My husband and I  recently had the bounty of spending some very relaxing time with friends at their amazingly beautiful cabin in the woods at Quadra Island, Canada.  While there I spent many leisurely moments reading, gazing at the beautiful view of the water outside their living room window, drinking steaming cups of dark delicious coffee, and in general, unwinding.

Nestled between Vancouver Island and the west coast of the mainland, Quadra Island is situated about 150 km. northwest of Vancouver.  It is accessible by ferry from Campbell River BC, which is midway up Vancouver Island

Since this blog is focused on healthy living, I felt obliged to include this as one of my posts, as relaxing and spending some stress free time is always a positive thing to participate in.

While reading from my favorite magazine, ODE, an unusual publication described by one of its avid fans, Charity Moschopoulos from Athens, Greece, as one which is  dedicated to reporting about stories which uplift and reveal the human heart at work or the limitless wonder of nature and humanity, I came across an inspiring post from ODE”S  blogger in New Delhi, Nazia Mallick.  She had listed 30 suggestions on how to “enhance the quality of your life.

Here are a selected few:

• Great love and great achievement involve great risk.  Take the risk anyway.
• When you realize you have hurt someone’s feelings, take immediate steps to correct it.  Ask forgiveness.
• Keep your arms open to change, but don’t let go of your personal values.
• Quiet the voice in your head that says, “I can’t do this.”
• Don’t quit, no matter what.
• Spend some time alone.
• Smile when picking up the phone.  The caller will hear it in your voice.
• When you say, “I love you,” mean it.
• When you hug someone, do it with love.
• Make eye contact.
• Live life like it is your last day on the Earth.  King-size.

I definitely would include visiting Quadra Island! How about you?  What would you add to the list?

Last week my daughter and I had the pleasure of having  a sumptuous dessert at a new yogurt shop, Orange Leaf, in Timberlyne Shopping Center in Chapel Hill.  It is all self-serve, with an amazing variety of possibilities.  Different flavors of yogurt as well as terrific toppings are displayed, one of which caught my eye….they are called “jelly pebbles” and as you pop them into your mouth, we were told that a burst of wonderful flavor would emerge.    They looked like beautiful jewels in the bowl.  At first I even thought they resembled fish eggs!   My daughter tried them…..I did not.  Her decision paid off….they were delicious!  I stuck to the traditional fresh fruit toppings, hesitant to try something new.  Perhaps next time!

I thought of this food adventure as I stumbled upon a blog called La Marguerite, A Girl’s view of Sustainability and Social Media, discussing the topic of Nanoparticles in Our Food.  She had become outraged after reading a report by Friends of the Earth, “Out of the Laboratory and onto our Plates:  Nanotechnolgy in Food & Agriculture.”  Never having heard of that term, I decided to check it out for myself.  I found it rather shocking that this technology is so untested and not very well researched, yet is used for such things as more potent food colorings, flavorings, nutritional additives, even food packaging.  The packaging surrounding your crackers can contain this  in it.    For a  list of well known companies which are actively engaged in this nanofood technology check out La Marguerite’s post.

I began to learn more about “Nanofood” by googling this strange new word.  I was amazed too at what I found.   Apparently, nano particles (less than the size of a virus – extremely tiny!) have the unique ability to cross the body’s natural barriers, entering into cells or through the liver into the bloodstream or even through the cell surrounding the brain.  This was not sounding too promising.

‘I’d like to drink a glass of water and know that the contents are going into my stomach and not into my lungs,’ says Dr Qasim Chaudhry of the British government’s Central Science Laboratory. ‘We are giving very toxic chemicals the ability to cross cell membranes, to go where they’ve never gone before. Where will they end up? It has been shown that free nano-particles inhaled can go straight to the brain. There’s lots of concerns. We have to ask – do the benefits outweigh the risks?’

The comments on La Marguerite’s post were very informative.  I learned a a great deal from just reading their understanding of the subject and some of the links they provided on the subject as well.  I loved one comment by Meryn Stol who quoted from Micheal Pollan, author of The Omniovore’s Dilemma, The Secrets Behind What You Eat….Eat food. Not too much.  Mostly Plants.

Gave me food for thought about the subject. I did check out the nutrition information about that yummy yogurt shop that we went to.  Their site did stress high nutrition standards, so I don’t think we encountered those nanoparticles there!  I will continue to make my food choices to be fresher, more local and stay away from as much processed foods as possible.    How about you?  Have you had any experiences with this new food technology?  Would love to learn as much as I can about the subject!

Are you one of the more than half of the U.S. adult population that routinely take a dietary supplement? If so, you might be interested in learning about the “dirty dozen” list of  supplement ingredients linked by clinical research  or case reports to serious adverse events, such as cancer, coma, heart problems, liver and kidney damage, or death.

The September 2010 issue  of Consumer Reports has compiled this report with the help of  the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, an independent research group.  Effectiveness of the supplements and the extent to which the ingredients are readily available were also evaluated.

Nancy Metcalf, senior program editor, Consumer Reports, states:  “The FDA has repeatedly found hazardous ingredients, including synthetic prescription drugs, in supplements.”  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned us as early as 1993 about eight of these “dirty dozen”  supplements.  Manufacturers do not have to prove the effectiveness or safety of their ingredients,  resulting in inadequate quality control, and inspection, and  supplements often contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, even hidden drugs or steroids.

The “dirty dozen” include aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, collidial silver, coltsfoot, cofrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia, and yohimbe.

A major supplier of raw supplement ingredients is China.  According to Consumer Reports,  the FDA has yet to inspect a single supplement factory there.

So how do we go about choosing supplements that are safe and effective for our family?  When I made that decision 17 years ago,  I did my research and chose a company that offered the following criteria:

• It guarantees the unconditional safety of its products.
• The company’s scientists find the finest natural ingredients from around the world, conducting over 350 tests on new botanical ingredients for heavy metals pesticides, and hundreds of other contaminants.
• Over 80,000 quality tests are conducted annually to guarantee purity, free of preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, or any other artificial ingredient  – all done to guarantee the safety and quality of the products using state-of-the-art facilities.
• This company uses patented processing methods to ensure the absorption and proper utilization of nutrients in the body, following the Good Manufacturing Practices, a set of quality control standards that are stricter than those that currently apply to the manufacture of supplements.
• More than 90 published studies and abstracts in peer-reviewed scientific journals support their products’ efficacy, with each product containing precise, effective amounts of active ingredients for optimum health benefits every time.
• They stand behind each and every product, with a 100% money-back guarantee.

When I read this article it made me very sad to learn about all of the less than desirable ingredients in a lot of the supplements presently on the market.   This is a bustling $26.7 billion market and consumers are paying a price, sometimes a very serious one, for consuming those supplements.

I will always believe that prevention is the solution but along with that comes our responsibility to educate ourselves about what we consume, whether it be food or in supplement form.

Remember a few months back I posted an “app” about what produce carried the most pesticides? Well, it seems that a Watsonville, California-based Association of large produce growers and marketers and pesticide sellers are now claiming that Americans are not consuming more fruits and veggies because the EWG published this very guide!

With nearly 100,000 readers having already downloaded this Shoppers Guide to Pesticides on Produce, obviously there is an interest in which veggies have the most pesticides.  This Guide actually has been praised as a valuable resource for those wanting healthier diets.  Avoiding the “Dirty Dozen” (those conventional fruits and veggies found to be highest in pesticides) are those recommended in the Guide to avoid. The “Clean Fifteen” list provides shoppers the choices to make when one cannot buy organic.

Ken Cook, President and Co-founder of EWG states, “It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the chemical farming coalition members are less concerned about EWG’s “dirty dozen” list, or the health and girth of the American people, than they are about losing so much market share in recent years to organic fruits and vegetables.”

Dr. Weil, renowned medical expert on natural health and wellness gives an interesting interview about this debate on the EWG site.  While you are there, donate $10 and EWG will send you that Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides to clip on your reusable shopping bag!

While we are on the subject of apps, be sure and check out all the links at this site.  Very useful stuff!

Sixteen years ago when my daughter was pregnant with our grandson,  she dropped by to ask me about her new prenatal vitamins.  I had recently been introduced to supplements which stressed natural organic ingredients and I had encouraged her to read the labels of anything she was taking.

Her concern was concerning the word “shellac” on the label. Her understanding of that definition was that of a product that is used to finish wood.  I was very familiar with shellac; I had used it many times when I refinished furniture.  Needless to say she decided not to take those prenatals and went with the ones I had discovered.

I only mention this now as I just discovered that shellac is actually from the secretions of a lac beetle found in India and Thailand, and are used to give confections such as Skittles and candy sprinkles a shiny coating.  I am not sure which sounds worse…something that is used to finish wood or the secretions of a lac beetle!

Beginning in January the Food and Drug Administration is going to require  food manufacturers to be more explicit in their labeling.  In other words, when you see  that great red, pink and purple color in your foods  such as ice cream, yogurt, fruit juices and more, it will have to be listed as carmine, the dried and crushed bodies of the female cochineal insect.  Yes I said insect.   Instead of just listed as “color added” we will begin to see the label read “carmine” or “cochineal extract.”  I would definitely recommend reading your labels!

“Consumers should know what’s going into their food “to promote safe, healthy diets,” said Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and part of the effort to require manufacturers to change their product labels.

Because these ingredients can cause severe allergic reactions some manufacturers have actually stopped using carmine due to lawsuits.  Requesting the FDA to label carmine as insects instead of carmine or cochineal (which most of us don’t recognize as bugs) is something the CSPI wants.  Of course the industry is afraid people will then think again before purchasing the product.  Is that fruit or isn’t it that gives that wonderful purple color?

I think the most disturbing fact I learned from this article is about the rennet that is in literally all of the cheese I consume.  This product is actually an enzyme taken from veal calves at the time of slaughter and added to milk to make cheese.    These enzymes are produced in a mammals stomach. Yummy. Rennet works by coagulating the milk which separates the cheese in to curds and whey.  To choose a nonanimal version it would have to be labeled microbial enzyme or vegetable rennet.  Again, reading labels can make a difference!

How about you?  Are you a label reader?

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When my sister told me she had to go the doctor this past week because of an injury to her leg, I immediately thought how wonderful it was that she had antibiotics to rely upon.  The doctor took one look at the inflammation and prescribed them.  And fortunately it worked.

Today, roughly 50 years after antiobiotics were introduced, antiobiotic resistance unfortunately is a serious problem.  Because of our fear of “germs” there is a much greater use of a variety of antibacterial agents designed to remove disease-causing organisms from external surfaces such as kitchen counters, bathroom facilities, doorknobs, even our remotes to the tv.  Sponges have been impregnated with antibacterials and our soaps, detergents and other cleaning and health care products include them as well.

Certain additives may actually contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” and therefore leave us more vulnerable to disease.  One of these agents, triclosane, originated as a pre-surgical scrubbing agent in 1972, and  now appears in over 70% of soaps and a myriad of consumer products.  The reports of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections rise with the rise of this infatuation with antimicrobial products.

According to Donald M. Poretz, a professor of internal medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, D.D., as well as the president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, based in Arlington, VA, “It is a huge problem.  We are finding microbes that are resistant to every antibiotic we have access to.”

Going back to my sister’s prescription, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one-third of the 150 million antibiotic prescriptions written annually by doctors are unnecessary.  Of course we all are aware of the heavy dosages of antibiotics fed to livestock to keep them healthy.   I do believe my sister’s diagnosis was correct; her leg is now healing and I am happy she found relief.  But I am concerned about that one-third unnecessary prescriptions issued.

An interesting CNN episode also addressed the problems of these chemicals: http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2010/04/12/am.intv.janssen.antibacterials.cnn

Dr. Sarah Janssen’s concern, as stated in the above video, is that these chemicals are actually interfering with hormones in the human system, in particular thyroid hormones and sex hormones.  Triclosan also interferes with testosterone.  Long term effects include behavioral changes, learning abnormalities, and longterm effects on reproductive health, including fertitlity.  Hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer and prostate cancer is boosted by tricloban because it boosts sex hormones.

We are spending one billion dollars a year on products ranging from children’s toys to chopsticks that are treated with germ-fighting compounds.  Business is booming for the market of antibacterial products.  According to Mintel, a market research firm, the U.S. has led the way to introducing more of these products and we are buying them.  75% of American adults “prefer antibacterial and germ-killing cleaning products.”   Surveys of the U.S. population from ages 6 to over 65 have found residues of triclosan in over three-quarters of people.

It is time to avoid any antibacterial or antimicrobial which contain triclosan or triciocarbon which are found in soaps, gels, cleansers, tooth paste, cosmetics, personal care products, etc.  Read labels before purchasing such items.  Remove the “bad” bacteria with good hand-washing practice using a non-bactericidal soap and water.  The American Medical Association recommends not using antibacterial soap at home.

I was introduced many years ago to a soap-free alternative, biodegradable and pH balanced, that our family uses for the face and body.  We have chosen to use cleaning products that break down easily instead of hanging out in the ground for hundreds of years, and contain no phosphates, borates, nitrates, or other stuff the planet doesn’t appreciate.  Ask me about these products.  It helps make your family safer and healthier as well as the planet.

I didn’t realize how distracting nature can be when writing a post for my blog until a large ant crawled across my keyboard!  At the present time I am sitting on a deck overlooking Lake Lure, a very beautiful setting I must admit.   It is a beautiful morning here.  I feel very grateful for the opportunity to experience it.

I thought I would keep this post as casual as my week is and focus on the great food we have been preparing (there are presently 12 of us, with 3 more coming today).

I decided to start everyone out one morning with lots of fiber so the night before put some organic steel cut oats into our slow cooker with some crunchy organic apples and cinnamon.  The next morning it was steaming hot and so good.  I did add  to that meal some cranberry scones with lemon curd and raspberry topping!   Another breakfast included omega-3 eggs scrambled with roasted veggies and nitrate-free turkey sausages.  Another hit!

One of our dinners included delicious homemade pizzas.  Pizza dough prepared in the breadmaker, formed into individual small pizzas, cooked on the grill, then toppings including  banana peppers, marinated artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, mozarella cheese, fresh basil, black olives, grilled nitrate-free turkey kielbasa, fresh tomatoes, grilled red, yellow and orange peppers and purple onions.   Once the toppings were on – back on the grill for the ultimate “melt”….. Oh my goodness…these were so delicious!

Instead of the usual hamburgers and hot dog fare, we have been incorporating roasted veggies, nitrate-free, hormone-free meat, fresh salads which have included a variety of black beans, red onion, fresh organic tomatoes, crunchy carrots, scallions, a great variety of peppers…..the more colorful the better.

It has not only been a “feast” of nature to our eyes, but one to our tummies as well!

Bon Appetit!

Every day our families  have to deal with those pesky dirty dishes, some more, some  less,depending upon the size of the household.  But how often do we think about the soap we are using to clean those dishes with?

Did you know that one 42 gallon of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline and the rest (which includes over 6,000 items) is used to make things like detergents, soap, lipstick, nail polish, hand lotion, dentures, denture adhesives, cold cream, etc. etc.?

Those “dishpan hands” literally come from the synthetic surfactants such as ethanol, a widely used ingredient, which dries out delicate skin.  We don’t even want to think about all of those synthetic colors, dyes and contaminants  being absorbed into our skin, and even leaving their residue on our now “clean” dishes.  We are definitely hurting the fish as these chemicals wash down the drain and into the water table.  Have you ever noticed the smell of chlorine bleach as the dishwasher does it job?  Those fumes are escaping and we should not be in that space, breathing them.    And don’t forget how long those synthetic detergents take to break down.

Back to all those 6,000 products that are petroleum-based. What if we decided to make a difference for our children, their children, and all of those future generations by making an effort to buy only those products that are petroleum-free.

I was introduced 17 years ago to a line of non-toxic, biodegradable, green household products and have never looked back.  They are safe and they actually work.  Purchasing natural personal care products is another choice I have made

As we all watch in horror at what is happening to the waters of the Gulf, let’s think about what we can do to make a difference for our planet.  Let’s stop buying those cheap, synthetic products and purchase only those that are manufactured without petrochemicals!

It seems like everyday I hear about another person struck down with cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, if you are male in this country, you have a 47% chance of getting cancer. If you are female, you fare a little better, but you still have a whopping 38% lifetime chance of getting cancer. Despite the greatly funded War on Cancer, it seems we have made little progress.

I just came across the film trailer about this very subject, based on the book, Living Downstream, by cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. Her mission with this amazing documentary film is to break the silence about cancer and its environmental links. The connection she makes between the health of our bodies and the health of our air, land and water is very powerful.

We often think that genetics play a role in this disease. According to the authors of a major review on diet and cancer, prepared for the U.S. Congress in 1981, genetics only determines about 2-3% of the total cancer risk.  Quite a few of Sandra’s family had cancer which indicated it was “in her genes.” However, Sandra was adopted. That began her own search into what else families had in common besides their DNA, which, of course, led to the environment around us.,

A story which breaks tonight on CNN, Toxic America , June 2 and June 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET, investigates the environment’s effects on our well-being as part of Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s special.   It discusses the same issues that Sandra found, that pervasive chemicals are on the move, invading our land and our bodies.  I was fortunate enough to be introduced many years ago to safe, non-toxic household cleaners so have at least been able to eliminate the toxins from the inside of our home; however, both the CNN special and Sandra’s moving story is about industrial pollution, an issue we should all be concerned about.

In the book, The China Study, T. Colin Campbell, PhD, after a long career in research and policy making, believes it is not just the synthetic chemicals in our environment and in our food,  nor the genes we inherit from our parents that leads to diseases such as cancer, but that a good diet based on plant-based foods are the healthiest and tend to avoid chronic disease.  His “China Study”  produced more than 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.

My own four steps to address this “war on cancer” include the following:

1.  Continue to use my non-toxic, environmentally safe household products.

2.  Educate myself by watching the CNN special on June 2, 3 (Join the live blog conversation starting at 8 PM ET on June 3rd:  http://www.enviroblog.org.) as well as seeing the documentary, Living Downstream.

3.  Seriously consider eating more of a plant-based diet and buy as much local food as possible.

4.  Continue taking whole food supplements to feed my cells.

What are your steps in fighting the “war on cancer?”

“One is not born into the world to do everything,
but to do something.” Henry David Thoreau

The other day while visiting a family member she told me that the doctor had told her that one of her tests he had taken showed  that her vitamin D levels were extremely low.  I had just recently been reading about how important a role this nutrient plays in our health so was very concerned.

This deficiency can lead to not only bone loss, but other serious health conditions such as heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, depression, and some autoimmune disorders.  Even MS has been linked to a lack of Vitamin D.

It takes about  15 minutes of exposure to sunlight on your hands and face  for your body to make enough vitamin D under normal circumstances.   Pulling ourselves away from the computer, workplace, tv, etc. to get that brief exposure can make a tremendous difference.  Sunscreens that we apply daily to protect ourselves from the sun’s rays can also prevent enough exposure as well as protective clothing.    If we reside up north or way down south we may need to spend a little more time outside.

Foods which contain vitamin D include salmon, sardines, shrimp, milk, cod, and eggs. Among salmon, wild-caught fish have been shown to average significantly more vitamin D than non-organically farmed fish.   Supplements can also be taken.  It is the overwhelming consensus of researchers that D3 is our best bet when supplementing with vitamin D.   (For more information about how to obtain such a supplement,  contact me here).

For an excellent discussion about what this valuable nutrient can do for you, check out this site.  I was amazed to learn how linked this vitamin is to so many of the health issues we are dealing with today.  Have you had your vitamin D levels checked recently?