There was a study done where a control group of 100 people were divided into two :
50 people watched a very funny, tears-of laughter type movie; and another 50 watched a very sad and tears of compassion type movie.
At the end of the sessions researchers collected the 'happy tears' and the 'sad tears' with eye droppers.
They found that 'happy tears' are made up of brine...salt water and not a great deal else.
However the 'sad tears' were found to contain the very same chemicals and enzymes that are found in tumors, ulcers and other such lumps and bumps and sicknesses through out the body.
This test concluded that the body, when crying in sadness etc is literally flushing out all of the toxic-chemicals that accumulate and are a part of the sadness /heartache experience.
Therefore if one holds back those tears, those toxic-waters will find somewhere else to deposit themselves... .and prolonged lack-of-crying-release will guarantee that the body will accumulate a huge amount of internal pollution and toxicity that should have been released through the tears........is it any wonder that the eyes sting so much when we hold back our tears?
LESSON FROM THE STUDY : CRY YOUR HEART OUT WHEN YOU ARE SAD, LONELY,
ALONE, DEPRESSED, ETC.....
IT IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH!
Monday, June 01, 2009
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The Proven Healing Power of Touch
Did you know that YOU have healing power, literally at your fingertips? The simple act of touching - not necessarily in a romantic manner - is so powerful that it can slow your heart rate, decrease your blood pressure, and strengthen your immune system!
Our culture is not very affectionate, and we are losing out on the benefits of regular physical interaction with others. The healing power of touch is so necessary for life that babies not touched regularly don't grow and develop normally, and children who are not lovingly touched enough are more likely to be violent as adults.
How Touching Helps
It's very common these days to live most of our lives in our heads. Are you experiencing the constant chatter of to-do lists, errands, worries, decisions and criticisms? You are not alone.
This mental chatter disconnects you from your body and depletes your energy. In fact, it is just another form of stress that over time pulls the energy from your body and keeps it stuck in your head.
When the time comes for rest and relaxation, you may find that your mind cannot stop. Even sleep can become more difficult, further depleting your energy.
Regular touch establishes your mind-body connection and has been proven to:
- Decrease anxiety
- Increase the number of white blood cells
- Lower blood pressure
- Increase endorphin levels (your feel-good hormones)
- Help you sleep better
Reach Out and Touch Someone!
Here are some easy ways to incorporate healing touch into your daily routine:
- Offer to give a friend a back rub - then switch.
- Borrow a custom from Europe and kiss people hello. If that is too intimate, give hugs instead.
- Pat people on the back or arm as gentle reassurance.
- Schedule regular therapeutic full-body massage. Something is better than nothing, so even 15 or 30 minutes makes a difference.
- Get foot massages or foot reflexology - these forms of healing touch allow your energy to move from your head into your abdomen, which is your "energy powerhouse."
- Don't be afraid to ask for a hug - your body and your mind both need it!
Solar Touch
You probably know that the sun's rays are therapeutic. Why else would we vacation in warm, sunny climates? You may also know that decreased sunlight is linked to seasonal depression, especially in the winter months.
While we've recently become more and more fearful of the sun's rays, safe exposure to sunlight is actually very beneficial. It provides a healing touch that affects the chemistry of your brain and the functioning of your body. Especially in winter, make sure you expose at least 80% of your bare body to 30 minutes of sunlight regularly so that you benefit from the sun's healing power. If your immune system is compromised this may mean that you schedule a vacation in the sun each winter. Sunlight is an important healing tool and it is free. Of course, the vacation might not be.
A Commitment to Physical Touch
This year, make a commitment (to yourself and those around you) to touch more. From a kiss on the cheek to a quick massage, small changes can yield big health dividends. So take your health into your own hands and feel the power of healing touch.
You may find your relationships and your health flourishing!
Our culture is not very affectionate, and we are losing out on the benefits of regular physical interaction with others. The healing power of touch is so necessary for life that babies not touched regularly don't grow and develop normally, and children who are not lovingly touched enough are more likely to be violent as adults.
How Touching Helps
It's very common these days to live most of our lives in our heads. Are you experiencing the constant chatter of to-do lists, errands, worries, decisions and criticisms? You are not alone.
This mental chatter disconnects you from your body and depletes your energy. In fact, it is just another form of stress that over time pulls the energy from your body and keeps it stuck in your head.
When the time comes for rest and relaxation, you may find that your mind cannot stop. Even sleep can become more difficult, further depleting your energy.
Regular touch establishes your mind-body connection and has been proven to:
- Decrease anxiety
- Increase the number of white blood cells
- Lower blood pressure
- Increase endorphin levels (your feel-good hormones)
- Help you sleep better
Reach Out and Touch Someone!
Here are some easy ways to incorporate healing touch into your daily routine:
- Offer to give a friend a back rub - then switch.
- Borrow a custom from Europe and kiss people hello. If that is too intimate, give hugs instead.
- Pat people on the back or arm as gentle reassurance.
- Schedule regular therapeutic full-body massage. Something is better than nothing, so even 15 or 30 minutes makes a difference.
- Get foot massages or foot reflexology - these forms of healing touch allow your energy to move from your head into your abdomen, which is your "energy powerhouse."
- Don't be afraid to ask for a hug - your body and your mind both need it!
Solar Touch
You probably know that the sun's rays are therapeutic. Why else would we vacation in warm, sunny climates? You may also know that decreased sunlight is linked to seasonal depression, especially in the winter months.
While we've recently become more and more fearful of the sun's rays, safe exposure to sunlight is actually very beneficial. It provides a healing touch that affects the chemistry of your brain and the functioning of your body. Especially in winter, make sure you expose at least 80% of your bare body to 30 minutes of sunlight regularly so that you benefit from the sun's healing power. If your immune system is compromised this may mean that you schedule a vacation in the sun each winter. Sunlight is an important healing tool and it is free. Of course, the vacation might not be.
A Commitment to Physical Touch
This year, make a commitment (to yourself and those around you) to touch more. From a kiss on the cheek to a quick massage, small changes can yield big health dividends. So take your health into your own hands and feel the power of healing touch.
You may find your relationships and your health flourishing!
Holding hands can be beneficial for your body AND your relationships.
Source: BodyEcology.com
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
7 Key Healthy Eating Principles
Energy, vitality and longevity can be achieved at any age, and with the 7 Healing Principles which restore our body health and change our life!. We know that the stress of modern living, the Standard American Diet (SAD) of processed foods and too much sugar, and an over-dependence on drugs and antibiotics can weaken our immunity, pave the road for early aging and cause diseases like cancer because health begins in the digestive system.
Beneficial bacteria (also known as microflora) digest the foods we are eating. A lifestyle that includes stress and poor eating habits kills the beneficial microscopic "good guys" that keep us healthy, setting the stage for disease. Very often the stress and the junk foods cause digestive upset, and resulted with digestive pain, bloating and/or fatigue after eating the heavy meals. Therefore, fermented foods and drinks are required to re-populate our digestive system with the beneficial bacteria needed to digest food, assimilate nutrients, and enhance immunity.
The 7 Healing Principles
1. The Principle of Balance
The Principle of Balance is based on the concept of yin and yang, the opposing energy forces from ancient Chinese and Japanese traditions. Everything in the world has some properties of yin and yang, but in varying proportions.
Yin energy is light, expansive, wet, soft, cold and more vegetal. Yang energy is heavy, contracting, dry, hard, hot and more animal. Body Ecology uses the terms expansion and contraction to explain the yin and yang energy of the food we eat.
Some foods, like sugar and alcohol, are examples of food that is way too expansive for our body. Our blood stream quickly absorbs sugar and produces energy, making us feel temporarily open and relaxed yet these foods are damaging because they are not balanced.
Other foods, like excessive and poor-quality salt and animal products, are more contracting and cause our cells to contract and lose fluids, making us feel tight and constricted.
Our body is always seeking balance. If we eat too much salt, our body becomes too contractive and we will quickly find ourself craving something sweet. Notice this the next time we go to see a movie. While they may not fully understand this concept, the movie theaters are well aware that both soda pop (sweet and expansive) and popcorn (salty and contracting) are ever-popular combinations for concession sales.
Without understanding this principle, we may unknowingly create imbalance in a vicious cycle of cravings.
2. The Principle of Acid and Alkaline
To maintain health, our blood must be slightly alkaline. The foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make impact our body's ability to maintain that alkaline state.
Foods can be alkaline, acidic or neutral in our body. Our goal would be to have a balance of alkaline and acidic foods so that you can maintain the alkaline state of our blood. If we get out of balance and your blood becomes too acidic, you become more susceptible to illness and disease.
At the same time, lifestyle choices like stress, taking prescription drugs and not getting enough sleep can create acidic blood. Paying attention to a balanced lifestyle is also key to our health and longevity.
3. The Principle of Uniqueness
As humans, we share so many similarities with one another, but our body is unique. Each of us is an experiment of one and for that reason, we may need to modify certain elements of any diet or lifestyle to suit our own individuality.
While restoring balance in our body, any time we try a new way of eating, it's vital to observe our body's reactions and assess whether this new path is bringing us back toward balance.
4. The Principle of Cleansing
Did you know that our body cleanses every day? Through elimination, urine, tears, and sweat, our body rids itself of toxins that would otherwise build up and could lead to sickness and disease. Fevers, colds and skin eruptions are actually a natural part of the cleansing process and shouldn't be suppressed. Cleansing allows our body to restore balance and occurs when imbalance is too great and threatens life.
As we start on certain fiber cleansing diet, we will experience the symptoms of cleansing, and might feel worse than we usually feel. It's our body's way of getting rid of the bad and making room for the good. After all, we cannot heal our current condition without cleansing.
5. The Principle of Food Combining
By combining certain foods when we eat can either help or hinder our digestion. If we combine the wrong foods, our body will actually secrete enzymes that cancel each other out!
This leads to slowed or impaired digestion, causing food to ferment in our stomach or toxins to be released in our intestines. These conditions make our body more attractive to pathogens. This is a highly useful principle to improve our health and weight, and often one of the most misunderstood.
6. The Principle of 80/20
This principle has two concepts that aid our digestion:
- Quantity: Overeating severely weakens our digestive system. Give our stomach room to digest our food by only filling our stomach to 80% of capacity and leaving 20% empty to help our body digest.
- Balance of Nutrients: 80% of every meal should be land and ocean vegetables. The other 20% should be either a protein OR a grain.
7. The Principle of Step-by-Step
Just as it takes time to get out of balance, it also takes time to rebuild our health progressively. We cannot expect instant healing, but making small, consistent changes gives our body the foundation it needs to support optimal, long-term health.
Starting any new lifestyle is about creating new habits. It takes time and effort, which can sometimes feel hard.
The key is to take everything step-by-step. Incorporate one healing principle (or even one element of a healing principle) at a time so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Take care of yourself by going at the pace that feels right to you.
Source: BodyEcology.com
Beneficial bacteria (also known as microflora) digest the foods we are eating. A lifestyle that includes stress and poor eating habits kills the beneficial microscopic "good guys" that keep us healthy, setting the stage for disease. Very often the stress and the junk foods cause digestive upset, and resulted with digestive pain, bloating and/or fatigue after eating the heavy meals. Therefore, fermented foods and drinks are required to re-populate our digestive system with the beneficial bacteria needed to digest food, assimilate nutrients, and enhance immunity.
The 7 Healing Principles
1. The Principle of Balance
The Principle of Balance is based on the concept of yin and yang, the opposing energy forces from ancient Chinese and Japanese traditions. Everything in the world has some properties of yin and yang, but in varying proportions.
Yin energy is light, expansive, wet, soft, cold and more vegetal. Yang energy is heavy, contracting, dry, hard, hot and more animal. Body Ecology uses the terms expansion and contraction to explain the yin and yang energy of the food we eat.
Some foods, like sugar and alcohol, are examples of food that is way too expansive for our body. Our blood stream quickly absorbs sugar and produces energy, making us feel temporarily open and relaxed yet these foods are damaging because they are not balanced.
Other foods, like excessive and poor-quality salt and animal products, are more contracting and cause our cells to contract and lose fluids, making us feel tight and constricted.
Our body is always seeking balance. If we eat too much salt, our body becomes too contractive and we will quickly find ourself craving something sweet. Notice this the next time we go to see a movie. While they may not fully understand this concept, the movie theaters are well aware that both soda pop (sweet and expansive) and popcorn (salty and contracting) are ever-popular combinations for concession sales.
Without understanding this principle, we may unknowingly create imbalance in a vicious cycle of cravings.
2. The Principle of Acid and Alkaline
To maintain health, our blood must be slightly alkaline. The foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make impact our body's ability to maintain that alkaline state.
Foods can be alkaline, acidic or neutral in our body. Our goal would be to have a balance of alkaline and acidic foods so that you can maintain the alkaline state of our blood. If we get out of balance and your blood becomes too acidic, you become more susceptible to illness and disease.
At the same time, lifestyle choices like stress, taking prescription drugs and not getting enough sleep can create acidic blood. Paying attention to a balanced lifestyle is also key to our health and longevity.
3. The Principle of Uniqueness
As humans, we share so many similarities with one another, but our body is unique. Each of us is an experiment of one and for that reason, we may need to modify certain elements of any diet or lifestyle to suit our own individuality.
While restoring balance in our body, any time we try a new way of eating, it's vital to observe our body's reactions and assess whether this new path is bringing us back toward balance.
4. The Principle of Cleansing
Did you know that our body cleanses every day? Through elimination, urine, tears, and sweat, our body rids itself of toxins that would otherwise build up and could lead to sickness and disease. Fevers, colds and skin eruptions are actually a natural part of the cleansing process and shouldn't be suppressed. Cleansing allows our body to restore balance and occurs when imbalance is too great and threatens life.
As we start on certain fiber cleansing diet, we will experience the symptoms of cleansing, and might feel worse than we usually feel. It's our body's way of getting rid of the bad and making room for the good. After all, we cannot heal our current condition without cleansing.
5. The Principle of Food Combining
By combining certain foods when we eat can either help or hinder our digestion. If we combine the wrong foods, our body will actually secrete enzymes that cancel each other out!
This leads to slowed or impaired digestion, causing food to ferment in our stomach or toxins to be released in our intestines. These conditions make our body more attractive to pathogens. This is a highly useful principle to improve our health and weight, and often one of the most misunderstood.
6. The Principle of 80/20
This principle has two concepts that aid our digestion:
- Quantity: Overeating severely weakens our digestive system. Give our stomach room to digest our food by only filling our stomach to 80% of capacity and leaving 20% empty to help our body digest.
- Balance of Nutrients: 80% of every meal should be land and ocean vegetables. The other 20% should be either a protein OR a grain.
7. The Principle of Step-by-Step
Just as it takes time to get out of balance, it also takes time to rebuild our health progressively. We cannot expect instant healing, but making small, consistent changes gives our body the foundation it needs to support optimal, long-term health.
Starting any new lifestyle is about creating new habits. It takes time and effort, which can sometimes feel hard.
The key is to take everything step-by-step. Incorporate one healing principle (or even one element of a healing principle) at a time so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Take care of yourself by going at the pace that feels right to you.
Source: BodyEcology.com
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Inflammation: The Real Cause of All Disease and How to Reduce and Prevent It
Did you know that inflammation is the common link between such debilitating conditions as Alzheimers, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis?
Did you know inflammation is thought to be the culprit behind the visible signs of aging?
Inflammation is a wellness buzz-word these days, and for good reason. If you reduce inflammation in your body, you'll not only look and feel younger, but you'll significantly lower your risk for chronic disease!
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body's response to stress - whether from your diet, lifestyle or environment. Think of what happens when you catch a cold. You may experience inflammation in the form of a fever as your body heats up to eradicate the effects of the invading virus.
This kind of inflammation is good, but the modern epidemic of chronic, low-grade inflammation destroys the balance in your body. When your body's systems experience a constant inflammatory response, you become more susceptible to aging and disease.
What Causes Inflammation?
Body Ecology believes that one of the main causes of inflammation is low-grade bacterial, viral, and fungal infections in the bloodstream and organs like the stomach and gastro-intestinal tract.
For example, H pylori is a bacteria in the stomach that contributes to inflammation and the development of ulcers. H pylori is present in 50% of adults over 60 years old and in 20% of adults under the age of 40!
As you can see, inflammation is quite common and caused by more than just pathogenic organisms.
Other causes of inflammation include:
- Chronic low-grade food allergies or food sensitivities that may cause few symptoms.
- An imbalance of bacteria and fungi in your gastrointestinal tract, also known as dysbiosis. This causes your immune system to overreact to bacteria in your gut and can be without notable symptoms.
- Stress! Constant psychological, emotional or physical stress raises the level of cortisol, creating inflammation. [For more on the effects of stress on your body, read "How Stress Creates A Double-Whammy Threat to Your Health"]
- Environmental toxicity from our air, water, food pollutants and toxic metals like mercury and lead all contribute to inflammation and have been linked to diseases as varied as endometriosis and cancer.
- Diet and lifestyle: too much fat, sugar, and protein in your diet, constant dehydration, consumption of too many sodas or caffeine, inactivity, and lack of sleep can all increase inflammation in your body
The Lasting Effects of Inflammation
Symptoms of inflammation include:
- Visible signs of aging like wrinkles.
- Susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.
- Acid reflux
- Cancer
- Skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.
- Arthritis
- Bronchitis
- Chronic pain
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Heart disease
- Candidiasis
- Urinary tract infections
How to Reduce Inflammation
- To restore our body's balance, just going "back to basics" with both diet and lifestyle, which eliminating viral and fungal infections, increasing our mineral intake, eliminating sugar and balancing all of our nutrients in a way that supports health and vitality.
- Following the 7 Key Healthy Eating Principles to heal our body of inflammation, reduce the damaging effects of aging and giving you plenty of energy.
- Reduce stress - which is easier said than done. [Read this article on "The Healing Power of Touch"]
- Get adequate quality sleep. [For more information read "Trouble Sleeping? Why Winter is the Ideal Time to Learn How to Sleep Right!"]
- Soak up the Sun - Vitamin D, available from sunlight, is an easy way to effectively stop inflammation.
Source: BodyEcology.com
Did you know inflammation is thought to be the culprit behind the visible signs of aging?
Inflammation is a wellness buzz-word these days, and for good reason. If you reduce inflammation in your body, you'll not only look and feel younger, but you'll significantly lower your risk for chronic disease!
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body's response to stress - whether from your diet, lifestyle or environment. Think of what happens when you catch a cold. You may experience inflammation in the form of a fever as your body heats up to eradicate the effects of the invading virus.
This kind of inflammation is good, but the modern epidemic of chronic, low-grade inflammation destroys the balance in your body. When your body's systems experience a constant inflammatory response, you become more susceptible to aging and disease.
What Causes Inflammation?
Body Ecology believes that one of the main causes of inflammation is low-grade bacterial, viral, and fungal infections in the bloodstream and organs like the stomach and gastro-intestinal tract.
For example, H pylori is a bacteria in the stomach that contributes to inflammation and the development of ulcers. H pylori is present in 50% of adults over 60 years old and in 20% of adults under the age of 40!
As you can see, inflammation is quite common and caused by more than just pathogenic organisms.
Other causes of inflammation include:
- Chronic low-grade food allergies or food sensitivities that may cause few symptoms.
- An imbalance of bacteria and fungi in your gastrointestinal tract, also known as dysbiosis. This causes your immune system to overreact to bacteria in your gut and can be without notable symptoms.
- Stress! Constant psychological, emotional or physical stress raises the level of cortisol, creating inflammation. [For more on the effects of stress on your body, read "How Stress Creates A Double-Whammy Threat to Your Health"]
- Environmental toxicity from our air, water, food pollutants and toxic metals like mercury and lead all contribute to inflammation and have been linked to diseases as varied as endometriosis and cancer.
- Diet and lifestyle: too much fat, sugar, and protein in your diet, constant dehydration, consumption of too many sodas or caffeine, inactivity, and lack of sleep can all increase inflammation in your body
The Lasting Effects of Inflammation
Symptoms of inflammation include:
- Visible signs of aging like wrinkles.
- Susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.
- Acid reflux
- Cancer
- Skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.
- Arthritis
- Bronchitis
- Chronic pain
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Osteoporosis
- Heart disease
- Candidiasis
- Urinary tract infections
How to Reduce Inflammation
- To restore our body's balance, just going "back to basics" with both diet and lifestyle, which eliminating viral and fungal infections, increasing our mineral intake, eliminating sugar and balancing all of our nutrients in a way that supports health and vitality.
- Following the 7 Key Healthy Eating Principles to heal our body of inflammation, reduce the damaging effects of aging and giving you plenty of energy.
- Reduce stress - which is easier said than done. [Read this article on "The Healing Power of Touch"]
- Get adequate quality sleep. [For more information read "Trouble Sleeping? Why Winter is the Ideal Time to Learn How to Sleep Right!"]
- Soak up the Sun - Vitamin D, available from sunlight, is an easy way to effectively stop inflammation.
Source: BodyEcology.com
Thursday, June 28, 2007
You can't be a meat eating environmentalist
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said "Liverstock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems," "Urgent action is required to remedy the situation."
In the FAO report, "Cattle-rearing is also a major source of land and water degradation"
"With increased prosperity people are consuming more meat and dairy products every year"
The global livestock sector is growing faster than any other agricultural sub-sector.
Livestock now use 30% of the Earth's land surface.
33 per cent of the global arable land is used to producing feed for livestock
As forests are cleared to create new pastures, it is a major driver of deforeststion, especially in Latin America where, for example, some 70 per cent of former forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing.
"Herds cause wide-scale land degradation with about 20% of pastures considered degraded through overgrazing, compaction and erosion." the report said.
This figure is even higher in the drylands.
The livestock business is among the most damaging sectors to the earth's increasingly scarce water resources, contributing among other things to water pollution from animal wastes, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and the pesticides used to spray feed crops.
The Union of Concerned Scientists and many leading environmental organisations have recognized that raising animals for food demages the environment more than just about anything else that we do.
In 2004-2005, all the wild animals and trees in more than 2.9 million acres of rainforest were destroyed in order to grow crops that are used to feed chickens and other animals in factory farms.
In a 2006 UN report, the livestock sector caused more greenhouse gases worldwide than the entire transportation sector. Nitrous oxide is about 300 times more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide.
UN report cont'd "The meat, dairy and egg industries account for a staggering 65 percent of worldwide nitrous oxide emissions.
The Environmental Protection Agency says the run-off from factory farms pollutes our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined.
According to the UN report Chicken, hog, and cattle excrement have polluted 35,000 of rivers in 22 US states and contaiminated groundwater in 17 states.
It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat. One average meat eater could consume that pound of meat during a meal, while 16 people could have been fed on the grain it takes to produce the pound of meat.
Animals raised for food produce 130 times more excrement than the entire human population - 86,000 lbs per second. Hence the meat industry causes more water polution than all other industries combined.
90% of all corn and 80% of all grains and beans grown in the US are used to feed livestock animals. 75 percent of U.S. topsoil has been lost to date. 85 percent of that is due to livestock rearing.
The livestock population of the US consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed more that 5 times its human population.
Every 2 seconds, a child starves to death somewhere in the world. Countries such as Ethiopia and some Central American countries use their garmland to supply the US with cheap burgers instead of growing healthful grain foods for their own starving people.
Fortunately there is something we can do - switch to a plant-based diet.
Excerpts from 2006 United Nations Report & WoodstockFAS.org
FAO Newsroom: Livestock a major threat to environment - Remedies urgently needed
FAO Spotlight / 2006 - Livestock impacts on the environment
UN News Center Report: Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report
Livestock - One of Major Contributors to Environmental Problems
Meat is murder on the environment
European Vegetarian and Animal News Agency (EVANA)
LobsA
You can't be a meat eating environmentalist - YouTube Video
In the FAO report, "Cattle-rearing is also a major source of land and water degradation"
"With increased prosperity people are consuming more meat and dairy products every year"
The global livestock sector is growing faster than any other agricultural sub-sector.
Livestock now use 30% of the Earth's land surface.
33 per cent of the global arable land is used to producing feed for livestock
As forests are cleared to create new pastures, it is a major driver of deforeststion, especially in Latin America where, for example, some 70 per cent of former forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing.
"Herds cause wide-scale land degradation with about 20% of pastures considered degraded through overgrazing, compaction and erosion." the report said.
This figure is even higher in the drylands.
The livestock business is among the most damaging sectors to the earth's increasingly scarce water resources, contributing among other things to water pollution from animal wastes, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and the pesticides used to spray feed crops.
The Union of Concerned Scientists and many leading environmental organisations have recognized that raising animals for food demages the environment more than just about anything else that we do.
In 2004-2005, all the wild animals and trees in more than 2.9 million acres of rainforest were destroyed in order to grow crops that are used to feed chickens and other animals in factory farms.
In a 2006 UN report, the livestock sector caused more greenhouse gases worldwide than the entire transportation sector. Nitrous oxide is about 300 times more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide.
UN report cont'd "The meat, dairy and egg industries account for a staggering 65 percent of worldwide nitrous oxide emissions.
The Environmental Protection Agency says the run-off from factory farms pollutes our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined.
According to the UN report Chicken, hog, and cattle excrement have polluted 35,000 of rivers in 22 US states and contaiminated groundwater in 17 states.
It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat. One average meat eater could consume that pound of meat during a meal, while 16 people could have been fed on the grain it takes to produce the pound of meat.
Animals raised for food produce 130 times more excrement than the entire human population - 86,000 lbs per second. Hence the meat industry causes more water polution than all other industries combined.
90% of all corn and 80% of all grains and beans grown in the US are used to feed livestock animals. 75 percent of U.S. topsoil has been lost to date. 85 percent of that is due to livestock rearing.
The livestock population of the US consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed more that 5 times its human population.
Every 2 seconds, a child starves to death somewhere in the world. Countries such as Ethiopia and some Central American countries use their garmland to supply the US with cheap burgers instead of growing healthful grain foods for their own starving people.
Fortunately there is something we can do - switch to a plant-based diet.
Excerpts from 2006 United Nations Report & WoodstockFAS.org
FAO Newsroom: Livestock a major threat to environment - Remedies urgently needed
FAO Spotlight / 2006 - Livestock impacts on the environment
UN News Center Report: Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report
Livestock - One of Major Contributors to Environmental Problems
Meat is murder on the environment
European Vegetarian and Animal News Agency (EVANA)
LobsA
You can't be a meat eating environmentalist - YouTube Video
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Drink Water Empty Stomach
It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers.
For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses, the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a hundred percent cure for the following diseases:
Headache
Body-ache
Heart system
Arthritis
Fast heartbeat
Epilepsy
Excess
Fatness
Bronchitis
Asthma
TB
Meningitis
Kidney and Urine diseases
Vomiting gastritis
Diarrhoea
Piles
Diabetes
Constipation
All eye diseases
Womb cancer
Menstrual disorders
Ear nose
Throat diseases
Method of Treatment:
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink four glasses of water each of 160ml.
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes.
3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for two hours.
5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink four glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to four glasses per day.
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.
The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure: 30 days
2. Gastric: 10 days
3. Diabetes: 30 days
4. Constipation: 10 days
5. Cancer: 180 days
6. TB: 90 days
Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment for only 3 days in the first week to be followed by daily treatment.
This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
Good Health to you...
For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses, the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a hundred percent cure for the following diseases:
Headache
Body-ache
Heart system
Arthritis
Fast heartbeat
Epilepsy
Excess
Fatness
Bronchitis
Asthma
TB
Meningitis
Kidney and Urine diseases
Vomiting gastritis
Diarrhoea
Piles
Diabetes
Constipation
All eye diseases
Womb cancer
Menstrual disorders
Ear nose
Throat diseases
Method of Treatment:
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink four glasses of water each of 160ml.
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes.
3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for two hours.
5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink four glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to four glasses per day.
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.
The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure: 30 days
2. Gastric: 10 days
3. Diabetes: 30 days
4. Constipation: 10 days
5. Cancer: 180 days
6. TB: 90 days
Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment for only 3 days in the first week to be followed by daily treatment.
This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
Good Health to you...
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Healing effect of Okra (Lady's Finger)
Okra, also known as lady's finger, fruit of a vegetable plant. Its scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus. Someone has been suffering from constipation for the past 20 years and recently from acid reflux. He didn't realize that the treatment could be so simple -- OKRA! (or Lady's Finger).
He started eating okra within the last 2 months and since then have never taken medication again. All he did was consume 6 pieces of OKRA everyday.
He's now regular and his blood sugar has dropped from 135 to 98, with his cholesterol and acid reflux also under control.
Here are some facts on okra (from the research of Ms. Sylvia Zook, Ph.D in nutrition, University of Illinois).
"Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. The other half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy,decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colo-rectal cancer.
Nearly 10% of the recommended levels of vitamin B6 and folic acid is also present in a half cup of cooked okra. Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid. He got the following numbers from the University of Illinois Extension Okra Page.
Please check there for more details.
Okra Nutrition (half-cup cooked okra)
* Calories = 25
* Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
* Protein = 1.5 grams
* Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
* Vitamin A = 460 IU
* Vitamin C = 13 mg
* Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
* Calcium = 50 mg
* Iron = 0.4 mg
* Potassium = 256 mg
* Magnesium = 46 mg
These numbers should be used as a guideline only, and if you are on a medically-restricted diet please consult your physician and/or dietician. Ms Sylvia W. Zook, Ph.D. (nutritionist) has very kindly provided the following thought-provoking comments on the many benefits of this versatile vegetable They are well worth reading
1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar as it curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
2. Okra's mucilage not only binds cholesterol but bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. But it doesn't stop there...
3. Many alternative health practitioners believe all diseases begin in the colon.
The okra fiber, absorbing water and ensuring bulk in stools, helps prevent constipation.
Fiber in general is helpful for this but okra is one of the best, along with ground flax seed and psyllium.
Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra's mucilage soothes, and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic many people abhor. In other words,this incredibly valuable vegetable not only binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids) which cause numerous health problems, if not evacuated, but also assures their easy passage from
the the body.
The veggie is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming (except for the many who greatly enjoy eating it), has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most.
4. Further contributing to the health of the intestinal tract, okra fiber(as well as flax and psyllium) has no equal among fibers for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics).
5. To retain most of okra's nutrients and self-digesting enzymes, it should be cooked as little as possible, e.g. with low heat or lightly steamed. Some eat it raw.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
A Secret of Anti-Aging (Part 2)
... continued from Part 1
Foods which can help regeneration and anti-aging include
- RAW nuts, seeds, soaked and sprouted grains
- Almonds, especially if they have been soaked in water for 24 hours ('sprouted')
- Fruit and vegetables especially sprouts
- Green leafy vegetables
- Lentils - learn Indian cooking to make them interesting
- Beans that have been soaked for 8 hours. (That is, 'sprouted'. This makes them alkaline)
- Brown rice that has been soaked for 22 hours. This makes it alkaline
- Organic Cottage cheese and yogurt. They are alkalline. The bacteria has changed the original milk.
- GOJI JUICE - Possibly the best anti-aging substance in the world.
- Super Food
- Seeds
- Bee Pollen (not for everyone-some are allergic to pollen from some areas)
- Kambucha
- Celtic sea salt
- Spirulina
- Seaweed
- Wheatgrass juice
- Barley greens
- Aloe vera
- Antioxidants (eg vitamin C, vitamin E, pycnogenols, coenzyme Q10)
- Olive oil
- Evening primrose oil
- MSM (organic sulphur)
- Foods with omega 3 fatty acids (eg flaxseed oil) and
- Foods with omega 4 & 5 fatty acids (eg evening primrose and fish oil).
- Gentle sunlight (vitamin D)
- Gentle exercise.
- A good night's sleep every night, average at least eight hours every day. Lack of sleep is CUMULATIVE.
- And most importantly of all: Fulvic Liquid Minerals!!!!
In addition, frequent drinks of good water is crucial. We believe the best water is water that has been filtered by reverse osmosis. Next best would be spring water. Tap water is not as good because of the chlorine and the fluoride (although it is better than nothing). Distilled water is not as good for you - its energy has been altered. In Europe distilled water is labelled "not for human consumption". Mineral water is not as good because the minerals are not in a form your body likes. Water that comes from the top of mountains is no good because, according to genius Victor Schauberger, it is lacking in oxygen. Many people's health problems and anti-aging would improve if they would just drink more good water!
Nutritionists like to divide food into a number of different groups. I suggest that you think about dividing food up into two food groups. One group produces acids when it is digested. The other group produces alkalies when it is digested. Our bodies are constantly producing waste products, much the same as the exhaust coming from the back of your car. Waste products are acidic. They are called toxins. Toxins cause tiredness, pain and aging. Therefore, if you want more energy and less pain and anti-aging, you need to eat less acid-producing food.
Foods that produce acids are carbohydrates and proteins. 'Foods' such as tea, coffee, softdrinks, sugar, flavourings, artificial sweetener and preserved meats are even more acidic i.e. toxic. And pollutants (such as heavy metals) and pesticides are even worse.
To neutralise an acid you need an alkali. The main foods that produce alkalis are fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy, green vegetables, such as sprouts, parsley and cabbage. That is why people should eat LOTS of fruit and especially vegetables, for anti-aging. Raw is best. And steamed is much, much better than boiled (as it retains the vitamins and minerals). Also organic cottage cheese and yogurt.
Once you begin to understand this, it is easy to see why so many people are suffering from health problems. Have a look at what people put into their shopping carts next time you are at the supermarket. (Lots of white bread, soft drinks and preserved meats). And have a look at what people have on their plate next time you are in a restaurant. Lots of carbohydrate and protein, and very few vegetables, except maybe for some lettuce.
This is not to say that we don't need protein and complex carbohydrates. We do. The key is BALANCE. We need to balance the acid-producing foods we eat with much more alkali-producing foods, especially if we suffer from symptoms such as tiredness, pain, illness, gas and skin problems.
The other thing to bear in mind is that the body has hundreds of different chemical reactions going on, for which it needs at least NINETY different things, including vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Therefore, people need more variety in their diet, to ensure that they get everything their body needs, for effective anti-aging.
Excellent article on the dangers of meat and soy
See "The Worlds' Best Health Books"
See Vital Nutrition Plus - "Super Food"
- RAW nuts, seeds, soaked and sprouted grains
- Almonds, especially if they have been soaked in water for 24 hours ('sprouted')
- Fruit and vegetables especially sprouts
- Green leafy vegetables
- Lentils - learn Indian cooking to make them interesting
- Beans that have been soaked for 8 hours. (That is, 'sprouted'. This makes them alkaline)
- Brown rice that has been soaked for 22 hours. This makes it alkaline
- Organic Cottage cheese and yogurt. They are alkalline. The bacteria has changed the original milk.
- GOJI JUICE - Possibly the best anti-aging substance in the world.
- Super Food
- Seeds
- Bee Pollen (not for everyone-some are allergic to pollen from some areas)
- Kambucha
- Celtic sea salt
- Spirulina
- Seaweed
- Wheatgrass juice
- Barley greens
- Aloe vera
- Antioxidants (eg vitamin C, vitamin E, pycnogenols, coenzyme Q10)
- Olive oil
- Evening primrose oil
- MSM (organic sulphur)
- Foods with omega 3 fatty acids (eg flaxseed oil) and
- Foods with omega 4 & 5 fatty acids (eg evening primrose and fish oil).
- Gentle sunlight (vitamin D)
- Gentle exercise.
- A good night's sleep every night, average at least eight hours every day. Lack of sleep is CUMULATIVE.
- And most importantly of all: Fulvic Liquid Minerals!!!!
In addition, frequent drinks of good water is crucial. We believe the best water is water that has been filtered by reverse osmosis. Next best would be spring water. Tap water is not as good because of the chlorine and the fluoride (although it is better than nothing). Distilled water is not as good for you - its energy has been altered. In Europe distilled water is labelled "not for human consumption". Mineral water is not as good because the minerals are not in a form your body likes. Water that comes from the top of mountains is no good because, according to genius Victor Schauberger, it is lacking in oxygen. Many people's health problems and anti-aging would improve if they would just drink more good water!
Nutritionists like to divide food into a number of different groups. I suggest that you think about dividing food up into two food groups. One group produces acids when it is digested. The other group produces alkalies when it is digested. Our bodies are constantly producing waste products, much the same as the exhaust coming from the back of your car. Waste products are acidic. They are called toxins. Toxins cause tiredness, pain and aging. Therefore, if you want more energy and less pain and anti-aging, you need to eat less acid-producing food.
Foods that produce acids are carbohydrates and proteins. 'Foods' such as tea, coffee, softdrinks, sugar, flavourings, artificial sweetener and preserved meats are even more acidic i.e. toxic. And pollutants (such as heavy metals) and pesticides are even worse.
To neutralise an acid you need an alkali. The main foods that produce alkalis are fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy, green vegetables, such as sprouts, parsley and cabbage. That is why people should eat LOTS of fruit and especially vegetables, for anti-aging. Raw is best. And steamed is much, much better than boiled (as it retains the vitamins and minerals). Also organic cottage cheese and yogurt.
Once you begin to understand this, it is easy to see why so many people are suffering from health problems. Have a look at what people put into their shopping carts next time you are at the supermarket. (Lots of white bread, soft drinks and preserved meats). And have a look at what people have on their plate next time you are in a restaurant. Lots of carbohydrate and protein, and very few vegetables, except maybe for some lettuce.
This is not to say that we don't need protein and complex carbohydrates. We do. The key is BALANCE. We need to balance the acid-producing foods we eat with much more alkali-producing foods, especially if we suffer from symptoms such as tiredness, pain, illness, gas and skin problems.
The other thing to bear in mind is that the body has hundreds of different chemical reactions going on, for which it needs at least NINETY different things, including vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Therefore, people need more variety in their diet, to ensure that they get everything their body needs, for effective anti-aging.
Excellent article on the dangers of meat and soy
See "The Worlds' Best Health Books"
See Vital Nutrition Plus - "Super Food"
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