I realized I have not posted a recipe in ages! Lately I've been getting into eating RAW vegan foods, I feel so much lighter and healthier as a result. A great site is www.goneraw.com for recipes. This came from that site, it is absolutely delicious!
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
5 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup raisins, soaked until soft
DRESSING
1 cup cashews
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup water
Preparation
Blend the dressing ingredients until smooth. Then pour over the broccoli, onion, sunflower seeds and raisins. Mix well.
October 31, 2007
October 26, 2007
October 23, 2007
Fasting with the Master Cleanser
I am almost finished with another 10 day fast using the Master Cleanser method and I feel great! It's not an easy challenge but well worth it for detox, health and vitality. Here are some resources for more information:
You MUST read this before considering fasting. It's the Master Cleanser fasting 'bible' so to speak:
http://healthandlight.com/TheMasterCleanse.pdf
Further info here, with a great bulletin board for Q & A and support:
http://therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm
You MUST read this before considering fasting. It's the Master Cleanser fasting 'bible' so to speak:
http://healthandlight.com/TheMasterCleanse.pdf
Further info here, with a great bulletin board for Q & A and support:
http://therawfoodsite.com/mastercleanse.htm
Suggested Viewing
About Outfoxed
"Outfoxed" examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know.
The film explores Murdoch's burgeoning kingdom and the impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person.
Media experts, including Jeff Cohen (FAIR) Bob McChesney (Free Press), Chellie Pingree (Common Cause), Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) and David Brock (Media Matters) provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society.
This documentary also reveals the secrets of Former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a "right-wing" point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said "There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed."
Director/Producer Robert Greenwald has produced and/or directed 53 television movies, miniseries and features. He is the director of Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Uncovered: The Iraq War and the Executive Producer of the UN series - Unprecedented, Uncovered and Unconstitutional. His new media company, Brave New Films, recently distributed The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress and produced two new TV series - the “ACLU Freedom Files” and “The Sierra Club Chronicles” – which can be seen on Link TV and via the internet.
Running Time: 77 minutes
October 22, 2007
Healing with Cayenne
Medicinal Use and Health Benefit of Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum)
"If you master only one herb in your life, master cayenne pepper. It is more powerful than any other." Dr. Schulze
"In 35 years of practice, and working with the people and teaching, I have never on house calls lost one heart attack patient and the reason is, whenever I go in--if they are still breathing--I pour down them a cup of cayenne tea (a teaspoon of cayenne in a cup of hot water, and within minutes they are up and around)." Dr. Christopher
"Cayenne pepper - prized for thousands of years for its healing power. Folklore from around the world recounts amazing results using cayenne pepper in simple healing and in baffling health problems. But cayenne pepper is not just a healer from ancient history. Recent clinical studies have been conducted on many of the old-time health applications for this miracle herb. Again and again, the therapeutic value of cayenne pepper has been medically validated."Dr. Patrick Quillin
The Healing Power of Cayenne Pepper
In a recent letter to the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine, three Italian doctors describe how they were able to reduce patients' reported dyspepsia symptoms by more than half - by prescribing red pepper powder. In a study of 30 patients with functional dyspepsia, half of the participants received a placebo, while the other half took 2.5 grams of red pepper powder each day (divided into capsules taken before each of three meals). Both groups took their respective treatments for five weeks, and rated their symptoms each day on a scale of zero to three (higher scores indicated more severe symptoms). By the third week, the red pepper group showed a significant advantage over the control group. And by week five, the pepper group's symptoms had declined 60 percent from their baseline scores - while the control group's scores had only decreased about half as much. The symptom scores included ratings for pain, a feeling of fullness, nausea, and an overall score. The red pepper powder produced significant gains in all four areas.
Many herbalists believe that Cayenne is the most useful and valuable herb in the herb kingdom, not only for the entire digestive system, but also for the heart and circulatory system. It acts as a catalyst and increases the effectiveness of other herbs when used with them.
Cayenne is a medicinal and nutritional herb. It is a very high source of Vitamins A and C, has the complete B complexes, and is very rich in organic calcium and potassium, which is one of the reasons it is good for the heart.
Digestion
Cayenne can rebuild the tissue in the stomach and the peristaltic action in the intestines. It aids elimination and assimilation, and helps the body to create hydrochloric acid, which is so necessary for good digestion and assimilation, especially of proteins. All this becomes very significant when we realize that the digestive system plays the most important role in mental, emotional and physical health, as it is through the digestive system that the brain, glands, muscles and every other part of the body are fed.
Heart
Cayenne has been known to stop heart attacks within 30 seconds. For example, when a 90-year-old man in Oregon had a severe heart attack, his daughter was able to get Cayenne extract into his mouth. He was pronounced dead by the medics, but within a few minutes, he regained consciousness. On the way to the hospital, he remained in a semi-conscious state, but the daughter kept giving him the Cayenne extract. By the time they got to the hospital, he had fully recovered and wanted to go home and mow the lawn. The doctor asked what she had given him, as he said it was the closest thing to a miracle he had ever seen.
If a heart attack should occur, it is suggested that a teaspoon of extract be given every 15 minutes or a teaspoon of Cayenne in a glass of hot water be taken until the crisis has passed. Dr. Anderson also knew of a doctor who rushed out into the parking lot and put cayenne tincture into the mouth of a man who had died of a heart attack while he was parking his car. Within a few minutes, the man’s heart starting beating again.
According to Dr. Richard Anderson, using cayenne and hawthorn berries together has a most incredible effect upon the heart. He believes that a regimen of cayenne and hawthorn berries for several months will greatly strengthen the heart, and possibly prevent heart attacks. He states further that if an attack were to occur in someone who had followed this regimen, chances are very good that no damage would occur. He tells the following story about his mother:
“I had her taking hawthorn berries and cayenne when she had a heart attack at the age of 79. Her diet had not been the best, and she was in an extremely stressful situation. While in the hospital, they found three blocked arteries and wanted to operate immediately. They did not think that she could survive for more than a few weeks if they didn’t operate. (How many have heard that story!) The doctors thought it would be very risky to operate, but they had her there, and there was a lot of money to be made. So they decided to take some tests in the hopes that they could find an excuse to operate. In spite of the fact that she had been taking lots of aspirin for her arthritis, smoked like she was the reincarnation of a boiler factory, and had just had a heart attack, they found that her heart was incredibly strong. In fact, they felt that her heart was stronger than most people in their 30’s! The good news was that not only did she survive the operation, but also she stopped smoking! Well worth the operation, don’t you think? In my opinion, that was the best thing the doctors ever did for her. Well, that is what hawthorn and cayenne can do for the heart, and every good herbalist knows it; every good doctor should also know it, but very few do.”
Emergencies
It is a good idea to always have some Cayenne extract on hand for emergencies. Dr. Anderson carries capsules of cayenne with him in the car and whenever he goes hiking, backpacking or mountain climbing. He says, “You never know when you may find someone having a heart attack or some other emergency.”
The following stories demonstrate only a few of the remarkable emergency uses of cayenne.
If a hemorrhage occurs in the lungs, stomach, uterus or nose, it is suggested that a teaspoon of extract (or a teaspoon of cayenne powder in a cup of hot water) be given every 15 minutes until the crisis has passed. The bleeding should stop in 10-30 seconds. The reason for this is that rather than the blood pressure being centralized, it is equalized by the Cayenne, and the clotting action of the blood becomes more rapid. For external bleeding, take cayenne internally and pour cayenne directly on the wound.
Dyspepsia
In a double-blind study, 30 individuals with dyspepsia were given either 2.5 grams daily of red pepper powder (divided up and taken prior to meals) or placebo for 5 weeks. By the third week of treatment, individuals taking red pepper were experiencing significant improvements in pain, bloating, and nausea as compared to placebo, and these relative improvement lasted through the end of the study.
A placebo-controlled crossover study failed to find benefit, but it only enrolled 11 participants, far too few to have much chance of identifying a treatment effect.
All double-blind studies of topical capsaicin (or cayenne) suffer from one drawback: it isn't really possible to hide the burning sensation that occurs during initial use of the treatment. For this reason, such studies probably aren't truly double-blind. It has been suggested that instead of an inactive placebo, researchers should use some other substance (such as camphor) that causes at least mild burning. However, such treatments might also have therapeutic benefits; they have a long history of use for pain as well.
Because of these complications, the evidence for topical treatments cited below is less meaningful than it might at first appear.
Pain
Capsaicin cream is well established as a modestly helpful pain-relieving treatment for post-herpetic neuropathy (the pain that lingers after an attack of shingles) peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain that occurs most commonly as a side effect of diabetes, but may occur with HIV as well as other conditions), nerve pain after cancer surgery and arthritis.
Capsaicin instilled into the nose may be helpful for cluster headache. (The fact that this has even been considered a viable treatment option shows how painful cluster headaches can be!)
Actual cayenne rather than capsaicin has been tested for pain as well. A 3-week, double-blind trial of 154 individuals with back pain found that cayenne applied topically as a plaster improved pain to a greater extent than placebo.
Skin Conditions
A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of almost 200 individuals found that use of topical capsaicin can improve itching as well as overall severity of psoriasis. Benefits were also seen in a smaller double-blind study of topical capsaicin for psoriasis.
Topical capsaicin is thought to be helpful for various itchy skin conditions, such as prurigo nodularis, but double-blind studies are lacking.
Genetically engineered corn could affect aquatic ecosystems
Genetically engineered corn could affect aquatic ecosystems
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A study by an Indiana University environmental science professor and several colleagues suggests a widely planted variety of genetically engineered corn has the potential to harm aquatic ecosystems. The study is being published this week by the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
Researchers, including Todd V. Royer, an assistant professor in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, established that pollen and other plant parts containing toxins from genetically engineered Bt corn are washing into streams near cornfields.
They also conducted laboratory trials that found consumption of Bt corn byproducts produced increased mortality and reduced growth in caddisflies, aquatic insects that are related to the pests targeted by the toxin in Bt corn.
Caddisflies, Royer said, "are a food resource for higher organisms like fish and amphibians. And, if our goal is to have healthy, functioning ecosystems, we need to protect all the parts. Water resources are something we depend on greatly."
Other principal investigators for the study, titled "Toxins in transgenic crop byproducts may affect headwater stream ecosystems," were Emma Rosi-Marshall of Loyola University Chicago, Jennifer Tank of the University of Notre Dame and Matt Whiles of Southern Illinois University. It was funded by the National Science Foundation.
Bt corn is engineered to include a gene from the micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces a toxin that protects the crop from pests, in particular the European corn borer. It was licensed for use in 1996 and quickly gained popularity. In 2006, around 35 percent of corn acreage planted in the U.S. was genetically modified, the study says, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Before licensing Bt corn, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted trials to test its impact on water biota. But it used Daphnia, a crustacean commonly used for toxicity tests, and not insects that are more closely related to the target pests, Royer said.
Royer emphasized that, if there are unintended consequences of planting genetically engineered crops, farmers shouldn't be held responsible. In a competitive agricultural economy, producers have to use the best technologies they can get.
"Every new technology comes with some benefits and some risks," he said. "I think probably the risks associated with widespread planting of Bt corn were not fully assessed."
There was a public flap over the growing use of Bt corn in 1999, when a report indicated it might harm monarch butterflies. But studies coordinated by the government's Agriculture Research Service and published in PNAS concluded there was not a significant threat to monarchs. Around that time, Royer said, he and his colleagues wondered whether the toxin from Bt corn was getting into streams near cornfields; and, if so, whether it could have an impact on aquatic insects.
Their research, conducted in 2005 and 2006 in an intensely farmed region of northern Indiana, measured inputs of Bt corn pollen and corn byproducts (e.g., leaves and cobs) in 12 headwater streams, using litter traps to collect the materials. They also found corn pollen in the guts of certain caddisflies, showing they were feeding on corn pollen.
In laboratory trials, the researchers found caddisflies that were fed leaves from Bt corn had growth rates that were less than half those of caddisflies fed non-Bt corn litter. They also found that a different type of caddisfly had significantly increased mortality rates when exposed to Bt corn pollen at concentrations between two and three times the maximum found in the test sites.
Royer said there was considerable variation in the amount of corn pollen and byproducts found at study locations. And there is likely also to be significant geographical variation; farmers in Iowa and Illinois, for example, are planting more Bt corn than those in Indiana. The level of Bt corn pollen associated with increased mortality in caddisflies, he said, "could potentially represent conditions in streams of the western Corn Belt."
Once published, the paper will be available at www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0707177104v1. Reporters can obtain a copy of this article prior to its publication by contacting the PNAS News Office at 202-334-1310 or PNASnews@nas.edu. Reporters registered with PNAS's EurekaAlert can obtain the article through that service.
To speak with with Todd Royer, contact Jana Wilson, IU SPEA, at 812-856-5490 or wilsonjs@indiana.edu; or Steve Hinnefeld, University Communications, at 812-856-3488 or slhinnef@indiana.edu.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A study by an Indiana University environmental science professor and several colleagues suggests a widely planted variety of genetically engineered corn has the potential to harm aquatic ecosystems. The study is being published this week by the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.
Researchers, including Todd V. Royer, an assistant professor in the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, established that pollen and other plant parts containing toxins from genetically engineered Bt corn are washing into streams near cornfields.
They also conducted laboratory trials that found consumption of Bt corn byproducts produced increased mortality and reduced growth in caddisflies, aquatic insects that are related to the pests targeted by the toxin in Bt corn.
Caddisflies, Royer said, "are a food resource for higher organisms like fish and amphibians. And, if our goal is to have healthy, functioning ecosystems, we need to protect all the parts. Water resources are something we depend on greatly."
Other principal investigators for the study, titled "Toxins in transgenic crop byproducts may affect headwater stream ecosystems," were Emma Rosi-Marshall of Loyola University Chicago, Jennifer Tank of the University of Notre Dame and Matt Whiles of Southern Illinois University. It was funded by the National Science Foundation.
Bt corn is engineered to include a gene from the micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces a toxin that protects the crop from pests, in particular the European corn borer. It was licensed for use in 1996 and quickly gained popularity. In 2006, around 35 percent of corn acreage planted in the U.S. was genetically modified, the study says, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Before licensing Bt corn, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted trials to test its impact on water biota. But it used Daphnia, a crustacean commonly used for toxicity tests, and not insects that are more closely related to the target pests, Royer said.
Royer emphasized that, if there are unintended consequences of planting genetically engineered crops, farmers shouldn't be held responsible. In a competitive agricultural economy, producers have to use the best technologies they can get.
"Every new technology comes with some benefits and some risks," he said. "I think probably the risks associated with widespread planting of Bt corn were not fully assessed."
There was a public flap over the growing use of Bt corn in 1999, when a report indicated it might harm monarch butterflies. But studies coordinated by the government's Agriculture Research Service and published in PNAS concluded there was not a significant threat to monarchs. Around that time, Royer said, he and his colleagues wondered whether the toxin from Bt corn was getting into streams near cornfields; and, if so, whether it could have an impact on aquatic insects.
Their research, conducted in 2005 and 2006 in an intensely farmed region of northern Indiana, measured inputs of Bt corn pollen and corn byproducts (e.g., leaves and cobs) in 12 headwater streams, using litter traps to collect the materials. They also found corn pollen in the guts of certain caddisflies, showing they were feeding on corn pollen.
In laboratory trials, the researchers found caddisflies that were fed leaves from Bt corn had growth rates that were less than half those of caddisflies fed non-Bt corn litter. They also found that a different type of caddisfly had significantly increased mortality rates when exposed to Bt corn pollen at concentrations between two and three times the maximum found in the test sites.
Royer said there was considerable variation in the amount of corn pollen and byproducts found at study locations. And there is likely also to be significant geographical variation; farmers in Iowa and Illinois, for example, are planting more Bt corn than those in Indiana. The level of Bt corn pollen associated with increased mortality in caddisflies, he said, "could potentially represent conditions in streams of the western Corn Belt."
Once published, the paper will be available at www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0707177104v1. Reporters can obtain a copy of this article prior to its publication by contacting the PNAS News Office at 202-334-1310 or PNASnews@nas.edu. Reporters registered with PNAS's EurekaAlert can obtain the article through that service.
To speak with with Todd Royer, contact Jana Wilson, IU SPEA, at 812-856-5490 or wilsonjs@indiana.edu; or Steve Hinnefeld, University Communications, at 812-856-3488 or slhinnef@indiana.edu.
October 18, 2007
The GMO Food Guide
The next time you’re at the supermarket, you can use The True Food Shopping Guide to decipher which foods contain genetically engineered ingredients and which do not.
The True Food Network, the grassroots network of the Center for Food Safety, compiled this essential list.
You can browse through the online guide according to food category; there are 20 in all, including:
Condiments
Dressings and salad oils
Tomatoes and tomato sauce
Baby food
Chocolate
The True Food Network was established in 2000 to stop genetic engineering of food and farm crops, and to create a socially just, democratic, and sustainable food system. They have 40,000 members.
TRUE FOODS NOW CLICK HERE
The True Food Network, the grassroots network of the Center for Food Safety, compiled this essential list.
You can browse through the online guide according to food category; there are 20 in all, including:
Condiments
Dressings and salad oils
Tomatoes and tomato sauce
Baby food
Chocolate
The True Food Network was established in 2000 to stop genetic engineering of food and farm crops, and to create a socially just, democratic, and sustainable food system. They have 40,000 members.
TRUE FOODS NOW CLICK HERE
October 17, 2007
A Field Guide to Buying Organic
From "A Field Guide to Buying Organic" by Luddene Perry & Dan Schultz
Posted by: DailyOM
Organics 101
It’s easy to overlook the miracle of the modern American supermarket and the complex industry that feeds us. Every week we stroll through brightly lit aisles, surrounded by the least expensive and most abundant food supply in the world, dropping items into a cart without much thought about where it all comes from.1 Shopping for sustenance is natural to us, and we rarely stop to
consider the vast industrial network that allows us this luxury.
Americans’ lack of connection to food production is understandable. In 1900 farmers made up 38 percent of the country’s workforce.2 Today that figure is less than 2 percent, and the closest most of us get to a farm is driving past fields at seventy miles per hour.3 The fact that only a small number of people produce enough food to supply each man, woman, and child in the United States with more than 3,500 calories per day is testament to the incredible efficiency of industrial agriculture. Americans never have to worry about finding store shelves empty. We simply buy what we want and eat it.
Because our system of food distribution separates us from the soil, we experience food as colorful packages bagged in paper or plastic. It’s hard to imagine the people, places, and processes that make it all possible. In some cases–our meat supply, for example–we exercise a willful ignorance and would just as soon avoid the grisly, gristly details. We prefer to think about happy cows on milk cartons, playful cereal box tigers, and friendly green giants on cans.
Even when we do allow ourselves a thought about the variety and quantity of food available to us, our curiosity collapses under the weight of production statistics that we cannot readily comprehend–a direct result of the progress made in the last century. Just one hundred years ago–when almost half the population was either growing crops, gathering eggs, or milking cows–the average life-span in the United States was shorter by twenty-seven years,4 and a much greater percentage of people died or became ill from food-related problems.
But this progress has exacted considerable costs. The industrialization of agriculture (and of culture in general), while improving our lives in many ways, also separates us from the source of our sustenance–the soil. This disconnect poses problems for our health, our environment, and our society.
The Organic Response
How does organic food fit into all this? Simply put, the industrialization of agriculture prompted a response: organic farming. But most American consumers have only recently become aware of organic products, as natural food chains, supermarkets, and even Wal-Mart have introduced this segment of the food industry to a wider audience.
Shopping for groceries today means confronting new choices among goods that appear to be identical except for their prices and the addition of “organic” labels. Based on our notions of organic, we make assumptions about these products, but what do we really know? We may understand that an organic product is grown without synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Beyond that, we are left with several basic questions:
•What exactly does it mean when food is labeled “organic”?
•How do we know the products we buy are organic?
•Where does all this organic food come from?
Here’s the short course. In 1990 Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). Twelve years later, beginning on October 21, 2002, organic food became eligible for official USDA recognition. The “organic” labels and products you find in stores today are the result of this law, and the law itself is the result of a long, flavorful history of ideological struggle and political wrangling.5 When you buy an organic product, you are paying for an assurance that the product is different–perhaps better–than its conventional counterpart.
The following brief guided tour through the labels will help you understand exactly what this law means to you in the grocery store.
Behind the Seal
The first thing to remember is that any product now sold in the United States that claims to be “organic” must meet the criteria of the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), set forth in the OFPA. Although the USDA seal is not required, any organic product must include the name and address of a certifying agency accredited by the USDA.6 In other words, if it says “organic,” it has to meet the government standards, and it will most likely display this seal:
The second thing that the well-informed organic shopper should know is that all organic foods are not created equal. Depending on the percentage of organic ingredients a product contains, it falls into one of four categories–only two of which are eligible for official recognition on the Principal Display Panel (PDP), meaning the front of the jar, can, bag, or box.
We’ll use salsa as an example and start with the top of the line. The PDP will look like this:
The “organic label” with a percentage included may seem self-explanatory, but remember: whether it’s 100 percent organic or just organic, the seal itself will look the same. The difference between the product labeled “organic” and one that includes a percentage is a matter of a few percentage points of ingredients.
With the “100% organic” label, every ingredient in the box, can, or jar must be grown organically, except for the salt and water (which are not certifiable). As with all food products sold in the United States, the water must conform to the federal safe drinking water standards. Unlike conventional products, the salt in organic products cannot contain a flowing agent.* In addition, none of the
* The additive that keeps salt from getting lumpy and, incidentally, the inspiration for Morton Salt’s girl with the umbrella–“When it rains, it pours.”ingredients can be irradiated, contain genetically engineered organisms (GEOs), or be grown with sewage sludge fertilizer–the so-called big three.
A product labeled “organic” means that at least 95 percent of its ingredients (either by weight or by volume) must be organic. To meet this criterion is to be as close to perfect as is vegetably possible. For example, during the process of making salsa, let’s say the supply of organic vinegar becomes dangerously low and therefore unavailable. A letter is placed on file from the vinegar source stating that it cannot supply the salsa maker with organic vinegar, and conventional vinegar enters the salsa.7 If the conventional ingredient is not affected by the big three, makes up less than 5 percent of the total ingredients, and is clearly listed in the ingredient panel, the product may be certified “organic.”
The third category of organically labeled foods will be less visible because these products are not allowed to use the word organic as a description of the product. Even though it isn’t eligible for a USDA seal or a certifier’s logo, the product may include the words “made with organic ingredients” and list up to three organic ingredients on the PDP. The “made with . . .” rating requires that at least 70 percent of the ingredients be grown, shipped, and packaged according to organic standards, and the big three rules still apply, even in the remaining 30 percent of nonorganic ingredients.
The last type of organic product bears no seal or certifier’s logo and contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients. Organic ingredients can be listed on the back panel, but all references to the organic content of the product are prohibited on the PDP in order to “assure that these statements are not displayed in such a manner as to misrepresent the actual organic composition of the product.”8 In this last category, the big three are allowed in the nonorganic ingredients. Because it makes little sense for a manufacturer to pay for organic ingredients without being able to advertise them, chances are you won’t see many of these products unless organic labeling standards change to meet industry demands.
Posted by: DailyOM
Organics 101
It’s easy to overlook the miracle of the modern American supermarket and the complex industry that feeds us. Every week we stroll through brightly lit aisles, surrounded by the least expensive and most abundant food supply in the world, dropping items into a cart without much thought about where it all comes from.1 Shopping for sustenance is natural to us, and we rarely stop to
consider the vast industrial network that allows us this luxury.
Americans’ lack of connection to food production is understandable. In 1900 farmers made up 38 percent of the country’s workforce.2 Today that figure is less than 2 percent, and the closest most of us get to a farm is driving past fields at seventy miles per hour.3 The fact that only a small number of people produce enough food to supply each man, woman, and child in the United States with more than 3,500 calories per day is testament to the incredible efficiency of industrial agriculture. Americans never have to worry about finding store shelves empty. We simply buy what we want and eat it.
Because our system of food distribution separates us from the soil, we experience food as colorful packages bagged in paper or plastic. It’s hard to imagine the people, places, and processes that make it all possible. In some cases–our meat supply, for example–we exercise a willful ignorance and would just as soon avoid the grisly, gristly details. We prefer to think about happy cows on milk cartons, playful cereal box tigers, and friendly green giants on cans.
Even when we do allow ourselves a thought about the variety and quantity of food available to us, our curiosity collapses under the weight of production statistics that we cannot readily comprehend–a direct result of the progress made in the last century. Just one hundred years ago–when almost half the population was either growing crops, gathering eggs, or milking cows–the average life-span in the United States was shorter by twenty-seven years,4 and a much greater percentage of people died or became ill from food-related problems.
But this progress has exacted considerable costs. The industrialization of agriculture (and of culture in general), while improving our lives in many ways, also separates us from the source of our sustenance–the soil. This disconnect poses problems for our health, our environment, and our society.
The Organic Response
How does organic food fit into all this? Simply put, the industrialization of agriculture prompted a response: organic farming. But most American consumers have only recently become aware of organic products, as natural food chains, supermarkets, and even Wal-Mart have introduced this segment of the food industry to a wider audience.
Shopping for groceries today means confronting new choices among goods that appear to be identical except for their prices and the addition of “organic” labels. Based on our notions of organic, we make assumptions about these products, but what do we really know? We may understand that an organic product is grown without synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Beyond that, we are left with several basic questions:
•What exactly does it mean when food is labeled “organic”?
•How do we know the products we buy are organic?
•Where does all this organic food come from?
Here’s the short course. In 1990 Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). Twelve years later, beginning on October 21, 2002, organic food became eligible for official USDA recognition. The “organic” labels and products you find in stores today are the result of this law, and the law itself is the result of a long, flavorful history of ideological struggle and political wrangling.5 When you buy an organic product, you are paying for an assurance that the product is different–perhaps better–than its conventional counterpart.
The following brief guided tour through the labels will help you understand exactly what this law means to you in the grocery store.
Behind the Seal
The first thing to remember is that any product now sold in the United States that claims to be “organic” must meet the criteria of the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), set forth in the OFPA. Although the USDA seal is not required, any organic product must include the name and address of a certifying agency accredited by the USDA.6 In other words, if it says “organic,” it has to meet the government standards, and it will most likely display this seal:
The second thing that the well-informed organic shopper should know is that all organic foods are not created equal. Depending on the percentage of organic ingredients a product contains, it falls into one of four categories–only two of which are eligible for official recognition on the Principal Display Panel (PDP), meaning the front of the jar, can, bag, or box.
We’ll use salsa as an example and start with the top of the line. The PDP will look like this:
The “organic label” with a percentage included may seem self-explanatory, but remember: whether it’s 100 percent organic or just organic, the seal itself will look the same. The difference between the product labeled “organic” and one that includes a percentage is a matter of a few percentage points of ingredients.
With the “100% organic” label, every ingredient in the box, can, or jar must be grown organically, except for the salt and water (which are not certifiable). As with all food products sold in the United States, the water must conform to the federal safe drinking water standards. Unlike conventional products, the salt in organic products cannot contain a flowing agent.* In addition, none of the
* The additive that keeps salt from getting lumpy and, incidentally, the inspiration for Morton Salt’s girl with the umbrella–“When it rains, it pours.”ingredients can be irradiated, contain genetically engineered organisms (GEOs), or be grown with sewage sludge fertilizer–the so-called big three.
A product labeled “organic” means that at least 95 percent of its ingredients (either by weight or by volume) must be organic. To meet this criterion is to be as close to perfect as is vegetably possible. For example, during the process of making salsa, let’s say the supply of organic vinegar becomes dangerously low and therefore unavailable. A letter is placed on file from the vinegar source stating that it cannot supply the salsa maker with organic vinegar, and conventional vinegar enters the salsa.7 If the conventional ingredient is not affected by the big three, makes up less than 5 percent of the total ingredients, and is clearly listed in the ingredient panel, the product may be certified “organic.”
The third category of organically labeled foods will be less visible because these products are not allowed to use the word organic as a description of the product. Even though it isn’t eligible for a USDA seal or a certifier’s logo, the product may include the words “made with organic ingredients” and list up to three organic ingredients on the PDP. The “made with . . .” rating requires that at least 70 percent of the ingredients be grown, shipped, and packaged according to organic standards, and the big three rules still apply, even in the remaining 30 percent of nonorganic ingredients.
The last type of organic product bears no seal or certifier’s logo and contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients. Organic ingredients can be listed on the back panel, but all references to the organic content of the product are prohibited on the PDP in order to “assure that these statements are not displayed in such a manner as to misrepresent the actual organic composition of the product.”8 In this last category, the big three are allowed in the nonorganic ingredients. Because it makes little sense for a manufacturer to pay for organic ingredients without being able to advertise them, chances are you won’t see many of these products unless organic labeling standards change to meet industry demands.
October 12, 2007
Promoting The Positive
Negative Pull
Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull.
Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there’s no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change.
A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.
Sometimes we start out with the best intentions to think and speak only positive thoughts, but the people around us throw us off course. Not everyone fully understands the power our thoughts and words have, or even if they do, they may be stuck in old patterns of negativity. Much of our habitual communication takes the form of complaining and criticizing, and it can be hard to find a way into certain conversations without lapsing into those old habits. However, we always have the option not to participate in negativity or to find a way to influence the situation in a positive direction. In the right company, you may even be able to directly acknowledge the fact that things have taken a negative turn, thus freeing yourself and others from the negative pull.
Not everyone will respond to your cues, and there’s no need to become overly attached to the idea of changing other people, because people have to choose for themselves how they will be in the world. Many people choose negativity because it is familiar to them and feels safe. It is important to give people the space to find their own way, but you can always set an example, subtly representing the power of being positive. At times you may interject an affirmative statement into the conversation, and at others you may simply change the subject. You may also simply withdraw your energy and presence, which also makes a subtle statement. If you feel comfortable enough with somebody that is always negative, perhaps you can have an honest conversation with them; after all, awareness is the first step to change.
A powerful way to free yourself from the negative pull is to enlist allies who are similarly minded. You and a friend, coworker, or family member may agree to work together to continually shift the energy in a situation in a positive direction. The power of two people working to promote the positive is exponentially greater than one person working on their own. As you and your allies work together to lift the energy around you, you will be amazed to see how quickly the positive pull begins to draw people into its orbit, freeing one mind after another from negativity into light.
11 Ways To Improve Your Health
Hints For A Healthy Lifestyle
1. Our bodies are attuned to the wisdom of many millions of years of evolution and communicate with us through each moment of our lives. Listening to your body by acknowledging and acting on feelings of comfort and discomfort, illness and health, or happiness and despair can lead you to a better understanding of the body's needs.
2. To fuel the fire which is your being, it is vital to consume only that which will benefit the body. Processed and artificial foods should be replaced with fresh produce and whole grains. Exploring macrobiotics, vegetarianism, and other unique diets can become a culinary adventure.
3. There is no medication so formidable as rest. When you sleep uninterrupted for a period of eight hours, your body's natural healing and rejuvenating abilities are free to work unencumbered by physical and mental stresses.
4. Our breath is always with us. Breathing deeply and deliberately provides nourishment in the form of oxygen to the body but also acts to relax the brain and nervous system.
5. The human form has adapted for activity and something is lost when we deny ourselves movement in all forms. Exercise and stretching not only improve the body, increasing the effectiveness of the lungs and circulatory system while expelling toxins and boosting immunity, but also lifts the spirits by stimulating the body's flow of pleasurable endorphins.
6. Yoga unites the mind and the body, promoting health in both. Regular practice of the discipline's complex movements tone and stimulate the physical form while increasing concentration, decreasing stress, and inspiring well-being.
7. The human body possesses the ability to cleanse itself. When you fast, you trigger this ability, prompting beneficial enzymes to enter the bloodstream, where they eliminate accumulated wastes such as pollutants and metabolic wastes, to rebuild immunity and restore health.
8. Balance must prevail for health to exist. Meditation can help you achieve a healthful balance in body and soul. Concentration, meditative breathing, or visualizations focus the mind and allow negativity to drain away, leaving you with a sense of control and self-awareness. Find your bliss.
9. Home is the heart of health and a change in your environment can inspire positive changes within your body. Explore Feng Shui, color therapy, or new methods of organization. Clearing the clutter in your home's pathways may clear clutter in your body and soul.
10. Challenges can be exhilarating at first but, when prolonged, cause stress. Sustained stress can lead to weakened immune function, sickness, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Take time out to care for yourself and focus on relaxing solitary pursuits.
11. Look on the bright side of life. Laughter lowers levels of stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol and increases the levels of pleasurable endorphins within the body, leaving you with a happy afterglow and tension-free muscles. A positive outlook improves immunity and promotes faster healing after surgeries or illness.
1. Our bodies are attuned to the wisdom of many millions of years of evolution and communicate with us through each moment of our lives. Listening to your body by acknowledging and acting on feelings of comfort and discomfort, illness and health, or happiness and despair can lead you to a better understanding of the body's needs.
2. To fuel the fire which is your being, it is vital to consume only that which will benefit the body. Processed and artificial foods should be replaced with fresh produce and whole grains. Exploring macrobiotics, vegetarianism, and other unique diets can become a culinary adventure.
3. There is no medication so formidable as rest. When you sleep uninterrupted for a period of eight hours, your body's natural healing and rejuvenating abilities are free to work unencumbered by physical and mental stresses.
4. Our breath is always with us. Breathing deeply and deliberately provides nourishment in the form of oxygen to the body but also acts to relax the brain and nervous system.
5. The human form has adapted for activity and something is lost when we deny ourselves movement in all forms. Exercise and stretching not only improve the body, increasing the effectiveness of the lungs and circulatory system while expelling toxins and boosting immunity, but also lifts the spirits by stimulating the body's flow of pleasurable endorphins.
6. Yoga unites the mind and the body, promoting health in both. Regular practice of the discipline's complex movements tone and stimulate the physical form while increasing concentration, decreasing stress, and inspiring well-being.
7. The human body possesses the ability to cleanse itself. When you fast, you trigger this ability, prompting beneficial enzymes to enter the bloodstream, where they eliminate accumulated wastes such as pollutants and metabolic wastes, to rebuild immunity and restore health.
8. Balance must prevail for health to exist. Meditation can help you achieve a healthful balance in body and soul. Concentration, meditative breathing, or visualizations focus the mind and allow negativity to drain away, leaving you with a sense of control and self-awareness. Find your bliss.
9. Home is the heart of health and a change in your environment can inspire positive changes within your body. Explore Feng Shui, color therapy, or new methods of organization. Clearing the clutter in your home's pathways may clear clutter in your body and soul.
10. Challenges can be exhilarating at first but, when prolonged, cause stress. Sustained stress can lead to weakened immune function, sickness, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Take time out to care for yourself and focus on relaxing solitary pursuits.
11. Look on the bright side of life. Laughter lowers levels of stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol and increases the levels of pleasurable endorphins within the body, leaving you with a happy afterglow and tension-free muscles. A positive outlook improves immunity and promotes faster healing after surgeries or illness.
KISS OF DEATH!
Many Lipsticks Have Kiss of Lead
By Karen Jacobs,Reuters
Posted: 2007-10-12 09:23:19
ATLANTA (Oct. 11) - Lipsticks tested by a U.S. consumer rights group found that more than half contained lead and some popular brands including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others, the group said on Thursday.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said tests on 33 brand-name red lipsticks by the Bodycote Testing Group in Santa Fe Spring, California, found that 61 percent had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).
Lipstick, like candy, is ingested. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of public health, environmental and women's groups, said the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick.
One-third of the lipsticks tested contained an amount of lead that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to protect children from ingesting lead, the group said. Thirty-nine percent of the lipsticks tested had no discernible lead, it said.
"It's critical that manufacturers reformulate their product," said Stacy Malkan, a co-founder of the coalition. "It's possible to make lipsticks without lead, and all companies should be doing that."
Lead can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, the group said in its statement. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage, it said.
Procter & Gamble Co's makes Cover Girl brand and France's L'Oreal is one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world.
Over the last three months, more than 20 million toys made in China have been recalled, mostly due to the use of lead paint.
The coalition said that some less expensive brands it had tested, such as Revlon, had no detectable levels of lead, while the more expensive Dior Addict brand had higher levels than some other brands.
The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association trade group said in a statement that lead was a naturally occurring element that was not intentionally added to cosmetics.
The FDA has "set strict limits for lead levels allowed in the colors used in lipsticks, and actually analyze most of these to ensure they are followed," the association's statement said. "The products identified in the (CSC) report meet these standards."
L'Oreal's U.S. arm said its products are reviewed and tested by a safety team that includes toxicologists, pharmacists and doctors.
"All the brands of the L'Oreal Group are in full compliance with FDA regulations" as well as safety requirements in international markets, L'Oreal USA said in a statement.
P&G said in a statement that the quantity of lead a consumer might be exposed to from its lip product "is hundreds of times less than the amount that she would get from eating, breathing and drinking water."
"Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure," said Dr. Mark Mitchell, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.
By Karen Jacobs,Reuters
Posted: 2007-10-12 09:23:19
ATLANTA (Oct. 11) - Lipsticks tested by a U.S. consumer rights group found that more than half contained lead and some popular brands including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others, the group said on Thursday.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said tests on 33 brand-name red lipsticks by the Bodycote Testing Group in Santa Fe Spring, California, found that 61 percent had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).
Lipstick, like candy, is ingested. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of public health, environmental and women's groups, said the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick.
One-third of the lipsticks tested contained an amount of lead that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to protect children from ingesting lead, the group said. Thirty-nine percent of the lipsticks tested had no discernible lead, it said.
"It's critical that manufacturers reformulate their product," said Stacy Malkan, a co-founder of the coalition. "It's possible to make lipsticks without lead, and all companies should be doing that."
Lead can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, the group said in its statement. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage, it said.
Procter & Gamble Co's makes Cover Girl brand and France's L'Oreal is one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world.
Over the last three months, more than 20 million toys made in China have been recalled, mostly due to the use of lead paint.
The coalition said that some less expensive brands it had tested, such as Revlon, had no detectable levels of lead, while the more expensive Dior Addict brand had higher levels than some other brands.
The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association trade group said in a statement that lead was a naturally occurring element that was not intentionally added to cosmetics.
The FDA has "set strict limits for lead levels allowed in the colors used in lipsticks, and actually analyze most of these to ensure they are followed," the association's statement said. "The products identified in the (CSC) report meet these standards."
L'Oreal's U.S. arm said its products are reviewed and tested by a safety team that includes toxicologists, pharmacists and doctors.
"All the brands of the L'Oreal Group are in full compliance with FDA regulations" as well as safety requirements in international markets, L'Oreal USA said in a statement.
P&G said in a statement that the quantity of lead a consumer might be exposed to from its lip product "is hundreds of times less than the amount that she would get from eating, breathing and drinking water."
"Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure," said Dr. Mark Mitchell, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.
October 9, 2007
Recommended Viewing: Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties (2004)
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress passed a series of legislations known as The Patriot Act, which is designed to assist law enforcement in preventing future terrorist attacks. Take an inside look at this controversial bill through the eyes of legal analysts and constitutional experts as they examine the possible dangers The Patriot Act poses to our civil liberties and individual freedoms.
Recommended Reading: The Flouride Deception
Publisher Comments:
The Fluoride Deception unearths one of the great secret narratives of our age, how a grim workplace poison and the most damaging environmental pollutant of the Cold War was added to our drinking water and toothpaste.
A chronicle of the abuse of power and of the manufacture of state-sponsored medical propaganda, the book reveals how military and industry scientists and public health officials buried information about fluoride's potential for human harm, while promoting its use in dentistry. The book documents how a secretive group of powerful industries, who all faced extensive litigation for fluoride pollution, collaborated with officials from the National Institutes of Dental Research, laundering fluoride's public image, and helping industry off the hook.
We'll meet the dissident scientists who warned us about fluoride from the beginning. We'll sit with the famous doctor who'd alerted America in the 1950s to the dangers of cigarette smoking, who reported that fluoride was a systemic poison, with tens of thousands of citizens uniquely sensitive to even tiny doses. We'll walk the cobbled streets of Donora, Pennsylvania, in the shrouded aftermath of the nation's most notorious air pollution disaster in 1948, and meet the scientist who blamed fluoride for the carnage. And, when a superstar industry-funded toxicologist is fired in 1995, after discovering that fluoride affects the central nervous system, we'll uncover a stunning connection to the WWII atomic bomb program.
Today that scientist joins a growing number of health experts who call fluoride a venomous and hydra-headed poison. They suspect its involvement in a host of modern illnesses, including arthritis, bone cancer, andemphysema, and a spectrum of central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and the epidemic of attention deficit disorder sweeping America's children.
Thank you Bryson!, October 3, 2007
Review By R. Williams M.D -
A well written and increadibly referenced source for those who do not wish to succumb to the Bernay-style-propaganda that tells you Fluoride is good for your teeth and does not inhibit neuronal migration and development during fetal and early infancy. "Remember - you kids need fluoride for developing teeth" - Apparently your kids also need fluoride to accumulate in their pineal gland so that there melatonin poroduction centers can be poisoned, the can mature more quickly, and become docile, unintelligent, diabetic, obese "good" Americans, willing to fall in line and become a spoke in the organic wheel of a Hegelian society. Apparently all Americans need the direct neurotoxic effects that Fluoride can afford, and the direct renal toxicity that only increases when your kidneys fail. Apparently Americans need to poison spermatogenesis, out population is growing too fast anyhow. ASK any nephrologist --> Why has the age corrected incidence of renal failure increased dramatically over the past 35 years?; ask any reproductive endocrinologist --> Why have male viable sperm counts and motility decreased approx 50% over the past 35 years?; ask a psychiatrist - over the past 35 years, WHY has the incidence of autism spectrum disorders and ADHD now reached epidemic levels? Ask all these questions and you will hear the response that "We don't know why?" Apparently they have been sheilded of the pesky scientific papers pointing to fluoride.
Ignore the science.
War is Peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Go back to sleep...
Your body wants a salad
NewsTarget.com printable article
Originally published October 5 2007
Cooked Food: Your Body Wants A Salad!
by S.A Ramratan
(NewsTarget) Cooked food weakens your immune system. Many believe that cooking is needed for food to get rid of bacteria and make it more digestible. True, there are a few vegetables that are more difficult for some to digest raw, such as those in the cruciferous family (broccoli), but most foods do not become more digestible once cooked.
In 1930, Dr Paul Kouchakoff observed that after eating a meal, a person`s white blood cells (leukocytes) would increase. An increase in white blood cell count usually indicates a stress reaction by the body. Eating a raw meal does not have this same effect on the body. He also observed that most foods that have been altered produce this immune suppressing effect. Your immune system is basically finishing your digestion process for you, which is a function that it is not meant to do.
You can minimize this effect quite easily. If you have anything cooked on your plate, you should have fresh, raw vegetables to go with it. As well, chewing your food thoroughly will lessen the immune response of the cooked food.
The best practice is to eliminate as much processed, altered, and cooked food from your diet as you can. That includes milk, as it is pasteurized and homogenized. That also means removing sugar and white flour from your diet.
Getting used to eating most meals with a big salad, or some cut vegetables will save your immune system a lot of harm. After years of only ingesting cooked foods for every meal - you can imagine the toll this has unknowingly put on your immune system. If you at least include raw vegetables with your cooked meals, you are giving your immune system a break. It has other effects, like keeping you healthy!! Cooking also can take away the antioxidants, and reduce the amount of bioavailable vitamins. So you are doubling your benefits when you eat raw.
Many won`t be able to give up cooked food. But if you add some raw foods to your diet, then you won`t be further harming your body. Reduce the cooked foods in your diet, and replace them with raw foods. Give your body a chance to heal itself. You body has built in properties to heal. Eat the right foods, and you will have a healthier body and mind!
About the author
Sarah is a Chemical and Materials Engineer by education. Through years of focused self-study, she has come to see the benefit of whole food nutrition and allowing the body to heal itself. Undergoing Field Center Facilitator Training, Sarah is passionate about being helpful to others, in any venue, in their quest for a better life.
http://simplebeautyphotography.blogspot.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally published October 5 2007
Cooked Food: Your Body Wants A Salad!
by S.A Ramratan
(NewsTarget) Cooked food weakens your immune system. Many believe that cooking is needed for food to get rid of bacteria and make it more digestible. True, there are a few vegetables that are more difficult for some to digest raw, such as those in the cruciferous family (broccoli), but most foods do not become more digestible once cooked.
In 1930, Dr Paul Kouchakoff observed that after eating a meal, a person`s white blood cells (leukocytes) would increase. An increase in white blood cell count usually indicates a stress reaction by the body. Eating a raw meal does not have this same effect on the body. He also observed that most foods that have been altered produce this immune suppressing effect. Your immune system is basically finishing your digestion process for you, which is a function that it is not meant to do.
You can minimize this effect quite easily. If you have anything cooked on your plate, you should have fresh, raw vegetables to go with it. As well, chewing your food thoroughly will lessen the immune response of the cooked food.
The best practice is to eliminate as much processed, altered, and cooked food from your diet as you can. That includes milk, as it is pasteurized and homogenized. That also means removing sugar and white flour from your diet.
Getting used to eating most meals with a big salad, or some cut vegetables will save your immune system a lot of harm. After years of only ingesting cooked foods for every meal - you can imagine the toll this has unknowingly put on your immune system. If you at least include raw vegetables with your cooked meals, you are giving your immune system a break. It has other effects, like keeping you healthy!! Cooking also can take away the antioxidants, and reduce the amount of bioavailable vitamins. So you are doubling your benefits when you eat raw.
Many won`t be able to give up cooked food. But if you add some raw foods to your diet, then you won`t be further harming your body. Reduce the cooked foods in your diet, and replace them with raw foods. Give your body a chance to heal itself. You body has built in properties to heal. Eat the right foods, and you will have a healthier body and mind!
About the author
Sarah is a Chemical and Materials Engineer by education. Through years of focused self-study, she has come to see the benefit of whole food nutrition and allowing the body to heal itself. Undergoing Field Center Facilitator Training, Sarah is passionate about being helpful to others, in any venue, in their quest for a better life.
http://simplebeautyphotography.blogspot.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 4, 2007
Traditional Herbal Blood Tonic Recipe Revealed by Medical Herbalist
NewsTarget.com printable article
Originally published October 4 2007
Traditional Herbal Blood Tonic Recipe Revealed by Medical Herbalist
by Leslee Dru Browning
(NewsTarget) Blood tonics today are used for cancer prevention; cancer treatment; liver health, viral and bacterial infections. In the days of old blood tonics were called Spring Tonics and farmers would religiously take them come Spring Time after a long sedentary winter to get their sluggish blood in shape for the upcoming season of farming. A custom that has been lost in today’s world. Why? And why aren’t blood tonics readily available for purchase from holistic healers or from health food stores? Could it be that pharmaceutical companies don’t want any competition from herbal and botanical medicines?
In Dr. Wright’s Newsletter dated September 17, 2007, he talked about Washington State's war on holistic M.D.s. Sad but true. Holistic healers are still being attacked in the USA that spouts that we are a Free Nation...except when it comes to health care, of course. The onslaught on alternative healers is brought about by Big Pharma, Big Business, the American Cancer Society, the AMA and our elected politicians who are bribed by lobbyists. They don’t want you healthy! Instead, they want the path cleared of anyone who can heal you so they can keep pushing their legal high-profit drugs. In today’s world where the propaganda mantra is “There is no cure”, holistic healers are being harassed, arrested and charged with “moral turpitude”, and put out of business simply because they can cure what ails you.
With the attacks on Natural Medicine it can be hard to find an Herbalist who can make up blood tonics for their cancer clients. Herbalists can be hard to locate, especially those who specialize in cancer treatments because they do not advertise since it is against the law in the USA for any health care practitioner to claim they can heal cancer; or any other illness for that matter, yet, it is not against the law to heal yourself. Therefore, why not learn to make your own? In this article I will give the recipe for the very first blood tonic I made.
Browning's Blended Spirits is a blood tonic I formulated years ago for an 80 year old man who had been diagnosed with Invasive Bladder Cancer that had spread to his lymph. During surgery it was found that his tumor had grown outside the wall of the bladder and the surgeon was unable to remove it all. He refused chemotherapy and radiation treatments and was given only 3-6 months to live. His family called me to see if I could help him. After hearing his case I couldn’t recommend herbal capsules because he had difficulty swallowing so I made him this blood tonic. Also included in his treatment was a Bladder and Kidney tonic along with diet changes.
His cancer was eliminated in 6 months and was verified by a cat scan his doctor did in the hospital. The doctors were mystified when they could not find any cancer in his body, yet they never asked what he did to eliminate his cancer. That alone suggested that his doctors not only didn’t care how he healed himself; but that his doctors weren’t the least bit curious about alternative medicine and how they might learn from his recovery. The gentleman is no longer living, but he did not die of cancer. He died of old age from natural causes. I continued to use this blood tonic recipe for several types of cancer and bacterial illnesses in my practice up until the day I retired.
About the Ingredients:
Browning’s Blended Spirits Blood Tonic contains a comprehensive blend of all-natural ingredients of herbs that are effective for blood purification and detoxification. The ingredients in this blend provide nutritive support to the body and are historically proven to provide both cleansing action and detoxification of the cells throughout the body including the lymph, lungs, liver, heart, colon and bloodstream. Many of the ingredients like burdock root, chaparral, poke root, red clover and yellow dock have been used for years to treat cancer.
What ingredients you will need make the tonic:
3oz each of the following dried herbs:
Anise seed (pimpinella anisum)
Blue violet (viola odorata)
Burdock root (arctium lappa)
Chaparral (larrea tridentate)
Dandelion root (taraxacum officinale),
Fennel (foeniculum vulgare),
Licorice root (glycyrrhiza glabra),
Oregon grape (mahonia aquifolium),
Poke root (phytolacca Americana),
Red clover (trifolium pretense)
Yellow dock root (rumex crispus).
40 oz of Honey or Black Strap Molasses, your choice.
16 oz of Vegetable glycerin.
4 Tablespoons of Citric acid which can be found in health food stores or from herb companies on-line.
5 gallons of distilled water
Purchase the whole herb (cut root and cut leaf) instead of the powdered herb if you can. The reason for this is two-fold. First, the powder absorbs more water leaving you with less liquid; second, the powder takes longer and is harder to strain. I purchase most of my dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. Their herbs are processed and handled according to strict organic standards and they will sell individual herbs in a 4oz quantity so you will not have to purchase a full pound. I am sure there are many other herb company’s and health food stores that carry the herbs you will need. Just make sure they are organic.
What cooking tools you will need:
You will also need two stainless steel or glass 20 quart pots with lids.
A large strainer.
A candy or water thermometer.
Cheesecloth.
For bottling you can use regular canning jars. If using pint jars you will need about 24 – 28 jars. If using quart jars you will need about 14 jars. This is a large recipe that will provide one year worth of tonics for the cancer patient, or, if using for a preventative go together with friends or family and share it.
How to make the tonic:
Making this tonic is like canning fruit from your garden. If you can cook you can make it. It takes a few days but is well worth it. You will not find this tonic on the market because it is time intense. The cost would be prohibitive to manufacture it, yet you can make it in your home for around $3.00 a pint. This tonic stores for up to a year if placed in a dark cool closet. They key to keeping tonics fresh is to prevent them from exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations. Don’t let them freeze and don’t let them sit in temperatures above 75*.
In one pot add:
Anise seed, burdock root, chaparral, dandelion root, fennel, licorice root, oregon grape root, poke root, yellow dock root and add 3 gallons of distilled water.
Cover with lid and set on stove on warm heat overnight so that the roots can be softened for extraction.
In the morning turn up the heat and bring the water to a low simmer for about 4 hours then bring to a boil for 15-30 minutes. After boiling turn off heat and strain the liquid into a clean container by laying a layer of cheesecloth over your strainer.
In another pot add:
Blue violet, red clover and add 1.5 gallons of distilled water. Set on counter and let soak in water over night.
In the morning place the pot on the stove on warm/medium heat to steep (not boil) the herbs like you would a cup of tea. Let them steep for at least 4 hours then strain the liquid by laying a layer of cheesecloth over your strainer.
Compost the strained herbs in your garden.
Mixing the pots:
Once the liquid is strained from both pots mix it together in one of the 20 quart pots and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
Then add
16 oz of vegetable glycerin,
40 oz of honey (or black strap molasses for those allergic to honey)
4 heaping tablespoons of citric acid
Stir and let the mixture mingle for 15 minutes or so. When ready to bottle use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid. You want the temperature between 185* - 190* to prevent any bacteria to grow in the tonics. Maintain this heat temperature throughout bottling.
While waiting for your liquid to reach the accurate bottling temperature prepare your canning jars. Sterilize jars and lids.
Once your bottles are sterilized and your herbal liquid is at the right temperature add the tonic liquid to the hot jars. Fill to ½” from top of jar and cap. Let cool overnight. Check to make sure all the jars are sealed properly then store them.
Once you open a jar of tonic for use you must Refrigerate it. The tonic will last for a month in the refrigerator once it has been opened. Sediment in the bottom of the jars is normal. Give the jar a little shake or stir to mix the sediment before taking.
How much to take:
Adult Folklore Dosage: 2 Tablespoon 2 times a day for cancer, tumors, liver, viral and bacterial infections. In my practice I recommended that cancer patients take this tonic for at least a year and then drop to a maintenance dose of taking it once a day for another year. Some of my cancer patients continue to take it on and off throughout their life to keep their blood and lymph clear of toxins.
For cancer prevention use a bottle of this tonic every 3 months taking 1 Tablespoon 2 times a day.
Do use if you are pregnant. Do not use if you are taking blood thinning agents like Warfarin (also known under the brand names of Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, and Waran).
Disclaimer—The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.
About the author
Leslee Dru Browning is a 6th generation Medical Herbalist & Nutritionist from the ancestral line of Patty Bartlett Sessions; Pioneer Mid-Wife & Herbalist. Leslee practiced Medical Herbalism and Nutritional Healing for over 25 years and specialized in Cancer Wellness along with Chronic Illness. She now devotes her career to teaching people, through her writing, about Natural Healing from An Herbal Perspective.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally published October 4 2007
Traditional Herbal Blood Tonic Recipe Revealed by Medical Herbalist
by Leslee Dru Browning
(NewsTarget) Blood tonics today are used for cancer prevention; cancer treatment; liver health, viral and bacterial infections. In the days of old blood tonics were called Spring Tonics and farmers would religiously take them come Spring Time after a long sedentary winter to get their sluggish blood in shape for the upcoming season of farming. A custom that has been lost in today’s world. Why? And why aren’t blood tonics readily available for purchase from holistic healers or from health food stores? Could it be that pharmaceutical companies don’t want any competition from herbal and botanical medicines?
In Dr. Wright’s Newsletter dated September 17, 2007, he talked about Washington State's war on holistic M.D.s. Sad but true. Holistic healers are still being attacked in the USA that spouts that we are a Free Nation...except when it comes to health care, of course. The onslaught on alternative healers is brought about by Big Pharma, Big Business, the American Cancer Society, the AMA and our elected politicians who are bribed by lobbyists. They don’t want you healthy! Instead, they want the path cleared of anyone who can heal you so they can keep pushing their legal high-profit drugs. In today’s world where the propaganda mantra is “There is no cure”, holistic healers are being harassed, arrested and charged with “moral turpitude”, and put out of business simply because they can cure what ails you.
With the attacks on Natural Medicine it can be hard to find an Herbalist who can make up blood tonics for their cancer clients. Herbalists can be hard to locate, especially those who specialize in cancer treatments because they do not advertise since it is against the law in the USA for any health care practitioner to claim they can heal cancer; or any other illness for that matter, yet, it is not against the law to heal yourself. Therefore, why not learn to make your own? In this article I will give the recipe for the very first blood tonic I made.
Browning's Blended Spirits is a blood tonic I formulated years ago for an 80 year old man who had been diagnosed with Invasive Bladder Cancer that had spread to his lymph. During surgery it was found that his tumor had grown outside the wall of the bladder and the surgeon was unable to remove it all. He refused chemotherapy and radiation treatments and was given only 3-6 months to live. His family called me to see if I could help him. After hearing his case I couldn’t recommend herbal capsules because he had difficulty swallowing so I made him this blood tonic. Also included in his treatment was a Bladder and Kidney tonic along with diet changes.
His cancer was eliminated in 6 months and was verified by a cat scan his doctor did in the hospital. The doctors were mystified when they could not find any cancer in his body, yet they never asked what he did to eliminate his cancer. That alone suggested that his doctors not only didn’t care how he healed himself; but that his doctors weren’t the least bit curious about alternative medicine and how they might learn from his recovery. The gentleman is no longer living, but he did not die of cancer. He died of old age from natural causes. I continued to use this blood tonic recipe for several types of cancer and bacterial illnesses in my practice up until the day I retired.
About the Ingredients:
Browning’s Blended Spirits Blood Tonic contains a comprehensive blend of all-natural ingredients of herbs that are effective for blood purification and detoxification. The ingredients in this blend provide nutritive support to the body and are historically proven to provide both cleansing action and detoxification of the cells throughout the body including the lymph, lungs, liver, heart, colon and bloodstream. Many of the ingredients like burdock root, chaparral, poke root, red clover and yellow dock have been used for years to treat cancer.
What ingredients you will need make the tonic:
3oz each of the following dried herbs:
Anise seed (pimpinella anisum)
Blue violet (viola odorata)
Burdock root (arctium lappa)
Chaparral (larrea tridentate)
Dandelion root (taraxacum officinale),
Fennel (foeniculum vulgare),
Licorice root (glycyrrhiza glabra),
Oregon grape (mahonia aquifolium),
Poke root (phytolacca Americana),
Red clover (trifolium pretense)
Yellow dock root (rumex crispus).
40 oz of Honey or Black Strap Molasses, your choice.
16 oz of Vegetable glycerin.
4 Tablespoons of Citric acid which can be found in health food stores or from herb companies on-line.
5 gallons of distilled water
Purchase the whole herb (cut root and cut leaf) instead of the powdered herb if you can. The reason for this is two-fold. First, the powder absorbs more water leaving you with less liquid; second, the powder takes longer and is harder to strain. I purchase most of my dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. Their herbs are processed and handled according to strict organic standards and they will sell individual herbs in a 4oz quantity so you will not have to purchase a full pound. I am sure there are many other herb company’s and health food stores that carry the herbs you will need. Just make sure they are organic.
What cooking tools you will need:
You will also need two stainless steel or glass 20 quart pots with lids.
A large strainer.
A candy or water thermometer.
Cheesecloth.
For bottling you can use regular canning jars. If using pint jars you will need about 24 – 28 jars. If using quart jars you will need about 14 jars. This is a large recipe that will provide one year worth of tonics for the cancer patient, or, if using for a preventative go together with friends or family and share it.
How to make the tonic:
Making this tonic is like canning fruit from your garden. If you can cook you can make it. It takes a few days but is well worth it. You will not find this tonic on the market because it is time intense. The cost would be prohibitive to manufacture it, yet you can make it in your home for around $3.00 a pint. This tonic stores for up to a year if placed in a dark cool closet. They key to keeping tonics fresh is to prevent them from exposure to extreme temperature fluctuations. Don’t let them freeze and don’t let them sit in temperatures above 75*.
In one pot add:
Anise seed, burdock root, chaparral, dandelion root, fennel, licorice root, oregon grape root, poke root, yellow dock root and add 3 gallons of distilled water.
Cover with lid and set on stove on warm heat overnight so that the roots can be softened for extraction.
In the morning turn up the heat and bring the water to a low simmer for about 4 hours then bring to a boil for 15-30 minutes. After boiling turn off heat and strain the liquid into a clean container by laying a layer of cheesecloth over your strainer.
In another pot add:
Blue violet, red clover and add 1.5 gallons of distilled water. Set on counter and let soak in water over night.
In the morning place the pot on the stove on warm/medium heat to steep (not boil) the herbs like you would a cup of tea. Let them steep for at least 4 hours then strain the liquid by laying a layer of cheesecloth over your strainer.
Compost the strained herbs in your garden.
Mixing the pots:
Once the liquid is strained from both pots mix it together in one of the 20 quart pots and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
Then add
16 oz of vegetable glycerin,
40 oz of honey (or black strap molasses for those allergic to honey)
4 heaping tablespoons of citric acid
Stir and let the mixture mingle for 15 minutes or so. When ready to bottle use a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid. You want the temperature between 185* - 190* to prevent any bacteria to grow in the tonics. Maintain this heat temperature throughout bottling.
While waiting for your liquid to reach the accurate bottling temperature prepare your canning jars. Sterilize jars and lids.
Once your bottles are sterilized and your herbal liquid is at the right temperature add the tonic liquid to the hot jars. Fill to ½” from top of jar and cap. Let cool overnight. Check to make sure all the jars are sealed properly then store them.
Once you open a jar of tonic for use you must Refrigerate it. The tonic will last for a month in the refrigerator once it has been opened. Sediment in the bottom of the jars is normal. Give the jar a little shake or stir to mix the sediment before taking.
How much to take:
Adult Folklore Dosage: 2 Tablespoon 2 times a day for cancer, tumors, liver, viral and bacterial infections. In my practice I recommended that cancer patients take this tonic for at least a year and then drop to a maintenance dose of taking it once a day for another year. Some of my cancer patients continue to take it on and off throughout their life to keep their blood and lymph clear of toxins.
For cancer prevention use a bottle of this tonic every 3 months taking 1 Tablespoon 2 times a day.
Do use if you are pregnant. Do not use if you are taking blood thinning agents like Warfarin (also known under the brand names of Coumadin, Jantoven, Marevan, and Waran).
Disclaimer—The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your health care professional. You should not use the information in this article for self-diagnosis or to replace any prescriptive medication. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem, suffer from allergies, are pregnant or nursing.
About the author
Leslee Dru Browning is a 6th generation Medical Herbalist & Nutritionist from the ancestral line of Patty Bartlett Sessions; Pioneer Mid-Wife & Herbalist. Leslee practiced Medical Herbalism and Nutritional Healing for over 25 years and specialized in Cancer Wellness along with Chronic Illness. She now devotes her career to teaching people, through her writing, about Natural Healing from An Herbal Perspective.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 3, 2007
IMPORTANT if you plan on voting for Ron Paul!
Voting in Primaries: Registered correctly? Do it NOW!
Body: In response to the Ron Paul bulletins:
Closed Primaries. This is nothing new!
This is a standard and old rule in many states regarding voting in primaries: only people registered to a specific party may vote in that party's primary.
This is nothing new in most states.
It is called a "closed" primary.
Closed primaries keep voters from "raiding" a party to pick the weakest candidate and influence a win for their own designated party.
(For example: in open primaries Republicans could vote for Edwards to block Obama or Clinton from winning the Democratic primaries.)
Massachusetts has closed primaries. I believe Rhode Island also has closed primaries. It is likely your state has closed primaries because very few states have open primaries!
According to Wikipedia these are the states that allow open primaries: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
A citizen must register to vote within a certain number of days before an election. Likewise, in states with closed primaries (most states) a person must also change his or her party affiliation within a certain allotment of time.
PAY ATTENTION!
If you are registered as "unaffiliated", "democrat", "independent", etc and you want to vote for Ron Paul you must change your party affiliation NOW.
The new changes do hurt Ron Paul, but it is really nothing new.
CLOSED PRIMARIES are the norm!!!
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election
Original Bulletin:
States changing primary voting rules!
Ron Paul's popularity bridges the gap between all groups. He is truly a bi-partisan politician. Republicans like him, Libertarians like him, Independents are supporting him as well as many Democrats who see his small government, anti-war stance as attractive.
Ron Paul is the first person in decades to have so many diverse groups support him. It is easy to see why: he believes in freedom and liberty for all. That includes the liberty to not have to go to war and the liberty to keep your entire paycheck. Only days ago he introduced the Tax Free Tips Act because by taxing tips, the IRS punishes workers for "doing a superior job." People in this country are fed up with being lied to and stolen from. They want the war over with and they want it ended NOW.
Ron Paul is fast becoming the only candidate in either party to pledge to end the war. People in general are sick of having no power to do anything and the majority of Americans believe that things are going to get worse for them in the coming years, not better. But Ron Paul offers hope to change all of that. He is truly the only man for the people. What is so amazing that so many Democrats, Independents and Libertarians are planning on voting for him. For those of you that fall into that class, the established Republicans do not want you to do that and are changing rules as we speak to try to shut you out at the voting window.
Many states, in an effort to shut out Ron Paul are now closing their primaries. That means that only Republicans can vote in the Presidential primaries for a Republican candidate. Many states are doing this quickly and quietly and giving people very little time to learn about the new rules. For example, New Hampshire decided only a week ago that you will now have to change your party affiliation by October 12, 2007 or it will be too late to do so. New Hampshire also has a closed primary and only Republicans and possibly Independents will be allowed to vote for Ron Paul.
In New York, you must be registered as a Republican or you cannot vote for Ron Paul and again, you must make this decision by October 12, 2007 or it will be too late. In New York, however, Independents cannot vote for Ron Paul. Same with New Jersey and many states around the nation. I hesitate to give you a link to a site that has correct information about voting in all 50 states because I have yet to find one that does not have an error and besides, this information is changing daily, as Ron Paul gains momentum. The people in power are doing their best to shut out the multitude of voices that want to vote for Ron Paul. If you are a Ron Paul supporter, or even thinking about becoming a Ron Paul supporter, please become a registered Republican immediately so that no matter what your state does to change the rules out from under you, you will still be allowed to vote for this great man.
All of these arbitrary deadlines are designed to keep a candidate such as Ron Paul from gaining momentum and making a last minute push. Effectively, Ron Paul has until October 12, 2007 to get as many Democrats, and others to switch sides in key states like New York and New Hampshire, or they will not be able to vote for Ron Paul in the primaries. That means that the people in power have shortened the Ron Paul campaign to less than two weeks with the stroke of a pen! The Ron Paul campaign now has less than two weeks to teach people about his candidacy and his policies. As of this moment, in New Hampshire you may be registered as an Independent and still vote for Ron Paul. Not so in New York. In New York you must be a registered Republican by October 12, to vote for Ron Paul (Independents cannot vote in the primaries at all). However, for those of you in New Hampshire reading this, I wouldn't trust that come election day the rules won't have been changed on you again. To be safe, make sure your voter registration card says Republican.
So, all of you sitting on the fence folks, the fence is about to crumble beneath you and you will not have the ability to affect the election at all. The rules are changing all over the place for Independents. Now, if you are an Independent in New York or Arizona or New Jersey and many other states you will not be allowed to vote in any primary at all. You will only be able to sit on the sidelines and watch as other people decide for you who your choices are. So get busy! Hurry up and re-register.
In another effort to stem the rising tide of Ron Paul supporters California this week just announced that they too would close their Presidential Primary, again shutting out Independents. (Despite the fact that the voters of California voted on March 26, 1996 to be make it an open primary state). So, once again, unless you are a registered Republican you cannot vote for Ron Paul if you live in California. The only good news, is that as of this moment, the deadline to change your registration is January 21, 2008. However, I would not depend on that. If it looks like Ron Paul might win, they could move that date up too. So don't put this off.
Arizona pulled a sneaky move on its voters. Arizona is an open primary state. That means that anyone can vote in any race - except, and here is the catch, in the Presidential Primary. How can they get away with that? Because, they don't actually call the Presidential Primary a primary at all, it is now officially called a Presidential Preference Election. So, with that new name comes new rules. Arizona actually did this many years ago, but most of Arizona's residents are unaware of this rule. As a result, many many people who want to vote for Ron Paul will be shut out because they think they can stay Independent or "party undeclared" and still get to vote. They will be rudely met by voting proctors who will turn them away at the door.
On top of all of this, many states are moving their primaries up earlier and earlier this year so that a come-from-behind candidate had better do his coming-from-behind in a sprint. Worse yet, if you call the official Secretary of State's office to find out the voting rules, you are likely to get faulty information. In my tiny sampling of seven calls, five of the states gave out incorrect information that if relied upon, would result in that voter not being allowed to vote for Ron Paul. The best place to get correct information is from your state's GOP. (But do not tell them who you are planning on voting for or they may make a mistake in the information. Beware of answers that begin with "I think..." that is almost always followed by a guess and often misinformation. Make them do the work and find out the real dates.) Here is one site that has some information, but please do not rely upon it as the rules may have changed by the time you read it. It will help you find links to places to change your registration.
It is appalling that states are allowed to change their voting rules at the last minute so most people will not hear of the change. It is more appalling that when calling an official state office you are given incorrect information. It is most appalling that millions of Ron Paul voters may not get to vote for their man because they didn't know the rules were switched on them.
So, for all of you Ron Paul supporters out there: Switch now. Hurry. Sign up to be a Republican if you aren't already, get that official voter registration card in hand so on primary election day no one can take away your right to vote! It doesn't matter if right now your state is an open primary state, or they claim to allow Independents to vote, they may close it tomorrow as California just did and they may give you only three weeks to make the change as New Hampshire did. Don't take the risk. Become Republican today. I know this is not fair. I know that the rules used to be different. I know, you may not want to be a Republican but still want to vote for Ron Paul. Please don't let your pride and their trickery get in the way of you voting for the man you want.
And remember New Yorkers and folks from New Hampshire - You have less than two weeks left. HURRY! The deadline is October 12, October 12, October 12... make that your new mantra. Please tell all of your friends.
For you Democrats out there who wanted the war to stop only to find that your party seems content on this war lasting another decade or so, Ron Paul voted against the war in the first place and would vote to stop it the minute he took office, in January of 2009. Isn't another 15 months enough time for this war to rage on and try to end with a "win." I know you may not want to switch parties. But think of it this way, if you do switch, and Ron Paul loses, then that will be another Republican who abandons the party come general election day, so you can have a little taste of revenge for them making you switch parties to vote for this man. How do you know that Ron Paul won't lie and keep this war going too? You can trust a man to behave in the future the way he has behaved in the past.
Protect your right to vote. Don't let them steal the greatest man in history away from you before you have even learned about him. Check out the www.ronpaulportal.com to find links to many ways to learn about Ron Paul. My favorites are the Ron Paul Library link and the You Tube videos.
And they call this a democracy? Ha!
Please send this article to all that you care about. Turn this into a freedom chain letter to spread truth across the country.
IN RI:
The Board of Canvasser's office at Providence City Hall is required by
law to update your voter information. I have attached a link to a voter
registration form here:
http://www.elections.ri.gov/registration/intro.htm
All you have to do is fill out a new form with your updated information and
send it or bring it into Providence City Hall and they will update the
changes for you. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks
Rob Rock
Elections & Civics Division
Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis
rrock@sec.state.ri.us
401.222.2340
Body: In response to the Ron Paul bulletins:
Closed Primaries. This is nothing new!
This is a standard and old rule in many states regarding voting in primaries: only people registered to a specific party may vote in that party's primary.
This is nothing new in most states.
It is called a "closed" primary.
Closed primaries keep voters from "raiding" a party to pick the weakest candidate and influence a win for their own designated party.
(For example: in open primaries Republicans could vote for Edwards to block Obama or Clinton from winning the Democratic primaries.)
Massachusetts has closed primaries. I believe Rhode Island also has closed primaries. It is likely your state has closed primaries because very few states have open primaries!
According to Wikipedia these are the states that allow open primaries: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
A citizen must register to vote within a certain number of days before an election. Likewise, in states with closed primaries (most states) a person must also change his or her party affiliation within a certain allotment of time.
PAY ATTENTION!
If you are registered as "unaffiliated", "democrat", "independent", etc and you want to vote for Ron Paul you must change your party affiliation NOW.
The new changes do hurt Ron Paul, but it is really nothing new.
CLOSED PRIMARIES are the norm!!!
Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election
Original Bulletin:
States changing primary voting rules!
Ron Paul's popularity bridges the gap between all groups. He is truly a bi-partisan politician. Republicans like him, Libertarians like him, Independents are supporting him as well as many Democrats who see his small government, anti-war stance as attractive.
Ron Paul is the first person in decades to have so many diverse groups support him. It is easy to see why: he believes in freedom and liberty for all. That includes the liberty to not have to go to war and the liberty to keep your entire paycheck. Only days ago he introduced the Tax Free Tips Act because by taxing tips, the IRS punishes workers for "doing a superior job." People in this country are fed up with being lied to and stolen from. They want the war over with and they want it ended NOW.
Ron Paul is fast becoming the only candidate in either party to pledge to end the war. People in general are sick of having no power to do anything and the majority of Americans believe that things are going to get worse for them in the coming years, not better. But Ron Paul offers hope to change all of that. He is truly the only man for the people. What is so amazing that so many Democrats, Independents and Libertarians are planning on voting for him. For those of you that fall into that class, the established Republicans do not want you to do that and are changing rules as we speak to try to shut you out at the voting window.
Many states, in an effort to shut out Ron Paul are now closing their primaries. That means that only Republicans can vote in the Presidential primaries for a Republican candidate. Many states are doing this quickly and quietly and giving people very little time to learn about the new rules. For example, New Hampshire decided only a week ago that you will now have to change your party affiliation by October 12, 2007 or it will be too late to do so. New Hampshire also has a closed primary and only Republicans and possibly Independents will be allowed to vote for Ron Paul.
In New York, you must be registered as a Republican or you cannot vote for Ron Paul and again, you must make this decision by October 12, 2007 or it will be too late. In New York, however, Independents cannot vote for Ron Paul. Same with New Jersey and many states around the nation. I hesitate to give you a link to a site that has correct information about voting in all 50 states because I have yet to find one that does not have an error and besides, this information is changing daily, as Ron Paul gains momentum. The people in power are doing their best to shut out the multitude of voices that want to vote for Ron Paul. If you are a Ron Paul supporter, or even thinking about becoming a Ron Paul supporter, please become a registered Republican immediately so that no matter what your state does to change the rules out from under you, you will still be allowed to vote for this great man.
All of these arbitrary deadlines are designed to keep a candidate such as Ron Paul from gaining momentum and making a last minute push. Effectively, Ron Paul has until October 12, 2007 to get as many Democrats, and others to switch sides in key states like New York and New Hampshire, or they will not be able to vote for Ron Paul in the primaries. That means that the people in power have shortened the Ron Paul campaign to less than two weeks with the stroke of a pen! The Ron Paul campaign now has less than two weeks to teach people about his candidacy and his policies. As of this moment, in New Hampshire you may be registered as an Independent and still vote for Ron Paul. Not so in New York. In New York you must be a registered Republican by October 12, to vote for Ron Paul (Independents cannot vote in the primaries at all). However, for those of you in New Hampshire reading this, I wouldn't trust that come election day the rules won't have been changed on you again. To be safe, make sure your voter registration card says Republican.
So, all of you sitting on the fence folks, the fence is about to crumble beneath you and you will not have the ability to affect the election at all. The rules are changing all over the place for Independents. Now, if you are an Independent in New York or Arizona or New Jersey and many other states you will not be allowed to vote in any primary at all. You will only be able to sit on the sidelines and watch as other people decide for you who your choices are. So get busy! Hurry up and re-register.
In another effort to stem the rising tide of Ron Paul supporters California this week just announced that they too would close their Presidential Primary, again shutting out Independents. (Despite the fact that the voters of California voted on March 26, 1996 to be make it an open primary state). So, once again, unless you are a registered Republican you cannot vote for Ron Paul if you live in California. The only good news, is that as of this moment, the deadline to change your registration is January 21, 2008. However, I would not depend on that. If it looks like Ron Paul might win, they could move that date up too. So don't put this off.
Arizona pulled a sneaky move on its voters. Arizona is an open primary state. That means that anyone can vote in any race - except, and here is the catch, in the Presidential Primary. How can they get away with that? Because, they don't actually call the Presidential Primary a primary at all, it is now officially called a Presidential Preference Election. So, with that new name comes new rules. Arizona actually did this many years ago, but most of Arizona's residents are unaware of this rule. As a result, many many people who want to vote for Ron Paul will be shut out because they think they can stay Independent or "party undeclared" and still get to vote. They will be rudely met by voting proctors who will turn them away at the door.
On top of all of this, many states are moving their primaries up earlier and earlier this year so that a come-from-behind candidate had better do his coming-from-behind in a sprint. Worse yet, if you call the official Secretary of State's office to find out the voting rules, you are likely to get faulty information. In my tiny sampling of seven calls, five of the states gave out incorrect information that if relied upon, would result in that voter not being allowed to vote for Ron Paul. The best place to get correct information is from your state's GOP. (But do not tell them who you are planning on voting for or they may make a mistake in the information. Beware of answers that begin with "I think..." that is almost always followed by a guess and often misinformation. Make them do the work and find out the real dates.) Here is one site that has some information, but please do not rely upon it as the rules may have changed by the time you read it. It will help you find links to places to change your registration.
It is appalling that states are allowed to change their voting rules at the last minute so most people will not hear of the change. It is more appalling that when calling an official state office you are given incorrect information. It is most appalling that millions of Ron Paul voters may not get to vote for their man because they didn't know the rules were switched on them.
So, for all of you Ron Paul supporters out there: Switch now. Hurry. Sign up to be a Republican if you aren't already, get that official voter registration card in hand so on primary election day no one can take away your right to vote! It doesn't matter if right now your state is an open primary state, or they claim to allow Independents to vote, they may close it tomorrow as California just did and they may give you only three weeks to make the change as New Hampshire did. Don't take the risk. Become Republican today. I know this is not fair. I know that the rules used to be different. I know, you may not want to be a Republican but still want to vote for Ron Paul. Please don't let your pride and their trickery get in the way of you voting for the man you want.
And remember New Yorkers and folks from New Hampshire - You have less than two weeks left. HURRY! The deadline is October 12, October 12, October 12... make that your new mantra. Please tell all of your friends.
For you Democrats out there who wanted the war to stop only to find that your party seems content on this war lasting another decade or so, Ron Paul voted against the war in the first place and would vote to stop it the minute he took office, in January of 2009. Isn't another 15 months enough time for this war to rage on and try to end with a "win." I know you may not want to switch parties. But think of it this way, if you do switch, and Ron Paul loses, then that will be another Republican who abandons the party come general election day, so you can have a little taste of revenge for them making you switch parties to vote for this man. How do you know that Ron Paul won't lie and keep this war going too? You can trust a man to behave in the future the way he has behaved in the past.
Protect your right to vote. Don't let them steal the greatest man in history away from you before you have even learned about him. Check out the www.ronpaulportal.com to find links to many ways to learn about Ron Paul. My favorites are the Ron Paul Library link and the You Tube videos.
And they call this a democracy? Ha!
Please send this article to all that you care about. Turn this into a freedom chain letter to spread truth across the country.
IN RI:
The Board of Canvasser's office at Providence City Hall is required by
law to update your voter information. I have attached a link to a voter
registration form here:
http://www.elections.ri.gov/registration/intro.htm
All you have to do is fill out a new form with your updated information and
send it or bring it into Providence City Hall and they will update the
changes for you. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks
Rob Rock
Elections & Civics Division
Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis
rrock@sec.state.ri.us
401.222.2340
Recommended viewing:
Produced by award-winning filmmakers Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack, this documentary examines the world's dependency on oil and the impending chaos that's sure to follow when the resource is depleted. Straight from the headlines, this hot-button topic may represent the world's most dire crisis. Through expert interviews, the film spells out in startling detail the challenge we all face and underscores our desperate need for alternative energy.
Watch preview here:
http://www.oilcrashmovie.com
My synopsis:
we are EFFED when oil runs out. Puts the war in a great perspective
Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway
Bush Administration Quietly Plans NAFTA Super Highway
by Jerome R. Corsi
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15497
Quietly but systematically, the Bush Administration is advancing the plan to build a huge NAFTA Super Highway, four football-fields-wide, through the heart of the U.S. along Interstate 35, from the Mexican border at Laredo, Tex., to the Canadian border north of Duluth, Minn.
Once complete, the new road will allow containers from the Far East to enter the United States through the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas, bypassing the Longshoreman’s Union in the process. The Mexican trucks, without the involvement of the Teamsters Union, will drive on what will be the nation’s most modern highway straight into the heart of America. The Mexican trucks will cross border in FAST lanes, checked only electronically by the new “SENTRI” system. The first customs stop will be a Mexican customs office in Kansas City, their new Smart Port complex, a facility being built for Mexico at a cost of $3 million to the U.S. taxpayers in Kansas City.
As incredible as this plan may seem to some readers, the first Trans-Texas Corridor segment of the NAFTA Super Highway is ready to begin construction next year. Various U.S. government agencies, dozens of state agencies, and scores of private NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have been working behind the scenes to create the NAFTA Super Highway, despite the lack of comment on the plan by President Bush. The American public is largely asleep to this key piece of the coming “North American Union” that government planners in the new trilateral region of United States, Canada and Mexico are about to drive into reality.
Just examine the following websites to get a feel for the magnitude of NAFTA Super Highway planning that has been going on without any new congressional legislation directly authorizing the construction of the planned international corridor through the center of the country.
NASCO, the North America SuperCorridor Coalition Inc., is a “non-profit organization dedicated to developing the world’s first international, integrated and secure, multi-modal transportation system along the International Mid-Continent Trade and Transportation Corridor to improve both the trade competitiveness and quality of life in North America.” Where does that sentence say anything about the USA? Still, NASCO has received $2.5 million in earmarks from the U.S. Department of Transportation to plan the NAFTA Super Highway as a 10-lane limited-access road (five lanes in each direction) plus passenger and freight rail lines running alongside pipelines laid for oil and natural gas. One glance at the map of the NAFTA Super Highway on the front page of the NASCO website will make clear that the design is to connect Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. into one transportation system.
Kansas City SmartPort Inc. is an “investor based organization supported by the public and private sector” to create the key hub on the NAFTA Super Highway. At the Kansas City SmartPort, the containers from the Far East can be transferred to trucks going east and west, dramatically reducing the ground transportation time dropping the containers off in Los Angeles or Long Beach involves for most of the country. A brochure on the SmartPort website describes the plan in glowing terms: “For those who live in Kansas City, the idea of receiving containers nonstop from the Far East by way of Mexico may sound unlikely, but later this month that seemingly far-fetched notion will become a reality.”
The U.S. government has housed within the Department of Commerce (DOC) an “SPP office” that is dedicated to organizing the many working groups laboring within the executive branches of the U.S., Mexico and Canada to create the regulatory reality for the Security and Prosperity Partnership. The SPP agreement was signed by Bush, President Vicente Fox, and then-Prime Minister Paul Martin in Waco, Tex., on March 23, 2005. According to the DOC website, a U.S.-Mexico Joint Working Committee on Transportation Planning has finalized a plan such that “(m)ethods for detecting bottlenecks on the U.S.-Mexico border will be developed and low cost/high impact projects identified in bottleneck studies will be constructed or implemented.” The report notes that new SENTRI travel lanes on the Mexican border will be constructed this year. The border at Laredo should be reduced to an electronic speed bump for the Mexican trucks containing goods from the Far East to enter the U.S. on their way to the Kansas City SmartPort.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is overseeing the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) as the first leg of the NAFTA Super Highway. A 4,000-page environmental impact statement has already been completed and public hearings are scheduled for five weeks, beginning next month, in July 2006. The billions involved will be provided by a foreign company, Cintra Concessions de Infraestructuras de Transporte, S.A. of Spain. As a consequence, the TTC will be privately operated, leased to the Cintra consortium to be operated as a toll-road.
The details of the NAFTA Super Highway are hidden in plan view. Still, Bush has not given speeches to bring the NAFTA Super Highway plans to the full attention of the American public. Missing in the move toward creating a North American Union is the robust public debate that preceded the decision to form the European Union. All this may be for calculated political reasons on the part of the Bush Administration.
A good reason Bush does not want to secure the border with Mexico may be that the administration is trying to create express lanes for Mexican trucks to bring containers with cheap Far East goods into the heart of the U.S., all without the involvement of any U.S. union workers on the docks or in the trucks.
PER RON PAUL
http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2006/tst103006.htm
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