Why buy organic food?

Why Buy Organic?

     Organic products are produced without the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, growth hormones or routine antibiotics. Organic farming relies on crop rotation, improving soils by adding animal and plant manures, hand weeding, and organic pest control. Organic food is grown slowly, as nature intended, resulting in more vitamins and minerals and more flavour.

     Although the quantity of pesticides absorbed from eating non-organic food is very small, they do accumulate over time. Pesticides absorbed from food are linked to many health problems including cancer, birth defects, genetic mutation, asthma, and nerve damage.

     Organic farming also keeps animals healthy as the use of drugs is restricted. Salmonella, cryptosporidium, E.coli, and listeria are rare in organic foods.

Why does organic cost more?

     Growing the food is more labour-intensive. And even though organic food is a growing industry, it doesn't have the economies of scale or government subsidies available to conventional growers.

Are organic products more likely to be contaminated by E-coli?

     No, there is no evidence to indicate this. All food - whether conventional or organic - is susceptible to E-coli. Don't forget to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables and also your meats.

Must-buy organic foods (“The Dirty Dozen” http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737389 ):

Fruit:

• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

Vegetables:

• Capsicum
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Spinach

The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization have developed the “list of fruits and vegetables, above, that they say you should always buy organic, if possible. They are well worth the money.

Other organic foods worth considering:

• Milk
• Beef
• Poultry

     Reduce the risk of exposure to the agent believed to cause mad cow disease and minimize exposure to other potential toxins in non-organic feed. These foods contain no hormones, and antibiotics - which have been linked to increased antibacterial resistance in humans - have not been added to the food.

No need to go organic with these foods:

Fruit:

• Bananas
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Papaya
• Pineapples

Vegetables:

• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Onions
• Peas

These products generally do not contain pesticide residue.

Seafood:

Wild or farmed fish can be labeled organic, despite the presence of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. No USDA organic certification standards for seafood - producers are allowed to make their own organic claims.

Cosmetics:

     Having “organic” or “natural” in its name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safer. Only 11 percent of ingredients found in personal-care products, organic or not, have ever been screened for safety.

How to save money buying organic food:

1. Comparison shop in local grocery stores.
2. Take advantage of local farmers' markets.
3. Combine organic/ conventional (Dirty dozen)
4. Bigger amount order by mail: Products such as organic beef can be shipped nationally.

How to protect yourself from “non-organic” pesticides:

• Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season. When long storage and long-distance shipping are not required, fewer pesticides are used.
• Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.
• Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.
• Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.
• Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush. Experts say that this removes nearly all insects and dirt, as well as bacteria and some pesticide residues.
• Special soaps or washes are not needed and could be harmful to you, depending on their ingredients. Read the label! Cold water is perfectly fine.

Meats/poultry/fish tip:

• Trim the fat from meat, and fat and skin from poultry and fish. Residues of some pesticides concentrate in animal fat.

http://www.buyorganic.com.au/

Antiperspirants/ deodorants

We rarely stop to ask questions about everyday items, like the deodorant we put on this morning. But we should!

What is the difference between deodorant and anti-perspirant?

     Most deodorants are really chemical cocktails for your armpits, specially after you have just shaved them..

     Labels on the deodorants warn us not to apply them to broken skin! The microscopic cuts we get from shaving make the journey of the chemical into the nearby soft tissue easier.

     Anti-perspirant is a double trouble. The chemicals in those help prevent sweating. And sweating is one of the ways the body cleanses itself of toxic substances. The toxins in your sweat become trapped there. And worst of all, fatty breast tissue is especially efficient at storing those poisons. Did you know that we're actually supposed to perspire? The sweat glands are designed to help our bodies excrete waste materials that we certainly don't want sealed up inside.

Does deodorant/anti-perspirant cause breast cancer?

      If you do develop breast cancer, there's a 50% chance the tumor will appear in the area closest to your underarm. There is a 6% chance that cancer will appear in the farthest area from the underarm. "Just think of it; you are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer next to where you apply your deodorant." Scientist can't say for sure - yet - that deodorant causes breast cancer. But it makes you wonder, doesn't it? We do know that most deodorants are laced with powerful chemicals that have yet to be thoroughly tested for safety. Combining these chemicals may lead to toxic interactions. And the fact that most breast cancers develop nearest to the underarm is very suspicious and frightening.

So what is the problem?

     Along comes the chemical industry to solve this problem with body odour. They determined that it was the bacteria in the waste materials that the body was excreting that created the odour. So they could kill the bacteria, stop the sweating, stop the waste materials from excreting. The chemical industry chose to stop the sweating and block the excretion of the waste. They did this with chemicals like aluminium and also with fragrances for masking the odour if any bacteria succeeds in spreading. The trouble with this approach is that we need to excrete these wastes. Also, aluminium has been linked with breast cancer and with Alzheimer's disease.

Conclusion:

     Sweating is good for us! So ANTI-PERSPIRANT is NOT healthy, besides it's not safe! We should find a safe way how to avoid the body odour. There are many products on the market offering same services with no harm. Natural ingredients as zinc, baking soda, Vitamin E, thyme extract, chamomile extract, balm mint extract, oat extract, Tea tree oil, lemon oil, cypress oil, evening primrose oil etc are also effective to fight with body odour and they don't stop the necessary sweating. These ingredients not only kill the offending bacteria, they also give us a very pleasant, fresh smelling scent. Zinc is a mineral that is good for the skin and is a good anti-oxidant, Vitamin E nourishes the skin and is also a powerful anti-oxidant, baking soda sweetens or neutralizes odors, thyme kills the bacteria..

Some extra ideas:

     I use baking soda mixed with corn flour (can be corn starch). I mix 1 part of baking soda (100% bicarb soda!, NO baking powder which contains aluminium as an 'anti caking agent') with 4 part of corn flour. Apply with a piece of cotton, easy:)

http://www.greenorganics.com.au/organic-natural-skin-care-products/sweat-body-adour/

What are PARABENS? Are they dangerous?

Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in cosmetic products as shampoos, tooth paste, facial and body creams, sun protective creams etc. They are widely used in baby cosmetic products as well! No cosmetic can ever be truly "natural"no matter what the manufacturer claims, but some ingredients are closer than others. Parabens have long been considered an ideal compromise and until quite recently were considered one of the safest preservative methods available. But an article published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology has cast doubt on the safety of parabens and, especially, their potential role in the development of some types breast cancers. My question is: Are parabens safe? I reviewed some articles bellow:

Parabens are usually found in most baby products Manufacturers use them in their products as a preservative. If you want to check you products to see if there is a paraben in the baby product you are using, check for these commonly used preservatives (namely methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, and butylparaben), which are listed on labels. The have recently been identified as xenoestrogens. An xenoestrogen is a synthetic compounds that mimics the sex hormone estrogen.

These parabens are absorbed very quickly into the babies blood stream. It bypasses the gastrointestinal tract where it might have been broken down so cosmetic products are one of the worst ways to be absorbed by the body.

In the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Toxicology , Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health, Japan, reported that exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben "adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system. “Butylparaben had an adverse effect on the male mouse reproductive system and that it damaged the late steps of spermatogenesis in the testis,” “4A dose-dependent decrease of both round and elongated spermatid counts in stages VII-VIII seminiferous tubules was observed, and the elongated spermatide counts were significantly lower in all of the treated groups. The serum testosterone concentration decreased in a dose-dependent fashion and was significant at 1.00%. These data demonstrated that butylparaben can exert an adverse effect on the male reproductive system at doses that are well below those of the accepted daily intake."

If you have young girls I'm sure you couldn't help but notice this growing trend of sexual development at younger and younger ages. Pediatrician and increasingly reporting the appearance of puberty in girls as young as two. There have even been some reported cases of girls having their periods in kindergarten.

Lotions, soaps and cosmetics may all be contributing factors to these reproductive abnormalities. Women of child bearing age as well as babies should avoid parabens as a precaution.

Paraben and Breast cancer

Scientists have known for some time that parabens can mimic the effect of estrogen when used on lab animals but in early 2004, British researchers from the University of Reading announced that they had found parabens in in the cancerous tumors of human breast cancer patients. Equally concerning is the fact that researchers believe that the form of parabens found in those tumors indicate that the parabens were absorbed topically and not taken orally. But most frightening is the fact that parabens were found in EVERY sample.

It's important to note that this was a very, very small study--only 20 women--and there's absolutely no way to tell what, if any, skin care products are implicated. Although the lead researcher has cautioned that there's no definitive proof that parabens actually cause breast cancers, he has already called for more study.

This research has fueled a popular belief that the parabens in underarm deodorants and other cosmetics can migrate into breast tissue and contribute to the development of tumors.

Sun exposure

Studies indicate that methylparaben applied on the skin may react with UVB leading to increased skin aging and DNA damage.

Conclusion:

Should WE Be Concerned? Manufacturers are. Many of the leaders in the natural products industry have already announced plans to discontinue the use of parabens and more are expected to follow suit.

How do you know if your skin care products contain parabens? All cosmetics are required by law to carry full ingredient lists. If your skin care products don't have ingredients listed, or you can't find the preservative in the list, be suspicious. Be equally suspicious of manufacturers who claim to use only natural essential oils or grapefruit seed extract. In day-to-day usage, they just don't work as promised. Just because something is labelled organic does not mean paraben free. Read the labels!

Solution:

One of the new preservatives being used today is Hydroxymethylglycinate, a derivative of the naturally occurring amino acid Glycine. It's considered extremely safe and seems to be less apt to cause allergic reactions than other preservatives.  If you have worries about parabens (I do:), seek out product lines that use biodegradable, nonhazardous and eco-friendly ingredients.

Soda bicarbonate - miracle remedy!?

What is it?

chemical formula NaHCO3, commonly known as baking soda, has long been used as a cleaning agent, but it also possesses remarkable health benefits. Bicarbonate of soda raises the blood's pH (Our body pH is very important because pH controls the speed of our body's biochemical reactions), creating an alkaline environment that fights infection and disease.

Other names:

Bi-carb soda, baking soda, soda bicarbonate etc. BE AWARE: There are some product eg. "baking powder" who are NOT 100% Soda bicarbonate. Eg. Baking powder contains aluminium based chemical as an 'anti-caking' agent.

Health benefits:

Stomach and digestion:

Drinking a glass of water mixed with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda will neutralise stomach acid and relieve the symptoms associated with acid reflux.

Kidney Stones:

Acidic urine promotes the formation of uric acid kidney stones. Drinking bicarbonate of soda lowers urine acidity, dissolves existing uric acid kidney stones, and prevents the development of new ones.

Cancer:

It is an irresistible chemical, 'cyanide to cancer cells' for it hits the cancer cells with a shock wave of alkalinity, which allows much more oxygen into the cancer cells than they can tolerate. Cancer cells cannot survive in the presence of high levels of oxygen. (tumours are significantly more acidic compared to normal tissues)

Urinary Tract Infections:

bicarbonate of soda's alkalising effect kills the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections. The reduction in acidity will relieve the burning sensation associated with the condition.

Skin:

Bicarbonate of soda will ease many skin ailments, including acne, eczema, poison ivy, insect bites and sunburn. To treat acne, mix some bicarbonate of soda and water into a paste and apply it to the skin for 20 minutes.

Exercise:

During exercise, lactic acid builds up in the muscles and causes fatigue. Sodium of bicarbonate, with its ability to neutralise acid, acts as a buffering agent to preserve muscle performance and prolong endurance.

Is BPA dangerous? You might want to avoid it!

What is it?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical  used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products.

Is BPA dangerous to our health?
A growing body of scientific research has linked the weak estrogenic compound bisphenol-A (BPA) to a variety of health problems, such as infertility, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

What contains BPA?
It is found in items or containers that come into contact with food or drink such as:

Polycarbonate Plastic - drinking vessels, baby bottles and plastic tableware

Synthetic Resins - coatings on the inside of almost all food and beverage cans

How do we identify if items contain BPA?

There are seven classes used to identify plastics used in packaging applications. It is the little number inside the recycle sign (plastic packaging resin identification code).

1. Type 7 is the worst one, it includes polycarbonate (sometimes identified with the letters "PC" near the recycling symbol) and synthetic resins.
2. Type 3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, vinyl) can also contain bisphenol A as antioxidant in plasticisers.
3. Types 1 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE), 2 High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), 4 Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), 5 (polypropylene), and 6 (polystyrene) do not use bisphenol A during polymerization or package forming.

How to avoid release of BPA into our food and drink?
Search for more info, read labels. Avoid plastic, use glass for storage and reheating. Heat, acid (avoid canned tomatoes, tomato-based soups, citrus products, and acidic beverages like cokes), alcohol (avoid canned beverages since acids and alcohols can exacerbate the leaching of BPA), harsh detergents, age, and microwaving can also activate the release of BPA. Filter your drinking water, since BPA was found in it. Bottled water are NOT tested for BPA! Skip the water cooler. Those hard plastic five-gallon jugs that many companies use to provide their employees and customers with “pure” water are usually made of BPA-containing polycarbonate. Opt for tap water instead.

Now it is up to you whether you want to avoid BPA, that might have some potentional health risk.. But whatever you decide, please think before you buy anything, check the back of it and try to choose products with the recycle sign and after you use the content, RECYCLE IT  please! We have only one planet... :)

is FLUORIDE dangerous?

    An ‘Ideal’ Environmental Solution that we or our kids are going to regret! ...

What is FLUORIDE?

     Fluorine is the chemical element with atomic number 9, represented by the symbol F. It is the lightest halogen.   

     Fluoride is generated by aluminum, steel, fertilizer factories, coal burning power plants and in the production of glass and cement. Gaseous fluoride and other process waste byproducts have previously been allowed to be expelled through the factory smokestack. New environmental regulation now require "scrubbers" atop of smokestacks to remove these toxic chemicals from escaping in the air.

Where is it used?

      Despite its well-established role in the prevention of dental caries, fluoride is NOT considered an essential mineral element for mammals, including humans. Small amounts of fluoride provided by contamination may be beneficial for bone strength, but this is an issue only for formulation of specific artificial diets. Several fluorine compounds and elemental fluorine itself are dangerously toxic, whereas an increasing number of useful pharmaceuticals (about 10% of new drugs) are artificially produced fluorinated organic compounds.

      In the past, little attention was paid to the emission of gaseous fluorine compounds in the fertilizer industry. But today fluorine recovery is increasingly necessary because of stringent environmental restrictions which demand drastic reductions in the quantities of volatile and toxic fluorine compounds emitted in the waste gases. These compounds now have to be recovered and converted into harmless by-products for disposal or, more desirably, into marketable products.

Other research:

     These industries would have to pay dearly to dispose of their fluoride if they could not sell it to municipalities for adding to tap water.

     "In other words," says William Hirzy, a Senior EPA scientist, "fluoride that otherwise would be an air and water pollutant is no longer a pollutant as long as it's poured into your reservoir. The solution to pollution is dilution and in this case, the dilution is your drinking water."

      In 1983 Rebecca Hammer, the Deputy Assistant administrator in EPA's Office of Drinking Water, called fluoridation "an ideal environmental solution to a long standing problem."

      Fluoridation is not about "children's teeth". Rather, it is about industry ridding itself of crude hazardous waste products, silicofluorides, for a profit. Silicofluorides are 85 times more toxic than naturally-occurring calcium fluoride.

      Fluoride is more toxic than lead and like lead in minute doses, accumulates in and can be damaging to brain/mind development of children, producing abnormal behavior in animals and reducing IQ in humans, especially in conjunction with deficiencies of key nutrients such as calcium, iodine and vitamins. It can also contribute to many disease processes. Because it is almost as toxic as arsenic, fluoride's ability to play havoc in the human body should surprise no one.

    There is as much, or more, dental decay in fluoridated communities as there is in the non-fluoridated areas; however, the dental costs are higher in fluoridated communities due to dental fluorosis. Drinking fluoridated water may delay decay, but it does not prevent it.

     A small tube of fluoridated toothpaste could kill an infant!

Conclusion:

     Would you eat a band-aid if you cut yourself? So if you agree that toothpaste with Fluoride is good for you, keep using it! But why to get toxic Fluoride into your body otherwise??

Solution:

     Get a water filter eg.: http://www.primalmovement.com.au/jcms/SHOP/nikken-pimag-water-filter.html

Source : http://www.nofluoride.com/phosphate_plant.cfm

http://www.fluoridedebate.com/

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/fluoride/fluorides-3/01-use.htm#1p0

Get rid of harmfull toxins! Cleanse your body!

These amazing bottles have "saved" my life! I have been very depressed lately (about 2-3 years) and had horrible tummy pain for over a year. I did some research on-line and from that day my life started to change radically! Everything was happening for a reason.. I decided to have "colon hydrotherapy" as it looked like I might have a sick colon and from colon all the depression, bloating, constipation, mood swings etc.. Colon hydrotherapy is amazing! Highly addictive:) You feel so much lighter and brighter! Anyway, this lady there told me I have a Candida in my colon, she told me to drink Chlorophyll and Aloe Vera juice (not the one you can get in normal shop, full of sugar), also recommended me to consider eating ORGANIC food. YES organic sounds great! I did search for shops and markets around our area and found one market very close. Went there one Sunday. On the way back, the very last stand was a lady with some health products (now I know it was Isagenix:) and she had a label on it saying CANDIDA. Hmm I stopped and asked. Next thing I remember:) is I am mixing my own Isa-lean shake of Isagenix at home few days later:) I bought 30 days cleansing program. I LOVE IT!! My tummy problems are almost gone!

I started on 67,7 kilos and now I am exactly 62,0. So I lost over 5 kilograms over one month. I am 175cm tall so I don't really need to loose more. I also don't have floppy arms anymore, instead I have nice tonned muscles. I love to share good things! Please feel free to ask me anything!:) I can't be without this product!:) I feel so much better, brighter and lighter! So happy!

PS: On the photo it is really me and I swear I didn't pull my tummy out for the first pic, it was that bloated! I actually tried to push it in so I don't look so disgusting but it was VERY painful:(

Also notice my cellulitis is gone from my legs!

Another ways how to detox your body:

• Colon hydrotherapy: http://www.coloncarecentre.com.au/ 
• Hyperbaric oxygen chamber: http://www.cosmeticbeautydirectory.com.au/featured/hyperbaric-therapy-chamber-made.html
• Ionic detox foot bath:

http://www.ionicdetoxfootbath.com.au/?gclid=COTpk6yi_agCFQvbbgodBECBRw (with this one be very careful!, there is so many places out there, where they have cheap, very similar devices that doesn't work!, they emit electricity as well but instead of cleansing your body, they disolve the sank metal into the water to make it coloured...) - I got caught on it myself...:) But its up to you, it is an alternative how to cleanse your body.

MSG- harmfull or harmless?

What is MSG?
     Japanese cooks have traditionally used Kombu (seaweed), to flavour broth and stew. In 1908 a Japanese scientist, named Kikunae Ikeda, became curious about why his wife used Kombu to season the family's soup. Later  Ikeda isolated the flavour enhancing component of kombu. He identified it as sodium salt of glutamic acid, or monosodium glutamate.  By 1933, monosodium glutamate had become an important, even a predominant, ingredient in flavouring Asian food. But, it wasn't until World War II that the United States became intrigued by this potent flavour enhancing powder.

Where can we find MSG?
     In almost everything. The canned food, the Doritos, the potato chips, salad dressings.. Some products have something called Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate. MSG is hidden under many different names in order to fool those who catch on.

   Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, every restaurant, even the sit down ones use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG is in every chicken dish, salad dressing and gravy. Some blame obesity on MSG. They say MSG is so addictive that people keep coming to places like Mc Donald's because they 'need' it for thei addiction.

Conclusion:

So why is MSG in so may of the foods we eat? Why some write with big letter 'MSG free'? Is it a harmfull chemical or perhaps a harmless "salt"?

Great link: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/healthconcerns/p/MSG.htm