Comments and Observations 1

"You'd never know this from going to a supermarket, but children are supposed to eat the same foods as their parents."

--Dr. Marion Nestle

(Grocery) Store Wars - May the Farm Be With You!

CLASSIC!

 These are dark times, young Cuke!

Seduced by artificially lower prices, people don't even want to know where their food comes from.

A growing resistance called the Organic Rebellion is fighting back!

Help me, Obi-wan Cannoli, you're my only hope!

Chew-Brocolli!

That's no moon, that's a melon! The Death Melon! That giant fruit threatens us all!

Darth Tator.  He's now more chemical than vegetable.

Environmental Toxins - Mount Sinai CEHC (list w/ links)

Environmental Toxins

Today, children are exposed to thousands of substances in the environment, most of which have never been tested for toxicity to children. Lead is perhaps the best-studied of the environmental threats to children, but there may be countless more that have never been studied. There is strong and growing evidence that exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment contributes to many diseases of children, among them asthma, learning disabilities, certain birth defects and childhood cancer.

• More than 80,000 new chemical compounds have been developed since World War II
• Of these, 3,000 are high-volume chemicals, with annual production exceeding one million pounds. These chemicals are used extensively in our homes, schools, communities, and they are widely dispersed in air, water, soil, and waste sites.
• Fewer than 20% of these high volume chemicals have been tested for their possible toxicity to children.
• Over 2.5 billion pounds of toxic chemicals are released to the environment in the US each year.
• Nearly 75% of the top 20 chemicals discharged to the environment are known or suspected to be toxic to the developing human brain. In addition, more than 4 billion pounds of pesticides - many of them neurotoxic - are applied in the US each year in agriculture, on lawns and gardens, and inside homes, schools, day-care centers and hospitals.
• National surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show measurable levels of high-volume synthetic chemicals in the bodies of nearly all Americans, including newborns, infants and in the breast milk of nursing mothers.

References:
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Chemical Hazard Data Availability Study:  What Do We Really Know About the Safety of High Production Volume Chemicals? Washington, DC: Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, 1998.
United States Environmental Protection Agency.  Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Program. Washington, DC, February 21, 2008.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Atlanta (GA): CDC, 2005.

A:

• Abestos
• Acetone
• Air Polluntants
• Ammonia
• Arsenic
• Artificial Turf

B:

• Benzene
• Bisphenol A

C:

• Carbon Dioxide
• Carbon Monoxide
• Chlorine

D:

• Diesel Exhaust
• Dioxins
• Drinking Water Contaminants

E:

• Endocrine Disruptors (BPA and Phthalates)
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Ethylene Glycol

F:

• Flame Retardants (PBDEs or BFRs)
• Formaldehyde

G:

• Gasoline

L:

• Lead

M:

• Mercury
• Mold

N:

• Natural Gas
• Nitrogen Oxides

O:

• Ozone

P:

• Particulate Matter
• Perchloroethylene
• Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)
• Pesticides
• Phthalates
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• Propane

R:

• Radiation
• Radon

S:

• Solvents
• Sulfur Dioxides
• Sun Exposure

T:

• Toluene

V:

• Vaccinations
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's)

W:

• Water and Soil Contaminants

SOURCE: http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/children/areas-of-care/childrens-environmental-health-center/environmental-toxins


Additional Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
• National Institute of Health Household Products Database
• National Institute of Health Toxtown

Stroke? STAR & Stick Out Your Tongue

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.
Unfortunately,  the lack of awareness spells disaster. The  stroke
victim may suffer severe brain damage  when people nearby fail to
recognize the  symptoms of a stroke. 

A bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: 

S *Ask  the individual to SMILE. 
T *Ask  the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE  (Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out  today.) 
A = And
R *Ask  him or her to RAISE BOTH  ARMS. 

If  he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these  tasks, call emergency
number immediately  and describe the symptoms to the  dispatcher. 

 
Stick Out Your Tongue

Another Sign of a Stroke -------- 

If the tongue  is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the  other,  
that is  also an indication of a  stroke.

Ask the  person to 'stick' out his/her tongue.

Remember, if the tongue  is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the  other,  
that is  also an indication of a  stroke. 

What's Causing Cancer in North America?

This is a Canadian article but much of the article pertains to all of North America!

Chemicals may be one of the biggest reasons for cancer's epidemic proportions.

There are more than 85,000 chemicals that are currently licensed for use in North America. Less than half have ever been tested for human health risk and even fewer for potential environmental impacts (and even fewer have been tested for environmental impact).

Cancer in Canada is now projected to afflict one in every 2.2 men and one in every 2.6 women in their lifetime. In the 1930s, those numbers were less that one in 10. What's happening? Why are we now seeing what many are calling a "cancer epidemic"?

Some would suggest we are simply an aging population and cancer is a disease of the old. Not true. Recent statistics show that the net incidence rate of cancer has increased 25% for males and 20% for females from 1974 to 2005 - after correcting for the effects of aging.

Children are increasingly the victims. Researchers in Britain have shown that certain childhood cancers such as leukemia and brain cancer have increased by more than a third since the 1950s.

In Canada and in the U.S., hundreds of millions of dollars are raised and spent for cancer research and treatment. The elephant in the room, however, is the contribution of environmental toxins and whether many of the cancers striking North Americans can be avoided rather than simply managed.

The World Health Organization estimates that fully 25% of cancers worldwide are caused by occupational and environmental factors other than smoking. You don't have to look far for some potential chemical culprits.

THIS IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO REPEAT:

There are more than 85,000 chemicals that are currently licensed for use in North America . Less than half have ever been tested for human health risk and even fewer for potential environmental impacts (and even fewer have been tested for environmental impact).

The U.S. Centers For Disease Control recently turned their attention toward pollution detection - not in the environment, but within the human body. Their study in 2002 found the presence of 81 different toxic chemicals, including PCBs, benzene and other carcinogens in their sampling of 2,500 people tested.

It is somewhat of a no-brainer that reducing exposure to known carcinogens will reduce the risk of developing cancer. Surprisingly, this simple logic seems to have been lost on our federal governments. Many chemicals that are scientifically demonstrated carcinogens or otherwise toxic are freely used without any legal obligation to identify them on the label. Some of these same chemicals are entirely banned elsewhere.

A trip to your local supermarket reveals a small sample of these hidden poisons:

• Mothballs contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene, both of which are carcinogenic. A recent U.S. study linked mothball use to an increased incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

• Polycarbonate plastics used in food-grade plastic containers such as water bottles can leach Bisphenol A, an estrogen-mimicking chemical linked to a variety of disorders, including hormone-related birth defects, learning disabilities, prostate cancer and neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. 

• Several leading perfumes, nail polishes and other cosmetic products sold in Canada contain the endocrine-disrupting phthalates DBP and DEHP - both banned for use in cosmetic products in European Union countries. 

• Many leading brands of household laundry detergent contain trisodium nitrilotriacetate, another suspected carcinogen as well as an environmental pollutant.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs are common chemical fire retardants found in everything from foam mattresses to computer parts. They have similar properties to the now outlawed PCBs and are known neurotoxins and hormone disrupters. The most dangerous forms are now banned in the EU, though they remain legal in North America .

Chemicals that endanger human life also go down the drain and impact the environment. A gruesome example involved a dead orca that washed up south of Vancouver in 2000 that was so contaminated with persistent chemicals that Ottawa considered shipping the carcass to the Swan Hills toxic waste facility for incineration.

Like orcas, we are perched at the top of the food chain and are becoming the unwitting receptacles of many of the chemicals designed to make our lives more convenient.

Ballooning cancer rates are simply not worth whiter clothes or fewer moths. (Besides, there are natural, effective and affordable *alternatives!)

Cancer must be fought on many fronts. Research and treatment are undeniably important but so is environmental cancer prevention. It is therefore shocking that our governments are not moving faster to ban known and suspected carcinogens, and  requiring mandatory "right to know" labeling so that Canadians and Americans can better protect themselves and their families.

Anything less is quite simply putting the interests of the chemical industry ahead of human life.

SOURCE:  TorontoStar  June13th, 2005 / article by Mitchell Anderson     
Mitchell Anderson is a board member of the Labour Environmental Alliance Society, a Vancouver-based charity that educates the public on cancer prevention. 
Edited by Soutenus   
Shared Post: BCN, Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells 

Exercises To Do In The Morning To Start Your Day

Pilates Exercises. Why? Pilates builds your core strength, which is extremely important. Core strength has to do with strengthening and lengthening your spine. That's right, Pilates can actually make you grow taller, because the types of exercises used in Pilates create long, lean muscle, rather than bulkier muscle mass.

Exercise 1: Arm Reach and Pull
This is a great warm-up exercise which creates shoulder stability. You will begin standing up perfectly straight, then reach your arms out in front of you so that they become parallel with the floor, keeping your shoulders relaxed down and your arms coming straight out from your shoulders. Breathe in and out, each time further relaxing your shoulders down while maintaining your posture. This is a great move to get you started with your Pilates exercise routine and you can repeat three to five times. Great posture is essential to all Pilates moves and is ultimately the result of following a Pilates exercise routine.



Exercise 2: The Plank
In this exercise, you want to form yourself in a push up position, being sure that you are a straight line from your neck to your feet. Your arms should be a straight line from your shoulder to the floor and your feet shouldn't be flat--you should be on your toes.
Holding yourself in this position for one minute a day helps create stability and build core strength. With no prior training, this exercise can be difficult. Work your way up to the full minute by starting with 10-15 second planks at first. If even this is causing too much upper body strain, try the modified plank by coming down to your elbows rather than your hands.

Exercise 3: One Leg Teaser
This is a little more difficult, but is designed to flatten your abs!

• Begin by lying flat on your back, with your hands at your sides, palms up, and your legs bent at 45 degrees with feet flat on your mat. 
• Raise one leg off the mat, creating a straight line without moving your knees. 
• Tuck your chin to your chest and begin reaching for extended foot, slowly; maintaining your balance and posture. 
• Remember to use your core muscles, this exercise is not led by upper body strength. (If you have trouble finding your core, take a deep breath in and exhale fully, bringing your belly button toward your spine and holding it there. 
• Maintain this throughout all Pilates exercises, or you will not see the benefits.) When you reach your arms to the tip of your toes, pause, then roll back down, slowly, ending where you started, with your hands over your head. 
• Repeat five times on each leg.

For beginners, leave both feet on the mat. Roll up and tap your knees, pause, then roll back to start position. It can take several weeks before you will be ready to try the full teaser exercise.

Note: In Pilates, some of the best results come from stretching out your muscles after working them. When your muscles are heated up, stretching them will result in much greater flexibility. So, in between workouts, lie flat on your back and form a straight line with your body, from the tips of your fingers to the end of your toes and feel yourself getting a great stretch!

 Stability Ball Exercises. Why? Because to be quite honest, the stability ball is a ton of fun. Working out feels more like playing when you were a kid.

Exercise 1: Hip Extension 
 Lie down on the ground and put your heels on top of the ball, at hip width apart. Slowly raise your hips off the ground to form a straight line, leaving your arms lying flat on the floor. Hold yourself in this position and feel your muscles working. Then, lower and repeat five times. If you feel confident, you can start raising one leg at a time off the stability ball, balancing with only one heel for support on the ball.

Exercise 2: Exercise Ball Crunch
 Lean your mid to lower back on the ball and put your hands behind your head (fingertips lightly touching your head--your arms should not be doing the work in this exercise), and pull your body forward, using your abs, into a crunch. Try to be sure you are in the center of the ball and keep the ball stable. Repeat ten reps of ten.








Exercise 3: Bouncing!

Sit with your butt on the very middle of the ball. Be sure you feel stable and the ball isn't leaning toward one side. Put your arms straight out in front off you, and your legs hip width apart, feet flat on the floor. Begin bouncing slowly without moving your leg positioning. After feeling out and being sure you have good balance, start opening and closing your legs at each alternating bounce. Continue this exercise for one minute, or a little longer if you're having too much fun to stop!
Enjoy these exercises every morning you can! Remember, results don't come immediately, but they will come.

By Jessica Dolese

What is Kombucha and Does it Bite?

Searching for something that can help energize and rejuvenate you? You cannot come any closer to finding it than in Kombucha (ice) Tea.
It's potent, it's delicious, it improves health, and you can make it yourself!
This tea has been made for over 2000 years so it goes to show you that "everything old is new again!"
It is made using an extraordinary "mushroom" that is placed into a batch of regular sugary tea.

Quick note: A Kombucha mushroom is not a real mushroom, people only call it a mushroom. It is something like a lichen and when grown it looks like a pancake floating on the surface of the tea that it is brewed in. The remarkable tea made from it does not have the flavor of mushrooms. The taste is more like a wine apple-cider and it is delicious.

The tea then begins to ferment and in about 7 days it is ready to drink. During that same 7 day period a second mushroom grows within the tea, this new mushroom is used to make your next batch of tea. Each time you make a batch of tea a new mushroom is produced. Because of this quick reproductive cycle of the Kombucha you can make an endless supply of this incredible tea for free.

Information source:
http://www.kombuchaamerica.com/

A good HOW TO article here.

FAQs from http://www.kombuchaamerica.com/

What is a Kombucha Mushroom?

The Kombucha Mushroom is not a true mushroom but a tea pseudo lichen. It is primarily a fibrous cellulose spongy membrane that is formed by the various Kombucha bacteria and yeast cells that live in the liquid sugary tea. It is primarily grown to act as an evaporation cap to keep the tea from evaporating and also to prevent other microorganisms from getting to the sugary tea. It has no sex, and produces no seeds or spores for the purpose of reproduction but within the cells of the membrane exists the same bacteria and yeasts cells that exist within the tea. When your transfer a newly formed mushroom to a new batch of tea you then introduce these bacteria and yeasts to the new tea which quickly colonize it, cause the tea to ferment, and grow a new membrane on the surface.

Can drinking this tea harm me in any way?

Kombucha tea is safe to drink. The Federal Drug Administration has indicated it is safe provided it is prepared properly. It must be prepared in a clean manner just as any food or beverage you are planning to consume. But like any food, it is possible that the tea can become spoiled. If you drink spoiled tea it might make you ill. But the risk of this happening is no greater than for any other food or beverage. A lot of people pose the safety question about Kombucha because they mistakenly believe it to be a mushroom and they are aware that some mushrooms are poisonous. Kombucha is not a mushroom it is just a cellulose mat.

Is there any relationship between the quality of the tea and the growth size of the new mushroom?

No, not really. Once the tea ferments the size of the mushroom makes no difference. You end the fermentation when you "strain off the tea".

The fermentation of the tea is caused by the living bacteria and yeasts within the tea. The bacteria and yeast is what is responsible for the health benefits of drinking the tea.

Can I eat this mushroom?

Mushrooms can be eaten but not many do so as it is fiberous and may be hard to digest. Also, the only flavor that it has is from the type of liquid tea it which it is grown in. When dried it takes on the appearance of a slippery rubbery leather... chew toy for your dog?

I have heard that if I drink the tea a mushroom will grow in my stomach and kill me, is this true?

Absolutely not!

How soon can I expect to start seeing health benefits from drinking the tea?

Many notice a difference in their health quickly.

What recipe do you recommend to make Kombucha Tea?

Using clean unchlorinated water, not distilled water which lacks mineral content, make a gallon of tea using 8 standard size tea bags of green tea or orange pekoe/black tea.

Add 1 to 1.5 cups of white cane sugar. If you boil the water let it cool to room temperature and add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar is used to lower the pH level of the tea to help the fermentation process and protect against mold formation.

You may also use old Kombucha tea that has turned vinegary in place of apple cider vinegar. Pour the prepared tea into a gallon size glass brewing container with a wide mouth (old glass pickle jars work well)

Add the mother mushroom culture to the tea.

Set the brewing container in a warm area (74F to 84F degrees) out of direct sunlight covered with a paper towel or coffee filter and secured by a rubber band.

Let the tea ferment for 7 to 9 days. Keep in mind that the longer you allow the tea to ferment the more sour it becomes. Taste test the tea starting on the 7th day using a straw when you like its taste then "strain the tea off" into another glass container and cool in the refrigerator until ready to drink.

Can I use decaffeinated tea and a sugar substitute?

Decaffinated tea can be used but sugar must be used. Sugar is needed for the fermentation process, most all the sugar will be consumed by the newly forming baby mushroom and the fermentation of the tea.

At the end of 7 days the tea will contain about 1/2 of 1 percent alcohol. Some people do make Kombucha tea using honey, fructous sugar, brown sugar, beet sugar, raw sugar, or sugary fruit juices instead of regular white sugar. White cane sugar however makes the best tasting tea.

Sugar substitues cannot be used to make Kombucha. The amount of caffeine in Kombucha Tea is dependent on the type of tea you initially use when making the tea. Various types of different teas can be used. Green and white teas generally have more caffeine content than black teas. For more info on caffeine content of various teas you can go to this URL address - http://users.argolink.net/purfarms/komchem/teacaff.htm

What is the most common mistake people make when brewing Kombucha?

There appear to be several mistakes most novice brewers make.

• Many novice brewers allow the tea to ferment too long and it becomes too sour. Normal brewing time is 7 to 9 days.
  
• Novice brewers sometimes mis-identify the new mushroom that is forming on the surface of the tea as mold.
  

What does the tea taste like?

• If you use orange pekoe/black tea the taste is like an apple wine cider.
• If you use green tea it taste like a ginger ale wine.
  
• Kombucha can be made using other types of tea as well. The tastes is refreshing and delicious and it will quickly become a favorite drink.

After the tea is done fermenting how should I keep it?

Keep the tea in a glass container (old wine bottles or jugs) in the refrigerator.

Do not store at room temperature or the tea continues to ferment and carbonation pressure can build up in a sealed bottle and it may forcably pop the cap.

Most people agree that the tea reaches its peak flavor after it has aged in the refrigerator for about 2 to 4 days.

It begins to go flat @ ~ 7 to 9 days if left uncapped.

It is safe to drink the tea after it goes flat but it does not taste as refreshing.

Can I brew my tea in a plastic container?

Kombucha is a fermented tea and for the same reason you would not brew or store wine in plastic, you should not brew Kombucha tea, or store the drinking tea, in plastic. The taste suffers,
You can, however, store surplus mushrooms in plastic containers.

How much of the tea should I drink daily?

Most people drink about one to three cups a day. Some in the morning and some in the evening. If you exercise drink the tea prior to starting and you will be most surprised by the extra energy it gives you.

How should I store my mushroom(s)?

Mushrooms can be stored in plastic bags and kept in the fridge. You can store them for long periods of time

• in a covered glass container (so that they do not dry out)
• in the refrgerator (not the freezer)
• store floating in a little sugary tea
  

I have heard that the mushroom will die and the tea will become poisoned if it comes into contact, even briefly, with metal... is this true?

No this is not true... but the tea will leach metal molecules from ferrous metals such as iron so EXTENDED contact with ferrous metal should be avoided. That is why you should use a brewing container made of glass.

Can I use a plastic container to store and brew my tea in?

I do not recommend the use of plastic containers for storing the tea you will be drinking or as a brewing container.. use glass containers. Kombucha tea is a fermented tea.... would you store or brew wine in a plastic container... the taste suffers if you do. You can however store your surplus mushrooms in plastic containers.

What about mold contamination, I have heard that is this a problem?

Mold contamination is rare and can be avoided by preparing the tea in a clean manner as you should prepare any food. If mold should grow it is easily identified. If mold grows the tea should be discarded. The best way to avoid mold is to cover the brewing jar with a coffee filter secured by a rubber band which will prevent mold spores or small insects (after the sugary tea) from getting into the brewing jar. The tea should also be prepared in a room that has no drafts.

I have diabetes, this tea has a lot of sugar in it, how can I safely drink it?

Most of the sugar initially used to make the tea will be used up in the fermentation of the tea and by the newly forming mushroom. In about 7 to 9 days the tea is neither too sweet or too tart/sour to the taste. It is recommended that if you have diabetes you use less sugar in initially preparing the tea or allow the tea to ferment longer. Sugar is required for the fermentation. Drink limited amounts of the tea at first checking your blood sugar levels to determine the proper amount to drink and the best time of day to do so. Usually you will want to drink the tea when your blood sugar levels are low.

I take medication. What effect will drinking the tea have on the medication I am taking?

Kombucha tea is not likely to effect any medication you are taking... However, you should always check with your physician. If you can drink grapefruit juice, coffee, or wine, you are not likely to have a problem with Kombucha tea. Most people drink about 8 ounces to 24 ounces of tea a day (one cup to three cups). The tea can slightly lower the pH level of bodily fluids if you drink substantially more so check with your physician to see if any of the medication you are taking is pH sensitive. You should not drink huge amount of the tea simply because it is not wise to drink huge amounts of anything. Keep in mind that your physician will probably not be that familiar with Kombucha tea so you may have to educate him. Do not drink the tea if it is very sour as it may upset your stomach

Is it safe for children to drink Kombucha tea?

Yes, but it is not recommended for babies or toddlers because the tea contains alcohol (about 1%) and caffeine. Children should drink proportionately less due to their body size. I had one customer report that her children loved it because of the slight momentary buzz they feel after drinking the tea, most adults also will notice this slight buzz.

Can women who are breast feeding or pregnant drink Kombucha tea?

Pregnant women or women who are breast feeding should not drink excessive amounts of the tea as the tea contains both alcohol (about 1%) and caffeine and is slightly acidic. The tea however can be made with decaf tea. Most people drink 1 to 3 cups a day.
Some incorrectly believe that because Kombucha detoxifies the body the toxins that are removed might somehow be removed to the fetus or a breast feeding baby. This does not happen, such toxins are removed by the functions of the liver and kidneys.

Is Kombucha the same as Tibicos Hongo used to make a similar medicinal drink in Central & South America?

No... Tibicos is a different fermented beverage than Kombucha. It is similiar to Kefir which is a fermented milk culture taken for health. Kefir can be made in different ways other than using milk to make the beverage.

Can the same health benefits be seen from taking Kombucha capsules, extracts, or prepackaged tea bags labeled Kombucha?

Absolutely not, all such products are bogus and provide no health benefits.

The excellent reputation of Kombucha tea has caused many unscrupulous people to sell knock-off products using the name Kombucha. Health benefits from Kombucha are only experienced when you drink the LIVING tea which you can easily make at home for free. Bottled Kombucha tea is now being sold in some health food stores at ridiculously high prices -- another consumer rip-off.