Resources for Radiation Fallout

I received an article this morning from a friend.  This is an excerpt from that article by Ilya Sandra Perlingieri.

In general I think these resources are of value, I don't always agree on her dosing choices, and usually I understand Buckwheat is fine for people with wheat allergy, because buckwheat is not actually wheat. 

When things are exposed to Cesium 137 by soil and plant contamination potassium is important. Cesium 137 is now in milk.

As she notes, we do need to continue to pay attention to what is happening and how the radiation from Fukushima is affecting us.

If you do any Spring planting, use organic seeds you may already have. Start them INDOORS, and keep them indoors. Place them near a window for with sunlight. If you plant them in radioactive soil, they will be contaminated. 

Radiation kills. This is why birth rates are also down significantly in Japan, because subsequent generations of women (after the US bombs were horrifically dropped on innocent civilians in World War 2) have had difficulty conceiving. Over the last 25 years, sperm rates have dropped 50 percent (and not just in Japan). Women also have numerous reproductive illnesses that make conceiving no longer easy. If we ever collectively saw the photographs of these heartbreaking radioactive birth defects, the nuclear industry would immediately cease to exist. The nuclear industry, built on deception, doesn’t want us to see this. This is why Dr. Helen Caldicott and Dr. Rosalie Bertell’s life-long and courageous work on the extreme dangers of radiation is so vital!

Please note these educational suggestions below are not cure-alls for radiation exposure. But it is important to support and protect your immune system, as best as possible. These are sensible precautions. If you are on any kind of pharmaceutical drug(s) or have health issues, please check first with your health care provider. 

DIET: Do not use food produced since about March 14 (the approximate date the radiation traveled to the Pacific West Coast), due to radioactive Strontium-90 [it has a half-life of 29 years] and other radioactive elements. For example, Cesium-137 [with a half life of 30 years] is chemically similar to potassium; and because of this, it can become metabolized in the body through foods, including dairy products. Do not use any fresh-grown or harvested produce, as the soil throughout the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere is now very probably radioactive. This, combined with the aerosol spraying of Chemtrails makes for a very toxic soil to grow anything. Organic whole foods are always a better choice than supplements (whenever possible), because the body absorbs and retains these foods in tissues far better. How can we have a safe food supply with such an abundance of poisons? 

Eat fresh organic apples with the skin on (and the wax rubbed off), or applesauce, bought before March 14. Drink unfiltered, organic apple juice with Bragg’s Aminos  (1 teaspoon per 8 oz for adults) [NOTE: I do not have any ties with this company]. Apple pectin is a known aid (and helped the children at Chernobyl); and it actually binds with various radioactive particles. Remember: “An apple a day…” 

Here’s my article from March 17 with some herbal recipes, one specifically for radiation exposure. It was written with consultation from more than 12 medical practitioners:

http://aircrap.org/chemtrails-radiation-winter-illness/331115 

Do NOT use any dairy products bought after about March 14. Do not eat junk food or anything containing aspartame (a toxic synthetic sweetener). 

Drink lots of steam-distilled water! If you have a reverse-osmosis filtering system, this is also beneficial. This process eliminates bacteria, viruses, pollutants, and many chemicals. Unpurified city water may contain unknown quantities of chlorine, fluoride, or other sources of contaminants. You can add flavoring to this water with 2 Tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar per 1 gallon of steam-distilled water. Vinegar also helps with digestion. 

Elderberry Syrup (in a glass bottle) is a great support for the immune system. Elderberries are a terrific all-around “medicine chest.” Children under 12 could take 1/4 teaspoon daily for the next 2-3 months. Children under 6 could take 1/8 teaspoon daily. It tastes delicious.  

The best oils to use are cold-pressed organic olive and safflower oils. Coconut oil is also good for cooking and can be used topically for the skin, to help with dry skin. Avoid other kinds of oils. 

Avocados and lemons help supply essential fatty acids that the body needs –again provided they are not contaminated! Find out where they were picked and when. Don’t shop on “automatic pilot” now. Do your homework and become an educated and informed citizen. Shoppers are not citizens. 

Lemon-honey-fresh ginger-root tea is good daily drink. Use 2-3 very thin slices of ginger root per cup of boiled, steam-distilled water. (Powdered ginger root also works, but fresh is better.) Add honey and lemon to taste. For children, serve it warm or room temperature. Lemons are also a delicious way to flavor steam-distilled water and help with digestion. 

Organic bee pollen (again check about the harvest date) is anti-microbial and has vitamins B and C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, enzymes, and plant sterols. It helps with stress, fatigue, and is a tremendous support for the immune system.  

Buckwheat flour (for those who are not wheat intolerant) has rutin, and this also helps protect against radiation. 

EAT LOTS OF GARLIC daily! This is long known to protect the immune system. Tumeric is also a good anti-inflammatory and a great spice to use regularly in cooking. 

Medicinal organic mushrooms (picked before March 14, or dried): maitaki (a marvelous adaptogen, and it has been shown to inhibit cancerous growth), shitaki, trumpet, morels, all are excellent. There might be good dried ones available. Make the following: sauté 1 diced red and 1 diced yellow onion in organic, cold-pressed olive oil. Add diced mushrooms and mashed fresh garlic. Cook on low flame for about 10 minutes. Serve with pasta or over mashed potatoes. This helps support your immune system. 

VITAMINS:

Vitamin C daily with bioflavinoids [this helps with C absorption] and rutin: Adults: 2-3 grams daily. DO NOT USE any oranges, lemons, or grapefruit (or other citrus) coming from any US southern state, due to the Corexit dispersant spraying for months (over land, too), since the Gulf of Mexico oil-rig explosion in April 2010. No testing has been done to see about any very real synergistic interactions among this deadly dispersant (that has contaminated the entire Gulf of Mexico region), aerosolized Chemtrails toxins, and radiation. 

Vitamin B-Complex: For adults, 50 mg (max) of each of the major B vitamins (B-1, B-2, B-5 [called the “anti-stress” vitamin], B-6, and B-12) The B-Complex aids in supporting your body’s nerves, skin, eyes, mouth, liver, and hair to maintain their health. This also helps with anxiety; and this may be particular useful now with little information on the extreme gravity of exactly what invisible radioactive hazards we all face. Good sources of natural B include: burdock root (often found fresh), chamomile, raspberry leaves, brussels sprouts, broccoli, parsley, kelp [Atlantic and dried], watercress, dandelion greens, nuts, mushrooms, molasses, eggs, and rye flour. 

Vitamin-A with mixed carotenoids. This helps not just with night blindness but also various other eye problems. This is particularly useful now with the use of EDB [Ethylene dibromide, a highly poisonous chemical], the desiccant in Chemtrails. Vitamin A maintains healing of the skin, mucous membranes, and bone formation. Some carotenoids act as antioxidants (that aid in the prevention of cancer). 

Vitamin D: Due to a 20-percent drop in available sunlight, because of aerosolized blanketing of our poisoned skies, we are now running at a Vitamin D deficiency. 1,000 mg of Vitamin D-3 daily for adults is needed. 

Vitamin E: natural sources (gel caps most often come from Genetically Engineered sources) include: cold-pressed olive oil, seeds, nuts, whole grains, sweet potatoes, dandelion, nettles, and rosehips.  

Coenzyme Q-10. This helps prevent the body from absorbing radioactive materials. This is actually produced by our body’s tissues; and it helps support the immune system to prevent cardiovascular disease. Co-Q10 also has been used for decades by the Japanese for patients with cancer and leukemia (both epidemic since the US dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WW2). It also helps protect the heart. 

 Avoid using cellular phones. This already damages brain function. There are numerous reports on this. DO NOT LET the children use a cell phone! There are more than 4-billion cell phones in use worldwide. This technology was never tested for safety before billions of people became addicted to its use. We now have an epidemic of glioma cancers [a specific type of brain cancer that used to be rare, due to the use of cell phones. It is what killed Senator Kennedy, and two of my own friends.] 

Zinc lozenges [OptiZinc has best absorption. Again, I have not financial ties.]

Kelp [Not from Pacific Ocean or Japan!] , 1,000 mg daily for adults; or a 1/2 teaspoon daily sprinkled on food.  

Fresh Miso in soup [again not from Pacific or Japan] 

Here’s a post from two scientists. They still think it is a fixable scenario. IT IS NOT! However, the photos they have show clearly how dangerous this on-going catastrophe is. These are the best shots I have seen so far. This will go on not for weeks, but YEARS! As I have just written, this is far worse than Chernobyl!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkgW3DwmZms&feature=player_embedded#at=20

SOURCE


Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Your Food and Radiation

Mar 18, 2011

The radiation threat from a nuclear power plant in Fukushima, where fires have already exposed radiation waves as far out as Tokyo, isn't abating, and the U.S. has issued evacuation orders for everyone located within a ...

Natural Health News: Good Resources for Radiation Exposure

Mar 14, 2011

Sea salt and Baking soda baths: 50/50 mix - helpful to re-balance the body after exposure to radiation. Some treatments can be adapted for use in the field. Red Clover and Chaparral Tea helps cleanse the blood, ...

Natural Health News: Ginkgo Found to Protect Against Radiation Damage

Oct 25, 2009

A report published and October, 2009 issue of the International Journal of Low Radiation added evidence to a protective effect for Ginkgo biloba against radiation damage. Ginkgo biloba is a tree species whose leaves have ...

Natural Health News: The Usefulness of Iodine

Mar 13, 2011

Something already exists to help protect you from radiation, and it has been around for a very long time. It is often avoided in allopathic medicine these days because docs think you might want to take too much,...

Natural Health News: Food Irradiation Fallout, 10 years old

Apr 15, 2008

Foods that have been exposed to ionizing radiation have second-rate nutrition and "counterfeit freshness." Irradiated fats tend to become rancid. Even at low doses, some irradiated foods lose 20% of vitamins such as C, ...

Orchids That Might be in Your Yard

People are always surprised to find out that there are native orchids in Georgia.  What may be even more surprising is how many there are and how common they can be in areas that they naturally grow.

Mention the word “orchid” and people envision colorful, showy flowers that come from other countries and which are largely considered house plants, especially in Georgia. Native orchids are much more diminutive and are generally pale colors – mostly white. If you could look at them through a magnifying glass (or hand lens – an inexpensive magnification tool used in the field), you would find them to be every bit as beautiful and intricately fashioned as their exotic family members.

Goodyera pubescens, foliage

One orchid that is found in my area is Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens).  What an unusual name for such a special plant.  Found primarily in the northern part of the state, this evergreen perennial has striking foliage.  Someone once likened it to “stained glass panes”.  It forms small colonies in wooded areas, and I have found that it transplants fairly well.  It sends up a single white bloom stalk in the summer.  Mine are flowering now.  I have it naturally in my yard and I have brought some in from rescues.

Goodyera pubescens, bloom

Tipularia discolor, bloom

An even more common orchid – you may have it in your own yard if you have a woodland area in Georgia – is the Cranefly Orchid (Tipularia discolor).  Found throughout the state except for the coastal areas, this modest plant has only a single leaf.  However it usually forms colonies so you are likely to find a group of them.  This leaf is evergreen through the winter but then withers and disappears in the warm months.  The bloom stalk appears mid-summer and quietly blooms without the leaf.  The first bloom stalks are appearing in my woods now.  The leaf will reappear in a few months: green on top, purple on the back and with a slight ribbed texture.

Aplectrum hyemale

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 574.

A similar looking plant is Puttyroot (Aplectrum hyemale). The leaf is larger, more ribbed, and the blooms are larger.  This plant is also called “Adam and Eve” because the underground structure is composed of two pieces. Like Tipularia, it also blooms without the leaf being present.

Lady Slipper orchids are rather well known examples of native orchids plus they are generally colorful, large, and showy. Pink Lady Slippers (Cypripedium acaule) grow in woodland areas that are rich in pines that are old enough to create a thick layer of pine duff (decomposing fallen pine needles). These beautiful plants bloom in late spring, delighting all who come upon them in the forest. They are extremely difficult to transplant as their root systems are large and depend heavily on beneficial organisms in the soil. The yellow Lady Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) is also found in North Georgia and appears to have less rigid growing requirements.

Pink Lady Slippers (Cypripedium acaule)

The fringed orchids (Platanthera spp.) are a group of small but attractive orchids that are found throughout the state. The one I’ve seen the most is Platanthera ciliaris, the yellow fringed orchid (although I find it to be more “orange”).  It is a remarkably resilient plant, and I’ve seen it growing in a variety of conditions.

Lady’s tresses orchids (Spiranthes spp.) have a distinctive look to them – the flowers spiral up (or is that down?) the bloom stalk, ensuring that people notice them even when they are not very tall.  The color of the bloom is usually white or yellowish-white. Spiranthes cernua, known as “nodding lady's tresses”, is found throughout the state.

Some orchids grow in specialized environments. Corallorhiza, the coralroot orchids, is a genus whose species are mostly leafless; they rely on symbiotic fungi within their roots for nourishment. No need to try cultivating them – the environments are not likely to be reproduced.

On several rescues we have found green adder’s-mouth orchid (Malaxis unifolia); it is found generally throughout the state. It is a modest little plant with just one leaf. This website has great pictures.

These are just a few of the orchids that grow naturally in my area of north Georgia. Keep a look for these and others in your area, and, when you find them, feel free to tell your friends that you have orchids that grow nearby!

And for a really neat one that is not in my area: Greenfly Orchid, also known as Bartram's Tree Orchid, (Epidendrum magnoliae) is found in coastal and south Georgia. As the name implies, it grows on trees. You can see pictures of it at this Florida Native Orchids website.

The following is completely unrelated to this topic, but I saw this while out walking this morning. This butterfly was totally captivated by the blooms on this Mountain Mint (I do believe it is Hoary Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum incanum). I was able to take picture after picture.  For those that want to plant nectar rich flowers, Mountain mints are something to consider!

New Ways to Access Your Health Data

The data miners never take a day off.  And when it comes to getting your health and other personal information it seems they will stop at nothing.

Now some one has dreamed up the new Health FICO score so they know if or when you are follwoing doctors' dictates.

My concern of course is that in this mdel there is nothing to call to the fact that too many health care provider's faile to engage you in informed consent.

But now you can see for yourself what this new spying scheme is about -

 New medical FICO score sparks controversy, questions

Jeremy M. Simon, On Thursday July 28, 2011

Within the next 12 months, whether you like it or not, about 10 million Americans are expected to be scored -- much like a credit score -- on how likely they are to fill a prescription and take all the pills the doctor ordered, on schedule.

FICO , creator of the widely used credit score that predicts whether you'll borrow responsibly, is now rolling out its new Medication Adherence Score.

FICO based its score on a formula that predicts whether you will take your prescription drugs. FICO says that since correct use of medication is important for patients, medical providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies, the Medication Adherence Score will help achieve that goal. They predict it will improve therapy effectiveness and reduce health care costs.

The company says those who score low can be targeted for extra reminders and educational efforts, with the goal of making patients more likely to complete their prescribed regimens.

"It's very important to identify those people who may need that additional education and that additional help," says Dave Shellenberger, senior principal consultant in FICO's health care division.  Read more...

Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Another Privacy Breach and HIPAA

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2011/02/another-privacy-breach-and-hipaa.html

Feb 23, 2011

Here is some current reporting in regard to HIPAA and your privacy. For many years, since this legislation was enacted, we have warned that it does little to protect your medical records or your privacy. ...

Natural Health News: HIPAA: Privacy Still at Risk

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/09/hipaa-privacy-still-at-risk.html

Sep 22, 2010

It is important to note that the HIPAA privacy rule permits public-health workers to use and disclose individually identifiable health data without patients' authorization. This is a major loophole that allows patients' ...

Natural Health News: Doctor offices do not honor privacy

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/03/doctor-offices-do-not-honor-privacy.html

Mar 02, 2010

She was complaining about the lack of privacy at the area doctor groups and how there is no effort to protect patient data and financial information in front of other staff and patients. ...

Natural Health News: Health Privacy: You Have None

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/09/health-privacy-you-have-none.html

Sep 30, 2008

In fact, privacy is the key to progress with Health Information Technology (HIT). The potential benefits of electronic health systems cannot be realized unless Americans have confidence that ironclad privacy protections ...

The Table of Promise Featured on kidHaven and Weekly Greens

I am thrilled to say that my post 'I Thought I Knew How to Wash My Vegetables' was featured on the very cool Connecticut based website kidHaven.com. Definitely check it out. At kidHaven.com you will find all kinds of family friendly activites, community activities and daycare and school information galore for the greater New Haven, CT area and beyond. I am thrilled to be a regular contributer to Kim's amazing site.

Also, via kidHaven, the post was featured in Alicia Sokol's Weekly Greens Summer Favorites ironically right above an article from Mark Bittman. I NEVER thought my writing would be on a list next to his.

Anyhow I am tickled pink with the attention and I suggest that you check out these great sites!!

Friday F*#@ Ups and Triumphs, #2

Welcome to Friday F*#@ Ups and Triumphs at The Table of Promise!

This Non-Processed Food Blog Carnival highlights posts from Practical Real Food bloggers. Not everything I have made has worked out so well, the inedible empanadas that were a waste of both time and delicately flavored pastured pork come to mind. But we either learn something valuable from these experiences or just get a good laugh.

At this blog carnival you are encouraged to link up not only your kitchen successes but also your kitchen failures. True kitchen victories will also be applauded! But tell us what you have learned or what you would do differently next time! Tell us what your kids loved, but don’t forget to share what they ground into the carpet too. Eating real food and experimenting with new ingredients can be both fulfilling and harrowing. Humor and toddler drama are highly encouraged as they make for good reads. Please, when linking up, follow some basic rules:

1- All recipes should include real food ingredients, no processed yuckies. Recipes including premade pie dough, velveeta or spam need not apply.
2- Please provide a back link to this page at the end of your post. Bloggers who include the Blog's name 'The Table of Promise' earn extra special love points.
3- Tell people about this link up! The more people who know about it, the more people will submit which means more readers for you! More people equals more fun!

Every week I will try highlight one or two awesomely inspired or hilarious posts. But…as a working mommy, I promise to be inconsistent at best.

Last week was of course week number one, and I got exactly one link up. But that's okay!! Thank you to hawkeyejlp for submitting a really easy and amazing looking Blue Cheese Potato Salad! Definitely check our her site! And please submit this week. I am really interested in reading all of your amazing blog posts

Enjoy!

Hands on Healing for Pain and So Much More

Reading news early this morning I came upon a couple of article that were of interest because they involved energy healing.

If you'd like a copy of our Reiki brochure please make a donation through our PayPal link in the right column. Please put REIKI in the note section of your donation to us on PayPal.

One was from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal. The article described a difficult situation for a woman, and it did discuss some troubling behavior by this practitioner. However, in general my feeling was that it was generally negative toward healing. The writer actually interviewed no one that could shine some positive light on this type of work.

Here is the article and other information.

Here are my comments to the writer -

The second article that caught a bit of my ire came from Everyday Health.

I just wanted to comment that while you article is good it hardly seems fair as it paints a negative picture of all intuitive healers.

I have the sense to know what is wrong with people by looking at them. I do not however do any type of work similar to what the man did in your article. He was certainly out of bounds and for this he should be prosecuted.

Spinal manipulation is not always chiropractic. Medical providers that specialize in osteopathy can do this and the new hybrid type of naturopaths do this as well. Even some physical therapists licensed massage therapists do this too as you mention.

There are specialized chiropractors that do use a very fast and forceful type of adjusting. I have experienced it and I do not like it. I am however an advocate of chiropractic for many situations.

I hate to counter Dr. Sampson but he is totally incorrect about the lack of scientific studies into healing. However this is the medical closed-mind set and it is also the same of the US government (bias) even though there is an office of alternative health. His attitude is clear when he refers to all of this as *quackery*.

I am a bit surprised that you did not make an effort to talk with Barbara Brennan. You would find a great amount of science behind healing if you had contacted her. There are many other sources, including MDs that write on this subject and do study it. I began studying this area in 1972 and many of my teachers were medical professionals.

I will tell you though that bureaucratic attacks on people by state departments can be extremely egregious and corrupt. I am not surprised at the record in your state.

Patient records ARE the property of the "patient": Destroying them or being advised by an attorney not to give them to a person about whom the record is written is violation of patient rights and regulations covering health related records. Maybe this woman should file a bar complaint against Wu's attorney and seek recovery from him for obstructing justice.

I'm a longtime Reiki Master, teacher, and practitioner.  In general I thought this article too was slanted to the negative.  The other concern I had too when reading it was the fact that it stressed "that standardization is lacking" in the United States.  

Since Reiki is a practice that facilitates energy, it is not "similar to massage", and it is very much based on following the lead of the person receiving the treatment.  In this sense standardization would defeat the purpose of this ancient healing technique.

The article made some good points, but it labelled Reiki as "alternative medicine" which it is not.  

What are your thoughts?

Selections from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Reiki, Healing, Japan, the World

Mar 14, 2011

It was due to this earthquake, named Kanto Daishinsai, that Reiki and Usui Sensei became well- known in Japan. The only reason for us practicing Reiki today was the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives in the past. ...

Natural Health News: Energy Healing Moves Mountains

Aug 26, 2010

I believe in this work to such a degree that I offer Reiki Level One to people by donation rather than charging a high fee as I often see advertised on the web or in a close by city. The thing is that it does work, ...

Natural Health News: herbalYODA Joins Expert Panel

Mar 19, 2009

In addition Gayle is a Reiki master and teacher, deeply involved in the study and use of American indigenous herbalism, and a certified Voice BioAnalysis practitioner. She holds many other professional certifications. ...

Don't let flu hit you full force...

Jan 31, 2008

Mushrooms (reiki, mitake, shiitake) Colostrum – 4 capsules. Vitamin C – 2-4 grams. Vitamin A – 10000-25000 IU with 400 IU vitamin D Zinc – 25 mg with copper 2 mg. Influenzinum is a specific homeopathic preventive for the flu. ...

Reducing Mortality with Vitamin D

It is very important to understand that mainstream medicine in the US is using doses of vitamin D and 25 OH levels that are too low for achieving the health benefits of vitamin D.

Doubling vitamin D levels most cost effective way to reduce global mortality rates, study

Increasing serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the "most cost-effective way to reduce global mortality rates", according to a new study.

The sunshine vitamin: How much is enough?

In a paper assessing the likely impact on mortality rates of doubling serum vitamin D levels from 54 to 110 nmol/l in six regions of the world, Dr William B Grant estimates that this would increase life expectancy by two years across all six regions.

"The predicted reduction in all-cause mortality rates ranges from 7.6 percent for African females to 17.3 percent for European females", claimed Grant, who is a director at the San Franciso-based Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center and the author of several papers on vitamin D.

His latest study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concludes: “Increasing serum 25(OH)D levels is the most cost-effective way to reduce global mortality rates, as the cost of vitamin D is very low and there are few adverse effects from oral intake and/or frequent moderate UVB irradiance with sufficient body surface area exposed.”

Complete article

Selections from Natural Health News (find more than 30 on this topic here)

Natural Health News: More on the Benefits of Vitamin D
Jun 13, 2011
Along with calcium, vitamin D is the nutrient that most people recognize as important for bone health (Holick 2007). But, even today, few people understand the powerful and complex ways that vitamin D acts to promote not ...

Natural Health News: More Benefit from Vitamin D
May 20, 2011
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 ...

Natural Health News: New Vitamin D Test
Jan 28, 2011
Developed by the diagnostic lab technology company Abbott to detect the amount of 25-hydroxy vitamin D, the ARCHITECT 25-OH Vitamin D is a new diagnostic test to measure levels of vitamin D in blood using an automated ...

Natural Health News: Low Levels of Vitamin D Increase Melanoma Risk
Feb 09, 2011
BYDGOSZCZ, Poland—Results from a recent Polish study found a reduction or absence of vitamin D receptor is linked to progression of melanocytic lesions, and its lack affects survival of melanoma patients, ...

CSA Pics: Week 7

This week at the CSA we got a nice manageable share. We got two enormous zucchinis, two enormous cucumbers, I had a choice of several greens and I chose some collard greens, a bag of salad greens, a bunch of beets, a small fennel bulb and a head of lettuce. We were supposed to get a bunch of fennel fronds, but I couldn't manage.

With the zucchinis I am planning on making muffins because it seems like a good idea. And I knew the kids would like them. The zukes have been tough this year, no one wants to eat them except me. I am kind of obsessed with the possibilities of this collard greens recipe, collards and bacon. I actually chose the collard greens specifically for this recipe. Wish me luck. And I still have the fennel bulb from last week, so I might combine them and try and roast them. Other than that, I am just happy that it is not an overwhelming amount. I haven't made a starch with dinner in two weeks.

Water Disinfectant Turns Medical Compounds Toxic

Disinfection By-Products: Medical imaging chemicals transform into toxic compounds in drinking water treated with chlorine

By Kathleen O'Neil
A group of benign iodinated chemicals used for medical tests form highly toxic compounds when they go through drinking water disinfection, according to a new study ( 10.1021/es200983f). The research solves the mystery of the presence of the disinfection by-products in drinking water in areas in which there is no natural source of iodine.

Read complete article

And Just Like That, We Have a Tomato

The conversation went a little something like this...

Me: {Thing 1}, come back to the table and finish you lunch.

Thing 1: Oooh Mommy! One of our tomatoes hatched!

Me: {Thing 1}, I mean it. Get off the radiator and come back and finish your ham.

Thing 1: But there is an itty bitty baby tomato over here. I told you the toothbrush would work.

DH: {THING 1}!!! This is what we have been talking about, you need to listen the first time we ask you something!

Me: Thank you {Thing 1}.

Thing 1: Since we grew that tomato, I am going to eat that tomato. But only because we grew it.

Me: That's great.

Thing 1: I told you the toothbrush would work.

Me (walking up to look at the tomato plant): Oh My God {DH}!! There really is a tomato on this plant! I can't believe it! {Thing 1} wasn't joking! Hahaha!

I did get that spinny twirly toothbrush. It was $7.99 and it seemed foolish not to try it. I don't know if this tomato came from one of the flowers that I just tapped with my fingers or if it was one that got the toothbrush treatment, but either way. We have a bonafide real tomato growing in our house. I now have several shriveled up flowers on both plants, shriveled up flowers that have not dropped off the plant. I feel like that is a good sign that more fruit is coming our way. I spent some time on Saturday pruning the yellowing branches away. And I have noticed quite a few fruit flies that I think came from the compost. The larvae were probably in there when I bought it. I am not sure whether the fruit flies are harmless or not. They haven't spread to other parts of the house and while there are many flies, they seem to like to just sit on the tomato plants. I don't quite know what to make of them. But so far I can find no issues with them.


Now the hard part comes, keeping the Things away from the growing tomato. I don't know how long it will take to grow and possibly one of the Things will touch it or tear it off before it is fully developed. I don't want that to happen. Most of the other flowers are out of reach. But this one is in prime toddler grabbing area. And they are VERY excited. Truth be told, so am I.


I did it!!! My little girls are making babies!!!

For the full tomato growing saga, check out the first post here and the second post here.

The post has been shared with Simple Lives Thursday and Food Renegade's Fight Back Fridays

'Pocahontas' Is a Fairly Decent Movie If You Are a Naturalist, Not a Historian...Or a Feminist

Last Friday I had the pleasure of staying home with my kids. We had nothing special planned, I took Thing 1 to school, made a short run downtown with Thing 2 and managed to still observe our Nanny's beloved 'Pizza Fridays'. You know, a normal weekday.

As a working parent I love being home for these normal days. I don't like the idea of disrupting my kids lives just because I get a day off work. I rather like the idea of coming in and doing exactly what they would expect on a Thursday or a Monday. I often (when needed) stay home when our nanny is sick or when we are snowed in and I don't try to schedule in trips to cool stores or museum visits all the time. Sometimes we do that kind of stuff, but mostly I like to stay around the neighborhood and hang out at the playgrounds and run into the friends that they would have seen anyway. I guess it makes me feel closer to them knowing all the things that are familiar about their day.

Last Friday however it was 103 degrees!!!! Jesus, Mary and Joseph it was the hottest day I can remember not being in air conditioning in all of my adult life. We have AC in our apartment, but I was out running errands, etc. Before around 11 it was still in the nineties and we actually felt okay. But by Noon it had definitely cracked 100 and I said to Thing 2 "We should take the bus to pick up your brother, rather than walk the 10 blocks there and 10 blocks back.' Thing 2 was SO excited. He pratically ran to the bus stop saying 'Dus, dus, dus, dus, dus" the whole way. This kid loves transportation.

The ride there was lovely, 4 minutes long, awesome. Going home was a different matter. We waited for the bus in 103 degree (or more) heat for 25 minutes!! I wish numbers came with capital letters, because I want to be more emphatic than that. TWENTY FIVE MINUTES!!! The kids were freaking (so was I) and by the time I got on the bus we all three of us were red faced, dehydrated and ready for a nap. It is funny how only one of us actually got a nap though.

Since the heat was so harrowing I decided to forgo any trips out of the house in the afternoon and I hatched a plan to watch a movie. Now I know many parents who wouldn't find this such a revolutionary idea. But DH works in the film and TV industry (trust me, it isn't a glamourous job at all, it is more of a 5am to 10pm, dealing with angry teamsters kind of a job) and he would like nothing more than to watch a full length animated feature with his two sons. But after 20 minutes Thing 1 is taking the cushions off the couch and building a trampoline while Thing 2 is screaming nonsensical jibberish at his trains because he cannot hook them up and get them to stay hooked up. While the kids have been successful in watching one 70 minute animated movie (once), it isn't like we just pop in a DVD all the time and let the boob tube babysit them. If my kids would sit still on the couch and drool while watching TV it is likely that I would just keep the idiot box on for like 6 hours in a row. But they don't. They climb the bookshelves and hit each other and scream at us, so we use it for short(ish) intervals only. Though folks I fully admit that they do get more than the 2 recommended hours a day, virtually every day. We just break it up throughout the day.

But given the heat I thought a movie might be in order. Though Thing 1 protested, I selected 'Pochahontas'. I noticed that there was a preview option. I played the 90 second scene amidst many protests. It was some John Smith and Pocahantas scene designed to hook a five year old little girl, and afterwards Thing 1 was begging to watch the movie. And we did. Well, all except for a pivitol scene when the kids got interested in their toys. Thing 1 and I were both very confused about why he returned to London injured as we didn't remember a battle scene. Anyhow, we loved the movie. But the take home for me was different than I had expected.

I had never seen the movie all the way through. I think I was in junior high maybe when Pocahontas came out? I was definitely not young enough to have been motivated to see it in the theatres but that damn Vanessa Williams song still played on all the radio stations. When I was younger the phrase "You can own the earth and still all you own is earth until, you can paint with all the colors of the wind' stirred up images of walking through the woods and being in tune with nature, respecting wilderness, seeing animals. I imagined wild places where humans don't live, as though there was a difference between these preserved places and the streets and suburbs where humanity reigns. Today I hear this phrase and it is clear to me that the Earth all around us, wherever we are, is alive. The dirt is a mix of microscopic animals and bacteria and tiny plants and fungus that all contribute to the life which grows from it, both the plants directly and indirectly the animlas that eat the plants. Even in the completely tamed city and the mostly tamed suburbs, we are so much more a part of the life cycle than we know. Being in tune with nature isn't about cleaning up your campsite and making sure you don't smoke in a forest (though both of those things are good ideas). It is aabout understanding the connection that we all have with the Earth. And I also believe it is about eating plants and animals raised in a natural, ethical way with farming that focuses on zero waste. The health of the land is paramount.

The whole movie just struck me. The White people were painted as such savages, tearing down trees and uprooting the land, not to mention killing first. And while the natives were clearly mroe adapted to the land (for obvious reasons), Disney also made them out to be looking for a battle, so I didn't feel like the story was set up to shame white people while being inaccurate. The dipiction of the conflict seemed fairly accurate. I found it an easy way to start to talk to Thing 1 about race and to introduce the phrase 'white people'. While I have started to talk to him about race, I am admittedly uncomfortable with the color terminology. While in my "enlightened mind" I think he should identify himself as Irish of German or American, really on every form he will ever fill out, Thing 1 is just 'white'. He might as well hear the phrase from me, right?

But what points Pocahontas wins in art style it loses in overall historical accuracy and female objectification. Seriously? Pocahontas is a brick house! She looks like a ridiculously good looking barbie doll and completely and bizarrely mismatched with her more normal looking relatives and friends. Pocahontas's breasts are in fact so large (with cleavage showing out of her one shoulder dress) that I questioned did her look offend the modern day Powhatan Tribe? My guess is yes. And with the terribly short hem to her dress and seams cut up the sides, the effect was much like she was wearing a men's shirt for a dress. She is drawn to be very sexy, but I am uncomfortable by this tiresome image of female sexuality. I beat myself up over weighing 142 pounds yet even our f*#@ing kids movies show us that all the females of value to society are 36-24-36. Our four year olds, both boys and girls, are programmed to think this is what adult women look like. Sorry, most models are freaks of natures. They are beautiful genetic abnormalities that are airbrushed like crazy while the rest of us suck down diet pills and run on treadmills until we pass out to emulate their looks.

And the real story of Pocahontas is completely different. In this article published on the website of the Powhatan tribe, they claim the the story that Pocahontas saved John Smith from being beaten to death by her own people was a complete false hood. In fact she married a different, John Rolfe. And she married him only as a condition of her RELEASE. You see she was being held captive in the Jamestown colony. in 1616 she traveled to London and served as propaganda to support the colony's interests at home. But she became ill on the voyage and died in Gravesend. Her grave was destroyed when the church where she was buried was reconstructed.

So you see, I have some issues with the movie. But I was happy to avoid the heat last week. Maybe next time I will pop on The Secret of NIMH (a personal favorite) or The Wizard of Oz (an ALL TIME personal favorite). I don't think I am going to be pushing Pocahontas as a repeated favorite.

Native Annuals: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I have a few favorite native plants that are annuals in my area.  That means that they sprout from seed, grow, flower, set seed, and then die – all in one year.  I am also aware that there are a few plants that I don’t like that are annuals too.  So I decided to investigate a little further and see what other plants are annuals (in my area, that is – some of these plants may be considered perennial in warmer areas of Georgia).

The USDA Plants Database is a pretty handy tool when it comes to researching this concept.  Using the Advanced Search function, one can specify a list of annual plants that occur in Georgia (or any state, of course). The search generated a list that was 3 pages long!  

I have somewhat arbitrarily grouped these into the Good (the ones I like or which are interesting in general), the Bad (plants which are exceptionally weedy or aggressive), and the Ugly (those largely considered to be weeds and which have no attractive flowers).  These are my groupings alone – you may consider that items in the “ugly” should be in the “bad” or vice versa.  You may not even agree with the ones in the “good”!   I will not bore you with pictures of the ugly ones, but you can use the names provided to look them up and find pictures.

Sabatia angularis

Good:  Sabatia angularis is a soft, pink flower that blooms starting in June.  The flowers last a long time, fading to white before they go.  I find it on the partially shaded roadsides near my neighborhood, mostly in areas that escape the mower (thankfully).   

Salvia coccinea

Salvia coccinea is known as Scarlet Sage.  It has bright red flowers and will grow to be about 3 feet tall by the end of the season, branching out like a shrub as it grows.  Hummingbirds love the flowers, and goldfinches love the seeds.  It is slow to get started here: seedlings don’t usually show up until May (they sprout based on soil temperature). 

 

I discovered Blue curls (Trichostema dichotomum) last year when examining the sunnier roadsides.  

Dwarf St. John’s Wort (Hypericum mutilium) popped up in my yard when we cut down a big holly shrub; the petite flowers are less than a quarter of an inch wide!  

Trichostema dichotomum

Hypericum mutilium

Annual sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is naturally a well branched plant with many flowers (not one single big one, although some have been bred to do that).  Then there is Helianthus porteri, known to many as Stone Mountain Daisy.

Helianthus porteri
Photo by K. McCaustland

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is a streamside annual that many folks know as Touch-Me-Touch – the seed capsules explode when you touch them.  A similar yellow form is Impatiens pallida.

Other interesting annuals include the common purple “weed” known as Venus’s looking-glass (Triodanis perfoliata).  You may have that in your yard.  Lobelia inflata is another one known as Indian tobacco.  Perhaps the most striking annual is known as Devil’s claw, Unicorn plant or Ram’s horn: Proboscidea louisianica.

Developing seedpods of Proboscidea louisianica
Photo by M. Creekmore

Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

Bad: The first bad one that comes to mind is Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia).   This annual is the source of much pain to those sensitive to wind-blown pollen particles.  The greenish flowers are so nondescript that people don’t even realize it has bloomed and set seed.  Another one is Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) which I didn’t even realize was an annual.  I would classify this one just as annoying, especially in moist areas, but the bloom can be cute.  A common weed on the roadsides near me is American black nightshade (Solanum americanum) – not attractive, considered poisonous and downright weedy!

Ugly: Again, this is a matter of perspective! These are native, annual plants that have been basically downgraded to “weeds” in the eyes of the average person.  If you look up some of these, you will no doubt recognize them.  Bidens alba has pretty flowers, but it gets to be a giant plant and then gives off hundreds of seeds.  As with any of these, keep it from going to seed and you’ll do yourself a favor.  Lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album) starts out small and cute and then turns into a monster.  Members of the pigweed genus (Amaranthus spp.) truly live up to their name – what ugly plants; actually pigs are cuter. 

Three-seed mercury (Acalypha virginica)

Three-seed mercury (Acalypha virginica) appears reliably every year.  And luckily, like most of these plants, it pulls out very easily.  I think these pull out easily because annuals don’t have to develop a very strong root system.  Another common weed that gives a bad name to native Geraniums is Carolina Geranium, Geranium carolinianum.  It has a very tiny flower but a huge amount of seeds.  It’s hard to convince people to appreciate the better-behaved Geraniums when they already know about this one!

Another very recognizable one is American burnweed, Erechtites hieraciifolia.  Tender, attractive foliage easily hides among other plants until the plant is about 2 feet tall.  Let it keep growing and it won’t bloom until it is about 5 feet tall!  Canadian horseweed, Conyza canadensis, has a similar habit and a similarly nondescript bloom.

Poorly drained and wet areas have their own special weeds and Canadian clearweed, Pilea pumila, is one of them.  Small, insignificant flowers (they have no petals) occur in the leaf axils and are usually mistaken for seeds – leading some people to believe it doesn’t even bloom.

So there's a quick tour of some annuals.  I hope it will give you some appreciation for the "good" ones and some perspective on the others. The thing about annuals: if you don’t like them, they only live one year.  If you like them, unfortunately they only live one year!  Either way, you can depend on them to set a LOT of seed, so act accordingly.

Coconut Oil Protects Against Environmental Toxins

In the largest study of chemical exposure ever conducted on human beings, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported recently that most American children and adults are carrying in their bodies dozens of pesticides and toxic compounds used in consumer products, many of them linked to potential health threats.

The report documented that children carry bigger doses of many chemicals than adults, including some pyrethroids that are ingredients of virtually every household pesticide and phthalates found in nail polish and other beauty products as well as in soft plastics.

The study looked for 148 toxic compounds in the urine and blood of about 2,400 people over age 5. CDC director Julie Gerberding called the national exposure report, “the largest and most comprehensive report of its kind ever released anywhere by anyone.” Environmental health experts say the discovery of more than 100 chemicals in human bodies is of great concern because we don’t know what effect they can have on the body. Many environmental health experts believe the rise in cancer and other chronic diseases over the past several decades is due, in part, to the accumulation of these chemicals in our bodies.

However, removing pesticides, plastic bottles, make-up, and other items won’t be happening anytime soon. The best solution to the problem is to remove the toxins from our bodies. Certain foods such as cilantro, wheat bran, and coconut have detoxifying effects that can absorb or neutralize environmental chemicals that collect in our bodies. Simply adding these detoxifying foods into the diet can help eliminate many of the toxins we are exposed to each day.

Coconut oil is of particular interest because it has been shown to be highly effective in neutralizing many environmental toxins.

A recent study published in the journal Human and Experimental Toxicology (August 2005) revealed the effectiveness of coconut oil in neutralizing aluminum phosphide, a poison used in rodent control. A case study reported a 28-year-old man ingested a lethal amount of the chemical in an attempt to commit suicide. There is no known antidote for aluminum phosphide poisoning. Doctors had little hope of saving him. He was given the standard treatment for acute poisoning as well as the oral administration of coconut oil. To the surprise of the medical staff, the patient survived. The authors of the study recommend that coconut oil be added to the treatment protocol in acute poisoning cases.

Using coconut oil to help nullify the effects of a poison is not as strange as it may sound. Researchers have known for over a decade about the detoxifying effects of coconut oil. In my new book Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut, I cite several studies where coconut oil has been shown to neutralize a variety of toxins, including the deadly aflatoxin.

Aflatoxin is a very potent poison that comes from a fungus that often infests grains, especially corn. In Asia and Africa, aflatoxin is a serious problem. Corn has been found to be the most aflatoxin-contaminated food eaten in the Philippines. In certain areas of that country, corn consumption is high. A correlation exists between the incidence of liver cancer caused by aflatoxin and the amount of corn consumed. Those people who eat the most corn also have the highest rates of liver cancer. Coconut oil consumption appears to protect the liver from the cancer-causing effect of aflatoxin. The population of Bicol, in the Philippines, has an unusually high intake of aflatoxin-infested corn, yet they have a low incidence of liver cancer. The reason for the low cancer rate is believed to be due to the high coconut consumption in the area.

Using coconut oil in your daily diet can help protect you from a variety of environmental toxins. An easy way to add coconut oil to your diet is to use it in your cooking in place of other fats and oils. If you don’t use much oil in food preparation you can take it by the spoonful like a dietary supplement. A quality brand of coconut oil tastes very good and is even pleasant to eat straight from a spoon. I often put a spoonful of hardened coconut oil in my mouth and let it slowly melt. It’s an easy way to get my daily dose. SOURCE

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