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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Chemicals You Can't Wash Off

Systemic pesticides are chemicals that are actually absorbed by a plant when applied to seeds, soil, or leaves. The chemicals then circulate through the plants tissues, killing  the insects that feed on them. Use of these pesticides on food crops began in 1998, and has steadily increased during the past 10 years. Unlike traditional pesticides, you can't wash or peel off systemic pesticide residues because  they're in the  plant's tissues  not on their  exteriors.

  The  four main  systemics used on food crops are members of the nitroguanidine/neonicotinoid group of chemicals. They have been implicated in the mysterious colony collapse disorder that has killed millions of bees. Imidacloprid can be applied to many veggies including tomatoes and leafy greens right up to the day they're harvested. Thiamethoxam was first approved as a seed treatment for corn in 2002.

Plus these products have been approved for use on most veggie and fruit crops. Clothianidin is used as a seed treatment on canola, cereals, corn and sugar beets and as a soil treatment for potatoes. Dinotefuran can be applied to soil or sprayed on leafy greens, potatoes, and cucumbers. When the Pesticide Action Network reviewed the results of pesticide residue tests conducted by the USDA from 1999 to 2007,numerous samples contained residues of systemic pesticides. For example, 74 percent of conventionally grown fresh lettuce and 70 percent of broccoli samples showed imidacloprid residues.

The U.S. EPA has launched a comprehensive review of the environmental safety of imidacloprid, but we won't know the results until 2014. In February 2009, California's Department Of Pesticide Regulation cited reports of eucalyptus nectar and pollen with imidacloprid levels up to 550 parts per billion, or nearly 3 times the 185 parts per billion needed to kill honeybees. And deadly levels of of these systemic poisons are even showing up in leaf guttation drops. These are water droplets that plants sometime exude.

According to a 2009 report in the Journal Of Economic Entomology, "when bees consume guttation drops, collected from plants grown with neonicotinoid coated seeds, they encounter death within a few minutes." Equally disturbing, it appears that nitroguanidine pesticides can persist in soil for 500 days or more.  Right now, there is no scientific evidence that says foods laced with these pesticides will hurt humans. But when we let a novel, man made chemical loose in the food chain, we can't be certain of what will happen next.  This new contamination of our food supply is yet another reason to grow and buy organic.      

Saturday, September 25, 2010

How To Treat Common Ailments Naturally

Many medical  authorities disparage medicinal herbs. Critics say herbs are ineffective, unsafe, and  unregulated.  Like drugs, medicinal herbs can cause harm. So to ensure safety, always consult your doctor before taking or mixing herbs with prescription medicines. Or you can read the ABC Clinical Guide To Herbs. Since its $80, see if your local library has it.  Or check out the natural medicines database at http://www.naturaldatabase.com/ .

Now anyone who calls herbs dangerous may be misinformed. The University of Toronto did a 30 year study of drug side effects in hospital patients. They estimated that drug side effects kill over 100,000 US hospital patients a year and cause over 2 million serious non-fatal problems. This makes drug side effects the nation's fourth leading cause of death . The true number is actually higher since this study  focused on hospital patients and not the public. Also, these deaths occurred when drugs were administered as approved by the FDA.

Before approving new drugs, the FDA requires drug makers to prove them safe and effective. Such tests aren't required of herbs leading to claims that herbs are unregulated and are therefore unsafe. But FDA pre-approval studies usually involve only a few thousand people. Many side effects only turn up in one user in 10,000 to 50,000 people or more. So these problems don't emerge until the drug is widely used by people who are unaware that they are guinea pigs. Since so many side effects show up during the 5 years after approval, the FDA requires drug makers to rewrite warning labels on half of the new drugs that come out on the market.

Although drugs are heavily regulated, it doesn't guarantee their safety. In fact ,hundreds of studies show that when compared to herbs, drugs always cause more side effects. Some critics claim that herbs are not as strong as drugs. This is true. But rather than herbs being too weak, drugs are usually too strong causing sides effects. If you'd like to try herbs instead of drugs, do some research. A good place to start is the Physician's Desk Reference ( PDR) For Herbal Medicines.  You can buy it online at Amazon for $47, read it at your local library or check it out at a local health food store. 

When you've decided on what herb to take, then check out www.PennHerb.Com Philadelphia. They stock over 400 medicinal herbs and spices in capsule, bulk, powder and  extract form. Plus they stock  over 7,000 heath remedies. For a free hard copy catalog, or info on herbs,  call 215-632-6100 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5pm EST. For orders only call 800-523-9971  

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Best Websites For Helping Schools

www.DonorsChoose.org lets public school teachers nationwide post info about classroom projects that need funding. If you donate money, you'll receive photos of projects being carried out, a cost report, and thanks. www.AdoptAClassroom.Org provides criteria for selecting an under served classroom. Donors get an expense report, thank you packages and students' artwork. You can also support students directly by visiting the classroom or chaperoning field trips. www.WeGiveBooks.Com  provides children's books to literacy organizations while enlisting adults to read with youngsters. Participants choose a title to read online with a child, and a physical copy of the book is donated to the chosen organization.   

Best New Canned Gourmet Beers

BACK IN BLACK IPA by 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco. Has smooth flavor with hints of grapefruit, lemon, orange and licorice with color of India ink.   SELF-RIGHTEOUS ALE by Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA has a balance of bittersweet chocolate and resiny hops. INIQUITY  by Southern Tier Brewery , Lake wood, NY, has a rich fudge-cake flavor ahead of the prickly hops. 

Best Gourmet Foods Trucks In USA

Los Angeles: http://www.bigmista.com/  Miami: http://www.gastropodmiami.com/  NYC: www.Twitter.Com/JenAndOutlaws   Portland, Ore: http://www.thefryingscotsmanpdx.com/ St.Paul, Minn: www.Twitter.Com/ChefsShack1

At Last! A Free And Easy Diet Trick That Really Works!

A new study says the most effective way to lose weight isn't by taking pills or adopting extreme diets. It's by drinking water before meals. Nutrition researchers at Virginia Tech found that subjects who drank 16 ounces of water-about two glasses-before each of their three daily meals lost 50% more weight than the control subjects did. The study volunteers, 48 overweight and obese men and women, were put on a low calorie diet for 12 weeks. Half were given no instructions about what to drink. Half were instructed to drink two glasses of water shorty before their meals.  The first group lost 11 pounds on average. But the water group lost more-15.5 pounds on average. Plus the diet seems to stick. A year after the study, the water drinkers  had continued the regimen on their own and lost additional weight.      

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Europe's Best Outlet Malls

If you're going to Europe, make sure you check out the best outlet malls the EU has to offer. Here are the locations: DUBLIN: http://www.kildarevillage.com/ Round trip bus transportation from center city Dublin is only $15US. BARCELONA: http://www.larocavillage.com/ Round trip bus fare from Placa Catalunya Is $15 US. FLORENCE: This stores at this outlet reads like the who's who of Italian fashion. Simply know as "The Mall", its a round trip SITA bus from center city for about $8US. Check it out at: http://www.themall.it/ LONDON: London's outlet mall is called Bicester Village. A 75 minute round trip ride by bus from central London will set you back about $28 US. For more info see: http://www.bicestervillage.com/  PARIS: http://www.lavalleevillage.com/fr_FR/ has 90+ shops that hit all the designer high points. The round trip bus fare from Place de Pyramides is $27US.

Get A Round Trip Ride To Atlantic City For $3 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Every Monday, from 8am to 9:15 am, Stout's Bus Service will give you a round trip ride to Atlantic
City For $3 and drop you off at the Tropicana Casino. So you can take the bus, go swimming or shopping,
and spend the day. There are various boarding locations in Hamilton, Ewing, Yardville, Columbus, and Roebling, NJ . Call Stout's at 609-883-8891 and dial Extension 61 for more info on boarding locations and departure times.