Sunday, February 24, 2013

'Organic' from China exposed: The shocking truth about 'organic' foods grown in the world's worst environmental cesspool

When it comes to foods, superfoods and even nutritional supplements from China, "organic" is largely a hoax. This is my opinion, of course, but I've been researching the issue quite extensively as the key decision maker for new products in the Natural News Store. And I've come to the conclusion that "organic" from China is largely a fraud. Here's why...

First off, you're going to be shocked to learn that there is no limit to how much mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum is allowed in "organic" products.

It's a fact: USDA organic standards place NO LIMITS on levels of heavy metals contamination of certified organic foods. Even further, there is no limit on the contamination of PCBs, BPA and other synthetic chemicals that's allowed in certified organic foods, superfoods and supplements.

At this point, you're probably shaking your head in disbelief and thinking, "No, that can't be true. Organic standards must check for heavy metals and chemical contamination, right?"

No! "Organic" certifies a process of how food is grown or produced. It certifies that the farmer doesn't add pesticides, herbicides, petroleum-based fertilizer, metals or synthetic chemicals to the crop (among other things), and it certifies that the soil must be free from such things for a certain number of years before organic certification is approved.

But organic certification does nothing to address environmental sources of pollution such as chemtrails, contaminated irrigation water, and fallout from industrial or chemical factories that might be nearby. A certified organic farmer can use polluted water on their crops and still have the crops labeled "organic."

For this reason: the environment in which organic foods are produced is critical to the cleanliness of the final product.

Organic farming in a clean environment produces clean, organic foods. But organic farming in a polluted environment produces contaminated organic foods. And China is one of the most polluted chemical cesspools on the planet. The pictures on the right show some scenes from China, a country suffocating under a pollution nightmare.

As you view these pictures, ask yourself: Would you eat food grown there? Even if it were sold by Whole Foods and labeled "organic?"

China is an environmental nightmare

China is a nation that has virtually no environmental regulation enforcement. In China, anything goes: You can dump mercury into rivers. You can spray raw human sewage sludge on crops. You can produce factory-made chemicals and blow the waste products right into the air through smokestacks. In China, many rivers are so toxic that, from time to time, they actually catch on fire and burn.

It's so bad that a Chinese environmental official was recently offered over US$30,000 to take a 20-minute swim in a local river.

He DECLINED. Why? Because the river there is so polluted that swimming in it would mean certain death.

It is this water that's often used in "organic" food and superfood production in China. So even though the farmer is following organic process standards, he may be using irrigation water that's wildly contaminated with metals, chemicals and even pesticide residues. He may be spraying hormone drugs on the crops because there's a pharmaceutical factory upstream.

Here's the kicker: In a country with virtually no environmental laws, "organic" food production is largely a fraud because environmental sources contaminate the foods or superfoods being produced there.

There are some exceptions to this, by the way. Notably goji berries are grown at high altitude, far away from the pollution of China's cities and rivers. Goji berries sourced from China tend to be very clean and have very low levels of contamination. There are no doubt other exceptions to the rule, but the difficulty is in knowing what to trust that comes out of China.

In North America, "organic" is legitimate precisely because North America has far more strict environmental standards. Organic is clean food, responsibly produced, and consistently less contaminated than conventional food. The same is true across Europe, where organic standards are also strict. But in China, "organic" is often a joke. Almost a hoax, in my opinion.

And the laboratory tests bear this out. For example, we just published an investigative story on chlorella showing that "organic" chlorella from China is polluted with nearly ten times the aluminum level of "organic" chlorella from Taiwan. And the cleanest chlorella we found in terms of metals contamination was actually a non-organic chlorella produced in Korea.

China is a nation that lacks ethics

Remember, too, that China is a communist regime. It is a country where all religion has been outlawed and the people are never taught ethics or morality. They have no moral compass. Across China, the majority of the population believes that the best way to get ahead is to CHEAT, lie and steal, even if it means harming someone else in the process.

Remember: China is the country where they put melamine in infant formula, knowing that it will kill little children. China is the country where the paint on children's toys contains obscene levels of brain-damaging lead. China is a nation of shortcut-takers who will do anything to cheapen a product as long as they can cover it up and trick the buyer. This is why "made in China" has, for decades, been synonymous with "crap quality."

Here's a little note that will interest pet owners: If you buy pet treats made in China, you are murdering your pet with the most insane chemicals imaginable. The stuff that goes into some pet treats made in China is highly toxic and causes cancer. This is one of the main factors behind the alarming rise of cancers among dogs and cats in North America.

All this isn't just secondhand information, by the way: I lived in Asia for two years and traveled extensively throughout the region. I speak a fair amount of Mandarin (Chinese), and I've interacted with lots and lots of people from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I can tell you that Taiwan is a country with much greater honesty, integrity and quality than China. In Taiwan, religion is allowed and openly practiced (Buddhism, mostly). In Taiwan, there is a sense of responsibility to customers. There is a philosophy of striving for quality. Taiwan is to China like revolutionary America was to the British Empire. Taiwan is a island nation of hard-working, creative, innovative entrepreneurs, and when I look to import products from Asia, I always try to find it in Taiwan first because I know Taiwan means quality.

But in China, it's exactly the opposite: There is no sense of responsibility to customers. The overriding philosophy is to screw the customer, even on the very first order, knowing that the customer will never buy from you again! In China, the idea is to CHEAT people rather than make them happy. You see this all the way to the top of the government which is, of course, a police state communist regime where laws are enforced at gunpoint against a completely disarmed and helpless population that has no rights. China is a culture of corruption, deception and exploitation.

Now, of course, there are people in China who rebel against all this. There are exceptions to the rule, and there may even be some honest organic food producers in China that buck the trend. Not all mainland Chinese are bad people. Many wish to overthrow the corrupt government and restore freedom, liberty and justice to the country. But because they are all disarmed (China has no Bill of Rights), they are powerless against a dictatorial government. They are slaves to the system.

Health Ranger Select brand BANS all foods, superfoods and ingredients from China except for goji berries

I made a decision months ago to ban anything produced in China from my own label, with the exception being goji berries. If a food, superfood or supplement has my name on it, I will not use ingredients sourced from China unless I know and can VERIFY the end-product cleanliness of the product.

So if you see the "Health Ranger Select" brand or the "Storable Organics" brand, know that it's clean and very carefully sourced.

We source from the USA, Canada, European countries, Peru and even Thailand for some ingredients. Mexico is acceptable for some ingredients as well. But China is a big red flag. I simply can't trust that most foods, superfoods or supplements from China are going to be consistently clean and honest.

China is the kind of country where you order a sample of a raw material -- say pomegranate juice powder -- and the first batch you receive is really clean and passes all the lab tests. So you order 5000kg of the stuff, and when it arrives, it's all full of lead and pesticides.

Chinese medicine herbs from China are notoriously contaminated with lead. The same is true for green tea and many other ingredients that naturally absorb heavy metals.

All sorts of products at Whole Foods, by the way, are grown in China but certified "organic." What a joke.

Given that China has virtually no environmental enforcement whatsoever, the very idea that something grown in China can be certified "organic" is absurd. Without a clean environment, you can't product clean food even if you follow organic growing standards.

So why do so many formulators and food companies in the USA still buy ingredients from China? Because they're CHEAP.

Buying from China means higher profit

Here's the dirty little secret of the natural products industry... and yes, the "dirty" is quite literal in this case: Raw materials from China are cheap! Across the board, raw materials (foods, superfoods, supplements) from China are about 1/4th the cost of materials grown in North America or Europe.

This means getting your ingredients from China grants your product a lot more profit in the marketplace. For those selling through Whole Foods -- whose product shelves are littered with ingredients made in China -- this profit margin is essential to economic survival.

If you're buying a superfood powder sold at Whole Foods and paying $50 at retail, the actual ingredient cost that goes into that superfood canister is often as little as $5. So sourcing those materials from China is crucial to having the margins. Whole Foods might only pay your company $22 or so for a product they sell at $50. So your company has to buy the materials, pay for shipping, insurance, labor, packaging, formulations and everything else and still somehow make a profit to stay in business. So you source from China. You make a really nice-looking label, you get it "certified organic" with a nice USDA logo on it, and you sell it to Whole Foods which adds another layer of legitimacy to the product.

But inside the bottle, there could be mercury hiding in there. Or pharmaceutical residues. Or pesticide residues. Or just about anything, including melamine.

Now, obviously Whole Foods has a level of quality control in place, and they do require C of A's for products they carry. But China is expert at FAKING these documents and tricking importers, formulators and manufacturers.

In China, the idea of forging a laboratory analysis document is no big deal. Fabricating fake documents is routine. You have to understand the philosophy of these people living without any code of ethics, surviving under a police state communist regime: There are no ethics. No values. No moral compass. Forging a fake lab report is no different to them than planting seeds: it's just one more step needed to make money. There is no moral difference in their minds between telling the truth and lying. It's a "relativistic" morality philosophy.

I'm not saying all people in China are liars and deceivers. But a lot of them are. Anyone who has actually lived there for any length of time knows exactly what I'm talking about. This is a country where deceptive manufacturers take white sesame seeds and coat them in toxic black ink just to sell them as "black sesame seeds." This is a country where infant formula producers spike their formula with kidney-destroying melamine in order to make an extra five cents a pound, even while killing babies by the thousands. THEY DON'T CARE. China is a nation that has abandoned morality and even attacked it. This is a country where the Falun Gong group of meditation advocates and yoga practitioners is arrested and thrown in prison by an extremely oppressive, dictatorial government.

Look, cultures are different everywhere around the world. You want to hang out with really nice, intelligent and honest people? Get yourself some Dutch friends. They're the most upstanding, moral, educated bunch of folks you'll ever meet.

You want to hang out with highly-innovative rule followers? Get yourself some German friends. They follow the rules. And they're smart, innovative people on top of that. Brilliant minds. Some of the greatest scientists in history came out of Berlin.

You want some friends who are wildly creative? Those are Americans. Americans make the best movies, the best music (well, along with UK musicians anyway), and a lot of the best computer software on the planet. Americans are rebels. They break the rules and forge a new path. America is a nation founded on rebellion.

But if you're looking for people who will stab you in the back in a business deal, go the China. There, you will find the most back-stabbing, dishonest cheaters and liars you'll probably ever meet, short of Nigera's "Prince Nubula" whose emails promise you'll receive a million dollars if you only send them $5,000 first.

Why you won't hear this truth anywhere else

I know that telling the truth is unpopular and not politically correct. I'm not interested in winning a popularity contest. What I'm doing here is flat-out telling the truth that most other people are too afraid to say on their own: The very idea of "organic" coming out of China is a disturbing contradiction.

And organic standards have a huge gap in the fact that they don't require foods to actually be free from mercury or other contaminants. Overall, organic is a wonderful standard and I've been a strong advocate of organic, but when a "USDA organic" label is slapped on a product grown in China, you really have to scratch your head and say, "Yeah, it might be organic, but is it clean?"

It may be, but you just don't know until you test it. "Organic" grown in the USA can be assumed to be clean, but organic grown in China must be assumed contaminated unless proven otherwise.

Until China enforces some really strict environmental standards, "organic" from China is largely a fraud in my opinion. It's a hoax. You can lie to yourself and say, "Well it's ORGANIC so it must be clean!" but you'll be swallowing mercury, lead, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals in various amounts.

Laboratory tests confirm everything I'm telling you here. This is the dirty little secret of the organic food industry that nobody's talking about.

China's environmental nightmare

Just how polluted is China's environment? As I mentioned above, it's so bad that a Chinese environmental official was recently offered over US$30,000 to take a 20-minute swim in a local river. He declined the offer, as would any sane person.

Are these the same rivers that are being used to produce "organic" crops in China? You have to wonder. A river can be so inundated with smelting factory runoff and chemical pollution that even bacteria struggle to survive in it; yet this water can be legally sprayed on crops that are exported to America as "organic."

If you buy "organic" foods, superfoods or supplements grown in China, you need to know about this.

As The Guardian reports:

A recent government study found that groundwater in 90% of China's cities is contaminated, most of it severely. The head of China's ministry of water resources said last year that up to 40% of the country's rivers are "seriously polluted", and an official report from last summer found that up to 200 million rural Chinese have no access to clean drinking water.

By the way, this is another story altogether, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that China is headed for an environmental collapse. The country has polluted itself far beyond the point of long-term sustainable life. Children are being born as mutants. Rivers support no fish life. Soils are building up obscene levels of contaminants and becoming so toxic that crop yields are affected. Cities are so filled with airborne pollution that the mere act of breathing causes cancer. And on top of that, China's one-child policy has resulted in mass gendercide where baby girls are routinely -- and yes, I mean ROUTINELY -- murdered, drowned, suffocated, etc., because the family wants a son, not a daughter.

In its quest for economic power, China has poisoned itself to death, and now it's only a matter of time before the nation collapses in a cesspool of toxicity and lies. The economic "boom" of China is nearly over, and it will be followed by an environmental implosion so huge and disgusting that the world will be absolutely horrified. Remember: China is so corrupt that it won't stop factories from openly dumping toxic waste directly into the groundwater supplies. Instead of acknowledging the source of pollution, Chinese officials simply accept bribes and cover it up. The corruption in China is so deeply rooted in the culture that honesty and accountability can never overcome the deception.

With some exceptions, when you buy food grown in China, you are buying food produced in the most toxic environment on planet Earth, grown by some of the most deceptive and most corrupt liars and back-stabbers on the planet, all ruled by one of the most dictatorial and tyrannical governments history has ever known. That about sums it up.

Ultimately, China has a terminal environmental crisis on its hands, compounded by an eternally corrupt, dictatorial communist regime government that oppresses freedom and outlaws religion while forcing families to kill their own baby girls under its population control mandates.

In summary, China suffers from:

• An environmental nightmare
• An almost complete abandonment of morals and integrity
• A deeply corrupt communist police state political system that mandates the mass murder of baby girls

Is this the vibe you really want to be putting into your body?

Photo credits:
Adam Cohn:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamcohn/4267886203/

http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/01/china-pollution-leads-to-end-of-low-...

http://theboldcorsicanflame.files.wordpress.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Factory_in_China.jpg
Copyright belongs to username "High Contrast"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Beijing_smog_comparison_August_2005...
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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Brando turned down the Oscar

"Brando turned down the Oscar, Brando boycotted the award ceremony, sending instead American Indian Rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather, who appeared in full Apache dress, to state Brando's reasons, which were based on his objection to the depiction of American Indians by Hollywood and television."










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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Bulk Foods vs. Freeze Dried Meals

Gaye Levy, Contributor
One of the dilemmas every prepper faces is how to derive the most value out of their food storage budget. None of us want waste and none of us wants stuff that tastes bad. Of course the easiest and most economical thing to do is to stock up on the proverbial beans and rice, adding supplementation with oatmeal, powdered milk and a variety of condiments. With these few items, delicious meals can be prepared simply and there will be adequate nutrition to sustain oneself especially if garden fresh fruit and vegetables are also available.
In my own case, I have over 200 pounds of various beans and legumes and over 300 pounds of rice. I also have lots of chicken and beef bouillon, salt, pepper, chili powder and onion powder for flavorings. These items were inexpensive enough that I will have plenty to share with my less fortunate neighbors who may not have had the money to stock up on food but have skills that I can barter with if the SHTF.
Why Bulk Foods Make Sense
Buying in bulk simply makes good sense when getting started. There is no real research involved – you just go to the store and start making purchases as budget allows. The cost is cheap (I know I keep saying that but it is true) and with some relatively inexpensive Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and buckets, bulk foods are easy to package and store for the long term.
Bulk foods do take space, however, and they should be kept cool. Space wise, though, when first getting started you can eliminate the buckets and store the packets of food in nooks and crannies throughout your home or apartment. Heck, even under the bed is a good place to store bulk foods.
So bottom line? When first getting started get the basics in bulk foods and use some of your start-up budget for a good water filter, some water purification tablets and possibly some bottled water if you do not want to make up you own bottles of water.
Beyond Bulk Foods
As you study prepping and survival sites on the web, you are going to be bombarded by ads from freeze-dried food suppliers as well as from bloggers such as myself who have products to recommend. This is not necessarily a bad thing since there are a lot of really, really good freeze dried products out there. Furthermore, there are not only freeze dried meals, but also standalone products such a meats, veggies, fruits and my personal favorite, shredded cheese.
Using myself as an example, I own a variety of these products from a variety of vendors. I like to cook so I have migrated toward the individual components although I do keep some freeze dried meals on hand as well. Some are quite good. One of my favorites is the Legacy Foods “Beans & Rice Enchilada” meal. Now to be honest, it looks pretty bad before it is re-hydrated. This is pretty typical. But after adding boiling water and letting it sit for awhile, well, I don’t think I could have made it tastier had I made it from scratch.
Which gets me back to my original question. What is the value proposition when comparing bulk foods of freeze-dried foods? (And by value proposition, I mean the benefits of one versus the other given the difference in cost.) In my mind, a reasonable person would use the following factors to compare the benefits of one type of food to another. These are: Shelf Life, Cost, Storage, Convenience and Taste.
I have my own opinions, of course, but I thought it would be interesting to get the opinion of a vendor who lives and breaths this stuff. I chose Buy Emergency Foods for a couple of reasons.
First of all, I like their food (such as the beans and rice enchiladas I mentioned above) but also I have gotten to know the CEO and feel that he is a sincere and credible guy. With the assistance of one of his colleagues, Lee Flynn, (who is also a freelance writer an expert in emergency food preparedness and food storage) he provided me with the following response to my quest for an industry opinion on the value and benefit of bulk versus freeze dried foods.
The Value Proposition: Bulk Foods vs. Freeze Dried Meals
Paper or plastic, gas or electric, debit or credit—life is full of choices. And choosing between bulk foods or freeze-dried meals—to ensure that you get the best overall value while meeting the long term food storage needs of your family—can be daunting. In the interest of making the decision process a little easier, here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of both bulk and freeze dried foods.
Shelf life
When choosing which foods to include in your emergency storage, a major deciding factor should be shelf life. If your overall goal is to build a long term emergency supply, freeze dried foods should definitely be on your list, as many freeze dried meals are made to last up to 25 years or more when stored at room temperature, and still retain their original flavor and nutritional value. The shelf life of bulk food items will be subject to temperature and humidity fluctuations in the storage area and are limited to only a few years at best.
Cost
One big advantage of buying in bulk is that it allows you to get your core items fairly inexpensively and build up a good supply quickly—even when on a limited budget. Bulk foods are also readily available now at all large grocery stores. Freeze dried meals are typically more expensive upfront, but they can save you money in the long run by not having to replace or replenish them as often due to their longer shelf life. By contrast, shorter dated bulk food items will often need to be used and replaced before a need or emergency actually arises. However, bulk foods nearing the end of their shelf life can be more easily used in your everyday cooking than freeze dried—without having to make dietary changes.
Another cost benefit of bulk food ingredients is the ability to stretch items over many different meals. Freeze dried meals, which come in pre-portioned packaging, are only good for one use.
Storage
Storing bulk foods can be difficult, as they typically require large containers that take up more storage room. In addition, bulk foods require additional measures to keep pests away and protect them from the elements. Freeze dried meals are tightly sealed, compact, and easy to stash away in almost any environment or climate, making them far easier to store, organize, and transport than bulk foods.
Convenience
Freeze dried meals are by far the most convenient food storage option available. Most only require hot water and minimal cooking time. In contrast, bulk foods require more preparation, cooking, measuring, and even cooking pans and utensils. If you find yourself in a position where you must leave your home—especially in a hurry—you’ll find that freeze dried meals are much easier to transport and prepare than bulk foods which may weigh you down and make survival more challenging.
Taste
In the past, many people preferred the more home-cooked flavor of bulk food meals over freeze dried meals. And bulk foods do tend to make it easier to stick to a diet that is more familiar to you or your family. In addition, with bulk foods you can prepare meals that are closer to what you enjoy without any unnecessary ingredients that may alter taste or trigger sensitivities that freeze dried meals may include.
This is especially helpful for those with special diets or allergies. However, it should be noted that when it comes to taste, freeze dried foods have come a long way in terms of the quality of ingredients, and the ability to retain both taste and texture despite years of storage. This makes freeze dried meals an excellent choice for satisfying the varied food and taste preferences of a family in regard to age, special diets, and the nutritional needs of each family member. In addition, storing complete and “ready to eat” meals that can be quickly prepared—as opposed to the bulk ingredients needed to make all your meals from scratch—gives you added peace of mind in knowing that you and your family are prepared to face any emergency. And it’s hard to put a value on that.
The Final Word
I still endorse a methodical, step by step approach to storing foods for the long term. For some this will mean picking up a few extra bags or cans of food with each trip to the grocery.
For others it will mean learning to can the bounty from their gardens, orchards or fishing and hunting expeditions. And yet for others it will be expanding their stored foods to include prepackaged meals and other freeze dried items.
Whatever method you choose, keep in mind proper storage procedures (see the The Six Enemies of Food Storage) and, if buying in bulk, learn how to cook those bulk foods now, preferably outdoors on an open fire as well as in your kitchen.
When all is said and done, it may not be important whether you stocked up on bulk or pre-packaged foods. Instead, the importance lies in having have done something to insure you will have food if things go awry down the road.
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

7 Natural Brain Foods for Cognition and Concentration

If you have ever had problems concentrating, you know how extremely frustrating it is to get anything done. As we age, it seems to be more and more difficult to keep our thoughts collected or even remember where we put our keys. This may be a part of the aging process to some degree, but diet and lifestyle certainly has a lot to do with it as well. Luckily, there are several brain foods that you can include in your daily diet to boost cognitive function, boost concentration, and slow down brain decline.
Here are 7 foods to eat for better cognition, concentration, and for overall brain preservation.

1. Brain Foods – Walnuts

Interestingly enough, walnuts actually resemble small brains. Perhaps this is a clue that we should eat them. A study conducted in the 2007 found that a diet including more than 2% walnuts was able to reverse brain aging, including age related motor and cognitive defects. Walnuts are rich in antioxidants which fight against free radical damage to the brain cells’ DNA.

2. and 3. Coffee and Dark Chocolate

While your average coffee from the local coffee shop might contain all sorts of sugars and additions not worth the health risks, a free-trade organic coffee can do great things for your focus and brain power. A cup or two of coffee first thing in the morning will wake up your brain and allow you to focus and concentrate. The caffeine found in chocolate does the same thing, in addition to harnessing rich, brain-protecting antioxidants. It is wise, however, not to over indulge.

4. Berries

Berries are undoubtedly one of the best anti aging foods around. These little fruit gems protect the brain from oxidative stress while decreasing the effects of age related conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. In addition to delaying memory decline by up to 2.5 years in one study, blueberries have been found to improve learning capacity and motor skills.

5. Spinach

Popeye knew what he was doing when he ate his spinach. Spinach is a dark green leafy vegetable that is loaded with vitamin E, which has been shown to improve cognitive function. Vitamin E helps increases brain tissue and released dopamine which controls information flow in the brain. Further spinach contains lutein, an antioxidant that could protect against cognitive decline.

6. Carrots

While it’s known carrots are great for vision, did you also know that they are also great for the brain? Helping to reduce inflammation and restore memory, the compound found in carrots, known as luteolin, appears to reduce age-related memory loss and boost overall brain health. Other foods that are also high in luteolin include olive oil, celery, rosemary, and peppers.

7. Fish

The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish give our brain a huge boost. Consuming fish weekly can reduce the risk of stroke and dementia while slowing down mental decline. Research also indicates that vital fatty acids help to keep memory sharp as we age.

A Hearty Breakfast

It’s important to know that eating breakfast may help with brain preservation. Researchers warn that skipping breakfast can cause a tremendous strain on the brain. Children who eat a well-rounded breakfast have scored better on tests than those that skip this incredibly important meal. Try having some fresh fruit or high-fiber whole grains like oatmeal and bran. High calorie breakfasts laden with sugar and fat tend to detract from concentration.

Eating Light

Combining these healthy foods into a varied diet will help your brain from becoming sluggish. Eating healthful whole foods (preferably organic), getting enough sleep, exercising daily and managing stress all help with concentration and cognitive function.
For more, check out some other brain-boosting foods.
Additional Sources:
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Monday, February 18, 2013

Why Even One Alcoholic Drink Per Day Boosts Cancer Risk


We've looked at the French for years to discover exactly why their high consumption of wine has led to lower rates of heart disease and cancer. Scientists discovered more than a decade ago that it had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with resveratrol antioxidants in red grapes. The French are also more active and eat less processed foods with less toxic preservatives, which may protect them against many cancers. However, when it comes to alcohol consumption, the same is not true for westerners. Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) have shown that alcohol is a major contributor to cancer and drinking even small amounts of alcohol, as little as one drink, can increase the risk of developing cancer, a new study has warned. 

Those who drink alcoholic beverages may want to rethink their drinking in light of the many warnings about smaller amounts of alcohol use. The alcohol industry and the media have portrayed one glass, even two glasses, of wine or beer as not only safe, but possibly healthy. They tell the public that there is only danger when the use of alcohol is excessive or abusive. 

Alcohol, regardless of its type (i.e. beer, wine, liquor, etc) is a class A1 carcinogen which are confirmed human carcinogens. Alcohol consumption has been causally related with breast cancer for some time. Increasing evidence indicates a stronger association with neoplasms, though the risk is elevated for other types of breast cancers too.

In a previous study posted in the journal Neuroscience, lead author Megan Anderson, reported that even moderate drinking -- drinking less during the week and more on the weekends -- significantly reduces the structural integrity of the adult brain. 

"In the short term there may not be any noticeable motor skills or overall functioning problems, but in the long term this type of behavior could have an adverse effect on learning and memory," said Anderson.

The link between breast cancer and alcohol is already known but it has not been clear if there was an the increased risk with low levels of consumption or a 'safe' threshold, below which there was no effect on breast cancer. Researchers from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and the University of Milan, in Italy, wrote in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism after analyzing 113 research papers: "Since several populations show a high prevalence of light drinkers among women, even the small increase in risk we reported -- in the order of five percent -- represents a major public health issue in terms of breast cancers attributable to alcohol consumption." 

For every 200 women, 20 are expected to develop breast cancer during their lifetime. If they all drank 1.5 units every day, an extra one woman would develop cancer because of alcohol, the research suggests.
In addition, although higher levels of alcohol consumption lead to a higher cancer risk, average consumption of 1.5 drinks per day or less accounted for 30 percent of all alcohol-attributable cancer deaths. 

Timothy Naimi, MD, MPH, from the Department of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute, the Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, examined recent data from the U.S. on alcohol consumption and cancer mortality. They found that alcohol resulted in approximately 20,000 cancer deaths annually, accounting for about 3.5 percent of all cancer deaths in the U.S. 

Breast cancer was the most common cause of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in women, accounting for approximately 6,000 deaths annually, or about 15 percent of all breast cancer deaths. 

Cancers of the mouth, throat and esophagus were common causes of alcohol-attributable cancer mortality in men, resulting in a total of about 6,000 annual deaths. 

"The relationship between alcohol and cancer is strong, but is not widely appreciated by the public and remains under-emphasized even by physicians," said Naimi, who served as the paper's senior author. "Alcohol is a big preventable cancer risk factor that has been hiding in plain sight."
Karen Foster is a holistic nutritionist, avid blogger, with five kids and an active lifestyle that keeps her in pursuit of the healthiest path towards a life of balance. 
source :- http://preventdisease.com/news/13/021813_Why-Even-One-Alcoholic-Drink-Per-Day-Boosts-Cancer-Risk.shtml
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Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Valentine's Day MYTHS And Don'ts

 The Valentine's Day Myths
Every February we celebrate Valentine's Day by giving flowers, candy and cards to those we love. We do this in honor of Saint Valentine. You may be wondering, "Who is St. Valentine"? Time to brush up on your Valentine's history!
Legend has it that Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome. There was an Emperor at that time by the name of Claudius II. Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those that were married. With this thought in mind he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. Supposedly, Valentine, decided this decree just wasn't fair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentine's actions he had him put to death.
Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor's daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first 'valentine' himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it 'Your Valentine', words still used on cards today.

SAINT VALENTINE’s STORY
St. Valentine, for whom this holiday is of course named, was an actual historical figure. He was a Roman physician who was also a Christian priest during the days of the early church. This was at a time when Christians saw tremendous persecution and many practiced in secret.
There are actually a couple versions of the Valentine’s Day story.  One version, has it that Valentine was so loved by the children of the town that they would constantly write him notes speaking of their affection--hence the origin of exchanging valentines.
In the other version of the story, Valentine is working to heal a blind boy and is arrested by Roman soldiers for his work as an “undercover priest”.  Valentine is shortly thereafter sentenced to die. And yet before he is taken off to be executed, he takes the time to write to the little blind boy a note explaining to him Jesus' love, enclosing a small treat. According to this story, when the boy eats the treat his eyesight is miraculously restored, and he is able to see well enough to read Valentine's note--which is, of course, at the exact same moment that Valentine is executed.

The Valentine's Day Don'ts

 1. Don't forget.
 It's is the most common mistake that happens a lot ,we tend to forget about it due to busy schedule .So,we recommend you should Put it on your calendar in big red color letters. And a few days before, make sure you put a reminder in your day planner or your PDA..
2. Don't buy kitchen appliances. 
For all those who are thinking to buy kitchen appliance please don't .Valentine day is to make your partner realize that you love them ,so be romantic in your approach. 

3. Don't do the same thing you did last year.
This is the common error too ,Don't do what u did on previous valentine .Be more creative and put some efforts,your partner will love that. She wants to know that you thought about her as you planned your Valentine's Day gift or event.
4. Don't have unrealistic expectations. While your partner wants to be pampered, you also have to understand that her day is filled with many demands—kids, work, house, and more. Make sure you go the extra mile, but keep your expectations realistic and in check.


5. Don't talk about an ex. One of the surest ways to spoil a Valentine's Day evening is to have your partner think you are thinking about another woman. Don't talk about your former wife or girlfriend; keep the conversation focused on your woman and life will be better.Don't be such a dork.

6. Don't give her a generic card. She will not be impressed with the nicest card from the local Hallmark if you just sign your name. Add a note about how much you love her, how much she means to you, and any other positive feelings you have. The personal part is what is romantic to her, not how much lace is on the card or how much you spent on it.
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Meaning Of Different Color And Their Psychological Properties.


Psychological Properties Of Colours


There are four psychological primary colours - red, blue, yellow and green. They relate respectively to the body, the mind, the emotions and the essential balance between these three. The psychological properties of the eleven basic colours are as follows (Learn how you can harness the positive effects of the colours, by joining us on one of our courses):
RED. Physical
Positive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or flight', stimulation, masculinity, excitement.
Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.
Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical; it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is. It relates to the masculine principle and can activate the "fight or flight" instinct. Red is strong, and very basic. Pure red is the simplest colour, with no subtlety. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly. At the same time, it can be perceived as demanding and aggressive.
BLUE. Intellectual.
Positive: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.
Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.
Blue is the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing; it affects us mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. Consequently it is serene and mentally calming. It is the colour of clear communication. Blue objects do not appear to be as close to us as red ones. Time and again in research, blue is the world's favourite colour. However, it can be perceived as cold, unemotional and unfriendly.
YELLOW. Emotional
Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity.
Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.
The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-esteem; it is the colour of confidence and optimism. Too much of it, or the wrong tone in relation to the other tones in a colour scheme, can cause self-esteem to plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety. Our "yellow streak" can surface.
GREEN. Balance
Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace.
Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.
Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance - a more important concept than many people realise. When the world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level. Negatively, it can indicate stagnation and, incorrectly used, will be perceived as being too bland.
VIOLET. Spiritual
Positive: Spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality.
Negative: Introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority.
The shortest wavelength is violet, often described as purple. It takes awareness to a higher level of thought, even into the realms of spiritual values. It is highly introvertive and encourages deep contemplation, or meditation. It has associations with royalty and usually communicates the finest possible quality. Being the last visible wavelength before the ultra-violet ray, it has associations with time and space and the cosmos. Excessive use of purple can bring about too much introspection and the wrong tone of it communicates something cheap and nasty, faster than any other colour.
ORANGE.
Positive: Physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun.
Negative: Deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity.
Since it is a combination of red and yellow, orange is stimulating and reaction to it is a combination of the physical and the emotional. It focuses our minds on issues of physical comfort - food, warmth, shelter etc. - and sensuality. It is a 'fun' colour. Negatively, it might focus on the exact opposite - deprivation. This is particularly likely when warm orange is used with black. Equally, too much orange suggests frivolity and a lack of serious intellectual values.
PINK.
Positive: Physical tranquillity, nurture, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality, survival of the species.
Negative: Inhibition, emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical weakness.
Being a tint of red, pink also affects us physically, but it soothes, rather than stimulates. (Interestingly, red is the only colour that has an entirely separate name for its tints. Tints of blue, green, yellow, etc. are simply called light blue, light greenetc.) Pink is a powerful colour, psychologically. It represents the feminine principle, and survival of the species; it is nurturing and physically soothing. Too much pink is physically draining and can be somewhat emasculating.
GREY.
Positive: Psychological neutrality.
Negative: Lack of confidence, dampness, depression, hibernation, lack of energy.
Pure grey is the only colour that has no direct psychological properties. It is, however, quite suppressive. A virtual absence of colour is depressing and when the world turns grey we are instinctively conditioned to draw in and prepare for hibernation. Unless the precise tone is right, grey has a dampening effect on other colours used with it. Heavy use of grey usually indicates a lack of confidence and fear of exposure.
BLACK.
Positive: Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance.
Negative: Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness.
Black is all colours, totally absorbed. The psychological implications of that are considerable. It creates protective barriers, as it absorbs all the energy coming towards you, and it enshrouds the personality. Black is essentially an absence of light, since no wavelengths are reflected and it can, therefore be menacing; many people are afraid of the dark. Positively, it communicates absolute clarity, with no fine nuances. It communicates sophistication and uncompromising excellence and it works particularly well with white. Black creates a perception of weight and seriousness.
It is a myth that black clothes are slimming:
Which of these boxes do you think is bigger/heavier?

       
The truth behind the myth is that black is the most recessive colour a matter of not drawing attention to yourself, rather than actually making you look slimmer.
WHITE.
Positive: Hygiene, sterility, clarity, purity, cleanness, simplicity, sophistication, efficiency.
Negative: Sterility, coldness, barriers, unfriendliness, elitism.
Just as black is total absorption, so white is total reflection. In effect, it reflects the full force of the spectrum into our eyes. Thus it also creates barriers, but differently from black, and it is often a strain to look at. It communicates, "Touch me not!" White is purity and, like black, uncompromising; it is clean, hygienic, and sterile. The concept of sterility can also be negative. Visually, white gives a heightened perception of space. The negative effect of white on warm colours is to make them look and feel garish.
BROWN.
Positive: Seriousness, warmth, Nature, earthiness, reliability, support.
Negative: Lack of humour, heaviness, lack of sophistication.
Brown usually consists of red and yellow, with a large percentage of black. Consequently, it has much of the same seriousness as black, but is warmer and softer. It has elements of the red and yellow properties. Brown has associations with the earth and the natural world. It is a solid, reliable colour and most people find it quietly supportive - more positively than the ever-popular black, which is suppressive, rather than supportive.


Source:- http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours
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