Cloned Food: Need you know more?

Got this picture from Dave at The Good Human Blog.

Unless you've been at the North Pole for the last week, you've heard about the FDA's decree that cloned food seems, well, okay to eat, even in the absence of the most half-assed safety studies (to say nothing of a longitudinal one).

Here's all you need to know, so you can sleep well at night knowing the folks in government care about you and what goes into your bod:

"[Milk and meat from cloned animals is] as safe to eat as the food we eat every day."

-- Stephen Sundlof, FDA Chief of vetinary medicine, via telephone interview with reporters.

p.s. stay tuned: did you know conventional honey has antibiotics in it?

Global Fertility: Polar Bears Declared Endangered

We have had a snowless Christmas here in RI and were watching old home movies of our house in Hibbing--six and seven foot snowdrifts!!!! This was some thirty, forty years ago. Scary, people! My mother reports there's no snow in MN, either. Do you need more proof of global warming?

Via Treehugger: ...Today, we find out that our readers and documentary film makers aren't the only ones taking a close look at the plight of the polar bear: according to the Washington Post, the Department of the Interior planned to submit a proposal today for listing the iconic animal as an endangered species. Such proposals are fairly routine, but this has special significance: it would "...[put] the U.S. government on record as saying that global warming could drive one of the world's most recognizable animals out of existence..."

The only utterly laughable glitch in this is that the Bush Administration absolutely refuses to discuss this in the context of Global Warming ("Duh....gee, George, where did the icebergs go, Huh? Huh?"):

From the New York Times:

But in a conference call with reporters, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said that although his decision to seek protection for polar bears acknowledged the melting of the Arctic ice, his department was not taking a position on why the ice was melting or what to do about it...

More here.

Again, if you want to use my info for NYTIMES.com:

USERNAME: Greenfertility
PASSWORD: Greenfertility
Answer to secret question: Soylent Green

Have a nice, safe, holiday

And please try not to eat too much stuff with green frosting, metallic balls, transfats...your present to me!

Triplets for woman with two wombs

To be Filed under: Fertility News of the Weird:

"A UK woman with two wombs is believed to be the first in the world with the condition to give birth to triplets.

Hannah Kersey, 23, from Northam in Devon, had identical twins Ruby and Tilly, who were born from one womb, Grace, who was born from the other."

From the BBC. More here.

The Parental Wish List grows: China Tightens Adoption Rules for Foreigners

Geez, Louise. So the Republicans and the religious right don't believe singles and gays should be allowed adopt, but the potential parental wish lists seem to just be growing longer. This just in about new restrictons on China adoption (is it cultural hegemony, or independently Chinese, I cannot say). All I can say is Brangelina (who have expressed this desire in at least one supermarket tabloid), better get a move on!

This just in from New York Times:

China plans to tighten rules on foreign adoptions, barring people who are single, obese, older than 50 or who fail to meet certain benchmarks in financial, physical or psychological health from adopting Chinese children, according to adoption agencies in the United States.

Soon it will be NO wearers of corrective lenses, NO lovers of the musical "Cats," NO vegans, NO...what? I'm sure writers will make it onto the list sooner rather than later.

My other question is, if gay marriage becomes legal, will slim homosexual couples get to head the list?

More here.

p.s. I have a funny story about Meg Ryan questioning her adoption of a Chinese child that has not to do with her singleness but of her obtuseness regarding Asian culture. Remind me!

tags technorati : China adoption Brangelina Angelina Jolie

HOLIDAY GIFT SERIES: Kwytza Craft's Chopstick Goods-- and promo!

Check out Kwytza Craft's amazing recycled chopstick products.

We were going to get this CD rack for our friend who passed away. It was just his thing: stylish, a little offbeat, and wow--recycled (sanitized, of course) chopsticks.

Their best selling goods (two of which grace our dining room table) are their folding baskets. Very attractive while in use (you need something to put those clementine oranges it, right?), and easy to fold away (also, reduced shipping cost), and MAN FERTILITY likes putting one inside the other to make some groovy nesting modern art sculptures.


And, they're offering some super special holiday prices:

Small: $5

Medium: $7.50

Large: $10

(nuts for nuts)

"Unfortunately, we are out of stock of the soap dish size right now," I am informed.

But you can also get 10% off the other items until Christmas. Tell 'em the FertilityBitch sent you.

Oral Contraceptive Use Increases Risk for Premenopausal Breast Cancer

I think the hormone replacement therapy boondoogle will (or should) go down in history as one of the biggest health scandals ever. I'd been bugging my mom to stop doing HRT ever since I saw the alarming studies that came out in 2002, which warned that taking synthetic estrogen could fuel the growth of estrogen-positive tumors, which carry receptors for estrogen on their cell surfaces (duh!) and fake progesterone is also not well utilized by the body (plus, it's made from pregnant mare's urine--hence, the brand name PreMARin--and the poor pregnant horses are kept in deplorable conditions). Anyway, I'm sure you're reading all about the BIG drop in breast cancer after everyone stopped taking the hormone, which pretty much says everything right there...so no need to go on about it here.

What you may not know about, however, is that oral contraceptives are also a source of fake hormones anad show similar cancer causing abilities.

This is from a medical newsletter I'm subscribed to, NOT an alternative health one. Sad, sad, sad. Even our midwives' office is crammed full of ads for oral contraceptives for such ridiculous conditions as acne! PMS! Well, at least your skin will be nice and clear and you won't be too PMSy when you show up for your chemo!

Oral Contraceptive Use Increases Risk for Premenopausal Breast Cancer: "'The Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial reported that prolonged exposure to exogenous estrogens and progestins in hormone therapy increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, the World Health Organization recently classified both postmenopausal hormone replacement and oral contraceptives (OCs) as group 1 carcinogens.'"

Again, simple rule: It's not nice to fool mother nature!

tags technorati : oral contraceptives estrogen breast cancer

HOLIDAY GIFT SERIES: Groovy Mind Gift Baskets

To be filed under: The Fertility Bitch is a lazy bum.

Because I'm not very crafty, I'm all for outsourcing of the presentation aspect of gifts. You should see me at the Brown Bookstore, which offers free wrapping!

Gift baskets are another very nice idea, and The Groovy Mind fits the bill with their fair trade, eco-conscious, socially responsible and YUMMY baskets. I was even happier to see that they include Comanzo's baked goods, a local, family-run organic baked goods company. Here's the treats contained within the Tealicious gift basket:

--2 oz. organic Fair Trade, seasonally harvested Assam Rembeng Estate tea, classically bold, refreshing with a hint of citrus
--2 oz. organic White Peony grown in the Fujian Province of China. The silvery down of the buds and delicate leaves are hand harvested and brew to an amber liquid, a delicate cup, power packed with polyphenols.
--baked-to-order organic Caramel Apple cookies
--baked-to-order organic Pumpkin Biscottis
--sweet and spicy organic Chipotle savories
--and unbleached disposable t-sacs
Gift wrap and card included.

And, in case I need to remind you, the antioxidants in tea are fertility friendly**, the caffeine may even make sperm swin faster, and white tea, like this White Peony, is less processed and has even more good stuff in it. Have a tea party! (p.s. the baked goods are NOT gluten free) Check out this and other Groovy Gifts at TheGroovyMind.com

**Here's a post on how tea may be protective against ovarian cancer, which can be CAUSED by the fertility drug, Clomid.

tags technorati : Groovy Mind gift baskets Chrisrtmas holiday gifts sustainable organic justice tea

BBC NEWS: Epidurals hamper breastfeeding

For the pregnant readers (this means you, Kim!), I offer you this tidbit; I decided to go the no-drugs way because epidurals can cause all sorts of nasty things (headaches, fever, incontinence) and because I heard that it can interfere with breastfeeding. Of course the docs were all, "I've never heard of such a stupid thing, of course epidurals are wonderful." I know the nurses love 'em because it "makes patients easy to manage."

So now the BBC is citing a whole study:

Researchers said those who have the anaesthetic are more likely to have problems in the first week after birth and to stop breastfeeding early.

More here.

tags technorati : epidurals labor anesthetic breastfeeding

HOLIDAY GIFT SERIES: Organic Socks and more by Maggie's Functional Organics

If you have too much time on your hands this holiday season, try this: rub a cut onion on the soles of your feet, wait 15 minutes, and have a loved one (or an enemy) smell your delightful onion breath.

Your feet are like those cut stems of the carnations that you would dye green and blue for science class, absorbing and absorbing all those toxins in the biosphere of your shoes. It made me wonder, why do I wear 100% synthetic athletic socks, i.e., when my feet will be the sweatiest? Partly it was because, like many runers, I am partial to padded socks. Well, luckily, here comes Maggie's to help solve the problem (plus, I'm so glad these come in BLACK, to break the white hegemony). Here's a great stocking stuffer (haha) for the runner in your life.



And for the "this will look so cute on my baby!" types, this li'l dinosaur set is tres adorable. Just visualizing this photo sets the uterus aflutter.

And now a word from Maggie's Functional Organics: "[products] made of cutting scraps from the production of our Camisoles and Criss-Cross Tops (a perfect nursing top!) and help to save useable fabric from our landfills. The design of these adorable sets is another collaboration between Maggie's and the Fair Trade Zone, a worker-owned cooperative in Nicaragua. The sewing of these garments is completed either at the Fair Trade Zone or a sweat-free manufacturer in the U.S.A. "

tags technorati : holiday Christmas gifts Maggie's organic clothes socks toxins

Holiday Gift Discount

Hey, kids, look! 15% discount.

Read a review of the Eco-Me Cleaning kit here.

HOLIDAY GIFT SERIES: Kiva Microloans

Want to give a gift that COMES BACK? Check out Kiva.org, which helps facilitate microloans, i.e., start-up capital so small entrepreneurs can start a business.

And, not surprisingly, so far the loan repayment has been at 100%! This might be a great no-clutter last minute type gift, one that you know will make someone feel great this holiday season. All sorts of increments are welcome.

tags technorati : microloans kiva entrepreneurs startup capital

Green Girls Global Blog Continues CityHippy

I was really sad to check on CityHippy and see the following, but happy for Al's new opportunities (go, Al!):

"Today sadly CityHippy offers up its last post for various reasons (which you can read about here). CityHippy might make a comeback, you never know. Life is in a constant state of change and much good is coming from this ending. From the ashes of CityHippy comes GreenGirlsGlobal."

Girl power! Check it out! In the future you may see some Local Yokel dispatches from Rhode Island, including

(1) Joining the UrbanGreens buying coop. And
(2) Eating a free range chicken Louella killed for us.

Yeee-Haw! HOLIDAY BOOK ROUNDUP

As a writer, I have a kind of animated relationship with books, which I consider to be more than material goods. I also tend to write in books a lot, so in a sense they do become "mine" I guess. Books are, then, another present that I think becomes more than the physical pages, etc., although as you'll see, these guys also have nice covers.

Try Simply Green Giving by fellow Korean American Danny Seo for some truly offbeat ideas (e.g., using old VHS tapes as pre-curled ribbons) for eco-wrapping ideas. Beats using old Biohazard bags from our kid's expired blood test kits, as I do (the bags are a cheery red--really!)


Inconceivable by Julia Indichova (who is also a really nice person, btw) is a book that's a lot more than about conception, which is why I'm recommending it as a gift book. It's really a book about life philosophy and finding your own path, silencing the negative critics in your life (including in your own head). I found it incredibly powerful, a lot of interesting ideas to take into this new fertility year. If you know anyone who's trying to re-take charge of their life, anyone who's being pulled in a zillion directions, this book would be great.




On a similar note, Awakening Beauty the Dr. Hasuchka Way is a "coffee table book with integrity." Susan West Kurz, an early mentee (is that a word?) of the famous Dr. Hauschka and now president of the company, has put forth a book that is beautiful to look at, and yet provides an important counterweight to the "surfacey" ideal of beauty that seems to be developing (please let me know and forward pictures if you spot any un-Botoxed actresses and/or ivory-billed woodpeckers). I know, I know, you're thinking, but this is another company that sells products! However, to give you an example, the book suggests you NOT glob on stuff on your face at night so that (just as Gramma used to say) your skin can breathe. There's also recipes (including DIY skincare stuff), and I will add that this comapny really does do its homework as far as toxins and chemicals are concerned. Dr. Hasuchka cosmetics are one of the few things the FB will put on her face for those rare TV appearances where they force you to wear makeup, so there.

tags technorati : holiday gifts books Christmas eco friendly organic

Cheney's Gay Daughter Pregnant, Dick Cheney Proud Grampa

CBS News: Mary Cheney, 37, and her partner of 15 years, Heather Poe, 45, are expecting a baby...

'The vice president and Mrs. Cheney are looking forward with eager anticipation to the arrival of their sixth granddaughter.'

That's just peachy, hypocrites! Believe me, I'm happy for the couple, too. However, for readers who've been with me from the first wee posting six months ago, you know I quit my (ahem, paid) job as the "fertility blogger" at Adoption.com (the experience which, like the gamma rays or whatever that turned Bruce Banner into the Hulk turned me into the FertilityBitch) for the single and damning reason that they bar gays and singles from adopting because, they say, like Grampa Cheney, they believe gays and singles are unfit to be parents (we can make exceptions, right?).

Speaking of making exceptions, in the state of Virginia, where Mary Cheney's partner is from, gay partners are denied many rights, including family visitation rights at a hospital. Is Grampa gonna pull strings for that, too?

Now we just have to have the Bush twins getting preggo (or getting abortions, for that matter) and the hypocrisy circle will be complete.

tags technorati : Mary Cheney pregnancy gay rights marriage Bush twins

HOLIDAY GIFT SERIES: Lydia's Organics

I'm a in love with Lydia's Organics!

Just look at the ingredients in these organic, raw, vegan, sprouted DELICIOUS crackers:

Sprouted almonds*, sprouted sunflower seeds*, nori*, carrots*, parsley*, flax*, ginger*, Original Himalayan Crystal Salt™ & LOVE.

*Organic

These are handcrafted crackers that don't stint at all in their preparation or in their ingredients. Wasn't I just telling you how soaked/sprouted foods are extra good for you? And there's also seaweed, which also packs a nutritional punch, and basically everything in these guys is sooo good for you.

I do believe you can taste the loooooove in these delightful crackers. These would be an awesome present for the pregnant lady in your life (forget Saltines!) or anyone on the go--keep 'em away from fast food or chips, your favorite vegan friend or relative. My son (okay, he eats raw kale and kimchi so he might not be the best example) also loves these.

Or try them for yourself, see what real living food tastes like (and, speaking from my own cracker making experience, soaking, sprouting, Vitamixing, dehydrating, and cursing when you forget to put the top on the mixer all take a long time and trouble!). Lydia herself is all committed to sustainability and environmental justice and her company and its products certainly reflect that.

PLUS: no gluten, no dairy, no soy, free of all common allergen, plus a bunch of ingredients great for fertility. I guess you know what's on MY Christmas list. Hello, MAN FERTILITY?

tags technorati : Lydia's organic raw vegan gluten Himalayan salt organic

"End of Drug Trial Is a Big Loss for Pfizer"--oh yeah, and a big loss to the people who died

Okay, I am cranky, but not necessarily a crank, right? Two days ago, I was ranting,

It's always in Big Pharma's interests to have us on SSRIs (or statins, or birth control pills, etc.) our whole lives (can you say "revenue stream?), who care what it does to our brain, hormones, immune system, OUR UNBORN CHILDREN

...AND OUR LIVES, I should have added.

From The New York Times yesterday,

The news came to Pfizer’s chief scientist, Dr. John L. LaMattina...the company’s most promising experimental drug, intended to treat heart disease, actually caused an increase in deaths and heart problems. Eighty-two people had died so far in a clinical trial, versus 51 people in the same trial who had not taken it...

And the commentary to the Times:

“I’m terribly disappointed...” said Dr. Steven E. Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic and lead investigator of an earlier torcetrapib clinical trial.

And, why, do you think? "Terribly disappointed" because the drug killed people? Terribly disappointed for the deceaseds' families right before the holidays? Read on...

"...This drug, if it worked, would probably have been the largest-selling pharmaceutical in history.”

I'm tearing up for this poor man as I write this (sob!). I say to you, condolences on your loss of....equity value! On your second (third?) home. Dang!

tags technorati : Pfizer big pharma torcetrapib deaths clinical trial

p.s. What kinda type are you?

Folks,

I'm such an eejit about techie stuff, I just realized I can play with the font on this site. The "normal" itty bitty font crams in more

But is anyone going blind and prefers the larger size? Or maybe larger size just for important news about killer drugs? Comments, please

Super Soaker

Why soak stuff before cooking?

My aunt used to always tell me to soak rice for at least 24 hours, even better if little green things appear--sprouting rice?--as it was much healthier that way.

Anyway, health foodists know by and large that sprouting food makes it even more nutritious. From The Good Sprout News:

Medicinally and nutritionally, sprouts have a long history. It has been written that the Ancient Chinese physicians recognized and prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders over 5,000 years ago. Sprouts have continued to be a main staple in the diets of Americans of Oriental descent. Although accounts of sprouting appear in the Bible in the Book of Daniel, it took centuries for the West to fully realize its nutrition merits....

...During World War II considerable interest in sprouts was sparked in the United States by an article written by Dr. Clive M. McKay, Professor of Nutrition at Cornell University...

...He and a team of nutritionists had spent years researching the amazing properties of sprouted soybeans. They and other researchers at the universities of Pennsylvania and Minnesota, Yale and McGill have found that sprouts retain the B-complex vitamins present in the original seed, and show a big jump in Vitamin A and an almost unbelievable amount of Vitamin C over that present in unsprouted seeds. While some nutritionists point out that this high vitamin content is gained at the expense of some protein loss, the figures are impressive: an average 300 percent increase in Vitamin A and a 500 to 600 percent increase in Vitamin C. In addition, in the sprouting process starches are converted to simple sugars, thus making sprouts easily digested.

24-hour soaking of brown rice, beans, flax, nuts etc. produces many of the same benefits without turning the stuff into sprouts. It takes some advance planning, but why not pack some more power into your meals? Nuts can be soaked (pecans taste even sweeter) and then eaten, or fling them into the dehydrator to get them crispy (but more nutritious) again. Try soaking brown rice--the texture and stickiness will almost resemble white rice--yum!

Extra: here are results of a European soaking experiment on lentil flour that resulted in lower galactosides (flatulence producing substance) and higher levels of available B vitamins. Guess the Bible has some healthy cooking tips...

Paxil and Birth Defects

Okey dokey, I don't normally post on Saturdays, but this is kinda important since almost everyone I know (okay, writers are a unique category) is on some kind of SSRIs.

The cover story in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the flagship journal for the American College of Gynecologists (ACOG) has published the following alert:

Unpublished data regarding the use of Paxil® during the first trimester of pregnancy have raised concerns about an increased risk of congenital heart malformations. Thus, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory regarding the use of Paxil® during pregnancy and the manufacturer changed its pregnancy category from C to D...

...A Category D classification means a drug has been found to be harmful to human fetuses.

more here.

I guess a YEAR AGO (oops!) GlaxoSmithKline, in its OWN study (i.e., likely run as favorable to itself as possible) came out with data so worrisome it caused the FDA to issue warnings about an increased risk of birth defects.

Now, why did it take a YEAR to trickle down to ACOG (which is the governing body for your friendly OBs, the ones who answer your questions like, "Is it okay to continue to take Paxil while I'm pregnant?" and "Should I get a mammogram?") Looking at the numbers in the study, it seemed they didn't have too much trouble finding women who were taking Paxil while pregnant (eeek!) and then counting how many birth defects (particularly heart problems) their kids had.

What's even more frightening is the endless ads touting SSRIs for PMS (see your acupuncturist first, People!), which makes it more likely that if you --oops!-- get pregnant, you've already been taking Paxil/Zoloft/Prozac for weeks if not months into your pregnancy.

Always think twice when asked to take drugs. It's always in Big Pharma's interests to have us on SSRIs (or statins, or birth control pills, etc.) our whole lives (can you say "revenue stream?), who care what it does to our brain, hormones, immune system, OUR UNBORN CHILDREN...Remember, those "free" pens ain't free!

tags technorati : fertility Paxil birth defects pregnancy Americian College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists

Your Fertility: Don't Forget, It's Yours

This came in from a women's issues list I'm on. This is almost on par with the rumblings that we now need to re-invade Iraq:

Late last week, after pledging to bring the country together after his electoral losses, President Bush appointed Eric Keroack to lead the Department of Health and Human Services' family-planning program – which supports 4,600 clinics and more than five million people annually.

Putting a doctor who opposes birth control in charge of a federal family-planning program is just plain irresponsible. Sign the petition and say NO to Keroack now.

Keroack has dedicated his career to telling women that birth control and abortion are wrong. He most recently was the medical director for A Woman's Concern, which oversees six anti-choice "crisis pregnancy centers" in Massachusetts and maintains a policy stating "that the crass commercialization and distribution of birth control is demeaning to women, degrading of human sexuality and adverse to human health and happiness."

And those Viagra ads (no crass commercialization of sex here!)? Easy to overlook that when men don't have to worry about becoming pregnant...

tags technorati : fertility birth control Keroack Bush reproductive rights