Green Fertility

Monsanto's Roundup Linked to Infertility-how to protect yourself

2012-01-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

From the Activist Post:

A recent study conducted by a German university found very high concentrations of glyphosate, a carcinogenic chemical found in herbicides like Monsanto’s Roundup, in all urine samples tested.

The amount of glyphosate found in the urine was staggering, with each sample containing concentrations at 5- to 20-fold the limit established for drinking water.

This is just one more piece of evidence that herbicides are, at the very least, being sprayed out of control.

Glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup Impacting Global Health

This news comes only one month after it was found that glyphosate, contained in Monsanto’s Roundup, is contaminating the groundwater in the areas in which it is used. What does this mean?

read more here

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First, obviously, don't use roundup. Eat organic and encourage others to do so--only demand for pesticide-free products will make farmers stop using pesticides.

At home, we use not only a reverse-osmosis filter for our drinking water, we have a WHOLE-HOUSE filter so that our shower water, laundry water, and the water the comes out the garden hose are all clean, or as clean as possible. It's also been documented that there are SSRIs and other pharmaceuticals in drinking water--why take a chance on your health and fertility?

Mercury in CFLs

2012-01-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons not to use CFLs (compact fluorescent lights). You've probably already heard that they have mercury in them, so if broken, they can contaminate your house, and they will most certainly contaminate landfills. But it also appear that while INTACT, they might still be able to give off mercury vapors, which is not good for anyone. From Activist Post:

Another everyday product you may want to avoid is compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Only months after it was found that energy saving compact fluorescent bulbs release carcinogenic chemicals into the air, a new study has found that these harmful chemicals are continually released from the bulbs over a period of weeks to months. Furthermore, the study also found that the levels of mercury released exceed those that are considered safe for humans.

read more: here

Flourescent light is also a source of "dirty" energy, it's rapid cycling makes you feel stressed. As the parent of an autistic child, I can tell you that fluorescents make him crazy. Read more: here

In our house we use LEDs, which have a nice clean light. They are more expensive than incandescent or CFLs, but they last longer, too. We also like the VU, nice, soft lighting, energy efficient, and long lasting. This one is not an LED, but a ESL (Electron Stimulated Luminescence):

My Mother-in-Law and Marijuana

2012-01-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been away from the blog for a while; been knocked out by pneumonia, but happy to say I've dug my way out of it without antibiotics. Olive Leaf Extract and Mullein tea have been great.

In December, in response to the Obama administration's cracking down on state-sanctioned medical marijuana, I wrote this op-ed for the New York Times about how my mother-in-law, with pancreatic cancer, was helped by cannabis but was too scared to use it, which was a terrible shame.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/opinion/medical-marijuana-and-the-memory-of-one-high-day.html

Gift ideas

2011-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

How about an insulated, glass, bamboo water bottle? Glass is obviously one of the healthiest choices because you don't have to worry about stuff leaching into it, and why not sustainable bamboo to cushion it in a fashionable way? Only caveat, this bottle is heavier than the stainless ones, but so worth it! http://www.bamboobottleco.com

And while you're at it, try some Runa Guayusa tea, a new tea that provides antioxidants and a little pick up without the jitters of coffee, PLUS it's fair trade: http://www.runa.org/home.aspx

Light, waterproof, stylin' boots: Ahnu Embarcadero

2011-12-07T07:12:00.000-08:00

My current light pair of stylin' books are lovely for travel. BUT they not waterproof and are rather slippery, so with all the weird weather cropping up I find myself a bit slidey and cold with a sudden snow. But if I'm on a short trip it doesn't always make sense to bring my stubby Keen Providences.

Ahhh... Ahnu Embarcaderos to the rescue. They're a nice basic boot with an interesting (and comfy hell) and they are surprisingly light for a waterproof boot. Ahnu the company is also always up to interesting green projects, so it makes sense to support ther.

Fit: I found these boots true to size and fit my narrow feet very well.

NY parents pass drug tests, still lose custody of children due to illogical cannabis prosecutions

2011-10-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

It’s tough to bepoor and minority in America these days. It’s harder to vote, harder to get healthcare, harder to get credit,harder to get to work on public transportation, harder to get an education--andnow, it’s harder to be a parent. If you live in New York and are poor, you don’t even have to commit acrime or show evidence of neglect to have your children taken away from you. That’s what happened to Penelope Harriswhen police found 10 grams of marijuana (about a third of an ounce) whilesearching her Bronx apartment. Shecontended the marijuana belonged to her boyfriend. The amount was also below the legal limit for even amisdemeanor prosecution. And yet,on the basis of this find alone, child welfare authorities took her son and herniece, who was living with her as a foster child, and placed them in fostercare on neglect charges, her niece not returned to her home for more than ayear. Ms. Harris, who had no priorcriminal record, was forced to weather a lengthy neglect investigation as wellas a drug test, both of which exonerated her.

David Simon, thegenius creator of the TV series The Wire, callsthe War on Drugs “the war on the underclass.” And nowhere has this war been taken to new heights ofcruelty and absurdity in the recent cases in New York. Neglect charges have been broughtagainst parents based on sub-prosecutable amounts of marijuana found in thehome, or even, more ridiculously, on admitted past use. Some parents have even lost custody oftheir children. Recreationalmarijuana use is something that is de facto if not de jure decriminalized for the vast majority of Americans, but New York isripping children out of the arms of poor parents capriciously and with impunity,not only breaking up families but ruining job prospects (should these neglectcharges stick, the parent may be barred from occupations that involve contactwith children).

In New York state,marijuana has been effectively decriminalized. To be caught possessing up to 25 grams results in acitation, similar to a traffic ticket. But a recent article in The New York Times explored a current practice of welfare agencies taking children awayfrom parents on the basis of these non-prosecutable amounts of. For this, prosecutors have marshalledthe power (and expense) of the courts in a large-net sweep, breaking upfamilies and putting the burden on them to prove they are not unfit parents. But not only did the court system runrampant on poor parents, who had little legal power or connections, but also,tellingly, "these cases were rarely if ever filed against whiteparents."

This ReeferMadness all over again, revamped and reshaped into a cudgel with which totorment the minority poor. Theoriginal 1936 film was a melodramatic-campy fantasy of the dangers of marijuana, implying itdrove the most timid of smokers to rape, hallucinations, homicide, nyphomania,and suicide (a particularly funny scene also suggests cannabis may cause badpiano-playing), to help set the cultural atmosphere needed for marijuana’sprohibition in 1937. A powerfulcountermand was necessary to reverse the accurate perception of cannabis, whichhad, prior to its criminalization, had been listed in the official U.S.Pharmacopeia (USP), the official public standards-setting authority for allprescription and over-the-counter medicines, as a useful, relatively safe andeffective analgesic and anti-depressive.

Not even a yearafter its criminalization, a scientific panel commissioned by, ironically, NewYork City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, promptly recommended re-legalization. In 1988, DEA Administrative Law JudgeFrancis Young restated that cannabis is "the safest therapeutically activesubstance known to man." Toxicologists agree that cannabis has almost no lethal dose, making itsafer than quotidian household substances such as alcohol, caffeine, evenwater.

Perhapsthis could only happen in America, where large swaths of the population can beconvinced to shun perfectly obvious evidence from scientists, be it globalclimate change, evolution, or cannabis, in favor of an absurdist,politically-charged view, if that view is promulgated long enough and withenough conviction and/or effectively uses fear to trump logic. The way racism and xenophobia wereexploited to push through the 1936 decision (marijuana being associated bothwith illegal Mexican immigration and black jazz musicisns) this harmless planthas once again taken on the mantle of “demon weed,” a synecdoche for insinuationsof negligent parenting among the minority underclass--simply for being poor andminority.

Thenew-old interpretation being used is against these parents is the “gateway drugtheory,” a particularly cynicaltrope when considering that it was used to almost comical effect during theMcCarthy era by suggesting that marijuana caused communism (marijuana leads toheroin, which comes from opium, which comes from communist China, etc.—that is,if one wants to willfully forget that China’s opium was forced upon it by theBritish, during the Opium Wars). Numerous scientific studies have not only debunked this myth, but HarryAnslinger, the anti-cannabis zealot largely responsible for the prohibition ofcannabis in 1936, later had to admit in front of Congress that the “gatewaydrug” theory was false. Yet,decades later, here is Michael Fagan, of the Administration for Children’sServices, stating in the Times that “Wefind that admitted marijuana use masks other substance abuse” a statement madewith no scientific backing, even with 2006 University of Pittsburgh studysuggesting the opposite is true. In fact, lawyers for the accused families point out that investigatorsbrought the negligence cases first, then only retroactively searched for otherdrug use. In the Harris case,where the mother had two children removed from her home, drug tests showed shewasn’t using any drugs, marijuana or otherwise.

Because marijuanais still a controlled substance in this country, little scientific research hasbeen done on its effects on family life. However, consider that a high-profile report this year by the GlobalCommission on Drug Policy, which includes former U.N. chief Kofi Annan and pastpresidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, which urged ending the war on drugs,particularly the criminalizationof marijuana. We have the examplesof highly developed countries, such as the Netherlands, where social and legalacceptance of its recreational and medicinal use does not seem to have resultedin troves of criminally neglected children. Even Mexico, a country we associate with drug violence, in2009 decriminalized marijuana and cocaine, and so far the tsunami of childneglect has not materialized.

While New Yorkprosecutors may believe that marijuana is somehow antithetical to a healthyfamily, in California, suburban mothers were a major constituency pushing forrecreational legalization in the most recent elections. Certainly no one considers moderateenjoyment of other psychoactive drugs such as alcohol or coffee to be groundsfor charging parent negligence, and yet these substances on a toxicology levelare much more dangerous to children than cannabis.

Our country hasbecome an odd amalgam of a Puritan past that casts suspicion upon anything thatgives pleasure, while its capitalistic nature encourages the rich to enjoytheir spoils. In thisquasi-theology, poor people are sinners and should therefore be denied anypleasure in their life (a recent Fox News report disparaged the poor in Americaas not even being really poor, as many enjoyed “amenities” such asrefrigerators); for the wealthy, being rich and successful is a virtue initself, and anything they do is wonderful, the same way poor minorityshoplifters go to jail for stealing infant formula while the upperclass richare thought of with amusement if not fondness for their “kleptomania.” Even more unfairly, while whites in NewYork City use marijuana at roughly twicethe rate of Hispanics and blacks, according to data from the New York StateDivision of Criminal Justice Services, Hispanics are arrested for marijuanapossession at 3.5 times the rate of whites, 7.8 times for blacks.

If the New Yorkagencies believe cannabis to be such a clear and identifiable danger tochildren, we await the dragnets in affluent areas. Perhaps a suburban man who installs a wet bar in his recroom also needs to have his children taken away from him by child welfareauthorities, as abuse of alcohol hasbeen found to be highly correlated to child abuse and neglect by numerousstudies. Further, all of the lastthree American presidents--all parents—could have been under suspicion by NewYork standards, having admitted to past marijuana use.

At a time ofstrapped state budgets, as citizens we need to ask ourselves what is the costof prosecuting these marijuana cases that are not criminal to begin with, buteven more importantly, we need to ask ourselves what is the cost to society inneedlessly subjecting children to the trauma of removal from their homes, thetaint of presumed guilt on their parents, the time and money and psychic damageborne by these parents who need to prove their innocence? With the stresses and strains ontoday’s poor and minority families seemingly multiplying every day, it’smadness to tear families apart based upon another cannabis fiction.

And more: California Doctors' Group endorses marijuana legalization.

Gluten Free PUmpkin Bread...with ACORN!

2011-10-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

What says fall more than pumpkin bread?

I advise NOT to get the pureed junk in a can, because the cans can leach BPA and other nasty stuff. Plus, with the zillions of pumpkins around, why not get your own?

Make sure to get a smaller "sugar" pumpkin. Organic if possible, although pumpkins don't usually need pesticide. However, using an organic pumpkin from a friend's farm yielded a orangey-er bread than a non-organic, just sayin'.

I'm really into the health benefits of diversifying your diet and wildcrafting. If you can get your hands on some acorn flour (it has to be leached to remove the bitter tannins) or you can buy it at the Korean grocery. Here's my recipe for double loaves (or one flat sheet cake pan) of yummy pumpkin bread (as lon gas you're baking, it's more enviro to bake more):

2½ cups Bob's Red Mill GF flour

2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoons ginger

½ cup acorn flour
½ tsp nutmeg (fresh ground is best)

¼ tsp cloves

½ tsp cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ raisins

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup pure maple syrup or honey (more to taste depending on pumpkin's sweetness)
4 organic eggs
3 cups pumpkin or squash (reshly steamed and mashed)
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Oil a loaf pans and then lightly dust with flour.
In a bowl combine the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix with a wire whisk. Then, stir in the pecans.

In a separate bowl combine the oil, maple syrup, honey eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix well with a wire whisk.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do not over mix.
Pour into loaf pan and bake 30 - 45 mins or until knife comes out clean.
Let cool about 15 minutes before slicing and serving. ENJOY!!

Maternal Smoking can alter DNA in fetus

2011-05-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Source: American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Newswise — ATS 2011, DENVER - Children whose mothers or grandmothers smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk of asthma in childhood, but the underlying causes of this are not well understood.

Now a new study indicates changes in a process called DNA methylation that occurs before birth may be a root cause.

The study will be presented at the ATS 2011 International Conference.
DNA methylation is a process that can alter a gene’s usual function. These altered genes can be passed along from parent to child. In this case, researchers observed DNA methylation-related changes in the AXL gene in children exposed to maternal smoking in utero. The AXL gene plays an important role in many human cancers and in immune response.

“We found that children exposed to maternal smoking in utero had a 2.3 percent increase in DNA methylation in AXL,” said Carrie Breton, ScD, assistant professor of preventive medicine at The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.
“These results confirm results from a prior study and present compelling evidence that environmental exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy may alter DNA methylation levels."’

Perfect Mother's Day Gift

2011-05-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

I love the Libre Tea glasses--non toxic, stylish, easy to use loose leaf tea--and love the new, bigger size even better. The poly keeps it cool to the touch but the inside is glass, for health (no BPAs!) and great taste. Plus, it's very styling.

Still fits nicely in the drink holder in your car or your hip messenger bag.

Check it out here: http://libretea.com/shop-libre/libre-glassn-poly-large/

Win A FREE Maggie's Lycra-free organic dress + fight the Koch Brothers!

2011-03-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is a weird post bringing together two disparate threads, but just wait.

You probably know the Koch brothers as the billionaire secret funders of WI gov. Scott Walker and his cronies in the union-busting schemes. The Koch brothers can't wait until there's no democracy and everything is run by big business--them!

Nor surprisingly, they, through their companies, are also big polluters. Among other things, they have been lobbying to have FORMALDEHYDE delisted as a carcinogen, because their paper plants produce a lot of it, and that's kind of annoying when the workers get cancer and blame it on them, etc.

Here's a little preview of their polluting:

In 2000, the EPA fined Koch Industries $30 million for its role in 300 oil spills that resulted in more than three million gallons of crude oil leaking into ponds, lakes, streams and coastal waters.

In 1999 a Koch subsidiary pleaded guilty to charges that it had negligently allowed aviation fuel to leak into waters near the Mississippi River from its refinery in Rosemount, Minnesota, and that it had illegally dumped a million gallons of high-ammonia wastewater onto the ground and into the Mississippi.

In 1996, two people where burned alive in their vehicle due to a poorly maintained Koch pipeline that had leaked flammable butane into a residential Texas neighborhood.

You can read more here.

Here's a list of Koch Industries products, some you probably use every day not realizing it's funding all this bad stuff: http://wagingnonviolence.org/2011/03/boycott-of-koch-products-gaining-steam/

But keeping the focus on the positive, check out this awesome organic free trade LYCRA free dress. Yes, it's a lovely, stretchy jersey, double knit very densely so you don't need any ARTIFICIAL FIBERS. It's a real go-to dress that you can wear three seasons (throw on a scarf, a jacket--wear it to work, I've even worn it over jeans for a casual look), looks great with tights and boots and well as summer-bare with sandals. And it's very karmic and good-energy, and reasonably priced PLUS the people who made it had a fair deal for their labor.

Even better, tweet this post for a change to WIN A FREE DRESS. When we pick the winner, we will contact you and Maggie's will directly send you one in your size.

Gluten free chocolate pumpkin muffins

2011-02-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

The new health benefits of dark chocolate are legendary. If you are pregnant, supposedly you'll have happier babies. Chocolate can lower blood pressure because of its magnesium conent. And it supposedly works as well as that daily baby aspirin to keep clots at bay.

So I went to this vegan bakery and had the world's best gluten free pumpkin muffin. It was a one-time thing, because they were seasonal, so I've tried to recreate my own, based on what the nice lady at the checkout said was in them:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 6-muffin tin with paper cupcake liners--I prefer making my own by cutting out squares of parchment paper and mushing them down with a glass.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together (organic when possible):

1 1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup amaranth flour -- I buy it whole and grind it myself
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup potato starch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Add in:

1 cup evaporated date sugar or organic light brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 free range organic eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Now add in:

about 1/2 cup soy milk or other kind of milk

Beat until sooth, add in a little more milk or sorghum flour as necessary to achieve slightly thicker than cake batter consistency. Add in 1/2 or more cup chocolate chips (use dark, at least 50% cocoa mass to achieve antioxidants)

Spoon the batter into six muffin cups, bake about 20 minutes. They can stay out a day uncoverd, but after that I would freeze them or put them in a container.

Note on sources:

The vegan bakery obviously did not use eggs--you can subst. 1 tsp flaxseed and 1 tsp water for each egg.

They also used coconut flour, which is contraindicated for me on my Blood Type Diet. But by all accounts, these turned out pretty well!

You can get a lot of the interesting gluten free flours by Bob'd Red Mill at Amazon:

Seaweed is a sea vegetable

2011-02-16T07:38:00.000-08:00

Seaweed has got to be one of the world's most underrated superfoods. It has all sorts of trace minerals, plus IODINE, which is good for the thyroid and good for fertility and is sorely lacking in the American diet (hence iodized salt--however the iodine they use in that is not naturally occurring--just sayin').

Seaweed is also great for detox. It sounds strange, but it absorbs a bunch of toxins including radiation. A doctor working with survivors of Hiroshima made his staff eat tons of seaweed soup--and none of them got radiation poisoning.

Even better, it's free. On a trip to the pristine Block Island, I read in a histiography how settlers used to fight over the copious Irish Moss and kelp that washed up on the beach after storms. I even found a recipe for blancmange, a traditional pudding type thing Block Islanders made from seaweed, and after I harvested a bunch of Irish Moss, I made some. It did taste delightfully like pudding.

In Korean culture, we already eat a lot of seaweed (and traditionally, that's why they say Koreans have such nice hair). For people unused to the salty, somewhat marine flavor, it can take some getting used to. Irish Moss is not easily available unless you harvest your own, but kelp is. I like wild harvested kelp, also because it is done in an eco conscious way.

If you are local to Rhode Island check out She Sells Seaweed; she has a booth at the Pawtucket Winter Farmer's Market where I was first introduced to her yummy Sesame Kelp Snacky Treat.

(p.s. I'm a bit of a raw foodie; I don't even bake mine. It is a little stickier that way, but yummy.)

Sesame Kelp Brittle

½ cup brown rice syrup

¼ cup olive oil

Dash of shoyu or tamari soy sauce

1 cup sesame seeds

½ cup crushed almonds

¼ – ¾ cup or to your liking of finely crushed kelp (bake kelp at 250 for 10 min or until crisp and grind in food processor)

2-3 tsp of fresh finely chopped ginger root

Heat syrup, oil and shoyu in a small sauce pan. When mixture begins to foam up add seeds, nuts, kelp and ginger and stir thoroughly.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread mixture onto parchment and then cover with another piece of parchment. Roll out flat with a rolling pin. Remove top parchment.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes- and then for last few minutes check to avoid burning. Remove from oven and rip away parchment after 5 minutes.

To mail order, I highly recommend my friends at BC Kelp, where they also sell a lot of interesting varieties for you to branch out as you get more adventurous. They have recipes, too.

COMMENT if you want more recipes, like my Korean seaweed tofu soup. A comforting way to eat seaweed in the winter!

New 3D mammogram, double the radiation, double the fun

2011-02-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

There was an article in the NY Times today about how recalled equipment was severely lacking in safety data BUT was still approved by the . Yay!

So now the has approved a new kind of with DOUBLE the radiation (they are parsing it as "slightly more but still safe") and no testing on long term effects of that. Buyer beware:

FDA approves Hologic 3-D breast scan, radiation unclear

Posted 2011/02/11 at 2:14 pm EST

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2011 (Reuters) — U.S. health officials have approved Hologic Inc's 3-D system in hopes that it may help doctors better detect and diagnose breast cancer, even though women may be exposed to more radiation.

NY Times bonus: "Most Recalled Untested": Most recalled in recent years by the Food and Drug Administration because they posed a high risk to patients were not rigorously studied before being cleared for sale, according to a study in a journal released Monday.

Read more here using GreenFertility/GreenFertility as your username/pw: http://www../2011/02//business/15device.html

Take thyroid meds in evening for better results

2011-02-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

This is so interesting. I presumed you should take meds in the morning to get that thyroid energy all day, but here's what Mary Shomon, About.com's trusted thyroid guru says:

But two important studies -- a 2007 study published in the journalClinical Endocrinology, and a follow-up larger randomized trial reported in the December 2010 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine -- have found that taking the same dose of levothyroxine (i.e., Synthroid) at bedtime, as compared to first thing in the morning, may be better.

read more here.

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It's always best to take the meds on an empty stomach, so nighttime dosing might not only be convenient it makes sense especially if you drink coffee....and or something with milk...or multivitamins as both coffee and calcium are shown to interfere with thyroid hormone absorption.

Here's Mary's post on coffee/calcium.http://thyroid.about.com/b/2008/09/03/coffee-thyroid-drugs.htmhttp://thyroid.about.com/b/2008/09/03/coffee-thyroid-drugs.htm

Check her posts out on Twitter: @ThyroidMary

How to keep Monsanto out of your garden (and digestive3 system)

2011-01-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

Monsanto has been voted the world's evilest company, and I don't have time to go over all the reasons why, but basically they are trying to own the food supply, and their genetically modified plants, some of which have inbred pesticides...well, might be producing pesticide inside your body--oops!

Their seeds are EVERYWHERE since they go around and guy up all the seed companies, so stuff you might be buying from Burpee's and other cute sounding seed suppliers might be Monsanto. Here's a great post from our friends at Treehugger about how to keep the stuff out of your garden:

Photo Credit: Alexa Sky.
There are plenty of good reasons to avoid Monsanto: Roundup, genetically-engineered beets, corn, and other crops, the fact that they sue farmers after their seeds (a monopoly of their own) contaminate the farmers' own fields, Agent Orange....we could go on and on.
What some people may not realize is that Monsanto also now owns approximately 40% of the home garden vegetable seed market -- making them the largest seed company in the world.

read more http://wwwhere.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/keep-monsanto-out-of-your-garden-this-spring.php?campaign=daily_nl

Win a totally cool Eco-Tensil Gift Basket

2011-01-11T06:33:00.001-08:00

How do YOU zero-in on zero-waste!?

Eco-idea competition offers eco-gift basket worth $200!

In 2011, would you like to see a world moving towards zero waste? EcoTensil, the company that created the world’s most eco-friendly single-use spoons, invites you to share your favorite ideas to zero in on zero-waste in your life, and inspire the rest of us!

Share a unique way you are reducing, recycling, reusing or rounding up others to do the same! Do you lead by example? How are you reducing the impact of your trash to create for a greener world for yourself and the next generations?

At home
At the grocery store
In the office
At the coffee shop
On the internet
At school…

EcoTensil wants to hear from you!

• We make a bunch of “suggestion-box” cards at once, efficiently on the computer (using the back of already-been-printed paper), suggesting a greener approach we would like to see stores make. Every time I go to a store, I slip one in the suggestion box! My favorite suggestion, of course, is every store should use EcoTasters, which are 100% compostable, recyclable, FSC certified renewable, and simply use a lot less material to begin with!

~~ Peggy, EcoTensil, Larkspur, CA (darn! too bad we’re not eligible to win the prize!)

Whether heroic or mundane, the impact of our actions add up. Send us the most innovative and inspiring solution for minimizing your trash impact and win your very own Zeroing in on Zero Waste Kit, market value: $200, value to the earth: priceless.

The Zero Waste Kit includes:

1 gallon compost pail with filters
Verterra Compostable Square Plates
Preserve To-Go cups
2-tier Recycled Cotton Carrier Bag
Water Bottle Sling with ChopStick Holder
Simply Gorgeous green chico bag
“How to Make and Use Compost” book

Second place is awarded a To-Go-Ware lunch kit!

To enter, like us on Facebook and post your suggestion on our wall. Get your audience to participate by posting the contest on your site. If the winner heard about the contest on your site, you will both win the prize! We’ll do a drawing from the top ten ideas.

The contest will run through January and winners will be announced in February.

Childbirth deaths from regional anesthesia rising

2010-12-31T08:16:00.000-08:00

From Reuters:

Researchers stress that such deaths remain rare. But they also say the results point to an area where anesthesia can be made safer for women.

In the new study, researchers found that between 1979 and 2002, childbirth deaths related to any anesthesia complication dropped by 59% among U.S. women.

Per million live births, there were three anesthesia deaths between 1979 and 1990, vs just over one between 1991 and 2002, the researchers reported online December 20th in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

However, while deaths related to general anesthesia kept falling in the 1990s, deaths related to regional anesthesia rose slightly, from 2.5 deaths for every million C-sections in 1991-1996 to 3.8 per million in 1997- 2002.

"It is concerning," said lead researcher Dr. Joy L. Hawkins, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora.

For their study, she and her colleagues used a U.S. government database that collects information on pregnancy-related deaths nationwide. Between 1991 and 2002, the system received 56 reports of anesthesia-related deaths during childbirth.

Most of the women who died - 48 of the 56 -- had undergone a C-section. In the rest of the cases, the type of delivery was not reported.

How to naturally increase progesterone

2010-12-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Does your menses start before 14 days have past following ovulation? If so, you may have something called Luteal Phase Defect, which has to do with insufficient progesterone. PRO-GEST erone as you can probably guess, is necessary for nurture a pregnancy. Your doctor can take an endometrial biopsy to look at your levels, but what might be simpler is looking at you basal temps and seeing if they are falling too quickly post-ov.

The good news is, you can supplement with vaginal suppositories (need your doctor to write you a script) and there are many herbs such as wild yam that can help and there are foods that will help. Here's a great article on the food, which includes things like soy, walnuts, etc: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5008973_foods-naturally-increase-progesterone.html

Newest Research on treating Breast cancer During Pregnancy

2010-12-13T07:54:00.001-08:00

I actually know a few women who had cancer and pregnancy discoveries at the same time:

From Newswise, the journalists'-only site:

Newswise — Do not delay treatment of breast cancer just because a woman is pregnant, said lead researcher Sibylle Loibl, Dr. med, of the German Breast Group.
This suggestion is based on study results detailing the effects of different treatment options on the infant. Loibl presented this data at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 8-12, 2010.
“At the time we started the study in 2003, there was hardly any information on breast cancer therapy during pregnancy, but we felt there was a medical need for it,” she said.
Although the incidence of pregnancy among breast cancer patients is small (about 2 to 3 percent), women are delaying childbirth until later in age, which may increase the instances of cancer cases among pregnant women, according to Loibl.

Swine flu vaccine causing miscarriages?

2010-12-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of vaccines in/around pregnancy because your body is going through so many intense hormonal changes. Here's an article you might want to read about the H1N1 vaccine being implicated in miscarriages. In our area the H1N1 vaccine is mixed into the "regular" flu vaccine.

p.s. because my husband and I teach at a college, we get "free" flu vaccines, which we used to totally take advantage of. We've stopped in the past 5 years and have interestingly not only not gotten the flu, but been healthier than even, even as our students sneeze on us...buyer beware!

(NaturalNews) Recent data presented to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Children's Vaccines has revealed some shocking information about the effects of the H1N1 / swine flu vaccine on pregnant women. According to the report, the rate of miscarriage among pregnant women during the 2009 H1N1 / swine flu pandemic soared by over 700 percent compared to previous years, pointing directly to the vaccine as the culprit -- but the CDC denies the truth and continues to insist nobody has been harmed.

According to the CDC, nearly 50 percent of all pregnant women were vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine during the 2009 / 2010 influenza season. Those whose physicians instructed them to get a seasonal flu shot were three times more likely to get it, while those instructed specifically to get the H1N1 shot were ten times more likely to get it. And the numbers clearly show that along with the rise in vaccinations due to the H1N1 scare came the sharp increase in miscarriages, including a slew of actual reported adverse events.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030657_vaccines_miscarriages.html#ixzz17X1TI3tM

Even LOW doses BPA in plastics disrupts fertility

2010-12-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

Another reason you MUST avoid any products with Bisphenol-A (found in soft plastics) if you want to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy!

The latest fresh off the press from Newswise, the journalists'-only news site:

Newswise — Exposure to a ubiquitous environmental chemical during pregnancy may impair reproductive capacity of female offspring, according to a study published online in advance of print on December 2 in Environmental Health Perspectives. Fertility decreased over time in female mice that had been exposed during fetal and neonatal (perinatal) development to doses of bisphenol-A (BPA) that were lower than or equal to human environmental exposure levels.

“Mice exposed to BPA in the womb and during nursing subsequently had fewer successful pregnancies and delivered fewer pups over the course of the study,” reported one of the study’s co-senior authors, Ana M. Soto, MD, professor of anatomy and cellular biology at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) and member of the cell, molecular and developmental biology program faculty at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

Better than plastic surgery?

2010-11-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

For reasons I will reveal in good time, I was attending a medical conference where a Brazilian dermatologist gave a presentation on how people could skip all the expensive plastic surgery procedures for things like stretch marks (and baldness, acne, WRINKLES!) by using this nifty little implement called a Derma roller than makes tiny little "injuries" (no blood, though) with tiny little needles that you roll on whatever part of the skin you are interested in healing and the skin produced more circulation and collagen in the process.

This intrigued me because of some of the slides she showed and also because my father, an acupuncturist, had a little device that looked a lot like that. I was also surprised to find, after talking to her after, that you can easily buy these devices online such as this FDA approved one here. I have ordered one and found it a little annoyingly painful on my face, but pleasantly tingly on my stretch marks and scalp. Too soon to see if it works BUT it's totally non invasive.

The other advice I received from the derm is to look out for the needle size. For the scalp you should never go longer than 1.5mm. For sensitive skin, you will need to go shorter, for results for tough stuff like stretchmarks, you'll need to go longer, up to 3.0 mm. Again, this is not medical advice but just passing on some kwoledge I picked up.

If anyone else tries this, please report back!

Toothpaste has that same stuff in hand sanitizer

2010-10-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Great, now toothpaste manufacturers are adding Triclosan, a chemical that is banned in Europe, to toothpaste and it may be causing (1) superbugs and (2) is an endocrine disruptor (a BIG no-no for fertility). Also, you NEED good bugs in your mouth, they balance out the bad ones. This whole suuper-disinfecting thing (using ammonia on meat, bleach on veggies) is getting a little out of hand. For fast whitening and freshness, use baking soda (read secret to white teeth here) ! No one needs toothpaste.

From the UK's Daily Mail:

For it seems an antibacterial chemical commonly added to toothpaste, including Colgate's Total range, may pose a threat to health. It is also widely used in handwashes and cosmetics.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has warned that triclosan may promote widespread bacterial resistance to antibiotics and has called for further safety studies.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration is worried about bacterial resistance, as well as evidence that the chemical is a hormone disruptor.

read more about how toothpaste is spreading superbugs and disrupting your hormones here.

Ultrasound risks for female babies

2010-10-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of ultrasound in general, being into energy medicine, but also check this out:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sep 23 - Using ultrasound to gauge gestational age could put late-term female fetuses at risk of poor outcomes and even death, a new study from Sweden shows.
Indeed, up to a third of stillbirths among girls born post-term could be due to inaccuracies in these estimates, the researchers conclude.
Since the early 1990s, doctors have used second-trimester ultrasound measurements to determine the age of a fetus and estimate when the baby will be born, Dr. Alkistis Skalkidou of Uppsala Universitet and colleagues note in their paper, published online August 27th in Epidemiology.
But female fetuses, even at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, are smaller than male fetuses, on average, Dr. Skalkidou and colleagues add, raising the possibility that a smaller, post-term female fetus could be misclassified as having a younger gestational age based on ultrasound measurements.

Test to see if you're a good candidate for in vitro (IVF)

2010-08-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

This is important news. I remember friends getting more and more IVFs, no one telling them that it was unlikely it would work (age, health issues). Now scientists have discovered a test that gave fairly accurately give you and idea:

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Stanford University researchers have developed a test to determine whether a patient is likely to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization - a breakthrough that could save women tens of thousands of dollars in fruitless procedures, as well as the heartbreak of failed treatment.

Blood Type Diet

2010-08-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

Morning folks,

I became interested in the Blood Type Diet when I read (and saw, experimentally with my friends) that most autistic/vaccine damaged kids are Type A, which is also prone to inflammatory autoimmune diseases, of which I, as a TypeA-er, have. In addition the broad outlines: eat less meat, more vegetarian; avoid scary/violent movies and crowds; don't sunbathe...plus a bunch of other things were already things I didn't like to do (e.g., have been a vegetarian for a long time, never been crazy about meat, HATE and cannot watch violent movies), so I'm trying this diet that suggests foods that are good and bad for you.

For instance, since type As don't produce enough HCL in the stomach, digestion-friendly foods like a glass of red wine and a cup of coffee actually can be beneficial. Whoopee! My chiro's office even had a good on Blood Type Diet and FERTILITY. Will check that out, and check back for updates.

Chemical in breakfast cereal

2010-08-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Petroleum products are here, there, everywhere, even if you don't live in the Gulf. The Washington Post reports via Planet green:

Federal regulators, who are charged with ensuring the safety of food and consumer products, are in the dark about the suspected chemical, 2-methylnaphthalene. The Food and Drug Administration has no scientific data on its impact on human health. The Environmental Protection Agency also lacks basic health and safety data for 2-methylnaphthalene -- even though the EPA has been seeking that information from the chemical industry for 16 years.

Read more here.

How to avoid these awful contaminants? Buy real food from people you know, make what you need. I have a chicken stock bubbling on the stove right now from a chicken I helped to gut and clean, veggies from the same organic farm--and it's all the parts of the veggies we could have discarded. And it smells heavenly!

B Vitamins Help Aging Brain

2010-08-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Horrible story in the New York Times today about how Eli Lilly's new alzheimer's drug made people have MORE cognitive decline than the placebo--oops!

But there is something simple to improve your brain health AND your fertility. B vitamins! Folate, for instance, can help with depression in women as well as prevent neural tube defects in babies. Check out this article from Newswise:

Newswise — B vitamins–B-6, B-12 and folate–all nourish the brain. But much remains to be discovered about the relation between these essential nutrients and our brainpower.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritionist Lindsay H. Allen has collaborated in ongoing research that has taken a closer look at the role these nutrients may play in preventing decline in brain function. The investigations, led by Mary N. Haan of the University of California-San Francisco, are part of the multiyear Sacramento (Calif.) Area Latino Study on Aging, or “SALSA.” Begun in 1996, the study attracted nearly 1,800 Hispanic seniors, ages 60 to 101, as volunteers...

An analysis of volunteers’ blood samples showed that lower levels of one B vitamin, folate, were associated with symptoms of dementia and poor brain function, also called “cognitive decline," as determined by standard tests of memory and other factors. The impairments were detectable even though less than 1 percent of the volunteers were actually deficient in folate....

In women, but not men, low levels of folate were associated with symptoms of depression. In fact, female volunteers whose plasma folate levels were in the lowest third were more than twice as likely to have symptoms of depression as volunteers in the highest third. That finding provided new evidence of an association between lower blood folate and depression. Depression is already known to affect brain function.

In research with vitamin B-12, the SALSA team determined that a protein known as holoTC, short for holotranscobalamin, might be key to a new approach for detecting cognitive decline earlier and more accurately.
The researchers have published these and other findings, beginning in 2003 and continuing through

this year, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The Journal of Nutrition, and The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging.

3 Things you Think Are Bad for You Are Actually Good For You

2010-08-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

My friend asked me to submit a "3 Things Thursday" for her blog (which is being turned into a book!) on farming and healthy eating. These three surprising things should help your health and fertility. Got a lot of feedback from my healthy (and fertile!) Korean American friends, who totally agree.

http://www.thequarteracrefarm.com/2010/08/three-things-thursday-author-marie-lee.html

3 chemicals in your environment that can affect your baby's thyroid

2010-08-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Another great article from Thyroid-About.com-guru Mary Shomon (I *highly* advise you to subscribe to her newsletter if you are ttc, have thyroid disease or are a woman--I'm not kidding!)
------------------

New research reported on in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has found that three common contaminants can affect thyroid hormone levels in infants.

The three contaminants -- perchlorate, nitrate and thiocyanate - are found in water, food and tobacco smoke. The research found that exposure to these pollutants blocks iodine uptake, and results in elevated levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which can be a sign of hypothyroidism -- an underactive/slowed thyroid function.

read more here.

Chances Of Pregnancy Diminish After Multiple Attempts Using Same Fertility Treatment

2010-08-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is SO interesting, Check it out and MAKE sure you optimize every cycle of whatever you're doing: make sure you have been following good nutrition practices (e.g., getting a prenatal vitamin with plenty of folic acid), consider using acupuncture before AND after your treatment, get enough sleep, detox, etc. Instead of rushing to do it sooner, it may pay to try to wait until you're ready and in optimal health.

------------
Chances Of Pregnancy Diminish After Multiple Attempts Using Same Fertility Treatment, Study Finds
Main Category: Fertility
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 09 Aug 2010

The probability that a woman will become pregnant decreases after two or three failed attempts using the same fertility treatment, according to a new study in Fertility and Sterility that offers insight into how many treatment cycles doctors should offer before trying another tactic, Reuters reports.

For the study -- which involved 408 couples at eight infertility centers -- researchers at the University of California-San Francisco analyzed the success rates of three infertility treatments: fertility drugs, intrauterine insemination and in-vitro fertilization. Of the participating couples, 21% did not undergo any of the three treatments. The total pregnancy rate across the group was 28% over 18 months.

Couples who underwent one to two cycles of fertility-drug treatment had a pregnancy rate of 85%, while IUI couples and IVF couples had success rates of 71% and 59%, respectively, after one attempt. However, according to Reuters, "the advantage of each of the three treatments declined after a certain number of attempts." For example, six couples who received three or more rounds of fertility drugs had a pregnancy rate of 29%, while 35% of the 52 couples who attempted IVF three or more times achieved pregnancy.

The findings show that individual fertility treatments have "diminishing success" over time, according to lead author James Smith, an assistant professor of urology at UCSF. Smith suggested that "[i]f couples are not getting pregnant after several cycles of each, a change to a different strategy is probably warranted" (Norton, Reuters, 8/4).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.

© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.

Bone Marrow Donation

2010-08-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

I received an interesting call (which I have to admit, subsequent ones I ducked the first couple of times after I heard the message) that I am a bone marrow match for a 24-year-old man with active lymphoblastic leukemia.

I registered as a donor ALMOST 20 YEARS ago with the Cammy Lee Foundation, a foundation set up to find more Asian American donors (AAs sadly have a low registration rate) and of course in the back of my mind I thought I'd NEVER get called.

Now I'm married and have a special needs child, as most of you know, and the stakes are somewhat different, and some relatives are worried. But after having the initial intake interview and being made aware of the risks and possible side effects as well as being laid up (they take the marrow out of your pelvis) for a few days, I have given my consent, and my husband is being super supportive.

Of course, I am also interested in WHY SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GETTING CANCER. I think we know the answer to this, at least in part: chemicals.

But in the meantime, time to concentrate on one person. And by the way, Cammy Lee, the pediatric leukemia patient DID find a match through her foundation!

If you want to register (they no longer need to take your blood, it's just a cheek swab!):

Cammy Lee Foundation

National Bone Marrow registry

Dioxins in menstrual products

2010-07-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

I'm traveling right now, and while I normally use organic pads (see here why you should avoid tampons), I had a limited amt of baggage so so thought I'd just buy some form the drugstore. I know they have dioxin and bleach and icky things, but the absorption is much less than using tampons and I thought, just this once...

But then I saw this article, and next time, I am going to trek to the health food store and, if I must use disposables, get dioxin free natural pads. Ugh.

Dioxin & Feminine Hygiene Products

by Heather Guidone

According to a February 2000 report from the Food & Drug Administration, tampons and feminine hygiene products currently sold in the U.S. are made of cotton, rayon, or blends of rayon and cotton. Even though these products are now produced using elemental chlorine-free or totally chlorine free bleaching processes, these methods can still generate dioxins at "trace levels." Thus, there may be low amounts of dioxin present from environmental sources in cotton, rayon, or rayon/cotton tampons and feminine hygiene products. By contrast, a report released by The US Environmental Protection Agency clearly describes dioxin as a serious public health threat. The EPA report states, there is no "safe" level of exposure to dioxin - even trace amounts are a risk. Further, the EPA report confirmed that dioxin is "a cancer hazard to people;" that exposure to dioxin can also cause severe reproductive and developmental problems (at levels 100 times lower than those associated with its cancer causing effects); and that dioxin can cause immune system damage and interfere with regulatory hormones.

Dioxin exposure to women in particular, poses additional risks than just that of their own health: it crosses the placenta into the growing infant and is also present in the fatty breast milk, thereby exposing the child.

Evidence of dioxin as a catalyst for Endometriosis has been well-documented. In a 1996 Environmental Protection Agency study, dioxin exposure was linked with increased risks for Endometriosis, as well as the increased risks of pelvic inflammatory disease, reduction of fertility, and interference with normal fetal and childhood development. The EPA conclusions regarding dioxin exposure are particularly alarming in light of a 1989 Food and Drug Administration report, which stated that "possible exposures from all other medical device sources would be dwarfed by the potential tampon exposure." Dr. Philip Tierno, Jr., Director of Clinical Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology at New York University Medical Center states that "dioxins, though they exist in the environment, have a worse effect when they contact mucous surfaces like the vagina."

Read more about how dioxin levels in menstrual products--and playground sand, thanks, Jack Welch!) are almost ENTIRELY UNREGULATED and what they found when they tested some Playtex tampons: click here for UGH.

Fertility treatments up risk of cerebral palsy

2010-07-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately with artificial fertiltiy techniques, it's hard to tell some of the side effects until enough people have done them to see a pattern and/or the kids have grown old enough. Here's an article on ART and risk of cerebral palsy:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6614RL20100702?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Military Small Pox Vax can sexually transmit live virus

2010-07-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

I had to get a postpartum MMR shot, and I remember being reassured the LIVE VIRUSES would not be transmitted to my sweet newborn--there's a reason people wash their hands before holding babies: they don't have a working immune system.

Then my friend contradicted this, telling me that a recently MMR'd person was not allowed near a family member with leukemia due to transmission worries. So I looked it up in the Physician's Desk Reference, and yep, there is was--MMR can be transmitted via respiration AND breast milk. GAHHHHH.

Part of the problem is, we don't really know what vaccines do, besides the antibody thing, and we don't really care. Here's a case of the smallpox vax infecting a sexual partner, and what does the doctor do? Even though she tells him about the vax, he only tests her for STDs?

Military folks (the only ones who really get the smallpox vaccine these days) andt hose who have sex with them watch OUT:

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- After having sex with a soldier recently vaccinated against smallpox, a young woman in Washington state developed an illness caused by the vaccinia virus used in the shot, U.S. health officials report.
This type of viral transmission, while rare, is not unheard of, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

read more here.

Flame retardants can harm your thyroid and pregnancy

2010-07-12T03:40:00.000-07:00

Gah, 10 years ago we got rid of our carpets and brand new couch when we were about PBDEs, the common flame retardant. The stupid thing is, as we heard from our friend who is a furniture maker, that PBDEs make stuff burn A FEW SECONDS slower than untreated stuff and then you have the fumes. So basically the flame retardants do nothing.

So we bought new stuff from IKEA because PBDEs are banned in Europe. However, I've heard lately that because of US reg's IKEA stuff now reeks because they have special US-export pieces that they impregnate.

One of the horrible things the PBDEs do is disrupt your endocrine system, including your thyroid. Interestingly, both my cat and I developed thyroid problems in the house where we had the new stuff (PBDEs degrade/outgas over time). Especially if you're pregnant now you might want to read about how PBDEs can affect your pregnancy. From Pubmed:

Polybrominated Diphenylether (PBDE) Flame Retardants and Thyroid Hormone during Pregnancy.

Happy 4th

2010-07-03T05:18:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone has a happy, safe Fourth. With my parents being immigrants, they took the Fourth very seriously. I remember even traveling to NYC to celebrate the Bicentennial.

That said, while holidays are a nice time to get together, the weather's usually right for BBQ, is anyone else weirded out about the quasi-flag/patriotism worship this holiday engenders, as kind of a knee-jerk thing? It makes me wonder if this is one of those subtle things that sets up thinking apart as opposed to being part of a larger world.

For instance, Koreans probably have to be as patriotic and love their country as much as anyone. But to envision a holiday celebrating the country, and feeling compelled to fly a flag AND eat and bake renditions of it, would seem really strange, maybe pompous, too.

Sorry if I'm a stick in the mud. But if you're the type who really, really likes an excuse to eat a lot of red and blue food coloring, here's a whole slew of "patriotic" foods to choose from, couresty of the Huffington Post.

Sorry, wrong Twitter account

2010-07-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

I was wondering where this feed of all this K-Pop (Korean-pop) stuff was coming from. Some other user has my old Twitter handle and my name, "MyungOk."

Please follow me as MarieLee_Writer. I post a lot of the quicker, more urgent health news here as time permits.

Immunity and pregnancy

2010-06-17T13:50:00.001-07:00

I've already written a million times about my late-great immunologist, Dr. Alan Beer, who put together many of my underlying health mysteries; Chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme, secondary infertility. The infertility community, like many medical communities, can be very closed and resistant to change--and why? Just like with cancer, their success rates are lousy. I always felt bac about how Dr. Beer was so hounded at the end of his life when all he wanted to do was help (and many of my allergy symptoms and CFS improved quite dramatically on his fertility regimen).

But I even remember my local OB saying "He's a charlatan!" And of course not even know what he was talking about. Interestingly, much of the science in a lot of illness and dysfunction is coming back to the immune system. This is from Science Daily:

ScienceDaily (May 29, 2010) — Researchers at Yale School of Medicine and their colleagues at the Society for the Investigation of Early Pregnancy have helped clarify the function of a unique protein called Preimplantation Factor, which is produced by healthy embryos to direct embryo attachment and help the mother adapt to pregnancy.

These findings are published fast track for the benefit of the scientific community in the current issue of American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. They were first presented orally in February at the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Scientific Meetings in Chicago by lead author Michael J. Paidas, M.D., associate professor and co-director of the Yale Women and Children's Center for Blood Disorders.

The research showed that Preimplantation Factor modulates maternal immunity, promotes attachment of the early embryo, and influences remodeling of uterine cells.

read more here.

Natural Hair Products that Actually Work II

2010-06-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

I love almost everything about the Sea Chi line, which is made with real raw organic kombucha and love by its owner.

Her peppermint shampoo makes your scalp feel nice and tingly, it balances you out, and I am actually trying to wash my hair as little as possible, as a dab will do it.

More info here.

Sunscreens with acceptable amounts of chemical glop

2010-06-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

I actually don't use sunscreen for myself or the family--hard to get Vit D as it is, we've managed to escape burns even at the beach. But if you do, it's important to find a sunscreen without chemicals OR "supplemental" add-ins like Vitamin A that sounds good but may actually make the sun's rays MORE cancerous! Environmental Working Group did a thorough study and sadly found few to recommend but here's the whole report.

Natural Hair Products that Actually work

2010-06-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, if you follow this blog you must have read the zillion posts about all the endocrine-disrupting, cancer-causing, caustic chemicals in our lovely haircare products, many chemicals that are banned in places like Europe. I also loved how BP couched the safety of its chemical dispersant (hello, also banned in Europe) but NOT wanting to tell us what's in it but assuring us it's the same stuff as in a lot of "household products." E.g., lye, antifreeze, etc.

I have hair that can turn frizzy in humidity, but no silicone gel things for me. Unfortunately a lot of natural products just turn goopy, heavy, or attract dust. I tried a lot of things and found that a lot of the "natural" stuff that sort of worked actually had chemicals like dimethicone, etc., in it--cheaters!

However, here's a product that I love and that helps condition your hair:

john masters organics Shine On Leave-In Treatment for Supernatural Shine & Softness 4 oz (113 g)

It's made of seaweed and super conditioning carrot oil, and the more you use it, the more conditioned your hair becomes, instead of just laying on more chemicals and junk. It also adds volume and makes your hair not only look healthier but actually healthier. It's a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way.

Okay, you cannot expect it to work like a silicone-based creme, but this is really good, trust me.

Antiradiation Shield means there be Radiation, right?

2010-06-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

Yo
Um, should we be worried about radiation from out computers if now all these companies are making New York Times approved antiradiation shields for pregnant women? Should computers come with warning labels?

From the New York Times (small item in Sunday Times, also from the Gadgetwise blog):

Belly Armor, based in Singapore and New York, makes blankets and T-shirts for expectant mothers from a conductive textile made of fibers and metal. This creates a barrier much like a Faraday cage, a metal enclosure that protects those inside it from radiation.The idea is to neutralize environmental radiation before it reaches the fetus.

Belly Armor is available online and in stores in Asia, and will appear next month in some maternity boutiques in the United States.

read more here.

High Doses of Vitamin D may help protect pregnancy

2010-06-04T03:17:00.000-07:00

Vitamin D is in the news for all sorts of things--cancer, osteoporosis. Wow, it's thought pregnant women should get *10* times the former recommendation. From Medscape:

May 5, 2010 — Women who take high doses of vitamin D during pregnancy have a greatly reduced risk of complications, including gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and infection, new research suggests.

Based on the findings, study researchers are recommending that pregnant women take 4,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day -- at least 10 times the amount recommended by various health groups.

read more here.

Toddlers now on psychiatric drugs

2010-06-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

It's a little bit strange to me that uninformed random commenters often pillory me for using medical cannabis (read more here) with our son, as "it might screw up his brain." Cannabis has been used for thousands of years, including for things like labor pains, and it's about as safe as safe gets.

Now kids as young as two are being put on powerful antipsychotics, for which NO ONE knows the long-term effects. Also, someone here at Brown was actually cataloging pediatric DEATHS from these kinds of drugs (I think they were up to 45). From Natural News:

(NaturalNews) Children between the ages of two and five are being treated with antipsychotics at twice the rate they were ten years ago, according to a study conducted by researchers from Columbia University and published in the journal Health Affairs.

"It is a worrisome trend, partly because very little is known about the short-term, let alone the long-term, safety of these drugs in this age group," researchers Mark Olfson said.

Although a handful of antipsychotics have been approved by the FDA for use in children, they are intended for older children because few if any studies have been conducted into the effectiveness or safety of the drugs in younger children.

read more here.

How your Primary Doc Makes a Referral to a Specialist--the reason may NOT be what you expect

2010-05-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

When your primary care doc finds something concerning, alarming, or otherwise worthy of further perusal, you assume the specialist he/she is sending you to is a product of much thought, concern, and motivated by sending you to the "best" person, after all your, primary doc should know.

Actually, there may be a lot of reasons (akin to the "free pens" from the pharma reps) why your doc might send you somewhere, and reasons that have nothing to do with medicine and your condition.

This doctor tells us:

Here are some reasons, beyond medical quality, why certain medical specialists are chosen.

• Reciprocity –- patients are referred in both directions
• Personal relationships
• Corporate enforcement keeping consultations within the network
• Economic pressure exerted by consultants to maintain referrals. I have seen this happen.
• Specialist willingness to do tests and procedures on request
• Habit
• Patient or family request

That is, you might serve yourself a little better by doing some research on your OWN and seeing how things compare instead of immediately being sent to the guy's goofball neer-do-well brother-in-law who will supposedly figure out what that suspicious lump is.

Read more here.

Hidden (not to me!) Risks of Egg Donations/IVF

2010-05-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

They recently had a big article in the New York Times about the soaring prices infertile couples are paying for eggs...again, little mention of the possible long-term side effects of the repeated blasts of synthetic hormones. Over the years I've noticed women who've publicly shared their infertility journies, and I've noted that a lot of women who undergo IVF, especially if it fails, seem to develop ovarian cancer (a stated risk of ovarian stimulating drugs, for obvious reasons). Interested to see I'm not the only one keeping track. Here's a letter published in response to the article:

Dear Editor:

Re “Payment Offers to Egg Donors Prompt Scrutiny” (May 11): After postwar physicians routinely placed pregnant women at risk for miscarriage on diethylstilbestrol, it took decades before the deadly effects of that synthetic hormone were uncovered.
Without long-term follow up, it is simply not possible to offer potential egg donors a truly informed consent about the long-term risks of taking the powerful synthetic hormones associated with the egg retrieval process. Yet, there is no effort now under way to establish a registry to find out what the long-term risks are. Why is that?
Consider what happened to magazine editor Liz Tilberis, comedian-actor Gilda Radner, playwright Wendy Wasserstein and many other women who underwent hyperstimulation and died of cancer in the prime of their lives. Shouldn’t we first attempt to provide a full informed consent before financially encouraging women to take powerful hormones?
Diane Beeson
Tina Stevens
San Francisco

More reading on egg donation with some interesting firsthand comments here:

ADHD Kids have high levels of Pesticides

2010-05-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

Look, we already know that pesticides are probably implicated in Parkinsons and many cancers. This is HUGE news. Need better motivation to go organic?

From Medpage:

Children with greater exposure to organophosphate pesticides appear to have an increased risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a cross-sectional study showed.
A 10-fold increase in the concentration of the most common dialkyl phosphate metabolites -- a measure of organophosphate exposure -- was associated with a 1.55-fold increase in the odds of having ADHD (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.10), according to Maryse Bouchard, PhD, of the University of Montreal, and colleagues.

read more here.

Don't take these herbs with these drugs

2010-05-16T15:43:00.001-07:00

Herbs can actually interfere with some prescription drugs, so watch out for

ST. John's Wort - Don't take with antidepressants--can cause serotonin syndrome

Turmeric - Don't take with blood thinners like Coumadin (wafarin)

Licorice - Don't take with diuretics for high blood pressure.

Feverfew - Don't take if you have allergies to ragweek, don't take with blood thinners

Freakishly obese the new norm

2010-05-03T06:54:00.001-07:00

On my flight yesterday, I saw between two men who were AT LEAST this large. This is what "freakishly obese" looks like now:

"Chauncy Morlan (1869-1906) who, because of his 'freakish' weight, people once paid good money to see as he toured Europe and America with the Barnum & Bailey circus".

Read more at Theatlantic.com.

More coffee news

2010-04-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

More on my coffee abstinence experiment soon. But in the meantime:

Studies have been showing that coffee seems to ward off dementia by helping regulating insulin. Now it might even dissolve amyloid plaques, the gunk that causes Alzheimer's...

read more here.

Spanish translation of prescription med instructions can be deadly!

2010-04-14T04:08:00.001-07:00

I didn't realize most pharmacies use COMPUTER translation programs to translated Rx directions. Not a good idea. Also, using a mix of Spanish and English (Spanglish) results in some inadvertent problems:

From Doctorslounge.com:

The use of "Spanglish" also created some potentially dangerous situations. For example, the word "once" means "eleven" in Spanish. "You mean to say 'once,' as in 'take once a day,' and a Spanish-speaking person could interpret that to mean 'eleven,'" Sharif said. Such a mistake could result in an overdose.

read more here.

THYROID: Really Low TSH likely OK in pregnancy

2010-04-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

My lovely fertility doctor, the late Dr. Alan Beer, was TOTALLY ahead of his time, and people in the medical community gave him SO much grief for it. For one thing, he advocated a preconception TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone--common test of thyroid function) of less that 2 (5 is considered "normal"). I usually feel best a 1.5 or below, so this was great news. But I remember one of my HARVARD endocrinologists yelling at me, saying I was going to have heart problems, etc, and refusing to let my TSH get lower than 5...while trying to get me to take Clomid!

I found a new endo and now feel pretty good, because he follows Dr. Beer's theories. Interestingly, I worked in a clinic for pregnant women and saw all sortsr of charts of women who DIDN'T have thyroid disease, a LOTS of them, in fact most, had TSH of around 0.5. So there you go.

Anyway, now a study tracking women with so-called "subclinical hyperthyroidism" had the same pregnancy outcomes as people without disease. So don't be afraid to push your endo to get your levels down to where YOU feel better. And also, consider taking "natural" (e.g., Armour) thyroid rather than synthetic. The Harvard endo and I battled about this, too. Glad I'm not with her anymore. Also, the natural thyroid doesn't have dyes in it...yay.

Read the study here.

Not so safe or effective drugs...why do we take them?

2010-04-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a quasi health journalist, I'm on a lot of wire services, etc., and see so many announcements like this go by. Why do we even take most drugs, I wonder? Also, atrial fibrillation (something that I have) is actually benign. I've learned to control it with stress reduction. My mother was put on drugs that made her hair fall out--for forty years--and she still gets palpitations, too. There you go:

Controversial Arrhythmia Drug Provides Only Modest Efficacy and No Clear Safety Benefits
In a rigorous new review of the antiarrhythmic drug dronedarone (Multaq), researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute conclude that the controversial drug is only modestly effective and has no clear safety benefits. The review, to be published in the April 23 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, assessed data on dronedarone submitted during the drug's FDA approval process and determined that dronedarone is 50 percent less effective than amiodarone (Cordarone), a frequently used treatment for atrial fibrillation, a common type of heart rhythm disorder. (Embargo expired on 05-Apr-2010 at 17:00 ET)
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 23-Apr-2010

Men's sexual satisfaction depends on health, not Viagra

2010-04-04T04:59:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting conclusion from a recent study at the University of Chicago: "Sexual activity, good quality sexual life, and interest in sex were higher for men than for women and this gender gap widened with age. Sexual activity, quality of sexual life, and interest in sex were positively associated with health in middle age and later life. Sexually active life expectancy was longer for men, but men lost more years of sexually active life as a result of poor health than women."

There is also some evidence that sex (didn't say exactly what kind, if it meant just orgasm, etc.) might do positive things for your immune system. I suppose this might be the next excuse celebrity philanderers trot out, "I just wanted to help my immune system!"

read more here.

Agave nectar WORSE than High Fructose Corn Syrup?

2010-03-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hm, I've seen agave nectar touted as a great alternative to sugar, it's been served at a lot of the fertility retreats I attended while writing my fertility article for Natural Health. I know the jury's been out on it, but it IS true that I haven't been able to find any historical evidence that it's a food that ancient people used (not like the way it's been distilled into alcohol spirits), and I have seen it being possibly linked to miscarriage (because of the saponins) and so I am inclined to agree with Dr. Mercola and at the very least suggest that things are murky enough that you might want to stick with truly natural sweeteners like honey (and in moderation)!

If it's true that it causes insulin resistance, that's something that can REALLY screw up your fertility...

From Mercola.com:

Agave syrup has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener -- ranging from 70 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent.

This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS.

It is important to understand that fructose does not increase insulin levels, which is not necessarily good as what it does do is radically increase insulin resistance, which is FAR more dangerous. You see, it’s okay for your insulin levels to rise, that is normal. You just don’t want these insulin levels to remain elevated, which is what insulin resistance causes.

That is why fasting insulin is such a powerful test, as it is a very powerful reflection of your insulin resistance.

In addition to insulin resistance, your risk of liver damage increases, along with triglycerides and a whole host of other health problems, as discussed in this CBC News video about the newly discovered dangers of high fructose corn syrup. The study discussed in this news report is about HFCS, however, it's well worth remembering that agave contains MORE fructose than HFCS, and in all likelihood, it's the FRUCTOSE that is causing these severe liver problems.

read more here.

Big Downside to Vitamin K shot--it also may not be necessary

2010-03-29T12:23:00.001-07:00

Wow, I remember feeling AWFUL about doing this to J:

By Dr. Mercola

It has been standard practice in the U.S., and most western countries, since 1944 to welcome babies into the world by subjecting them to a variety of medical interventions, one of which is a painful jab with a syringe full of vitamin K.

This injection is routinely done to almost all newborns, unless you, as a parent, refuse to consent.

Birth is an overwhelming sensory experience for your baby. He has never before experienced cold or hunger, been blinded by artificial lights, or felt the touch of hands or metal instruments, paper or cloth. Even gravity is a foreign sensation.

A needle stick is a terrible assault to their suddenly overloaded sensory system, which is trying to adjust to the outside world.

Is this injection really in your baby’s best interest? Is vitamin K really necessary immediately after birth? Or is there a more compassionate alternative?

PepsiCo to Invent Designer Junk Food To Kill You More Slowly

2010-03-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

Argh, I saw the happy announcement in the Yale Alumni Bulletin how Pepsi gave the university about a gazillion dollars to set up a research institute on....junk food. But it's junk food with the Yale imprimateur. They are researching, basically, on how to make high-tech junk food that will kill you more slowly.

Check this out from the Wall Street Journal (which, though it has a conservative bent that I largely disagree with, I find the WSJ has done some really, really good health reporting, and so I follow their leads):

Instead, working with scientists at about a dozen academic institutions and companies in Europe and the U.S., PepsiCo studied different shapes of salt crystals to try to find one that would dissolve more efficiently on the tongue. Normally, only about 20% of the salt on a chip actually dissolves on the tongue before the chip is chewed and swallowed, and the remaining 80% is swallowed without contributing to the taste, said Dr. Khan, who oversees PepsiCo's long-term research.

PepsiCo wanted a salt that would replicate the traditional "salt curve," delivering an initial spike of saltiness, then a body of flavor and lingering sensation, said Dr. Yep, who joined the company in June 2009 from Swiss flavor company Givaudan SA.

"We have to think of the whole eating experience—not just the physical product, but what's actually happening when the consumer eats the product," Dr. Yep explained.

read more here.

Loki Wild Salmon jerky: Savory protein and Omega 3 snack!

2010-03-22T01:21:00.000-07:00

I admit I'm a snacker, especially while I'm writing or reading. As you know I avoid processed foods, especially simple carbs and I don't eat wheat/gluten. But in terms of crunchy satisfying snacks, what is there besides popcorn, wheaty-y pretzels, chips, corn-y Pirate Booty, and crackers?

Ahhhhh..Loki Fish. Loki is the Norse trickster God, which is something I knew only because I'm from Minnesota where there are 100000 Norwegians. Loki Fish's salmon jerky is the perfect fertility snack. It's crunchy and a little bit chewy, sweetened with a bit of naturally sourced honey (I also don't recommend sugar, so this is perfect), no icky additives. They only use their own catch, i.e., it's WILD and they use varieties of salmon that are smaller and don't spend as much time in fresh water so it's low-toxin, like my other favorite salmon place, Vital Choice. Pink salmon in particular are the smallest of all the salmon, with the shortest (two year) life cycle and lighter, milder flesh. They are also subsequently the cleanest of all the salmon. Both fisheries are committed to sustainable fishing and I, like many environmental and health groups, recommend you NEVER eat farmed salmon.

So for a perfect snack full of fertility-friendly omega 3s and protein, Loki Salmon Jerky is the way to go. Support a family-run operation with a superior product. A 10% disccount: use coupon code GREENFERTILITY.

FDA Warning on Maalox!

2010-03-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

I don't take these kinds of OTC products, but my friend who is an ER doc says they have people drink tons of Maalox when they come in for all sorts of abdominal pain and upset. So I guess it's used often, so check out this warning of a product that says MAALOX on the box but is not the same as the stuff people normally take. It can be dangerous!

From Medscape (a physicians' site where they often broadcast breaking news):

February 18, 2010 — At least five "serious adverse events" occurred in people who took Maalox Total Relief thinking it was Maalox antacid, the FDA warns.

The two over-the-counter drugs are not the same. Maalox Total Relief contains bismuth subsalicylate, a drug with aspirin-like side effects that include stomach and intestinal bleeding. This drug should never be used by people with a history of gastrointestinal ulcers or bleeding disorders.

Maalox Advanced Regular Strength and Maalox Advanced Maximum Strength contain antacid and anti-gas ingredients. People who are able to take regular Maalox may not be able to safely take Maalox Total Relief.

The drugs have different indications:

Maalox Total Relief is for diarrhea, upset stomach associated with nausea, heartburn, and gas due to overeating.
Maalox antacids are for acid indigestion, heartburn, sour stomach, upset stomach, and gas.

The drugs are not interchangeable. Yet the two products have similar labels that feature the Maalox brand name -- a name many consumers associate with the antacid.

Antidepressants May Permanently or Reversibly Affect Fetal Brain Development

2010-03-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

No surprise that something that affects your brain may affect fetal brain development! Doctors do treat depression in pregnancy with SSRIs. But you should be informed of the risks beforehand.

From Medscape news:

March 2, 2010 — Antidepressants may permanently or reversibly affect fetal brain development depending on the timing of exposure during pregnancy, according to the results of a study reported online February 22 in the March issue of Pediatrics.

"In animals, antidepressant exposure in early life causes changes that persist into adulthood," write Lars Henning Pedersen, MD, PhD, from Aarhus University in Aarhus, Denmark.

Dye Easter eggs with onions! Recessionistas: it's also free

2010-03-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

I shudder to wonder what-all was in that Easter egg dye we used to use when we were little--it would also dye the egg white some unholy color, and then we'd eat it.

I was charmed to read that traditionally people used onion skins to color eggs--how cool! Recycling, repurposing, non toxic AND pretty AND free . You can get the instructions here.

Plus, it was fun to read the discussion of how many people's parents and grandparents did this. Where are all our fun, low cost non toxic folkways going, People?

Review: Transition Nutrition's Golden Princess Brittle

2010-03-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Raw chocolate is known to have high antioxidants, but sugar and other things can be a problem. I like Transition Nutrition's handmade chocolate brittle that uses organic maple for sweetener AND has the good-for-fertility pistachios.

Raw organic fair-traded cacao beans & butter from Ecuador, organic maple granules, raw organic Tahitian Vanilla, Royal Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt and raw organic pistachios and Himalayan raisins.

There's a spring sale going on, check it out here. PLUS you can get %15 off your paid order by mentioning GREEN FERTILITY. Enjoy!

Fire Retardants also Retard Fertility!

2010-03-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Yuck, we got rid of our NEW foldout couches because of worries about PBDE for our son. (at the time, my husband thought I was a bit loopy). I didn't know it has such a huge impact on fertility. Ugh! My tip is to buy furniture from IKEA because they adhere to European standards--i.e., they already know to ban those @)(*#&$ chemicals there!:

If your home is your sanctuary, you might want to reconsider what you decorate it with, especially if you plan to get pregnant. A recent study out of the School of Public Health at the University of California in Berkeley has found that chemicals commonly used to fire-proof furniture, textiles, plastics and electronics manage to get into the bloodstream and apparently, exert a powerful influence on fertility.

The study involved 223 women who were trying to get pregnant. Those subjects who had high levels of certain fire-retardant chemicals in their blood took about twice as long to get pregnant as the women who had low levels. The chemicals, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, became common in the 1970s. According to study author Dr. Km Harley, "For every tenfold increase in PBDEs in the blood, we saw a 30% to 50% decrease in the odds of becoming pregnant in any given month," said study author Dr. Kim Harley.

read more here.

Elevated Levels of Cobalt and Chromium Found in Offspring of Moms with Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants

2010-03-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

This is kind of scary considering how "popular" hip plants are getting. Makes you think of other things we just stick in the body (from Newswise):

Newswise — Women with metal-on-metal hip implants, where both the ball of the joint and the surface of the socket are made of metal, pass metal ions to their offspring during pregnancy, according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The ions are the result of wear and corrosion as the metal parts rub against one another.
The data showed a correlation between levels of cobalt and chromium – components of metal implants – in mothers and their babies at the time of delivery.
The study will be presented March 9 at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in New Orleans.

Celery can help protect your memory

2010-03-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

Remember when celery was touted as the perfect diet food because it supposedly burned more calories to eat than it contained? I don't know if it's true, but it DOES seem that celery contained a super ani-inflammatory flavonoid, luteolin, that may help protect your brain's hippocampus, and, theoretically improve and maintain your memory.

To be filed under, couldn't hurt, might help. Why not? Plenty of fiber plus water, trace minerals. And choose organic, so you're not introducing anything detrimental into your system.

This everday food ingredient might be make YOU infertile!

2010-03-09T10:04:00.000-08:00

Check out my article on FertilityAuthority.com to find out what this ingredient is! Click here.

Do Lawn Chemicals Make us Age more Quickly? Dr. Oz

2010-03-08T04:49:00.000-08:00

We already know pestcides and fertilizers found in lawn chemicals are horrible for fertility and for little children (how ironic). How about for your aging? Again, it's a good idea to take your shoes off in the house--go Korean.

From safelawns.org:

CHICAGO — Thanks to America’s most popular talk show host, Dr. Mehmet Oz is quickly becoming the nation’s go-to physician when it comes to diet and aging.

Dr. Oz, a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey’s syndicated talk show, turned the green industry on its collective ear on Monday, Nov. 5, when he linked common lawn chemicals to the aging process.

“It’s important to remove your shoes as soon as you enter your home,” said Oz. “Otherwise, you could track in the lawn chemicals that can lodge into your carpet and expose you and your family to the toxins.”

Oz, who is co-author of the best-selling book titled YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger, also recommended that homeowners avoid the chemicals commonly found in cleaning solutions, paints, fumigants and other household products.

The message, according to SafeLawns Founder Paul Tukey, is an important one.

“Growing up, I think we inherently knew not to mix household chemicals, but no one ever really told us that daily exposures to these common products would ever harm us if we used them as directed,” said Tukey. “To get the message out about toxicity in a forum like Oprah’s is tremendously powerful. It will ultimately protect people from the inherent danger in lawn chemicals in particular and make them think twice about exposing their families to these risks.”

Green Tea May Not Be Good in Pregnancy

2010-03-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

Interesting, green tea is so good for you, but it's possible that the compounds that make it anti-cancer may (in high doses) affect the way your body uses folate, which could lead to birth defects or other things. Not to mention caffeine, while the jury is out whether it hurts a pregnancy, doesn't seem to help, either.

Check it out:

Green tea is rich in antioxidants, and has a host of health benefits relating to dental health, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and weight loss. But researchers have found, whilst examining the active constituent of green tea, the epigallocatechins, or EGCG for short, that it may affect the way the body uses folate. Folate is important for pregnant women as it prevents neural tube birth defects in babies.

The problem of green tea during pregnancy is that the EGCG molecules are structurally similar to a compound called methotrexate. Methotrexate is able to kill cancer cells by chemically bonding with an enzyme in the body called enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Healthy people have this enzyme also - it is part of what is called the folate pathway, which is the pathway, or steps, the body takes to transform nutrients like folate into something that can be used to support its normal functions.

read more here.

Get rid of Toxins in your home

2010-02-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

Our world is so chemical saturated, now you need to dust, not because you're Martha Stewart, but FOR YOUR HEALTH. Our friends at Environmental Working Group put this list of what to do and how to do it:

TIP 9: GET RID OF THAT (TOXIC) DUST

Dust bunnies aren't just unsightly and sometimes allergenic; they contain toxic chemicals. Why? The many chemicals in and around your homes wind up in your indoor dust when they migrate from home products and come in through open doors and windows and on your shoes. But the good news is it's pretty easy to keep those dust bunnies at bay -- and reduce your family's toxic exposures, too. Read on to learn:

read more here.

Sara Lee "Eco Grain" greenwashing

2010-02-24T06:38:00.001-08:00

I never trust corporations, ANY corporations (look at Toyota!) further than I can throw them.

From Natural News:

(NaturalNews) The Sara Lee company stands accused today of engaging in blatant greenwashing through its highly misleading marketing of its new "EcoGrain" bread.

The Cornucopia institute has released news describing how this product line by Sara Lee is made with "toxic agrochemicals" even though it's being marketed as better than organic.

The full statement from the Cornucopia Institute follows (www.Cornucopia.org)

Common culprit in infertility

2010-02-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

In some of the immune-issue fertility lists I'm on, I'm noticing more and more people are going gluten (wheat) free. This makes sense for almost anyone because at the very least, wheat is hard to digest, and any energy you're spending on digestion could be used for, well, other purposes. Many top level athletes are going gluten-free, too.

This article on how it affect fertility is from mercola.com:

Millions of people have celiac disease, but most don’t know they have it, in part because symptoms can be so varied. It is an often overlooked digestive disorder that causes damage to the small intestine when gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, is eaten.

Infertility seems to be more common in women with untreated celiac disease. Other gynecological and obstetrical problems may also be more common, including miscarriages and preterm births.

For men, problems can include abnormal sperm -- such as lower sperm numbers, altered shape, and reduced function. Men with untreated celiac disease may also have lower testosterone levels.

The good news is that with proper treatment with a gluten-free diet and correction of nutritional deficiencies, the prognosis for future pregnancies is much improved.

Pregnant Olympian!

2010-02-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

This is interesting, a Canadian curler is 5 1/2 months pregnant...http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Canadian-curler-is-five-months-pregnant?urn=oly,219941

Review: Bamboosa Organic Bamboo flutter top

2010-02-16T05:41:00.000-08:00

I love bamboo because it's renewable, green, doesn't need pesticides, and as a fabric it's silky, warm, drapes beautifully, antibacterial. Well, bamboo clothes don't get any nicer than this.

Bamboosa's Priya boat neck top is stylish, comfortable, and ORGANIC. It would also be the type of versatile clothing that would work well in early pregnancy. I like wearing Bamboosa's Priya line because it's comfy and stretchy--I can do yoga on the spot if I want to--but I can also throw a nice jacket over it and go out, go to work, etc.

Also, especially for people trying to conceive, these products are , free of chlorine and formaldehyde.
You may have seen a previous post where my friend who makes organic clothing said that yes, even organic clothes can have formaldehyde. Lastly, it's American Made and sweatshop-free.

SPECIAL FOR GREENFERTILITY READERS!
Use the coupon GFertility10

for 10% off orders - will not apply to Sale or Gift Sets, which are already discounted.

Check it out here.

Valentine's Day special

2010-02-12T07:01:00.001-08:00

Chocolate may help lessen your chances for a stroke! Happy valentine's day, a little early. From Newswise, the journalists'-only new source:

Newswise — Eating chocolate may lower your risk of having a stroke, according to an analysis of available research that will be released today and presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010. Another study found that eating chocolate may lower the risk of death after suffering a stroke.

The analysis involved reviewing three studies on chocolate and stroke.

“More research is needed to determine whether chocolate truly lowers stroke risk, or whether healthier people are simply more likely to eat chocolate than others,” said study author Sarah Sahib, BScCA, with McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Sahib worked alongside Gustavo Saposnik, MD, MSc, where the study was completed at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto.

Industrial Cleaner causes Parkinsons, especially auto parts workers.

2010-02-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

It's not a well-known fact, but almost all medical scientists agree that Parkinson's is NOT a disease of old age, but some kind of environmentally-triggered illness. But from what? No one really wants to figure that out, especially if it might piss off some big company in our corporatocracy that makes a lot of money making poisons. But if someone you know works in an auto parts place or other, check this out about workers exposed to industrial cleaners are at risk for Parkinson's. From Newswise the journalists'-only site:
---------

Newswise — Workers exposed to tricholorethylene (TCE), a chemical widely used to clean metal such as auto parts, may be at a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.

“This is the first time a population-based study has confirmed case reports that exposure to TCE may increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,” said study author Samuel Goldman, MD, with the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, California, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “TCE is a popular industrial solvent that is still widely used to clean grease off metal parts.”

Giving up coffee experiment

2010-02-11T07:08:00.001-08:00

I'm giving up coffee. Check it out here: http://www.fertilityauthority.com/blogger/5

Good news for older moms!

2010-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

I remember when I interviewed Dr. Christiane Northrup for an article on natural fertility, she said she didn't like how age 35 had become a "hex" for women, extinguishing hope just because some doctor tells you you're too old. She said she saw PLENTY of women in her OB/gyn practive getting pregnant in their 40s and 50s....this article from the BBC also bears out much of this observation. So don't let some doctor tell you your "eggs are too old." (I have heard this from so many people! Makes them feel like they have rotten eggs inside...)

From the BBC:

The Family Planning Association (FPA) believes the message on infertility and age has gone "too far".

Although fertility does wane, women can still fall pregnant well into their thirties, forties and even fifties.

Abortion rates for women aged 40 to 44 match those for the under 16s, figures for England and Wales show.

In 2008, both of these groups had an abortion rate of four per 1,000 women.

Whilst the message about fertility declining with age is an important one, it is often overplayed

FPA Chief Executive Julie Bentley

There are many reasons why some women opt for an abortion - including birth abnormalities in the baby, which are more common when the mothers are older.

But FPA says its anecdotal evidence suggests some of the abortions are because women wrongly assumed they could not get pregnant because they were too old.

read more here.

Pharma exec kills 8 year old son with Ambien and Xanax

2010-02-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

Makes me wonder a bit if these younger stars (Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy) are UNINTENTIONALLY ODing on RX drugs. p.s. the 8 year old in the story is autistic:

http://www.naturalnews.com/028103_Gigi_Jordan_Big_Pharma.html

Review: Design & Asia pashmina scarf

2010-02-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

Design & Asia has a cool green concept of a traveling green boutique that sells one-of--kind artisanal goods from all over Asia--and they have personal relationships with their crafters.

Pashmina is an excellent Valentine's day idea! It's light and comfy and all-season. Since it's so light, you can slip it in a bag to carry on the plane since they don't have blanekts anymore...

Check it out here.

Soft drinks cause pancreatic cancer

2010-02-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not so surprised to hear about this...and it comes down to insulin resistance again. People with fertility issues need to be very careful about this (e.g., PCOS), as it's a leading cause of infertility. From Newswise, the journalists' only site:

Newswise — Consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Although relatively rare, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly, and only 5 percent of people who are diagnosed are alive five years later.

Mark Pereira, Ph.D., senior author on the study and associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, said people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis, defined as primarily carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages, tend to have a poor behavioral profile overall.

However, the effect of these drinks on pancreatic cancer may be unique.

“The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth,” said Pereira.

-------------

Also: other reasons soda pop is hard on your body

and Try Brain Toniq instead

Save energy in your home with some quick fixes

2010-02-05T06:21:00.003-08:00

Dr. Ben Kim shares some energy saving (and $$$ saving!) tips here: http://drbenkim.com/energy-saving-tips.htm

Look at the guy's fingers to determine fertility

2010-02-04T18:32:00.000-08:00

Interestingly, you can judge a man's fertility by looking at his hands (try this at a bar!) Apparently testosterone makes the ring finger on the right hand grow longer...longer ring fingers have been associated with virility, fertility and aggression. Supposedly stock traders and soccer players have longer ring fingers...

Rosasharn Farms Goat Milk Soaps

2010-02-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Love these soaps! I have been to this farm and can tell you these goats are well cared for, organic, HAPPY. And the soap is lovely, goat milk is really really rich so this soap doesn't dry you out (which is why people by products like Cetaphil--but why not do it naturally, organically and without the chemicals?), the botanicals are really neat.

I bought a bunch for my mother for Christmas and soon she was re-dividing them because everyone wanted some. Support Anne, a small farmer, and her cute, cute goats.

Ordering info here.

Avoid this if you want to get pregnant, or just be healthy

2010-02-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

We already know how awful high fructose corn syrup is, but here are a few fun facts from Dr. Mercola. Just keep in mind that if your body is struggling to digest this stuff (don't forget insulin resistance can be a big part of fertility/infertility), there's less left over for conception:

High Fructose Corn Syrup Has Only Been Around One Generation!

HFCS was invented in 1966 in Japan and introduced to the American market in 1975. Food and beverage manufacturers began switching their sweeteners from sucrose (table sugar) to corn syrup when they discovered that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was far cheaper to make -- sucrose costs about three times as much as HFCS.

HFCS is also about 20 times sweeter than table sugar. So it was expected that less sweetener would be needed per product. Instead, the amount of sweeteners has steadily risen.

The switch from sugar to fructose drastically altered the average American diet. The statistics are beyond alarming:

Corn syrup is now found in every type of processed, pre-packaged food you can think of. In fact, the use of HFCS in the U.S. diet increased by a whopping 10,673 percent between 1970 and 2005, according to a report by the USDA[i].

The current annual consumption of sugar is 141 pounds per person, and 63 pounds of that is HFCS.

Adolescents are taking in 73 grams per day of fructose, mostly from soft drinks and juice drinks -- and 12 percent of their total caloric intake is from fructose alone.

In the past century, fructose consumption has increased 5-fold.

Processed foods account for more than 90 percent of the money Americans spend on meals.

You’ve probably heard the statistic that one soda a day is worth 15 pounds of fat per year. However, one soda today does not equal one soda of yesteryear. The original coke bottle was 6.5 ounces. Now, you have 20-ounce bottles and a 44-ounce Big Gulp.

Tragically, many infant formulas are more than 50 percent sugar -- 43 percent being corn syrup solids. You might as well be giving your baby a bottle of Coke or Pepsi.

No wonder there is an obesity epidemic.

Rocking embryos helps IVF

2010-01-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

I'm not surprised by that gently rocking embryos (and maybe singing to them?) improved IVF success, but it also argues for getting yourself healthy and letting Mother Nature do her thing. I wonder if there will be any long term consequences from IVF...

From CBC news Canada:

(HealthDay News) - Scientists say they boosted the success of in vitro fertilization in mice by gently rocking embryos before implanting them into the womb.

No evidence yet proves that the same technique would work with human embryos, but authors of a new study hope it might do just that.

"By making the cells feel more at home, we get better cells, which is key to having better infertility treatment," said study co-author Shu Takayama, an associate professor in the University of Michigan's department of biomedical engineering.

The idea of the research is to mimic the motion that an embryo feels traveling through the fallopian tube to the uterus. Human embryos created with the assistance of in vitro fertilization don't get the benefit of such exposure.

Horrible Bpa source: receipts!

2010-01-28T06:08:00.000-08:00

Just to show how chemicals have really invaded every corner of our lives, now they've found there's the endocrine-disrupting BPA (no good for anyone's fertility) in RECEIPTS. I had done a few posts on BPA in polycarbonate SIGG bottles, but this is even more serious.

From Science News:

While working at Polaroid Corp. for more than a decade, John C. Warner learned about the chemistry behind some carbonless copy papers (now used for most credit card receipts) and the thermal imaging papers that are spit out by most modern cash registers. Both relied on bisphenol-A...
“When people talk about polycarbonate bottles, they talk about nanogram quantities of BPA [leaching out],” Warner observes. “The average cash register receipt that's out there and uses the BPA technology will have 60 to 100 milligrams of free BPA.” By free, he explains, it’s not bound into a polymer, like the BPA in polycarbonates. It’s just the individual molecules loose and ready for uptake.
As such, he argues, when it comes to BPA in the urban environment, “the biggest exposures, in my opinion, will be these cash register receipts.” Once on the fingers, BPA can be transferred to foods. And keep in mind, he adds, some hormones — like estrogen in certain birth-control formulations — are delivered through the skin by controlled-release patches. So, he argues, estrogen mimics like BPA might similarly enter the skin.

read more here.

Antidepressants may lead to lactation difficulties

2010-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, not being able to breast feed can be REALLY depressing...

From Newswise, the journalists'-only web site:

Newswise — According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), women taking commonly used forms of antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Breastfeeding benefits both infants and mothers in many ways as breast milk is easy to digest and contains antibodies that can protect infants from bacterial and viral infections. The World Health Organization recommends that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. This new study shows that certain common antidepressant drugs may be linked to a common difficulty experienced by new mothers known as delayed secretory activation, defined as a delay in the initiation of full milk secretion.
“The breasts are serotonin-regulated glands, meaning the breasts’ ability to secrete milk at the right time is closely related to the body’s production and regulation of the hormone serotonin,” said Nelson Horseman, PhD, of the University of Cincinnati and co-author of the study. “Common antidepressant drugs like fluoxetine, sertraline and paroxetine are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs and while they can affect mood, emotion and sleep they may also impact serotonin regulation in the breast, placing new mothers at greater risk of a delay in the establishment of a full milk supply.”

Cleaning chemicals, etc., cause pediatric dermatitis

2010-01-25T06:25:00.000-08:00

When are people going to realize that harsh cleaning chemicals aren't good for you? We use baking soda and tea tree oil, works rather well and it's cheap! From Newswise,, the journalists' only new site;

Newswise — Considered a dermatological nuisance that was long gone, skin irritations caused by toilet seats appear to be making a comeback in pediatricians’ offices, according to research led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center investigator Bernard Cohen, M.D.

“Toilet seat dermatitis is one of those legendary conditions described in medical textbooks and seen in underdeveloped countries, but one that younger pediatricians have not come across in their daily practice,” says Cohen, director of pediatric dermatology at Hopkins Children’s. “If our small analysis is any indication of what’s happening, we need to make sure the condition is on every pediatrician’s radar.”

Analyzing five cases from the United States and India in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics, Cohen and colleagues said the culprits responsible for the reemergence of the condition are harsh cleaning chemicals and exotic wooden toilet seats — making a comeback as bathroom décor —especially seats covered with varnishes and paints.

Cohen says children can develop irritation after several uses of a wooden seat or repeated exposure to residue from harsh cleaning chemicals. He urges pediatricians to inquire about toilet seats and cleaners used both at home and at school any time they see a toddler or a young child

Reasons why Sex is Good for You

2010-01-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

This came via Lifehacker.

2. Sex helps you forget
Oxytocin, which triggers orgasm, has an amnesic effect that lasts up to five hours. So for a period of time you forget that he maxed out your Visa card or she was an hour late getting home from work. Women get an additional benefit. During orgasm that parts of the brain that govern fear, anxiety, and stress are switched off. (Faking orgasm gives no such benefit.)
5. Heightened sense of smell
After sex, production of prolactin surges, causing stem cells in the brain to develop new neurons in the brain’s smell center (olfactory bulb).
6. Weight loss
Rambunctious sex burns a minimum of two hundred calories, about the same as running fifteen minutes on a treadmill. British researchers determined that the equivalent of six Big Macs can be worked off by having sex three times a week for a year.
9. Healthier heart
Women who have more sex have higher levels of estrogen, which protects against heart disease.
10. Cure for the common cold
Once-a-week sex produces 30 percent higher levels of immunoglobulin A, which boosts the immune system.
11. Better bladder control
Sex strengthens the pelvic muscles that control the flow of urine.
15. Relief for a stuffy nose
Really. Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can even help combat hay fever and asthma.

17. Boosts immune system
Endorphins stimulate immune-system cells that fight disease.
19. Protection against Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis
Women who have more sex have higher levels of estrogen, which protects against Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis.

Toxic cheap jewelry poisons children

2010-01-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

What little kid DOESN'T chew on stuff. Stay away from cheap jewelry!

LOS ANGELES – The country's top product safety regulator warned parents and caretakers Wednesday to take cheap metal jewelry away from children out of concern they could be exposed to toxic heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.

Writing in a blog to be posted Wednesday evening, the chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission noted that children who chew, suck on or swallow a bracelet charm or necklace may be endangering their health.

read more here.

Monsanto GMO corn and organ failure

2010-01-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

I can only say EAT ORGANIC!!! Blech. Some other GMO corn I think kills monarch butterflies...scary stuff.

In a study released by the International Journal of Biological Sciences, analyzing the effects of genetically modified foods on mammalian health, researchers found that agricultural giant Monsanto's GM corn is linked to organ damage in rats.

Use of potentially harmful chemicals kept secret under law

2010-01-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

This is so scary, I don't even know where to begin. Recently people have been finding out there had been a weird additive in MILK that for whatever weird reason hasn't had to be disclosed on the label. Maybe that's why milk has such a bad rap, it's a good food turned awful by processing. I am so glad we buy our milk from our farmer friend.

It's so sad that with documented declining fertility (especially sperm counts) that these chemicals that are KNOWN hazards to reproductive health are all over the place. Let's demand great transparency!! Thank you to writer Miranda Spencer alerting GreenFertility to this.
--------------------------------

By Lyndsey Layton

Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 4, 2010

Of the 84,000 chemicals in commercial use in the United States -- from flame retardants in furniture to household cleaners -- nearly 20 percent are secret, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, their names and physical properties guarded from consumers and virtually all public officials under a little-known federal provision.

The policy was designed 33 years ago to protect trade secrets in a highly competitive industry. But critics -- including the Obama administration -- say the secrecy has grown out of control, making it impossible for regulators to control potential dangers or for consumers to know which toxic substances they might be exposed to.

At a time of increasing public demand for more information about chemical exposure, pressure is building on lawmakers to make it more difficult for manufacturers to cloak their products in secrecy. Congress is set to rewrite chemical regulations this year for the first time in a generation.

read more here.

Natural Thyroid back on the market

2010-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, for some reason doctors are REALLY against using natural thyroid products like Armour because supposedly it's harder to "control"--I think having natural thyroid might mean we get whatever unknowable thing is already in it. Synthroid made me feel WORSE. But I've been waiting with bated breath as the supplies for my Armour thyroid kept dwindling, and I was switch to Nature-throid, which was also having some shortages. But the good news, it's back!

From Mary Shomon:

Tuesday January 5, 2010

Good news for the new year. Today, Dai Jinn, Chief Science Officer at RLC Labs confirmed that Nature-Throid -- RLC's natural desiccated thyroid drug -- is shipping in the 1 grain tablet size. Says Jinn: "I can definitely say that the product started shipping last week. As indicated, it still may take a week or so to reach all of our clients and then a bit more to ultimately reach down to the patient level." So Nature-Throid 1 grain IS on now its way to distributors and ultimately to pharmacies around the country.

MORE INFORMATION:

Artificial smoke flavor may be toxic

2010-01-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

Why am I not surprised that an artificial, lab-created flavor might be toxic?

From the BBC:

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says one of the flavourings used to give smoke flavour to meat, cheese or fish, may be toxic to humans.

The authority looked at 11 smoke flavourings commonly used in the European Union.

It says several of the flavourings are dangerously close to levels which may cause harm to humans.

The European Commission will now establish a list of smoke-flavouring products that are safe for use in food.

The smoke flavourings are products which can be added to foods to give them a "smoked" flavour, as an alternative to traditional smoking.

EFSA says it "cannot rule out concerns" about a flavouring called Primary Product AM 01, which is obtained from beech wood.

The wood particles are burnt under controlled conditions and the hot vapours are dissolved in a solvent.

The Panel says the use of the substance "at the intended levels is a safety concern".

Rattan makes good bones

2010-01-08T08:10:00.001-08:00

Wicker bones, what next? Actually, using a natural substance probably works better than, say plastic. From the BBC:

A novel - and natural - way of creating new bones for humans could be just a few years away.

Scientists in Italy have developed a way of turning rattan wood into bone that is almost identical to the human tissue.

At the Istec laboratory of bioceramics in Faenza near Bologna, a herd of sheep have already been implanted with the bones.

The process starts by cutting the long tubular rattan wood up into manageable pieces.

It is then snipped into even smaller chunks, ready for the complex chemical process to begin.

The pieces are put in a furnace and heated.

In simple terms, carbon and calcium are added.

The wood is then further heated under intense pressure in another oven-like machine and a phosphate solution is introduced.

'Very promising'

After around 10 days, the rattan wood has been transformed into the bone-like material.

CT scans and cancer risk

2010-01-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

Careful of CT scans, ESPECIALLY of your pelvis. From Medscape:
--------------------------------

December 17, 2009 — Computed tomography (CT) scans are widely used and are an invaluable tool for medical imaging. However, the possible overuse of CT scans and the variability in radiation doses might subsequently lead to thousands of cases of cancer, according to findings from 2 new studies published in the December 14/28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

In the first study, researchers found that radiation doses from common CT procedures are higher and more variable than what is typically cited. For example, the authors note that the median effective dose of an abdomen and pelvis CT scan is often cited as 8 to 10 mSv, but they found that the median dose of this type of scan was actually 66% higher, and the median dose of a multiphase CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis was nearly 4 times higher.

Use LED bulbs--no mercury

2010-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

I keep telling people that LEDs are better than Compact Flourescents (CFLs) for lighting becuase CFLs (of course, carried by Walmart) have mercury, which means if you break them, you have to call the EPA for cleanup (or contaminate your house) or eventually it goes to the dump and you pollute the environment.

I also like the clean light of LEDs, and according to this study they save substantial energy, too. From the NY Times:

Does the latest generation of energy-saving light bulbs save energy? A comprehensive study conducted by Osram, the German lighting company, provides evidence that they do.

Rick Friedman for The New York Times

A standard incandescent bulb over its life will use almost five times the energy of an LED bulb, a German study concluded.

While that may seem self-evident, until the release of the report on Monday the answer remained unclear.
That is because no one knew if the production of LED lamps required more energy than needed for standard incandescent bulbs. While it is indisputable that LEDs use a fraction of the electricity of a regular bulb to create the same amount of light, if more energy were used in the manufacturing and distribution process, then the lighting industry could be traveling down a technological dead end.
The study results show that over the entire life of the bulb — from manufacturing to disposal — the energy used for incandescent bulbs is almost five times that used for compact fluorescents and LED lamps.
The energy used during the manufacturing phase of all lamps is insignificant — less than 2 percent of the total. Given that both compact fluorescents and LEDs use about 20 percent of the electricity needed to create the same amount of light as a standard incandescent, both lighting technologies put incandescents to shame.

read more here.

Doctor Exam Trumps C Scan

2009-12-23T06:12:00.000-08:00

Are we surprised by this? The problem is, today's doctors grow up with all the fancy tools and don't learn the less glamorous art of OBSERVATION. But watch out for CT scans--lots of radiation. Doctors now count on the PATIENTS to keep track of the various sources of radiation they are getting, unlike, say, in Europe or Korea where all this info is centralized! [In Korea you get all your health info on a flash drive![
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Newswise — Sometimes, a simple bedside exam performed by a skilled physician is superior to a high-tech CT scan, a Loyola University Health System study has found.

Researchers found that physicians' bedside exams did a better job than CT scans in predicting which patients would need to return to the operating room to treat complications such as bleeding.

"The low cost, simple, but elegant neurological exam appears to be superior to a routine CT scan in determining return to the operating room," researchers report in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Patients typically receive CT scans following open brain surgery to remove tumors, repair aneurysms, treat brain injuries, etc. But practices vary. Some surgeons order CT scans right after surgery. Others wait until the following morning.

There are downsides. CT scans cost hundreds of dollars and expose patients to radiation

Newswise — Sometimes, a simple bedside exam performed by a skilled physician is superior to a high-tech CT scan, a Loyola University Health System study has found.

Researchers found that physicians' bedside exams did a better job than CT scans in predicting which patients would need to return to the operating room to treat complications such as bleeding.

"The low cost, simple, but elegant neurological exam appears to be superior to a routine CT scan in determining return to the operating room," researchers report in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

There are downsides. CT scans cost hundreds of dollars and expose patients to radiation

Gerberding, Former CDC Director Now Heads Merck's Vaccine Division

2009-12-22T06:13:00.000-08:00

This really bothers me, when a person who is RESPONSIBLE to oversee vaccine safety for the public later goes to work for a VACCINE MANUFACTURER. It makes me wonder if any of her decisions were made thinking about her next job.

From the American Chronicle:

Julie Louise Gerberding MD MPH, former director of the Centers for Disease Control has been named the president of Merck Vaccines. While certainly no surprise, I am once again astounded at the audacity of the vaccine manufacturers and our government. Mrs. Gerberding will no doubt do quite well in her new position since she has had quite a bit of experience selling both vaccines and the notion that they are beneficial to society, in her previous position as one of the top government health officials in America. This is just another example of how closely related and intertwined our government is with industry.

Those in the natural health and "anti-vaccine" communities have witnessed this unseemly and disgusting relationship between government and industry for years. Consider the Homeland Security Act that sureptitiously had a rider slid into it at the last possible minute prior to the vote that basically absolved Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals from any and all liability regarding the controversial mercury containing vaccine preservative, Thimerosal. Consider the SARS, Avian and Swine flu scares that have made both Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defence and Dick Cheney, former VP of the U.S. very rich men.These scares caused our government to purchace and push TamiFlu, a money making dream come true for these two former executives with the manufacturer of this drug.

We´ve witnessed the revolving door policy between government and business between the FDA and pharmaceutical companies as well as Monsanto. Bring someone from industry into the government regulating division that´s in need, get the vote or approval desired, then return said official to the private sector again, to reap the benefits. We´ve seen this again and again. This recent news is simply another example in a long line of government/industry collusion.

read more here.