Asparagus and Spinach Pizza

I am stuck in a food rut. I am hoping that the burgeoning vegetable season will inspire me to cook new foods.

Case in point, pizza. I make homemade pizza probably two to three times a month. I have fallen into a comforting routine of meaty spaghetti sauce, spinach, pepperoni (more on that later) and chevre style cheese with parmesan. The kids like it and usually eat it.

But last week I couldn’t. I was so sick of it. The kids were hungry. I knew a new concoction could backfire. But the air was balmy and blowing into my galley kitchen from the eastern side. And I said screw it. Enter pizza with olive oil, spinach, onions, asparagus, olives, chevre style cheese and parmesan cheese. Not that it is a massive difference from the original, but no sauce or meat made this pie feel very very light. Yet it was totally satisfying.

All I did was to start with my homemade whole wheat pizza crust, and add olive oil. I brushed it around so that the coating was even and went right to the end, not just where the toppings were. I then piled up the veggies, spinach first so that it cooked down followed by finely chopped asparagus, thinly sliced onions, olives and then finally the cheeses and some fresh black pepper. Everyone ate everything. I didn’t even tell Thing 1 that he had eaten asparagus. Who cares. He ate it!

If you are stuck in a rut, change it up

What's in your vaccine?

One of the key points to understanding why vaccines can be so dangerous is knowing what is actually in them. I've heard from parent after parent that vaccines are "Mercury Free," "Chemical Free," and that they "Just contain some dead viruses." ALL of these statements are 100% FALSE, FALSE & FALSE!!!  It never ceases to amaze me what people believe simply because their doctor said it. And doctors will say anything!

Now, I could sit here and type up the entire list of vaccines and their complete ingredients - BUT why do that when the CDC has been so wonderful in providing all of that information in PFD files for us!

• Vaccine ingredients sorted by ingredient [8.95MB / 7 pages]
  U.S. Vaccine excipients (inactive substance used as a carrier for the active ingredients of a medication) and media summary, part 1 from the "Pink Book"
• Vaccine ingredients sorted by vaccine [81KB / 3 pages]
  U.S. Vaccine excipients (inactive substance used as a carrier for the active ingredients of a medication) and media summary, part 2 from the "Pink Book"

I suggest you save them to your computer so you have them on hand all the time while you are doing your research!

Healthcare and The Environment

Over my many years working in healthcare facilities I have developed a green and clean system to help in the elimination of devastating bacteria that can lead to MRSA and other difficult infections.


It seems as the facilities make a major contribution to this problem and they must be addressed.

How Healthcare Impacts the EnvironmentHospitals make significant contributions to their communities by providing a wide variety of services.  They are also major employers, with healthcare comprising approximately 16% of the national and regional economy. Hospitals operate all day everyday, making their environmental footprint large in many communities.
Hospitals impact the environment by:

• Generating approximately 7,000 tons per day of waste, including infectious waste, hazardous waste, and solid waste.

• Using mercury in medical devices, equipment, light bulbs, etc.

• Using materials that may have toxic effects:  PVC, DEHP, cleaning materials, heavy metals in electronics, pesticides, batteries.

• Consuming large amounts of energy in buildings and car fleets, and generating significant greenhouse gas emissions.

• Consuming large amounts of water for domestic use and heating/cooling as well as landscaping.

Read more

Free Plants that Bite Back

People love to get free plants, and who would blame them?  Mother Nature does her fair of gifting us with free plants … you would not believe how many maple seedlings I pull up every year!  Some of these “gifts” are easily recognizable and dealt with in swift fashion.  But sometimes you get something NEW, and the gardener’s heart flutters in anticipation: “Oh look, something has arrived!  I’ll bet it’s something GOOD.”

Well, I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but these days it is usually NOT something good.  Thanks to wildlife, wind, and water (the 3 main agents of dispersal), there are plenty of bad things arriving on a regular basis.  Some of these plants are so aggressive when mature that they will make you regret adopting them. Learn to recognize them early - before they bite the hand that feeds them!

A plant that is appearing now is one that is frequently mistaken for Orange Cosmos, but it’s Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia.  It’s wind-dispersed pollen is a major source of allergies in late summer/early fall, but seedlings are arriving now. Here’s a picture of a seedling in my neighborhood.

Ambrosia artemisiifolia

Microstegium vimineum

How about a soft and delicate looking grass that looks so pretty in the shade? Microstegium vimineum is a deceptively meek looking plant that will be all over your shade garden within a year if you let it go to seed.  Luckily it is easy to remove when it is young, and it is an annual so it won’t grow back if you pull it.  If you have too much already, use a weed whacker to keep it low until frost so that it can’t bloom and make seed.

Ligustrum sinense

Privet is a plant that is so ubiquitous that people think it is a native plant, but it is not.  Ligustrum sinense was imported to the U.S. from China in the 1800’s and now covers much of the “wild” roadsides.  You can find it as tiny new seedlings, young saplings, and even as multi-trunked trees in front yards.  Some people just call it “hedge” because that is what it is often used for.  It’s ability to set large number of seeds allows it to seed into areas and take over, out-competing what would have “naturally” grown there.  It is especially thuggish in wet areas, but it thrives in dry places too.  Learn to identify it:  note the oppositely arranged leaves, small white flowers, and dark blue berries on mature plants.  Remove it as soon as you can.

Chinese privet seedling

Here is a picture of it when it is just a seedling (and very easy to pull out).  Notice the leaves are in pairs and are just a little "wavy" on the margins.

Nandina domestica

Nandina domestica is a popular landscape plant that if often called Heavenly Bamboo.  While this plant can sucker a bit locally, the real nuisance comes from birds eating the berries and spreading the plant to new locations.  I have found it numerous times in the middle of my wooded area, and I’ve seen it on the side of rural roads (please don’t tell me that someone planted it there!).

Nandina flowers

Here is one that frequently is mistaken for a holly, but Mahonia bealei is actually a member of the Barberry family.  Long used by Southerners as a landscape plant (I was horrified to see Home Depot selling it recently), this plant also appears courtesy of the birds.  I pull out several babies a year; it is easy to spot when I am close to the ground pulling out other weeds.  Turn the leaf over and you’ll see that the back side of it is almost completely white.  This is easy to pull out as a seedling.

Mahonia bealei

Back of leaf

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) has the distinction of disturbing more habitat in the Southeastern U.S. than any other alien plant: ¾ of a million acres!  Unlike Kudzu, honeysuckle is not so very noticeable, especially in small amounts.  I’ve been pulling it for years out of my property, and I’m not done yet.  It is no longer in the trees, it’s not anywhere it can flower and make fruit, but it’s covering a lot of ground still in the woods.  Look for the yellow and white flowers, opposite leaves and sometimes the leaves have a bit of “lobing” as shown.

Lonicera japonica

Lobed leaves

Ailanthus altissima

Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) – let’s give this a more realistic name, how about “stinking sumac”?  This sneaky tree pops up in places and tries to convince people that it’s a Sumac (Rhus sp.) or a Walnut (Juglans sp.).  It has started to invade my subdivision, and I have seen it pop up in at least 4 yards now, including mine!  Look for the purplish color on the new leaves, the distinctive notch on the lower part of the leaflets, and the very stinky smell if you rub it or cut it.

Ailanthus altissima Seedling

Distinctive notch on leaflet

Elaeagnus pungens

Elaeagnus pungens is often called “Ugly Agnes” due to its unkempt form.  It throws out long whips that get tangled in other plants, allowing it to climb higher; I’ve seen it grow 20 feet high in a Leyland cypress that was behind it.  This is an evergreen shrub in the Atlanta area and the backs of the leaves are distinctively silver colored.  Fall flowers and thorns are also characteristics of this plant.

Paulownia tomentosa

Princess or Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) is no royalty in my book.  This plant grows fast and tall, quickly shading out its new neighbors.  Seeds are tiny and numerous, spreading by wind and water to adjacent properties.

Pyrus calleryana

 Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’) is more appropriately known as “ornamental pear” because its seedlings are not true to the parent (so they can’t be ‘Bradford’).  Formerly sterile parents are now cross-pollinating with their cousins, creating thousands of viable fruit per tree.  Seedlings are recognized by a noticeable notch on one of the leaves and reddish petioles (stems).  Those that grow into trees are often thorny, which is the true nature of pears.  Vacant lots and roadsides around Atlanta reveal the extent of these errant saplings when they bloom in the spring.

Perilla frutescens

Perilla frutescens is sometimes called Chinese basil, Shiso, or wild red basil.  It makes a lot of seeds and spreads rapidly.  If this appears in your yard, pull it quickly or at least make sure it does not go to seed.


So if some new plant shows up in your yard, take the cautious approach and get it identified sooner rather than later.  In the case of these plants (and a few others), you'll be glad you did.

Does Going Pink Lead to "The Cure"?

Real questions do need to be asked about pink products and real progress in prevention and cure of breast cancer.

Back in March, BCA re-launched the Think Before You Pink® blog to provide information and resources for those interested in shifting the dominant breast cancer narrative. One of our goals was to provide concrete tools that would help people start conversations with their friends, family and communities. As a result, I am excited to announce that we are finishing a “first draft” of our brand-new Think Before You Pink® toolkit. We’ll be offering a sneak peek next week, so stay tuned!

As a lead-in to the initial release of our toolkit, we thought that it would be interesting to revisit our campaign’s best known resource – our critical questions. We created these questions in response to the rise of breast cancer related cause marketing and the lack of transparency about how the generated revenue is spent.

In the years since we’ve started our campaign, we’ve seen a lot of changes: a number of organizations have adapted our questions, mainstream news outlets have reported on the unregulated (and sometimes problematic) use of the pink ribbon, and many companies have even started to disclose more information about their “breast cancer awareness” campaigns.

However, there’s still much work to be done.

The first of our questions is: How much money actually goes toward breast cancer programs and services?

In 2009, the Boston Globe ran an article with the following information:

“Research [has shown] that 79 percent of consumers would likely switch to a brand that supports a cause, all other things being equal. People want to buy from companies that appear to do good deeds. In one test conducted by Cone and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, shampoo aligned with a cause saw a 74 percent sales increase over the same brand without a cause.”

Donations to breast cancer organizations still pale in comparison to profits. Just last year, Reebok marketed an entire line of pink ribbon apparel and accessories, with prices ranging from $50-$100. However, they set a “cap” on the proceeds that they would donate to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade: $750,000. One wonders how much money they made by “linking” themselves to the breast cancer epidemic.

Similarly, Yoplait requires participants in its “Save Lids to Save Lives” campaign to either mail lids to the company or enter a code online to donate a whopping 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Why not donate a significant portion of overall sales instead? Hmm.

It gets worse: a quick Google search yields a number of pink items without any apparent connection to breast cancer organizations at all.

These promotions are successful because people want to help end the breast cancer epidemic. They want action steps – and there are few provided.

With our advocacy and education work, we aim to provide more options.

Selections from 30+ Pink posts from Natural Health News

Pink Cause Marketing  Feb 24, 2011
This is why for more than a decade we have been saying THINK Before You Pink! Women's Health Month is March, and that is not too far away. FDA Warns of Potential of Serious Side Effects with Topical Numbing Agents . ...

Natural Health News: The Trouble With PINK
Aug 14, 2006
General Mills also refuses to allow our health education oriented non-profit organiztion, Creating Health Institute, from participating in the annual pink lid promotion. CHI does a very great amount of public health ...

Natural Health News: The Politics of Breast Cancer
May 12, 2011
What is so wrong with pink ribbon marketing? THINK BEFORE YOU PINK. Why on earth would corporations involved in the treatment and diagnosis of women with breast cancer try to control how the public understands the ...

I Wish My A** Would Speak Up More

My mouth, well she is quite a yakker.
And she causes me to be a snacker.
She just talks, begs and groans, she won't quit,
Until she has thrown quite a fit.
When my mouth wants some junk she just yells,
And this nagging, it sounds alarm bells
"Give me cake, chips and pizza right now!"
She won't quit 'til I'm big as a cow.

Now my tummy is harder to read.
Because sometimes she says what I need.
When I truly need food then she cries,
"Give me meat, milk or veggies, not pies"
But when she's had her fill she falls quiet.
Yet my Mouth is still yearning to try it!
When my tum's full my mouth takes control
It is clear that she's still on a roll.

My back side's the quietest of all.
She speaks in a voice that's so small.
I wish that she'd turn up the sound
And pound my mouth down to the ground.
"Your crying for snacks Mouth is weak
And those calories just make me freak!
All those chips are just making me grow.
Getting bigger, it makes my top blow!"

I wish that my a** would speak up.
Or my mouth would just simply shut up.
Because every time I see a treat,
It always goes straight to my seat.
But if my mouth didn't want junk
Then I could resist and not flunk.
It's so hard to say no when your mouth
Keeps on making your diet go south!

Make Your Effort to Save Water

For many years I served on one community's Health and Environment Commission.  Water Conservation  was one large issue on which we worked.  


I had the first community xeriscaped yard and brought in the rain barrel concept.  We created tiered usage rates, specific watering hours, and had a great array of water saving items available from the water department.  Audits were available from the water department as well.


As this problem continues, here are some tips you might wish to use.  For main stream media I thought this was quite helpful.

Saving water at home

Where to start:

In order of water savings starting with the most bang for the buck, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute:

• Replace water-wasting fixtures with state-of-the-art products, starting with your showerhead.
• Fix a toilet that leaks water from the tank into the bowl, or replace an old toilet with a new "low-flow" model.
• Fix a leaky faucet, replace an inefficient one with a newer model, or add an aerator.
• If you're in the market for a new washing machine, choose one that spins on a vertical axis. (It's probably not cost-effective to replace your conventional machine if it still has a few years left in it.)
• Water your lawn in the morning or evening to reduce water lost to evaporation. Water in pulses of 10-20 minutes with 15 or more minutes in between, allowing the water to soak in properly.
• Redesign your landscape with drought-resistant plants.
  

More about: Saving water at home

For most households, the vast majority of water is used indoors. You can get the biggest water savings in your home by installing efficient fixtures and fixing leaks.
But there are other ways too. Water and electricity are linked; the water-supply sector uses large amounts of energy to transport, treat, and deliver water. On the flip side, vast quantities of water are required to generate power. Use less power and you'll save water, and vice versa.

Food for additional thought: Meat is far more water-intensive to deliver to the table than vegetables. Skip meat once a week at your home, and the water savings upstream is significant.

Steam showers: Save water, ease stress

by Linda Merrill for Networx Steam showers are the modern day equivalent of the steam baths of ancient Rome and the traditional Finnish saunas.


10 things I learned while living without running water

The Green Cheapskate learns the hard way that it's much easier to save resources than he thought.


Water-wise around the house

The U.S. population nearly doubled between 1950 and 2000; however, the demand for water during that period more than tripled. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water every day, enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses. ...


Save money and the planet

Five actions you can take that will help to preserve and protect the planet and your budget.


Raining revolution: Collect rain water, help the planet

Lower your water bills by diverting the water that runs down your roof.


Fives ways to save time and money on your lawn

Already tired of cutting the grass? These green tips can help.


Showerhead with automatic shutoff

When you live in Australia, droughts are very real, and water conservation is a part of life. One Australian recently came up with a household invention to help reduce the amount of water being used in the shower. ...


Clean your car without toxics or water

Cheaper than the car wash and kinder to your water bill, the Eco Touch spray will shine your car without harming the environment.


Dishpan hands go green

A green strategy for hand-washing your dishes.


Dry to the bone

A selection of online tips for conserving water -- something much of the U.S. needs to do right now.


Grey water for flushing

Large-scale projects sometimes install systems to treat and re-use grey water from sinks for flushing toilets. Now, you can do this in your very own home!

SOURCE

Kefir Versus Yogurt

So what is the big deal between kefir and yogurt? Is it just that one is more liquid-y than the other?

I have known about kefir for some time. I have seen it in the grocery store and I have heard about people who drank it. I knew that kefir wasn’t just drinkable yogurt, but I admit, I wasn’t sure why it wasn’t just drinkable yogurt. So what is the difference between kefir, regular yogurt and Greek yogurt?

For the sake of this post I am just sharing some insight about the PLAIN varieties of all three products. It is true, most of the regular yogurt on the marketplace is sold inclusive of fruit, lots of sugar and in many case high-fructose corn syrup or even worse, aspartame. It (she laughs) wouldn’t be fair of me to compare only lightly pasteurized kefir to ultra pasteurized yogurt with HFCS. And I like fairness. So here are some things to keep in mind.

· Kefir and yogurt are both fermented milk products. That is, milk that has been partially ‘eaten’ by bacteria. These bacteria are both specific strains (not just any airborne bacteria will do) and beneficial to your gut.

· Yogurt usually contains one or two strains of bacteria like acidophilus and bulgaricus. These strains are common in Eastern Europe and the Caucuses. Something that our Bulgarian babysitter loves to proudly remind us of…often.

· Kefir contains up to 13 strains of different bacteria. According to kefir.net, those strains can include “Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.”

· Also according to kefir.net, “Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.” This was the information I was looking for on the internet….thank you.

· In case you didn’t read that last one: According to kefir.net, “Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.” That is pretty much the most important point in this post.

· The beneficial bacterium that is found in kefir and yogurt is found in the whey. Greek yogurt is plain yogurt that has been strained of much of its whey. This is why Greek yogurt is higher in protein (and calories) per ounce than its unstrained sister. Most of what remains are the milk solids. Greek yogurt is also lower in probiotic activity because it has had most of the whey removed. I love Greek yogurt because its taste is rich and thick and fatty. It is less tart and very pleasing. But I am not delusional; the greater probiotic choice is plain yogurt and definitely kefir.

The health claims of kefir beyond what I have mentioned above are long long long. It apparently helps everything from ADD to cancer to fighting Candida. And while I am not disputing that here, I remind everyone that kefir, like every other food and drug on the market, will likely work differently in different bodies. The taste is pleasing and the digestive benefits have been proven. And I love how filling it is. Whatever other positive benefits you reap are awesome, but conclusive of all 78 items on this list from the link I posted? I am just not sure. I don’t like posting anything here that I claim to be a wonder drug/ food. However that being said, I definitely have better digestion and by that I mean that my husband is less able to poke fun at me after a Mexican dinner.

I am truly in LOVE with my kefir. Go to http://www.kefirlady.com/ if you are curious. She has lots of great information, instructions and recipes. And she has been a pleasure to deal with!

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays at Real Food Whole Health and Simple Lives Thursday at GNOWFLINS and Sustainable Eats and Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade

CDC Vaccine Schedules - 2011

The CDC recommends that children ages 0-6 receive 29 vaccines, plus an additional yearly influenza vaccine. Current schedules are available on the CDC's website or through your pediatrician. However, these are the PDFs for 2011's schedules.

7-18yrs

0-6yrs

Mercury a Concern as it Remains in Vaccines

You may or may not like, or know of, Tim Bolen.  This aside he is a relentless expositor of important issues in health care today.  And he should be applauded for the most part in his ongoing expose of the fraudulent actions of the over-relied upon quackbuster operation.  You know, Stephen Barrett's propaganda (false flag) fiasco relied on by too many journalists.

To the ire of many Bolen exposes the issues of mercury remaining in vaccines through the eyes and research of now attacked-by-MSM pundits -

The Attack on Mark and David Geier... 

Opinion by Consumer Advocate  Tim Bolen 

Saturday, May 21st,  2011

An attorney friend of mine, Bob Reeves, a mainstay in the mercury in health care wars, called me last April 28th, 2011 and asked me to look into some strange occurrences regarding Mark Geier MD and his son David Geier.  As everyone knows, the Geiers are severe critics of the fact that Thimerosal (mercury - deadly toxic to humans) has NOT, despite false claims and misrepresentations from the vaccine industry, been removed from vaccines.

Bob asked me, as a Crisis Management Consultant, to analyze the situation and give him, and the Geiers, my Opinion and make some Recommendations.  This, below, is the Public Version.  The Private Version is much grittier.

Who are these Geier guys?

In short, they are the nemesis of the world-wide vaccine industry.

(1)  Last January 27th, 28th, 29th, 2011 the Geiers, along with their colleague Lisa Sykes attended, by invitation as anofficial NGO, the United Nations Environment Programme - Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on Mercury (INC2).  There, they officially presented, to the shocked international delegates, convincing evidence that mercury in vaccines, HAS NOT actually been removed, and represents a serious threat to the people of Planet Earth.  The Geiers have since been invited to present again at the next conference in Nairobi, Kenya, in October, 2011.

(2)  The Geiers have been a mainstay in the State legislative actions banning Thimerosal in vaccines across the US, and the world. More than half of the States are involved in Thimerosal ban legislation.  Already, New York, Delaware, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, California, and Washington state have legislated those bans.

(3)  The Geiers, through their non-profit corporation CoMeD recently sued the FDA for, as attorney Bob Reeves say"The failure of the FDA to follow their own regulations and require testing for the safety of vaccines."

(4)  Press Releases - the Geiers, through their organizations, have issued Press Releases documenting mercury in vaccine issues.  There are five of them.  You can read them by clicking on each one:  One, Two, Three, Four, Five.

(5)  Their peer reviewed studies, over a hundred, cover a broad range of Thimerosal caused issues including two extremely shocking revelations:  (a)  Thimerosal in vaccines is 300 times more toxic to the human brain than the bacteria in the vaccines it is designed to destroy, (b)  there is a Thimerosal substitute that is twenty times more destructive to bacteria and it has NO affect on the human brain.  You can find many of these published papers here.

(6)  Mark Geier MD testifies in Vaccine Court on behalf of brain damaged children. Article.

(7)  Both Geiers testified to the IOM on the problems of Thimerosal in vaccines.  Testimony.

(8)  Both Geiers have been active attempting to force the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) to make vaccine adverse reaction data available to the public.  The CDC will NOT let anyone see that data.  Do you wonder why? Link.

(9)   David Geier was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to the Maryland Commission on Autism, and as such, has significantly effected the quality of treatment recommendations offered to Autistic children in the State of Maryland.

(10)   Mark and David Geier, because of their research into the question "Why do boys get Autism at a rate higher than girls," found that Thimerosal interacts with testosterone, increasing it in children, causing "precocious puberty."  They then found that the use of the drug Lupron reduces those effects, and significantly reduces incidents of violence, and acting-out, in Autistic children, sometimes almost removing Autistic behavior.

(11)  The Geiers set up, with every health insurance company in the US, pre-approved protocols, using Labcorptesting, for the use of Lupron, and the payment for that testing and that drug, directly to the lab and pharmacies on a case-by-case basis.

The Geiers, because of their activities, are a MAJOR thorn in the side of the vaccine industry.

Major...

Continue reading 

Sunscreen Safety at Issue

Just as the Northern Hemisphere is getting close to the sunnier summer season these consideration about using sunscreen may be important to consider -

It's that time of year when sunscreen advertisements become ubiquitous on television—cute kids prancing on the beach after their mothers conscientiously apply multiple coats of white lotion in an effort, the companies tell you, to protect against sunburns and skin cancer. Sunscreen has become big business. In 1972, sunscreens and sunblocks raked in $18 million. Last year, a single Banana Boat brand product brought in that amount, and the top 10 sunscreen products on the market netted more than $300 million in sales. Yet, as sales of sunscreen have grown, so has theincidence of melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer. Among white Americans, for example, incidence rates for melanoma have increased from approximately 8.7 per 100,000 people in 1975 to 25.3 per 100,000 in 2007, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Those numbers raise the question, if we're using more and more sunscreen, why haven't those cancer rates gone down?  SOURCE

Selections from our many Sunscreen posts at Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Sunscreen Allergies

May 15, 2011

In 2008 Natural Health News reported on sunscreen as unsafe and ineffective. Earlier than this, along with an expert on the subject, we tackled mis-information being promoted by Dr Oz's "Real Age". Over the years we have continued to ...

Suncreen May be Hiding the Facts

May 19, 2008

Today the BIG NEWS is about Sunscreen. Numerous problems remain even after many years of known issues with the chemical ingredients in these products. Some products listed as safe in the EWG report contain titanium dioxide, ...

Yes, you do need more D

Aug 16, 2010

But cloud cover, sunscreen, skin pigmentation and even northern latitudes can reduce the penetration of ultraviolet-B rays. And with sedentary lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer, many people never get enough sun to provide ...

More Foods for Health

Apr 22, 2010

Pomegranate Enhances sunscreen protection Lowers "bad" cholesterol Fights prostate cancer. Pumpkin Protects joints against polyarthritis Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk Reduces inflammation. Raspberries Inhibit growth of oral, ...

Kefir! Kefir! Kefir!

The lady at the farmer’s market who sells me my milk every week (I now know her name-that is a big step!) has tried in the past to sell me on the Milk Thistle yogurt.

“I have another customer who says it beats the pants off the yogurt at {insert another local farm}, you should maybe try it. It is drinkable, a little looser than {insert another local farm}’s yogurt.”

I regretfully inform my almost-new friend (whaddya want, I am actually pretty shy deep down), that I am not interested in her yogurt because it is drinkable. I explain Thing 1 likes Greek style yogurt, I buy the other yogurt because Thing 2 occasionally eats it and doesn’t like the Greek stuff. Oh, and I cook with {insert another local farm}’s yogurt.

Finally she wears me down, okay I will try it. And it was delicious. But I didn’t buy it again. I just wasn’t ready for change. But maybe, just maybe, my almost-new friend planted a seed…

Late last month, inspired by a recipe I had seen for vanilla water kefir soda during a blog carnival, I decided to hop on over to The Kefir Lady’s website. MB, my kombucha mentor suggested I try kefir, but at the time I wasn’t interested. He told me about the website though and I filed it away. Thinking about probiotic cream soda though was enough to make me commit to shelling out cash for kefir grains. And while I was at it, I might as well try using the milk grains. I ordered one order of milk grains and one order of water grains.

Marilyn contacted me about a week later to say that they would be arriving the following week, which they did. I didn’t mind paying for my grains. Especially because I do not know anyone personally except MB who makes their own kefir. When the grains showed up I was very excited! I bought coconut water right away for the water grains and poured the milk over the milk grains that night.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. The process for the water grains seemed more like the kombucha with which I was comfortable…sugar water solution, let ferment for 3-5 days, strain and allow for a second fermentation in a bottle. But the milk kefir procedure was altogether different. Every day?! They would eat more and more and more milk if I let them? The grains sounded like selfish greedy little beasties to me.

But I gave it a whirl. The first day they produced a thin mild kefir, about 2 cups worth. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, so I put it in the fridge. The next day it was the same, but I could already see that the grains were growing bigger. My milk source is excellent and quite high in fat, and Marilyn said the grains LOVE fat. I was making too much kefir. I had a quart after 2 days and I hadn’t even started drinking any! Not to mention the everyday ritual. I was starting to feel like the chubby guy in those Dunkin Donuts commercials from the 80’s. Only I was getting up every morning bleary eyed saying “it’s time to make the kefir, it’s time to make the kefir.”

Finally I did begin to drink the stuff. At first I took a serving, 8 or so ounces, to work. I had my kefir with my granola. I would have brought milk to have with my granola anyway, so this was an easy substitute for calories already in my diet. I tried it, and you know, I really liked it. The taste was pleasing and mild. The texture was not unlike buttermilk. In fact, the kefir itself looked a lot like the buttermilk I had used to make quark all those months ago… And within a week the texture got a little thicker. Especially when I started adjusting the ratio of milk to grains. My water kefir on the other hand was strange, it tasted like sweet fizzy coconut water, but it smelled like cheese.

I have been drinking kefir for breakfast every day for the last couple weeks. It is way more filling than regular milk, so I have been able to lessen my serving of granola or on some days and entirely omit it on others. And to my kefir I add a teaspoon or two of honey (please don’t tell me that that defeats the purpose!) and I have been drinking it through a straw. Although I had stayed away from kefir for the reason that it was too loose, now its liquidity was exactly the characteristic that I was finding the most pleasing. Drinking kefir was downright…comforting. Wholly unexpected.

Oh, Look What Bloomed!

I’m always pleased when plants don’t die on me.  That shows a certain amount of skill, I think, to be able to keep it alive.  But when a plant blooms, then I take it as a compliment - because not only has the plant survived, it has thrived! 

When I noticed a few weeks ago that my Red Yucca was going to bloom, it reminded me of plants that have delighted me over the years.  Here are a few of my success stories from the past few years.

Hesperaloe parviflora
Photo by S. Honeycutt

The Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) is a plant that I purchased about 4 years ago in an effort to create a tropical look around the swimming pool. I have it in an arrangement with variegated Yucca filamentosa.  It is native to Texas and is considered a “false yucca”.  It bloomed the first year but then took several years “off”.

Decumaria barbara, 2010

I have the “climbing hydrangea” vine all over my yard but until 2010 I had yet to see it bloom.  Decumaria barbara is a deciduous vine in the Hydrangeaceae family.  It had scrambled up the fence next to the pool for several years, in full sun, but would not bloom.  Then I saw a TV show where the featured guest recommended pruning it across the top so that the vine would “think that it had climbed as high as it could go.”  The vine had indeed reached the top of the fence so I pruned a few tips off.  Voila – it bloomed the very next year and is on track to bloom again this year.

Magnolia virginiana, 2009

Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is a real sweetie.  One of our evergreen native magnolias, this tree can grow up to 60 feet in ideal conditions which includes very moist areas.  The silver color on the back of the leaves is a very distinctive characteristic.  The bloom is much smaller than the other magnolias, but the fragrance is just as nice.  I was thrilled when the plant I bought several years earlier bloomed in 2009.

Some years have produced more than one surprise. In 2008, a Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) that was given to me by a friend bloomed for the first time.  It has bloomed each year since then but has yet to set viable fruit.  I don't know if cross-pollination will help it, but I've brought in a few more plants to keep it company.  The other plant to bloom in 2008 was my Copper Iris (Iris fulva).  I had bought it at a plant sale several years earlier but kept it in a pot in the shade until I found a good spot for it.  Well, obviously I found a good spot because it took off the very next year.  Now I get lots of blooms and have divided it several times for friends and plant sales.  The flower is amazing!

Cornus alternifolia, 2008

Iris fulva, 2008

Rhododendron maximum, 2007

It is especially nice to have success with plants that have good memories for me.  In 2004 I went up to Maggie Valley, NC with my mom and my daughter to visit my mom's friends.  Their property was a heavily wooded 6 acre tract, and they allowed me to dig up a few plants.  I got some Rock Cap fern (Polypodium virginianum) and a small Rhododendron maximum.  I was unsure if the Rhododendron would make it so I kept it in a pot for a year while the roots recovered.  My patience paid off, and I was able to plant it in 2005. I was thrilled in the fall of 2006 to see it set buds, and it bloomed in the spring of 2007.

That same year one of my rescued Magnolia macrophylla trees was also mature enough to bloom.  What a great year that was for boosting my gardening confidence!

Magnolia macrophylla, 2007

Hymenocallis caroliniana, 2006

The previous year (2006) had the most spectacular bloom in June.  My spider lily (Hymenocallis caroliniana), a gift from my friend Murrel, bloomed.  I had planted this next to the porch, which was a most fortunate decision.  I am pretty sure that I didn't realize at the time that the area was so moist.  This lily loves moist areas!  When the first bloom popped out, I thought I would pass out from delight.  My husband could not believe it: "That's native?", he said.  Absolutely!  The plant set seeds that year, now I have several more plants.






If I go back one more year to 2005, the only other noteworthy garden item that I recorded (via photos) is that I designed a native mailbox garden.  I wanted to show the neighbors, especially the ones that walk by, that one could create an attractive mailbox arrangement using native plants.  Here you can see red Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'), Heuchera americana 'Dale's Strain', Broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera), Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron), Mouse-eared coreposis (Coreopsis auriculata), some deer-munched Gaura, and Penstemon digitalis 'Husker's Red'. 

Mailbox in 2005

The Gaura didn't make it and it was too dry for the Cardinal flower and Broad beech fern.  Everything else is still there and has increased in size.  I tried adding some asters one year but rabbits chewed them until they gave up. This year I added a few Penstemon smallii, and their purple flowers make a nice addition.

I hope things are blooming for you too.  But if not, just consider this quote by the late J. C. Raulston:

~ If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener. ~

More Benefit from Vitamin D

Vitamin D found to boost functioning in the elderly

Vitamin D (actually, a hormone) appears to play a wide variety of roles in health and disease. Back in 2007 I reported on a study which found that higher levels of vitamin D were associated with better physical functioning in the elderly over time. This may not come as too much of a surprise when we consider the evidence that vitamin D has the ability to preserve muscle, and enhance balance and reaction times. 

The role vitamin D has here may have particular relevance to the elderly. As we age, we can be at increased risk of frailty and falls. It is possible, therefore, that maintaining higher levels of vitamin D might help preserve functioning and prevent falls in later life.

The study I reported on back in 2007 has validity, I think, but we’re limited in what we can learn from it due to it being ‘epidemiological’ in nature. Because of this, all it can tell us is that vitamin D is associated with improved function. We can’t tell if there’s a causal relationship here from this study. Even if there is, perhaps vitamin D does not cause improved function, but the other way round (improved function might lead to enhanced sunlight exposure and higher vitamin D levels).

I was therefore interested to read a recent study in which vitamin D therapy was tested in group of elderly individuals (average age 70). The study participants were divided into four groups:

Group 1 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D into the muscle
Group 2 received a placebo injection into the muscle
Group 3 received 300,000 IU of vitamin D as an oral supplement
Group 4 received an oral placebo

The group underwent a range of assessments at the start of the study and one month later.

Here are the changes seen after a month in each of the four groups:

Group 1. Reduced pain, improved functional mobility, improved quality of life, improved general health, improved mental health, improved social functioning.

Group 2. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.

Group 3. Reduced pain, improved physical functioning.

Group 4. Reduced pain.

Overall, compared to placebo, just one big dose of vitamin D had significant benefits for this population, particularly when given directly into the muscle.

We have some evidence here, that vitamin D can directly enhance functioning in the elderly. It makes me think that many elderly individuals can get quite easily get caught in a cycle of impaired functioning, restricted movement, reduced sunlight exposure and then suboptimal vitamin D leading to impaired functioning and so on and so forth. ‘Institutionalised’ individuals in nursing and care homes may be at particular risk, as may any individuals who are long-stay patients in hospital. 

It’s impossible to know what sort of disease and disability burden is caused by suboptimal levels of vitamin D, though my suspicion is that it’s sizeable. On the plus side, it’s a problem that is easily tested for and treatable. Growing awareness of this issue may see many more individuals getting the management they require in later life to keep them alive and well.

References:

1. Sakall H, et al. The effect of oral and parenteral vitamin D supplementation in the elderly: a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Rheumatol Int. 2011 May 10. [Epub ahead of print]

SOURCE

In Support of Health Forensics

Some years ago I began the arduous task of developing a better way to get to core issues in a client's health status.  I did this mainly because I have a strong commitment to public health.

Over time I honed this approach, always seeking just a little bit better way to accomplish the resulting "picture" of some one's health status.  It also came to be able to show the real core of the problems at hand: nutritional deficiencies related to organ system strength.

With the ever broadening of diagnostic classification, the extensive reliance on pharmaceuticals, and the loss of the art in health care, I  knew I had to find a better way.  With this approach I believe I can help people understand what has become an epidemic of no real method to prevent and improve health.

This process started off with a nutritional profile and an overview based on Five Element Theory.  Over time I added something or removed something to eventually come to the point where I began developing my patent application.

Patent applications are time consuming.  I know because I already have one.  This will be my second, and I hope to have the package ready to submit shortly.


In the mean time there three levels of my program are available.


The basic level is the ASK plan.  This allows you to ask a simple question and after payment you receive what is equal to my 15 minute mini-consult.


The second level available in my system is Health Detective.  This is a service that looks into your current health concerns and there is a $300 fee.  This plays out to about a 5-6 hour access to my expertise.  You receive feedback from the results of the forms I require you to complete and it includes a private phone consultation.  The information amazes most doctors.


The most in depth level in the system is Health Forensics.  There is an hourly fee for this service.  Many practitioners use this service when they are meeting with obstacles in a client's care.  I also have many attorneys using this system for help with difficult case.  This service is focused on complex and complicated health concerns, or it may be used to assist you in developing your own health protection program.  Additionally, our health, spiritual, nutritional, emotional, and specialized counseling services are provided under this designation.

All of these services are unique and highly customized and individualized to your needs. Telephone counseling sessions are available by appointment only (prescheduled and prepayment required).


We do offer retainer plans.

While we do not do insurance billing we do provide statements so you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

There is never any obligation to continue working with us after the first appointment.  All information is considered highly confidential and is provided only and directly to you.

Learn more about Health Forensics

Nonsense in Normal Lab Results 

Broadening Disease Definitions

More on Profit with Less for Care

Many people are finding that, even with health insurance, they cannot afford to pay for medical or dental work - a growing number of individuals are simply putting things off.

In many situations your health can be improved and many problems prevented with education and information 

This might make you want to consider subscribing to Health Forensics 

Health Insurers Making More Money Than Ever While People Postpone Medical Care

SOURCE

Cost keeps many U.S. adults from eye care

Published: May 19, 2011 at 11:09 PM

ATLANTA, May 19 (UPI) -- Cost, or the lack of health insurance, keeps many U.S. adults from getting eye examinations, putting their vision at risk, health officials say.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, says survey data indicate many people with visual impairment report not seeking eye care because of the cost, lack of health insurance, or the perception that they did not need care.

"People ages 40-64 are most likely to cite cost or lack of insurance as a barrier to eye care, while people ages 65 and older -- the age group with highest prevalence of moderate to severe visual impairment -- were most likely to say they did not need eye care," the report says. "Residents of Massachusetts, which has the smallest proportion of uninsured people because of mandated health insurance were least likely to cite cost or lack of health insurance as a barrier to eye care."

CDC health officials say it is important to have people age 40 and older with risk of any age-related eye disease -- or chronic disease that affects the eyes, such as diabetes -- get regular comprehensive eye exams. Many serious eye diseases can be detected before symptoms appear and treated to reduce visual impairment, the report says.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2011/05/19/Cost-keeps-many-US-adults-from-eye-care/UPI-15641305860976/print/#ixzz1MuhAkCIG