Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is an annual broadleaf crop primarily grown in the Great Plains of the United States.1 The name is believed to be derived from the medieval French word “saffleur,” or from the Old Italian word “saffiore.”2 It is identified by its strong central stems that can grow from 12 to 36 inches tall, and branches that produce one to five yellow or orange flower heads that bloom in late July.3 The history of safflower is largely unknown, but it is believed to have originated from Asia. Remnants of it have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs dating all the way back to 3,500 B.C.4 In India, it has been mentioned in early scriptures as “kusumba” and in China, it is known as “hong hua.”5 It reached America in the 1950s, mainly in California, Nebraska and Arizona.6 Today, safflower is a widely grown crop around the world and is economically important to many countries, including the United States. Major global producers include Mexico, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Australia, China, India and Argentina.7 Health Benefits of Using SafflowerSafflower is known to provide a positive effect on the following:
The Different Applications of SafflowerSafflower has proven to be quite versatile throughout history. If you’re an animal lover, you can give safflower seeds to birds that land in your backyard via a small feeder. They are enjoyed by many species of birds, such as nuthatch, titmice and rose-breasted grosbeaks.13 If you’re a rancher, you can grow safflower to serve as food for sheep and cattle. If there are leftovers after a frost, you can turn them into hay for horses.14 In addition, farmers can use safflower as a trap crop,15 which is a border plant that protects main cash crops from pests or disease.16 Safflower is also economically important in places such as Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent because it is used as dye for their carpet-weaving industries.17 Two colors can be extracted from safflower: yellow and red. To create the yellow dye, safflowers are soaked in mild vinegar anywhere from a few hours to overnight. To produce the red dye, the flowers used to create the yellow dye are rinsed and soaked again, this time in an alkaline solution made of ammonia or washing soda. Then, vinegar is added again to bring out the red color.18 Growing Safflower in Your GardenGrowing safflower in your own home is a great way of avoiding dangerous toxins that typically come with commercially grown herbs. But before you start cultivating it, you need to survey your environment. Safflower grows best in areas with a long, hot summer and rainfall that measures less than 15 inches throughout the year.19 The soil should be well-draining and deep because safflower taproots can reach deep into the ground. If you don’t have high-quality soil, don’t worry because safflower can grow in various soil types as well, even with inadequate irrigation or rain.20 Start planting seeds in late April or early May at a depth of 1 to 1 1/2 inches below the soil, spaced 6 to 7 inches apart. This is the optimal space because a wider gap can promote weed growth and delay maturity. Seedlings will emerge in eight to 15 days.21 Monitor the garden for weeds, as they can compete with the safflower for water and nutrients. Keep an eye on your plants during the rainy season as well, due to the increased risk of fungal diseases.22 Safflower Recipe: Try Making Safflower TeaSafflower can be enjoyed in different ways, but the most convenient method is to drink it as tea. Follow the instructions below to make your own tea that you can enjoy alongside a healthy snack.23 How to Make Safflower Tea Ingredients
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Safflower May Benefit Your Health, but Be Aware of Some CaveatsThere are some things you should know before incorporating safflower into your diet. A 2013 mice study showed that continuous consumption of safflower extracts for 49 days had negative effects on the ovarian histomorphology and female reproductive hormones of the test animals.24 Month-long safflower consumption has been shown to be detrimental to male fertility in rats as well.25 Based on these findings, it’s wise to avoid safflower if you’re planning to conceive or start a family. Consulting with a doctor may also help rule out possible food allergies and other health potential complications. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/31/xdjm18-herbs-spices-18mcsa-safflower.aspx
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Breathing wields incredible power over your health, as it supplies your body with oxygen and removes excess carbon dioxide (CO2) to keep you alive. However, the way you breathe — whether fast or slow, shallow or deep — also sends messages to your body that affect your mood, stress level, blood pressure, immune function and more. What's interesting about breathing is that it's both a voluntary and an involuntary process. While your body breathes automatically, you also have the ability to consciously control your breathing — the speed, the depth and whether you breathe through your mouth or your nose. So, simply by changing the way you breathe, you can actually influence your health in a variety of ways. Here, I review some of the most important basics of proper breathing, and share several effective controlled breathing techniques shown to have a positive impact on health and psychological well-being. Always Breathe Through Your Nose — Even During ExercisePerhaps the most basic of all breathing techniques is to make sure you're always breathing through your nose. Mouth breathing tends to promote hyperventilation, which actually decreases tissue oxygenation. Mouth breathing also results in diminished levels of CO2 in your body and a decreased ability to filter toxic pollutants from the air. Your body needs a balance of oxygen and CO2 for optimal function. CO2 is not just a waste product but has actual biological roles, one of which is assisting in oxygen utilization. When your CO2 level is too low, changes in your blood pH impair your hemoglobin's ability to release oxygen to your cells (the Bohr effect).1,2 Mouth breathing can also elevate your heart rate and blood pressure, sometimes resulting in fatigue and dizziness.3 The elasticity of your lungs also depends on nasal resistance, which you only get from nasal breathing due to the smaller diameter of your nasal passages.4 Poor breathing is even associated with poor posture. So, breathing through your nose helps maintain your health in a number of important ways. While huffing and puffing through your mouth may be particularly tempting during physical exertion, really try to avoid this tendency. You should be exercising only to the extent that you can continue breathing through your nose the vast majority of the time. If this means backing off on intensity, then that's what you need to do, realizing that it's only temporary until your body begins to adjust to your slightly increased CO2 levels, which will happen fairly quickly. You just have to get used to "air hunger" (an admittedly uncomfortable feeling of mild suffocation), and realize it's normal and safe. So, the rule of thumb is to not push yourself to the point where you are unable to maintain nasal breathing. If you feel the need to open your mouth, then slow down and recover. This helps your body to gradually develop a tolerance for increased CO2. Assess Your CO2 ToleranceThere's a simple self-test for estimating your body's tolerance to CO2. Dr. Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko,5 a Russian physician, discovered that the level of CO2 in your lungs correlates to your ability to hold your breath after normal exhalation. You can use a stopwatch or simply count the number of seconds to yourself. Here is the process:
The time you just measured is called the "control pause" or CP, which reflects the tolerance of your body to carbon dioxide. Here are the criteria for evaluating your CP: • CP 40 to 60 seconds -- Indicates a normal, healthy breathing pattern and excellent physical endurance. • CP 20 to 40 seconds -- Indicates mild breathing impairment, moderate tolerance to physical exercise and potential for health problems in the future (most folks fall into this category). To increase your CP from 20 to 40, physical exercise is necessary. You might begin by simply walking with one nostril occluded. As your CP increases, begin incorporating jogging, cycling, swimming, weightlifting or anything else to build up an air shortage. • CP 10 to 20 seconds -- Indicates significant breathing impairment and poor tolerance to physical exercise; nasal breath training and lifestyle modifications are recommended. If your CP is less than 20 seconds, never have your mouth open during exercise, as your breathing is too unstable. This is particularly important if you have asthma. • CP under 10 seconds -- Serious breathing impairment, very poor exercise tolerance and chronic health problems. Short CP times correlate with low tolerance to CO2 and chronically depleted CO2 levels. As a result, the shorter your CP, the more easily you'll get breathless. The good news is that you will feel better and improve your exercise endurance with each five-second increase in your CP. Improve Fitness and Endurance by Raising Your CO2 ToleranceThe first step to increase your CP is to learn how to unblock your nose with the following breath hold exercise. While this exercise is perfectly safe for most, if you have any cardiac problems, high blood pressure, are pregnant, have Type 1 diabetes, panic attacks or any serious health concern, then do not hold your breath beyond the first urges to breathe.
Breathe Less and More LightlyWhile "breathe less" might sound like a terrible recommendation, most people chronically over breathe, meaning they breathe more than is needed, which depletes their carbon dioxide reserves. Typical characteristics of over breathing include mouth breathing, upper chest breathing, sighing, noticeable breathing during rest, and taking large breaths prior to talking. Clinical trials6 involving asthmatics show they breathe between 10 to 15 liters of air per minute and people with chronic heart disease tend to breathe between 15 to 18 liters of air per minute. On the other hand, normal breathing volume is between 4 and 7 liters of air per minute, which translates into 12 to 14 breaths. This suggests breathing less is a sign of better health. Conversely, the more you breathe, the more likely you are to experience significant health problems. What's more, if you are breathing through your mouth during the day, odds are you're also doing so at night, which can lead to health problems such as dehydration, snoring and sleep apnea.7,8,9,10,11,12 Mouth breathing is associated with several other health problems, including:
The trick to minimize these problems is to breathe more lightly, and this happens automatically when you shift from breathing through your mouth to your nose. Remember, the deeper and more quickly you breathe, the more constricted your blood vessels will be and the less oxygen will be delivered to your tissues.21 Breathing through the nose, on the other hand, slows down and regularizes your breathing, thereby improving oxygenation. Nasal breathing also has a calming effect because it activates your parasympathetic nervous system.22,23 Three Steps to Proper BreathingThe following steps will help your breath become lighter, such that the hairs in your nose barely move. Again, this type of light breathing helps you to enter and remain in a calm, meditative state while lowering your blood pressure and reducing nasal congestion for easier breathing. You may feel a slight air shortage at first, but this should be tolerable. If it becomes uncomfortable, take a 15-second break and then continue.
After three or four minutes of air hunger, you'll start experiencing the beneficial effects of CO2 accumulation, such as an increase in body temperature and an increase in saliva. The former is a sign of improved blood circulation, the latter a sign that your parasympathetic nervous system has been activated, which is important for stress reduction. Breathe Horizontally, Not VerticallyAnother near-universal breathing abnormality is breathing vertically rather than horizontally. This is something clinical psychologist Belisa Vranich points out in her book "Breathe," which details her breathing program. Vertical breathing makes you feel a bit taller on the in-breath, as it raises your chest and shoulders. The problem is that this kind of breathing actually triggers your sympathetic nervous system, basically signaling your body that you're stressed. Correct breathing will cause your midsection to widen, while not raising your shoulders or puffing out the upper part of your chest. This is the horizontal breath. At first, you may find it difficult to take a proper breath, as your midsection and diaphragm may be tight. To relearn proper horizontal breathing, Vranich suggests the following exercise:
Eventually, this exercise will teach your body to use the diaphragm to breathe. A related problem here is feeling short of breath, which is caused by insufficient exhalation that leaves excess residual air in your lungs. Engaging your diaphragm and intercostals — the muscles that run between your ribs, allowing your chest wall to move — will allow you to take more complete in and out breaths. You can also train yourself to exhale more fully by making sure your exhale is slightly longer than your inhale, and by engaging your diaphragm to really squeeze the air out as you allow your midsection to collapse inward. In the 4-7-8 exercise below, for example, your exhale is twice as long as your inhale. The condensed version of Vranich's interview is included above for your convenience. For the full interview, see "Breathing Program to Improve Mental and Physical Health." The Relaxing Breath — Improve Sleep With the 4-7-8 Breathing ExerciseDeep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which induces the relaxation response.24 There are many different breathing practices that will accomplish this, but the following is both powerful and easy to perform. I first learned this exercise when I attended a presentation by Dr. Andrew Weil at the 2009 Expo West in California. Here's a quick summary of the process.25 Weil also demonstrates the technique in the video above.
You can do this 4-7-8 exercise as frequently as you want throughout the day, but it's recommended you don't do more than four full breaths during the first month or so of practice. Later you may work your way up to eight full breath cycles at a time. The benefits of this simple practice are enormous and work as a natural tranquilizer for your nervous system. Ease Stress and Anxiety With Controlled BreathingAnother powerful technique is the Buteyko Breathing Method, which will help reverse health problems associated with improper breathing, the most common of which are overbreathing and mouthbreathing. When you stop mouthbreathing and learn to bring your breathing volume toward normal, you have better oxygenation of your tissues and organs, including your brain. The Buteyko Breathing Method and many other controlled breathing methods are also very effective for controlling anxiety and quelling panic attacks. As reported by Scientific American:26
Research27 also shows the relaxation response enhances "expression of genes associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin secretion and telomere maintenance," and reduces "expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress-related pathways." Scientific American lists six breathing techniques shown to relieve stress, anxiety and panic attacks, including alternate nostril breathing and abdominal breathing. The Buteyko Breathing Method is also indicated for this, as it allows you to retain and gently accumulate CO2, which calms breathing and reduces anxiety:
For Better Health, Control Your BreathTypically, the respiratory rate of humans is about 10 to 20 breaths per minute. Slowing your breathing down to a rate of four to 10 breaths per minute appears to offer many benefits, however, including effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory and autonomic nervous systems.28 Further, according to research29 published in the medical journal Breathe, optimized respiration in humans may be in the range of six to 10 breaths per minute, done in a way that activates your diaphragm. The researchers also note that nasal breathing (such as taught by the Buteyko method) "is also considered an important component of optimized respiration," and that:
Aside from the techniques already mentioned, there are many others. Following is a short list of a few additional breathing methods you can try, all of which are backed by scientific evidence30 showing their beneficial influence on human health.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/31/best-breathing-techniques.aspx When you think of methods to boost your heart health, you probably think about diet and exercise, but there’s another component that’s also important: sleep. Getting enough sleep each night, and quality sleep at that, has previously been associated with cardiovascular risk, and recent research also found that sleep is connected with subclinical atherosclerosis.1 Atherosclerosis is a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease that manifests clinically as coronary heart disease. Otherwise known as hardening and narrowing of the arteries, atherosclerosis describes a buildup of plaques in your arteries that can restrict blood flow, leading to blood clots, heart attack and stroke. At the subclinical level, atherosclerosis is in the early stages and may not yet be causing any symptoms. It’s also possible to reverse the progression at this stage, such that heart disease may be prevented. Toward this end, proper sleep is crucial. Lack of Sleep or Poor Sleep Increases Your Risk of Subclinical AtherosclerosisResearchers with the National Center for Cardiovascular Research in Madrid, Spain, used coronary ultrasound and CT scans to measure the artery health of close to 4,000 middle-aged adults and analyzed it according to their sleep duration and quality. Those who slept for less than six hours a night (very short sleep duration) were 27 percent more likely to have subclinical atherosclerosis than those who slept for seven or eight hours a night. People with fragmented sleep, meaning they woke up often or had trouble falling asleep, also had a 34 percent increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis compared to the longer sleepers. There appeared to be a sweet spot, however, as sleeping either too little or too much was associated with heart risks. Specifically, women who slept for more than eight hours a night had nearly double the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis compared to those who slept for seven to eight hours. To put it into another perspective, the participants, who had an average age of 46 years, had a 5.9 percent or 17.7 percent risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 or 30 years, respectively. However, when they slept for less than six hours a night, that risk increased to 6.9 percent for the next 10 years and 20.9 percent for 30 years.2 “[T]his study emphasizes we have to include sleep as one of the weapons we use to fight heart disease — a factor we are compromising every day,” senior study author José M. Ordovás, Ph.D., said in a statement.3 What’s more, he added, “This is the first study to show that objectively measured sleep is independently associated with atherosclerosis throughout the body, not just in the heart.” While atherosclerosis is often associated with heart disease, it can occur in any of your body’s arteries, with symptoms depending on which arteries are affected. Atherosclerosis in your brain can lead to stroke, for instance, while the condition in your kidneys can lead to high blood pressure or kidney failure, and atherosclerosis in the arteries in your arms and legs may lead to peripheral artery disease. This implies, then, that proper sleep could play a major role in disease prevention via its role in preventing atherosclerosis alone. The effect is so significant that an accompanying editorial noted that, with additional trials to confirm, sleep could be placed “alongside diet and exercise as a key pillar of a healthy lifestyle.”4 Sleeping Less Than Seven Hours a Night May Also Increase Heart Disease RiskThe link between sleep and heart health is not new, and it could be that even seven hours is just barely enough. People who sleep less than seven hours a night have an increased risk of heart disease,5 and this is true regardless of other factors that influence heart health, like age, weight, smoking and exercise habits. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF):6
People who struggle with sleep apnea, which causes frequent nighttime awakenings, often have heart troubles as well. Women with sleep apnea tend to have higher levels of the protein troponin T, which is a marker for heart damage, and are more likely to have an enlarged heart, which is a risk factor for heart disease.7 It’s likely due to lack of sleep that people who work long shifts may also be at risk of heart problems. Researchers from the University of Bonn in Germany took images of radiologists’ hearts before and after a 24-hour shift, during which they got only about three hours of sleep. Significant heart strain, a precursor to heart problems, was noted following the sleep deprivation.8 People who sleep less than seven hours a night are also more likely to have had a heart attack, along with other health problems including asthma and depression.9 Lack of Sleep Increases Your Risk of Health Conditions That Harm Your HeartToo little sleep probably harms your heart in a number of ways, including not only via atherosclerosis but also by increasing inflammation in your body. "Sleep-deprived people have higher blood levels of stress hormones and substances that indicate inflammation, a key player in cardiovascular disease. Even a single night of insufficient sleep can perturb your system,” according to Dr. Susan Redline, of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.10 Lack of sleep also increases your risk of a number of health problems that take a toll on heart health, including: • Blood pressure -- When you sleep, your blood pressure naturally goes down, a phenomenon known as “nocturnal dipping.” Lack of sleep dampens this natural dipping, which may increase your risk of death from heart disease by at least 20 percent.11 Lack of sleep is also known to increase nighttime blood pressure,12 and high blood pressure at night is an even better predictor of heart disease risk than daytime blood pressure. • Type 2 diabetes -- Too little sleep, poor sleep quality and sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea have all been associated with diabetes risk, via multiple mechanisms. “Both physiologic mechanisms such as insulin resistance, decreased leptin and increased ghrelin and inflammation and behavioral mechanisms such as increased food intake, impaired decision-making and increased likelihood of other behavioral risk factors such as smoking, sedentary behavior and alcohol use predispose to both diabetes and obesity, which itself is an important diabetes risk factor,” researchers wrote in Current Diabetes Reports.13 Diabetes, in turn, is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. • Obesity -- Research links not enough sleep with an increased risk of metabolic diseases, including obesity. One study found people who slept for an average of just six hours a night had a waist circumference more than 1 inch (3 centimeters) larger than those who slept for nine hours a night.14 People who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk of heart disease. Sleep Disorders Hurt Your Heart, TooData from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests one-third of U.S. adults are not getting the recommended seven hours of sleep each night.15 Sleep disorders are one reason why so many struggle to get a sound night’s rest, with sleep apnea being among them. An estimated 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea,16 the most common type being obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes the airway to become blocked during sleep, leading to reduced or blocked airflow. OSA is also associated with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, conditions also linked to heart disease, as noted above. Further, up to 80 percent of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea cases are undiagnosed, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA), which presents a dangerous scenario because, left untreated, the condition increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke and other heart problems.17 Insomnia is also prevalent, affecting 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population. Not only is insomnia associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease, but it’s also linked to a greater risk of heart attack, stroke and death associated with heart disease.18 “With more and more evidence for a connection between sleep and cardiovascular disease, some have argued for including sleep disturbances as the 10th potentially modifiable cardiovascular risk factor,” according to the American College of Cardiology.19 Further, when you don’t get enough sleep, it’s not only your heart that suffers. In fact, sleep deprivation, or a lack of quality sleep, has a significant impact on your overall health and may lead to the following:20
Trouble Sleeping? Here’s What Can HelpAdults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep a night, with most doing well with about eight. If you have trouble achieving this duration, or you wake frequently during the night, it’s time to take steps to improve your sleep hygiene, starting with your bedroom. Be sure you’re sleeping in complete darkness, as light (even that from a night light or alarm clock) can disrupt your internal clock and your production of melatonin and serotonin, thereby interfering with your sleep. In the morning, bright, blue-light-rich sunlight signals to your body that it's time to wake up. At night, as the sun sets, darkness should signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Keep the temperature cool, between 60 and 68 degrees F, and eliminate electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Ideally, shut down the electricity to your bedroom by pulling your circuit breaker before bed and turning off your Wi-Fi at night. This is just a starting point. Other ways to improve your sleep including adopting a neutral sleeping position, going to bed earlier and considering a separate bedroom if your partner is interfering with your sleep. If you’ve already addressed these issues and are still struggling with sleep, see my 33 healthy sleep secrets for a more comprehensive list of strategies for a better night’s rest — your heart, and your health, will thank you. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/31/sleep-apnea-heart-disease.aspx Modern agricultural practices have been a threat to life on Earth and are a factor in virtually every growing environmental and health problem. Farmers 100 years ago would have laughed at such a thing happening, as agriculture is necessary for food production and, therefore, life. However, it is indisputable today we are drastically and negatively affecting air, soil and water. Scientists are now calling for the definition of a new geological age, moving Earth from the Holocene era of stability into Anthropocene, marked by significant and permanent changes to the Earth from mankind. In the past decades, food production has focused on efficiency and lowering immediate costs. This approach has been responsible for skyrocketing disease statistics and a faltering ecosystem struggling with rapidly reducing clean water supplies and soil unable to support plant life. Toxic agricultural chemicals are polluting the air and waterways, threatening the entire food chain and disrupting normal rainfall patterns. Poorly Designed Food Production Negatively Impacts the EnvironmentToday's large agrichemical businesses were designed to increase production and financial gains. While traditional farming sustained mankind for thousands of years, industrial farming has managed to create a series of unsustainable situations in less than 70 years. For instance, topsoil destruction and erosion are exacerbated by monocropping and tilling. Maria-Helena Semedo of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has warned at the current rate of topsoil degradation, all the world's topsoil will be gone in less than 60 years.1 These changes can potentially create another dust bowl. In the 1930s farmers plowed the Southern Plains. After three consecutive drought years the area turned into an uninhabitable and unworkable dust bowl. Current research suggests modern agricultural methods will not protect us from a repeat of those devastating conditions.2 Bioethicist George Dvorsky3 believes a common expectation is a dust bowl would not occur since 30 percent of produce production is irrigated in the U.S., and corn is not planted in severely drought-stricken places. However, according to simulations, if the U.S. were to experience the same kind of drought today, we’d lose nearly 40 percent of our commodity crops. Degradation of topsoil and industrial farming, which uses an estimated 80 percent of our freshwater supply,4 means much water is wasted as it washes through the soil and passes the plants’ root systems. In seeking efficiency, large-scale industrialized agricultural endeavors have created a reduction in diversity. Monoculture farming significantly contributes to dietary changes promoting poor health in both humans and the soil. According to a report by the Royal Botanic Gardens in the U.K., one-fifth of all plants worldwide are threatened with extinction, primarily through the expansion of agriculture and monoculture farming.5 EAT-Lancet Commission Goals Are Far-Reaching, but Results Fall ShortIn 2016, the Stockholm Resilience Centre,6 Lancet7 and EAT announced the EAT-Lansing Commission to investigate connections between nutrition, health and the ability of the planet to sustain the food supply. According to their site, EAT is:8,9
The commission acknowledged food systems are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and users of freshwater, each leading to biodiversity loss and land-use changes, and triggering dead zones in lakes and coastal areas. The commission’s goals were to bring together scientists from around the globe to reach a scientific consensus defining a healthy diet, a sustainable food system, how to achieve a healthy diet from a sustainable food system and the solutions and policies needed.10 To date the American Heart Association,11 American Diabetes Association12 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention13 do not have a solid consensus on what constitutes a healthy diet. However, many of their experts do acknowledge lowering carbohydrates and sugar intake, and increasing amounts of vegetables and healthy fats are important steps. One of the initiatives of EAT is to bring together an “ambitious global business partnership” for a “systemic approach across the food system to drive industry change.” Their partners14 include Bayer, Cargill, DuPont, Kellogg's and Syngenta, each with its own desire to maintain financial health through product promotion, including genetically engineered (GE) seeds, insecticides, pesticides and cereals. EAT-Lancet Commission Promotes Vegetarian-Based DietThe EAT-Lancet commission report published in the Lancet,15 includes broad recommendations to choose healthy, sustainable and delicious foods, cooking more at home, eating a diverse vegetarian diet and embracing plants as a source of protein. In a recommendation to support regenerative farming practices, they single out industrial livestock agriculture as creating the greatest damage to the environment.16 The report falls just short of recommending a strict vegetarian diet, but states it appears feeding a growing planet population using animal sources is not sustainable. As I’ve written many times in the past, industrial farming practices, whether livestock or plant-based, are not sustainable moving into the future, and reliable access to sufficient nutritious foods is severely threatened. However, the movement to regenerative practices and principles will certainly stop the forward motion of environmental damage and may reverse a portion. The commission’s recommendations are supported by companies who supply GE seeds, toxic pesticides and insecticides and a broad range of cereals. Cereal products are often positioned in the same grocery aisle as the candy, likely related to the similar amounts of added sugar in the products. As noted by cochair Johan Rockström prior to the commission meeting:17
The stated goals of the commission were aimed at current trends and concerns over global rainfall and climate developments, with the hope to define a diet plan to balance nutrition, sustain the environment and reduce disease states around the globe. However, its recommendations will not support optimal health, and appear to have several loopholes. Lack of Nutrition in EAT-Lancet Diet May Increase Your Risk of DiseaseThe report believes there are reasons to “be cheerful”18 as past examples of system change have resulted in better public health. They offer examples of “tobacco controls” to reduce lung cancer, and the move over the past 70 years to reduce or eliminate trans fats from the food supply — neither of which have successfully eliminated the problem. In the report, the authors state:19
According to an in-depth evaluation by Zoe Harcombe, Ph.D., nutritional researcher, author and public speaker, the report promotes a “healthy reference diet,” which has been called the EAT diet in media reports. In her analysis,20 Harcombe used the All Food Database developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to compare against the healthy reference diet. The tool aggregated macro and micronutrients found in the different foods. Based on her analysis of a 2,500-calorie diet for an adult male, the reference diet promotes 51 percent macro-nutrients from carbohydrates, 35 percent from fat and 14 percent from proteins. These recommendations are significantly different from those from other nutritional experts who recommend a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet in order to reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. The reference diet is also slightly deficient in vitamin B12. Harcombe writes:21
She also points out the diet is low in retinol, vitamin D, vitamin K and contains only 55 percent of the current calcium recommendations. The EAT diet also provides just 22 percent of the current sodium recommendation, which is already low. Additionally, it only provides 67 percent of the necessary potassium for optimal health.22 Recommendations for iron are slightly more severe. The EAT diet provides 88 percent of the recommended iron, but from plant sources. Your body absorbs heme iron from meat, poultry, seafood and fish better than it does for from plants. To accommodate the differences for vegetarians, the National Institutes of Health recommends:23
For optimal health, you also require a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fats, coming as close to a 1-to-1 ratio as possible. Since your body cannot synthesize omega-3 fats, they must be obtained from your diet. However, the standard American diet is nearly devoid of this critical nutrient,24 while omega-6 fats are consumed in abundance. It’s important to realize that most of the cellular health benefits are linked to the animal-based eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), not the plant-based alpha-linoleic acid (ALA). Authors in one study25 concluded U.S. adults do not meet the recommended levels for animal-based omega-3 fats. Harcombe believes the new EAT diet is highly likely to be deficient in omega-3 as it contains nearly 350 calories of highly unsaturated vegetable oils, which have an unhealthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.26 Sustainable, Regenerative Farming Practices Actually Feed the LandRegenerative and sustainable farming practices producing plant- and animal-based food products are already being used successfully. However, while regenerative agriculture is finally moving toward the forefront in farming practices, many traditional organics have been swallowed up by larger corporations. As a result, organic standards have been significantly watered down. One case in point is the acceptance of hydroponics for organic certification. Regenerative agriculture is aimed at the protection and rebuilding of topsoil and ecological biodiversity. When foods are grown without soil, how can their operations improve soil health? The high price for substandard, cheap factory food is found in medical bills, chronic disease and increasing use of medications. Instead, it's time to see the soil as a living, functioning ecosystem. When farmers focus on what the soil needs to thrive, nutrients are automatically made available to plants, improving the plants’ nutrition. Some of the benefits of regenerative methods include retention of moisture in the soil, which helps the plants to weather dry spells and drought conditions. Regenerative farming practices also include integrating livestock and other animals, including insects. While the EAT-Lancet Commission views livestock as a large contributor to climate change problems, it's important to realize this is only true when animals are raised on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). By allowing animals to graze freely, they become part of the solution — foraging, depositing manure and trampling vegetation into the ground. This is all part of a natural life cycle that had maintained a stable ecosystem for centuries before industrial farming became normal practice. Animals raised in CAFOs also produce methane, destructive to the ozone layer. This happens as they're raised on an unnatural diet of grains their body was not designed to eat. The diet alters the gut microbiome, promoting the production of methane. Unfortunately, subsidies by the USDA Farm program for junk food ingredients has significantly impacted the ability of farmers to move toward regenerative farming practices. The farm program offers revenue insurance or crop insurance with strings attached, such as growing monocultures completely focused on yield without determining the impact on soil or the ecosystem at large. While the EAT-Lancet Commission proposes regenerative farming practices, their recommendations promote strategies that support plant-based farming only, without committing to truly comprehensive regenerative farming principles or the removal of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.27 What Can You Do?You can vote with your wallet by seeking out local farmers who use regenerative or biodynamic farming practices for your plant- and animal-based food products. If you currently have a large lawn and ornamental plants, consider transitioning to more edibles. When I moved into the house I live in now, the landscaping was 100 percent ornamental. It's probably only 10 to 15 percent ornamentals now, which serve a purpose by attracting pollinators. In my interview with Gabe Brown, a pioneer in regenerative land management, he says:
Even college students living in a dormitory and those who rent can grow sunflower seed sprouts or microgreens, participate in a community garden if there's one nearby, or grow a container garden. Growing your own food may seem daunting at first, but it's a practical approach to food security. If you grow a large portion of the fresh food you eat, you’ll have better quality food you know hasn’t been exposed to toxic chemicals. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/30/eat-lancet-commission-food-system.aspx Children as young as 11 are struggling with addictions to e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, in reference to the vapor (opposed to smoke) emitted from the device. The gradual demise of traditional cigarettes has been heralded as an achievement for better health, but the danger is the alternative many have chosen may be just as alarming. While e-cigarettes do not expose you to thousands of toxic compounds found in conventional combustible cigarettes, researchers are only beginning to understand the toxicities involved in smoking e-cigarettes. In some ways, these man-made options may be just as dangerous, just with different consequences. There is a perceived assurance these devices are safe and harmless as the vapors are often odorless and large e-cigarette companies spend large amounts of money on advertising to convince users they are a safe alternative to smoking, or an aid to stop smoking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 calls tobacco use the "single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States," killing more than 480,000 Americans every year and 41,000 from exposure to secondhand smoke. But even bystanders are exposed to toxic nicotine, heavy metals, fine particulate matter and formaldehyde from e-cigarette devices. Electronic cigarettes are also sometimes called e-hookahs, vape pens and electronic nicotine delivery systems. Some look like regular cigarettes, cigars or pipes, while others look like USB flash drives, pens and other everyday items. No Treatment Options for Teenage Vaping AddictsSome of the nation's top health authorities now believe teen vaping has reached epidemic proportions, affecting some 3.6 million underage users. But while the problem grows rapidly, no one seems to have an idea of how to best help teenagers who may be addicted to electronically delivered nicotine. Federal law prohibits the sale of vaping devices to those under 18, although many high school students have reported getting them from older students, online or siblings. To date there has been little discussion of how to treat nicotine addiction in younger children as this is a relatively new problem.2 Inhaling cigarette smoke is harsh and not pleasurable the first several times. This sometimes discourages teenagers from picking up the habit altogether. This deterrent does not exist with vaping, a process typically smoother and laced with flavor. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering the role new drug treatments may play in helping children give up nicotine. The medications currently on the market are not approved for use in children or young teens, leaving them without a medical option to help them quit the vape habit. The FDA held a public hearing to allow medical organizations and the vaping industry to weigh in.3 During the hearing, FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb made a direct threat against the industry, saying:4
Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, who studies youth e-cigarette use at Stanford Children’s Health, also spoke before the public hearing, commenting on how the FDA is helping to muddy the waters by saying e-cigs are safer:5
But until changes are made, parents and teens are faced with the fact that quitting a nicotine habit requires patience, discipline and a willingness to follow a treatment plan. These strategies do not come easily to young minds not fully cognitively developed. Dr. Susanne Tanski, a tobacco prevention expert with the American Academy of Pediatrics, commented:6
Teen Vaping Rising PrecipitouslyIn a recent study evaluating e-cigarette use in adults,7 researchers found of e-cigarette adult users, 15 percent went on to become cigarette smokers. The prevalence in the study was highest among persons aged 18 to 24 years, translating to nearly 2.8 million users in this age group. More than half the users were younger than 35. These results support other data8 showing young people are more engaged by vaping than older adults. A recent Gallup Poll reported 9 percent of all Americans say they regularly or occasionally vape.9 However, this rate is 20 percent among those 18 to 29 years old, compared to 8 percent in those over 30. According to this poll vaping is now on par with the 18- to 29-year-old group’s use of conventional cigarettes. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) reports a small decrease in the estimated number of smokers globally since 2000, the number who are vaping has only continued to rise, from 5 million to over 40 million.10 Estimates are the global market has reached $22.6 billion, up from $4.2 billion just five years ago. The U.S. far out distances the second largest markets — Japan and the United Kingdom. A 2016 report from the U.S. Surgeon General11 cites a 900 percent increase in vaping by high school students between 2011 and 2015. The prevalence of vaping doubled from 2017 to 2018, as a large federally funded survey12 conducted annually by the University of Michigan in their Monitoring the Future Study13 found twice as many high school students are using electronic nicotine delivery systems this year as compared to last year.14 Experts attribute this jump to versions of the device, like those produced by Juul Labs resembling a computer flash drive that can be used discreetly at school. One bright spot in the study found teenagers are saying “no” more frequently to cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy, heroin and opioid pills.15 Juul Nicotine Salts Are Wildly AddictiveIf nicotine delivered through traditional combustible cigarettes is addictive, then the delivery system Juul developed to increase their market share is super addictive. And, there is good reason for why vaping a Juul is a significantly different experience than traditional smoking or other e-cigarettes. Morgan Stanley analyst Pamela Kaufman16 told investors “Juul’s success underscores the potential for disruptive technology to undermine U.S. tobacco’s reliable business algorithm.” Business Insider says the product is so popular, it has become a verb; it's not “smoking” or “vaping” anymore, it's “Juuling.” Juul presents itself as the “most satisfying” and “genuine alternative to cigarettes”17 delivering a “nicotine hit that's much more like smoking a cigarette than other e-cigs.”18 The company accomplished this using their patented JuulSalts, approaching nicotine delivery much more like traditional cigarettes. Since Juuls are less harsh to inhale and the nicotine can be absorbed directly through the mucous membranes in your mouth, those vaping agree they get a much stronger nicotine “hit” than from other e-cigs. JuulSalts make the nicotine easier to access. According to the company website, freebase nicotine is mixed with benzoic acid to make the e-liquid, which has a chemical reaction to produce the nicotine salts. JuulPod e-liquid cartridges contain up to twice the amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, and they're just as easy to inhale.19 Biggest American Cigarette Company Buys 35 Percent Stake in JuulAlthough Juul Labs already has the largest market share in e-cigarette sales, this may potentially grow even larger with a new partnership with Altria, one of the world's largest tobacco companies, which owns Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro cigarettes and a number of other traditional tobacco companies. With a minority investment of $12.8 billion for 35 percent ownership in the company, Altria announced a mission to eliminate its production of traditional cigarettes. By eliminating Marlboro cigarettes, Altria will no longer be competing against its other interest and Juul has a sure footing for greater domination in e-cigarettes sales. This came on the heels of a $1.8 billion investment in a Canadian cannabis company. With a decline in traditional cigarette smoking, this poises Altria for rapid growth in the e-cigarette market and gives Juul access to a massive distribution network and advertising campaigns. In a statement,20 Matthew Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said:
Teen Vaping May Increase Potential to Smoke Traditional Cigarettes and Other Addictive BehaviorDespite the industry's claims to the contrary, a growing body of data continues to demonstrate damage to the user and bystander from e-cig vapor. One of the significant dangers to teens is a common misconception that the practice is not dangerous.21 FDA data also revealed that compared to 2017, in 2018:22
Thirty-one percent of those surveyed said the availability of flavors like mint, candy, fruit or chocolate was the reason why they used e-cigarettes, while 17 percent cited the belief they're less harmful than other forms of tobacco, such as cigarettes. Among high school seniors who have never smoked combustible cigarettes, those who vape are four times more likely to pick up a cigarette in the following year. Researchers also find those who vape are more likely to move away from the view that smoking poses a greater risk of harm than those who never pick up an e-cigarette. Results from this study contribute:23
An animal study from the University of Pennsylvania24 determined rats exposed to nicotine during adolescence grew up to drink more alcohol than those who were not exposed. Exposure at a young age changes the neurological circuitry in the brain within the reward center, potentially explaining how exposure at a young age increases the potential for addictive behavior later in life.25 Vaping Increases Risk of Heart and Lung DiseaseIn addition to leading to smoking traditional cigarettes in the future, vaping also delivers an appalling amount of heavy metals and toxic chemicals. E-cigarette devices other than Juul deliver lower levels of nicotine than traditional cigarettes. Yet, people exposed to e-cigarette air pollution have similar levels of nicotine in their system as those exposed to traditional second hand smoke.26 Other toxins detected in e-cigarette vapor include diacetyl, formaldehyde, diethylene glycol, tobacco-specific nitrosamine and highly reactive free radicals. According to a study from Boston University School of Medicine, e-cigarette flavors may induce early signs of cardiovascular disease leading to heart attack, stroke and even death.27 The scientists found changes appeared almost immediately on the cellular level.28 A recent study29 found vapor from e-cigs boosts production of inflammatory chemicals and impairs the activity of macrophages, leading researchers to conclude it may damage vital immune system cells.30 Many of the effects researchers observed were similar to those seen in people who regularly smoke traditional cigarettes or those with chronic lung disease. The researchers found e-cigarette vapor disabled the ability of macrophages to engulf bacteria and protect pulmonary function. This type of damage increases lung cells vulnerability to dust, bacteria and allergens, also increasing the risk of triggering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A study31 from the University of Michigan found the benefits of using vaping to quit smoking also far outweigh the health risks associated with teens who move from vaping to traditional cigarettes. Talk with Your ChildrenDr. Deepa Camenga, a pediatrician who is board certified in addiction medicine, recommends you talk early to your children about e-cigarettes in age appropriate language. She recommends:32
Dr. Patrick O'Connor, Yale School of Medicine, has dedicated his career to opioid and alcohol drug abuse research. He points out similarities between the epidemic in cigarette use in the 1940s and 1950s and the rising e-cigarette epidemic found in teens today. Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Ph.D., is the co-leader of the Yale Tobacco Center for Regulatory Science, one of 14 centers in the U.S. funded by the National Institutes of Health and the FDA to foster tobacco regulatory research. She recommends parents do not purchase e-cigs under the misconception they may prevent their children from smoking traditional cigarettes, and says:33
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/30/vaping-addiction.aspx 30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health This article is included in Dr. Mercola's All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here. The amount and quality of light you're exposed to every day can have an enormous impact on your health. The healthiest light, of course, is natural sunlight, which has a number of benefits beyond the making of vitamin D in your skin. Unfortunately, most of us spend very little time outdoors during the daytime, thereby missing this important health component. What's worse, most have replaced their incandescent light bulbs — which most closely resemble full spectrum analog natural sunlight — with energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) lights, which have a number of detrimental biological effects. LEDs emit a large amount of aggressive blue light that generates high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress, and are devoid of near-infrared light that would help counteract some of that damage. Here, I review some of the top dangers of LED lights, and provide guidance for how to remediate these issues to protect your health. Above, I've also included my October 2016 interview with Dr. Alexander Wunsch, a world class expert on photobiology, in which he reveals the hidden dangers of LED lighting that most people are completely unaware of. The main problem with LEDs comprises two aspects: First, they emit excessive amounts of blue wavelengths, which are embedded in other wavelengths and therefore invisible to the naked eye and, second, their spectrum lacks the counterbalancing healing and regenerative near-infrared frequencies. They have very little red in them, and no infrared, which is the wavelength required for repair and regeneration. When you are exposed to these higher amounts of blue light frequencies they catalyze excess ROS formation that contributes to biologic damage. So, when using LEDs, you end up with increased cellular damage and decreased repair and regeneration. The end result, as one would expect, is a higher risk for chronic disease and an impaired ability to heal. Danger No. 1: LED Lighting Deteriorates VisionAs mentioned, virtually all LED lighting bulbs have no near-infrared frequencies to balance their blue light frequencies. The near-infrared frequencies are especially valuable for healing and affect your health in a number of important ways. In your eyes, near-infrared helps priming your retinal cells for repair and regeneration. In addition, LEDs emit an excess of digital blue light, that in combination with a deficiency of the near infrared frequencies, generates ROS. Taken together, this explains why LEDs are so harmful for your eyes in particular. You probably know that blue light in the evening reduces your melatonin production in your pineal gland. But you also have cells in your retina that are responsible for producing melatonin in order to help regenerate your retina during the night. If you use LED lights after sunset, you reduce the regenerative and restoring capacities of your eyes. Needless to say, with less regeneration you end up with degeneration. In this case, the degeneration can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is the primary cause of blindness among the elderly. Lack of sunlight exposure during the day has also been implicated in the massive rise in myopia (nearsightedness).1 Sunlight releases dopamine in your retina, slowing the growth of your eye and therefore possibly slowing the elongation of the eye and changes to your sight.2 Blue light also reduces your production of melatonin which, beyond impeding sleep, also increases your risk of insulin resistance, which also raises your risk of myopia.3 Danger No. 2: LED Light Exacerbates Chronic Disease Through Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Suppressed Energy ProductionImportantly, LED light affects your mitochondrial function and may exacerbate health problems rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction, including metabolic disorder and cancer. Chromophores are molecules that absorb light. There's an optical tissue window ranging from 600 to 1,400 nanometers, which means it is almost completely covered by the near-infrared- part of the light spectrum. This optical tissue window allows the radiation to penetrate an inch or more into bodily tissues. Chromophores are found in your mitochondria and in activated water molecules. In your mitochondria, there's also a specific molecule called cytochrome c oxidase that is involved in the energy production within the mitochondria. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — cellular energy — is the end product. ATP is the fuel your cells need for all of their varied functions, including ion transport, synthesizing and metabolism. Your body produces your body weight in ATP every day. And, while you can survive for several minutes without oxygen, were all ATP production to suddenly stop, you'd die within 15 seconds. This is why lighting is so important. Light is a sorely misunderstood and overlooked part of the equation for biological energy production, specifically at the mitochondrial ATP level. Since the cytochrome c oxidase is responsible for an increased production of ATP, the cell has a better supply of energy, which allows it to perform better, and this is true no matter where the cell resides. This means liver cells with more ATP will be able to detoxify your body more efficiently; fibroblasts in your skin will be able to synthesize more collagen fibers and so on, because ATP is crucial for all cellular functions. The key take-home message here is that your body's energy production involves not just food intake. You also need exposure to certain wavelengths of light in order for your metabolism to function optimally. This is yet another reason why sun exposure is so vitally important for optimal health, and why LED light bulbs are best avoided. Danger No. 3: LED Light Impedes Your SleepLED light, including that from electronic screens, also suppresses melatonin production, thereby disrupting sleep, and this too can have far-reaching consequences for your health. Light-sensitive cells in your eyes track blue light, which in turn triggers different processes in your suprachiasmatic nucleus, a small region in your brain's hypothalamus. Among them is relaying to your pineal gland the news that when there is a lot of blue light, the production of melatonin should stop to facilitate wakefulness. Under normal conditions, as the sun sets and blue light decreases, production of melatonin increases, which helps you fall asleep. However, if you're exposed to unopposed blue enriched LED light, especially if it is bright, in the evening this sequence is interrupted, resulting in sleep problems. Indeed, research4 confirms that "blue light from LEDs elicits a dose-dependent suppression of melatonin in humans." Looking at a tablet for even two hours in the evening is enough to suppress your body's natural nighttime rise of this hormone,5 and research6,7 shows using an electronic device within one hour of bedtime can delay falling asleep for more than an hour. Another study8 that compared melatonin profiles in individuals exposed to standard room light (<200 lux) versus dim light (<3 lux) found exposure to room light before bedtime shortened the time of elevated melatonin levels by about 90 minutes. That means it may take you an extra hour and a half before you're sleepy enough to fall asleep once you're in bed. Combine room light and electronic displays right before bed and it's easy to see how sleep may remain elusive for hours on end. Most of us enjoy watching TV in the evening as a form of relaxation before bed. I certainly do and watch many great Netflix documentaries. The key here is most TVs can't filter out blue light, but if you use a computer monitor as your TV screen you can use Iris; simply install the blue light filtering software on your computer. This will allow you to safely watch TV at night without suppressing your melatonin. For Optimal Health, Address Your Daily Light ExposureThe good news is that you can remedy all of these health dangers by modifying your light environment and resynchronizing your body to the natural cycles of light and dark. Here are four key considerations: 1. Replace LEDs in key areas with incandescent light bulbs -- While LEDs are indeed more energy efficient, the price you pay in terms of your health far outweigh such cost savings. In areas where you spend most of your time during the day and evening, such as your kitchen, dining room, living room and office, swap out your LEDs for regular incandescent light bulbs, and leave the LEDs for areas such as hallways, closets, garage and porch, where your exposure to them is minimal. The key here is KEY areas. You do NOT need to replace all the LED bulbs in your home, only the ones you use all the time. In my case that is my kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. All the other rooms have LEDs that are virtually never turned on, but when they are turned on and someone forgets to turn them off, not much electricity is wasted. 2. Get bright, natural light exposure during the day -- Light intensity is important, as it synchronizes your master body clock, comprised of a group of cells in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nuclei. These nuclei synchronize to the light-dark cycle of your environment when certain wavelengths of light enter your eyes. To get good sleep, you need properly aligned circadian rhythms, and step No. 1 is to make sure you get a sufficient dose of bright light exposure during the daytime. Your pineal gland produces melatonin roughly in approximation to the contrast of bright sun exposure in the day and complete darkness at night. If you're in darkness all day long, your body can't appreciate the difference and will not optimize melatonin production. Ideally, to help your circadian system reset itself, get at least 10 to 15 minutes of light first thing in the morning. This will send a strong message to your internal clock that day has arrived, making it less likely to be confused by weaker light signals later on. Then, around solar noon, get another "dose" of 30 to 60 minutes' worth of sunlight. 3. Avoid blue enriched light at night -- Melatonin acts as a marker of your circadian phase or biological timing. Normally, your brain starts progressively increasing the hormone melatonin around 9 or 10 p.m., which makes you sleepy. Somewhere between 50 and 1,000 lux is the activation range within which light will begin to suppress melatonin production. However, wavelength is also important. Red and amber lights will not suppress melatonin while blue, green and white lights will. So, be sure to avoid the blue light wavelength after sunset. This includes artificial light, and light emitted by electronics such as your TV, computer and other electronic screens. There are a number of ways to avoid blue enriched light in the evening depending on your lifestyle and personal preferences, including the following suggestions. You can also learn more by reviewing my 2014 interview with researcher Dan Pardi. • Turn off or dim all lights after sunset, and avoid watching TV or using light emitting electronics for at least one hour before bedtime (ideally two hours or more). • After sundown, shift to a low-wattage bulb with yellow, orange or red light if you need illumination. A salt lamp illuminated by a 5-watt bulb is an ideal solution that will not interfere with your melatonin production. • If using a computer, smartphone or tablet, install blue light-blocking software like Iris,9 or use amber colored glasses that block blue light.10 Studies11,12,13 have confirmed that when using blue-blocking glasses,14 people produce as much melatonin as they do in dim light, even if they're in a lit room or using light emitting technology. Other studies15 have shown that people using blue-blocking glasses had major improvements in both sleep quality and mood. Shift workers who use them before bedtime (i.e., in the morning when it's bright out) also report improved sleep.16 4. Sleep in darkness -- Once it's time to go to sleep, make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible. Exposure to room light during sleep has been shown to suppress melatonin by more than 50 percent,17 but even a small amount of light can decrease your melatonin. Simply closing your eyes is not enough as light can penetrate your eyelids. If blackout shades are too great an investment, a sleep mask can do the job for far less money. Also keep in mind that digital alarm clocks with an LED display could have a detrimental effect, so either swap out your clock, or cover the display. Alternatives include a sun alarm clock, which wakes you up by gradually increasing the intensity of light, thereby simulating sunrise, or a talking alarm clock,18 designed for the visually impaired. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/30/led-lights-health-risks.aspx In what can only be described as a new level of propaganda, hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh featured a flu shot stunt during the 76th Golden Globe Awards ceremony. They told the audience to roll up their sleeves, as they would all be getting flu shots, while people in white coats stormed down the aisles, syringes in hand. Most of the audience looked thoroughly uneasy at the prospect of having a stranger stick them with a needle in the middle of an awards show. But perhaps the worst part of the scene was when Samberg added that anti-vaxxers could put a napkin over their head if they wanted to be skipped, basically suggesting that anyone opposed to a flu shot deserved to be branded with a proverbial scarlet letter. The flu shots, for the record, were reportedly fake,1 nothing more than a bizarre gag that left many people stunned by the Globe's poor taste in turning a serious medical choice into a publicity gimmick. Flu Shot Stunt Reeks of DesperationWhoever came up with the idea to turn the Golden Globes into a platform for a public health message probably thought it was ingenious, but the stunt only serves as a seemingly desperate attempt to make flu shots relevant and in vogue. During the 2017 to 2018 flu season, only 37 percent of U.S. adults received a flu shot, a 6 percent drop from the prior season.2 "To improve flu vaccination coverage for the 2018-19 flu season, health care providers are encouraged to strongly recommend and offer flu vaccination to all of their patients,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote. “People not visiting a provider during the flu season have many convenient places they can go for a flu vaccination."3 Yet, perhaps the decline in people choosing to get vaccinated has nothing to do with convenience and everything to do with their dismal rates of efficacy. In the decade between 2005 and 2015, the influenza vaccine was less than 50 percent effective more than half of the time.4 The 2017/2018 flu vaccine was a perfect example of this trend. The overall adjusted vaccine effectiveness against influenza A and B virus infection was just 36 percent.5 Health officials blamed the flu season’s severity on the dip in vaccination rates, but as Dr. Paul Auwaerter, clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told USA Today, “[I]t is also true that the vaccine was not as well matched against the strains that circulated."6 But bringing flu shots to the Golden Globes, and calling out “anti-vaxxers,” is nothing more than “medical care, by shame,” noted Dr. Don Harte, a chiropractic activist in California. “But it was entertaining, in a very weird way, including the shock and disgust of some of the intended victims, notably [Willem Dafoe],” he said, adding:7
Did 80,000 People Really Die From the Flu Last Year?The CDC reported that 79,400 people died from influenza during the 2017/2018 season, which they said "serves as a reminder of how severe seasonal influenza can be."8 It's important to remember, however, that the 80,000 deaths figure being widely reported in the media is not actually all "flu deaths." According to the CDC, “We look at death certificates that have pneumonia or influenza causes (P&I), other respiratory and circulatory causes (R&C), or other nonrespiratory, noncirculatory causes of death, because deaths related to flu may not have influenza listed as a cause of death."9 As for why the CDC doesn’t base flu mortality estimates only on death certificates that list influenza, they noted, “Seasonal influenza may lead to death from other causes, such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease … Additionally, some deaths — particularly among the elderly — are associated with secondary complications of seasonal influenza (including bacterial pneumonias)."10 In other words, "flu deaths" are not just deaths directly caused by the influenza virus, but also secondary infections such as pneumonia and other respiratory diseases, as well as sepsis.11 According to the CDC, most of the deaths occurred among those aged 65 years and over, a population that may already have preexisting conditions that makes them more susceptible to infectious diseases. As Harte said of annual flu deaths, “[M]ost if not all, I would assume, are of people who are already in very bad shape.12 CDC Claims Flu Vaccine Reduces Flu Deaths in the Elderly — But Does It?Since people aged 65 and over are those most at risk from flu complications and death, the CDC has been vocal in their claims that the flu shot significantly reduces flu-related deaths among this population. The research, however, says otherwise. Research published in 2005 found no correlation between increased vaccination rates among the elderly and reduced mortality. According to the authors, "Because fewer than 10 percent of all winter deaths were attributable to influenza in any season, we conclude that observational studies substantially overestimate vaccination benefit."13 A 2006 study also showed that even though seniors vaccinated against influenza had a 44 percent reduced risk of dying during flu season than unvaccinated seniors, those who were vaccinated were also 61 percent less like to die before the flu season ever started.14 This finding has since been attributed to a "healthy user effect," which suggests that older people who get vaccinated against influenza are already healthier and, therefore, less likely to die anyway, whereas those who do not get the shot have suffered a decline in health in recent months. Journalist Jeremy Hammond summed up the CDC's continued spreading of misinformation regarding the flu vaccine's effectiveness in the elderly, as they continue to claim it's the best way to prevent the flu:15
Death of Vaccinated Child Blamed on Not Getting Second DoseIn January 2019, the state of Colorado reported the first child flu death of the 2018/2019 flu season — a child who had received influenza vaccination. But instead of highlighting the vaccine's failure and clear limitations, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment blamed the death on the child being only "partially vaccinated." "It's an unfortunate but important reminder of the importance of two doses of influenza vaccine for young children who are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time," Dr. Rachel Herlihy, who is the state communicable disease epidemiologist, said in a news release.16 For those who aren't aware, the CDC notes that one dose of flu shot may not be enough to protect against the flu. Instead, they state:17
Not only may the flu vaccine fail to provide protection against the flu, but many people are not aware that other types of viruses are responsible for about 80 percent of all respiratory infections during any given flu season.18 The flu vaccine does not protect against or prevent any of these other types of respiratory infections causing influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms. The chance of contracting actual type A or B influenza, caused by one of the three or four influenza virus strains included in the vaccine, is much lower compared to getting sick with another type of viral or bacterial infection during the flu season. Does Flu Vaccine Increase the Risk of Influenza Infection, Contribute to Vaccine Shedding?There are serious adverse effects that can come along with annual flu vaccination, including potentially lifelong side effects such as Guillain Barré syndrome and chronic shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA). They may also increase your risk of contracting more serious flu infections, as research suggests those who have been vaccinated annually may be less protected than those with no prior flu vaccination history.19 Research presented at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego also revealed that children who get seasonal flu shots are more at risk of hospitalization than children who do not. Children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization as children who had not. Among children with asthma, the risk was even higher.20 There's also the potential for vaccine shedding, which has taken on renewed importance with the reintroduction of the live virus vaccine FluMist during the 2018/2019 season. While the CDC states that the live flu virus in FluMist is too weak to actually give recipients the flu, research has raised some serious doubts that this is the case. One recent study revealed not only that influenza virus may be spread via simple breathing (i.e., no sneezing or coughing required) but also that repeated vaccination increases the amount of virus released into the air.21 MedImmune, the company that developed FluMist, is aware that the vaccine sheds vaccine-strain virus. In its prescribing information, they describe a study on the transmission of vaccine-strain viruses from vaccinated children to nonvaccinated children in a day care setting. In 80 percent of the FluMist recipients, at least one vaccine-strain virus was isolated anywhere from one to 21 days following vaccination. They further noted, "One placebo subject had mild symptomatic Type B virus infection confirmed as a transmitted vaccine virus by a FluMist recipient in the same playgroup."22 Are There Other Ways to Stay Healthy During Flu Season?Contrary to the CDC’s and Golden Globe’s claims that flu vaccinations are a great way to prevent flu, other methods exist to help you stay healthy during the flu season and all year, and they’re far safer than annual flu vaccination. Vitamin D testing and optimization have been shown to cut your risk of respiratory infections, including colds and flu, in half if you are vitamin D deficient, for instance.23,24 In my view, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best respiratory illness prevention and optimal health strategies available. Influenza has also been treated with high-dose vitamin C,25 and taking zinc lozenges at the first sign of respiratory illness can also be helpful. Following other basic tenets of health, like eating right, getting sound sleep, exercising and addressing stress are also important, as is regularly washing your hands. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/29/golden-globes-flu-shot-stunt.aspx Controversy over glyphosate has reached an all-time high in the European Union (EU), after researchers accused the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) of plagiarizing a report supporting its safety. The plagiarized sections were largely lifted from a paper written by the pesticide industry, raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of the findings. The scandal asserts that the German risk assessment of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, contains sections "copy pasted" from industry contributions, which likely influenced the EU's favorable vote to renew the chemical's license. Questions Surrounding EU Glyphosate Risk Assessment First Surfaced in 2015Concerns over glyphosate's toxicity have been mounting since the International Agency for Research on Cancer's (IARC) 2015 determination that glyphosate is a "probable carcinogen." In the EU, European Commission leaders met in March 2016 to vote on whether to renew a 15-year license for glyphosate, which was set to expire in June of that year. The decision was tabled amid mounting opposition, as more than 180,000 Europeans signed a petition calling for glyphosate to be banned outright. Ultimately, more than 2 million signatures were collected against relicensing the chemical. In June 2016, however, the European Commission granted an 18-month extension to glyphosate while they continued the review. In November 2017, EU countries voted to renew glyphosate's license for another five years, amid intense debate from opposition who warned the chemical may cause cancer and harm soil health. The decision was said to be largely the result of a BfR (EU-commissioned) risk assessment,1 which essentially found that glyphosate is safe and "classification and labeling [of glyphosate] for carcinogenicity is not warranted."2 Concerns over whether the assessment was truly an independent review surfaced almost immediately. The Guardian reported at the time that much of the assessment was not actually written by independent scientists but rather "by the European Glyphosate Task Force, a consortium of agrochemical firms."3 BfR responded, stating that there was too much evidence for them to report on the original studies in-depth so instead they commented on descriptions provided by the industry. "BfR regulators commented, in italics, on the industry text, but this falls well short of what most people would understand as an independent review," The Guardian noted in 2015.4 German Toxicologist Also Criticized BfR's Glyphosate AssessmentPeter Clausing, Ph.D., a former industry toxicologist who is now in the employ of Pesticide Action Network Germany, also criticized the BfR assessment and claimed the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) committed scientific fraud when they contradicted the IARC, concluding that glyphosate is not carcinogenic. According to Clausing, BfR and EFSA included five mouse studies in their evaluation — all of which actually showed that male mice experienced a statistically significant increase in one or more types of cancer. Clausing also noted that these findings alone exceed the EU's criterion for the classification of glyphosate as a 1B carcinogen (substances presumed to have carcinogenic potential for humans), which would result in an automatic ban. He also showed that Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for industry testing of chemicals had been violated. GM Watch wrote:5
EU Glyphosate Risk Assessment Report Plagiarized From Industry PaperThe most condemning evidence of all comes from Stefan Weber and Helmut Burtscher of the German environmental nongovernmental organization (NGO) Global 2000, who again brought up the curious fact that the EU gave glyphosate a clean bill of health, in contrast to the IARC finding. They explained:6
The researchers used computer software to compare the BfR assessment with one submitted to the EU by Monsanto and other GTF members. Extensive plagiarism was uncovered, particularly in the chapters assessing published studies on health risks related to glyphosate. In those chapters, 50.1 percent of the content was plagiarized, including "whole paragraphs and entire pages of running text describing the design and outcome of the studies and assessing their relevance and reliability." Even evaluations of published studies in the BfR report "were copy pasted from the application for approval and presented as the assessments of the authorities," Weber and Burtscher wrote. Further, in what they described as "one of their most remarkable findings," even the BfR's explanation of how they assessed the published literature was plagiarized from GTF:7
Plagiarism Influenced EU's Conclusions on Glyphosate SafetyThe ultimate question, then, is whether BfR's plagiarism influenced their assessment of glyphosate's safety, including its potential to cause cancer, to which Weber and Burtscher said the answer is a "clear yes," adding:8
One study in question was conducted by Gilles-Eric Séralini. The lifetime feeding study, published in 2012, revealed numerous shocking problems in rats fed GMO corn, including massive tumors and early death. Rats given glyphosate in their drinking water also developed tumors. The following year, the publisher retracted the study saying it "did not meet scientific standards," even though a long and careful investigation found no errors or misrepresentation of data. Follow-up research by Séralini showed that long-term exposure to even ultralow amounts of Roundup may cause tumors, along with liver and kidney damage in rats. In this study, the dose used was "environmentally relevant in terms of human, domesticated animals and wildlife levels of exposure," prompting the authors to suggest Roundup may have significant health implications.9,10 However, because the original study was "retracted," it was excluded from the EU glyphosate assessment. GTF even said it was "not considered reliable anymore." In 2017, Hans Muilerman of consumer group Pesticide Action Network (PAN) sent letters to EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis and EFSA, stating that the study's exclusion amounts to "a very serious case of manipulation" of science.11 In addition to influencing the ultimate EU recommendation in favor of the safety of glyphosate, Weber and Burtscher concluded that BfR also acted deceptively in their actions: "In our opinion, the question of whether the BfR intended to deceive the reader must be answered with a clear 'yes.' Clear indications of deception were found."12 Glyphosate Residues Widespread in Food SupplyDefinitively answering the question of whether glyphosate causes cancer is an urgent one, as people are being exposed to it daily. As the most widely used pesticide in the world,13 you can guess that it's showing up virtually everywhere, and research has detected residues in everything from cereal and granola bars14 to wine and beer.15 While the chemical is widely sprayed on genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops (to the tune of more than 250 million pounds annually in the U.S. alone16), preharvest spraying of glyphosate,17 known as desiccation, is another problem. About two weeks prior to harvest of grain crops like wheat, oats and barley, glyphosate is sprayed onto the crop, which accelerates the drying process, allowing for earlier harvest. It's believed that spraying the chemical on crops so close to harvest results in much higher residues and is a major contributing factor to the rising levels of glyphosate in Americans.18 Four Seed Companies Control Majority of Global MarketChemical company Bayer, which now owns Monsanto, is the largest of four companies that now control more than 60 percent of the global seed market.19 Corteva (a company created out of the recent merger of Dow and DuPont), Chem-China (which recently acquired Syngenta) and BASF make up the other three. Philip Howard of Michigan State University created the seed industry consolidation chart below, which shows the monopoly these four companies have over the food supply.20 While the industry claims that mergers pave the way for greater innovation and growth, the reality is fewer choices and higher prices for farmers. As just one example, the price of a bag of seed corn has risen from $80 to $300 over the past decade alone — a price hike attributed to the consolidation of seed companies and reduced competition.21 Bayer even announced plans to cut about 10 percent of its global workforce after acquiring Monsanto, after making promises of job growth. Further, Civil Eats reported:22
Moving Toward a Safer, Sustainable Food SupplyWith the cozy ties between government regulators and pesticide companies becoming more brazen every day, and the continued consolidation of these companies leading to a virtual takeover of the food supply, what can you do to opt out of the madness? At the very basic level, refuse to eat foods that are grown using toxic chemicals like glyphosate. Support local farmers growing grass fed and organic foods, and avoid GE foods as well as those desiccated with glyphosate. As for whether glyphosate causes cancer, in August 2018 a jury ruled in favor of plaintiff Dewayne Johnson in a truly historic case against Monsanto. Johnson — the first of over 8,000 cases pending against the chemical company — claimed Monsanto's Roundup caused his Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the court agreed. Monsanto was ordered to pay $289 million in damages to Johnson, and they vowed to appeal, but the appeal was rejected by the judge in October 2018.23 Then, Johnson accepted a $78 million settlement24 after the same judge lowered the punitive damages the jury had awarded him. Although it was considerably less than the original judgment, it was still a major blow to the industry. As for BfR, they've posted a rebuttal to the plagiarism accusations, assuring their assessment is quality-assured and independent, and stating that industry reports are "routinely" part of such assessments.25 The fact remains, though, that it's unknown what health risks will eventually be revealed from eating food contaminated with low levels of glyphosate. Eating organic as much as possible and investing in a good water filtration system for your home are among the best ways to lower your exposure to glyphosate and other pesticides, as well as not using such chemicals around your home or garden. If you're concerned about glyphosate residues in your food, you can help to prompt change by reaching out to the companies that make your food. Let them know that you prefer foods without glyphosate residues — and are prepared to switch brands if necessary to find them. In addition to voicing your opinion to food companies, contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and encourage them to restrict preharvest applications of glyphosate in order to reduce the amount of this toxic chemical entering the food supply. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has petitioned the EPA to reduce the amount of glyphosate residues allowed in oats as well as prohibit the use of glyphosate as a preharvest desiccant,26 but as it stands, neither the EPA nor the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitors for glyphosate levels on most food crops, even as studies suggest Americans' exposure levels are increasing. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/29/eu-glyphosate-risk-assessment-plagiarized.aspx 30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health This article is included in Dr. Mercola's All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here. It's easy to forget that at one point, not so long ago, all food was organically grown in a way that supported the ecosystem and environment. This all changed in the 1940s when the Green Revolution took hold and industrial, chemical-dependent farming techniques spread and quickly became the norm. Unfortunately, industrial farming has created a series of unsustainable situations in less than 70 years, and evidence suggests we will not make it until the end of the century if we continue along the path of degenerative food and farming. Virtually every growing environmental and health problem can be traced back to modern food production. This includes but is not limited to:
The good news is there's a viable answer to all of these problems that does not merely scratch at the surface, and the answer hinges on the widespread implementation of regenerative agriculture and biodynamic farming. This is why I support the Organic Consumers Association and Regeneration International. By learning from each other and educating consumers to affect change through your shopping habits, there's hope we may avoid a complete breakdown of our ecosystem and food production. One thing's for sure: We cannot wait for regulations to drive this change. We must push for it ourselves, and we do so by voting with our pocketbooks every time we shop for food. While this is a very broad topic with many interlacing components that could cover several books, here, I summarize half a dozen of the top reasons to support regenerative and biodynamic farming, and provide resources where you can further your own education. Reason No. 1: Regenerative Farming Rebuilds TopsoilTopsoil destruction, erosion and desertification are exacerbated by tilling, monocropping and not using cover crops. Maria-Helena Semedo of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has warned that at the current rate of topsoil degradation, all the world's topsoil will be gone in less than 60 years,1 at which point growing of food will become next to impossible. Closely related problems are the loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, which is directly related to the loss of natural carbon in the soil. An estimated 80 percent of soil carbon in heavily farmed areas has already been lost,2 due to destructive plowing, overgrazing and the use of soil-destructive, carbon-depleting chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Carbon management — pulling carbon out of the air and sequestering it into the soil — is a critical aspect of environmental health and the growing of food. A key strategy to sequester carbon in soil is to use cover crops. In other words, soil should never be left exposed, as without root systems holding the soil in place, soil erosion speeds up. Mixed grasses also nourish the soil microbiome, which need the plant interaction. Nature abhors monoculture. In 1 square foot of pristine prairie land, you'll find about 140 different plants, and this is the type of natural biodiversity regenerative farmers aim to mimic. Regenerative farmers also understand the necessity of livestock. An article3 by Pure Advantage notes how "there is no current or envisioned technology that can simultaneously sequester carbon, restore biodiversity and feed people. But livestock can …" Indeed, Gabe Brown, a regenerative land management pioneer, discussed this in-depth in our 2014 interview, covered in "How to Regenerate Soil Using Cover Crops and Regenerative Land Management." The success of Will Harris' grass fed ranching operation in Georgia (detailed in my July 2016 interview with him), and thousands of other ranches across the U.S. and the world, also testify to the regenerative power of grazing animals. The percentage of organic matter in soil is a good indicator of quality, and Harris has been able to increase organic matter in his soil from less than 0.5 percent to as much as 5 percent in a 20-year period. Reason No. 2: Regenerative Farming Protects Water Sources and Diminishes Water DemandsIndustrial agriculture also promotes water waste through use of flood irrigation, destruction of soil quality and poor crop choices. As a result, one-third of the largest groundwater aquifers are already nearing depletion,4 as we're extracting water at a far faster pace than the aquifers can refill. According to James Famiglietti, a senior water scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the majority of our global groundwaters "are past sustainability tipping points,"5 which means it's only a matter of time until we run out of fresh water. About 80 percent of U.S. consumptive water (and more than 90 percent in many Western states) is used for agricultural purposes.6 Large-scale monocrop farms and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are also a primary source of water pollution.7 According to a report8 by Environment America, corporate agribusiness is "one of the biggest threats to America's waterways." Tyson Foods Inc. was deemed among the worst. Researchers have warned that many lakes around the world are now at grave risk from fertilizer runoff that feeds harmful blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)9,10 and, once established, it's far more difficult to get rid of than previously thought. Regenerative farming addresses both water waste and water pollution. Not only are synthetic fertilizers and toxic pesticides not needed when you grow crops and raise animals in a symbiotic fashion that supports the health and balance of the environment, but the more organic matter there is in the soil, the more moisture it can hold. For each 1 percent increase in organic matter, each acre of soil can retain another 20,000 gallons of water, thereby reducing the need for irrigation with precious groundwater.11 Reason No. 3: Regenerative Farming Promotes Optimal Nutrition and HealthThe industrialization and centralization of food production was done to increase farmers' capacity to grow more food at a lower cost. Unfortunately, a core principle was lost in this efficiency equation — that of food quality and nutrient density. Tests reveal the nutrient content of foods has dramatically declined since the introduction of mechanized farming in 1925. As just one example, research by August Dunning, chief science officer and co-owner of Eco Organics, reveals that to receive the amount of iron you used to get from one apple in 1950, by 1998 you had to eat 26 apples; today you have to eat 36, and this is a direct consequence of industrial farming techniques and use of chemicals that destroy soil quality by killing essential microbes. We now know that, just as the human gut microbiome plays integral roles in human health, so the soil microbiome influences nutrient uptake and plant health. Soil microbes even help regulate the invasion of pests. It's not surprising then that as nutrient density declined and toxic exposures via food increased, obesity and chronic disease rates have dramatically risen — so much so that obesity now threatens to overtake hunger as the No. 1 global health concern.12 Many choose organic because of what you don't get — the pesticides, genetically modified organisms and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, for instance — but the benefits also extend to basic nutrition. For example:
Reason No. 4: Food From Animals Raised on Regenerative Farms Minimize Risks of Foodborne Illness and Drug-Resistant DiseaseWhile health agencies insist raw and unsterilized foods such as raw organic milk are hazardous to human health, statistics tell a very different story. In reality, the foods associated with the greatest number of foodborne illnesses are all factory farmed, with CAFO chicken leading the pack. Between 2009 and 2015 there were 5,760 reported foodborne outbreaks in the U.S.,16 resulting in 100,939 illnesses, 5,699 hospitalizations and 145 deaths. Of these, chicken was responsible for 12 percent of all illnesses, followed by pork and seeded vegetables, each of which was responsible for 10 percent of illnesses. Indeed, raw CAFO chicken has become a notorious carrier of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens and Listeria bacteria.17 In New Zealand, Michael Baker, a public health researcher and professor at University of Otago, has suggested the implementation of a "tobacco-style" warning label on all raw chicken items to inform shoppers about the health risks involved.18 Testing reveals a majority of CAFO beef is also contaminated with risky pathogens.19,20 A 2017 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed 22 percent of antibiotic-resistant illness in humans is linked to consumption of contaminated foods, and tests have shown ground beef from animals raised in CAFOs is three times more likely to contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria than organic grass fed beef.21 The reason contamination with drug-resistant microbes is par for the course in CAFOs is due to the overuse of antibiotics in CAFO livestock. Organic grass fed standards, on the other hand, do not permit the use of antibiotics,22 which is why grass fed beef is less likely to be contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria. Reason No. 5: Regenerative Agriculture Prevents Environmental Pollution and Restores Damaged EcosystemsOur water supplies are not the only resource being decimated by pollution from CAFOs and monocrop industrial farms. They're also responsible for a significant amount of land and air pollution, and in a variety of different ways, including: • Greenhouse gas emissions -- CAFO meat and dairy operations are among the world's top polluters, outpacing even multinational oil and gas corporations in greenhouse gas emissions annually. According to a report23 by international nonprofit GRAIN and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, the world's five largest meat and dairy corporations alone create more greenhouse gas emissions than Exxon, Shell or BP each year. • Particulate matter air pollution -- Research24 also shows that particulate matter air pollution from factory farms far outweighs other sources. The primary culprit here is nitrogen fertilizer. As it breaks down into its component parts, ammonia is released into the air. When the ammonia in the atmosphere reaches industrial areas, it combines with pollution from diesel and petroleum combustion, creating microparticles. • CAFO waste -- Urine and feces from CAFO animals are collected in large open-air lagoons, and whether sprayed on fields as fertilizer or spilled due to flooding during storms, the result is much the same. Use of CAFO waste as fertilizer is the primary reason why produce has become such a frequent source of foodborne illness. CAFO fumes are also toxic to anyone unfortunate enough to live or work nearby, and studies show people who live near CAFOs have higher rates of respiratory problems, headaches, diarrhea, depression and other health problems.25,26,27,28 • Herbicide drift -- Dicamba is perhaps one of the most serious threats in this regard. The toxic weedkiller, which is used along with genetically engineered dicamba-tolerant crops, damaged 3.6 million acres of American cropland in 201729 and another 1.1 million acres as of July 2018 (after which no new data are available).30 Dicamba drift has also damaged homeowners' yards, resorts, state parks and organic farms. Regenerative agriculture is a return to what organic was originally all about — the protection and rebuilding of topsoil and ecological biodiversity and health. Biodynamic farming is the real gold standard here, as it's both organic and regenerative, and then some. Not only does biodynamic farming provide superior crops both in volume and increased density of nutrients, but biodynamic farms are also completely self-sustaining — something that cannot be said even for most organic farms. For example, biodynamic standards do not simply require farmers to use organic animal feed. Most of the feed must actually originate from the farm itself. And, while an organic farmer can section off as little as 10 percent of the farm for the growing of certified organic goods, to be certified as a biodynamic, 100 percent of your farm must be in compliance. In addition to that, 10 percent of the land must be dedicated to increasing biodiversity. This could take the form of forest land, wetland or insectary, for example. Biodynamic farming also has all of the features associated with regenerative agriculture, such as crop rotation, the use of cover crops and so on. Having animals integrated on the farm, with a focus on animal welfare, is another core principle of biodynamic farming. In short, the farm is viewed as a living organism — a living, self-sustainable whole — and biodiversity of both plants and animals are viewed as integral. This is really as good as it gets, and buying foods produced by farms certified as biodynamic through Demeter offers the greatest assurance of food quality and environmental sustainability. Reason No. 6: Regenerative Agriculture Benefits Farmers and Builds Sustainable Local EconomiesWhile profitability is commonly cited as a determining factor for why farmers "cannot" farm organically anymore, research refutes such scaremongering. One such study31,32 found organic farmers actually earn 22 to 35 percent more than their industrial counterparts. What's more, regenerative agriculture can also help create regenerative economies based on values and principles that go far beyond merely making money,33 thereby benefiting society in practical ways beside a cleaner, healthier environment and more nutritious, less toxic food. In a 2015 article, John Fullerton, founder and president of Capital Institute, presented the organization's views on regenerative capitalism, which is built on universal principles of health and wholeness. "We have identified eight key, interconnected principles that underlie systemic health," he writes. These eight principles, which he proposes be part of a regenerative economic system, include:
Educate Yourself on the Benefits of Regenerative and Biodynamic AgricultureI've made it a mission to educate myself and others about the truly global benefits of regenerative and biodynamic farming. In doing so, I've traveled around the country, visiting a number of different thought leaders and experts to see their farm operations firsthand, and I've written extensively about this topic over the past several years. Following is a list of some of the many experts I've interviewed with links to their interviews. You can also learn more about regenerative food, farming and land use on Regeneration International's website.
How to Affect Change Seven Days a WeekA growing number of homeowners have responded to the call for cleaner, healthier foods by converting their yards into edible landscaping using organic and regenerative methods. But even if you're not growing your own food, you can still help steer the agricultural industry toward safer, more regenerative systems by choosing fresh, organic produce from local growers. Remember to choose organic, grass fed beef, poultry and dairy, in addition to organic produce, as CAFOs are among the worst polluters. CAFO meats (including poultry, beef and pork) are also far more prone to be contaminated with pathogens that can trigger illness, including drug-resistant bacteria. Certifications to look for, denoting the highest quality foods, grown according to regenerative principles, include Demeter (biodynamic certification) and the American Grassfed Association (AGA) certification. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/29/top-reasons-to-support-regenerative-agriculture.aspx 30 Tips in 30 Days Designed to Help You Take Control of Your Health This article is included in Dr. Mercola's All-Time Top 30 Health Tips series. Every day during the month of January, a new tip will be added that will help you take control of your health. Want to see the full list? Click here. Eating well and taking care of your health is easier when you have the right ingredients and utensils on hand at all times. Following are some top essentials with which to stock your kitchen — healthy fats, medicinal and health-promoting spices that can be added to a wide variety of dishes, and nontoxic utensils to avoid unnecessary exposures to toxins and harmful pathogens. 1. Healthy Fats and Cooking OilsWhile dietary fats are an incredibly important part of a healthy diet, it's crucial to understand which are healthy and which are not. Processed industrial vegetable oils are best avoided at all times, as they're typically made with genetically engineered grains contaminated with glyphosate, and are prone to oxidation and produce dangerous byproducts when heated.1 Instead, stock your kitchen with the following healthy cooking oils and dietary fats: • Coconut oil -- This is what I believe is the best cooking oil. It has a number of valuable health benefits, including a positive effect on your heart and antimicrobial properties. It's also a great source of energy, thanks to its medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). When consumed, the MCFAs are digested and converted by your liver into energy that you can immediately use. Coconut oil also helps stimulate your metabolism to encourage a healthy weight profile. As an added boon, coconut oil has countless other uses besides cooking and eating, from topical beauty applications to first aid treatments, to general household cleaning. Make sure you choose an organic coconut oil that is unrefined, unbleached, made without heat processing or chemicals. • Grass fed butter -- Raw, organic butter made from healthy grass fed cows' milk contains many valuable nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E and K2, along with minerals and antioxidants that support good health. Recent research2 has also noted that organic grass fed dairy has a "near-perfect" balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, as well as higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which can help reduce your cardiovascular and metabolic disease risks. • Organic ghee -- Ghee, also known as clarified butter, differs from regular butter in that it has fewer dairy proteins, making it a better choice for those with lactose sensitivity or intolerance. Starting with pure butter made from cow's milk, the ghee-making process involves heating and separating liquid fats from the milk solids, which become caramelized, and removing the milk solids, which also removes most of the lactose. Ghee is darker and has a nuttier flavor than butter, and with a higher smoke point, it's a healthier option for sautéing. It also has a longer shelf life, lasting for around six months in the refrigerator or up to a year in the freezer. Ghee has been used in traditional cooking in India, Pakistan and Southeast Asia for thousands of years. It's also an Ayurvedic go-to for herbal ointments, massage and as a medicinal to remedy rashes and burns. • Lard and tallow -- Tallow is a hard fat that comes from cows. Lard is a hard fat that comes from pigs. They're both animal fats, and were historically two main fats used in cooking. • Olive oil -- This oil contains healthy fatty acids that can help lower your risk of heart disease. While the standard recommendation has been to avoid using olive oil for cooking and to only use it cold, recent research3 in which 10 popular cooking oils were compared contradicts this advice, showing extra-virgin olive oil actually scored best for both oxidative stability and lack of harmful compounds produced when heated. A word of caution is warranted, however. Fake olive oil abounds, so it's important to take the time to investigate your sources. Tests reveal anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of the olive oils sold in American grocery stores and restaurants are adulterated with cheap vegetable oils or nonhuman-grade olive oils, which are harmful to health in a number of ways.4 For tips on how to assess the quality of your olive oil, see the short video below. For more information, see "Is Your Olive Oil Fake?" where I cover this topic in-depth. 2. Homemade BrothHomemade bone broth is excellent for speeding healing and recuperation from illness, as it helps "heal and seal" your gut. Physicians harkening as far back as Hippocrates have associated bone broth with gut healing. It also helps fight inflammation, supports joint health, promotes weight loss, improves sleep and brain function, and is a good source of not only healthy fat but also many important vitamins and minerals, including:
Bone broth, in its simplest form, is made using animal bones, vinegar and spices. It is simmered in a pot or slow cooker at least overnight, or as long as 24 to 72 hours. Longer simmering times result in a more complete release of gelatin, minerals and other nutrients from the bones, which is key to realizing the many health-giving benefits and restorative properties this broth has to offer. Making your own bone broth is extremely cost effective, as you can make use of leftover carcass bones that would otherwise be thrown away. One important caveat when making broth, whether you're using chicken or beef, is to make sure they're from organically-raised, pastured or grass-fed animals. For detailed instructions on how to make your own broth, please refer to my previous article: "Bone Broth — One of Your Most Healing Diet Staples." 3. Apple Cider VinegarTraditionally, apple cider vinegar is made through a long, slow fermentation process that renders it rich in bioactive components like acetic acid, gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, caffeic acid and more, giving it potent antioxidant, antimicrobial and many other beneficial properties. "Mother" of vinegar, a cobweb-like amino acid-based substance found in unprocessed, unfiltered vinegar, indicates your vinegar is of the best quality. Most manufacturers pasteurize and filter their vinegar to prevent the mother from forming, but the "murky" kind is actually best, especially if you're planning to consume it. With its wide variety of health benefits, a jug of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is easily one of the most economical and versatile remedies around. I recommend keeping it in your home at all times. Some of the health benefits associated with apple cider vinegar consumption include:
4. Himalayan SaltSalt is essential for life, and your body needs it for optimal function. But it's important to realize that there are major differences between the refined and highly processed salt found in processed foods and regular table salt, and unrefined natural salt such as Himalayan salt. The latter is important to many biological processes, including:
While natural sea salt used to be a healthy source of salt, I shy away from it these days, as recent tests14 reveal 90 percent of sea salt is contaminated with microplastics. Himalayan salt is not plagued by this contamination. On hot days, or after exercising and sweating profusely, you can make a wholesome sports drink to replenish lost electrolytes and minerals by mixing a pinch of Himalayan salt and a dash of fresh lemon juice in a glass of water. Apart from culinary purposes, Himalayan salt can also be substituted for bath salts, which will allow your skin to absorb valuable minerals from the water. 5. Black PepperBlack pepper is another key staple few households would want to do without, and, like most spices, it has medicinal qualities that gives it value far beyond mere flavor. For example, Europeans have used black pepper for thousands of years in traditional medicine to treat inflammation and digestive problems. Its effectiveness is due in part to a compound known as piperine. Research15 suggest piperine's ability to inhibit new fat cells from forming, known as adipogenesis, helps reduce waist size and body fat, and optimizes cholesterol levels. Perhaps more importantly, research has shown growth of several types of pathogens are inhibited by black pepper, including Staph,16 E.coli,17 Helicobacter pylori (bacteria known to cause ulcers),18 and parasites.19 So, black pepper not only may have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and fever-reducing actions, but immune system-enhancing properties as well. I recommend using a hand-held mill for grinding fresh peppercorn, as whole peppercorns have an almost indefinite shelf life. Ground pepper only retains optimum freshness for about three months, and is sometimes "adulterated" with something other than black pepper. When cooking, use it at the last moment to retain the full flavor of the essential oils. Frontier organic black pepper is a tasty choice. Another, which is my personal preference, is Indian long pepper which, as so eloquently described by Serious Eats has a flavor that is:20
6. Medicinal SpicesWhile virtually all spices have medicinal qualities of some kind, the following stand out among the crowd: • Turmeric -- The reasons to make turmeric part of your life (if it isn't already) are almost too numerous to count, especially when you consider its incredible restorative, disease-healing and preventive capabilities. Turmeric has been on the proverbial "top 10 superfoods" list in Chinese medicine for millennia21 and just as long in the Indian Ayurvedic healing tradition. One component in turmeric, curcumin, has been proven so effective as an anti-inflammatory that it's compared to prescription medications, without the toxic side effects22 such as ulcer formation, internal bleeding and a lowered white blood cell count. Its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier also makes it a valuable agent against dementia Alzheimer's.23,24 Antioxidants in turmeric also neutralize free radicals throughout your body, including your brain, kidney, liver, heart and gastrointestinal tract. In addition, curcumin has been shown to induce expression of phase II antioxidant enzymes, thereby aiding glutathione synthesis, which is important for detoxification. • Ginger -- Ginger has been used for millennia in areas of India and China for much more than adding a sweet/spicy flavor to foods and drinks. It's proved over time to be a popular remedy to soothe away headaches, nausea — particularly motion sickness — and to treat several problems related to digestive health as well as pain and inflammation from arthritic conditions, to mention but a few. More recently, research25 shows ginger is a viable antidote and protective agent against fatal poisoning from such agents as pesticides, environmental pollutants, heavy metals, bacterial and fungal toxins and even some cosmetic products and medications. • Cumin -- Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world, second only to black pepper, and is considered by many "the secret sauce" in most savory dishes. Cumin seeds have been prized for thousands of years and are best known in their ground form as a spice added to curry dishes. Research26 reveals cumin helps stimulate secretion of pancreatic enzymes, which are necessary for proper digestion and nutrient assimilation. Cumin also has anticancer and antidiabetes properties, attributed to its active components, including terpens, phenols and flavonoids.27 In fact, cumin has been found to work better than the antidiabetes drug glibenclamide in treating diabetic rats28 and similar benefits were found in a human study.29 • Mustard seed -- Mustard seed which, like broccoli, belongs to the brassica genus,30,31 contains compounds that inhibit cancer proliferation and metastasis.32 It also contains myrosinase — a compound that augments the cancer-fighting potential of other cruciferous veggies, delivering a double-punch when combined. The enzyme myrosinase is critical for the conversion of glucosinolates into chemoprotective compounds known as isothiocyanates. While all cruciferous veggies contain some myrosinase, you significantly boost conversion by eating them together with a particularly myrosinase-rich food such as mustard seed powder. Mustard seed powder can also be used to whip up homemade topical remedies, such as plasters and baths to relieve pain. Part of the pain-relieving effect is due to the mustard seed's high magnesium and selenium content. In Ayurvedic medicine, it was used topically to improve blood circulation and detoxification. Taken internally, 1 teaspoon of mustard seed powder twice a day can be used as a remedy for constipation. 7. Essential Kitchen ToolsLastly, the type of kitchen utensils you use during preparation and cooking can also have an effect on your health, for better or worse. To protect and support the health of your entire family, consider the following tips: • Use ceramic knives for fast-browning produce -- Ceramic knives are chemically inert, and said to slow the browning process.33 Ceramic blades are best for slicing fruit, vegetables and boneless meat, but not frozen foods, meat with bones or cheese (because of its tendency to stick). Also avoid using a ceramic blade to crush foods like garlic. • Switch to ceramic or other inert, nontoxic cookware -- The slippery surfaces of nonstick pots and pans comes courtesy of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found to be likely carcinogens. When heated, nonstick cookware and bakeware release a related chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), linked to thyroid disease, infertility, organ damage, and developmental and reproductive problems in lab animals. Hazardous toxins are produced after only two to five minutes of heating the pan. At 464 degrees Fahrenheit, the coating on nonstick cookware begins to break down and release toxins into the air. Stainless steel, aluminum and cast iron pans also have their drawbacks, as the metals may not be entirely inert, resulting in potentially toxic metal exposure. Ceramic cookware circumvents all of these problems. A true ceramic pan or dish will be made only with water and inorganic materials and minerals from the earth's crust. Because it doesn't contain any metals, a ceramic pan is nonreactive and nontoxic. No odors or gases release into the air even when heated to extremely high temperatures. • Use glass containers for food storage -- If you're still using plastic containers, bags and plastic wrap for food storage, consider switching to glass containers. Depending on what product you're using, your plastic might contain phthalates, bisphenol-A, bisphenol-S — endocrine-disrupting "gender-bending" chemicals that are causing males of many species to become more female — PVC and styrene, two carcinogens and more. Virtually all plastic chemicals carry some risk to health and are best avoided as much as possible, especially if you have children. Glass is completely inert and reusable indefinitely, provided it doesn't break, in which case it's recyclable. • Use separate cutting boards for meat and veggies -- Kitchens are notorious breeding grounds for disease-causing bacteria, courtesy of contaminated meat products, including antibiotic-resistant strains of E-coli. To avoid cross-contamination between foods, use a designated cutting board, preferably wood, not plastic, for raw meat and poultry, and never use this board for other food preparation, such as cutting up vegetables. Color coding your cutting boards is a simple way to distinguish between them. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/28/kitchen-staples.aspx |
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