Garden of Healing®

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

2011-12-10T10:40:00.003-06:00

FOODS

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

Is your food loaded with toxins and chemicals? Here, simple swaps to protect yourself

Source: http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/7-foods-should-never-cross-your-lips

Which foods should you avoid?

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing. Often they're organic, and rarely (if ever) should they contain additives. But in some cases, the methods of today's food producers are neither clean nor sustainable. The result is damage to our health, the environment, or both. So we decided to take a fresh look at food through the eyes of the people who spend their lives uncovering what's safe—or not—to eat. We asked them a simple question: "What foods do you avoid?" Their answers don't necessarily make up a "banned foods" list. But reaching for the suggested alternatives might bring you better health—and peace of mind.

Article continues: http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/7-foods-should-never-cross-your-lips

Copyright ©2011 Rodale Inc. "Prevention" and "Prevention.com" are registered trademarks of Rodale Inc. All rights reserved.

What Drugs Was Your Thanksgiving Turkey On?

2011-11-28T13:44:00.001-06:00

FOODS

What Drugs Was Your Thanksgiving Turkey On?
Antibiotics and other drugs are common in the turkey that thousands of Americans eat every day.

By Martha Rosenberg

Source: http://www.alternet.org/story/153149/what_drugs_was_your_thanksgiving_turkey_on_?page=entire

So far, 2011 has not been a great year for turkey producers. In May, an article in Clinical Infectious Diseases reported that half of U.S. meat from major grocery chains--turkey, beef, chicken and pork--harbors antibiotic resistant staph germs commonly called MRSA. Turkey had twice and even three times the MRSA of all other meats, in another study.

In June, Pfizer announced it was ending arsenic-containing chicken feed which no one realized they were eating anyway, but its arsenic-containing Histostat, fed to turkeys, continues. Poultry growers use inorganic arsenic, a recognized carcinogen, for "growth promotion, feed efficiency and improved pigmentation," says the FDA. Yum.

And in August, Cargill Value Added Meats, the nation's third-largest turkey processor, recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey because of a salmonella outbreak, linked to one death and 107 illnesses in 31 states. Even as it closed its Springdale, Arkansas plant, steam cleaned its machinery and added "two additional anti-bacterial washes" to its processing operations, 185,000 more pounds were recalled the next month from the same plant.

Article continues: http://www.alternet.org/story/153149/what_drugs_was_your_thanksgiving_turkey_on_?page=entire

Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Alternet.org

Joint Pain Supplements

2011-11-08T21:08:00.001-06:00

SUPPLEMENTS

Joint Pain Supplements

The market for joint pain supplements is enormous — and only set to grow as baby boomers age.

More than 46 million Americans are diagnosed with arthritis, and while glucosamine and chondroitin are popular treatments, study results are inconsistent on their benefits.

While the variety of joint pain supplements keeps growing, just a few have been well studied, and even fewer have been shown to work. But the best of these studies have been funded by the supplement's manufacturers, leading some experts to question the findings.

Here in the U.S., two supplements are popular: glucosamine and chondroitin, both natural components of joint tissue. The compounds have been used in Europe and Asia for decades and became popular in the U.S. about 10 years ago. They're among the bestselling of all supplements on the market and are also the best-studied.

Recently, large-scale, well-designed studies have examined the effects of the two supplements together and independently, usually in people with knee osteoarthritis, one of the most common forms of arthritis.

In 2006, researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City published results of the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), a study of more than 1,500 adults with knee osteoarthritis, randomized to take either glucosamine, a form of chondroitin called chondroitin sulfate, both, a prescription anti-inflammatory drug or a placebo daily for six months.

Neither glucosamine nor chondroitin sulfate — taken alone or together — worked much better than the placebo, the researchers found. But among patients with severe pain, the combination of glucosamine plus chondroitin sulfate did appear to reduce pain; 79% of those with severe pain experienced relief compared with just over half of those who took the placebo. Overall, the drug provided the most relief — and did so faster than the supplements or placebo..

A review by a group of U.S. and Canadian researchers was published last year by the Cochrane Collaboration, a nonprofit organization that reviews the science on health topics. Analyzing data from the 25 top studies on glucosamine alone for arthritis, they found that, on average, the supplements result in a 22% reduction in pain, but, again, in some studies the supplements worked no better than a placebo.

The Cochrane review included another observation: Glucosamine seemed to work best to reduce knee pain in studies that used a standardized, prescription form of glucosamine sulfate sold in Europe, made by the German company Rottapharm.

The findings on Rottapharm's glucosamine sulfate constitute the best evidence in favor of the compound to date, says study author Dr. Marc Hochberg, professor of medicine and head of the division of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the School of Medicine in Baltimore.

The problem is complicated by the fact that glucosamine comes in several forms — including glucosamine, glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride — but only glucosamine sulfate has been shown to have the potential to reduce pain. Likewise, the bulk of evidence seems to support the use of chondroitin sulfate over other forms of chondroitin.

The daily doses used in most studies are 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine and 1,200 milligrams of chondroitin. Based on the existing evidence, taking both appears more likely to reduce joint pain than taking either one alone.

If there's one good piece of news for people with arthritis pain, it's this: Side effects of both supplements are rare to nonexistent. So at least they're safe for those who want to give them a try.

Cholecalciferol; Vitamin D3

2011-09-05T16:44:00.003-05:00

SUPPLEMENTS

Cholecalciferol; Vitamin D

QUESTION:

I have heard that there are different forms of Vitamin D. Is there a preferred form?

ANSWER:

Vitamin D is an inexpensive, over-the-counter dietary supplement. There are two forms to be aware of, D3 and D2.

The most useable form of vitamin D is D3 or "Cholecalciferol", and not D2, so read your labels carefully.
Supplementing with 5,000 IU of "Cholecalciferol" or D3 every morning is a good strategy.

Many studies have concluded that D is good for people, especially those who have high insulin, prediabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, pancreatitis, breast or prostate cancer and heart disease.

Low vitamin D is associated with depression, fatigue, osteoporosis, heart disease, hypertension, autoimmune disease, cancers and chronic pain.

Back in 2001, The Lancet found that infants who took 2,000 IUof vitamin D daily, experienced a lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

© 1996-2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Cordyceps and Cancer

2011-08-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

NATURAL HEALTH

Cordyceps and Cancer

Scientists at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, published research in the November 30th edition of the journal Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy showing that oral Cordyceps can reduce the occurrence of cancer spreading to the lungs in metastatic breast cancer. Although the researchers found that Cordyceps does not reduce the growth of the primary breast tumor, they noted that deaths from breast cancer are primarily due to the development of metastases. That means a treatment that stops the spread of metastatic tumors could save countless lives.

Although various medical therapies currently exist that attempt to stop the growth of cancerous metastatic tumors, they have little effect - so this makes the Dalhousie University research into Cordyceps very important. The Canadian researchers stated the evidence they have so far suggests that the mushroom reduces the growth of metastases due to Cordyceps' effects on the tumors' cell cycles.

The Healing Properties of Herbs

2010-01-27T18:59:00.000-06:00

HERBALISM

The Healing Properties of Herbs

Source:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/3253876/Weeds-for-wellbeing

A gardener’s nightmare is Amyria Taylor’s dream scenario.

Towering weeds make her ecstatic but most people see red and can’t wait to rip them out.

The Devonport naturopath and herbalist is keen to change weeds’ bad reputation.

Once people understand their healing properties they won’t treat them as weeds any more, Ms Taylor says.

"My absolute favourite probably has the worst reputation, the nettle. I think I’m a rebel at heart.

"I get excited about patches of nettle. It’s a bit sad, but yeah, I do."

She urges everyone to learn more from nature rather than taming everything in their backyard.

For the full article:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/3253876/Weeds-for-wellbeing

© 2009 Fairfax New Zealand Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Food for Thought: Digesting Life

2010-01-26T15:45:00.000-06:00

WHOLISM

Food for Thought: Digesting Life
By Vaishāli

Source:
http://www.townsendletter.com/Oct2009/foodthought1009.html

Most people think of the digestive process as something limited to the foods and liquids that we stuff into our mouths daily. However, digestion is best understood as a metaphor for life.

According to Eastern systems of self-healing, the entire body is an aggregate of different types of digestive intelligences. For example, our eyes digest light waves, so that we can make perceptual sense of our world. Our ears digest sound waves so that we may enjoy our favorite music (or get indigestion from listening to our windows vibrate from the secondhand rap blaring from a car three blocks away).

When we touch one another, our hands digest intimate contact through the tactile feeling feedback system.

There is a reason for this conglomerate of digestive efforts, and it is, as Eastern philosophies say, that everything we encounter is a form of food.

Divine Love and Wisdom have accessorized our human experience with a myriad of assorted digestive skills, so that we might get the most from the nurturing sustenance of life as it is offered to us in its entirety. We are literally digesting our lives.

For the full article:
http://www.townsendletter.com/Oct2009/foodthought1009.html

© 1983-2010 Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients. All Rights Reserved.

Critcal Vitamins for Every Woman

2010-01-19T15:39:00.000-06:00

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Critical Vitamins for Every Woman
Dr. Oz sheds light on one of the most confusing health issues: What vitamins you should be taking daily.

Courtesy of DrOz.Com
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/critical-vitamins-every-woman

If you’ve ever stood paralyzed in the vitamins aisle, facing the alphabet soup of supplements, fear no more. This is Dr. Oz’s list of critical vitamins that every woman should be taking. And if you know your ABC’s, this list should be easy to remember!

Helpful Hint:
When purchasing your vitamins, check for bottles labeled 100% daily allowance on label.

A Multivitamin
Multivitamins fulfill your nutritional needs for the day. Take half in the morning and half at night. Multivitamins contain:

Vitamin A – critical for healthy vision and skin
Vitamin B – a metabolism booster
Vitamin C – keeps your immune system strong, especially important during cold and flu season.
Vitamin D – promotes healthy bones (and your immune system)
Vitamin E – for healthy development of muscles and brain function

Additional Vitamin D
Dr. Oz recommends taking additional vitamin D.

Omega 3’s
To keep your brain, heart and eyes healthy, take Omega 3’s every day. For women, the daily dose of Omega 3s is 1000 mg; for men, the dosage is 600 mg.

Source: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/critical-vitamins-every-woman

© 2009 ZoCo 1, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Clear Your Bodies - All 12 of Them; Celestial, Gravitational, Spiral ...

2010-01-12T13:11:00.000-06:00

SPIRITUALITY

Clear and Heal Your Bodies - All 12 of Them
Self-empowerment through Spiritual Practices; Multi Dimensional and Multi Universal tools and techniques - Connecting to Your Harmonic God-Source and Clearing Your bodies.

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Visit: http://www.curedrive.org/

Would you like to clear your bodies? All 12 of them? How about asking your Higher Self to remove all directional beacons, including nano technology, holographic technology, implants, dark entities, dark energy or any other beacon that is not of the light?

Whether you call it connecting to your Harmonic God-Source or communicating with your Higher Self to release any dark energy, evil or negative forces on a molecular and subparticle level, you can do it, if you practice.

Is it so hard to believe that instead of just one body, your physical body - you actually have 12, or even more?

If you accept the healing that takes place when a wound on the skin of your arm magically disappears over time, then why is it such a stretch to believe that your Etheric or Emotional bodies could have a tear or a hole that needs healing?

And what if all it took to heal these bodies, was for you to "command" that the healing take place, by asking the negative force to just leave your domain, your bodies - all of your bodies?

CureDrive.Org teaches a spiritual practice or methodology for "clearing" your 12 bodies, also understood as teaching self-empowerment through a sharing of Multi Dimensional and Multi Universal tools and techniques.

Integrating all the aspects of our multi dimensional soul essence into your awareness on many levels, you can heal your bodies, all 12 of them:

Celestial, gravitational, spiral, etheric, astral, karmic, mental, emotional, physical, Universal mental, Universal emotional, and Universal physical bodies.

If you would like to learn more, contact CureDrive.Org.

Visit: http://www.curedrive.org/

© 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

A Different Kind of Livestock

2010-01-12T12:24:00.000-06:00

HUNGER

A Different Kind of Livestock

By Danielle Nierenberg

Source:
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/a-different-kind-of-livestock/

I’ve had the opportunity to try some traditional—and tasty—local foods while I’ve been traveling in Africa, including amaranth, breadfruit, matooke (mashed banana), posho (maize flour), groundnut sauce, spider weed, sukuma wiki (a leafy green), and a whole lot of other vegetables and fruits with names that I can neither remember nor pronounce.

One thing I haven’t tried yet is found all over Africa and, in addition to being a food source, it is also considered a pest—grasshoppers. As I was walking through a market in Kampala, Uganda I noticed women “shelling” what I thought were beans, but upon closer inspection the baskets sitting between their legs were full of wriggling grasshoppers. As they sat, chatting with one another and the curious American, they were de-winging the insects so that they could be either sold “raw” or fried for customers.

Despite the yuck factor many of you reading this might have for eating insects, grasshoppers, crickets, termites, and other “bugs” can be a nutritious source of protein, vitamins, minerals,

and other nutrients. According to the results from a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization workshop in 2008, caterpillars are an important source of food for many people in Central Africa, providing not only protein, but also potassium and iron.

Collecting and selling insects can also be an important source of income, especially for women in Africa. And as climate change increases the prevalence of certain insects, they become an even more important source of food in the future.

Source:
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/a-different-kind-of-livestock/

Copyright 2010 Nourishing The Planet. All Rights Reserved.

Being Treated for Cancer? Skip the Antioxidant Supplements

2010-01-11T18:54:00.000-06:00

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Being Treated for Cancer? Skip the Antioxidant Supplements
The jury's still out on whether antioxidants interfere with treatment, so doctors advise holding off.

By Katherine Hobson

Courtesy of U.S. News & World Report

The message isn't getting out: Oncologists say there's a chance that antioxidant supplements reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but patients are still taking them.

That's according to a new study, which found that 61 percent of breast cancer patients receiving chemo, radiation, or anti-estrogen drug therapy were taking supplements of antioxidants like vitamins C and E, beta carotene, or selenium.

It's not that doctors have shown conclusively that these antioxidants are bad. But there's some evidence that the supplements may protect the very cancer cells that chemo and radiation are attempting to destroy. It's a controversial issue; other researchers think that antioxidants protect the healthy tissues but don't interfere with—and may even help—chemo and radiation in their assault on cancerous cells.

There simply aren't enough data to settle the question, says Heather Greenlee, assistant professor of epidemiology and medical oncology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and lead author of the study, which appears in the journal Cancer. Nor do we know what dose might be problematic, if indeed there is some level of antioxidant use that people undergoing treatment shouldn't exceed.

Her study found that among those using antioxidants, 69 percent were using doses higher than are found in a Centrum multivitamin.

Because the major questions about antioxidant use and cancer treatment are unanswered, some doctors, such as Gabriella D'Andrea, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, tell their patients to avoid supplementation entirely unless it is specifically prescribed by a doctor. "That means no Centrum, no Flintstones," she says. Others, like Brian Lawenda, clinical director of radiation oncology at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, tell patients that a multivitamin isn't likely to hurt them but that they should put aside high-dose supplements until treatment is completed.

This doesn't mean, however, that people undergoing cancer treatment should avoid fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain antioxidants.

There's clear evidence that medicine and food can interact—women taking tamoxifen, for example, are advised not to drink too much grapefruit juice—but little evidence on do's and don'ts for specific treatments.

"People ask me, 'What should I eat?' And we just don't know," says D'Andrea. For now, a balanced diet is the best recommendation.

Most important is to tell your doctor what medications and supplements you're taking, even things that seem "natural," like green tea extract.

Earlier this year, a study found that a certain plant chemical it contains can interfere with the effects of the anticancer drug Velcade.

Copyright 2010 U.S. News & World Report. All Rights Reserved.

This Emotional Life

2010-01-10T11:39:00.000-06:00

TELEVISION

This Emotional Life; Confronting Our Demons

Monday night on most PBS stations (check local listings):

http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/

Daniel Gilbert is the host of the new PBS series This Emotional Life. The three-night program, which starts Monday night, examines the biological and social science behind human emotion and social interactions. Gilbert presents how scientists found that interpersonal relationships are especially important in developing and sustaining human happiness.

__________________

Produced by Vulcan Productions, Nova and Kunhardt McGee Productions. For Vulcan Productions, Paul G. Allen and Jody Allen, Executives in charge; Richard Hutton, senior executive producer; Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, supervising producer. For Nova, Paula S. Apsell, senior executive producer; Lisa Mirowitz, senior producer. For Kunhardt McGee Productions, Peter Kunhardt and Dyllan McGee, executive producers. Graham Judd, senior producer. Original music by Michael Bacon.

http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/

© 1996-2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All rights reserved.

Health-giving Raw Chocolate; No Comparison to Candy

2010-01-05T15:36:00.000-06:00

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Health-giving Raw Chocolate; No Comparison to Candy

By Barb Retson (Cococures.Com)

When it comes to raw chocolate, don't make the mistake of comparing it to candy. They are not the same thing.

Raw chocolate is a pure and healthy food, while candy is just alot of sugar. In fact, raw chocolate is a perfect food from nature.

One thing you'd not guess about raw chocolate is that it has a very high ORAC value, making it one of the most powerful anti-oxidants your body loves.

All chocolate comes from the cocoa plant, which is native to Central and South America, and grown commercially throughout the tropics. About 70% of the world's cacao is grown in Africa. In South America, The Maya believed that cacao was discovered by the gods, and they would hold annual festivals in celebration of this gift.

Chocolate is made from cacao beans (Theobroma cacao) and is actually the nut of a fruit. Cacao grows on trees year-round and flourishes best in a shady environment with minimum wind and sun.

The Aztecs, and other ancient indigenous cultures, believed chocolate to be an aphrodisiac. While this is not exactly true, chocolate does contain phenylethylamine (PEA) which creates a chemical reaction in the brain similar to that of falling in love.

Clearly The Maya and The Aztecs loved chocolate, but why is it so good for you and why do we call it a food? And what role does it play in the raw foodist's diet?

Raw chocolate is an almost complete foodstuff. It is loaded with more than 300 chemically identifiable compounds, and is higher in anti-oxidants than green tea and wine. It also contains protein, fats, calcium, iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, and magnesium, which are essential for brain function.

Chocolate is not only beautiful, it’s delicious, and it's extremely beneficial to our health, containing probiotics and other beneficial nutrients.

Cacao contains:

• Antioxidants
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Chromium
• Manganese
• Zinc
• Copper
• Vitamin C
• Omega-6 Fatty Acids
• Phenylethylamine (PEA)
• Anandamide
• Tryptophan
• Serotonin
• Soluble fiber

Raw foodists love raw chocolate because it's a great treat and it helps them maintain their raw foods diets and lifestyle.

Take another look at chocolate, especially raw cocolate and cacao; it's a pure and health-giving food that is not to be confused with candy.

__________________

The copyright of the editorial "Health-giving Raw Chocolate; No Comparison to Candy" is owned by Barb Retson. Permission to republish "Health-giving Raw Chocolate; No Comparison to Candy" in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Contact Barb Retson: Barbretson@gmail.com

Barb Retson is an expert in raw chocolate and is also a representative of MXI Corporation, the manufacturer of Xocai Chocolates. Contact Retson to order Xocai Chocolate or to become a distributor.

Related Links:

http://www.cococures.com/
http://www.mxicorp.com/
http://mxi.myvoffice.com/barbretson/

Copyright 2010 Barb Retson. All Rights Reserved.

Naked Chocolate; The Astounding Truth About The World's Greatest Food

2009-12-27T14:58:00.000-06:00

BOOK REVIEWS

Naked Chocolate
The Astounding Truth About The World's Greatest Food
By David Wolfe and Shazzie

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Title: Naked Chocolate
Authors: David Wolfe and Shazzie
Publishers: Sunfood Nutrition (May 2005)
248 pages, softcover, full-colour throughout

ISBN-10: 0965353397
ISBN-13: 978-0965353397

Luxurious, sensuous, passionate, and exciting to all the senses - that's chocolate!

Naked Chocolate is an extraordinary raw foods / superfoods book. Written by David Wolfe and Shazzie, Naked Chocolate is the product of years of research into superfood nutrition and is adorned with an absolutely stunning full-color presentation of gorgeous photographs.

David Wolfe, America's leading nutrition guru, and Shazzie, the UK's most progressive health educator, have teamed up to bring you this informative book.

Wolfe and Shazzie present why raw, organic chocolate is good for you and why it is quite possibly - the best food ever. In these pages, you will discover the astonishing truth about the world's greatest food.

With a masters degree in nutrition, and a background in science and mechanical engineering, David Wolfe is considered one of the world’s top authorities on natural health, beauty nutrition, herbalism, chocolate, and organic superfoods.

Wolfe has over 15 years of dedicated experience and understanding of the inner workings, the delicate chemistry, and hardcore mechanics of the human body, giving him the expertise to bring you, in Naked Chocolate, the clearest understanding of what raw chocolate can do for your body.

In the book, the author explores the history, nutrition, and magic of this powerful food.

Wolfe identifies the qualities of this superfood that enhance mood and stimulate your body for optimal health. Learn how raw chocolate can affect energy levels.

Naked Chocolate is packed full of information about chocolate.

Some of the chapters found in the book include:

Legends and history of chocolate, chemical composition of cacoa, myths and beliefs about chocolate's abilities, rumors and urban legends about chocolates, chocolate and health, and a huge collection of chocolate recipes. The legends, especially the historical ones, are very interesting. They tell the legends of how cacao came to be as told by the various native tribes of South America. They also chronicle the history of cacao as it is used as money in South America, traded with European explorers, brought back to Europe, and eventually made into the chocolate we know today.

The writing is entertaining and informative, and the authors' passion and research for their subject is very clear. It's an excellent book, well worth the selling price.

Related Links:

http://www.naked-chocolate.com/

http://www.davidwolfe.com/

http://www.sunfood.com/

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/The Garden of Healing® Company. All rights reserved.

For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

The Nourished Self

2009-12-23T14:27:00.000-06:00

PERSONAL GROWTH

The Nourished Self

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Nourishing Yourself...

You are open and many-sided, rather than narrowly prescribed.

You call forth odd combinations, including important elements of humor and mockery.

This Nourished Self - You, is not without difficulties in Your constant quest for an ethical core.

You have the virtue of avoiding absolutes and dead ends, and holding out an ever-present possibility of transformation and change.

Flexibility, Versatility, Adaptability ~ Be Fluid.

Clarity and Results.

Like a Greek sea god of many forms, Nourishing Yourself means fostering the development of a more open and flexible self that can be in tune with the larger uncertainties that surround each and every one of us.

© 2009 Mark Isaac Thyss / The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

__________________

NourishingYourself.com helps You to look at all the ways You do and do not nourish Yourself leading to self-actualization.

http://www.nourishingyourself.com/

Nourish Yourself. The result?

There's more of Yourself to give to Your special Garden of Healing® BABY

http://www.gardenofhealingbaby.com/

House of Numbers

2009-12-22T13:38:00.000-06:00

FILMS

House of Numbers
The HIV/AIDS story is being rewritten

http://www.houseofnumbers.com/

What is HIV? What is AIDS? What is being done to cure it?

These questions sent Canadian filmmaker Brent Leung on a worldwide journey, from the highest echelons of the medical research establishment to the slums of South Africa, where death and disease are the order of the day.

In this up-to-the-minute documentary, he observes that although AIDS has been front-page news for over 28 years, it is barely understood. Despite the great effort, time, and money spent, no cure is in sight.

In House of Numbers, an AIDS film like no other, the HIV/AIDS story is being rewritten. This is the first film to present the uncensored POVs of virtually all the major players; in their own settings, in their own words. It rocks the foundation upon which all conventional wisdom regarding HIV/AIDS is based.

House of Numbers could well be the opening volley in a battle to bring sanity and clarity to an epidemic gone awry.

http://www.houseofnumbers.com/

http://www.virusmyth.com/

Copyright © 2009 Knowledge Matters LLC

Barrier to the Orange

2009-12-11T20:12:00.000-06:00

ONE SIMPLE IDEA

Barrier to the Orange
About the Skin; Peeling through the Barrier to the Orange

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

For most people, the skin is the barrier to the goodness that lies inside the orange. Dealing with that skin is the first step.

Who doesn't like oranges?

Oranges are the perfect food as medicine.

This favorite breakfast food is a potent source of vitamin C. They taste wonderful and there are so many good things that can be said about them.

A single sunny navel orange provides beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid that may help prevent colon cancer. And the juice of the orange has been shown to elevate HDL cholesterol ("good") while lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

When thinking about eating an orange, if you have trouble getting through that barrier, remember this ONE SIMPLE IDEA:

Just one serving of the fruit covers your daily requirement of vitamin C.

Heck, go ahead, eat two!

And don't forget to eat the white pith which is an easy way to increase your pectin intake.

You can't go wrong with oranges; they are a delicious, simple and easy snack, once you battle that barrier.

By far, the best way of enjoying this fruit is to put the entire organic orange through a powerful juicer to get the most of all the nutrients.

© 2009 Mark Isaac Thyss / The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

In Oneself Lies the Whole World

2009-12-09T11:46:00.001-06:00

QUOTATIONS

In Oneself Lies the Whole World

By J. Krishnamurti

In Oneself Lies the Whole World

and if you know how to look and learn,

then the door is there

and the key is in your hand.

Copyright 2009 J. Krishnamurti

The Healing Garden

2009-12-06T11:41:00.000-06:00

GARDENING

The Healing Garden

Source: The National Garden Bureau
http://www.ngb.org/index.cfm

In the best of times flowers help us celebrate the joyous occasions in our lives—the birth of a child, a wedding, career or personal success. In more difficult times plants give us hope and inspiration to meet the challenges of life.

The role of the plants and gardens in healing is ancient. As early as 3000 B.C. the Chinese were using medicinal herbs. The Greeks built a temple for Aesclepius, their god of healing, set among mineral springs, bathing pools, and healing gardens. Green was a sacred color in ancient Egypt and represented the hope of spring that brought new vegetation and life.

In colonial America, the Quakers felt a deep attachment to nature and believed gardens were a place of creativity for the mind and body. Growing plants was a way to relax and restore the soul. One of the first programs to use plants in a therapeutic setting was established in 1879 at Philadelphia’s Friends Hospital after a physician noticed that psychiatric patients working in the hospital’s fields and flower gardens were calmer and that the gardens had a “curative” effect on them.

In more recent times, advances in technology and new drugs have been the focus of treatment at medical institutions. However, within the past few decades, the medical community around the world is rediscovering the healing power of gardens. Many hospitals and health care facilities are incorporating green spaces, flowerbeds and views of gardens into their surroundings and horticultural therapy programs are often an important part of a patient’s course of treatment.

For the full article:
http://www.ngb.org/gardening/todays/article.cfm?ID=60

© 2009 National Garden Bureau. All Rights Reserved.

Those Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables

2009-12-05T16:15:00.000-06:00

ONE SIMPLE IDEA

Those Five Servings of Fruits and Vegetables

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Nutritional experts recommend that you eat a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. But, how many times have you hear or read this?

In your lifetime, countless times, to be sure!

Here’s what to do to take action.

Use your fist.

Let’s face it, most nutritional information is boring and it’s hard to remember all those details.

Here’s a way to make things easy - one simple idea is all you need.

Be like Einstein.

It has been said that Albert Einstein did not bother to remember anthing he could not find in a book or elsewhere. Apparently, mundane detail was not his thing. Similarly, in this instance, use the image of your fist to remember this important broad nutritional recommendation we all hear, but might not be ready or willing to carry out.

Wait, that’s two simple ideas; it’s getting complicated already: be like Einstein and use your fist.

Which one is it?

Try to remember these guidelines (this is where things get complicated):

Consider eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

What is a serving?

A half cup of cooked or one cup of raw vegetables.
A medium sized piece of fruit, like an apple or an orange.
A half cup of canned or frozen fruit.
A quarter cup of dried fruit, like raisins.
A three quarter cup of juice, or six ounces.
Add fruits and vegetables to every meal.
Eat a cantaloupe for breakfast.

Don’t forget to eat one veggie for lunch and two for dinner. If you can’t take your vegetables plain, consume them as soups.

If you have a can of soup, toss in one half cup of peas.

Add vegetables to your spaghetti sauce.

Sorry, that slice of blueberry pie does not count…

Enough! Here’s our ONE SIMPLE IDEA.

Use your fist and eat five times that of any fruit or vegetable a day. Half cup, one cup, three quarters cup, frozen, cooked or canned - forget it.

If you strive to eat five fist-fuls of anything colorful or green everyday, you’ll be doing better than the 70% of Americans who survive on coffee, pastries, processed foods and TV dinners.

Use your fist and eat five times that amount of fuits and vegetables per day and you’ll be just fine. This is your one simple idea; Einstein would certainly approve.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

GPS and Privacy Rights

2009-11-23T16:09:00.000-06:00

EDITORIAL

GPS and Privacy Rights

The New York Times Company

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., heard arguments last week about whether police should have to get a warrant before putting a GPS device on a suspect’s car. It is a cutting-edge civil liberties question that has divided the courts that have considered it. GPS devices give the government extraordinary power to monitor people’s movements. The Washington court should rule that a warrant is required.

Antoine Jones was charged with being part of an interstate drug conspiracy. The government obtained evidence against Mr. Jones by putting a GPS device on his Jeep. It obtained a court order to install the GPS device, but the defense said the order was faulty, and tried to get the evidence collected by the device thrown out. The government responded that the evidence was admissible because it did not need to get a court order at all.

The Supreme Court has not considered the question of whether the police need a court order to install a GPS device. The government has tried to draw an analogy to a 1983 case in which the court ruled that the police do not need a warrant to use a radio beeper to track a vehicle on public roads, but the circumstances were different. In that case, the police were conducting visual surveillance of a particular suspect’s movements, and a beeper augmented the officers’ senses. A modern GPS device is a far more potent means of tracking people than a beeper.

Lower courts have reached different conclusions. A panel of the Chicago-based United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled in 2007 that a warrant is not required for remote surveillance by a GPS device, although it said that if the police began to use the technique on a large scale it might violate the Fourth Amendment.

The highest courts of three states — New York, Oregon and Washington — ruled the opposite way, that their state constitutions prohibit the police from installing GPS devices without a warrant. The New York Court of Appeals, the highest New York court, got it exactly right earlier this year, insisting that permitting police to install GPS devices without judicial oversight would be “an enormous unsupervised intrusion by the police agencies of government upon personal privacy.”

As technology advances, government will continue to acquire new and more efficient ways of monitoring people. It is critical that the privacy rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment keep up with those advances.

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.

Gift Ideas for Garden Enthusiasts

2009-11-20T17:34:00.000-06:00

MEDIA

Gift ideas for garden enthusiasts
Plant lovers may welcome a gift of a magazine subscription. Here are some magazines and Web sites for the gardener on your list.

By Susan Smith-Durisek

McClatchy Newspapers

Wouldn't you like to have some fresh ideas, month after month, for projects and plants to try in your garden or home landscape? All sorts of garden magazines offer color photographs of model gardens, articles on topics ranging from specific plant profiles to general how-to advice, and plenty of sources for decorative elements and supplies that gardeners need.

If you're trying to think of holiday gifts for gardening friends and relatives, subscriptions will deliver a year-round present. Rates vary, so look for special holiday offers.

For the complete article:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2010272218_gardengifts14.html

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

Know the Signs of Stroke

2009-11-19T15:59:00.000-06:00

HEALTH

Know the Signs of Stroke
In the U.S. someone dies of a stroke every three minutes

Garden of Healing®

CHICAGO, IL

Stroke is the nation's third leading cause of death, and each year, about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke.

On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 45 seconds, and someone dies of a stroke every three minutes.

Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today.

Garden of Healing® shares these signs and symptoms of a stroke:

1. Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg - especially on one side of the body.

2. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

3. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

4. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

5. Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

Stroke requires emergency treatment and every minute counts. Do not ignore the warning signs of a stroke.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the above symptoms, immediately call 911.

© 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Sorting the Bounty of Botanical Beauty Products

2009-11-11T16:57:00.000-06:00

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Sorting the bounty of botanical beauty products
From fruits and vegetables to oils and extracts, these options are becoming popular around the world

By Samantha Critchell

The Associated Press

There is such a bounty of botanical-based beauty products, you might think they grow on trees.

Many fruits and vegetables are indeed considered legitimate treatments, but it's because of that efficacy that users should know the differences between grapeseed and grapefruit extracts.

"This is serious skin care even though it's botanicals. It's not 'fluff' like some people think it is," says June Jacobs, founder of an eponymous all-natural product line.

Pumpkin, for instance, is a strong antioxidant and exfoliator, while cranberry's vitamin C can help prevent bacteria from growing on the skin, which is good for people with acne-prone or combination skin, she explains.

Someone with sensitive skin would do better with papaya enzymes, which also can clear dead skin cells, but is gentler and more hydrating.

Article Continues:
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=262362

Copyright © 2009 Woodward Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The #1 Secret to Bigger Biceps

2009-11-10T14:28:00.000-06:00

FITNESS

The #1 Secret to Bigger Biceps
No weights? No problem. Use resistance bands to build muscle in a hurry.

Source: Men'sHealth.Com

http://www.menshealth.com

When it comes to growing strong and building muscle, real men need clanking iron and leather kidney belts. We need to stare down an imposing piece of steel, spit on our hands, and conquer it. And then we need to do it all over again. Or do we?

Sometimes, life doesn't allow you to have access to a gym or even a good set of weights—when you're on vacation, perhaps, or traveling for business. Other times you simply don't want to go, or would rather exercise at home but can't spare the space for a squat rack. Bodyweight exercises fit the bill in such circumstances, but an even better option is to use elastic resistance bands ($12.95, performbetter.com).

http://www.performbetter.com/

Unlike dumbbells, resistance bands create constant tension throughout a lifting movement, recruiting more muscle and accelerating growth. They also boost cardiovascular endurance and calorie combustion. The result: More muscle and less fat in less time.

2009 Copyright Rodale, Inc. Men's Health. All Rights Reserved.

Last Act for the Bluefin

2009-11-09T14:11:00.000-06:00

EDITORIAL

Last act for the Bluefin

The New York Times

The international commission that sets fishing limits for tuna and other large migratory fish is meeting in Brazil. The commission faces a depressing reality: the bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean is headed toward commercial extinction.

From time to time, the commission has marginally reduced the allowable catch, but never by as much as its scientists have recommended, and never by enough to reverse the fish’s plunge toward extinction. The only quota that will make a difference is zero. The tuna fishery in the Mediterranean, where most of the fish spawn, should be shut down, pure and simple, until scientists say the fish have reached sustainable levels.

The United States delegation to the talks should settle for nothing less. If the talks produce only a reduced quota — given the makeup of the commission, that could happen — then the United States should join Monaco and other nations that have been pressing to put tuna on the international list of endangered species. Such a listing would allow fishermen to sell bluefin domestically but would make the high-volume international trade illegal, finally giving tuna a chance to recover.

Scientists say that overharvesting (much of it illegal) has caused a 72 percent decline among adult bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean over the last 50 years. The smaller western Atlantic stocks have shown similar declines but have now stabilized, partly because of rigorous compliance by the United States.

Though shutting down a fishery is a drastic step, scientists increasingly believe that it is the only way to save the fishery, and that it has to be done soon, before the species reaches a point of no return. That happened to the North Atlantic codfish, while closing nursery areas to commercial fishing allowed the swordfish to rebound.

European countries with big industrial fleets are sure to argue that dropping the allowable catch to, say, 15,000 tons a year from the present 22,000 tons will do the trick. It won’t. We know the commercial stakes are huge: bluefin fishing is a billion-dollar business that is driven by a global appetite for tuna, particularly in Japan.

But what these governments and their fishing interests need to recognize is that unless something is done now, soon there will be no tuna left to fish.

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.

Leafy Greens, Eggs, & Tuna Top List of Riskiest FDA-Regulated Foods

2009-11-08T12:39:00.000-06:00

FOOD SAFETY

Leafy Greens, Eggs, & Tuna Riskiest FDA-Regulated Foods
The Center for Science in the Public Interest Urges Senate to Pass Food Safety Modernization Act

Source: Sustainable Times
http://www.sustainabletimes.net/

By George Zens

Leafy greens, eggs, and tuna are on the top of a list of the 10 riskiest foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Those and seven other foods account for nearly 40 percent of all foodborne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated food.

That’s no reason to forgo the occasional salad Niçoise, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which authored the report, nor need one pass up tomatoes, sprouts, and berries, even though those foods are also on the list. But the nonprofit watchdog group says the presence of so many healthy foods on such a list is exactly why the United States Senate should follow the House and pass legislation that reforms our fossilized food safety laws.

The FDA is responsible for regulating produce, seafood, egg and dairy products, as well as typical packaged foods such as cookie dough and peanut butter—nearly 80 percent of the food supply. More than 1,500 separate, definable outbreaks were associated with the top 10 riskiest FDA-regulated foods, causing nearly 50,000 reported illnesses. Since most foodborne illnesses are never reported, these outbreaks are only the tip of a large, hulking iceberg.

“Outbreaks give the best evidence of where and when the food safety system is failing to protect the public,” said CSPI staff attorney Sarah Klein, the lead author of the report. “It is clearly time for FDA’s reliance on industry self-regulation to come to an end. The absence of safety plans or frequent inspections unfortunately means that some of our favorite and most healthful foods also top the list of the most risky.”

CSPI identified 363 outbreaks linked to iceberg lettuce, romaine, spinach, and other leafy greens, variously contaminated with E. coli, Norovirus, or Salmonella, and causing 13,568 cases of illness. Manure, contaminated irrigation water, or poor handling practices are all possible culprits in those outbreaks. The FDA does not currently require farms and processors to have written food safety plans, nor does it provide specific safety standards for even the largest growers to meet.

Eggs were linked 352 outbreaks and 11,163 illnesses; tuna to 268 outbreaks and 2,341 cases of illness, and oysters—despite their limited consumption—to 132 outbreaks causing 3,409 illnesses. Outbreaks involving potatoes don’t seem to make headlines, but nevertheless they are linked to 108 outbreaks and 3,659 cases of illness. Cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts, and berries round out the top 10 list. The data come from CSPI’s Outbreak Alert! Database, which includes outbreaks from 1990 to 2006, using data collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other sources.

In July, the House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act with broad, bipartisan support. That measure would give FDA authority to require food processors to design and implement food safety plans, provide specific safety standards that growers would have to meet, and require FDA to visit high-risk facilities every 12 months or less, and most other facilities every 3-4 years. In the Senate, similar legislation, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), is pending.

“As consumers, we don’t have the power to check on these products,” said Kathleen Chrismer, whose 9-year-old daughter Rylee Gustafson was hospitalized for a month after becoming seriously ill from eating spinach salad contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. “Without a better system to protect us, we are totally at the mercy of the next outbreak.”

Source: http://www.sustainabletimes.net/node/712

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Washington, DC, that focuses on nutrition, food safety, and pro-health alcohol policies. CSPI is supported by the 900,000 U.S. and Canadian subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and by foundation grants.

Copyright ®2009 Sustainable Times. All Rights Reserved.

Common Sage and Greek Sage; History and Uses

2009-11-07T10:46:00.000-06:00

HERB GARDEN ~ HISTORY & USES

Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Medicinal: The name salvia comes from salvere, Latin for 'to heal'. Sage is known for its healing value.

Garden of Healing®

For millennia, both common sage (Salvia officinalis) and Greek sage (Salvia fruticosa) have been valued as medicinal plants.

The Ancient Greeks and Romans used the leaves of both species as compresses for the treatment of wounds.

The oldest reference is a depiction of Salvia fruticosa on a fresco at knossos in Crete, which has been dated at about 1400 BC.

Sage is a small perennial evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers.

The name salvia in fact comes from the latin, salvere, meaning to heal. It is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae, and is native to the Mediterranean region and commonly grown as a kitchen and medicinal herb or as an ornamental garden plant.

The Romans brought sage to Britain and, after being valued for centuries in this country for its antibacterial properties, it began to be referred to as a cooking herb in Tudor times.

By 1597, when Gerard's Herball was published, nine different sages were mentioned, including S. pratensis and S. verbeneca, the two species native to Britain.

The ornamental sages first came from South Africa - mentioned in 1768 by Philip Miller, curator of the Physic Garden in London's Chelsea - and then from Latin America, as plant hunters roamed the globe for new species in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Salvia officinalis is also known as Sage, Common sage, Garden sage, Kitchen sage, Culinary sage, Dalmatian sage, Purple sage, Broadleaf sage and Red sage.

© 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Unhealthy Smog took a Vacation this Summer

2009-11-06T10:45:00.000-06:00

WEATHER

Less Smog recorded
U.S. cities were cleaner than average this summer

Garden of Healing®

The air in most major American cities was cleaner than average this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency reported Thursday.

Charlotte, N.C., had five unhealthy air days in 2009, down from its average of 36 days; Philadelphia had six, compared with an average of 34; Cleveland's three bad air days compare with an average of 23.

For central and eastern U.S. cities, air quality was aided by an unusually stormy weather pattern that kept the atmosphere stirred up, the 2009 Ozone Season National Recap said.

Even skies in typically smoggy cities in the South and West, such as Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Sacramento, had a cleaner-than-average summer.

© 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Giants' starter Tim Lincecum cited for marijuana possession

2009-11-06T10:13:00.000-06:00

SPORTS

SF Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum facing drug charges
Winner of the 2008 Cy Young Award was cited for marijuana possession on Oct. 30

Garden of Healing®

SEATTLE, WA

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in his home state of Washington.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Steve Schatzel said Thursday that the 2008 Cy Young Award winner and former University of Washington star was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 5 in the town of Hazel Dell, about four miles north of the Oregon border, on Oct. 30.

An officer approached Lincecum's 2006 Mercedes and smelled marijuana as the pitcher rolled down his window. Schatzel said Lincecum immediately complied with a request to hand over the drug and a marijuana pipe from the car's center console.

The amount measured was 3.3 grams. Schatzel said police consider that a small amount for personal use, well below the maximum of 40 grams before possession is classified differently and carries a more severe penalty.

The incident was first reported by The Columbian in Vancouver, Wash.

"It was about the size of a thumb, the whole thumb," Schatzel said of the volume of marijuana Lincecum handed over.

Lincecum could face potential fines totaling $622 for the misdemeanor possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia counts plus the citation for driving 74 mph in a 60 mph zone, Schatzel said.

The 25-year-old All-Star starter entered a plea of not guilty through his attorney on Monday, according to records in Clark County District Court. A hearing that had been scheduled for Friday morning was canceled, pending a pretrial conference between Lincecum's attorney and a county prosecutor on Nov. 23.

Lincecum is currently scheduled to appear before a judge on Dec. 22.

The Giants said they were aware of the situation but did not immediately have a comment.

© 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

House Vote on Health Bill Saturday

2009-11-05T16:37:00.000-06:00

HEALTH-CARE REFORM

AARP endorses House Health-care Bill
Bill would cover 3 million more people at a cost of $60 billion through 2019

Garden of Healing®

House leaders put in motion the machinery to hold a rare Saturday vote on the most far-reaching expansion of the health-care system in more than 40 years.

Even so, they were still locking down support Wednesday among a handful of holdouts, with the biggest bloc dissatisfied with the measure's handling of abortion.

At the same time, the AARP, the nation's largest and most influential association of older Americans, endorsed the House health-care bill Thursday morning and vowed to lobby House members in advance of Saturday's historic vote.

AARP vice president Nancy A. LeaMond said the House package, which would spend more than $1 trillion over the next decade to expand insurance coverage to millions of Americans who lack it, meets the group's chief goals for reform, including strengthening Medicare, the federal health program for people over 65.

"We can say with confidence that it meets our priorities for protecting Medicare, providing more affordable health insurance for 50- to 64-year-olds and reforming our health care system," LeaMond said in a briefing for reporters.

LeaMond praised House leaders for including a plan to close the coverage gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage known as the donut hole.

Key Democrats said the endorsement, one of several expected today, could prove critical to pushing their vote count over the top.

"This gives the bill a very important boost,' said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the House leadership. "Some of our members are very nervous about how this bill has been received by seniors. For AARP to endorse it provides important validation."

© 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Obama lifts ban on persons with HIV/AIDS from entering country

2009-10-31T20:09:00.000-05:00

POLITICS

Obama lifts ban on U.S. entry for those with HIV
HIV infection was the only medical condition explicitly listed under immigration law as grounds for inadmissibility to the U.S.

Garden of Healing®

President Barack Obama said Friday his administration is lifting a 22-year-old ban that prevented persons with HIV/AIDS from entering the country.

The order will be finalized on Monday, Obama said, completing a process begun during the Bush administration.

"It's a step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment, it's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives," Obama noted.

The United States was the first country to institute such a ban, "a decision rooted in fear rather than fact," Obama said. Now only a dozen nations continue the practice. "If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it," the president said.

Obama made the announcement as he signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, which provides help to more than half a million Americans.

White was the 13-year-old from Kokomo, Ind., who in 1984 contracted AIDS after a blood transfusion, and became internationally known by fighting for his right to attend school.

White died in 1990, but his legacy lives on. Obama said that because of Ryan's courage, "we didn't just become more informed about HIV/AIDS, we began to take action to fight it."

In 1987, at a time of widespread fear and ignorance about HIV, the Department of Health and Human Services added the disease to the list of communicable diseases that disqualified a person from entering the U.S.

The department tried in 1991 to reverse its decision but was opposed by Congress, which went the other way two years later and made HIV infection the only medical condition explicitly listed under immigration law as grounds for inadmissibility to the U.S.

© 1996 - 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Mushroom Company BTTR Ventures uses Coffee Grounds as Foundation for Growth

2009-10-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

BUSINESS NEWS

Urban Mushroom Company BTTR Ventures ushers in new strategy
Founders turn one of the largest waste streams in America into sustainable local food

Garden of Healing®

Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez got the idea for their for-profit social venture BTTR Ventures while taking a business ethics course at the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

A guest lecturer mentioned that people in East Africa used coffee grounds to grow mushrooms to fight malnutrition. "We both fell in love with the idea of using coffee waste and started doing research and brainstorming," says Arora.

Velez and Aorara founded BTTR Ventures to turn one of the largest waste streams in America into sustainable local food. They do this by using coffee grounds as the substrate.

BTTR Ventures stands for “back to the roots”, a fitting name for a company which donates 10% of profits back to the community. In addition, this venture is creating new jobs in local urban areas.

With a $5,000 social innovation grant from the university, the pair reached out to potential partners, researched mushroom-growing techniques, and tried to identify whether there was enough supply and demand to justify starting the company. They founded it in 2009. Its first partners include Peet's Coffee (PEET), which is providing used coffee grounds, and Whole Foods (WFMI), which agreed to purchase the outfit's mushrooms for 26 of its Bay Area stores.

The company's social mission is to create a healthy food source and needed jobs in urban areas, to save thousands of tons of valuable substrate from ending up in landfills, and to donate 10% of profits back to the communities from which the coffee-ground waste originated.

To show your support of BTTR Ventures, vote for them in the BBC World Challenge 09.

BTTR Ventures is the only US finalist in the global competition aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level.

Please vote by November 12th.

Learn more about voting:

BTTR Ventures: http://www.bttrventures.com/

© 1996 - 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Coffee Roaster Brews Up Fat Profit Growth

2009-10-28T07:56:00.000-05:00

INVESTING

Coffee Roaster Brews Up Fat Profit Growth
Green Mountain sells more than 100 coffee selections under its namesake as well as Newman's Own Organics and Tully's brands.

By Ken Hoover, Investor's Business Daily

Posted: 10/27/2009

Source:
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=510437

Top-Rated Company Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) has been one of the big winners in the recent rally, showing strong earnings growth and outstanding stock performance.

The Vermont-based company is leading a revolution in the way coffee drinkers drink. The company's Keurig unit makes K-Cups that allow consumers to brew a single-serve cup of coffee at home or work. The idea is catching on and, analysts say, is the engine of the company's growth.

Green Mountain also sells more than 100 coffee selections under its namesake as well as Newman's Own Organics and Tully's brands.

It uses the razor-blade model to populate the world with its single-serve systems. It sells its Keurig brewers at cost, then gets recurring income from selling K-Cups.

The company got a boost this year when Wal-Mart (WMT) agreed to distribute Keurig brewers and K-Cups in more than 3,000 of its stores.

The stock has been a winner. It broke out of a base in March, just as the market was turning, and has run up about 150% since. It had made another big move in 2006.

It has nine straight years of profit growth, excluding 2006, when earnings were flat. It has a five-year EPS Stability Rating of 18 on a scale of 1 (calm) to 99 (wild).

In the latest quarter, earnings were 36 cents a share, a 112% increase from the year-ago quarter. That beat estimates by 8 cents and was the seventh straight quarter with an upside surprise.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters forecast 2009 earnings at $1.13 a share, a 95% increase from the prior year.

For 2010, they expect $1.77, a 57% increase.

Source: http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=510437

© 2000-2009 Investor's Business Daily, Inc. All rights reserved.

Germany Warns over Dangers of Nanotechnology in Products

2009-10-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

TECHNOLOGY

German Authorities emphasize Nanotech's risks; no long-term studies exist
Promising potential of the technology comes with a risk for health and environment. Nano particles can damage lungs and cause inflammation.

Garden of Healing®

German authorities have sounded the alarm over the risks posed by nanotechnology when used in food, clothing, cosmetics and other products.

Germany's Federal Environment Agency has advised consumers against using such products until their long-term effects on people's health has been carefully studied.

Nanoscience is the world of small length scales of objects of physical, chemical or biological interest. It deals with matter on an ultra-small scale. A nano particle is 40,000 smaller than the width of the average human hair.

Nanotechnology has often been hailed as a technology of the future, but it's already here, used in a wide array of products.

Paints with nano particles allows graffiti to be washed off more easily. Tooth fillings with nano particles are less likely to fall out.. Nanotechnology is also used in a variety of food products, such as sugar where the particles make the sugar crystals sprinkle better.

Professor Dieter Stuermer from the Bonn-based Institute for Science and Ethics says people should be especially aware of the danger that nano particles can damage lungs and cause inflammation. In particular, he criticizes nanotechnology companies for not taking enough account of the possible negative side-effects of their products.

No debate about the risks has taken place, critics warn. Not only because there are no long-term studies available on the impact of nano particles on human health. But also because consumers don't even know what products include nanotechnology due to a lack of any kind of labeling system.

The German Federal Environment Agency has called for a clear legal framework to provide a safe way to use the new technology. All products using nanotechnology should be listed, the agency suggests.

In a report the Agency admits that the new technology does not only pose risks but also offers vital possibilities for the environment. For instance, plastic with nanotechnology can help to reduce the weight of cars and planes and thereby help to save fuel.

The German ministry for education and research is convinced that nanotechnology will be a major factor in boosting the German economy as the country fights its way out of the current recession. It believes that sales of nano products globally could be worth three trillion US dollars over the next six years.

© 1996 - 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Fredericksburg Culinary Arts (FBGCA)

2009-10-25T15:07:00.000-05:00

Q & A; COOKING SCHOOLS

From SelfcarePro.com
http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Howdy Selfcare Pro!

I'm new to Texas and have been trying to plant a garden in what seems to be less than 10 inches of top soil. As a former waiter, I know and love food, but have never grown it myself. I'd like to attend a cooking school to use my garden bounty and cook my way to better health.

Any ideas or suggestions either about the Texas soil or a recommendation for a good culinary school down South?

Matt S. (Austin, TX)

Hello Matt from Austin!

It's encouraging to see you becoming a Selfcare Pro all on your own!

We are overjoyed to hear that you are seeing how planting your own garden and cooking what you grow can greatly impact your health.

Texas has a rich history of cattle ranching due in part to the meagre top soil which sits upon rock. This is why all you see are short trees and rustic bushes; the roots spread out as opposed to being able to grow deeply into the earth.

As far as cooking schools, here are our suggestions for finding a good one.

Epitourean, LLC is a Denver-based travel company that specializes in culinary trips, and you might want to check with them:

http://www.epitourean.com/

Otherwise our recommendation is the Fredericksburg Culinary Arts (FBGCA) school about an hour's drive from Austin in the heart of the Texas Hill Country in Fredericksburg, TX:

http://www.fbgculinaryarts.com/

There you can attend private cooking classes under the instructor Carol Seminara who has worked as a professional food stylist for national television clients and has catered many events both large and small.

Chef Instructor Seminara is founder of Fredericksburg Culinary Arts whose cooking classes are held at Fischer & Wieser’s Das Peach Haus.

For more about Fredericksburg's culinary scene go to:

http://www.fredtexflavors.com/

You can learn to cook starting with one-to-one training in fundamental skills and methods. Classes are structured to provide hands-on knowledge of cooking materials and techniques, allowing you to build a culinary foundation.

Carol, along with her husband Joe Houde, is owner and innkeeper of the Cottages at Limestone, a Bed and Breakfast in the Texas Hill Country:

http://www.cottagesatlimestone.com/

Seminara is a certified Hill Country Master Gardener, who organically grows many of the herbs and some of the vegetables she and her husband use in their dishes. Fresh, local products are emphasized in her menus which change to incorporate seasonal offerings.

We trust that Carol Seminara would be able to help you grow, cook and savor your garden's bounty.

Selfcare Pro

http://www.selfcarepro.com/

© 2009 SelfCarePro™ All rights reserved.

Wisconsin's Governor Doyle Backs Legalizing Medical Marijuana

2009-10-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

HEALTH NEWS

No Problem with the Use of MaryJane
Doyle says he supports Medical Marijuana use by those with prescription

Garden of Healing®

MADISON, WI

In this historically liberal state, the Governor of Wisconsin Jim Doyle said Wednesday he would support legalizing medical marijuana, under specific conditions.

Doyle said he would support a law that restricts marijuana use to those who have a prescription from a doctor.

In an appearance in Wausau, Doyle said he has no problem with the use of marijuana to treat severe pain and other medical conditions.

The Obama administration announced Monday that federal agents will back off prosecuting people who use marijuana for medical reasons, but users will still have to comply with drug laws in their own states.

Restricting the use of medical marijuana makes no sense when doctors can already prescribe more dangerous drugs such as morphine, Doyle said.

Marijuana advocates said the drug can help people suffering from diseases such as glaucoma and cancer.

© 1996 - 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Hate Crimes: Senate passes measure that would protect gays

2009-10-23T14:40:00.000-05:00

NEWS - CIVIL RIGHTS

Senate votes to extend hate crimes law to gays
Obama is expected to sign legislation to include penalties for assaults based on broad criteria

Garden of Healing®

WASHINGTON, DC

A bill to make violence against gays and lesbians a federal crime cleared the Senate on Thursday.

The historic hate crimes bill is now headed for President Obama's signature for final approval.

The legislation, which was attached to the conference report for the bill outlining the Pentagon's budget, marks the culmination of a years-long fight by civil rights groups to codify the expanded protections.

The measure would extend the current definition of federal hate crimes.

Already covering attacks motivated by race, color, religion or national origin, the new bill would include those based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It also would make it a federal crime to attack U.S. military personnel because of their service.

The measure was approved, 68 to 29, with a majority of Republicans voting against it. The House passed the same bill Oct. 8, also with most Republicans opposed.

Gay rights groups praised the Senate's action.

"We look forward to President Obama signing it into law: our nation's first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "Too many in our community have been devastated by hate violence. We now can begin the important steps to erasing hate in our country."

President Obama said he plans to sign the measure, a key moment for a president who has been subject to criticism from some gay and lesbian activists who say he has not pushed hard enough for their agenda. Obama has vowed to do so, and said he will repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Social conservatives said the hate crimes bill would violate the First Amendment, and would be a step toward a larger gay rights agenda they oppose.

Religious groups have also complained that the measure could criminalize the act of criticizing or preaching against homosexuality, but the bill's backers and the administration contend that is a misinterpretation of the legislation.

© 1996 - 2009 The Garden of Healing® Company. All Rights Reserved.

Crude Oil Skyrockets

2009-10-22T18:28:00.000-05:00

NEWS - ENERGY

Oil Watch: new highs for crude?
Analysts predict prices will continue to rise in coming weeks

Garden of Healing®

HOUSTON, TX

Crude oil hit new highs for the year Wednesday soaring to close above $80 a barrel on Wednesday.

Prices have been up owing in part to the slide of the dollar. Many oil analysts predicted that prices would continue to rise in coming weeks and could reach $100 a barrel by early next year.

“Oil is just flying,” said Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at PFGBest Research, a futures trading firm. “It’s off to the races.”

Analysts said rising oil prices reflected confidence that the economy was beginning to rebound from a deep recession.

But they say the most important factor is the falling value of the dollar, which is encouraging traders, institutions and foreign countries to invest their cash in hard assets like oil and gold. Oil is priced in dollars on global markets, and a falling dollar almost always puts upward pressure on oil.

The rise in the price of crude oil is being accompanied by an increase in gasoline prices. The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline rose by 2 cents on Wednesday from the day before, to $2.60, according to AAA, the automobile club.

Traders drove the spot price of oil up $2.25, to $81.37 a barrel on Wednesday, and the price briefly hit $82 before easing.

Wild price swings, reflecting an unstable market, have become almost normal in recent years.

Oil executives expressed optimism that higher prices would encourage more drilling in the United States.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

Mavericks' Cuban makes case for steroid use

2009-10-22T12:04:00.000-05:00

NEWS SPORTS DIGEST

Mark Cuban makes case for steroids
Not against steroids if they're administered under proper supervision

Garden of Healing®

PITTSBURGH, PA

Never shy about giving his opinion, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said steroids could be used to help athletes recover from injuries as long as they are prescribed by doctors.

At a University of Pittsburgh forum yesterday, the Pittsburgh native responded to a question about the 10-game suspension of Orlando's Rashard Lewis during last season's NBA playoffs.

"I'll get killed for saying this," Cuban replied, "but I'm not so against steroids if they're administered under proper supervision and there is no long-term damage."

He said that steroids, which are banned by all the major sports and are also illegal to possess without a doctor's prescription, may benefit those recovering from surgery.

Cuban said he hoped his comments would initiate a conversation on a topic that is considered radioactive. If the proper medical criteria are met, he added, "why wouldn't we" use them for medical reasons.

"If somebody thinks it's controversial, fine. To me, it's just common sense," he said. "I'm sure I'll hear about it [today] that 'Cuban is for Steroids.' "

In recent years, as big-name athletes have been suspended and/or associated with steroid use, performance-enhancing drugs have been the subject of congressional hearings. But steroids prescribed by doctors have also been used legally in anti-aging therapies.

Cuban, a former Pitt student who became a billionaire through Internet-related business dealings, spoke to several hundred students and answered questions for about an hour at the William Pitt Union on campus. His NBA team was in town to play the Cleveland Cavaliers in a preseason game at the Petersen Events Center.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

FDA to crack down on food labels

2009-10-21T18:38:00.000-05:00

NEWS FOOD INDUSTRY

FDA cracks down on food manufacturers
Agency to develop standardized "labeling that all Americans can trust... "

Garden of Healing®

WASHINGTON, DC

Federal health officials announced plans Tuesday warning food manufacturers that their misleading food packaging labels are, to put in terms they can understand, not nutritious and not good enough for "consumption".

The Food and Drug Administration said that nutritional logos from food manufacturers may be misleading consumers about the actual health benefits of cereal, crackers and other processed foods. The agency sent a letter to companies saying it will begin cracking down on inaccurate food labeling.

In particular, the FDA will target the front panels of packages bearing logos or language suggesting the product is more healthful than the actual ingredients justify.

U.S. manufacturers rolled out their so-called Smart Choices program last year, amid growing concern about obesity rates. The green labels appear on the front of foods that meet certain standards for calories per serving and fat content.

But consumer advocates complain about lax standards for the program, with logos appearing on everything from frozen sweets to sugary cereals.

"There are products that have gotten the Smart Choices check mark that are almost 50% sugar," said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.

The agency is developing proposed nutritional standards that would have to be met before manufacturers place such claims on their packages, Hamburg said. She added that she hoped industry would cooperate with the FDA to develop standardized "labeling that all Americans can trust and use to build better diets."

"There's a growing proliferation of forms and symbols, check marks, numerical ratings, stars, heart icons and the like," said Hamburg. "There's truly a cacophony of approaches, not unlike the tower of Babel."

The FDA plans to research approaches that would make it easier for consumers to select healthy foods.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association in Washington had no immediate comment Tuesday afternoon.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

Set up the Barbie! The Earth's got new neighbors - 32 of them!

2009-10-20T20:32:00.000-05:00

SCIENCE NEWS ASTRONOMY

ESO team discovers new planets
32 new neighboring exoplanets discovered outside solar system

PORTO, PORTUGAL

Garden of Healing®

European astronomers announced Monday they had found 32 new planets orbiting stars outside our solar system.

This adds more evidence to the idea that the universe has many places where life could develop.

Most planets discovered so far are far bigger than Earth, ranging in size from about five times the size of Earth to about five times the size of Jupiter, they said.

The latest discoveries bring the total of known exoplanets to about 400, said Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland.

"Nature doesn't like a vacuum, so if there is space to put a planet, it will put a planet there," Udry told reporters in an Internet briefing from a meeting of astronomers in Porto, Portugal.

The team used the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher or HARPS, a spectrograph attached to the European Southern Observatory's 3.6-meter (11.8-foot) telescope in La Silla, Chile.

Astronomers are keen to find Earthlike planets, as these are the most likely to harbor life. HARPS has spotted 75 planets circling 30 different stars.

The ESO team did not give details of which stars the 32 new planets were circling.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

Sweat lodge ceremony claims Minnesota woman as its third victim

2009-10-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

NEWS OBITUARIES

3rd person dies in Arizona sweat lodge; suit planned
Minnesota woman prided herself on leading a healthy and active life

Liz Neuman, 49, died Saturday at a Flagstaff hospital more than a week after being overcome in sweat lodge ceremony at a resort outside Sedona.

Neuman of Prior Lake, MN suffered multiple organ damage and was in a coma before she died. She was among dozens crowded into the sweat lodge on Oct. 8 at a resort north of Phoenix that draws many in the New Age spiritual movement.

"She was loved and will be missed by many," her family said in statement.

Attorney Louis Diesel said appropriate measures were not taken to prevent Neuman's death and that he was planning a lawsuit on the family's behalf.

"She left this world way too soon," he said Sunday.

Self-help expert and author James Arthur Ray had rented the Angel Valley Retreat Center for his five-day "Spiritual Warrior" event that culminated in a sweat lodge ceremony.

Between 55 and 65 people were in the makeshift sweat lodge over a two-hour period, and authorities said participants were highly encouraged but not forced to remain inside for the entire time. An emergency call reported two people without a pulse and not breathing.

Twenty-one people were taken to area hospitals with illnesses ranging from dehydration to kidney failure. Kirby Brown, 38, of Westtown, N.Y., and James Shore, 40, of Milwaukee, died upon arrival at a hospital. No one else remains hospitalized.

Sheriff's investigators in Arizona's Yavapai County are treating the deaths as homicides but have yet to determine the cause. Autopsy results for Brown and Shore were pending.

Authorities have said a nurse hired by Ray was directing rescue efforts including CPR when emergency crews arrived. Ray is the primary focus of the probe but others also are being investigated, Sheriff Steve Waugh has said.

Neuman had attended Ray's events in the past and served as the leader of a Minneapolis-area "Journey Expansion Team," according to Ray's Web site. The teams, developed by Ray's friends and followers around the country, meet to exchange ideas on his principles.

Ray's pricey retreats are meant to push people beyond their physical and emotional limits, but some people have questioned whether the participants were pushed too far. The "Spiritual Warrior" event is arguably the most physical of Ray's events, and participants paid between $9,000 and $10,000 to attend.

They engaged in a 36-hour fast during a "vision quest" in the nearby wilderness and were served a breakfast buffet before entering the sweat lodge, authorities said.

Ray declined to be interviewed by the sheriff's office on the night of the incident and Arizona authorities said he had not spoken to them as of Thursday. Ray said he has hired his own investigative team.

His spokesman, Howard Bragman, has said that Ray's team and Ray's attorney are cooperating with the sheriff's investigators.

"I think it was a horrible tragedy," Bragman said Sunday. "I'm still saying we have to find out what happened."

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

Raley's recalls Del Monte cantaloupe

2009-10-19T14:55:00.000-05:00

NEWS PRODUCT RECALLS

Raley's recalls tainted cantaloupes
Del Monte brand whole cantaloupe may be contaminated with salmonella

SACRAMENTO, CA

Garden of Healing®

A Northern California grocery chain has recalled several hundred cartons of cantaloupe after routine testing detected salmonella.

The California Department of Public Health said Sunday West Sacramento-based Raley's had voluntarily recalled 1,120 cartons of Del Monte brand whole cantaloupe because the fruit may be contaminated.

The affected cantaloupe were sold during the first half of October, primarily at the Nob Hill Foods in south Salinas, Bel Air and Food Sources stores in Nevada and Northern California.

Salmonella can lead to fatal infections in young children, the elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. The symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

As yet, no reports of illnesses have been reported due to the cantaloupes.

Consumers have been advised to immediately discard the fruit. They also have the option to visit the purchase location to return the fruit and to collect a full refund.

Shoppers with questions can contact Raley’s Consumer Affairs, (800) 925-9989, or e-mail to: feedback@raleys.com. In Salinas, consumers can reach Raley’s at (831) 758-8481 or (831) 443-1123.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

Buying a car? Pick up the phone!

2009-10-14T16:12:00.000-05:00

CAR BUYING

Buying a car? Avoid online scams!
Consumers need to protect themselves when making an online auto purchase

By Madison Taylor, MotaZoom.com

Online scams are everywhere. And with so many people researching and buying cars online, the possiblity of purchasing a lemon, is ever greater.

Here's one online ad mistake you want to get clear.

Confirm contact information.

Pick up the phone. Don't go by what an online ad says to be the absolute truth.

Before you send payment, verify the seller's street address and phone number - an email address is not enough. ZIP codes, area codes and addresses should match up. Always be wary if the seller is located overseas.

In the automotive world, it's also not uncommon for a seller to misrepresent the vehicle for sale when creating an online ad.

It might be a too-good-to-be-true price -- to owners who really don't exist outside of cyberworld.

Use common sense and consult MotaZoom's tips to getting your best deal. Read our Fraud Awareness Tips for more information.

Again, pick up the phone.

If you are contacting a private party, it's important to find out why the vehicle is being sold. Ask them to describe the condition of the car and how it was used, if they have all the mechanical and maintenance records for the vehicle and if they have any objection to you taking the car to a private mechanic for an inspection.

FULL ARTICLE COMING SOON...

Visit MotaZoom.com
http://www.motazoom.com/

© 2009 Madison Taylor/MotaZoom. All Rights Reserved.

Raise Winning Kids without a Fight

2009-10-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

BOOKS

Raise Winning Kids without a Fight; The Power of Personal Choice By William H. Hughes MD

Garden of Healing®

Paperback: 184 pages
Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0801893402
ISBN-13: 978-0801893407
Available in softcover or hardcover

Book Review

"Dr. Hughes has written a guide for parenting based on a step-by-step progression to behavior change. The book is filled with real-life examples and leavened with a sense of humor, all from a distinguished and knowledgeable expert in the field." - Robert L. Hendren, D.O., President, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

"Parents who read this book and begin to practice these parenting fundamentals have a good chance of reducing current problems and preventing other problems before they occur, but more importantly, effective parents give their children a chance to have the personal discipline and positive sense of self that is crucial for successful living." - John T. Walkup, M.D., The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, from the foreword.

Product Description

This guide offers parents fresh perspectives and simple skills to encourage good behavior in children and reduce stress for the entire family.

Emphasizing personal choice, free will, and dispassionate parent-child interactions, Dr. William H. Hughes's step-by-step approach has been developed, tested, and proven to work time and again by child psychiatrists.

Dr. Hughes demonstrates how parents must allow their children to decide for themselves whether they will cooperate and how they will act.

Effective parenting builds character and increases self-confidence. Here, kids learn that they can choose to behave - and be rewarded for it.

Dr. Hughes recommends that parents:

• Set expectations. Make clear what the expected behavior is, whether it's doing homework or taking out the trash.

• Monitor behavior. Keep an eye on what children are supposed to be doing, but let them decide for themselves whether they will complete the task.

• Reward. Verbally praise good behavior and offer kids a reward. Let them play video games for an hour or invite a friend to a sleepover.

Many parents are convinced that reward systems simply do not work. Dr. Hughes explains why his approach gets the desired results while other approaches do not.

By not engaging in power struggles and giving rewards only when expectations have been met, parents teach their kids that in choosing good behavior they are choosing rewards - and rewards will motivate kids to act better. Dr. Hughes also outlines a clear strategy for dealing with kids who just won't take no for an answer.

The book encourages parents to modify their own behavior, teaching them to shift their focus away from battling with their kids and to use their energy to help their children develop winning habits and attitudes for life.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

Obama calls on Congress to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act

2009-10-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

POLITICS

Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
President calls for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners

Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

WASHINGTON, DC

President Barack Obama restated campaign pledges on Saturday night to an enthusiastic crowd of about 3,000 at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a gay civil rights advocacy group.

Obama called on Congress to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits. He also called for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners.

The President offered few specifics and he was aware that some in the audience may be growing impatient by his lack of a detailed plan for how to achieve his goals.

"I appreciate that many of you don't believe progress has come fast enough," Obama said.

Cleve Jones, a pioneer activist and creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, said Saturday that Obama delivered a brilliant speech.

"He repeated his promises that he's made to us before, but he did not indicate when he would accomplish these goals and we've been waiting for a while now," said Jones, national co-chair of a major gay-rights rally scheduled for Sunday on the National Mall.

The President expressed strong support for the HRC agenda of ending discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.

"My expectation is that when you look back on these years you will look back and see a time when we put a stop against discrimination ... whether in the office or the battlefield," Obama said.

The HRC holds out hope of seeing more action.

"We have never had a stronger ally in the White House. Never," Joe Solmonese, the group's president, said at the dinner before the president spoke.

__________________

Related Links:
HRC: http://www.hrc.org/
Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

UCS Vanguard (2009)

2009-10-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

CLEAN VEHICLES

UCS Vanguard (2009) Fact Sheet
Protecting families from global warming using today's technologies and fuels

From families to farmers, drivers across the nation have been waiting for “no compromises” vehicles—cars and trucks that can help keep America running strong while countering the health, economic, and environmental threats posed by global warming pollution.

Existing technology and fuels make it possible for us to enjoy cleaner but still affordable cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, and minivans today. The global warming emission reduction law for vehicles adopted by California and 14 other states actually requires automakers to start making these cleaner vehicles. Unfortunately, automakers are attempting to block these laws, and refuse to make the clean and affordable vehicles Americans want.

That’s why the vehicle engineers at the Union of Concerned Scientists set out to show what you’re missing.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE:
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/technologies_and_fuels/gasoline_and_diesel/ucs-vanguard-2009.html

© 2009 Union of Concerned Scientists. All Rights Reserved.

Eating healthy on a budget; #1 - Make a plan

2009-10-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

ONE SIMPLE IDEA

#1 - Make a Plan
Eating Healthy on a Budget

Alicia Bosscher, MPH, RD, CD

It's possible to eat healthfully without spending a lot of extra money on food.

Here's one tip, ONE SIMPLE IDEA, to keep in mind during the time you spend hunting for food down your grocer's ailes.

The first tip is: Make a plan.

Collecting ads and coupons from a variety of publications will take you far at the grocery store. Scan for sales and coupons while you plan meals for the week.

Be flexible and allow sale items to be included in your meal plans.

__________________

The copyright of the editorial Eating healthy on a budget; #1 - Make a plan (in Garden of Healing.Com) is owned by Alicia Bosscher, MPH, RD, CD. Permission to republish Eating healthy on a budget; #1 - Make a plan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Contact Alicia Bosscher:

Alicia Bosscher
HIV Nutrition & Treatment Support Services Coordinator
AIDS Network, 600 Williamson Street, Suite H, Madison, WI 53703 ~ USA ~ (608) 252-6540
Email: abosscher at aidsnetwork dot org

Related Links:
http://www.aidsnetwork.org/

© 2009 Alicia Bosscher, MPH, RD, CD. All Rights Reserved.

How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect

2009-10-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

MIND

How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect

By Benedict Carey

Source: New York Times

In addition to assorted bad breaks and pleasant surprises, opportunities and insults, life serves up the occasional pink unicorn. The three-dollar bill; the nun with a beard; the sentence, to borrow from the Lewis Carroll poem, that gyres and gimbles in the wabe.

An experience, in short, that violates all logic and expectation. The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote that such anomalies produced a profound “sensation of the absurd,” and he wasn’t the only one who took them seriously. Freud, in an essay called “The Uncanny,” traced the sensation to a fear of death, of castration or of “something that ought to have remained hidden but has come to light.”

At best, the feeling is disorienting. At worst, it’s creepy.

FOR THE FULL STORY:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06mind.html?ref=todayspaper

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.

Ein warmes - und, kühles Refugium

2009-10-02T20:05:00.000-05:00

POETICA

Umrahmt von Natur
Irgend alles ist erreichbar - Garten der Heilung

Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Ihr besondere Seele...

Umrahmt von Natur - ideale Gegebenheiten zum Durchatmen im SpezialKlima - Garten der Heilung.

Berg- und Talwinde führen gute Luft...

Eine ständige Lufterneuerung. Einatmen, ausatmen.

Mit Garten der Heilung -

Irgend alles ist erreichbar.

Ein warmes - und, kühles Refugium.

Einatmen, ausatmen...

Das Immunsystem kann sich regenerieren und das milde Reizklima aktiviert den Organismus und beruhigt die Nerven.

Ihr besondere Seele gilt es zu schützen.

Deshalb setzen wir auf den Schutz der Umwelt - Natur.

Unser Engagement wurde bereits mit Garden of Healing® bedacht.

Wir werden uns auch weiterhin für unsere Naturschätze einsetzen!

Euch.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

The copyright of the article Ein warmes - und, kühles Refugium (Umrahmt von Natur; Irgend alles ist erreichbar - Garten der Heilung) in Garden of Healing.Com is owned by Mark Isaac Thyss. Permission to republish Ein warmes - und, kühles Refugium in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Contact Mark Thyss:
GGArgentum, (Garden of Healing®, Inc.), 1223 W. Main Street, #301, Sun Prairie, WI 53590 ~ USA ~ (619) 615-9962

For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Zinc deficiencies a global concern

2009-09-30T19:37:00.000-05:00

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION

DNA damage caused by zinc deficiency
Two billion people around the world have diets deficient in zinc

CORVALLIS, OR

Other vitamins and nutrients may get more headlines, but experts say as many as two billion people around the world have diets deficient in zinc – and studies at Oregon State University and elsewhere are raising concerns about the health implications this holds for infectious disease, immune function, DNA damage and cancer.

One new study has found DNA damage in humans caused by only minor zinc deficiency.

ARTICLE CONTINUES:
http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2009/sep/zinc-deficiencies-global-concern

Copyright © 2009 Oregon State University. All Rights Reserved.

HSN Mixing Ads Into Sales Pitches

2009-09-28T15:39:00.000-05:00

ADVERTISING

HSN Starts Mixing Ads Into Its Usual Sales Pitches
Barilla Pasta Gets Role in Cookware Segment as Network Moves Into Product Placements in Bid to Boost Revenue

By Suzanne Vranica
The Wall Street Journal

HSN, the home shopping network, is looking to a new source of revenue: advertising.

Some TV watchers regard the channel - best known for selling celebrity fashion designs, gadgets and antiwrinkle creams - as one big commercial. But, until recently, HSN didn't sell ads.

While selling Jamie Oliver's Survival Kit Cookware on HSN, the chef and host talked about Barilla pasta; the brand was displayed on screen.

Instead, the company, which Barry Diller spun off from his IAC/InterActive about a year ago, relied on a cut of product sales. It must share that revenue with the cable operators who carry the network, which is available in about 92 million homes.

Now, HSN is weaving marketers' brands directly into its broadcasts - still stopping short of traditional commercials. Several companies, including Kraft Foods and pasta maker Barilla, have signed on to the new approach, which began over the summer.

FOR THE FULL STORY:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125408792465344603.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_RIGHTTopCarousel

Copyright ©2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap

2009-09-24T16:14:00.000-05:00

ADDICTION TREATMENT

Open Society Institute & Soros Foundations Network
Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap: Statement on Annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data Released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

NEW YORK, NY

Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap is a national program initiated by the Open Society Institute and involving nine other local and national organizations working to expand addiction treatment. This initiative is designed to create an awareness of-and increase resources to close-an alarming treatment gap: currently, four out of five Americans who need drug and alcohol addiction treatment are unable to get it. The initiative aims to mobilize public support for expanded treatment by increasing public funding, broadening insurance coverage, and achieving greater program efficiency.

The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking foundation, works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. OSI works in over 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as in the United States.

Learn more:
Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap: http://www.treatmentgap.org/

Statement by Victor Capoccia, director of the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap initiative:
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/treatmentgap/news/samhsa_20090910

Grants, Scholarships, & Fellowships
http://www.soros.org/grants

© 1996-2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

Leaves of three, Let it be!

2009-09-18T20:26:00.000-05:00

SELFCARE PRODUCTS

Poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac
Most common allergy in the US claiming half the population

Arlie Maylin
Garden of Healing®

There's an old saying, "leaves of three, let it be."

Here we're talking about poison oak.

If you want to enjoy the great outdoors, get familiar with this plant to avoid its painful, itchy rash.

A poison oak rash is an allergic reaction to the urushiol oil that is found in poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac.

You do not have to come into contact with the actual plant to get exposed, touching anything with the urushiol oil on it will produce this painful rash.

Marie's Poison Ivy/Oak Soap should be a part of everyone's First Aid Kit.

Marie's soap is a bar soap with chemicals that can break down the urushiol oil. It also has emolients that are supposed to soothe irritated skin and help it to heal faster.

TO ORDER: http://www.poisonoaksoap.com/

© 2009 Arlie Ian Maylin/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Big Food vs. Big Insurance

2009-09-10T11:18:00.000-05:00

POLITICS & HEALTHCARE

Our $2.3 trillion US health care industry
Perverse incentives, inefficiencies, unnecessary tests and procedures, lack of competition, and greed

By Michael Pollan

BERKELEY, CA

To listen to President Obama’s speech on Wednesday night, or to just about anyone else in the health care debate, you would think that the biggest problem with health care in America is the system itself — perverse incentives, inefficiencies, unnecessary tests and procedures, lack of competition, and greed.

No one disputes that the $2.3 trillion we devote to the health care industry is often spent unwisely, but the fact that the United States spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care can be substantially explained, as a study released last month says, by our being fatter.

Even the most efficient health care system that the administration could hope to devise would still confront a rising tide of chronic disease linked to diet.

That’s why our success in bringing health care costs under control ultimately depends on whether Washington can summon the political will to take on and reform a second, even more powerful industry: the food industry.

STORY CONTINUES:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?_r=1

__________________

Michael Pollan, a contributing writer for The Times Magazine and a professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, is the author of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.”

VISIT: http://www.michaelpollan.com/

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.

Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fish Oil; $20 Million Study

2009-09-10T10:16:00.000-05:00

RESEARCH STUDIES

Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL)
Trial will research 20,000 men and women beginning in January 2010

Garden of Healing®

Pharmavite http://www.pharmavite.com/ and Ocean Nutrition Canada http://www.ocean-nutrition.com/ will provide vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil supplements for an upcoming study that will explore the effects of the supplements on a person’s risk of getting cancer, heart disease or having a stroke.

The $20 million study will be funded by the National Institutes of Health and is being conducted by the Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

The study is being called the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) and will research 20,000 men and women beginning in January 2010.

Women aged 65 or older and men aged 60 or older who have not previously had a heart attack, stroke or cancer may be eligible to participate in VITAL. One quarter of the participants will be blacks, as the study seeks to investigate whether or not people with dark skin have a higher risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease due to vitamin D deficiencies. Researchers will also monitor the effects of the supplements on memory loss, depression, diabetes and osteoporosis, among other conditions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.vitalstudy.org/

© 1996-2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

British Candy spits at $16.7 Billion Kraft Singles

2009-09-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

BUSINESS DIGEST

Cadbury rejects Kraft overture
Irene Rosenfeld makes offer public in hopes to force Cadbury's hand

Garden of Healing®

LONDON, ENGLAND

On Monday, Kraft Foods Inc. launched a $16.7 Billion bid for Britain's Cadbury PLC, sending the chocolate maker's stock up around 40%.

Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld said Wednesday that she will keep pushing to buy the candy maker. Rosenfeld hopes to make Cadbury a part of Kraft's focus on higher-margin brands and international markets, but ratings agencies were wary of the deal.

Cadbury PLC is the world's second-largest candy maker, and in rejecting the $16.7 billion cash-and-stock offer, it said the offer undervalues the company.

Kraft, the world's second-largest food maker, said the acquisition could lift its revenue and earnings. Rosenfeld projected long-term growth of 9 percent to 11 percent in earnings per share and at least 5 percent in revenue.

Rating agencies said combining Kraft and Cadbury makes sense strategically but would significantly increase Kraft's debt. As of June 30, it had $20.2 billion in debt and $1.7 billion in cash, according to Fitch Ratings.

Mars Inc. is the world's largest candy company, and Switzerland-based Nestle S.A. is the largest food maker worldwide.

© 1996-2009 Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Living a Life of Ma'at

2009-09-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

MEDICINE

Life of Ma'at
The Ancient World of Modern Medicine

Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Medicine is rediscovering it's roots...

Addressing healing on all levels - mind, body and spirit, is far from new.

Remember the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks?

Akin to the Chinese concept of Tao, living a life of Ma'at, was the greatest prescription for maintaining a healthy life in Ancient Egyptian times.

So, what has changed?

Amid the bustle of our modern world...,

there still can be found a level of purification that produces a foundation of health, a new starting point for reaching out.

Magic and Practicality

Healing is both part magic and part practical means that are completely integrated...

What is true today are the core foundations of health, as alive as they were in ancient times.

Simple clean living

No need for spells or incantations written on small papyri and worn about the neck...

No supernatural adversaries needing your letter imploring them to cease their curses on your life.

Health and healing are yours to find as you tend to your own Garden of Healing®.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All Rights Reserved.

For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) possible risk with Swine flu vaccine

2009-09-01T10:48:00.000-05:00

THE TAKE ON PHARMACEUTICALS

Alert for brain disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Possibility of an increased incidence of GBS remains a concern

LONDON, ENGLAND

A warning that the new swine flu jab is linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter.

The letter from the Health Protection Agency, the official body that oversees public health, has been leaked to The Mail on Sunday, leading to demands to know why the information has not been given to the public before the vaccination of millions of people, including children, begins.

It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine.

GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and inability to breathe, and can be fatal.

The letter, sent to about 600 neurologists on July 29, is the first sign that there is concern at the highest levels that the vaccine itself could cause serious complications.

SOURCE:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1206807/Swine-flu-jab-link-killer-nerve-disease-Leaked-letter-reveals-concern-neurologists-25-deaths-America.html?ITO=1490

© 2009 Associated Newspapers Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Doctors to be brought to justice

2009-08-31T18:00:00.000-05:00

ABUSE SIGHTINGS

Doctors who assist in torture should be brought to justice
Near-silence surrounds the issue of doctors’ complicity in the torture of terrorist suspects, writes William Hopkins.

By William Hopkins

The issue of Western complicity in the torture of terrorist suspects is not going away.

In Britain, each day brings new demands for an inquiry into the security services' alleged involvement – not least in a severely critical report published this week by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.

In the US, the imminent release of a CIA report from 2004 is expected to reveal a "Technicolor horror show" sanctioned by senior government lawyers.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/5984212/Doctors-who-assist-in-torture-should-be-brought-to-justice.html

Dr William Hopkins is a consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist with the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.

http://www.torturecare.org.uk/

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2009

Don’t mess with Oprah and Dr. Oz

2009-08-27T09:50:00.000-05:00

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS NEWS

Oprah & Oz; TV gurus file suit against 50 businesses
Allegations companies used their personae without permission to endorse products

Garden of Healing®

http://www.gardenofhealing.com/

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

NEW YORK, NY

Mess with Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Mehmet Oz, and you might get yourself in trouble. That message was sent last week when the two media personalities filed suit against 50 businesses over allegations the companies used their personae without permission to endorse products.

On August 20, 2009, Winfrey and Oz filed suit in Manhattan's Federal Court taking legal action against a host of companies in the dietary supplement, wrinkle-cream and tooth-whitening sectors who used the dynamic duo’s images and names to endorse their products.

Given the high visibility of the plaintiffs, the suit may also bring to light false health claims concerns and other consumer fraud issues for online dietary supplement sales and marketing.

"These defendants are willfully capitalising on plaintiffs' valuable reputation and intellectual property rights to lure consumers into ordering their infringing products on the false premise that they have been tested or recommended by Ms. Winfrey and/or Dr. Oz when they have not," state the court documents.

The legal action from the Oprah and Oz duo is in line with a recent decision by the FTC to fine tune rulings surrounding product endorsements.

For a list of the companies named in the suit:
http://preview.nutritionbusinessjournal.com/test/companies-named-oprah-oz-suit/index.html

RELATED LINKS:

http://nutritionbusinessjournal.com/supplements/news/Ophrah-Oz-lawsuit-acai/

https://www.consumerlab.com/news/Acai-Berry-Review/8_25_2009/

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy Dead at 77

2009-08-26T14:11:00.000-05:00

OBITUARIES

Sen. Ted Kennedy dies of brain cancer, 1932-2009
Icon of American politics had been battling brain cancer for more than a year

Garden of Healing®

BOSTON, MA

U.S. Sen. Edward Moore Kennedy, the last surviving brother in a political dynasty and one of the most influential senators in history, died shortly before midnight Tuesday at his home in Hyannisport, Mass. He was 77.

Kennedy had been battling brain cancer for more than a year. His life and passing marks the end of a storied era in American political history.

He was the youngest child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, last in line behind brothers groomed for the presidency. He lacked the polished charm of his brother John, who won the presidency in 1960, or the grit and fire of brother Bobby, who pursued the White House in 1968.

Ted Kennedy built a towering reputation in the Senate as someone who made the system work.

Kennedy's death triggered an outpouring of superlatives, from Democrats and Republicans as well as foreign leaders.

President Obama called Kennedy “one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.”

The death of Sen. Kennedy, was announced Wednesday morning in a statement by the Kennedy family, which was already mourning the death of the senator’s sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver two weeks earlier.

The Senator had been in precarious health since he suffered a seizure in May 2008. His doctors determined the cause was a malignant glioma, a brain tumor that often carries a grim prognosis.

Kennedy spent much of last year in treatment and recuperation, broken by occasional public appearances and a dramatic return to the Capitol last summer to cast a decisive vote on a Medicare bill.

FOR MORE OBITUARIES:
http://www.obituaries.com/Obits.asp

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Mind Control and Gang Stalking

2009-08-25T21:01:00.000-05:00

ABUSE SIGHTINGS

Solitary terror of Mind Control
“Extreme community” on the Internet encourages delusional thinking

Dolly S. Fletcher

SOURCE: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/fashion/13psych.html?_r=1&ref=health

For years they lived in solitary terror of the light beams that caused searing headaches, the technology that took control of their minds and bodies.

They feared the stalkers, people whose voices shouted from the walls or screamed in their heads, “We found you” and “We want you dead.”

When people who believe such things reported them to the police, doctors or family, they said they were often told they were crazy. Sometimes they were medicated or locked in hospital wards, or fired from jobs and isolated from the outside world.

STORY CONTINUES:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/fashion/13psych.html?_r=1&ref=health

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.

Daikon Radish for flu prevention

2009-08-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Daikon and Scallions for Flu
Simple dietary methods help to ward off illness

Arlie Maylin
Garden of Healing®

CHICAGO, IL

Boost your immune system with Daikon radish and scallions by making this simple soup to ward off flu this Fall. It's a great natural remedy for general use.

Variations of this soup likely exist, and you might want to check with an Acupuncturist for the details, and for other natural methods for preventing illness as the cold weather rolls in.

Daikon is Japanese for a mild-flavored, very large, white, East Asian radish, shaped like a giant carrot.

While Daikon is very low in food energy, or calories, it does provide a goodly amount of vitamin C. Daikon also contains the active enzyme myrosinase that aids digestion, particularly of starchy foods.

Flu Prevention Recipe

Dice one 6 inch piece of Daikon (white radish).

Chop up a small bunch of scallions (feel free to include the roots).

Add the Daikon and scallions to a pot with 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Drink the soup and don't forget to eat the radish and scallions as well.

This preparation is enough for 5 servings. Store it in the refrigerator and warm when needed.

© 2009 Arlie Ian Maylin/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

WHO: Lack of vaccines in developing countries a major concern

2009-08-25T19:33:00.000-05:00

WORLD HEALTH

Massive underproduction of vaccines
H1N1 virus expected to surge this Fall

Garden of Healing®

HONG KONG

Asia is expected to be short of the new H1N1 vaccine to fight swine flu when infections surge this Fall, a spokesman for the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

Australia and China will begin producing the vaccines in September, but these would be used domestically and the rest of the region is unlikely to benefit.

"The lack of vaccines in developing countries will be of particular concern," said Manila-based WHO spokesman Peter Cordingley. "Nowhere is ready ... there is going to be massive underproduction of vaccines as compared to the needs and demand," he added.

Although the virus causes mild symptoms in many people, experts have warned against complacency because severe complications and deaths have occurred to pregnant women, young children, people with underlying health problems like obesity and diabetes, and worryingly, even healthy young adults.

The H1N1 is largely treatable using oseltamivir but vaccines are recommended as a population-wide method of prevention.

Indonesia, with a population of 226 million, has not signed any contract with foreign vaccine makers, said Tjandra Yoga Aditama, the health ministry's chief of disease control.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Murray admits treating Jackson with intravenous line Propofol

2009-08-24T18:56:00.000-05:00

WORLD NEWS

Fatal combination of drugs to blame
LA coroner to treat Michael Jackson's death as a homicide

Garden of Healing®

LOS ANGELES, CA

The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide.

An law enforcement official at the LA County coroner’s office said a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson hours before he died on June 25. Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol in Jackson's system along with two other sedatives, the official said.

This finding makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died.

According to a search warrant involving Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray, unsealed last night, the doctor told detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks. He had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of a hospital-grade propofol every night using an intravenous line, according to the court records.

Police found about eight bottles of propofol in Jackson’s rented mansion in Los Angeles. Other drugs that were confiscated included Valium, tamsulosin, lorazepam, temazepam, clonazepam, trazodone and tizanidine. They also found propofol in Dr Murray’s medical bag. Dr Murray told detectives that he was not the first doctor to administer the powerful anesthetic to Jackson.

Jackson’s dermatologist, Arnold Klein, is also facing police scrutiny. Dr Klein has admitted giving the singer Demerol, a painkiller.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Toxic Load and Purification

2009-08-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

DETOXIFICATION

Toxic Load and Purification
"Spring cleaning" for your insides; cleansing and detoxification of your body

Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Fatigue or difficulty sleeping? Digestion and other gastrointestinal problems? What about reduced mental clarity?

If you are not feeling up to par, start asking yourself these questions.

Do you eat processed foods? Do you consume genetically-altered foods? Do you use artificial sweeteners? How about your intake of sodas or other beverages, especially those laden with HFC and aspartame?

If you do, you have a certain amount of toxic load.

What is toxic load, and how do you determine it?

Toxic load is the amount of toxins that your body needs to process, and purification is the internal cleansing and detoxification of your body.

Toxins can contribute to a wide range of conditions:

Stuffy head
Fatigue or difficulty sleeping
Digestion and other gastrointestinal problems
Food cravings and weight gain
Reduced mental clarity
Low libido

Start assessing your toxic load with these questions from the people at StandardProcess.

SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS:
http://www.standardprocess.com/display/2680.spi#purify2

© 2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Resources for Male Survivors of Abuse

2009-08-23T12:25:00.000-05:00

ABUSE SIGHTINGS

MaleSurvivor Community
Resources and support for men who were sexually victimized as children, adolescents, or adults

Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

MaleSurvivor is committed to helping victims of abuse through Weekends of Recovery and other important resources.

Join or register with Male Survivor.org:
https://www.malesurvivor.org/register/contact

Relevant content:
https://www.malesurvivor.org/myths.html

Male Sexual Victimization Myths & Facts

Adapted from a presentation at the 5th International Conference on Incest and Related Problems, Biel, Switzerland, August 14, 1991.

Myth #1 - Boys and men can't be victims.

This myth, instilled through masculine gender socialization and sometimes referred to as the "macho image," declares that males, even young boys, are not supposed to be victims or even vulnerable. We learn very early that males should be able to protect themselves. In truth, boys are children - weaker and more vulnerable than their perpetrators - who cannot really fight back. Why? The perpetrator has greater size, strength, and knowledge. This power is exercised from a position of authority, using resources such as money or other bribes, or outright threats - whatever advantage can be taken to use a child for sexual purposes.

© 2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Tater Tot Cafeteria

2009-08-18T14:49:00.000-05:00

CHILDRENS' HEALTH

Ann Cooper's Non-negotiable Lunchroom
Real Lunch Reform, "The social justice issue of our time."

Arlie Maylin
Garden of Healing®

Ann Cooper is "the renegade lunch lady". Armed with vegetables, organic milk and a non-negotiable additude toward high-fructose corn syrup, Cooper's crusade is to transform 11,000 school districts nationwide, one lunchroom at a time.

Cooper is every parent's dream, setting the tone for their child's food-consumption future, by serving them real food, at that most impressionable age. Memories die hard, especially when it comes to bad, unhealthy and/or unappetizing foods from childhood.

Ann Cooper came on the scene in 2005, when she joined the Berkeley Unified School District in California as Director of Nutrition Services. Once having transformed the diets of 9,000 students in Berkeley, she set her sights on taking her mission and menu to school cafeterias nationwide.

"We can either pay for lifelong wellness now, or pay later for a tsunami of diabetes. And (these) kids can't learn if they're not well nourished," says Cooper.

When Cooper took the Director of Nutrition Services job in 2005, she found that the district's food-service system had completely retreated from actual cooking. "When I arrived, 100 percent of the food arrived in plastic, was reheated in plastic, and served to the kids in plastic," she says.

Overcoming an absurdly stringent budget and severely limited cooking infrastructure within school cafeterias, she has already eliminated what she calls "plastic food" and is now serving fresh, made-from-scratch meals.

"High-fat, high-sugar, high-salt diets with very few fruits and vegetables and no whole grains will lead to a generation of kids who, for the first time, will die at a younger age than their parents," she added.

In June 2009, Cooper took her campaign for school lunch reform nationwide by overseeing the nonprofit F3 Foundation (Food Family Farming), which offers a lunch box of free tools covering menu planning, student nutrition, recipes, and sourcing techniques.

Cooper's demands are non-negotiable - all-organic milk, no high-fructose corn syrup, and whole grains. But she does recognize that each school district is its own distinct entity with unique challenges.

"We just make the best choices we can," she explained. "But I'd like to affect policy on a national level. That's where the big change will come."

3F Foundation:

http://www.foodfamilyfarming.org/

© 2009 Arlie Ian Maylin/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Sugar Invites Infection to Dinner

2009-08-17T21:09:00.000-05:00

IMMUNE SYSTEM

Infection has a Sweet Tooth
Sugar lowers white blood cell activity

Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

While governments are driving to inoculate people against swine flu this Fall, here's something you can do to help avoid general infections.

Steer clear of sugar.

Within ten minutes of ingesting sugar, the immune system becomes suppressed. In fact, many studies have shown that sugar reduces the ability of your white blood cells to engulf bacteria by 50%.

Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that act as an important first-line-of-defense in the immune system by engulfing pathogens.

Ingesting simple carbohydrates including glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, and orange juice will hamper the job neutrophils were created to accomplish - eating the bad guys.

Simply put, adding sugar invites infection to dinner - and your body is the main course.

Other effects of sugar on the body:

Increases overgrowth of the candida yeast organism
Increases chronic fatigue
Increases tooth decay
Increases anxiety and irritability

Sugar’s harmful effect on the immune system can last up to five hours, and especially during periods of stress, like the holidays, it's best to avoid it completely.

© 2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

11th annual Food for Thought Festival

2009-08-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

EVENTS

Pollan Keynote Speaker
Celebrated Author speaks at September Festival

Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

MADISON, WI

Michael Pollan, the celebrated food-politics author, will be the keynote speaker for this year's Food for Thought Festival in Madison, WI on Saturday, September 26th, 2009 at 10am.

The 11th annual festival is sponsored by Research Education, Action and Policy on Food Group (REAP):

http://www.reapfoodgroup.org/

Diabolical Mind Control Programs by US Military

2009-08-09T15:24:00.001-05:00

MIND GAMES

Vets Sue CIA Over Mind Control Tests
Mind control experiments go awry, leaving civilian and military subjects with permanent disabilities

By Noah Shachtman

For two decades or more during the Cold War, the CIA and the military allegedly plied the unwitting with acid, weed, and dozens of psychoactive drugs, in a series of zany (and sometimes dangerous) mind-control experiments. Now, the Vietnam Veterans of America are suing the agency and the Pentagon for perceived abuses suffered under the so-called "MK-ULTRA" and other projects.

Six veterans are suffering from all kinds of ailments tied to this
"diabolical and secret testing program," according to a statement from the vets’ lawyers, passed on to SpyTalk’s Jeff Stein.

The experiments allegedly included "the use of troops to test nerve gas, psychochemicals, and thousands of other toxic chemical or biological substances, and … the insertion of septal implants in the brains of subjects in … mind control experiments that went awry, leaving many civilian and military subjects with permanent disabilities." Subjects were tested without their consent, the veterans say. And when the trials were over, the government failed to "provide health care or compensation."

FOR THE FULL STORY:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/01/mkultra-lawsuit

Wired.com © 2009 Condé Nast Digital. All rights reserved.

Crimes of the Future: Mind Control

2009-08-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

TELEVISION

History Channel - TV Shows; That's Impossible
Episode: Mind Control

Garden of Healing®

Miracle technology could allow people to transmit their brainwaves and speak to each other mind-to-mind. Scientists are working to create computers that read thoughts to find terrorists, and machines to scan our minds like thumbprints - causing some to wonder if "thought theft" could become the crime of the future.

Showing:

Tuesday, August 11 10:00 PM
Wednesday, August 12 02:00 AM

Follow this link for The History Channel's full television schedule:
http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=472844

© 1996-2009; A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.

The C.I.A. Doctors

2009-07-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

READING

The C.I.A. Doctors
Human Rights Violations By American Psychiatrists
By Colin A. Ross, M.D.

By Mark Isaac Thyss

BALTIMORE, MD

In his book, The C.I.A. Doctors, Colin A. Ross attempts to prove that the Manchurian Candidate "super spy" is fact, not fiction. He describes the experiments conducted by psychiatrists to create amnesia, new identities, hypnotic access codes, and new memories in the minds of experimental subjects.

The C.I.A. Doctors proves that there were extensive violations of human rights by psychiatrists in North America throughout the second half of the twentieth century, perpetrated not by a few renegade doctors, but by leading psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacologists, neurosurgeons and medical schools.

To Order: http://www.rossinst.com/cia_doctors.html

© 2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

The Psychologists of Torture

2009-07-15T14:26:00.000-05:00

MENTAL TORTURE

Aggressive Interrogation Techniques
Medical professionals designed and helped to implement Bush administration interrogation practices

By Ashland Holderman, PhD

BOSTON, MA

One of the key, if underreported, findings in Tuesday’s bombshell Senate committee report on the Bush-era treatment of U.S. military detainees was the role of civilian psychologists in devising, directing and overseeing the torture of prisoners.

While the report highlights the role of senior Bush administration officials in approving “aggressive” interrogation techniques, it also exposes how medical professionals helped to transform the Pentagon’s torture resistance program into tactics used against prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and CIA “black” sites.

Understanding the role of these professionals should be a “specific focus” of an investigation into the use of these tactics, according to Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which has condemned the tactics as illegal and medically unethical.

FULL STORY: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4387/the_psychologists_of_torture

Copyright © 2009 In These Times. All Rights Reserved.

Gay Man could face jail for helping ill Partner die

2009-07-15T13:28:00.001-05:00

HEALTH / LAW

Gay man could face jail for helping ill partner die
Alan Rees could face 14 years in jail

By Nell Frizzell

A north London man who helped his partner access assisted suicide in Switzerland could face a 14-year prison sentence.

Alan Rees, who had lived with his partner Raymond Cutkelvin for nearly thirty years, has decided to speak to the media about what he calls the “draconian” laws surrounding assisted suicide.

“It was his choice to die. They can arrest me if they want but the law has to be changed," said Rees, who, under the 1961 Suicide Act, could face charges for aiding, abetting, or procuring the suicide of another person.

Rees' partner Cutkelvin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007, but refused chemotherapy.

"He began deteriorating in front of me,” Rees told the Evening Standard. “I could see the difference on a daily basis.”

With the help of Rees, Cutkelvin got in touch with the pro-euthanasia organisation Dignitas and decided to go to Switzerland to die in a suicide clinic. “He was determined this was what he wanted and I respected that,” explained Rees. “He was in a lot of pain so I agreed to help.”

Despite the illegality of euthanasia in this country, Rees travelled to Switzerland with his partner. "I would have helped Raymond die, no matter what the consequences," he said: "He wanted to die with dignity, not waste away."

Dignitas has been criticised for the methods it uses in assisting the suicides of terminally ill patients. Its founder, Dr Ludwig Minelli has been forced to move the clinic following complaints.

Rees, however, is unwavering in his support. “I loved [Raymond] and could not allow him to suffer."

SOURCE: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12839.html

© 2009 Pink News. All rights reserved.

Atheists file Lawsuit

2009-07-15T12:56:00.000-05:00

ACROSS THE NATION

Freedom From Religion Foundation
Lawsuit filed to block architects of religious mis-directions

By Mark Isaac Thyss

MADISON, WI

The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics filed a lawsuit seeking to block an architect from engraving "In God We Trust" at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington.

The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation says the taxpayer-funded engravings would be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Synthetic Genomics to develop Biofuels

2009-07-15T12:15:00.000-05:00

NEWS BRIEFS

Exxon Mobil announces biofuel investment
Green Energy produced by algae is meaningful solution

By Richard Zelbersman with Simon Grazer

PORTLAND, OR

Exxon Mobil is announcing a major investment in greenhouse-gas-reducing biofuels.

The oil giant reported this week that it had entered into an alliance with Synthetic Genomics to develop biofuels from photosynthetic algae.

The Company plans to spend more than $600 million on the project, with an eye on developing a product that is compatible with current gasoline and diesel fuels. Exxon also noted that the main challenge facing the project is the ability to produce enough of the biofuel to meet commercial demand.

The world’s growing energy demands will require a multitude of technologies and energy sources. Biofuel produced by algae, with California-based Synthetic Genomics, could be a meaningful part of Exxon's solution, if efforts result in an economically viable, low net carbon emission transportation fuel that is sustainable and meaningful to the planet.

Along with the natural oils it produces, algae is said to be desirable as a biofuel source because, as Exxon Mobile notes, it does not need fresh water or arable land to thrive.

© 2009 Richard Zelbersman/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Wisconsin Stalking Laws

2009-07-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

ABUSE SIGHTINGS

Addressing Stalking
What do I do if I am being stalked?

By Cokeley Goerin with Gay Sourling

Whoever meets certain criteria is guilty of a Class I Felony for stalking in most states:

The Predator intentionally engages in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person under the same circumstances to fear bodily injury to or the death of himself or herself or a member of his or her family or household.

Examples of Stalking

Cyber stalking: emails, chat rooms, instant messengers, cell phones and pagers. Following a person, watching a person from afar, continuous phone calls, delivering something to a person's residence, place of work, having other people make contact.

For more information: http://www.uwstout.edu/cvpp/stalking.html

Create a Plan

Report the stalking behavior immediately
Make a stalking safety plan
Let people around you know what is going on, including your professionals
Vary your route, leave work and home at varying times
Go places with others
Collect evidence (keep emails, phone messages, letters etc)
Keep a detailed journal of the stalking behavior

© 2009 Cokeley Jessica Goerin

Chop Wood, Chop Wood

2009-07-13T16:23:00.000-05:00

ENLIGHTENMENT

Chop Wood, Carry Water
Taking out the garbage

By Jeff Raeddlehoudt

There's an old Zen saying:

"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."

It means no matter how much you know, you still have to take out the garbage. The difference is you take it out with more consciousness.

© 2009 Jeff Raeddlehoudt

Avoiding Contaminated Foods

2009-07-13T16:10:00.001-05:00

FOOD SAFETY

Fresh Foods Healthier
Check Labels to Avoid Contaminated Food

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Look for “Sell-by” and “Use-by” dates. Past-prime products do make it onto shelves, so be aware; sometimes fresher stuff is in the back. If the date looms, make sure to use the product quickly or freeze it. On bagged salad, it’s believed that E. coli can grow more rapidly in greens that are old and decomposing, so checking the dates is imperative.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Nature Programs - Fox Cities

2009-07-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

EVENTS

Fox Cities Passport to Nature
Free Nature Programs available to Kids

By Padre Liddy Slickens

Fox Cities Passport to Nature sponsors the following free nature programs this week for kids.

"Whose Tracks Are These?"
1:30 pm Wednesday; Elisha D. Smith Public Library, 440 First Street, Menasha
Learn about Wisconsin's critters through a story reading and hands-on tracking activities.

Skulls and Skins
10 am Friday; Lutz Park, 1320 S. Lutz Drive, Appleton
Learn about Predator and Prey interactions.

Timber Wolves and Folklore
8 pm Saturday; High Cliff State Park, Sherwood
Learn about Wisconsin's Top Predator through stories and legends.

Metamorphosis-Frogs and Butterflies
1 pm, July 19; Garden of the Fox Cities, 1313 Witzke Blvd., Appleton
Learn about the lifecycles of frogs and butterflies.

Fox Cities Passport to Nature is a collaborative effort by Fox Cities nature centers, libraries and park and recreation departments.

© 2009 Padre F. Liddy Slickens

Inquiry on Torture Claims

2009-07-11T17:06:00.000-05:00

ABUSE SIGHTINGS

Britain: Inquiry on Torture Claims
Criminal Investigations into Accusations of Abuse

By Mac Martin Fakanrani (Reporting from Argentina)

British police say they are investigating allegations surrounding the detention of a former Guantánamo Bay detainee, Binyam Mohamed.

Mr. Mohamed, an Ethiopian who moved to Britain as a teenager, was arrested as a terrorism suspect in 2002 in Karachi, Pakistan. He says he was tortured in Pakistan and in Morocco before being transferred to the Guantánamo detention center in Cuba in 2004 and beaten there.

London’s Metropolitan Police force said Friday that it had begun a criminal investigation into his accusations of abuse.

© 2009 Mac M. Fakanrani

Parsley's Winning Smile

2009-07-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

KITCHEN CURES

Halitosis in Dogs is common
Getting a Clean, Smart Smile with Parsley

By D. Rykkers Prestina, Div.

Feel free to completely forget about your dentist for this one...:

YOU DO NOT NEED A DENTIST to get a bright winning smile - just use a little parsley, and your smile will grow abundant and strong.

Bad breath is common in dogs, but for people, it may take a brave friend to let you know about parsley for halitosis.

Blame harmful bacteria for bad breath. Micro organisms can hide between your teeth and cover your tongue.

It would be nice to just spit out that bad taste in your mouth, but it takes a little more work than that.

Experiment with a little parsley after eating and see the results. This is a cheap and effective remedy for unpleasant breath, as parsley grows abundant and strong.

© 2007 D. Rykkers Prestina, Div.

Stalking is a Form of Terror

2009-07-09T15:46:00.000-05:00

PUBLIC SAFETY

Menacing by Stalking
Pending danger can change a victim's way of life

By Arlie Maylin

ORANGE COUNTY, CA

Stalking is a form of terror. It can be a sign of pending danger and can change a victim's way of life. Law enforcement agencies and court orders can stop harassment, and when there is repeated stalking, the law now allows police and courts to respond and prosecute.

We hope that the following information will help you to understand the law and what it can do for you.

Stalking and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
http://www.uc.edu/pubsafety/police_services/Menacing_by_Stalking.html

More about Invasion of Privacy, Wiretapping, Taping, and Cyber Stalking
http://www.orangeinjurylaw.com/invasion-of-privacy.htm#

"The new weapons are words, and the new artillery is satellites."

- James Bond

__________________

Music Heals Premature Babies

2009-07-04T15:54:00.000-05:00

NEWBORNS

Premature Babies; Music helps their Healing
Music can reduce the level of pain babies experience

By Arlie Maylin
Garden of Healing®

For infants, especially Premies, sleep is crucial to their growth and development. And this is why hospital units where premature babies are treated have taken to playing music in the belief that it may help them heal more quickly and feel more comfortable. Now a new study finds some evidence that it may work.

Researchers are looking at how music can reduce the level of pain babies experience. Like mothers singing lullabies to calm their newborns, music may also help them make the transition to feeding by mouth, the study said. Babies stop reacting to pain more quickly when music is played, and they calm themselves more efficiently.

The researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada have been reviewing studies that looked at babies’ heart and breathing rates, oxygen levels and how much pain they appeared to be in. Some also looked at whether music seemed to calm babies during painful procedures like heel pricks to draw blood.

Another recent study offers the benefits of music on healing:

Playing two hours of recorded Mozart each week to premature babies lowered their heart rate and helped induce sleep, according to researchers at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York.

While the studies did not establish a definite case for using music, the researchers said, they did offer preliminary evidence that it could help in some circumstances.

Music can mimic heartbeats and womb sounds, as well as a mother's own voice, to comfort their newborns. Playing music can encourage babies to sleep, become calm and alert, and prepare for feeding.

© 2009 Arlie Ian Maylin/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

July is National Blueberry Month

2009-06-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

FOODS FOR HEALING

True Blue Brain Food
Blueberries are a healthy and convenient food

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

No peeling, pitting, coring or cutting - just twirl them under water and pop them into your mouth. July is National Blueberry Month and this berry couldn't be better for you!

What broccoli is to vegetables, so the blueberry is to fruit - a healthy, nutritious and convenient food.

With their intense blue color and sweet flavor, blueberries are easy to eat and enjoy. Luscious in visual appeal, they are the perfect food for the savvy eater with more to offer than meets the eye.

Blueberries are a traditional American fruit. They are prolific in 35 states, and the United States produces over 90% of all the blueberries in the world.

In 2003, Ann M. Veneman, the Secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, proclaimed July as "National Blueberry Month", to promote the greater appreciation and use of these delicious plump berries.

Blueberries are packed with nutritional benefits, low in calories and fat, and a good source of fiber. They are rich in Vitamin A, B1, B2, C, niacin, and the minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. Ranked the highest in disease-fighting antioxidants, their consumption meets the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommending a diet with plenty of fruit.

Like cranberries, blueberries may guard against urinary tract infections by preventing the bacteria from attaching to cell walls.

The blueberry is a true blue food, - often referred to as the "brain berry". It derives its bold coloring from the high content of anthocyanin, which is a water-soluble pigment that imparts colors ranging from blue to shades of red.

Packed with these anthocyanins, blueberries appear to be one of the most potent antidotes to oxidative stress, a process that ages you.

Oxidative stress is damage to cell membranes and DNA from free radicals. Antioxidants, as those plentifully found in blueberries, are known to find and eradicate free radicals.

Blueberries reach their peak in July, but can be harvested anytime they're ripe from April to October, depending on their variety.

Cultivated blueberries, like the tall Highbush variety, grown in warmer areas, should be powdery blue and always firm. Choose blueberries that have a lively uniform hue color with a whitish bloom.

Soft, wet berries will not keep for long. Refrigerate blueberries as soon as you get them home, and keep them unwashed and uncovered until ready to eat. Even in ideal conditions, blueberries will only last two to three days in the refrigerator.

By proclaiming July "blueberry month", the Secretary of the USDA called upon all citizens to recognize and celebrate this prolific berry with ceremonies and activities.

You can find a "pick-your-own farm" that allows you to experience the blueberry first hand, but the most important part is making sure you eat them - and regularly.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Animal Poison Control says "No" to Grapes and Raisins

2009-05-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

PET HEALTH Q & A

Warning: Grapes and Raisins Toxic to Your Dog
Potential for death and kidney failure in feeding Your Pet the wrong foods and treats

From Garden of Healing® Pet
http://www.gardenofhealingpet.com/

QUESTION:

Dear Garden of Healing Pet Advisor:

Are grapes and raisins just for Us Humans?

ANSWER:

Absolutely! Do not feed your dog raisins or grapes.

As few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic to your beloved pet.

Pet owners whose dogs have ingested even a small quantity of grapes or raisins, or veterinarians managing such cases, are encouraged to call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) immediately.

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
(888) 426-4435

Due to the severity of symptoms and the potential for death, the veterinarians at the National Animal Poison Control Center (NAPCC) advocate aggressive treatment for any dog believed to have ingested any amount of grapes or raisins, as this can cause acute renal failure and death.

© 1996-2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

To love You, serve You and Protect You ...
For the Joy of Tweetie, Fido & Sylvester ~ visit Garden of Healing® Pet!

http://www.gardenofhealingpet.com/

Health, self, love & creative expression ~ Wahhh! ~ Your Garden of Healing® BABY™

http://www.gardenofhealingbaby.com/

People, places and produce. It's mostly about food and eating.
Nourish Yourself in everything you do!

http://www.nourishingyourself.com/

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Become a SelfcarePro! Your Nutritional Edge, Foods, Fitness, Best Healthcare & Spa Destinations; for Product Reviews, Articles, Interviews & Celebrity Exposes, visit:

http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Sober Companion to the Stars

2009-05-26T18:15:00.001-05:00

RECOVERY

Meet Lindsay Lohan's Addiction Nanny
Troubled star's "sober companion" on retainer to shadow Lohan's every move

By Mark Isaac Thyss
SelfCarePro™
http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Lindsay Lohan was once accused by a friend of Paris Hilton's as being "poor" because she only made $7 million per picture.

You'd have to earn at least that much, if your star shines so brightly that any "blow of your fuse", would require a $1000 per day "sober companion".

Robert Downey, Jr., Owen Wilson, and Lindsay Lohan - they're all doing it - hiring for a new entourage position, the sober-companion professional.

Everyday people turn to support groups or AA, but if you are a wealthy addict, you might want to pay $750 to $2000 per day for a companion who will add structure and support in that transitioning phase, to help you face a possible relapse.

If you want, a sober companion will even search the client's home for drugs, if he/she thinks it is warranted.

The recent explosion of high-end treatment programs has helped feed the growth of the sober-companion profession.

Lots of money can buy a celeb most anything they want, but you have to take responsibility for your own recovery, and this is where the job of the sober companion must end - celebrity willing.

© 1996-2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Health, self, love & creative expression ~ Wahhh! ~ Your Garden of Healing® BABY™

http://www.gardenofhealingbaby.com/

Nourish Yourself in everything you do!

http://www.nourishingyourself.com/

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Become a SelfcarePro! Your Nutritional Edge, Foods, Fitness, Best Healthcare & Spa Destinations; for Product Reviews, Articles, Interviews & Celebrity Exposes, visit:

http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Some Health Claims are just Nuts

2009-05-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Nutty Health Claims - 7 of them
FDA approves a health claim for seven kinds of nuts

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

In 2003, the FDA recognized the benefits of nuts and their role in heart disease prevention. They did so by approving a health claim for 7 kinds of nuts:

almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts

These seven nuts were approved as they are the only ones that contain less than 4g of saturated fats per 50g. Glad to hear it - especially about the Walnuts, which have a lot going for them.

Walnuts are nut royalty; chewy, sweet and just plain good to eat with their characteristic flavor and texture.

Most people think of flaxseed to get their heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, but walnuts also are an excellent source of these ALAs.

Walnuts are beneficial for your skin, blood pressure and weight. Try eating an ounce of walnuts daily.

Due to the fatty, carb-heavy American diet, millions of people are increasing their odds of liver inflammation.

Nutty but true:

Walnuts contain liver-healthy omega-3s

Eating walnuts daily can help prevent or reverse the fatigue or malaise (early symptoms) of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, so get your fill.

Walnuts have also been shown to aid in lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and the C-Reactive Protein (CRP). CRP has been recognized as an independent marker and predictor of heart disease.

All around, walnuts are a winner for your health, and the FDA likes them too! Add walnuts - and flaxseed to your list of foods as medicine.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Health, self, love & creative expression ~ Wahhh! ~ Your Garden of Healing® BABY™

http://www.gardenofhealingbaby.com/

Nourish Yourself in everything you do!

http://www.nourishingyourself.com/

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Become a SelfcarePro! Your Nutritional Edge, Foods, Fitness, Best Healthcare & Spa Destinations; for Product Reviews, Articles, Interviews & Celebrity Exposes, visit:

http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Rock the Knife; both Henckels and Wüsthof are winners

2009-05-16T17:39:00.000-05:00

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Three Kitchen Knife sets reviewed
All winners; Choose Wüsthof or Henckels for slicing Your way to good health

By Arlie Maylin
Garden of Healing®

After doing research, when it comes to kitchen knives, my conclusion is that there is no clear winner - because there are three.

You cannot go wrong with Henckels or Wüsthof, especially if you don't much care about a $40-buck spread in price. Ranging from $260 to $300, when it comes to knife sets, there are more than just one winner in my kitchen:

Henckels Four Star - $260
Wüsthof Trident Classic 8418 - $300
Henckels Twin Professional "S" - $290

The differences between the top three kitchen knife sets are so slim, that I recommend any of the above. But, this review will focus on the most expensive one, the Trident Classic by Wüsthof.

Either you are a rocker or not. Either you care deeply about downward thrusts and knife pressures, 30° (from horizontal) angles, parallels to your cutting board and counter, or cutting perfectly uniform slices of carrot, or even accomplishing the cleanliness of a potato cut...

Or, if you are like me, you simply want to get the job done - to get to the eating part of your evening! I love the relaxation that slicing and chopping provide, but I also want to get fed.

If you're going to obsess about how deftly the knife slices through a tomato, then no worries here. Any of these three sets will get you from cutting board, to frying pan and finally to your tummy, with no trouble what-so-ever.

The Henckels (two different) sets each offer seven knives, while the Wüsthof set provides eight. Neither offer the santoku knife. And both brands manufacture forged-steel knives, the best you can get.

Full review coming soon...

Wüsthof: http://www.wusthof.com/en/default.asp

Henckels: http://usa.jahenckels.com/

© 2009 Arlie Ian Maylin/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Health, self, love & creative expression ~ Wahhh! ~ Your Garden of Healing® BABY™

http://www.gardenofhealingbaby.com/

Nourish Yourself in everything you do!

http://www.nourishingyourself.com/

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Become a SelfcarePro! Your Nutritional Edge, Foods, Fitness, Best Healthcare & Spa Destinations; for Product Reviews, Articles, Interviews &

Celebrity Exposes, visit:

http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Sebelius heads to Washington to become top HHS Official

2009-04-29T15:59:00.000-05:00

NEWS

Senate confirms Gov. Sebelius as nation's top health secretary nominee
Former Governor gears up for Swine flu response

Garden of Healing®

On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed President Barack Obama’s nominee Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as the nation's Health and Human Services Secretary.

The 65-31 confirmation vote came after Democrats urged quick action so that Sebelius could start tackling the nation's public health emergency with the outbreak of swine flu.

Sebelius immediately resigned as governor in Kansas and headed to Washington to get sworn in.

As the former Governor readied herself, The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert for swine flu to the second highest level Wednesday, to a Phase 5 alert. The WHO believes a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.

A Phase 5 alert means there is sustained transmission of Swine flu among people in at least two countries.

There are six stages leading to an official flu pandemic. Stages 1 through 3 relate to animal infections with minimal human sickness. Phase 4 is sustained human infection. Phase 6 is a true pandemic, with widespread human infection.

Sebelius, 60, was the first of 20 HHS officials requiring Senate approval to win, and she heads to work with many team members missing.

Of greater consequence than the Sebelius confirmation, are the dozens of other top officials at the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services who have not yet been confirmed.

Mr. Obama has nominated people to fill only five of the 20 positions subject to Senate confirmation at HHS.

The Senate hasn't acted on Obama's nominees for deputy HHS secretary or commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and Obama hasn't even nominated people for other key jobs, including surgeon general and assistant secretary for preparedness and response.

The nominaton process suffered a setback when the President's first pick for HHS secretary, former Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, withdrew in February over unpaid taxes.

Though the swine flu will be an immediate focus, Sebelius will also be charged with shepherding Obama's overhaul of the nation's $2.5 trillion health care system to reduce costs and cover some 50 million uninsured Americans.

Ms. Sebelius, a former state insurance commissioner, is expected to be an advocate for consumers in negotiating with Congress on legislation to rein in health costs and expand coverage.

The confirmed nomination of Kathleen Sebelius allows President Obama to fill the last vacancy in his cabinet with a seasoned politician who will take charge of the fight against swine flu.

© 2009 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Huperazine for Alzheimer's; Self-medication not Advised

2009-04-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

NATURAL HEALTH

Chinese Medicine; Club Moss vs. Aricept
Naturally occurring alkaloid comes to the aid of Alzheimer's

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Has Aricept met its match? Is Huperazine THE natural alternative for treating Alzheimer's?

They always start out this way: "a botanical (that) has been used in China for centuries for the treatment of ...".

Advertising, scientific papers and articles all tend to include phrases like the one above, as if this is real evidence enough for recommending the use of anything for your health or illness.

It's great to point out, "get the facts", but where are they? Do any facts really exist? All you can do is read on and form your own opinion.

In the case of Huperazine, caution is advised for people with high blood pressure, kidney disease, and liver disease. Before you jump to take Huperazine, Aricept, or anything else, here's some information to consider.

Self-medicating with Huperazine A for Alzheimer's is not advised

For the mental decline and dementia of Alzheimer's, get the facts on both Aricept and Huperazine A.

Huperzine A is an alkaloid extracted from the Chinese club moss plant, Huperzia serrata, and it's been used for various treatments such as swelling, fever and blood disorders.

In recent years, Huperzine A, has been studied for its potential in treating dementias. Mental decline and dementia are an increasing deficiency in thought processes caused by brain damage or disease.

Like the prescription drugs currently available for individuals with Alzheimer's, Huperzine A, temporarily blocks an enzyme known as acetylcholinesterase, which is concentrated in the brain, spinal cord, and red blood cells. This enzyme, also called cholinesterase, breaks down one of the body's neurotransmitters, acetylcholine.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages from nerve cells to other cells. Acetylcholine plays a role in learning, remembering, and thinking; and decreased amounts of it are associated with conditions involving the loss of mental functioning.

In treating the mental decline caused by Alheimer's, which should it be? Huperazine or the pharmaceutical Aricept?

Basic Information on Aricept or Donepezil

ARICEPT® (donepezil HCl tablets) is a pharmaceutical that has been approved and is used for the symptomatic treatment of mild or moderate dementia and/or mental decline caused by Alzheimer's (AD). It has a half life of about 70 hours and can be taken once a day. The initial dose is 5 mg per day, which can be increased to 10 mg per day after an adjustment period of at least 4 weeks.

Full article coming soon.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Health, self, love & creative expression ~ Wahhh! ~ Your Garden of Healing® BABY™

http://www.gardenofhealingbaby.com/

Nourish Yourself in everything you do!

http://www.nourishingyourself.com/

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Become a SelfcarePro! Your Nutritional Edge, Foods, Fitness, Best Healthcare & Spa Destinations; for Product Reviews, Articles, Interviews & Celebrity Exposes, visit:

http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Folate-rich Foods promote healthy cell division

2009-04-24T14:25:00.000-05:00

PREGNANCY

Folate Wise Pregnancy
B vitamins; pregnancy and normal growth & development

By Arlie Maylin
Garden of Healing®

Fruits, dark-green leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas. These and many other foods are natural sources of folate.

If you are pregnant or plan to have a child, think folate or folic acid.

Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks (the genetic material) of every body cell. It helps to prevent birth defects. Consuming adequate folate is important during periods of rapid cell division and growth - infancy and pregnancy.

Folate can help reduce the risk of serious and common birth defects called neural tube defects (NTD), which affect the brain and spinal cord.

Research on folic acid shows that it may help in preventing premature births, boosting baby weights, and by preventing preeclampsia.

A distinction between folate and folic acid must be made. Both folate and folic acid are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9. Folate occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of this vitamin that is found in supplements and fortified foods.

Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and to prevent anemia. Choose foods such as dark leafy green vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits, beets, meat, and wheat germ.

Nutrients for Pregnancy

Nutrients important during pregnancy are folate, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C and protein-rich foods.

For folate, eat legumes, lentils, chickpeas, collard greens, papaya, peas, asparagus, broccoli, strawberries and oranges.

Vitamin C is always needed; get it by eating parsley, broccoli, bell peppers, strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts.

For zinc, eat sesame and pumpkin seeds, shrimp, and crimini mushrooms.

To get your vitamin A, eat carrots, spinach, sweet potato, kale, turnip greens, winter squash, swiss chard, and bell peppers.

Include protein-rich foods like protein rich foods such as beans, lean proteins and tempeh.

B vitamins, such as thiamine, niacin and vitamin B12 all have important roles in a child's normal growth and development. Infants and children continue to need adequate levels of folate in order to grow properly and have normal growth rates.

Folate Wisdom

Folate has many benefits specific to women. It helps to create healthy fetuses, seems to prevent cervical cancer and can reduce osteoporosis. Folate also releases serotonin, which makes it act as a mild antidepressant.

Nourishing yourself with folate and other essential nutrients is important for the whole family; it allows you to give more of yourself to those you love.

© 2009 Arlie Ian Maylin/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

Health, self, love & creative expression ~ Wahhh! ~ Your Garden of Healing® BABY™

http://www.gardenofhealingbaby.com/

Nourish Yourself in everything you do!

http://www.nourishingyourself.com/

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Become a SelfcarePro! Your Nutritional Edge, Foods, Fitness, Best Healthcare & Spa Destinations; for Product Reviews, Articles, Interviews & Celebrity Exposes, visit:

http://www.selfcarepro.com/

Tangled up in Plaque; Amyloid proteins, Alzheimers and Lion's Mane mushrooms

2009-04-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT ADVISOR

Alzheimer's and Natural Treatments; Lion's Mane Mushrooms

QUESTION:

Dear Garden of Healing® Supplement Advisor:

Is Amyloid toxicity a measure for Alzheimers? What is the connection between Alzheimer's, Dementia and the Lion's Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceum)?

ANSWER:

We need a new starting point for developing therapeutic compounds for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

The number of people with Alzheimer's is expected to triple over the next three to four decades. New treatments and prevention for the disease are urgently needed.

A focus on Amyloid plaques might be a good place to start in understanding AD.

Amyloid plaques are abnormal protein fragments that collect in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Are there natural compounds that could clear away these plaques? What other approaches could be used to prevent nerve cell death, and also prevent the formation of fibrillary tangles in the brain?

Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are thought to contribute to the degradation of nerve cells, and this in turn causes the subsequent symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

Amyloid is a protein that deposits in the body's cells and may accumulate between the neurons as we age. This build up of Amyloid protein is termed amyloid toxicity, and is thought to produce neuronal cell death in the patient's brain, causing loss of memory and, in the latter stages, dementia.

Conventional approaches to treating Alzheimer's disease involve the use of pharmaceuticals to treat the symptoms caused by the death of these neurons.

Currently on the market and approved by the FDA are the drugs: Aricept by Pfizer, Exelon by Novartis, Reminyl by Janssen, and Cognex by First Horizon. But, none of these drugs reverses the damage done to cognitive functioning; they only delay further deterioration.

Natural, therapeutic compounds to support the survival of nerve and brain cells

A compound in the medicinal mushroom Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceum) shows evidence of promoting nerve cell survival, and may also stimulate the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in the brain.

Keep your eye out for new information about these two specific items:

1) The substance amyloban
2) Other active compounds called hericenones isolated from the fruit body of Lion's Mane.

These are both found in the same mushroom, Lion's Mane.

Outside of research performed on mice, there is not a lot of hard evidence at this early stage, but there are supplements on the market made from Lion's Mane containing amyloban and hericenones.

To date, no consistent results have emerged from various studies having been completed, and further research needs to be undertaken to find the safest and most effective treatments.

It's exciting to think that some day natural substances like those from medicinal mushrooms could be at the forefront of alleviating the devastating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

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Organic Farmers use Natural Methods

2009-04-07T16:02:00.000-05:00

ORGANICS

Organic Food is more nutritious for you and your family

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Choosing organic is the best way to avoid pesticides in your food. Organic farmers predominantly use natural methods to control pests, and this in turn produces a cleaner harvest of good quality food.

Some pesticides can be stored in your body's fatty tissues for years. This raises concern about these pesticides being carcinogenic (cancer causing), mutagenic (causing birth defects) and neurotoxic (damaging to your nervous system).

A non-organic apple can be sprayed up to 16 times with 36 different chemicals, many of which cannot simply be washed off. In the UK, the latest Government tests (carried out in 2005) found pesticides in 80% of non-organic apple samples.

Organic is a better choice

No other food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food.

Take organic milk for example; according to research carried out by scientists across Europe, organic milk has nearly 70% more essential fatty acid omega-3 than its non-organic equivalent. Essential fatty acids are essential for maintaining normal bodily functions.

Organic milk contains significantly more vitamin E and beta-carotene, an antioxidant that our body converts to vitamin A.

One of the reasons that milk from organic cows is so good is because they eat a much more natural diet, grazing freely on fresh grass and clover. In comparison, most non-organic cows eat a more grain-based diet containing cereals, maize and protein supplements.

Make health your biggest concern

Food is in our headlines every week. Connections to disease are being drawn to artificial ingredients, additives and flavorings, and are increasingly coming under the public's spotlight for safety, with good reason.

People are eating organic because they believe it is a better way to feed themselves and their family.

Research shows that organic food is more nutritious for you and your family, as it contains more vitamins and minerals, and less poisonous substances you do not need - pesticides, additives and drugs.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

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New York City Board of Health wins Calorie-Count Rule

2009-04-05T19:45:00.000-05:00

RESTAURANT NEWS

NYC Rule Forcing Restaurants to Post Calorie Counts Upheld
Restaurants must abide by Law

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®

Restaurant goers will continue to read calorie counts of their favorite fattening foods in New York City restaurants.

Taking a blow was The New York State Restaurant Association which challenged the City’s 2007 regulation requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to display calorie information on their menus. Victorious was New York City's Health department and its campaign against obesity.

In February, a federal appellate court rejected the restaurant association's position to do away with the 2007 regulation.

In their fight, advocates of the calorie law see it as a critical tool in America's struggle with obesity. The City had cited evidence showing that customers often and "sometimes significantly" underestimate the calorie content of meals.

Enforcement of the rule began in July 2008, but, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, eliminates, for now, uncertainty over the rule.

“This is good news for everyone,” said Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the city’s health commissioner. “Nearly all chain restaurants are now complying with the law. Consumers are learning more about the food before they order, and the market for healthier alternatives is growing. We applaud the court for its decision, and we thank the restaurant industry for living by the rules.”

The appellate court rejected the restaurant association’s arguments that the rule was pre-empted by federal Food and Drug Administration regulations and that it violated the First Amendment rights of restaurants.

Three judges found that Congress intended to exempt restaurant food from the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, and left the question of whether to require the posting of information like calorie counts to state and local governments.

The rule applies to restaurants that are part of chains with at least 15 establishments doing business nationally.

The calorie-count rule, adopted by New York City’s Board of Health in 2007, originally applied to restaurants that had already voluntarily made nutritional information available.

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

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Caralluma Fimbriata; neither Appetizing nor Sexy

2009-03-29T15:07:00.000-05:00

SUPPLEMENT REVIEWS

Caralluma Fimbriata - "The most effective tool ever discovered for battling obesity?"

By Mark Isaac Thyss
Garden of Healing®
　
Caralluma Fimbriata intrigues me. It sounds kind of Portu-geeese-ish, yet, it's Indian - as in India.

It's not a Brazilian ballerina, new Rain Forest dark-bark chocolate, nor is it a coolie-hip coffee beverage. It's certainly not appetizing looking, nor is it sexy.

What it is?

The latest entry into the diet foods and supplements category that suppresses appetite - yours.

"Control on my eating habit easily..."

Chewing on thorny food seems dangerous to me, especially if it might squirt or even bite back!

Oh! Dear sweet Cara-lluma, bestow your light on my fatty corpse and make me thin again!

It's not likely that I will ever consider it's use as "the next natural weight loss powerhouse" - as loud reviews are claiming. Instead, I find most of the information about Caralluma Fimbriata flaky, funny, and down-right ridiculous.

Have supplement marketers run out of verbrilliance and material, or are they just tired and lazy?

Mysterious old plant or new weight loss Savior? Which is it? And, why do you need the stuff?

"Caralluma Fimbriata, an ancient Indian cactus, is getting a fast reputation for possibly becoming..."

Caralluma Fimbriata is an ancient Indian cactus used by the rural masses (purportedly), as an appetite suppressant during periods of famine to curb appetite. It's used in India as a portable, meaning, carry-it-with-you hunting food. Apparently, you do not need much of it, to sustain your body, during long treks hunting tiger. A warrior's got to remain light and nimble, you know.

"Desire to munch on something just wasn't there..."

I've never seen Caralluma at Whole Foods Market (they have everything you know...), and I'm very curious to chop some up. So curious and entralled, I won't even use my Cuisinart; I am working on knife skills this month.

Don't tell me I have to travel to India to get my hands on this succulent "no-diet" wonder. Too much travel trouble for an authentic experience, and besides, anywhere I go, I like to go fast, and with impeccable service. 27 minutes to O'Hare is time not well spent, even in first class...

But no, say it isn't so, we're all in luck!

Vitamin supplement manufacturers are NOT spending cash writing glorious words and phrases raving about this succulent bush - better than Hoodia, they say!

For a buck, they'll say anything and more..., and they do...

"One of the Most Effective and Natural Weight Loss Products To..."

Talk is cheap.

I am not chubby, and I do not intend to go on safari any time soon, if ever. India is far away. Tigers run faster than me, they are big, and last I heard, they eat people too. Doesn't look like I'll be munching on juicy Caralluma cacti hunting leopard anytime soon.

"Most Effective and Natural Weight Loss Products To Come Along In Years!"

If I'm not portly, and if I don't want to end up embarrassed by the failure of Caralluma's promise and allure as a weight loss miracle, what other reasons are there to get my hands on this stuff?

Cook it like zucchini?

Maybe I shouldn't ridicule Caralluma. We might all need to start liking it - and alot of it too...

With "for rent" and "out of business" signs everywhere, whether due to the Bush years, Maydoff swindling or AIG thinking, famine could quite possibly be on the horizon for each and every one of us in America, as we hunt for our nourishment in far Midwestern fields or in Peanut-butter-and-Jellystone Park.

Getting down with Caralluma Fimbriata could come in handy. Wonder if the price is right?

At $120 plus for a two-month supply, things are getting clearer. It's not my rear end that's getting smaller, but rather my pocketbook.

"One of the Most Effective ... Products To Come Along In Years!"

These are the claims. Maybe Caralluma is a miracle - and maybe it isn't. Sure sounds exotic; that's reason enough for some.

"Desire to munch on something just wasn't there..."

I like eating and do so every few hours. I'm wired that way, and as it turns out - eating this way is healthy too. I do not need an appetite suppressant, nor do I want one. Apparently, I need Caralluma capsules like I need liposuction on my Hinterteil.

But alas, I am aware my brains reside elsewhere, and I do question this stuff...

"6 month supply completed on July 2008 and results were amazing..."

It's understandable that some people need to curb their appetite, but buyer beware when it comes to these claims. Manufacturers have gone crazy making proclamations - or not far enough? Indeed there are so many products on the market nowadays, and mere words set products apart. Right?

Babble or truth?

"In several clinical trials "Slimaluma" (a patented version of the ingredient Caralluma F.) showed reducing effects on body fat through appetite management."

Seek some kind of proof. Read something authoritative other than the pure rot Yahoo and Google search results produce.

Sadly, for Caralluma, every writer-reviewer and his plump sister keep writing the same empty crap.

And still, my culinary curiosity is begging me to sample some. Caralluma - and the idea of it, both seem elusive to me. Downing capsules or sipping the powdered supplemental are not going to do it. I need substance, in food, drink and information.

"Discover the details of the Indian 'miracle' cactus Caralluma Fimbriata, which targets the real cause of fat gain!"

Neither India nor famine appear on my "to do" list, and I'd really like to cook some of the (vegetable) stuff - with a little turmeric, garlic and cumin, for starters, to see how it tastes and rates. It is also found in chutney, but we don't have an Indian market anywhere within several hundred miles.

I've read that it comes pickled or is used to pickle too. You can eat it raw, kind of like a carrot. Watch the thorns.

"One of the Most Effective and Natural Weight Loss Products To Come Along In Years!"

The more I cogitate, the more my jaw hurts..; and, to take Caralluma as a weight loss supplement, well, that's just not for me - cannot seem to wrap my lips around it...

Once far off in the future, when I do find myself with spare tire, feeling unattractive, unmotivated - and lumpy, I'll resort to what I have always done... That is; eat vegetables and brown rice with tamari. Pair this with running 15 to 20 minutes, maybe twice a week, and finish with a dash of delusion...

The old fashion way of losing weight has always done the job. No Ab Master-blaster for me.

"Dropped 40 pounds in 6 months with Zero exercise...!"

Who needs Hoodia or Caralluma Fimbriata? Maybe you do. But don't be fooled by ANY exotic next great weight loss marvel, especially if manufacturers are touting them as "famine foods" - how absurd!

We are not in Kansas anymore - nor in India, even if eight years of George Bush have landed us feeling there, down-and-out or even square in despair.

Funny, after getting to know Caralluma Fimbriata, I still find it so ridiculous, that I'll just have to let it keep me laughing thin.

__________________
　
In Caralluma's defense, I offer this piece from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

"Caralluma fimbriata is an edible cactus, used by tribal Indians to suppress hunger and enhance endurance. The effect of Caralluma extract was assessed in overweight individuals by a placebo controlled randomized trial. Fifty adult men and women (25-60 years) with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2 were randomly assigned into a placebo or experimental group; the latter received 1 g of Caralluma extract per day for 60 days. All subjects were given standard advice regarding a weight reducing diet and physical activity. At the end of 30 and 60 days of intervention, blood glucose and lipids, anthropometric measurements, dietary intake and assessment of appetite was performed. Waist circumference and hunger levels over the observation period showed a significant decline in the experimental group when compared to the placebo group. While there was a trend towards a greater decrease in body weight, body mass index, hip circumference, body fat and energy intake between assessment time points in the experimental group, these were not significantly different between experimental and placebo groups. Caralluma extract appears to suppress appetite, and reduce waist circumference when compared to placebo over a 2 month period."

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

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Investigating Pain; Links to Brain's White Matter

2009-03-26T16:18:00.000-05:00

NEUROLOGY

Chronic Complex Region Pain Syndrome

SOURCE: Journal Neuron, by Cell Press

Chronic complex region pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating pain condition that usually begins with an injury causing significant damage to the hand or the foot.

For 5 percent of patients, pain rages on long past any healing, and sometimes for the rest of a person's life. About 200,00 people in the U.S. have CRPS.

These new findings by scientists at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine begin to explain a mysterious condition that the medical community had doubted was real.

Investigated were gray matter morphometry and white matter anisotropy in CRPS patients and matching controls.

Peering into the brains of people with CRPS, scientists discovered that a patient's brain looked like an inept cable guy had changed the hookups, rewiring the areas related to emotion, pain perception and the temperature of their skin.

The changes in the brain take place in the network of tiny, white "cables" that dispatch messages between the neurons. This is called the brain's white matter.

Several years ago, Northwestern researchers discovered chronic pain caused the regions in the brain that contain the neurons - called gray matter because it looks gray - to atrophy.

Reorganization of white matter connectivity in these regions was characterized by branching pattern alterations, as well as increased (VMPFC to insula) and decreased (VMPFC to basal ganglion) connectivity.

This is the first study to link pain with changes in the brain's white matter. Findings were published November 26, 2008 in the journal Neuron.

Learn more:

Clinical Study

The Brain in Chronic CRPS Pain: Abnormal Gray-White Matter Interactions in Emotional and Autonomic Regions; p570

Paul Y. Geha, Marwan N. Baliki, R. Norman Harden, William R. Bauer, Todd B. Parrish, A. Vania Apkarian

Full text or to purchase PDF (1252 kb): http://www.cell.com/neuron/archive

__________________

© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

For more articles and recipes leading to natural health and healing, please visit:

http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/

Become a SelfcarePro! Your Nutritional Edge, Foods, Fitness, Best Healthcare & Spa Destinations; for Product Reviews, Articles, Interviews & Celebrity Exposes, visit:

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