Rail Group led the quarter, with the Grain Group also solid. The company had been cashing in on higher fertilizer prices the last few years when that was hot but now it is Ethanol that has taken that position. However, one thing to watch is that the EPA has issued a Proposed Regulation which will change ethanol requirements in 2014.
Investors don't seem worried about the impact on The Andersons as shares have barely budged from their 2 year high. The Andersons is expected to grow earnings by 10% in 2013 and another 23% in 2014. Despite trading near its multi-year high, there's still value in these shares.
Forward P/E = 18
P/B = 2.3
P/S = 0.3
Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy)
Market Cap: $1.5 billion
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US Farm Sector to 'Sober Up' in 2014 After Boom Years
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.moneynews.com/Economy/Economy-Farm-Sector-Boom/2013/11/25/id/538586?ns_mail_uid=2431848&ns_mail_job=1547662_11262013&promo_code=15BDC-1#ixzz2lqldcetg
Why Eating Sesame Seed Paste (Tahini) Could Save Your Life -
See more at: http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/11/why-eating-sesame-seed-paste-tahini.html#sthash.d11vV4qW.dpuf
>>> Simple swaps = Healthy weight-loss results
http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/7-slim-down-food-swaps#1
Cabbage or collard greens instead of bread
The Swap: Summer means quick and easy sandwiches—less time in the kitchen and more time outside enjoying warm-weather activities! Avoid a postlunch energy crash by ditching your standard two slices of bread and instead wrapping your sandwich ingredients in a raw cabbage or collard-green leaf.
Carbs Avoided: 24
More Health Perks: Cabbage and collard greens promote healthy cholesterol levels. These cruciferous veggies also contain potent anticancer compounds.
Summer squash instead of hash browns
The Swap: Summer squash is a readily available, affordable substitute for carb-heavy potatoes. To prep, grate summer squash (zucchini or yellow summer squash), mix in an egg as a binder, work into patties, and fry in olive oil.
Carbs Avoided: About 15 grams per hash-brown patty
More Health Perks: Summer squash is a solid source of magnesium, a mood-regulating mineral that also protects heart health and reduces disease-promoting inflammation.
Spaghetti squash instead of pasta
The Swap: Switch out spaghetti for the noodlelike flesh of spaghetti squash and you'll enjoy the same consistency without the excess carbs.
Carbs Avoided: 30 grams per cup
More Health Perks: Winter squash is chock full of cancer-fighting antioxidants like alpha- and beta-carotene.
Cauliflower instead of potatoes
The Swap: Potatoes are full of simple carbs that cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar. Instead of mashed potatoes, try steaming fresh or frozen cauliflower, adding a bit of butter (the kind from cows raised on pasture is the healthiest), a bit of milk, and puree.
Carbs Avoided: 30 grams per cup
More Health Perks: Cauliflower is from the cruciferous vegetable family. People who ate just four servings of these vegetables a week slashed their risk of dying by 26 percent, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.
Lettuce instead of hot dog buns
The Swap: Don’t let a starchy bun weigh down your summer cookouts! Instead, wrap your hot dogs in a nutrient-packed outer leaf of red- or green-leafed lettuce. Want extra crunch? Choose romaine.
Carbs Avoided: 19 grams
More Health Perks: Lettuce is loaded with isothiocyanate, lutein, zeaxanthin, and isoflavones, healthy compounds that protect against Alzheimer’s, lung cancer, and macular degeneration.
Oatmeal pancakes instead of flour pancakes
The Swap: Pancakes are a breakfast staple, but if you indulge in these refined-carb patties too often, you’re likely to feel zonked by noon due to the food’s energy-crashing effects. Instead, use a mixture of whole-grain oatmeal and protein-packed cottage cheese to create your own healthy pancake mix. Mix together half a cup of old-fashioned oatmeal, a quarter cup of low-fat cottage cheese, two eggs, and a dash each of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Process in a blender until smooth. Cook the mixture like a regular pancake.
Carbs Avoided: 45 grams per pancake
More Health Perks: Add a tad of 100 percent pure maple syrup (not the kind sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup), and you’ll be able to enjoy a pancake-light treat that also reduces inflammation and fights enzymes that can lead to diabetes
Portobello instead of pizza crust
The Swap: Forget that floury crust that wreaks havoc on your waistline and trade it for a nutrient-packed Portobello mushroom as a crust!
Carbs Avoided: 20 grams per slice
More Health Perks: Portobello mushrooms are bursting with selenium, a nutrient vital for immune-system health.
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>>> Flax Seed Bad Side Effects
By an eHow Contributor
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5314753_flax-seed-bad-side-effects.html
Flax seed is a little seed that is obtained from the flax plant, a blue, flowering plant that grows widely across America. It is gaining renown for the health benefits it offers, such as a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels and helping prevent heart disease. However, there are side effects associated with taking flax seed.
Diarrhea
As a result of its high fiber content, when flax seed is consumed in large amounts, it may cause loose stools or diarrhea. This can occur when more than two tablespoons of flax seed are ingested.
Bloating
Taking flax seed may result in increased production of stomach gases, which would cause bloating and a feeling of being full.
Allergic Reaction
A person may have an allergic reaction to flax seed, which could result in hives, swelling, wheezing and trouble breathing. Any allergic reaction must be reported to a doctor immediately.
Bleeding
A serious side effect of flax seed is bleeding and easy bruising. In extreme cases, it may cause a hemorrhagic stroke, which is characterized by bleeding in the brain.
Constipation
When flax seed is not ingested with sufficient water, it may cause severe constipation or an intestinal blockage.
Poisoning
According to the Mayo Clinic, unripe flax seed pods may be poisonous. Small amounts of cyanide are found in a number of raw foods and are neutralized in the body at ordinary levels. Raw flax seed may increase blood levels of cyanide
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>>> Soy Milk Dangers
By Kay Miranda, eHow Contributor
http://www.ehow.com/about_5412359_soy-milk-dangers.html
Soy has become a popular protein and dairy alternative. You can buy soy milk, infant formula and ice cream products, to name a few. All of these products claim to be healthy alternatives for those who are lactose intolerant or simply want a lower fat alternative to many dairy products. However, studies are showing that soy may not be a risk-free alternative.
Porcessing Soy
Soy has been a dietary staple in China and Indonesia for centuries. The traditional process of preparation is known as fermentation. Fermentation prepares the bean and kills bacteria and toxins that can become harmful if ingested. If fermentation is not used, the toxins that the soy bean naturally contains will not be removed. Modern methods involve bleaching, deodorizing and heat blasting the beans. Milk is made by taking these flakes and adding water without fermenting the beans. It is a faster, less healthy process. Additionally many additives are incorporated into the process to fortify the soy product.
Reproductive Dangers
Phytoestrogens can have a negative effect on fertility. This has been documented in livestock since the 1940s. It is now known that soy reduces testosterone levels. Children on soy formula are at greatest risk of inadequate reproductive development. The effect on boys is to reduce testosterone levels and sperm count. Male reproductive growth is not the lone victim. Girls may develop reproductive tract abnormalities, leading to infertility.
Learning Disorders
Learning disorders are at alarming rates, with more children being diagnosed for attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia and Asperger's syndrome. One of the areas being studied that may be a causal factor is soy milk and its trace elements. Dairy milk and breast milk contain aluminum, fluoride and manganese. These three metals have the potential to be toxic to a developing brain, causing learning issues. Manganese is essential at trace levels for adequate brain development but can be toxic at high levels in a developing cortex. Soy milk contain high levels, perhaps toxic levels in some cases, of these three trace minerals and may play a role in increased classroom issues.
Soy Allergies
Because soy is being more widely used in infant formula, there has been an increase in soy allergies developing. Someone with soy allergies may experience hives, congestion, sneezing or coughing. More severe cases may lead to difficulty swallowing or even anaphylactic shock. There also may be delayed reactions that affect energy levels, sound sleeping and lead to chronic pain. Those at the highest risk of developing a soy allergy are those with peanut allergies or those who suffer from asthma.
Thyroid Issues
Soy is a thyroid inhibitor. Frequent consumption of soy products and lead to hypothyroidism. Those at highest risk are infants on soy formula, vegans who do not obtain protein from other sources other than soy, and those who use soy as a means of self-medicating against menopause, cancer or heart disease. Of interesting note, Michael Fitzpatrick, PhD, explains that researchers induce thyroid cancer in laboratory animals by giving them a high-soy diet.
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>>> Is Soy Milk Bad for Men?
Aug 13, 2011
By Ireland Wolfe
http://www.livestrong.com/article/518337-why-is-soy-milk-bad-for-men/
Soy milk is produced from the soybean plant. Although not technically milk, soy milk has provided a dairy alternative for many who cannot or choose not to consume animal’s milk, such as the lactose intolerant and vegans. Though soy milk provides many potential health benefits -- including a lower risk of heart disease and protection from prostate cancer -- some research suggests it may have negative side effects for men when consumed in large quantities.
Soy Milk Properties
Soy milk contains isoflavones which provide many of the benefits of soy products. Isoflavones, according to the American Cancer Society, can have weak estrogen-like activity, which is the basis for why some men avoid soy milk. The exact amount of nutrients in soy milk depends on the brand and if the milk is fortified. Regular soy milk does not contain a significant amount of calcium; however, some manufacturers offer a fortified version that contains calcium and other nutrients.
Decreased Sperm Production
A Harvard University cross-sectional study published in “Human Reproduction” found that dietary intake of soy and isoflavones reduced sperm concentration in men. Although the reduction was small, it was considered statistically significant. The research found that including soy in the diet most affected men with normal or high sperm counts. Also, soy food was more related to low sperm in overweight and obese men in the study. Other studies have had conflicting results related to soy milk and sperm production.
Erectile Dysfunction
Some research suggests that large doses of soy may decrease penile function. A certain isoflavone found in soy, daidzein, and its effects on erectile functions were studied in rats. Research published in the “Journal of Andrology” found that consuming daidzein in youth could negatively affect penile functioning into adulthood. Rats that consumed daidzein had softer erections; however, testosterone was not significantly affected. In this study, daidzein did not affect penis size and growth. However, researchers admit that rat studies do not necessarily reflect the same results in humans.
Behavioral Concerns
Soy may negatively affect behaviors in men, according to research published in “Hormones and Behavior.” Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center divided adult male monkeys into three groups for the 15-month study. One group had approximately 125 mg of isoflavones from soy daily. The second group had half the amount, and the third group's protein came from milk and animal sources. The monkeys fed the high amount of isoflavones demonstrated more aggressive and submissive behavior than their counterparts. They also spent less time with other monkeys and increased their alone time.
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>>> The Pros and Cons of Almond Milk
Feb 02, 2011
By Ellen Douglas
http://www.livestrong.com/article/371956-the-good-bad-of-almond-milk/
With the popularity of almond milk on the rise, you may wonder about the beverage’s pros and cons. Some consumers find almond milk’s creamy texture and nutty taste more palatable than other plant-based milks for both drinking and as a cooking ingredient. Vegans and people with milk allergies appreciate the alternative to cow’s milk. But some question whether the price of almond milk makes it a reasonable choice, and whether its nutrients are as readily absorbed as those in cow’s milk.
Nutritional Pros
Fortified almond milk contains as much calcium and vitamin D as dairy milk. It is also rich in other vitamins and minerals, including potassium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin E, copper and selenium. The milk is naturally low in saturated fat and has no dietary cholesterol. Almond milk contributes fewer calories to your diet than non-dairy alternatives, as well as whole and 2 percent milk. An 8-oz. serving of almond milk contains 60 calories, while other milks range from 90 to 130 calories per serving.
Almonds are naturally rich in calcium, and manufacturers additionally fortify almond milk to match the calcium and vitamin D content of dairy milk. But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautions that people absorb the nutrients in milk and milk products better than they do those in plant-based milks. In other words, dairy foods may offer better bioavailability of its nutrients than plant foods. The AAP recommends that even families with milk allergy issues should experiment with yogurt and hard cheeses in order to find calcium-rich foods that don't cause allergic reactions. But other public health organizations, such as the California Department of Public Health, consider fortified plant-based milks legitimate calcium sources. If you are opposed to consuming dairy products ask your doctor if the bioavailability issue of almond milk negates its nutritional value.
Dairy Alternative
Some people turn to plant-based milks because of an intolerance or allergy to dairy milk. They may also have an ethical aversion to consuming animal products. Dairy milk contains the natural sugar lactose, along with the protein casein. Both have been linked to digestive problems in some people. Unless you are unlucky enough to have a nut allergy in addition to lactose intolerance or a casein allergy, almond milk may be a useful dairy milk alternative.
Soy Alternative
Soy milk, the first dairy-free milk offered to U.S. consumers, remains a favorite with many people. But some women have concerns about its phytoestrogen content. While phytoestrogens, which are plant-based versions of the hormone estrogen, may have healthful benefits for many women, researchers have uncovered a possible increased risk of breast cancer in some women who consume soy foods, according to Cornell University. If you’re concerned about the conflicting reports about the health benefits and risks of soy, almond milk may be a useful alternative.
Cost
If you’re on a tight budget, you may find it difficult to fit replace cow’s milk with almond milk. Dairy milk still holds the edge over plant-based milks, according to The Wall Street Journal. That’s because supermarkets often have cow’s milk as a sale item, while consumers must pay extra for “premium” dairy alternatives like almond milk. In 2011, the price of cow’s milk averaged $1.25 for 32 oz., while whole almond milk cost $1.80. Of the other non-dairy milks, however, almond milk represented a savings ranging from small to significant. The equivalent amount of soy milk cost $1.90, while rice and coconut milk cost $2.99 and $2.55, respectively.
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>>> Are Raw Foods a Problem for Thyroid Conditions?
I read that people who have thyroid conditions should not eat certain foods unless they're heated or cooked, such as soy bean-based products (tofu, soy milk etc), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc.
Answer (Published 2/8/2002)
Updated on 4/4/2005
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA34947/thyroid-conditions
Some foods, especially cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower), contain natural goitrogens, chemicals that cause the thyroid gland to enlarge by interfering with thyroid hormone synthesis. Cooking has been reported to inactivate this effect in Brussels sprouts. Cassava, a starchy root that is the source of tapioca, can also have this effect. Other goitrogens include corn, sweet potatoes, lima beans, and soy. Some practitioners recommend that people with hypothyroidism (an under-active thyroid gland) avoid these foods, even though most have not been proved to cause hypothyroidism in humans.
For those who have thyroid conditions excess consumption of soy can affect thyroid function, but is usually only a problem in those taking Synthroid or other thyroid replacement medication. If you are on such medication, tell your doctor how much soy you consume so your dosage can be adjusted, if necessary. You should also know that if you eat soy foods at the same time that you take thyroid hormone, they may interfere with its absorption. To be safe, do not eat soy within three hours of taking your medication. Moderate soy consumption should not be a problem – that means one serving a day of whole soy products, such as one cup of soy milk or one half cup of tofu, soy protein (tempeh), or crispy soy nuts.
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Almond milk -- >>> What Are the Dangers of Almond Milk?
By Joseph Nicholson
eHow Contributor
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5572252_dangers-almond-milk.html
Almond milk is a food generally associated with health benefits. Its protein content is lower in quantity to milk and has fewer fat and calories. It is also easier to store without spoilage. But almond milk can present risks for people with low thyroid function. It also is an inadequate substitute for infant formula.
Alternative Nutrition
The greatest documented risk of almond milk is replacing it for breast milk or infant formula. Because it contains only extract of almond in water, almond “milk” does not provide adequate nutrition for infants.
Symptoms
In 1991, an infant that had been fed primarily almond milk from the age of 2 1/2 months was diagnosed with low bone density, nutritional rickets, low muscle tone, and a visible goiter. All were traced to nutritional deficiency.
Iodine Deficiency
Severe iodine deficiency causes goiters, such as the one observed in the infant described above. Almonds are known goitrogens, which means they contain chemicals that inhibit thyroid function by interfering with iodine intake.
Goitrogens
Many foods generally considered to be healthy are also goitrogenic. This includes cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, spinach, soya peanuts and almonds.
Preparation
While people with hypothyroidism are advised to avoid goitrogens. The goitrogenic effects are negated by cooking or light steaming. Most almond milk is produced raw, and can be heated to prevent any potential goitrogenic effects. <<<
Human waste found in Chinese soy sauce
My personal thought is that soy sauce is mostly GM and I don't use it, period.
http://www.naturalhealth365.com/food_news/soy_sauce.html
most disgusting man-made foods on Earth. Typically, this non-traditional soy sauce takes only 3 days to manufacture – using the cheapest ingredients like, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (in lieu of soybeans); GMO-derived corn syrup; and artificial flavoring or coloring. But, if you think that is sickening, you won’t believe what really goes inside fake soy sauce. Warning – if don’t have a strong stomach – avoid reading the rest of this article. The Chinese, in their brilliance, have found a way to cut the cost of soy sauce production by using human hair along with hospital waste products. I’m not kidding – these twisted food producers seem to feel this a great way to turn a profit despite the threat to human health. You see – human hair is considered the richest and cheapest source for L-cysteine (L-cys). And, you guessed it, the industrial plants needed to extract L-cyteine are in China. Human waste products are used to lower food costs The Internet Journal of Toxicology reported that the Chinese company Hongshuai Soy Sauce didn’t use amino acids derived from soy and wheat, but human hair, from barber shop floors, hospitals, and salons. Amino acids, in human hair, can be used to make a condiment with a flavor similar to that of the usual soy variety. How’s that for human engineering? An investigation by a TV journalist exposed this manufacturing practice. The cheap soy sauce was being manufactured from an amino acid powder or syrup – bought from a manufacture in China’s Hubei Province – using human hair to make it. It makes me wonder about every food product coming out of China – including ‘organic’ labeled items. Hold the soy sauce – blood and bacteria are inside Now you know why processed foods are so dangerous. The hair gathered was unhygienic and mixed with condoms, used hospital cotton, used menstrual cycle pads and used syringes. The hair would be filtered by workers, then the hair would be processed into amino acid syrup. I can only think these food producers have no soul. They view human waste as a ‘rich source’ of protein – just like soybeans, wheat and bran. These industrial plants produce around 100,000 tons of amino acid daily in the form of powder or syrup. After the syrup is created – it goes to ‘diluting plants’, where water was added and then bottled or packaged into ready to use soy sauce. It’s no wonder we see cancer rates skyrocketing The processing of fake soy sauce involves more chemical additives – which are added to the amino acid syrup and heated. The additives include solid hydroxide – to make the sauce taste better – and bottles of hydrochloric acid to balance the pH content of the mixture to make is ‘safer’ for human consumption. This soy sauce has all the ingredients to create cancer. Human waste products are loaded with lead and arsenic – which are harmful to the liver, kidney and bloodstream. And, as we all know, cancer cells thrive in a toxic environment. Plus, as if the image of soy sauce couldn’t get any worse, watching it being made can change all of that. (we’ll spare you the video) But, the television footage of a plant showed the workers wearing masks and using sticks to sort human hair taken from dirty bags along with the condoms, cotton buds and pads. The hair is then put into a machine that hasn’t been cleaned in a very long time. Soy sauce ‘ingenuity’ being put into bagels and pizza dough The official word, coming from China, is that they closed the plant mentioned above. But, the practice of using human hair in soy sauce has survived. Also, they fail to mention that soy sauce isn’t the only food product made of cheap human hair amino acid powder. Human hair is now in most processed foods, the bakery industry uses it as a source of L-cystein to make dough softer and more elastic. L-cystein is an amino acid that gives hair its strength. Now it gives bagels and pizza dough its ‘bouncy’ texture. It’s also a meat flavor enhancer and used within expectorants. Here’s a great way to save lives…spread the news! Most food companies are not required to label where ingredients come from – only where the food was packaged or processed. This means frozen dinners, popular fast food restaurants, and even ‘higher end’ eateries are serving human waste products – as part of their menu items. Don’t be overwhelmed. If you want to avoid cancer-causing ingredients – know the source of your food and buy only fresh (real) food. Get to know your local farmer; start making more meals at home and enjoy the health benefits – immediately. - See more at: http://www.naturalhealth365.com/food_news/soy_sauce.html#sthash.Euq7pz71.dpuf
>>> Eat nuts, live longer?
Study linked a daily handful of any nut to 20 percent reduction in death risk over 30 years
By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter
http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/eat-nuts-live-longer-1
(HealthDay News) -- If you like nuts -- and it doesn't seem to matter what kind is your personal favorite -- you might be cutting your risk of early death by eating a handful of them every day.
New research found that people who ate a 1-ounce serving of nuts each day showed a 20 percent reduced risk of dying from any cause over three decades, compared to those who didn't eat the tasty snacks.
"We looked at nut consumption in approximately 119,000 Americans over the past 30 years," said study senior author Dr. Charles Fuchs, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "People who were regular nut consumers had a significant reduction in [death from all causes]."
"This is an observational study, so it's not absolute in terms of proof," Fuchs said. "But prior studies suggest health benefits like a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and lower cholesterol, among other health outcomes."
The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Education Foundation, a nonprofit institute that represents nine different nut industries.
The findings were published in the Nov. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Nuts are nutrient-dense foods, according to background information included in the study. They contain unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Previous research has linked nut consumption to a lower risk of heart disease, as well as improvements in risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol, according to the study.
The researchers looked at how nut consumption might affect all causes of death, as well as whether nuts were linked to death risk from specific conditions, such as heart disease.
The study included more than 76,000 women from the Nurses' Health Study and more than 42,000 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Anyone with a history of heart disease, stroke or cancer was excluded from the study.
Nut consumption was verified at the start of the study, and then every two to four years during the study. During about 30 years of follow-up, more than 16,000 women and more than 11,000 men died.
When the researchers compared people who ate nuts to people who never ate nuts, they found a 7 percent reduced risk of dying from any cause during the 30-year study. People who consumed more nuts had an even lower risk of dying. Those who had nuts once a week had an 11 percent lower risk of death, while people who had two to four servings of nuts a week saw their risk drop by 13 percent. Those who consumed the most nuts -- at least seven 1-ounce servings weekly -- reduced their overall death risk by 20 percent, according to the study.
Eating more nuts also was linked to a lower risk of death due to cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease.
The study uncovered an association between eating nuts and living longer, but it didn't prove cause-and-effect.
Fuchs said a 1-ounce serving was equal to about 16 to 24 almonds, 16 to 18 cashews or 30 to 35 peanuts.
People who ate nuts tended to be healthier overall, according to the study. They were leaner, had lower rates of obesity, had lower cholesterol, had less high blood sugar, had smaller waist circumferences, ate more fruits and vegetables, and exercised more than people who ate fewer or no nuts.
Fuchs and his team controlled the data to account for these factors.
One expert said what people who are eating nuts aren't eating instead is also important.
"This study adds to the research that nuts are part of an overall healthful diet, especially if people are choosing to have nuts instead of chips or candy," said Alice Bender, associate director for nutrition programs with the American Institute for Cancer Research.
"Nuts provide quality protein, fiber, good fats [and] B vitamins," she said. "Nuts are a whole package of health, and they've shown some cancer-protective qualities."
"But nuts aren't a magic bullet," she said. "They're just one part of all the wonderful foods we have. It's important to eat foods that are minimally processed."
"The best thing to do is to substitute nuts for other foods that may be crunchy or sweet," Bender said. "Replace some of those foods that don't contribute much to our diets with nuts. You'll be replacing empty calories with a whole food."
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>>> What's a Complete Protein? Inquiring Vegetarians Want to Know
September 22, 2013
by Jenny Sugar
http://www.fitsugar.com/What-Complete-Protein-Inquiring-Vegetarians-Want-Kno-165298
There probably isn't a vegetarian on the planet who hasn't been asked "Are you getting enough protein?" While the amount is important — women need about 45 to 65 grams of protein a day — so is the type.
If you take a trip back to your old science class, you might remember that protein is made up of smaller components called amino acids, 12 of which are manufactured by the human body. Another nine, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from food. A complete protein is a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. Animal proteins are complete, including red meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy, so what's a vegetarian or vegan to do? There are a few nonanimal sources that offer complete proteins, so it's important to get your fill of soybeans, blue green algae, hempseed, buckwheat, and quinoa if you're diet is meat-, milk-, or egg-free.
Then there are foods known as incomplete proteins, including beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, peas, and corn. Combine two or more incomplete proteins and boom — you've got a complete protein. Enjoy them together in one meal or the combination can be consumed over the same day, such as black bean soup for lunch and brown rice with dinner. Here are some other food combinations that work:
•Beans with whole grains: hummus (contains chickpeas and tahini, which is made from sesame seeds) and pita bread, red beans and rice, chickpea and quinoa veggie burgers on a whole-wheat bun, split pea soup with whole-grain bread, lentil barley soup, black beans and polenta, and tortillas with refried beans
•Nuts or seeds with whole grains: sunflower seed butter on crackers, almond butter on toast, peanut noodles
•Beans with seeds or nuts: hummus, salad topped with sunflower seeds and chickpeas
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>>> 12 foods that have more Vitamin C than oranges
http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/12-foods-that-have-more-vitamin-c-than-oranges#1
Load your plate with these vitamin C-rich eats to build your body's defense against cold and flu.
If you chug a glass of orange juice every time you start sniffling, you may be onto something. Though studies show that consuming vitamin C can't actually prevent colds, loading up on the nutrient may help slightly shorten the length of time you're sick and reduce the severity of your symptoms. But despite their reputation for being loaded with vitamin C, the 69.7 mg that a medium orange provides is actually less than many other common fruits and veggies. To pack the ultimate vitamin C punch, fill up on these 12 superfoods.
Chili peppers
A half-cup of chopped or diced chili peppers delivers 107.8 mg of vitamin C. Plus, researchers from the University of Buffalo found that capsaicin, the compound that makes chili peppers hot, may help relieve joint and muscle pain.
Red bell pepper
A cup of chopped red bell pepper contains nearly three times more vitamin C than an orange—190 mg. Red peppers are also a great source of vitamin A, which promotes eye health.
Green bell pepper
A cup of chopped green bell pepper contains less vitamin C than its sweeter sister, but at 120 mg, it's still 200% of your recommended daily allowance. Green bell pepper is also a great source of fiber.
Kale
In addition to twice your recommended daily intake of vitamin A and seven times the recommended amount of vitamin K, a one-cup serving of kale provides 80.4 mg of vitamin C. The nutrition powerhouse also delivers a sizeable dose of minerals and fatty acids.
Broccoli
This cruciferous veggie provides 132 mg of vitamin C plus a punch of filling fiber for just 30 calories per serving. Plus, research shows broccoli may have cancer-preventing properties.
Papaya
Research shows that eating papaya can help clear your sinuses, brighten your skin, and strengthen your bones. A one-cup serving delivers 88.3 mg of vitamin C.
Strawberries
A cup of this superfruit contains 84.7 mg of vitamin C, plus healthy doses of folate and other compounds shown to promote heart health. Another unexpected benefit of strawberries? They may help whiten your teeth naturally.
Cauliflower
Whether you roast it, steam it, or mash it, eating a small head of cauliflower gives you a 127.7 mg dose of vitamin C, plus 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.
Brussels sprouts
These little cabbages are loaded with cancer-preventing phytonutrients and fiber, not to mention 74.8 mg of vitamin C. If you're usually turned off by their bitter taste, bring out their natural sweetness by roasting them.
Pineapple
In addition to 78.9 mg of vitamin C, pineapple contains bromelain, a digestive enzyme that helps break down food and reduce bloating. Bromelain also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory that can help you recover faster after a tough workout.
Kiwi
One NLEA serving of kiwi (about 2 fruits) boasts 137.2 mg of vitamin C. The fuzzy fruit is also rich in potassium and copper. (Check out 15 more foods that are high in potassium.)
Mango
Taste the tropics for a 122.3 mg boost of vitamin C. Mango is also a great source of vitamin A, which like vitamin C plays a key role in immunity and additionally keeps your eyes healthy.
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GM crops using up the world’s water supply
http://www.naturalhealth365.com/food_news/gm_crops_water.html
Excerpt>>>>>
How do GM crops drain the water supply? Studies of GM crops in developing countries and throughout the world have demonstrated that GM seeds need more water, fertilizer and pesticides than conventional crops. In countries with cycles of drought – GM seeds are creating a crisis of epic proportions. I pray that farmers will lose the fear of speaking out, band together and let the world know about the realities of GMOs. GM crops are almost universally found in monocultures that deplete soil and water resources and leave local populations dependent on the success of a single harvest. And, let’s not forget the cost, GM seeds cost much more than traditional seeds and can only be used for one year. It’s a great system for greedy, biotech companies that want to control the food supply but horrible for everyone else. - See more at: http://www.naturalhealth365.com/author/admin#sthash.mI7cCtQG.dpuf
>>> 4 Disturbing Facts about Pesticides
The EPA's process for approving pesticides is disorganized and unreliable, says an environmental advocacy group.
By Emily Main
http://www.rodalenews.com/facts-about-pesticides?cm_mmc=MSN-_-Attention%20Men--5%20Ways%20Your%20Home%20Is%20Secretly%20Turning%20You%20Into%20a%20Woman-_-Article-_-4%20Disturbing%20Facts%20about%20Pesticides
That garden pesticide might say "EPA Registered" but a new report suggests that doesn't mean much in terms of your health.
When you see an airplane spraying a field with a cloud of pesticides, or when you squirt a roach with an over-the-counter insecticide, you'd like to think that someone, somewhere has studied the ingredients to make sure they're safe.
Turns out, that's not always the case. A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has revealed that, for the past 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has relied heavily on a fast-track pesticide approval process that requires no safety data or testing whatsoever.
The process is called "conditional registration," and it was introduced in 1972 by Congress as a way to get pesticides to market quickly without manufacturers needing to do full health- and environmental-impact studies, with the understanding that the data from those studies would be submitted soon after the conditional registration was granted. The process was supposed to be used sparingly, and only in the event that the chemical would cause no adverse health effects or that use of the chemical was in the "public interest," for instance, to deal with a bedbug outbreak.
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9 Crazy Things Pesticides Are Doing to Your Body
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But, not surprisingly, the process has been woefully misused, says Jennifer Sass, senior scientist at NRDC and author of the report. "Everybody expects that pesticides are regulated and reviewed," she says. You can buy any number of products containing active ingredients listed as "EPA Registered," but, says Sass, "we don’t know whether the EPA had, or has, all the data required to approve it."
As Sass was digging through EPA pesticide approval databases, she turned up some more disturbing facts about pesticides:
#1: A majority of new pesticides have been approved without proper safety reviews. According to NRDC's report, a full 65 percent of the roughly 16,000 pesticides approved since 2010 have been approved under conditional registrations. This includes some highly toxic materials including nanosilver, approved in 2011. These microscopic particles of silver are antimicrobials and can kill bacteria in soil and water, which is why they're considered pesticides, but they've been added to more than 1,000 consumer products, including "anti-odor" workout clothes, towels, and bedding, and even baby blankets, despite the fact that they're known to damage cells in the brain, liver, stomach, testes, and other organs, as well as pass from pregnant mothers to their developing fetuses. Research has shown that nanosilver leaches from clothing into wash water and can be absorbed by the skin.
Protect Yourself: Avoid any products advertised as antibacterial, antimicrobial, or anti-odor because they could contain nanosilver or other unhealthy antimicrobial chemicals.
#2: EPA assumes that "different" equals "safer." One of the major uses of conditional registrations, Sass says, is with new pesticides that can take the place of older ones that are considered unsafe. For instance, organophosphates, a class of chemicals widely used on food, have been linked to lowered IQ and increased rates of ADHD in children. "Now the EPA is conditionally registering everything that is claiming to be an alternative to organophosphates. Just because it's an 'alternative,' it's considered to be safe." Why is that bad? One of the "safer" alternatives approved as an organophosphate alternative is clothianidin, which belongs to a class of chemicals called neonicotinoids that are strongly linked to the massive die-offs of bee colonies, called colony collapse disorder, that are driving up food prices; bees are responsible for pollinating 80 percent of U.S. food crops. This past winter, nearly 55 percent of commercial beehives died off, and environmentalists and food activists are now demanding that the EPA ban these toxic pesticides.
Protect Yourself: Neonicotinoids are systemic, meaning they're absorbed into the tissue, roots, pollen, and nectar of a plant. Eat organic food to avoid them and dozens of other bee-killing pesticides.
#3: Conditional registrations lead to serious problems. In addition to massive bee die-offs, the public can thank conditional registrations for a recent calamity involving dead evergreen trees. A pesticide called Imprelis, made by DuPont, was conditionally approved based on the "public interest" of controlling nuisance weeds—think dandelions and clover—in lawns, school athletic fields, and golf courses that "no currently registered pesticides control," according to Dupont's application. Thousands of homeowners and landscape professionals bought the herbicide, only to find out that it kills white and Norway spruce trees. The company faced a class-action lawsuit in 2011 from angry homeowners who claimed it killed thousands of trees nationwide. The EPA subsequently banned Imprelis.
Protect Yourself: Opt out of the flawed EPA process with organic lawn management so you don't find yourself killing trees (or worse) with improperly approved pesticides. We've compiled a list of easy organic lawn-care tips.
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5 Surprising Ways to Dodge Pesticides
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#4: Even the EPA admits its process is flawed. In 2011, the EPA conducted its own review of the conditional registration process, in response to NRDC's requests (Sass began looking into the issue in 2010) and concluded that conditional registrations were misused 98 percent of the time. "Even EPA's staff was surprised at how much was going through the conditional registration process," Sass says. Part of the problem, she adds, is that the databases that track pesticide approvals are so disorganized and user-unfriendly. In fact, she adds, when asked, the agency couldn't provide her with information that details which conditionally registered pesticides had, eventually, been officially approved after all the health and environmental safety data had been submitted.
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Bis-Phenol A -- >>> 5 Weird Things BPA Is Doing to Your Body
Tooth problems? Love handles? It's time to give this chemical the boot!
By Leah Zerbe
http://www.rodalenews.com/bpa-health-effects?cm_mmc=MSN-_-Attention%20Men--5%20Ways%20Your%20Home%20Is%20Secretly%20Turning%20You%20Into%20a%20Woman-_-Article-_-5%20Weird%20Things%20BPA%20Is%20Doing%20to%20Your%20Body
BPA affects multiple systems in your body, the research finds.
More than one million pounds of bisphenol A, or BPA, are released into the environment each year, but scientists are beginning to find that it could take just a tiny amount to create strange and lasting health problems. Embedded in some plastics, as a protective lining inside most canned foods and drinks and as a coating on cash register receipts, BPA is in so many everyday products that's it's inside of most of us, too. Researchers have detected the industrial chemical in the blood and urine of most Americans; it even turns up in amniotic fluid and placentas, meaning fetuses are exposed before birth.
Yet, in an increasing number of studies, BPA is being found to be a reproductive, developmental and systemic toxicant. Much of the focus has been on the chemical's ability to interfere with levels of estrogen in the body, but scientists are discovering that its effects spread far beyond hormonal systems, resulting in health problems that are downright bizarre. Here's how scientists say BPA could be affecting our bodies:
Eroding Teeth
In 2013, French researchers published a study showing that daily low doses of BPA could be damaging tooth enamel. A research team from the Université Paris-Diderot found that within 30 days, newborn rats exposed to small amounts of BPA daily experienced molar incisor hypo-mineralization, a condition that causes hypersensitivity and increases the risk of developing cavities. Roughly 18 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 8 experience this unhealthy change that leads to white marks and brittle enamel. The researchers note that children's teeth form in the first year of life—a period when human bodies are often most sensitive to BPA.
According to study co-author Sylvie Babajko, the latest author of this article, "Insofar as BPA has the same mechanism of action in rats as in men, it could also be a causal agent of MIH. Therefore, teeth could be used as early markers of exposure to endocrine disruptors acting in the same way as BPA and so could help in early detection of serious pathologies that would otherwise have occurred several years later."
Misfiring Hearts
A 2011 animal study published in the journal PLOS One found BPA overrode the female body's natural heartbeat signaling, causing arrhythmia—erratic beating that could cause sudden cardiac death. Long believed to cause heart disease, this study provided insight into how BPA impacts the heart.
Low Sex Drive
A May 2013 study led by Chinese researchers and published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found chronic exposure to BPA leads to lower testosterone levels in men. BPA, which acts similarly to a synthetic form of estrogen, can throw off men's sex hormones levels, which can sink their sex drive. Earlier evidence came in 2010, when the results of a 5-year study in humans confirmed that high levels of BPA in the urine correlated with low sperm counts and poor sperm quality.
Love Handles
Studies in the lab find that BPA has the ability to accelerate fat-cell differentiation, disrupt pancreatic functioning, and cause insulin resistance, leading to obesity problems. A recent Chinese study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found adults with the highest level of BPA were 50 percent more likely to be fatter, with a body mass index in the overweight or obese category. Study participants with high BPA levels were also 28 percent more likely to harbor dangerous abdominal fat. "This human study, together with the previous studies that show relationships between BPA exposures and obesity or other metabolic endpoints, are concerning because they suggest that there are no 'safe' populations—even adults may be affected by low level exposures to this chemical," BPA expert Laura N. Vandenberg, PhD, postdoctoral fellow of regenerative and developmental biology at Tufts University, told Rodale News when the study was released.
Multi-Generational Damage
The canned food of today could impact the health of your great-great grandchildren! A recent study published in the journal Endocrinology studied the trans-generational effects of BPA on mice. Compared to a mother mouse who ate BPA-free food, the who ate BPA-laced food gave birth to less social, more isolated pups. Some of the behavioral changes they observed in mice while studying the different generations exposed to BPA included symptoms associated with autism and attention-deficit hyperactivitiy disorder. Genetically speaking, BPA exposure changed how estrogen receptors switched on and off.
Protect Yourself
While consumer pressure has led to bans on BPA in baby bottles and canned baby formula manufactured in the U.S., the chemical is still used in things like polycarbonate water bottles, plastic utensils, and other food containers. France is taking a more hardline approach, banning BPA in all food containers by July 2015. Still, the U.S. has made no such move to prevent what scientists consider dangerous, low-dose exposures.
• Avoid plastic food and drink containers—use food-grade stainless steel or glass instead.
• Say no to trivial receipts. Experiments show it transfers from the paper and through your skin. When you need a receipt, store it in an envelope, not in your wallet or in the bottom of your purse where you'll have repeated contact with it.
• Opt for fresh and/or frozen vegetables instead of canned.
• Be skeptical of BPA-free claims. A 2013 study found a common BPA replacement, BPS, also features hormone-disrupting qualities.
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Endocrine disruption -- >>> Attention men: 5 ways your home is secretly turning you into a woman
Your daily routine could lead to low testosterone levels.
By The Editors
http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/men/attention-men-5-ways-your-home-is-secretly-turning-you-into-a-woman
A home should be a sanctuary, a place of safety, not a cesspool of toxic stuff that can endanger your health. But the typical home is full of seemingly benign items and appliances that in fact spew chemicals that can mess with your fragile endocrine system. And tough-as-nails men are among the most vulnerable to these endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Studies are showing that chemicals called xenoestrogens indirectly provoke the production of or imitate the female hormone estrogen in the body. Found in everything from plastic to pesticides to milk and meats, they can tip a man's hormonal balance, leaving him with more estrogen and lower testosterone levels -- and a lot more body fat as a result. This possibility becomes more significant as men age, since levels of testosterone begin to drop in their 30s and continue to decline by 1 to 2 percent per year in their 40s and 50s, according to endocrinologist Florence Comite, MD, author of the new book Keep It Up: The Power of Precision Medicine to Conquer Low T and Revitalize Your Life. Not only do these chemicals disrupt male hormones, but they can also put anyone at risk for health problems.
What's worse? They're lurking all over your house. Here's how to eliminate them.
Your Microwave
Heating up food in the microwave either by placing it in a plastic container or covering it with plastic wrap can cause xenoestrogens within the plastic to leach into your food. Switch to a glass bowl and cover it with a plate if necessary, or use the stove or oven to heat up your food.
Your Fridge
The average American is exposed to more than 13 different pesticides through food, beverages, and drinking water every day, and most of them are endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The herbicides and synthetic fertilizers that make strawberries, apples, and other fruits and vegetables so big and juicy undermine their healthy benefits. Hormones given to chickens, cattle, pigs, and turkeys to make them grow plump affect the proper function of our hormonal systems, leading to weight gain. The solution: When possible, buy organic or naturally grown meats and produce. The more people demand organically raised crops and livestock, the faster prices for these healthy products will come down. And if you can't afford organic, at least wash your produce well to reduce your consumption of xenogenic pesticides.
4 Disturbing Facts about Pesticides
Your Drink
Companies use polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins made from BPA (a type of xenoestrogen) to line food and beverage cans. Whenever possible, eat all-natural foods or foods that are in certified BPA-free containers. That goes for your water bottle -- or whatever you use to drink from -- as well. Glass containers and unlined stainless-steel water bottles are the best thing to use, says Heather Patisaul, PhD, who studies hormones and sex differentiation at North Carolina State University. Never use old or scratched plastic containers, since they can expose you to BPA even more quickly. Any product with a 3, 6, or 7 inside the recycling arrows on the bottom may contain BPA. Numbers 1, 2, and 4 are BPA free.
5 Weird Things BPA Is Doing to Your Body
Your Bathroom Sink
Today you're using an arsenal of cleansers, creams, lotions, and potions on your scalp and skin to look good and smell clean. Problem is, many of the products in the men's grooming aisles contain parabens (a type of xenoestrogen), chemicals commonly used as preservatives in products such as cleansing gels, makeup, moisturizers and lotions, shampoo, shaving cream, sunscreen, and even toothpaste. This doesn't mean you need to (or should) stop shaving, using sunscreen, or brushing your teeth, but avoid parabens by checking ingredient listings for words containing "butyl," "ethyl," "methyl," or "propyl." The most common parabens used in cosmetic products are methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben.
Your Garage
Sprays and powdered chemicals used to keep pests out of your house or garden also contain xenoestrogens. Use organic weed- and pest-control products instead. Store any nonorganic pest products outside of the house in a locked shed to keep children from coming into contact with them.
For a testosterone-boosting workout and nutrition plan, check out Men's Health's new book, Testosterone Transformation.
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Beat systemic lupus naturally
http://www.naturalhealth365.com/natural_cures/lupus.html
Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 by Dr. David Jockers (NaturalHealth365) Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that is known to inflame and damage the heart, lungs, brain, joints, blood vessels, skin and kidneys – among other things. Typical medical treatments for lupus include corticosteroids that suppress the immune system and have major side effects. Lupus symptoms are characterized by skin lesions, such as a butterfly-shaped rash on the face, that cover the cheeks and bridge of nose. Other common symptoms include joint pain and arthritic changes as well as advanced cardiodegenerative and neurodegenerative changes. What causes autoimmune disease? Autoimmune disorders, such as SLE, have several general causative factors. These issues are characterized by a hyperactive immune system that unleashes massive inflammatory compounds upon minor triggers. The most commonly found factors leading to this condition include damage to the intestinal wall, long-standing deficiencies in vitamin D3, omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Vitamin D3 plays a very important role in modulating the immune system. Studies have shown that levels under 40 ng/ml are highly associated with inflammatory conditions within the body. Having a vitamin D3 test should be step one in addressing autoimmune disorders. Prevent lupus by optimizing vitamin D3 levels Optimal vitamin D3 levels should be between 70-100 ng/ml even though the medical ‘acceptable’ level of 32 ng/ml is still used by most health care providers. Levels under 40 ng/ml are a major health risk factor for chronic inflammatory disease development. This is unknown by many mainstream medical doctors. Although direct sunlight between the peak sun hours of 10am – 2pm is the best way to optimize vitamin D levels – many individuals with SLE get inflamed when exposed to direct sunlight. They can supplement with 10,000 IU of a high quality emulsified vitamin D3 for a period of time to reach and stay at the desired level. How does leaky gut syndrome trigger autoimmune reactions? Leaky gut syndrome is a very common issue that is related to autoimmune diseases like SLE. In these conditions, an abundance of pathogenic bacteria and yeasts take hold of the reigns of control in the gut and create inflammatory changes that damage the intestinal lining. This allows food particles to pass into the bloodstream. The undigested food particles are identified by the immune system and labeled as toxic invaders and a massive immune assault results. The most common food allergens include genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gluten, soy products, artificial food additives and flavorings, peanuts, eggs and pasteurized dairy. These foods should be avoided at all costs. How do I naturally improve the digestive system? Rebuilding the gut is absolutely essential for full recovery. This process begins with an anti-inflammatory diet that is rich in fermented foods and liquid and raw food based nutrition. Fermented foods like traditional sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented veggies and raw cheese and amasai from 100% grass-fed cows should be staple parts of the diet. Fermented drinks like apple cider vinegar, coconut kefir, fermented ginger-ale, kombucha and others should be used throughout the day. These foods are extremely rich in enzymes, probiotics and key amino acids that help the beneficial microflora destroy pathogenic organisms in the body. These foods should be used as much as possible and a high quality probiotic supplements with 50+ billion CFU’s are extremely beneficial. Intermittent water and lemon fasting for periods of 16- 20 hours daily or weekly is very helpful in reducing inflammation and helping the gut heal faster. The diet should be low in sugar and instead focus on phytonutrient rich vegetables, low glycemic fruit and healthy fat sources like avocados, coconut products, extra-virgin olive oil and sprouted nuts and seeds. Grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, organic poultry and eggs and wild-caught fish offer essential fatty acids and other compounds that enhance hormone function and reduce inflammation. Looking for natural health solutions? Sign up now – for our free, weekly show featuring the greatest minds in natural health and science plus free gifts! About the author: Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information – visit: DrJockers.com. Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health goals. References:http://altmedicine.about.com/od/healthconditionsdisease/a/lupus.htmhttp://www.naturalcures.com/find-a-cure-preview/455-lupus-previewhttp://www.naturalnews.com/037689_eczema_dermatology_natural_remedies.html#ixzz2ARVJQoSi - See more at: http://www.naturalhealth365.com/natural_cures/lupus.html#sthash.fhR9uxKS.dpuf
The_8th, I mainly use these sector boards to store related articles of interest, and to maintain an updatable list of favorite sector stocks in the I-Box section. In the Agro board I've also been storing articles relating to nutrition, pesticides, GMO, etc.
Btw, here's a very interesting presentation on Codex Alimentarius (link below) -
gfp927z I This Agro Sector Board is more like my food board and a good board. I like your other board focusing on just stocks. Maybe we are visionaries and many investors will be on our food boards soon, lol.
>>> 8 Foods Even The Experts Won't Eat
http://preventdisease.com/news/13/100813_8-Foods-Even-The-Experts-Wont-Eat.shtml
Food scientists are shedding light on items loaded with toxins and chemicals--and simple swaps for a cleaner diet and supersized health. Experts from different areas of specialty explain why they won't eat these eight foods.
Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe--or not--to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health--and peace of mind.
1. The Endocrinologist Won't Eat: Canned Tomatoes
Fredrick Vom Saal, is an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.
The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi. Exposure to BPA Causes Permanent Damage In OffSpring
2. The Farmer Won't Eat: Corn-Fed Beef
Joel Salatin is co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.
The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. But more money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.
The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.
3. The Toxicologist Won't Eat: Microwave Popcorn
Olga Naidenko, is a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group.
The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize--and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.
The solution: Pop organic kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix. Make it organic and use coconut oil. If You're Still Eating Microwave Popcorn, You're Not Fully Grasping The Health Consequences
4. The Farm Director Won't Eat: Nonorganic Potatoes
Jeffrey Moyer is the chair of the National Organic Standards Board.
The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes--the nation's most popular vegetable--they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.
5. The Fisheries Expert Won't Eat: Farmed Salmon
Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, published a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.
The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You could eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.
The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon. Farmed Fish vs. Wild Fish: How Healthy
Is The Fish At Your Favorite Grocery?
6. The Cancer Researcher Won't Drink: Milk Produced With Artificial Hormones
Rick North is project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society.
The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. "There's not 100 percent proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."
The solution: Buy raw milk or check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products. Why Do Humans Still Drink Milk?
7. The Biotech Specialist Who Won't Eat Convenional Soy: GMO Unfermented Soy
Michael Harris is biotech specialist who has directed several projects within the biotech sector including those for genetically engineered food. He has been a consultant, manager and director for companies such as Xenon Pharmaceuticals and Genon Corporation.
The problem: Genetically engineered food is a cause of great concern due to the manipulation of DNA and genetic code including transfers from one species to another. Fermented Soy Is The Only Soy
Food Fit for Human Consumption and since almost 90% of soy in the world is genetically modified, if you are not ensuring sources are organic, long-term health problems are inevitable, especially since soy has been found to affect hormonal balance and even cause cancer.
The solution: Check labels to ensure soy is Non-GMO or organic and never consume unfermented sources. If possible contact the company to find out exactly where the Non-GMO soy was obtained.
8. The Organic-Foods Expert Won't Eat: Conventional Apples
Mark Kastel, a former executive for agribusiness, is codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods.
The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease
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Effect of Freezing on Some Plant Toxins and Micronutrients in the Leaves of Amaranthus Cruentus
http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jfs/article/view/3141
>>> Effect of Freezing on Some Plant Toxins and Micronutrients in the Leaves of Amaranthus Cruentus
Amanabo Musa, Emmanuel O. Ogbadoyi
Abstract
Postharvest handling isone of the major factors affecting the chemical contents of vegetables afterharvesting. It is for this reason that the study was conducted to determine theinfluence of freezing on some plant toxins (cyanide, nitrate, soluble and totaloxalates) and micronutrients which include vitamins (ß-carotene and vitamin C)and mineral elements (Fe, Cu, Mg, Na and K) in Amaranthus cruentus. Theresults showed that the concentrations of vitamin C, ß-carotene, K, cyanide,soluble and total oxalates in Amaranthus cruentus decreasedsignificantly (p < 0.05) during one week of freezing and they remainedsignificantly unchanged in the second, third and fourth weeks of freezing. Exceptthat the concentration of ß-carotene in the fourth weeks was significantlylower than the second weeks of freezing. The decreasing effect of freezing onnitrate concentration in Amaranthus cruentus was not significant duringthe first week of storage, however, its concentration decreased significantly(p < 0.05) in the second weeks and the value remained significantlyunchanged for the third and fourth weeks of freezing. The significant decreasedin the concentrations of Fe and Cu during freezing was observed during threeweeks of freezing and remained significantly unchanged in the fourth weeks of storage.Similarly the concentrations of Mg and Na in Amaranthus cruentusdecreased significantly (p < 0.05) during two weeks of freezing and remainedsignificantly unchanged in the third and fourth weeks. The results concludethat although freezing significantly reduced the antinutrients and toxicsubstances in Amaranthus cruentus it has a deleterious effects on themicronutrients content of the vegetable.
Full Text:
PDF
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/jfs.v2i1.3141
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>>> 9 sneaky sources of GMOs
Some foods with GMOs are easy to spot. These nine aren't.
http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/9-sneaky-sources-of-gmos
If you're trying to avoid foods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), you probably already keep out a sharp eye for foods made from corn, canola and soy, all of which have had bacteria or genes inserted into their DNA to either produce or resist toxic pesticides. A lot of GMO foods are obvious—corn chips, corn tortillas, soy sauce and canola oil, for instance, are pretty likely to fall into the 80 percent of processed foods that contain GMOs.
But thanks to the wonders of modern-day food processing, ingredients derived from those same GMO crops are turning up in some really strange places that you wouldn't immediately associate with corn, canola or soy. Additives—think "natural flavors" or "maltodextrin" — are never labeled as being derived from corn or soy, and some of the most wholesome-sounding foods, like bread, are now filled with those very same GMO ingredients.
We dug up these nine sneaky foods with GMOs during a recent stroll through an average grocery store:
Fruit juice
Don't let the "fruit" in "fruit juice" lull you into thinking these sugary beverages are any better for you than sodas. Many sugary fruit drinks are loaded with sugar, whether from genetically engineered sugar beets or high-fructose (genetically modified) corn syrup. Then, companies try to replace the fiber you'd get from eating a whole fruit by adding maltodextrins, fiber-like carbohydrates that are derived from corn. Top that off with artificial flavors that, according to the Non-GMO Project, are at "high risk" of being contaminated with GMO ingredients.
Better bet: Eat whole fruits so you can get natural fiber, not stuff created in a lab. Buy organic if you can so you can avoid these 9 most pesticide-contaminated fruits.
Chewing gum
It may feel like overkill to seek out "organic" gum (organic, by definition, prohibits foods from containing GMOs), but your chewing gum likely harbors a wide variety of ingredients derived from genetically engineered corn or soy: maltodextrin, aspartame, natural or artificial flavors, and xylitol, just to name a few.
Better bet: Glee Gum is a GMO-free alternative that contains xylitol (a zero-calorie sweetener) derived from birch and beech trees. Or opt for crunchy fruits and vegetables, such as carrots and apples. Research has found that these can keep plaque and bad-breath-producing bacteria away.
Canned fish
There's a lot more in canned tuna than you might realize! Most major brands packaged "in oil" are, in fact, packed in soybean oil, which is likely made from GMO soy, and even those packed in water may contain "vegetable broth" that contains soy ingredients.
Better bet: Look for brands of canned fish that contain fish—and nothing else. We like Wild Planet and Vital Choice brands.
Bread
High-fructose corn syrup, sugar derived from genetically engineered sugar beets, soy flour, soybean oil, soy lecithin, even "natural flavors"— these are just a smattering of the ingredients derived from genetically engineered (GE) crops that wind up in your average loaf of commercial bread. And don't be fooled by "natural" breads, either. Since the term isn't regulated, those foods contain many of the same GE-derived additives.
Better bet: Opt for organic breads or bake your own, except that…
Your homemade baked goods
Homemade bread isn't totally protected from sneaky GMOs. Baking powder, a leavening agent required to make some types of bread, is a mixture of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), cream of tartar (a by-product of wine-making) or some other acid, such as aluminum or phosphate salts, and cornstarch, which is used to prevent clumping. Cornstarch can be derived from GMO corn. It's also an ingredient in "self-rising" flours.
Better bet: Organic baking powder is available from Frontier Natural Products Co-op, but you can make your own by mixing two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda, leaving the GMO cornstarch out.
Your produce bin
Thankfully, the GMOs that currently exist on the market are mostly limited to processed foods—except in the case of squash, sweet corn and papayas. Six varieties of GMO zucchini and yellow summer squash engineered to resist viruses that can destroy the crops are sold in the United States. Because of this, the nonprofit Non-GMO Project monitors acorn squash, delicata squash and patty pan, which can become contaminated by pollen drift from GMO varieties.
Likewise, papayas grown in Hawaii (at least, 77 percent of them) have been genetically engineered to resist a virus that decimated the crop in 1990. Finally, a Monsanto variety of genetically modified sweet corn was approved in 2012 and is now being sold at national grocery chains, with the exception of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, who responded to consumer pressure and refuse to sell it.
Better bet: Stick with certified-organic squash, corn and papayas, since GMO varieties are never labeled as such.
Dairy alternatives
For people who can't tolerate cow's milk or just want a little variety, the sheer number of certified-organic dairy alternatives made from soy, rice, coconut and almonds is a welcome relief. Just be sure to stick with organic. Some nonorganic brands contain "natural flavors" and thickeners like canola oil, both of which can be derived from GMO crops.
Better bet: Look for certified-organic brands or products bearing the "Non-GMO Project Verified" seal. You can find a complete list of those on nongmoproject.org.
'Healthier' dairy products
Same goes for things like low-fat half-and-half and the growing number of non-dairy creamers on the market. Regular half-and-half is half whole milk and half cream, but to get the same creaminess, low-fat or fat-free half-and-half contains a mixture of skim milk, corn starch and other artificial thickeners derived from soy and canola. Non-dairy creamers are heavy on the soybean oil and corn syrup solids, as well—so don't pollute your morning coffee!
Better bet: Organic Valley offers a low-fat, dairy-free coffee creamer made from organic soy that contains just 1 gram of fat and 15 calories per tablespoon.
Dried fruits and vegetables
And to conclude the list of healthy foods gone bad, always read the ingredients list on packages of dried fruits or vegetables. In order to keep dried fruits shelf-stable, soft and moist, they need to be infused with sugar, and in most cases, that sugar is cheap, genetically modified high-fructose corn syrup. Likewise, dehydrated vegetables, the kind you might see as snacks in your grocer's bulk foods section, are frequently coated with canola oil to prevent sticking.
Better bet: Look for freeze-dried fruits and veggies, preferably those that are organic; freeze-drying retains more nutrients and can be done without processing aids like sugar and oil.
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Wheat -- >>> Is this 'healthy' plant wrecking your health?
Doctors explain exactly how modern wheat could be making you ill.
By Leah Zerbe
http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/is-this-healthy-plant-wrecking-your-health
Is wheat bad for you? You wouldn't think so, given the advice you hear to load up on whole grains. In today's world, whole-wheat spaghetti is heralded as a healthy alternative to white pasta, with organic, sprouted wheat bread the choice for health-conscious sandwiches. But the truth is, modern wheat -- all of it -- could be eating away at your health, according to a growing number of doctors.
In a recent opinion piece in the Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, the editor-in-chief of the publication, Joseph Pizzorno, ND, outlines some of the groundbreaking research on the detrimental health effects of wheat. Much of this research is a credit to an award-winning doctor, pioneering wheat and celiac disease researcher Alessio Fasano, MD, clinical professor of medicine and founder of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research.
The Dark Side of "Healthy" Wheat
Through his work, Dr. Fasano has demonstrated that most -- perhaps all -- people develop increased intestinal permeability when exposed to the gliadin protein of wheat, explains cardiologist William Davis, MD, author of the New York Times best seller Wheat Belly. "This is the first step towards experiencing autoimmune diseases, the 75 conditions unique to humans, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and many others -- many, perhaps all, getting their start with wheat consumption," Dr. Davis says. "Consumption of wheat underlies an astounding amount of autoimmune disease."
Humans have been eating wheat for about 10,000 years. But the situation became much worse in the 1980s when the new high-yield, semi-dwarf strains created by geneticists were introduced into the food supply, says Dr. Davis. (They aren't genetically modified, just intensely crossbred using methods that wouldn't normally occur in nature.) That, Dr. Davis says, is when we saw an increase in calorie intake due to the appetite-stimulating effects of the new forms of gliadin protein in wheat, increased intestinal permeability due to this same gliadin protein, along with increases in autoimmune conditions, increased intestinal toxicity from changed forms of the wheat germ agglutinin protein, and increased allergies due to new proteins changed by these genetics efforts. "This highlights a fundamental problem in agribusiness: A crop can be changed -- dramatically, even using extreme or bizarre techniques -- but questions regarding continued safety for human consumption are never raised," Dr. Davis notes. "These crops are just sold, no questions asked."
6 Processed Foods You Should Always Buy Organic
And wheat is everywhere -- hiding out in the majority of processed foods, including taco seasoning, frozen dinners, salad dressings, roasted nuts, sauces, and even licorice. Today, many Americans consume wheat as the source for 50, 60, or even 70 percent of their calories, an extremely "unnatural and perverse situation," Dr. Davis notes. "I would argue that the incorporation of wheat in virtually all processed foods is no mistake," Dr. Davis says. "I believe that smart food scientists figured this out years ago, understanding that the new gliadin proteins of wheat stimulated appetite. Rather than warn us, they put it in everything. You eat more, they sell more."
More Than a Gluten Thing
Asked if he could bust one wheat myth, Dr. Davis says he wants people to know that even if they are not gluten sensitive or living with celiac disease, consuming wheat is still not a health-conscious move. Why? Even people living free of these conditions are still susceptible to the gliadin-induced effects on intestinal permeability, the increased appetite gliadin sparks, the bowel toxicity from wheat germ agglutinin, and the sky-high blood sugars from the amylopectin A of wheat, among other issues. "It is misleading to view wheat as nothing more than a vehicle for gluten; as you can see, wheat is much more than just gluten.
Hold the Wheat: Some People Really Are Gluten Sensitive, Doctors Say
Eating Wheat: A Modern Experiment
When you look at the time humans spent on Earth and break it into percentages, it's pretty easy to see we're in uncharted waters when it comes to eating wheat. "Wheat was not part of the diet for the first 99.6 percent of the time we have inhabited this earth; in terms of evolutionary time, wheat was added only 0.4 percent of the time ago," Dr. Davis explains. "And it was bad enough when we first added it, as humans developed rampant tooth decay, facial deformities, iron deficiency, and other health problems. The situation was simply magnified with the modern habit of allowing wheat to dominate the diet and the changes introduced into the wheat plant by geneticists who thought they were doing the world some good."
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>>> 6 Processed Foods You Should Always Buy Organic
Don't let unhealthy pesticides be the price of convenience.
BY EMILY MAIN
http://www.rodalenews.com/organic-meals?cm_mmc=MSN-_-The+11+Best+Smoothie+Ingredients-_-Slideshow-_-6+processed+foods+to+buy+organic+RL+
Bread
Insects love grains, especially those stored in dark grain mills. So wheat, rye, and other bread ingredients are commonly sprayed with insecticides to keep the bugs away, particularly a class called organophosphates, which have been linked to IQ problems and ADHD in children. The FDA regularly detected levels of the organophosphate malathion on most of the bread and other flour-based products (flour tortillas, crackers, white bread, and such) it sampled. In addition to harboring fewer pesticides, organic bread is more likely to contain fewer refined ingredients, according to a 2012 analysis by The Organic Center, a nonprofit research institution. The nonprofit's analysis found that nonorganic breads contained more preservatives, thickeners, and other refined flours and additives than organic loaves.
Cereal
It's not just fumigants on wheat-based ingredients that can plague conventional cereals. Nonorganic cereals are almost guaranteed to contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), according to testing by the nonprofit Cornucopia Institute. The ingredients, which are bred to withstand heavy sprayings of pesticides linked to neurological disorders and certain forms of cancer, made up anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of the corn and soy used in the nine cereals tested.
Pasta Sauce
The USDA has detected 35 different pesticide residues on fresh tomatoes, so it might not be a big surprise that the FDA regularly detected pesticides in tomato sauces, as well as in other tomato-based processed foods like ketchup and salsa. The most common, 2-chloroethyl linoleate, is linked to nerve and liver damage.
Snack Foods
Because they're another potential source of wheat, the pretzels and crackers tested were found to contain organophosphate pesticide residues, just like bread. Graham crackers, saltines, and butter crackers were particularly guilty. Potato chips were also likely to contain a liver- and nerve-damaging pesticide called chlorpropham used on safflower and soybeans, the source of the oils in which some chip brands are fried.
Canned Chili
It's always a good idea to avoid canned foods of any kind, organic or otherwise, because the cans are lined with a harmful chemical called bisphenol A, which has been associated with hormonal problems, heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of other chronic diseases. But chili in particular harbors a variety of pesticide residues, according to the FDA's testing. The ingredients, including tomatoes and beans, are sprayed heavily.
Frozen Dinners
For those nights when you need a quick food fix, make sure it's organic. Nonorganic frozen burritos and lasagnas were found to harbor organophosphates and pesticides in the same class as DDT. Another benefit of organic? Organic frozen dinners contain lower levels of sodium than your average Hungry-Man.
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>>> The 11 best smoothie ingredients
http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/the-11-best-smoothie-ingredients#2
Chia seeds
Superfood Status: Perfect for thickening up a smoothie, these tiny energy-promoting seeds thicken and turn into a gel. Chia is a robust source of protein and is rich in trace minerals. The seeds also contain more than three times the concentration of essential fatty acids in most grains.
Winning Combo: "It's a very neutral flavor, so it pairs well with virtually any food," Morris says. "It's one of the most versatile superfoods on the planet—literally, put it in anything."
Try This: Opt for organic chia seeds, since certain pesticides can build up in a plant's seeds.
Goji berries
Superfood Status: A bit bitter on their own, they're a great smoothie ingredient because other flavors can mask the bitterness. One of the world's richest sources of antioxidants, goji berries contain 18 amino acids. Traditional cultures cherish the berry for its immune-boosting and vision-protecting properties. It also helps keep your liver and kidneys healthy.
Winning Combo: Goji berries or powder, coconut water, and lime
Try This: Goji berries also pair well with cacao, Morris says.
Kale
Superfood Status: Don't like cooked kale on the dinner table? Enjoy the green powerhouse raw in a smoothie instead. Dubbed one of the world's healthiest veggies, kale contains isothiocyanate and glucosinolate compounds that help lower your risk of cancer.
Winning Combo: Kale, apple, banana
Try This: Fresh, organic kale from your local farmer's market
Camu-camu
Superfood Status: An antioxidant-rich tropical fruit, camu-camu boasts a vitamin C concentration up to 60 times greater than an orange. It's also rich in potassium, calcium, protein, and other phytochemicals.
"Just a quarter teaspoon gives you over 250 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin C, and you'll never taste its strong tartness," Morris says. "Camu is a 'why not?' functional ingredient."
Winning Combo: Camu and tropical fruits or vanilla
Try This: Try This: Navitas Naturals Organic Camu Powder
Cacao powder
Superfood Status: Great in creamier smoothies, cacao is the raw form of chocolate and is one of the world's richest sources of antioxidants and magnesium, explains Morris. Cacao also contains iron and potassium.
Winning Combo: Cacao, almond butter, banana or added to berry smoothies
Try This: Navitas Naturals organic cacao
Maca
Superfood Status: Boasting a strong, earthy, slightly butterscotch flavor, maca is rich in mood-boosting B vitamins, amino acids, and brain-boosting fatty acids. The root has long been used in traditional medicine to raise libido and combat fatigue, Morris explains.
Winning Combo: Cacao, nuts, creamy ingredients; avoiding using with fruits (pineapple, dates, and bananas are an exception)
Try This: Navitas Naturals Organic Maca Powder
Wheatgrass
Superfood Status: Wheatgrass is loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, antioxidants, and even a bit of beneficial fatty acids. It will help boost your energy and immune function while detoxifying your body. It helps alkalinize your body to balance out high acid culprits like coffee and meat.
Winning Combo: Wheatgrass and spinach, or with fruits like strawberries, pineapple, and banana
Try This: Use wheatgrass powder for convenience or grow your own from organic seeds.
Coconut Oil
Superfood Status: Coconut oil contains lots of lauric acid, a potent immune system protector, and the same compound found in breast milk.
Winning Combo: Coconut oil, bananas, almond milk, strawberries, honey
Try This: Wilderness Family Organic Coconut Oil
Avocados
Superfood Status: Avocados are rich in vitamin E, a nutrient that could help protect your brain from Alzheimer's disease. They even contain plant-based proteins.
Winning Combo: Avocados and cucumbers
Try This: Try pairing with blueberries, banana, and almond milk if cucumbers aren't your thing.
Grass-fed whey
Superfood Status: Whey protein contains the amino acid cysteine that helps convert glutathione in the body. Glutathione is a potent antioxidant that prepares cells for battle against bacterial or viral infections. (Note: Since this comes from a cow, it is not be suitable for vegans.)
Winning Combo: Organic whey, banana, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, cacao
Try This: The Organic Whey Protein Powder
Hemp protein powder
Superfood Status: Hemp contains all of the amino acids to form complete protein, making it a go-to protein source for vegans and vegetarians. Not getting enough protein can make you tired, cranky, and even cause skin rashes and changes in skin color.
Winning Combo: Hemp protein powder, almond milk, peanut butter, banana
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>>> Will Monsanto Destroy Another Crop?
By Rich Duprey
Motley Fool
September 22, 2013
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/09/22/monsanto-destroys-another-crop.aspx
The U.S. wheat industry was nearly brought to its knees after the discovery of a genetically modified strain Monsanto (NYSE: MON ) had tested years ago was inexplicably found growing in an Oregon farmer's field. Because most of the rest of the world rejects GM wheat and the wheat from the Pacific Northwest is mostly targeted for export, the ramifications of the discovery were massive.
Now it's deja vu all over again. A Washington State farmer had his alfalfa crop rejected by a broker after it tested positive for the presence of genetic modification. The implications for this recurrence are just as profound as they were for wheat.
Several countries immediately imposed bans on the import of U.S. wheat and an investigation that's still ongoing was launched to figure out how a strain of genetically modified wheat that Monsanto said it completely destroyed except for the small amount the U.S. government supposedly has under lock and key in its vaults made it into the wild.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, alfalfa, with a value of around $8 billion, is the fourth-most widely grown field crop in the country, surpassed only by corn, wheat, and soybeans. Alfalfa hay, which the Washington farmer was selling, is a valuable export and hit a record high of $1.25 billion last year. Washington is one of the country's largest export alfalfa producers.
Like the runaway wheat strain, the tainted alfalfa was found to contain the genetic presence of the Round-Up Ready trait. That's the powerful and deadly herbicide that kills any plant life its sprayed on unless Monsanto has rejiggered its genetic code to withstand its onslaught. You can spray the herbicide on Round-Up Ready seed all day long, and it will still grow because of its genetic modification.
The only difference between alfalfa incident and the wheat one earlier this year is the U.S. government permits farmers to grow genetically modified alfalfa; it prohibits GM wheat from being grown because of the global opposition to it.
And that highlights one of the biggest risks opponents of GM foods have pointed out: once you start growing a genetically modified crop, you can't protect non-GM fields from being contaminated. One farmer can grow GM alfalfa -- or corn or soybeans -- and another across the road can choose not to, but wind and bees can can cause the fields to be cross-pollinated, and the non-GM farmer is left without recourse.
The episode raises some far-reaching fears. Farmers now are at risk if they practice the time-honored tradition of seed saving, and not just here, but all around the globe. DuPont (NYSE: DD ) just acquired South Africa's largest seed company that owns a large storehouse of maize germplasm, one of the most important crops on the continent where Monsanto already owns 50% of the market. Once they start accepting GM seed, they'll quickly learn they're no longer allowed to save it as the chemical giants own the food chain.
Not only should alfalfa farmers be worried because many countries including China don't allow any imports of GM crops, but alfalfa hay might not be able to be fed to domestic livestock because the introduction of GM contaminants can ruin their sales. And no just of beef, but organic dairy and other animal-based products. Monsanto says all is well as other importers like United Arab Emirates, have no restrictions on genetically modified crops and negotiations are under way with China too.
Once again the livelihood of farmers is being threatened by the pursuit of Monsanto to expand its reach over agriculture. We continue to be assured there's no harm to come from eating GM food,s but we are continuously reminded why such foods need to be labeled at a minimum.
As this looks like it's going to become a recurring nightmare for our nations farmers, let's all take bets on which crop will be next to threaten their futures and put the country's economy at risk, all for Monsanto and the biotech industry's benefit.
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>>> ORGANIC / WHOLE FOOD MULTIVITAMINS
http://bestmultivitamins.net/
Xtend-Life manufactures one of the highest quality multivitamins and vitamin supplements sold online today. Based out of New Zealand, Xtend-Life's comprehensive line of multivitamins and supplements meet both British and US Pharmacopeia standards. What makes Xtend-Life superior to the majority of other multivitamin brands is a four-stage delivery system that ensures whole food nutrients are being properly absorbed by the body. By using enteric coating (the same inert ingredient used by pharmaceutical companies to ensure costly medications are properly absorbed), Xtend-Life's multivitamins are not damaged by stomach acid. Using only the most potent, raw ingredients (see certificates of analysis published on their website), strict quarantining processes (microbiological and heavy metal contamination analysis). There is no better value for the quality of Xtend-Life's products. Unlike many other online vitamin stores that simply distribute multivitamins online - not fully knowing the overall quality and freshness of their products - Xtend-Life manufactures their very own proprietary blend of multivitamins and supplements, and is fully transparent on their website about the manufacturing process used to deliver one the best multivitamins available. Xtend also offers one of the best pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplements online. 90-day Money Back Guarantee.
We can't say enough good things about New Chapter Vitamins. Not just derived from USDA organic whole foods and herbs, New Chapter's best multivitamins and supplements are food. Every ingredient that goes into their products is cultured in organic, non-GMO soy, and even the vitamin coating itself is made from organic, non-GMO corn. Furthermore, New Chapter's "supercritical" extraction process of whole herbs (not just parts of herbs), does not use chemical solvents like many other multivitamin brands do, resulting in temperature stress and chemical solvent residues that diminish the health-giving chemical constituents of plants and herbs. There's not too many vitamin manufactures that can say they grow their own organic certified herbs on a biodynamic estate in Costa Rica! There are several online destinations carrying New Chapter Organic Multivitamins, yet you'll find the most competitive prices and selection, including New Chapter Every Man's and Every Woman's multivitamin at Vitamin Shoppe.
Garden of Life is another vitamin manufacturer leading the way in raw, whole food nutrition. Prized for their LivingMulti and organic VitaminCode lines, Garden of Life vitamins contain living nutrients with bioactive components that your body recognizes and more readily absorbs. And to make it easier on your stomach, Garden of Life uses a trademarked nutrient delivery process called Poten-Zyme. The Living Multi vitamin line includes formulas for men, women and an optimal formula that provides an ORAC value of 11,000, which is equivalent to an average of five servings of fruits and vegetables. This is a truly potent vitamin with a rich blend of antioxidants derived from organically grown fruits and vegetables (including tonic mushrooms, sea vegetables and botanicals), as well as carotenoids for eye health and cofactors like amino acids, pre/probiotics and antioxidants - all necessary for proper absorption. While 100% of the ingredients are not organically certified, the vast majority are.
The Vitamin Code line is a 100% raw food, organic vitamin that can actually be taken on an empty stomach. Offering a balanced blend of enzymes, amino acids and antioxidants, Vitamin Code is the perfect supplementation to a healthy diet. Far too often, multivitamins are loaded with excess vitamins and minerals, posing the risk of toxicity. This is not the case with Garden of Life's Vitamin Code formulas.
Garden of Life is available at numerous retailers, however we have found the most competitive prices at Vitamin Shoppe.
Source of Life Whole Food Multivitamin at the Vitamin Shoppe also provides another great multi-vitamin, Source of Life W/Whole Food. This supplement is manufactured by Nature's Plus. Their products are known to be "The Energy Source" and Vitamin Shoppe knows how to provide a great price on this vitamin. What we love about this dietary supplement is that it is not only a great source for your daily intake of vitamins and minerals, but the customers that we have who have tried it fell compelled to write rave reviews about it. It certainly speaks volumes when consumers consistently give us great feedback about this vitamin. It is available in 90, and 180 count amounts. As always, your best value is the 180 count version (nearly 85% of our customers who buy this supplement purchase this quantity). This product is vegetarian, gluten-free and hypo-allergenic. Recommended daily amount is 3 pills once daily. We notice this vitamin has a high amount of repeat customers due to the great web-only discount given and high overall quality of this multi-vitamin. Many consumers with sensitive stomachs also recommend this product.
Vegetarian Wellness provides of some of the best vitamins and supplements available to vegetarians and vegans. We highly recommend the Advanced Nutritional System, a multi-vitamin produced by Rainbow Light. In general, this is a great multi-vitamin whether you are vegetarian, vegan or not. Vegetarian Wellness offers this product at a great discount. In fact, we have found this online provider to have the best available prices on all three sizes of bottles - 90 count, 180 count, and the best valued 240 count. Vegetarian Wellness even caries this vitamin's Iron Free version. More than providing above and beyond your typical recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals, Advanced Nutritional System is made with top-notch ingredients and is free of unnecessary and ineffective fillers. Packed with a wide spectrum of antioxidant protection, this multi-vitamin has proven helpful with stress management and over all well being. It comes in three sizes, 90 ct, 180 ct, and 240 ct. Loaded with superfoods for vitality, it is no wonder this product is so popular with consumers looking for a healthier life and even the maintenance of your body's best possible source for vitamins and minerals. When you purchase this Rainbow Light product, you are buying a wonderful product that utilizes eco-friendly packaging from a company that is dedicated to providing aid to global initiatives and over-all green living.
Source of Life Ultra Ii-Sustained Release at the Vitamin Shoppe is a well known online vitamin and more store, that over the years, has sustained a great customer service reputation. The Vitamin Shoppe provides a great dietary supplement by the name of Ultra Ii-Sustained Release Tablets by Nature's Plus that we highly recommend. Vitamin Shoppe carries this sustained release multi-vitamin in multiple sizes at a great price! It is available in 90 count and 180 count (best value) bottles. It's also available in soft gels or multivitamin tablet form. This vitamin supplement provides more than just all the essential daily recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals. It is packed with many whole food supplements such as Pacific Kelp, green cabbage, parsley, alfalfa and rice bran (to name a few). The most discerning and health conscious who want more from their vitamin products love the fact that this dietary supplement is sustained/gradual release for continual release into your system and has whole foods for natural energy and well-being. Another great perk of Ultra Ii-Sustained Release multivitamin tablets is that because it is a gradual release supplement, you only need to take one tab daily. This is attractive to consumers who have busy lifestyles and can't remember to take their supplements multiple times daily.
While it stands to reason that all multivitamins can only be good for your health, the truth of the matter is that not all multivitamins are created equal - and in some cases, many multivitamins are simply a waste of your salubrious money. In the case of multivitamins, the adage, "You get what you pay for", has merit, but then again, it doesn't. Cheap costing multivitamins are cheaply made. Yet, the best multivitamins can still be had for a reasonable price. This is where the "power" of the internet comes into play. Online vitamin stores are more willing to offer online-only discounts as a result of increased competition. In other words, they know buyers like yourself have a vast range of purchasing options at the click of a mouse. They also know any customer who is serious about maintaining their health will be likely to return for reorders, especially if we are indeed talking about the best multivitamins.
So, what makes some multivitamins better than others? Good question. Again, cost is not the answer. Just as there are cheaply made, cheap costing multivitamins, there are cheaply made, expensive costing multivitamins. Getting the picture? In other words, before even looking at price as a factor in choosing a high quality multivitamin, you should be reading the labels and checking up on the manufacturing process that goes into each particular multivitamin brand. There is no denying that whole food multivitamins (vitamins derived from food sources as opposed to synthetic, lab manufactured sources), will provide the most long-standing health benefits. Whole food vitamins are like taking all of the healthiest foods, vegetables, fruits and herbs that you can imagine and concentrating them into a single pill. This is exactly why some multi-vitamins are more like horse pills! (Don't worry, the multivitamins listed above are not horse pills!).
The next component you should look for in the best of the best multivitamins is the manufacturing process. If a vitamin brand does not disclose the freshness of their ingredients and how those ingredients are manufactured into their final state, think twice before making a purchase. Again, the best multivitamins only use the freshest of whole food sources (organic one's at that), and are conscious of using nutrient-friendly manufacturing processes like cold processing - meaning there are nor shortcuts, i.e., high temperature processing, used in the manufacturing process that can cause unneeded nutrient loss. It is also important to look for certification analysis that vitamins are free of microbiological and heavy metal contamination. Lastly, it is the manufacturing process that determines how each multivitamin will be release and absorbed by the body, and consequently, whether or not you will feel nauseous after taking the supplement (another factor in choosing our best multivitamin brands listed above).
In terms of the range of ingredients, the best multivitamins will contain the following: Essential and Trace Mineral, Vitamins, Co-Factors like Folic Acid and Choline, Amino Acids (L-Glutamine, L-Cysteine, L-Lysine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, RNA, Q-10 etc.), Enzymes (Amilase, Lipase, Papain), Herbal Extracts (Cox-2 inhibitors), Immune support ingredients and male/female health support ingredients such as saw palmetto for men and wild yam for women.
BestMultiVitamins.net Blog
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Monsanto -- >>> Shock findings in new (2012) GMO study: Rats fed lifetime of GM corn grow horrifying tumors, 70% of females die early
September 19, 2012
by Mike Adams,
Editor of NaturalNews.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/037249_gmo_study_cancer_tumors_organ_damage.html
(NaturalNews) Eating genetically modified corn (GM corn) and consuming trace levels of Monsanto's Roundup chemical fertilizer caused rats to develop horrifying tumors, widespread organ damage, and premature death. That's the conclusion of a shocking new study that looked at the long-term effects of consuming Monsanto's genetically modified corn.
The study has been deemed "the most thorough research ever published into the health effects of GM food crops and the herbicide Roundup on rats." News of the horrifying findings is spreading like wildfire across the internet, with even the mainstream media seemingly in shock over the photos of rats with multiple grotesque tumors... tumors so large the rats even had difficulty breathing in some cases. GMOs may be the new thalidomide.
"Monsanto Roundup weedkiller and GM maize implicated in 'shocking' new cancer study" wrote The Grocery, a popular UK publication. (http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/topics/technology-and-supply-chain/monsant...)
It reported, "Scientists found that rats exposed to even the smallest amounts, developed mammary tumors and severe liver and kidney damage as early as four months in males, and seven months for females."
The Daily Mail reported, "Fresh row over GM foods as French study claims rats fed the controversial crops suffered tumors." (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2205509/Fresh-fears-GM...)
It goes on to say: "The animals on the GM diet suffered mammary tumors, as well as severe liver and kidney damage. The researchers said 50 percent of males and 70 percent of females died prematurely, compared with only 30 percent and 20 percent in the control group."
The study, led by Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen, was the first ever study to examine the long-term (lifetime) effects of eating GMOs. You may find yourself thinking it is absolutely astonishing that no such studies were ever conducted before GM corn was approved for widespread use by the USDA and FDA, but such is the power of corporate lobbying and corporate greed.
The study was published in The Food & Chemical Toxicology Journal and was just presented at a news conference in London.
Findings from the study
Here are some of the shocking findings from the study:
• Up to 50% of males and 70% of females suffered premature death.
• Rats that drank trace amounts of Roundup (at levels legally allowed in the water supply) had a 200% to 300% increase in large tumors.
• Rats fed GM corn and traces of Roundup suffered severe organ damage including liver damage and kidney damage.
• The study fed these rats NK603, the Monsanto variety of GM corn that's grown across North America and widely fed to animals and humans. This is the same corn that's in your corn-based breakfast cereal, corn tortillas and corn snack chips.
The Daily Mail is reporting on some of the reaction to the findings:
France's Jose Bove, vice-chairman of the European Parliament's commission for agriculture and known as a fierce opponent of GM, called for an immediate suspension of all EU cultivation and import authorisations of GM crops. 'This study finally shows we are right and that it is urgent to quickly review all GMO evaluation processes,' he said in a statement. 'National and European food security agencies must carry out new studies financed by public funding to guarantee healthy food for European consumers.' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2205509/Fresh-fears-GM...)
Read the study abstract
The study is entitled, "A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health." Read the abstract here:
http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm
That abstract include this text. Note: "hepatorenal toxicity" means toxic to the liver.
Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded.
Here are some quotes from the researchers:
"This research shows an extraordinary number of tumors developing earlier and more aggressively - particularly in female animals. I am shocked by the extreme negative health impacts." - Dr Michael Antoniou, molecular biologist, King's College London.
"We can expect that the consumption of GM maize and the herbicide Roundup, impacts seriously on human health." - Dr Antoniou.
"This is the first time that a long-term animal feeding trial has examined the impact of feeding GM corn or the herbicide Roundup, or a combination of both and the results are extremely serious. In the male rats, there was liver and kidney disorders, including tumors and even more worryingly, in the female rats, there were mammary tumors at a level which is extremely concerning; up to 80 percent of the female rats had mammary tumors by the end of the trial." - Patrick Holden, Director, Sustainable Food Trust.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037249_gmo_study_cancer_tumors_organ_damage.html#ixzz2edNXRKmV
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>>> Naturally Grown: An alternative label to organic
August 17, 2013
By By MARY ESCH
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20130817&id=16817050
SCHAGHTICOKE, N.Y. (AP) - Justine and Brian Denison say they adhere to all the growing practices required for organic certification, yet if they label their beans and tomatoes "organic" at the farmer's market, they could face federal charges and $20,000 or more in fines.
Because the Denisons chose not to seek organic certification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Denison Farm, which has been under organic management for more than 20 years, is banned from using that term. So they and hundreds of other small direct-marketing farms across the country have adopted an alternative label: Certified Naturally Grown.
Started by a group of organic farmers in New York's mid-Hudson Valley as a backlash against federal takeover of the organic program in 2002, Certified Naturally Grown has expanded over the past decade to include more than 700 farms in 47 states, executive director Alice Varon said.
"Certified Naturally Grown is tailored for direct-market farmers producing food without any synthetic chemicals specifically for their local communities," Varon said. "It's a particular niche of the agricultural world. It's not in direct competition with the national organic program."
Many small farmers previously certified organic by an independent organization have declined to participate in the federal program. They voice a variety of objections: extensive record-keeping requirements; fees that can amount to 6 percent of a small farm's gross sales; and philosophical objections to joining a monolithic government-run program that also certifies huge operations that ship produce across the country.
"We have noticed over time that more and more farmers — often, younger farmers — who appear to be following organic practices don't bother to get certified," said Jack Kittredge, co-owner of a certified organic farm in Barre, Mass., and editor of "The Natural Farmer," journal of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. "My major concern is that sometimes, unless you're certified you're not even aware of some of the problems," such as calling livestock organic even though the animals eat feed containing genetically modified crops.
Atina Diffley, an organic farming consultant and author in Farmington, Minn., said alternative labels create confusion for customers. She said there are only about 13,000 USDA certified organic farms out of 2.2 million farms, and more organic farms are needed to bolster the movement's impact on national farm policy. "When farms have an alternative certification, they're not counted," she said.
Sam Jones, spokesman for USDA's organic certification program, said the agency doesn't comment on guidelines other than its own and doesn't take a position on whether alternative labels cause confusion. But he noted that growers are required by law to get federal certification if they want to sell their product as organic. Jones said USDA has a new program called "Sound and Sensible," aimed at reducing paperwork and other burdensome aspects of certification.
Ryan Voilland, co-owner of the certified organic Red Fire Farm in Granby, Mass., said the certification fees and paperwork aren't a big burden. He grows 100 acres of produce and has gross sales of about $2 million, and pays $2,000 a year for certification, of which $750 is returned in a federal rebate program. The premium price for organic produce far outweighs the fee, he said.
But farmers who opt for labels like Certified Naturally Grown and The Farmer's Pledge, sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, say there's room for all the labels; some farms even boast several alternative labels in addition to USDA organic.
"The Farmer's Pledge is a better program for direct-sales farmers like me, who find the national organic program too burdensome," said Mark Dunau, who farms five acres in the Delaware County town of Hancock.
About 130 farmers in New York and Connecticut have signed The Farmers Pledge, a commitment to a broad set of farming principles that address labor issues, organic production practices, community values and marketing.
Farmers who participate in Certified Naturally Grown rely on peer inspection by other farmers to ensure they follow organic practices, such as avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and using cover crops and rotation for healthy soil. While critics say peer review rather than USDA-certified inspectors could lead to cutting corners, Varon said that's unlikely.
"It's a different mindset that people bring to Certified Naturally Grown," Varon said. "They believe in farming in harmony with nature as an expression of their values. It's not something they do to get a premium in the marketplace."
Denison agrees. She and her husband operated a conventional farm in Maine before they bought the 164-acre farm in Schaghticoke, 20 miles northeast of Albany, in 2005. They switched to organic farming because they and their two daughters had developed illnesses they believed were caused by exposure to agricultural chemicals.
"We were one sick family," Denison said. "We were close to 50 when we bought this farm, but we were ready to change course and make a commitment to Certified Naturally Grown."
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Whole food vitamins -
http://www.livestrong.com/article/378188-the-best-rated-whole-food-vitamins/?utm_source=dontgo2&utm_medium=a3
>>> New Chapter
Natural News gives New Chapter its Editor's Choice Award for whole food vitamins for men and women. New Chapter's "Every Man II" line of multivitamins contains organic superfoods and anti-cancer elements such as turmeric, ginger and selenium. The "Every Women" line is geared toward nutritional needs of women. Also a top pick with BestMultivitamins.net, New Chapter contains food ingredients derived from USDA organic whole foods and herbs, cultured in non-genetically modified organism soy with probiotics. The vitamin coating is made from non-GMO corn. New Chapter's extraction process of whole herbs does not use chemical solvents, as many other multivitamin brands do.
Garden of Life
Vitamin Code makes a diverse line of food-created vitamins called Garden of Life. The Garden of Life "Living Multi" products with probiotic microorganisms and enzymes are available in men's, women's and an Optimal Formula, which contain superfood ingredients including more than 80 different fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and organic extracts. Garden Life founder and chairman Jordan Rubin says the company's vitamins include all the cofactors that benefit the body.
Xtend-Life
Xtend-Life Natural Products manufactures high quality supplements that meet both British and U.S. Pharmacopeia standards. Its signature "Total Balance" whole food vitamin supplement consists of 99 nutrients. To ensure that nutrients from the potent raw food ingredients are properly absorbed, Xtend-Life has a four-stage delivery system. The Xtend-Life's vitamin's enteric coating prevents damage by stomach acid. The company stands behind its product and offers a six-month, money-back guarantee.
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>>> Whole Food Supplements Vs. Vitamins: Which is Better?
Nutritionists Say "Natural" is the Way to Go
Gary Picariello
Jan 17, 2007
http://voices.yahoo.com/whole-food-supplements-vs-vitamins-which-better-163427.html
Deep inside -- we all harbor the hope that we are eating right. More often than not, that's easier said than done. The demands of work and family drain our time and our patience. We live fast and eat worse. And try to compensate by taking handfuls of vitamins and other over-the-counter supplements.
But are store-bought vitamins -- which are synthetic -- the right way to go? At the very least, say many nutritionists -- if you're missing the mark on a healthy diet, then whole food supplements are at least a step in the right direction.
Whole food supplements are made from organic, animal and plant tissues. In other words: fruits and vegetables grown in mineral-rich soils, without chemicals, pesticides, preservatives, or additives of any kind. This non-toxic nutrient-rich produce is made into supplements, which are clinically designed to target nutritional deficiencies that affect various parts of our bodies (www.eHealth.com).
Whole food supplements are what their name suggests: Supplements made from concentrated whole foods. Here's an example -- tomatoes are great source of Vitamin C and E. But in order to get enough vitamin C and E you'd probably need to eat 10-12 good-sized tomatoes. That's a little more than what I can handle. But if I take 12 tomatoes and dry them out and pulverize them into powder and compress it all into an easy-to-take capsule, then I'm good to go! Whole food supplements, baby! And I still have room for something else!
Because these supplements are made from natural foods, they contain the entire complex of vitamins and minerals as well as all the micro-nutrients and synergistic factors found in nature. Which -- in case you didn't know - are necessary for the vitamin or mineral to complete its action in the body.
The vitamins found within these supplements are not isolated. They are complex structures that combine a variety of enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, trace elements, activators and many other unknown or undiscovered factors all working together to enable this vitamin complex to do its job in your body.
As I mentioned a few paragraphs ago, the problem with vitamins purchased over-the-counter is that they are man-made and chemically based which -- research has shown -- are difficult if not impossible for the body to absorb and use properly.
Let me sidetrack just a second. I remember when I was younger and a lot more athletic, I came upon the notion that if -- for example -- 500 mgs of Vitamin B was good for me, that 1500 mgs would be even better! Not so, said my body, which was being bombarded with not only more than it needed but in an isolated form as well. A double-whammy that made me sick to my stomach.
Supplement makers cater to this kind of thinking and typically try to stuff as much as possible in a capsule, telling us that the more we take; the better it is for us. This is simply not the case. As you now know, the amount of a nutrient you ingest that isn't the important issue here, it's the quality and the form and how much is bio-available that counts the most. In fact, remembering that ingesting single nutrients can actually create imbalances in the body, logic would dictate the higher the level of a single nutrient that you take in, the quicker this imbalance will occur.
What all of this means: The potency of a supplement has much more to do with synergy than with actual nutrient levels. It is a combined effect of all the parts of the food, rather than the chemical effect of a single part, that is most important.
According to research conducted by Megafoods.com, many nutritionists are now recommending that you move away from isolated vitaminsand minerals. So forget about those cheap, low-cost bottles of vitamin C, vitamin E or those B vitamins you might find at the wholesale clubs, pharmacies or grocery stores. These are typically not going to do you very much good, because your body doesn't need just vitamin C; your body needs a whole complement of vitamins from a lot of different sources. For example, if you want vitamin C, go with whole-food concentrates. You'll get plenty of vitamin C in a full-spectrum package that gives you antioxidants, and cancer-fighting compounds all at the same time; and none of that is actually listed on the label.
The site eHealth.com makes a good point when it states that in the world of holistic nutrition, whole foods from nature and grown organically are the way to go. Or, like I mentioned before, the ingredients are dried, ground up, put them into powders, and then encapsulated to shape them into pills or tablets.
So how do you tell whether or not a supplement you're looking at is a good choice? For starters, make sure it has the following characteristics:
The supplement is as close as possible to its natural form.
Care has been taken in all phases of its production, from growing its ingredients, to manufacturing, testing for potency and quality control.
It works! Try to select from companies that have a long track record of providing high quality products that produce good clinical results.
In the long run, whole food supplements are better for you and will allow you to assimilate the healthy nutrients much quicker in your body. A good diet will help as well. And some exercise won't hurt either. Put together, it's a great combination for a longer and more fulfilling life.
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>>> Yogurt Health Benefits -
http://juicing-for-health.com/yogurt-health-benefits.html
Yogurt has so many health benefits,
the only dairy product that is safe to be taken even by those who are lactose intolerant.
What Is Yogurt?
The word yogurt comes from a Turkish word, meaning “thick” and “dense“. It is a dairy product made from bacterial fermentation of cow’s milk, goat’s milk or soya milk. Fermented milk (lactose) produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and its “tang“.
How Is Yogurt Made?
Yogurt is made by introducing specific bacteria strains into milk, which is then fermented under controlled temperatures for a few hours. The bacteria ingest the natural lactose and release lactic acid as a waste product.
The acidity from lactic acid causes the milk proteins to curdle into the texture that yogurt has. This acidity (pH=4.5) prevents the proliferation of potentially pathogenic bacteria.
What Bacteria Does Yogurt Contain?
The bacteria in yogurt contains healthy bacteria like Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Streptococcus Thermophilus and Lactobacillus Acidophilus. The L.Acidophilus may be considered a probiotic that inhabits the intestines and vagina, and protect against unhealthy organisms in the gut.
The Health Benefits Of Yogurt
The friendly bacteria from yogurt helps maintain a healthy gut flora and are particularly beneficial to be taken after the use of antibiotics or other drugs, excess alcohol, stress, a serious illness or exposure to toxic substances.
There are so many health benefits from yogurt that many health-conscious people are making it a daily habit to take yogurt. Even people who are lactose-intolerant can safely enjoy yogurt without any ill-effects. Here are only some of the benefits, brought about because of the good bacteria in yogurt -
¦Helps in the treatment of a variety of gastrointestinal conditions
¦Prevents antibiotic-associated diarrhea
¦Boosts a weak immune system and prevents infections
¦Reduces vaginal yeast infections
¦Provides relief from indigestion that causes wind and flatulence
¦Controls the growth of fungus in cases of candidiasis infections
¦Treats and recolonizes the gastrointestinal tract after a course of antibiotic therapy
¦Binds anti-carcinogenic substances and prevents colon cancer
¦Lowers cholesterol level and thus risk for heart diseases
¦Easily assimilated calcium reduces risk of osteoporosis and dental diseases
¦Beneficial in relieving constipation
¦Clears up symptoms of IBS, colitis and bowel diseases
¦Fights urinary tract and bladder infections
¦Aids the body in the manufacture of the B vitamins
¦Helps to stop anal itching
¦Reduces estrogen hormones in women
¦Reduces inflammatory and hypersensitivity responses
¦Reduces symptoms of lactose-intolerance
¦And the list goes on …
Yogurt And Babies
While yogurt has many good health benefits, DO NOT feed yogurt to infants, especially those under age one. The proteins in yogurt may trigger diarrhea, sleeplessness and colic. It may also cause skin and breathing allergies later in the child’s life.
Learn To Make Your Own Yogurt
There are many advantages if you make your own yogurt at home. For one, there is no added harmful sugar and preservatives. And, it will be much more economical in the long-run.
You can be creative with your home-made yogurt and add in fresh fruits like banana, mango, papaya, etc. It is also delicious and healthy if you mix with it a tablespoon of flaxseed oil.
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Name | Symbol | % Assets |
---|---|---|
Deere & Co | DE | 8.22% |
Zoetis Inc Class A | ZTS | 8.15% |
Bayer AG | BAYN.DE | 6.98% |
Nutrien Ltd | NTR.TO | 6.44% |
Corteva Inc | CTVA | 5.61% |
Archer-Daniels Midland Co | ADM | 5.56% |
Tyson Foods Inc Class A | TSN | 3.90% |
Kubota Corp | 6326.T | 3.64% |
Bunge Global SA | BG | 3.62% |
CNH Industrial NV | CNHI | 3.49% |
Name | Symbol | % Assets |
---|---|---|
Deere & Co | DE | 22.26% |
Archer-Daniels Midland Co | ADM | 7.88% |
Corteva Inc | CTVA | 6.92% |
Nutrien Ltd | NTR.TO | 5.69% |
Lamb Weston Holdings Inc | LW | 3.19% |
CF Industries Holdings Inc | CF | 3.12% |
Bunge Global SA | BG | 3.09% |
Kubota Corp | 6326.T | 3.07% |
CNH Industrial NV | CNHI | 2.48% |
The Mosaic Co | MOS | 2.42% |
Name | Symbol | % Assets |
---|---|---|
Deere & Co | DE | 23.41% |
Corteva Inc | CTVA | 9.83% |
Archer-Daniels Midland Co | ADM | 8.01% |
Nutrien Ltd | NTR.TO | 7.73% |
Lamb Weston Holdings Inc | LW | 5.04% |
Bunge Global SA | BG | 4.96% |
Ingredion Inc | INGR | 4.78% |
CF Industries Holdings Inc | CF | 4.45% |
The Toro Co | TTC | 4.06% |
Darling Ingredients Inc | DAR | 3.57% |
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