Vibram FiveFinger Shoes- Have you ever saw someone running on the street and thought they were barefoot?

I have to admit, that I was skeptical at first because it's a funny looking shoe but once I use them I was sold.  I have two pair!!!!!!

The Vibram FiveFingers shoes considered a “barefoot” shoe that improves your body mechanics by letting your foot work the way it should and not the way it does in a shoe. It is literally like running barefoot.  

The Vibram FiveFingers are a "barefoot" shoe. That is they try to mimic going barefoot while providing the protection of a shoe sole. They differ from other "barefoot" shoes by giving you individual toe pockets.

The shoes themselves have a very thin responsive sole that lets you feel the ground beneath you, but you also have the use of your toes. That may not seem like much, but you'd be amazed at how much your pinkie toe can do if you let it. 

By spreading out your toes, the Vibram FiveFingers give you greater control at your base. This translates to better balance, agility and body control. It can also lead to improved posture and less hip, back and shoulder pain if you suffer from those.  Your hips and spine have better alignment and your heel strike (a major cause of back pain) is better.

To make things even better the Vibram FiveFingers are topped (or bottomed) with the legendary Vibram rubber sole perfected perfect for any activity like running, aerobics, water sports, rock climbing and other activity you can think of.  This means the shoes fit your foot like a second skin and have an incredible grip. It is almost like having gecko feet. 

Balance, agility and body control are all enhanced. The Vibram FiveFingers are available with as an open top slip on, an open top with straps, a mesh top with straps and a neoprene.

Getting into them the first few times is a little difficult, but you quickly learn.

Word to the wise, be cautious when you first use them

-Do not overdo it at first. Chances are that the ligaments and musculature of your feet is underdeveloped. Use them for no more than 1/2 – 1 mile in the first 24 hours, then take a day off.  I didn't listen to the advice of the salesman at REI and went for a 5 mile run the next day.  I paid the price and my legs, quads, calves, basically every muscle you can imagine and even the ones I didn't know I had were inflamed for the next five days.  If any advice I can give you, take it slow the first day or two ;-0

  

I used to wear New Balance 992 sneakers for running and aerobics but after trying the FiveFingers, I can never go back.  I definitely recommend you try them out for yourself.

What has been your experience with FiveFinger Shoes?  I would love to get your feedback?

Vibram FiveFinger Shoes- Have you ever saw someone running on the street and thought they were barefoot?

Consumer Reports: Experts’ Advice on Exercise Includes Some Do’s and Don’ts.

-Most people know it’s important to be physically fit, but a lot of us aren’t sure how to achieve that goal. Research has shown that regular physical activity can help prevent dementia, heart attacks, strokes, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, such as those of the breast and colon.

-The American College of Sports Medicine recently released evidence-based recommendations about the quality and quantity of exercise. Here are some do’s and don’ts based on those guidelines.

-Do lift weights. In fact, if time is limited, shorten your aerobic activity to make time for weightlifting, suggests Carol Ewing Garber, chairwoman of the ACSM committee that wrote the new recommendations. Strength training is critical for older adults to help prevent age-related bone and muscle loss, both of which can lead to falls and serious injuries.

-Don’t be a weekend warrior. Research suggests that it’s less effective for adults with cardiovascular risk factors to do most of their physical activity on Saturday or Sunday. Instead, do shorter bouts of exercise throughout the week.

-Do diversify your exercise. The ACSM recommends “functional fitness” activities such as Pilates, tai chi and yoga. These combine balance, stretching and muscle strengthening, and they can improve your agility and body control.

-Don’t stay sedentary during your downtime. Try to find six or seven more hours a week to spend on your feet, and move around more throughout the day. And try to cut your evening screen time.

-Do stretch after working out, not before. To obtain maximum benefit from flexibility training, your muscles need to be warm.

-Don’t rely solely on step counts. While pedometers can be effective for promoting activity, step counts aren’t an accurate measure of exercise intensity or quality. Better to use a heart-rate monitor to track intensity, and aim for a set number of minutes rather than a certain number of steps.

-Do watch your eating. “While exercise alone can cut your body fat and alter your body’s composition, it has a small impact on actual weight loss over the short term – as little as five pounds a year,” Garber says. And losing pounds if you’re overweight can enhance the health benefits of exercise.
-Don’t get discouraged if you’re not that fit. “Even a little exercise is better than nothing,” Garber points out. Slowly build up your duration, then focus on increasing the intensity. Try to add one to five minutes every two to three weeks.

By the Numbers
-Do your best to meet these minimum exercise requirements from the American College of Sports Medicine:

-Aerobic training. 5 days a week of moderate-intensity exercise, 30-60 minutes a day, at least 150 minutes a week, or 3 days a week of vigorous-intensity exercise, 20-60 minutes a day, at least 75 minutes a week.

-Resistance training. 2-3 days a week, 48 hours between sessions, 2-4 sets per exercise, 8-12 reps per set (10-15 for older adults just starting exercise), 2-3 minutes of rest between sets.

-Flexibility training (stretching). 2-3 days a week, hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds, repeat each stretch 2-4 times.

-Functional fitness (Pilates, tai chi, yoga). 2-3 days a week, 20-30 minutes a day.

Consumer Reports: Experts’ Advice on Exercise Includes Some Do’s and Don’ts.

How many hours of sleep are enough for good health?

Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D.

The amount of sleep you need depends on various factors — especially your age. Consider these general guidelines for different age groups:

Age group	Recommended amount of sleep
Infants	14 to 15 hours
Toddlers	12 to 14 hours
School-age children	10 to 11 hours
Adults	7 to 9 hours

In addition to age, other factors may affect how many hours of sleep you need. For example:

• Pregnancy. Changes in a woman's body during pregnancy can increase the need for sleep.
• Aging. Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults. As you get older, however, your sleeping patterns may change. Older adults tend to sleep more lightly and awaken more frequently during the night than do younger adults. This may create a need for or tendency toward daytime napping.
• Previous sleep deprivation. If you're sleep deprived, the amount of sleep you need increases.
• Sleep quality. If your sleep is frequently interrupted or cut short, you're not getting quality sleep — and the quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity.

Although some people claim to feel rested on just a few hours of sleep a night, research shows that people who sleep so little over many nights don't perform as well on complex mental tasks as do people who get closer to seven hours of sleep a night. Additionally, studies among adults show that getting much more or less than seven hours of sleep a night is associated with a higher mortality rate.

If you experience frequent daytime sleepiness, even after increasing the amount of quality sleep you get, consult your doctor. He or she may be able to identify any underlying causes — and help you get a better night's sleep.

Source
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How many hours of sleep are enough for good health?

6 Germiest Places You Touch Every Day

It’s a wonder your hand doesn’t melt off every time you top off your car’s gas tank! Roughly 71 percent of pump handles test positive for illness-spreading germs, according to tests conducted by scientists at Kimberly-Clarke (the company that makes Kleenex and a host of sanitary products).

The testers swabbed a range of frequently groped public objects in five cities, looking specifically for adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which marks the presence of bacteria or germs. An ATP level of 300 or higher means an object has a high probability of spreading illness.

The scientists found that gas pump handles narrowly out-germ’d mailbox handles, which were contaminated 68 percent of the time. Escalator rails, ATM buttons, and parking meters were also pretty gross.

The advice here is obvious: If you can’t avoid touching one of these surfaces, make sure to wash your hands or rub on a hand sanitizer afterward.

 

MORE USEFUL STUFF

• Are You Smearing Fecal Matter on Your Face?
• Your Pillow is a Germ Magnet
• 12 Disease-Fighting Foods
• Think Your Hands Are Clean?
• Get Handsy

Source- Men's Health
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6 Germiest Places You Touch Every Day

Hidden camera water fluoridation video released by InfoWars

(NaturalNews) The InfoWars team has released stunning secret video footage showing how the toxic chemical fluoride (actually fluorosilicic acid) is dumped into the public water supply in Austin, Texas. The secret footage reveals pipes so corroded by the highly-corrosive fluoride chemicals that they have obviously needed aggressive repairs just to keep the liquid chemical flowing. Watch this undercover video footage, which was taken without the permission of Austin water authorities, in this InfoWars video:

http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=A836C...

We have posted this video on NaturalNews.TV with permission, as a backup in case YouTube censors the video as it has been known to do. The original page with the YouTube link is: http://www.prisonplanet.com/infowar...

InfoWars Nightly News is fighting back against poison pushers and tyrants

 

This video first aired two nights ago on InfoWars Nightly News (www.InfoWarsNews.com), an unscripted, teleprompter-free evening news broadcast produced five nights a week by Alex Jones and the InfoWars team. InfoWars Nightly News can be viewed by joining as a member at www.PrisonPlanet.TV

This fluoride video not only shows undercover video footage of the fluoride poison being dripped into the Austin water supply; it also features highlights of interviews with Dr. Paul Connett of the Fluoride Action Network (www.FluorideAlert.org), the world's leading activist on ending the fluoride poisoning of municipal water supplies.

Dr. Connett's videos are also available on NaturalNews.TV, which features an entire series of PrisonPlanet.TV interviews with Dr. Paul Connett. Stunning information!

Part 1: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=3A17B...
Part 2: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=11D9B...
Part 3: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=5778F...
Part 4: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=7B7C8...

The InfoWars.com video that was just released also features hard-hitting historical details about fluoride and how it was used by the Nazi regime to destroy the health of targeted citizens. Watch it at: http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=A836C...

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033753_water_fluoridation_hidden_camera.html#ixzz1cDOzX4EP

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Hidden camera water fluoridation video released by InfoWars

Fewer carbs, less concentration?

In recent years, scientists have studied the effects of low fat versus low carbohydrate diets on cognition and mood. In one study, women who followed a carb free diet for a week showed impaired memory compared to those who adhere to a more balanced, reduced calorie plan. When the low-carb dieters added small amounts of carbohydrates to their regimen the following week, it reversed the cognitive impairment. In another study, lasting a year, low-carb and low-fat dieters did equally well in memory and cognition tests, but people in the low-fat group scored higher on measures of mood. Experts say that cutting carbs might impair cognition by reducing the blood level of glucose, which is produced when carbohydrates are broken down during digestion and which serves as the brains primary fuel source.

If you're considering a low-carb diet, look for one that allows some complex carbohydrates in the form of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain. That might help mitigate crankiness or brain fog.

Fewer carbs, less concentration?

Overworked & Under Spray- Pesticides' Danger to Young Farm Workers

The dangers of pesticides on our food aren't limited to the ramifications for those who eat the chemically-sprayed food. In addition to our soil, air and water which come under attack, the health of the farm workers responsible for planting and harvesting suffers.
A short documentary released last week by Toxic Free North Carolina illustrates the dangers. Even more unsettling? The subjects of "Overworked & Under Spray" are six teenagers who worked the fields. Thanks to Pesticide Action Network for spreading the word about the video.
(If you do not see "Overworked & Under Spray" below, click here to watch it.) 

By The Delicious Truth 
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Overworked & Under Spray- Pesticides' Danger to Young Farm Workers

Your best air freshener isn't an air freshener

By Rebecca Sutton, PhD, EWG Senior Scientist

A quick spritz of air freshener may seem like a simple way to kill funky odors. Unfortunately, that pleasing smell is just more indoor air pollution.

Levels of harmful indoor pollutants like formaldehyde, chloroform and styrene range from 2 to 50 times higher than outdoor levels. And because we spend most of our time indoors, our toxic exposures inside our homes, workplaces and schools are significant.

The dirt on air fresheners
Air fresheners - in aerosol, spray, solid, candle or plug-in form - don't remove odors. They just mask them.

It's literally impossible to track down a full list of ingredients for most air fresheners sold in the U.S., because there is no requirement for companies to disclose ingredients. A few companies provide ingredient lists on their website in response to consumer demand, but the word "fragrance" may hide dozens of chemicals, many of which may never have been assessed for safety. Ingredients commonly used in fragrances in air fresheners include phthalates, which make fragrances last longer and are linked to male reproductive system birth defects and hormone disruption, and synthetic musks, which are linked to allergies and hormone disruption.

Last year, a University of Washington study found that eight unnamed, widely used U.S. air fresheners released an average of 18 chemicals into the air. On average, one in five of these chemicals were hazardous substances highlighted in federal and some state pollution standards. Fully half the air fresheners tested released acetaldehyde, a likely human carcinogen according to the EPA.

When EWG conducted more sensitive testing of the air freshener Febreze Air Effects as part of a 2009 study of cleaning supplies used in California schools, we detected a total of 89 airborne contaminants, including acetaldehyde.

Are there greener alternatives?
When it comes to air fresheners, not so much. Some cleaning supplies are rated green by third-party certifiers Green Seal and EcoLogo, but there are no green certification standards for air fresheners.
Natural or homemade air fresheners scented with essential oils aren't guaranteed free of potentially harmful chemicals. Essential oils are a complex combination of highly concentrated, naturally-derived chemicals. Though they are found in the natural world, they are rarely so concentrated. Few natural chemicals in essential oils and other plant-based ingredients have been tested for safety. Some can trigger allergies in sensitive individuals.

Better ways to freshen your indoor air
Instead of using air fresheners, open a window, run a fan, and get rid of the real source of the smell. A box of baking soda is a safe way to reduce odors. A HEPA air filter can safely remove some odors and allergens.

It just doesn't make sense to pollute our inside air. It's easier, cheaper and healthier to just say no to completely unnecessary products.
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Your best air freshener isn't an air freshener

Companies that “Healthify” their Products Make More Money

An interesting study [Download PDF] was published by the Hudson Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation last week. According to research

Food and beverage companies with a higher percentage of their sales coming from better-for-you (BFY) foods and beverages perform better financially, according to a new report from the Hudson Institute. These companies record stronger sales growth, higher operating profits, superior shareholder returns, and better company reputations than companies that sell fewer BFY products.

Researchers examined sales and other financial metrics for 15 major national and international food and beverage companies, including General Mills, Nestle, Campbell Soup  and Kellogg’s, from 2007 to 2011.  

The companies with BFY portfolios showed a 50% growth in operating profit vs. 20% growth for the other companies. Although the Better-for-you foods account for only 40% of these companies’ sales, they were responsible for 70% of  revenue growth. Shares of the BFY rich companies outperformed those of their peers on S&P. Their reputation ratings were 30% higher than those of their peers.

What you need to know:
While this is potentially good news, unfortunately, many of the better for you foods and beverages are still a long way from being healthy foods and beverages. Healthwashing of junk foods is an ugly habit that many marketers have adopted in recent years as ways to jack up food prices and to increase sales.
Examples:

• How is Coke zero better than Coke? Does replacing sugar with potentially carcinogenic artificial sweeteners make the beverage healthy?
• Is a low fat cookie a healthy food? Or is it still just a cookie
• Is a cereal with 10 grams of sugar healthier than one with 11 grams of sugar?

While moving up from a D grade food to a C grade food is nothing to be frowned at, consumers would do better to REDUCE their overall consumption of processed foods. This, unfortunately, is not in line with the interests of the majority of the food industry, which wants to sell more, not less. This friction will continue to be a source of friction in the years to come.

What to do at the supermarket:
Try to buy less processed foods. Avoid soft drinks. Drink tap water. Don’t settle for health claims on the front of pack – read ingredient lists and nutrition labels to decide if a “better-for-you” item is really healthy enough for your family.

By Fooducate
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Companies that “Healthify” their Products Make More Money

Nasty Bugs Lurking on Your Cell Phone

Study: E. coli Found on Cell Phones the Result of Poor Hand Washing

WebMD Health News

Oct. 14, 2011 -- The next time you reach for your cell phone, consider this: A new study found that 92% of cell phones in the U.K. have bacteria on them - including E. coli -- because people aren't washing their hands after going to the bathroom.

The E. coli came from fecal bacteria, which can survive on hands and surfaces for hours.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London looked at cell phones in 12 cities in the U.K.

They took 390 samples from cell phones and hands, which were then analyzed for germs. People were also asked about their hand hygiene.

Phone Filth and Other Facts

The study found:

• 92% of phones had bacteria on them.
• 82% of hands had bacteria on them.
• 16% of hands and 16% of phones had E. coli bacteria, which is found in feces.

However, 95% of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, which suggests we have a tendency to lie about our hygiene habits.

"We're pretty shocked to find the vast majority of mobile phones -- 92% -- had bacteria all over them. Often large numbers of bacteria,” said hygiene expert Val Curtis, PhD, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"That isn't necessarily something that we should worry about, but what is worrying is that 16% of mobile phones had E. coli on them. E. coli comes from human [and animal] feces,” she says. "That means that people with dirty hands are not washing their hands after using the toilet, for example. Then they're handling their mobile phones.”

It’s not just cell phones that the dirty hands are touching, Curtis says.
"They're also touching other surfaces as well,” she says. “They're spreading fecal bugs on everything they touch really."

Toilet Texting?

Is there a more worrying way the phones are getting contaminated -- by people using them while they're in the bathroom?

"We didn't ask people whether they'd used their phones in the toilet. That might be something that would be interesting to study," Curtis says. "People do tend to use their mobile phones everywhere they go. Perhaps we should discourage their use in the toilet."

So is having unclean hands a modern-day problem linked to our new technology?

"Humans have had infections since before they were human. It's a really ancient problem," she says. "Bugs are evolutionary masters at getting from person to person.”

Anything that you touch can become a source of infection, Curtis says. So hand washing after using the toilet is crucial.

Excuses, Excuses

Curtis says people can be quick to excuse their nasty habits.

"They say that they're in a hurry, they say that the water's too cold. People don't actually feel that their hands have got contaminated.

"Everyone knows they should do it, so it's not education that's the answer. We need to find other ways to remind people that it's disgusting that their hands are dirty and their hands get smelly and foul after the toilet,” she says. "Disgusting people with the state of their hands is probably the most effective way of getting people to wash their hands."
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Nasty Bugs Lurking on Your Cell Phone

You’re Probably Eating Crappy Bread- Nothing you eat should be bleached. We’ll tell you how to pinch the right loaf.

By Ian Cohen

Man may not live by bread alone, but he should at least get some dietary value out of it if he’s going to spend time chewing, digesting and evacuating it. But even that may be too much to ask, since most breads available at your local supermarket are nutritionally worthless.

While most people have finally clued in to the fact that plain white bread boasts the dietetic value of couch stuffing, few are aware that wheat breads are equally empty. “How can that be,” you ask, “when it’s got the word ‘wheat’ right in the name?”

On paper, the word “wheat” implies good health, but when it comes to most commercially processed breads, that’s simply not the case. Any health benefits conferred by wheat depend on the form in which it's eaten, so those benefits are minimal if the wheat used to make your bread has been processed into bleached (or unbleached, for that matter) flour. Technically, plain white bread is “wheat bread” too.

To be clear, 100% whole wheat bread is extremely healthy, loaded with essential nutrients and high in fiber. Unfortunately, most of the mass-baked breads you’ll find for sale aren’t 100% whole wheat&emdash;not even close. They’re versions of the wheat grain stripped to approximately 60% of their original form and turned into flour. Worse still, the 40% that’s removed includes the healthiest parts: the bran and the germ of the wheat grain. So how do you pick the right bread?

DON'T BE FOOLED
Just like car dealers who use the term “previously owned” instead of “used,” lousy bread manufacturers have baked up a few of their own catchphrases to fool you...

“Wheat Flour:” This is what’s left after all the good stuff is removed. Most every commercially processed bread uses either bleached or unbleached flour as its main ingredient. During the factory process of making flour, over half of the vitamin B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and fiber are lost. 

“Enriched:” Enrichment is the process of replacing all of the vitamins and minerals that were removed during extraction. Except that nutrients added to flour later don’t compare to the ones that occur naturally.

“Stone-Ground:” This is another healthy-sounding technique that, in reality, just describes how the flour was milled. Stone–ground flour is pretty much the same as wheat flour, which means it’s pretty much worthless too.

“Multigrain:” Your bread can have 72 different types of grains, but it won’t mean squat if none of them is whole.

The Rye Lie: On its own, rye flour is loaded with healthy fiber. Unfortunately, most rye breads sold in stores are made with a combination of rye and unbleached, enriched flour, explaining why most rye breads are low in fiber—less than a gram per slice.

Sour D’oh!: Just like rye and wheat breads, sourdough can offer a variety of benefits, including easy digestibility and a mild effect on blood sugars. Yet bread companies have again found a way to spoil a good thing by adding bad things—namely enriched flour and fructose.

YOUR BEST BET: GO 100%

To be confident you’re getting the most from your bread, make sure the first ingredient is always either "100% whole wheat" or "100% whole grain." This way you’ll know the most nutritious parts of the wheat have been left intact. Since the health benefits include protection from stroke, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, it only makes sense to keep your bread whole.
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You’re Probably Eating Crappy Bread- Nothing you eat should be bleached. We’ll tell you how to pinch the right loaf.

Many 'natural' foods are loaded with GMOs

(NaturalNews) Weed killer is thriving biologically inside most conventional crops as they grow in the fields of America, only to be sprayed with more heavy doses of Roundup, and then shipped to the world's supermarkets as "all natural," with absolutely no GMO disclaimer or warning. Even vegetarian products have been infiltrated by this cancer-causing "Trojan horse."

Corn and soy based products infiltrate the American "norm" for daily general consumption, and the healthcare industry loves the results. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are suffering from infections, serious gluten allergy reactions, headaches, dizzy spells, kidney stones, bowel irregularities, and worst of all, mutagenic cell production leading to cancer. Monsanto's GMO farm land has increased from just 4 million acres in 1997 to over 330 million acres now, most of which is United States soil. Brazil and India are now popular GMO breeding grounds also.

Veggie burgers are no exception, so no more of that for your vegetarian cookouts. Forget about all the soy-based items that are boxed, bagged and bottled in the center aisles of the grocery store. The only place where you should be looking for food in the grocery store is around the outer walls, where the fresh fruits and vegetables are being rinsed. There's no safety in numbers anymore, and the FDA is grasping for straws, constantly changing the names of poisons as more and more educated consumers know where the toxins are and how to read the tricky labels.

Over 93% of all U.S. soy products are Monsanto GMO, which are carcinogenic. Stop eating the following: vegetable oil, lecithin (an emulsifier), soy protein concentrates, tofu (soybean curd), soy sauce, teriyaki and tamari sauce, soy flour, soy nuts, soy nut butter, soy isoflavones, soy milk, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed soy yeast, soy-based infant formulas, non-dairy frozen yogurt, and soy isolate fiber (SPF). Soy protein isolates, containing up to 92 percent protein, possess the most dangerous amount of "highly refined protein" of all soy products.

Over 86% of all U.S. corn products are Monsanto GMO and are carcinogenic. If you haven't watched the documentary King Corn, it's a must see. The Bush Administration subsidized this GMO food devil the infamous high fructose corn syrup, for ethanol, and also to serve as feed for livestock, which gives animals digestive infections.

Cows are not evolved enough to digest corn, especially Monsanto GMO cancer causing corn, and as soon as corn products become their main diet, farmers must give them antibiotics to fight off digestive infections. That's how the whole cycle of drugs and meat perpetuates.

Stop eating corn starch, corn chips, baking powder, caramel (made from corn syrup), confectioner's sugar, corn flour, corn gluten, corn syrup, corn meal, corn oil, dextrose, dextrin, maltodextrin (synthetic thickening agent), food starch, modified food starch, fructose, gum arabic, GDL (additive in cured meats), invert sugar, invert syrup, malt syrup and extract, mono and di-glycerides, monosodium glutamate (MSG - popular in Chinese foods), sucrose, treacle (mixture of molasses and corn syrup), vegetable protein, vegetable shortening, and of course, xantham gum. If you like corn, eat organic corn on the cob.

Canola oil is GMO and is carcinogenic. It was never meant for human consumption. It comes from the rapeseed plant and is an excellent insect repellant. Canada paid off the FDA to label it as safe. It has been known to disrupt the central nervous system, cause respiratory illness, constipation, low birth weights in infants, and even lung cancer. Canola is not just another oil to choose from. The only reason Canada promotes this is because it is one of the nation's chief export products.

Also watch out for tomatoes, potatoes, beets and alfalfa that are not truly organic. Stick with grocery stores like Trader Joes and your local farmers markets. True organic food prices are coming down quickly now that the word is getting out about GMO corn and soy, and about the labels that are often lies, like "all natural" and "natural flavors added."

Textured vegetable protein, or TVP, is a meat substitute made from soy flour and comes in small flakes or large chunks. This ground meat-looking staple product isn't suitable for animals, much less humans, but the recipe tells you to add it to your favorite soup, chili or pasta sauce. TVP is in most storable foods.

Use olive oil or coconut oil for cooking, and fill your refrigerator and pantry with 100% organic everything. Until you can remember all of the poisons, print this page and put it in your wallet or purse so you'll have it handy at the stores. Change your eating habits now and you will feel the difference immediately, and your body will reward you with renewed energy and vitality.

Sources for this article include:

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033780_natural_foods_GMOs.html#ixzz1Zv3u5ucz

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Many 'natural' foods are loaded with GMOs

Food of The Week: Beets

What's New and Beneficial About Beets

Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. The detox support provided by betalains includes support of some especially important Phase 2 detox steps involving glutathione. Although you can see these betalain pigments in other foods (like the stems of chard or rhubarb), the concentration of betalains in the peel and flesh of beets gives you an unexpectedly great opportunity for these health benefits. 

•  
• In a recent study from Italy, beets were shown to be an especially important contributor of two carotenoids in the overall diet: lutein and zeaxanthin. Although much of the recent carotenoid research has focused on beta-carotene, both lutein and zeaxanthin are unique as health support molecules, particularly with respect to eye health and common age-related eye problems involving the macula and the retina. For eye health, beets may eventually turn out to require a category all their own. 
•  
• Unlike some other food pigments, betalains undergo very steady loss from food as the length of cooking time is increased. For example, one recent study has shown the red betalain pigments in beets to be far less heat stable than red anthocyanin pigments in red cabbage. The difference between 15 minutes of steaming versus 25 minutes of steaming, or 60 minutes of roasting versus 90 minutes of roasting can be significant in terms of betalain damage. For these reasons, we recommend that you keep beet steaming times to 15 minutes or less, and roasting times under an hour. 
•  
• An estimated 10-15% of all U.S. adults experience beeturia (a reddening of the urine) after consumption of beets in everyday amounts. While this phenomenon is not considered harmful in and of itself, it may be a possible indicator of the need for healthcare guidance in one particular set of circumstances involving problems with iron metabolism. Individuals with iron deficiency, iron excess, or specific problems with iron metabolism are much more likely to experience beeturia than individuals with healthy iron metabolism. For this reason, if you experience beeturia and have any reason to suspect iron-related problems, we recommend a healthcare consult to follow up on possible issues related to iron status. 
•  
• In recent lab studies on human tumor cells, betanin pigments from beets have been shown to lessen tumor cell growth through a number of mechanisms, including inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes (specifically, cyclooxygenase enzymes). The tumor cell types tested in these studies include tumor cells from colon, stomach, nerve, lung, breast, prostate and testicular tissue. While lab studies by themselves are not proof of beets' anti-cancer benefits, the results of these studies are encouraging researchers to look more closely than ever at the value of betanins and other betalains in beets for both prevention and treatment of certain cancer types.

WHFoods Recommendations

Foods belonging to the chenopod family&mash;including beets, chard, spinach and quinoa&mash;continue to show an increasing number of health benefits not readily available from other food families. The red and yellow betalain pigments found in this food family, their unique epoxyxanthophyll carotenoids, and the special connection between their overall phytonutrients and our nervous system health (including our specialized nervous system organs like the eye) point to the chenopod family of foods as unique in their health value. While we have yet to see large-scale human studies that point to a recommended minimum intake level for foods from this botanical family, we have seen data on chenopod phytonutrients, and based on this data, we recommend that you include foods from the chenopod family in your diet 1-2 times per week. In the case of a root food like beetroot, we recommend a serving size of at least one-half whole medium beet, and even more beneficial, at least 1 whole medium beet so that you can also benefit from their nutrient-rich greens.
If long cooking times deter you from cooking beets, our Healthiest Way of Cooking beets will help you prepare them in just 15 minutes. Cut medium beets into quarters without removing the skin. Steam and serve as a great vegetable side dish or as a wonderful addition to your favorite salad.

Food of The Week: Beets

Prescription drugs responsible for more deaths than traffic accidents, study finds

(NaturalNews) Every 14 minutes, a person is killed by prescription drugs -- and unlike most other causes of preventable death, which have been on the decline for years, medication-induced deaths are on the upswing across the US. According to a recent analysis conducted by the Los Angeles Times (LA Times), drug-induced deaths have become so prevalent that their average yearly total now exceeds the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents.

It is truly a sad day in the world when the very medications prescribed for treating disease are one of the leading causes of death, including among young children. And based on data retrieved by the LA Times, the number of drug fatalities has doubled within the past ten years, as legal drugs now kill nearly 38,000 Americans every single year -- and these are just the deaths about which we know.

Prescription painkillers like OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax, Soma, and new-drug-on-the-block Fentanyl -- Fentanyl, which comes in the form of patches and lollipops, is 100 times strong than morphine -- are largely responsible for the uptick in drug deaths. Individuals both young and old, many of whom are specifically prescribed these drugs by their doctors for pain or anxiety, are increasingly overdosing on them, according to reports.

The tragic reality of the situation is that otherwise normal individuals, many of whom had no prior history of drug abuse or addiction, become hooked on prescription drugs. When the effects of one drug begins to lose its potency, many patients begin combining them with others just to maintain the same high they had before -- and the end result is often death.

"The problem is right here under our noses in our medicine cabinets," Laz Salinas, a sheriff's commander in Santa Barbara, Cal., is quoted as saying in the LA Times report.

Prescription painkillers, mentions the report, killed 15-year-old Nolan Smith of Aliso Viejo, Cal., back in 2009, as well as a 19-year-old Army recruit, a groom at a wedding, a teenage honor student, and even both parents of a young child. In other words, common individuals of all ages are now dying on a regular basis as a result of Big Pharma's rampant dispensation of toxic poisons peddled as "medicine."

And since as little as one percent of drug-induced injuries and deaths are even reported in the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) adverse event tracking system, the actual number of drug deaths is likely far higher than what has been publicly released. Based on 2008 data from an Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), estimates suggest that as many as half a million Americans die every year from taking pharmaceutical drugs (http://www.naturalnews.com/024632_drug_drugs_death.html).

Sources for this story include:

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-drugs-epidemic-20110918,0,3660682.story
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Prescription drugs responsible for more deaths than traffic accidents, study finds

Judge: Lawsuit against Deceptive Vitamin Water IS Justified

Late last week a federal judge ruled in favor of consumers when he allowed a lawsuit against Vitamin Water to proceed. The lawsuit was filed in early 2009 by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The group sued parent company Coca Cola on the grounds of fraudulent and misleading health claims, as if Vitamin Water had the ability to cure disease. Coke’s motion to dismiss was denied.

From the ruling:

Judge John Gleeson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York found that the company’s use of the word “healthy” violates the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations on vitamin-fortified foods. The FDA’s so-called “Jelly Bean” rule prohibits companies from making health claims on junk foods that only meet various nutrient thresholds via fortification. The judge also found that vitaminwater’s claim on the “focus” flavor of vitaminwater that it “may reduce the risk of age-related eye disease” runs afoul of FDA regulations.

The judge also took note of the fact that the FDA frowns upon names of products that mention some ingredients to the exclusion of more prominent ingredients such as, in the case of vitaminwater, added sugar. The names of the drinks, along with other statements on the label, “have the potential to reinforce a consumer’s mistaken belief that the product is comprised of only vitamins and water,” Gleeson wrote. read more…

What you need to know:
Genius marketing propelled Vitamin Water to super-health-drink status in the past few years. How else can you explain hundreds of millions of bottles of water+sugar+colors+multivitamin sold?
Kudos to CSPI for watching our backs. A personal, 20 oz bottle of Vitamin Water, with 8 (EIGHT!) teaspoons of added sugar) cannot rightfully be considered a healthy beverage.

While CSPI and the judge are tackling the front of package claims and wording, the slick marketing has seeped into the ingredient list too, as we recently wrote:

Water is no longer water – it’s “reverse osmosis water”. The sugar is all dressed up and dandy too – it comes in two flavors: “cane sugar” and “crystalline fructose”. And so forth…

by Fooducate

Judge: Lawsuit against Deceptive Vitamin Water IS Justified

Drink Three Reasons to Rethink that Diet Coke You’re About to Drink

Care for some water? No way, get me a Diet Coke, or a Coke Zero.

Water is for washing hands, not drinking. And regular soft drinks and juice are full of sugars and calories.

So you decided a long time ago to go with artificial sweeteners. After a while, you didn’t even notice the slightly different taste compared to sugar sweetened beverages. And, diet drinks are zero calories. Win-win. Both taste buds AND body are happy. A no-brainer, right?

Not so fast.

A fascinating article – Artificially Sweetened Beverages Cause for Concern – recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), challenges the notion that artificial sweeteners are risk free.

The article’s author, David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD,  a Harvard professor and Founding Director of the Optimal Weight for Life (OWL) clinic at Children’s Hospital, Boston, makes three important points, especially in the context of artificially sweetened drinks:

1. Our body gets confused by artificial sweeteners – the dissociation between sweet taste and calorie intake may put the regulatory system that controls hunger and body weight out of sync, thus sabotaging weight loss plans. A study on rodents showed that those fed saccharin actually gained weight compared to rodents fed sucrose.

2. We’re “Infantilizing” our taste sense – Artificial sweeteners are a hundredfold sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). By getting ourselves used to so much sweet, normal sweet flavors, of fruit for example, become bland and so do other healthful foods such as grains and vegetables, thus reducing our willingness to consume them and ultimately the quality of our diet.

3. Long term effects unclear – while there have been many studies on artificial sweeteners and disease such cancer, very few focused on long term weight gain. A seven year study, (San Antonio Heart Study), showed a relationship between diet drink consumption and obesity, but the causation is not clear. Consumption of artificial sweeteners is growing yearly. According to Ludwig,

If trends in consumption continue, the nation will, in effect, have embarked on a massive, uncontrolled, and inadvertent public health experiment. Although many synthetic chemicals have been added to the food supply in recent years, artificial sweeteners in beverages stand out in their ability to interact with evolutionarily ancient sensorineural pathways at remarkably high affinity.

Drink Three Reasons to Rethink that Diet Coke You’re About to Drink

12 Unfathomable Obesity Stats [Make you want to cry]

 

Interactive Map for 2010
 
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have released their annual report on obesity, and there’s no sunshine here. The report is aptly titled F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011 [download PDF].

The report is released every year (since 2006) and tracks obesity rates in all 50 states. The stats below make us want to cry. Seriously, we’re headed down a path of pain and agony for tens of millions of families, and for this entire nation.

1. Adult obesity rates rose in 16 states over the past year. NOT EVEN ONE state decreased.

2. Twelve states, led by the southeast, now have obesity rates above 30 percent: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.

3. Just 4 years ago, one state was above 30%.

4. Obesity rates exceed 25% in more than two-thirds of states (38 states).

5. Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity at 34.4%.

6. Colorado had the lowest rate at 19.8% . It is the only state with a rate below 20% (but next year will probably be above)

7.  Adult diabetes rates increased in 11 states and Washington, D.C. in the past year. In eight states, more than 10% of adults now have type 2 diabetes.

8. Education matters. High school dropouts have the highest rates of obesity (32.8%).

9. Money matters. Households that make less than $15,000 have a 33.8% obesity rate. Households that have an income above $50,000 have “only” a 24.6% obesity rate.

10. Over the past 15 years, seven states have doubled their rate of obesity. Another 10 states nearly doubled their obesity rate, with increases of at least 90%.

11. Over the past 15 years, diabetes rates have doubled in ten states. In 1995, only four states had diabetes rates above 6%. Now, 43 have diabetes rates over 7% and 32 have rates above 8%.

12. Ten years ago, no state had an obesity rate above 24%, and now 43 states have higher obesity rates than the state that was the highest in 2000.

Here’s what needs to be done:
A) The government must recognize we are in a state of emergency and act accordingly. Many more people are dying and suffering from the obesity epidemic than in any terror attack on this country.

B) While physical activity is important, part of healthy living, the main driver of obesity is excess food consumption. Let’s all agree on that, despite what soft drink company lobbies say.

C) Subsidies for corn and soy should be transferred immediately to fruits and vegetables. Junk food should be expensive, healthy food should be cheap.

D) Kids must not be exposed to junk food and fast food marketing.

E) Food companies must be beholden to a much higher standard when it comes to “health claims” and nutrition labeling.

Now, to all of you who are going to pull the “Nanny State” card, get a grip. This is not about people having free choice versus excess government intervention. This is about much needed public policy to protect consumers. No corporate self regulation will ever do that.

By Fooducate
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12 Unfathomable Obesity Stats [Make you want to cry]