Health Care

Pets are good for child health

TheNew York Timescame up with an article recently entitled "Can Fido and Whiskers Enrich Children's Lives?" Different medical researchers and scientists were consulted for this article, which begs the question: Does research money really need to be spent on this type of question?

It's one thing to write an essay on the topic, especially one coming from real experience. But asking scientists and medical professionals, who are doing research on child and pet relationships, for their opinion as if the facts aren't entirely visible to anyone who bothers to look is rather far-fetched.

Here's a real life anecdote illustrating that absurdity. A young family residing in a large college town had a pre-teen daughter, a dog, and two cats. The father was a college professor while the mother ran a small political fund raising operation out of their home. The daughter asked, "Mom, do animals have feelings?" After a short pause, the mother answered, "I don't know dear, science hasn't figured that out yet."

Relying on science or any authority to determine what should be observable or perceived through experience is indicative of our cultural dysfunction.

Help an animal survive well and that animal can help you emotionally

This is one good reason among others that children should have a pet or pets. Animals, especially dogs, actually bond with human family members. Children can not only learn caretaking responsibility but compassion, as they perceive that indeed, dogs (and yes even cats) have feelings.

One of the doctors consulted in the above-mentioned article did comment that having a pet offers emotional support to children. When children come home from school or play, the dog is there to happily greet them. This is observed as a real event by anyone who has a dog that is treated decently, especially one rescued from an animal shelter or the mean streets.

However, this doctor couched such behavior cynically with the implication that the pet is happy because you may have a food treat for it. That's just not usually true. This author has dealt with different animals from horses to parakeets, and dogs and cats. They do show gratitude for help given and good company shared. They do not "mimic" body language, as most "experts" claim,solely for expected favors.

Of course, some dogs and cats can be a little out of sorts, just like humans. Allowing vets to drug or vaccinate them to the fullest extent can exacerbate such behavior and worsen your pet's health. Dogs especially need to exercise or they'll get grumpy.

It takes a calm, even-tempered effort to channel pets into agreeable habits or coax them out of any bad ones. Allowing a child to be involved with caring for and training of the family pet can help that child develop character by practicing kindness and patience with appropriate firmness.

Many scientists who research animals and sometimes even animal trainers assume other living non-human creatures are out of touch with real emotions or feelings because they're out of touch themselves. It's their own closed hearts that influence animals in their charge to clam up.

Animals can often sense where humans are coming from emotionally even as they deceive fellow humans. Children can develop a finer sense of empathy by showing their open hearts to directly bond with a pet dog, cat, or other animal. Pets sometimes attempt to comfort humans who are sad or upset. Children can use that break from stress when they're having issues with other humans.

Pets aren't appropriate for all kids. But for many they're fun to play with, interesting to observe, and a pleasure to have around. That's healthy, and you don't need a research team to figure that out.

By: Haiderzai

Health Care

The healing effects of music proven in tests

Easy listening or classical music has been proven to increase healing rates of convalescing patients, researchers have revealed. Patients taking part in the study at John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford were split into two groups - one group underwent operations under local anesthetic and was played music during the operation, whilst the other group was operated on without music. Levels of anxiety were measured through the patients respiratory rate and asking them to rate their anxiety on a scale. Measurements were taken on the operating table prior to the operation, during the procedure and again at the end whilst still on the operating table.

The results, published in the 'Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons,' showed that the patients who were played the music during their operations measured 29% less on anxiety levels and had a lower average breathing rate. The research was the first of its kind as it measured the effect of music on both planned and emergency operations. The music used was classical or easy listening music such as Vivaldi, Beethoven, or Sinatra.

The anxiety before, during, and after an operation can release natural stress hormones that can cause inflammatory responses and therefore slow or prevent healing, leading to longer hospital stays and use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Is music or sound energy responsible?

The power of music has long been associated with benefits due to releases of stress and the ability to change or enhance moods. Other research has studied whether the actual vibration of the music can have an effect on biological systems; the use of ultrasound on sperm producing capabilities is one of these. One thing that is often disregarded is, just as visible light is only a small fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum, audible sound is only a small fraction of the sound spectrum. The higher and lower frequencies of the sound spectrum such as VLF (very low frequency) and ELF (extremely low frequency) have been proven to be very powerful.

Sound from music played live has a much more dynamic 'feel' as the live strings, reeds, drums etc. can vibrate independently in ways that a speaker cone cannot. These instruments emit on frequencies both inside and outside of the audible spectrum, and with a purity of sound that cannot be matched by technology. This is because all electrical devices are only designed to emit sound in the audible range.

Whilst the calming and distracting effects of the music can be translated through speakers, the full effect of the vibrations cannot. This is a very interesting area of research that stirs some interesting questions such as, Are we affected by sounds and vibrations that we cannot hear in music? Are sound vibrations emitted from the earth? And how do they affect us? Are the sound vibrations emitted from electrical appliances (the humming) causing effects on our bodies? And so on.

Calming meditation music is able to create a calming effect, helping the person to relax the parts of the mind that chatter and interrupt. Most of this music is of a kind that uses a multi layered, orchestral or nature based sound, causing the brain to have a kind of thought resonance, allowing the mind to 'zone out' the outside world. This is why people use it.

Music has many more wondrous properties and this kind of research is a great start, however it is only scratching the surface of this exciting subject.

By: haiderzai

Health Care

The food industry is waging war on your cells with these 10 toxic ingredients

Preservatives and synthetic food agents found in foods inhibit oxygen and delay the development of fungus and mold, creating a longer shelf-life for products. But after being consumed, these toxinsdeprivehumancells of oxygenand rob them of nutrients, thus leading to cell mutation and the perfect breeding ground for cancer.

Just like humans, cells need oxygen to survive and thrive. "Fungus fighting" preservatives and man-made food agents choke out your body's nutrients at the DNA level by deprivingmitochondrial cellsof oxygen, sometimes completely shutting them down. And if the body does not have enough essential nutrients, it becomes more susceptible to disease.

Longer shelf life, shorter human life

If you're not a label-reader already, you better become one soon. You don't have to be a chemist or a linguist either, just be able tosight read and spot the poisonsso you can live cancer-free. Most food toxins are followed by a phrase, often in parenthesis, to make them sound "safe" andin your best interest, like "as a preservative," or "for added freshness," or "to preserve flavor." These catchy little phrases really meanfor the added choking of your cells to aid with cancer development.

The top 10 cell stranglers revealed

The United States has several major regulatory agencies and "cancer prevention" organizations which have not only been suppressing natural cancer cures for 70 years, but have been approving, supporting, endorsing and profiting from cancer-causing agents in food, beverages and cosmetics since World War II.

1.Sodium Benzoate: This stealthy killer flies under most people's radar, and isfound in just about everything in jars and bottles, like salad dressing, pickles, sauces, mayonnaise, almost all soda and juice drinks, and even in foods labeled as "all natural."

2.Canola Oil: This artificial, Canadian-exported GMO is super popular and is found in over 30% of all products. It chokes out your mitochondrial cells. Canola oil is really rapeseed oil and can cause emphysema and respiratory distress, eventually leading to cancer.

3.Monosodium Glutamate(MSG): The FDA allows 20 "pseudo" names for it including autolyzed yeast extract, free glutamate, glutamic acid, soy lecithin, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed corn, hydrolyzed soy protein, and maltodextrin to name a few. Just because a product says "No MSG" doesn't mean it's not in there!

4.Sodium Nitrates(nitrosamines): Used for fertilizers and explosives, and as a solvent in the dry cleaning industry. This ingredient keeps hemoglobin molecules in your blood from carrying oxygen to your body tissues. It's considered a "super salt" (like MSG) added to things like hot dogs, cold cuts and bacon for added shelf-life, color and flavor. Problems compound when microwaved.

5.Margarine: The body cannot incorporate trans-fatty acids into membranes, thus causing deformed cellular structures. Vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils accelerate aging and degenerative changes in tissues.

6.Anti-foaming agents: (Dimethylpolysiloxane) An industrial chemical used in caulks and sealants. This component is mostly used in fast food chicken nuggets and eggs. Also watch for TBHQ, a petroleum derivative, used as a stabilizer in perfumes, resins, varnishes and oil field chemicals, and linked to stomach tumors and DNA damage.

7.Anti-caking agents: Chemicals that absorb moisture and prevent other compounds from sticking together. These are added to table salt and powdered food products. They are often composed of phosphate, carbonate, silicate and oxide compounds which contain aluminum. Watch for sodium alumino-silicate, alumino-calcium silicate and aluminium silicate. Aluminum is linked to Alzheimer's and is also used in flu shots and vaccines.

8.Artificial colorings: Synthetic petrochemicals made from petroleum, antifreeze and ammonia. Blue #1 causes kidney tumors in mice. Red #2 and Blue #2 cause brain and bladder tumors in rats. Red #3 causes thyroid cancer in animals, and is banned in cosmetics, but still allowed in food. Red #40 debilitates the immune-system. Green #3 causes bladder and testes tumors. Yellow #5 and #6 cause adrenal tumors in animals.

9.Emulsifiers: Carrageenan, polysorbate 80 and brominated vegetable oil (BVO). These are stabilizing, smoothing and thickening agents. They are typically found in chocolate milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, infant formula and jelly. BVO remains in body fat for years. Polysorbate 80 is also found in most vaccines.

10.Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartame, Acesulfame K, Sucralose, Sorbitol, Truvia, and of course, Saccharin. Because they taste sweet, these chemical sweeteners trick the body into ingesting them and holding on to them for extended periods of time, turning rancid in the body fat. Fake sugars are the "Trojan horses" of the cell-choking and mutating, food agent industry. Sorbitol is also found in many vaccines.

America has been breeding and treating cancer with chemicals for 70 years

How does a politician running for office or for a position with a United States Government regulatory agency guarantee winning that election or appointment? He or she simply supports theinsidious toxic foodand medicine industry by meeting with lobbyists, promising the approval of chemical food agents that strangulate human DNA cells, andfurthering legislationwhich supports cancer treatments to do more of the same.

Besides the wars in the Middle East, there's aDomestic Wargoing on right now in our country, so pay very close attention to everything you eat, and every "medicine" your doctor recommends. Also, do some research of your own if you want toprotect your cells and keep them oxygenated, preventing cancer and other disease.

By: haiderzai

Health Care

Birth defects are one-third more likely in babies conceived with IVF, according to studies

Technology is a wonderful thing in most cases, but sometimes doing thingsthe old-fashioned wayis not only better, it'ssafertoo.

To wit, a new study found that babies conceived throughin vitro fertilization(IVF) - when a mother's egg is fertilized outside her body then transplanted to her womb - are more at risk for birth defects.

According to a review of scores of studies by Zhibin Hu atNanjing Medical Universityin China, babies conceived that way, or by using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) - in which a single sperm is injected directly into the egg - are one-third more likely, or 37 percent, to be born with problems or malformations.

Researchers, whose findings were published in the journalFertility and Sterility, could not find a logical reason why technology seemed to cause the additional incidents of birth defects, or even if technology was responsible.

Still, in examining 46 separate bodies of research on IVF, which has been available to women for more than 30 years and which has often been the subject of research, found that in terms of having "normal" babies, replacing technology with the natural child-bearing process produces more kids with more physical and mental problems and limitations.

"Children conceived by IVF and/or ICSI are at significantly increased risk for birth defects, and there is no risk difference between children conceived by IVF and/or ICSI," the team wrote, in examining data on more than 124,000 children born through artificial insemination.

That compares with three in 100 children in the U.S. who are born with serious birth defects such as a malformed limb or organ, according to the U.S.Centers for Disease Control(CDC),Reutersreported.

Technology seems to be responsible... but why?

Crunching the numbers, a 37-percent increase would increase the U.S. rate to four in 100 children born with some sort of defect.

"(The report) confirms what most people accepted anyway, that, yes, there is an increased risk in congenital abnormality associated with assisted reproductive technology," William Buckett, a professor atMcGill Universitywho was not involved with Hu's research team, said.

The authors of the study said birth defects among IVF/ICSI-conceived children involved a range of bodily functions and systems, including musculoskeletal malformations, genitals, and the digestive and neurological systems.

That said, the research team could not say why technology seemed to be linked to the birth defects.

One theory is that it's possible people who have trouble conceiving naturally and try fertility treatments may somehow be at increased risk for having children with birth defects anyway.

Another school of thought is that rough handling of the embryos during the actual process of fertilization, or the drugs involved in fertility treatments - or both - may be at fault.

Buckett said another theory is that it only appears as though birth defects occur more frequently in children conceived outside the womb because they are followed more closely by medical personnel and researchers.

"Couples who have had babies born as a result of IVF are followed up more closely, and therefore subtle abnormalities may be detected that otherwise might not have been detected," he said.

Is there anything parents who use IVF can do to lower the risk of having a child with a birth defect?

Hu says no, but that's because more studies are needed.

"It is really too early to find out ways to reduce the risk, because the reasons accounting for the risk are largely unknown," he toldReutersin an email.

Higher risk of ovarian cancer

Parents desperate for children and who have no other way to conceive may find the risk acceptable.

But there are other concerns as well regarding IVF: the increased likelihood of women who conceive in that manner developing ovarian cancer.

A research team from theNetherlands Cancer Institutestudied data from women who had received at least one form of fertility treatment, and 6,000 women who had not undergone IVF treatment. Of 61 women who developed ovarian malignancies, 31 had borderline ovarian cancer and 30 had invasive cancer.

Some scientists dismissed those figures as statistically insignificant. Nevertheless, the "data clearly show that ovarian stimulation for IVF is associated with an increased risk of borderline ovarian tumors and this risk remains elevated up to more than 15 years after the first cycle of treatment," said lead researcher Flora van Leeuwen.

The risks go even higher when artificial insemination leads to multiple babies.

By: haiderzai

Beauty Of Earth

Foresting

Have you ever heard the saying "you have the power to make a difference"? Well, the following demonstrates how one person has proven this. Over 30 years ago, a young teenager by the name of Jadav "Molai" Payeng had an idea to turn a barren sandbar into a thriving oasis. With this vision in mind, he began planting seeds in this very same sandbar near his birth place of Assam, India. Soon thereafter, Payeng moved to the area in pursuit of fulfilling his dream of one day creating a forest out of land that was left for waste.

Fostering a dream

Over the next several years, Payeng spent many of his hours planting seeds, tending to the land and nurturing the growth. After 30 years of dedication, his hard work had finally been rewarded. Not only has Payeng successfully transformed an area that was once considered by many, including the forest department, to be unsuited for planting, but he actually created a 1,360 acre forest. Can you imagine that!

How it all began

TheTimes Indiarecently sat down with Payeng to discover how his lifelong project had all started.

"It all started way back in 1979 when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng , only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life."

"The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage . I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng, now 47.

Creating an ecosystem

Guided by instincts, and convinced by will and reason to pursue his goal, Payeng had created not only a forest, but an ecosystem covered with lush greenery which now houses several animal species, including numerous birds, deers, rhinos, tigers, and elephants. The once deserted sandbars of Assam India are now a thriving ecosystem all thanks to the selfless efforts of a young man.

The area known today as the Molai woods is an example of compassion and dedication to all living things. Jadav "Molai" Payeng is considered by many today as a hero, even by the local forestry officials.

"We're amazed at Payeng," says Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia. "He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero."

Our goals may not be accomplished immediately, but if we allow time to nurture our actions, they have the potential to grow, and even flourish into beautiful manifestations. Always remember that our actions, no matter how small they may appear, make a difference in the world. Never cease believing in yourself and one another.

By: Haiderzai

Health Care

Beat Fibromyalgia naturally

Fibromyalgia is a chronic inflammatory condition consisting of muscular and joint pain and fatigue. Three to five percent of the population suffers with this condition with over 80% being women. This is one of the fastest growing disabling conditions in the US. Beat fibromyalgia now with natural lifestyle strategies.

Fibromyalgia is classically diagnosed with positive reaction to 11 of 18 specific tender point sites on the body. Other classic findings include chronic fatigue, sleep challenges, normal blood tests, and a history of widespread pain particularly in the neck and back. This is believed to be a chronic inflammatory condition of the muscle fascia.

Chronic inflammation is a sign of a mal-coordinated hyper-responsive immune system. In order to modulate and stabilize the immune response it is critical to avoid inflammatory foods and food allergens, repair the gut, optimize vitamin D3 levels, and improve neurological connections.

Most individuals with chronic inflammatory based pain have a leaky gut that allows large food particles to pass thru easily and end up in the bloodstream. These undigested food particles are tagged as foreign invaders by the immune system. The immune cells then create a massive inflammatory reaction to destroy the food particle. This results in varying levels of insensitivity and allergenic reactions that damage many systems of the body.

The most common food allergens to avoid include all processed foods, artificial sweeteners/preservatives, and gluten containing products. Soy, peanuts (and often other nuts), pasteurized dairy, eggs, and other heavy proteins are often tolerated well. The nightshade vegetables eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes are often challenging as well.

Anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle

Anti-inflammatory foods help to modulate the immune system and reduce inflammatory activity in the body. Great anti-inflammatory foods include coconut products, avocados, olive oil, berries & phytonutrient rich vegetables. Healthy meat sources such as grass-fed beef, wild game, wild salmon, organic poultry, and organic eggs are great if the gut can tolerate them.

It is advisable for anyone with chronic inflammation to include loads of organic vegetable juices, fermented foods and functional beverages in their diet. Homemade sauerkraut, kombucha, coconut water, keifir, and kimchi are great. Fermented dairy products from grass-fed cows/goats are highly advisable. These include amasai, fermented whey drinks, & raw cheese. Often times a probiotic supplement with biodiverse range of cultures and over 50 billion colony forming units is advisable.

Non-denatured whey protein from grass-fed cows is also very good for rebuilding the gut. Whey is loaded with L-glutamine and enhances cellular glutathione stores which are both needed to repair the intestinal wall and de-inflame the body. Powerful herbs such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, & oregano, among others, should be used as much as possible to improve immune coordination.

Healthy vitamin D3 levels are especially important for aiding the body's ability to recognize foreign and self-proteins. This improved immune recognition reduces inflammation and auto-immune reactions. Vitamin D also helps drive immune cells to destroy pathogenic microbes and prevent & destroy infection. Chronic infection results in hyper-inflammatory levels in the body. Vitamin D3 (25-OH) levels should be between 70-100ng/ml for optimal immune function.

People with fibromyalgia, chronic pain, & fatigue are highly likely to have neurological dysfunction in their upper neck. Subluxation, or neurological interference, at the bottom of the skull, C1 & C2 alter endorphin release into the body. This leads to increased states of pain, fatigue, anxiety, and accelerated stress, as well as mal-coordinated immunity. Well trained chiropractors can analyze these regions of the spine and give specific corrective adjustments to restore balance and optimal neurological expression in these regions.

By : Haiderzai

Health Care

Best foods for type-2 diabetics

People diagnosed with diabetes, according to theAmerican Diabetes Association, should take steps to control their blood sugar. However, this does not mean that their diet is vastly different from the general population. The main emphasis is losing weight and eating right. Below are some foods that can help in weight management and the prevention dangerous spikes in blood glucose:

1.Choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates- Keeping sugar levels stable is a top priority for diabetics. That is why complex carbohydrates are a better source of energy compared to simple carbohydrates that produce spikes in the bloodstream and cause serious problems. Try to avoid sweet drinks, cakes, candies or at the very least try to take them in very small quantities. Instead, choose complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, brown rice, beans, oats, quinoa and whole wheat pasta as they are slowly digested and absorbed into the blood, thus producing a gradual and consistent sugar level instead of unpredictable spikes.

2.Increase the amount of fiber you eat- Fiber is a type of carbohydrate; however, it is not broken down by the body and does not contribute any calories. Fiber has two kinds: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber keeps the digestive tract working (i.e. whole wheat bran) while soluble fiber can lower cholesterol. TheNew England Journal of Medicinefeatured a study where diabetics more or less consumed 50 grams of soluble fiber daily. The study indicated that those who had more fiber were able to control their blood glucose much better than those who didn't. An example of this type of fiber is oatmeal. Moreover, fiber adds bulk to what you eat, helping you manage your appetite and keeps those calories in check. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of this nutrient.

3.Don't forget your proteins- proteins play a role in weight control. A study conducted in Sweden revealed that increasing protein intake can reduce weight faster than limiting carbohydrate consumption, moreover, protein rich meals tend to make people more alert than sugar or carbohydrate rich meals.

4.Use herbs and spices to flavor you dishes- Using natural products instead of food additives to flavor food is a great way to increase the medicinal value of your diet. TheJournal of Nutrition and Food Sciencefeatured a study where it was revealed that the phytochemicals in common household spices can actually improve insulin activity, presenting a more natural way in treating and preventing type-2 diabetes. Examples of these common household spices are cinnamon, garlic, basil and oregano. These spices have also been found to lower blood pressure, increase platelet aggregation and protect blood vessels, greatly reducing cardiovascular disease associated with type-2 diabetes.

There is no predetermined standard diet for diabetes. The methods of controlling blood sugar are different for each person. Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are main concerns for patients receiving insulin and clearly there are a lot of factors to consider. Having a thorough understanding of your specific diabetes condition in consultation with your Naturopathic Doctor can go a long way in managing the onset of the symptoms of diabetes.

By: Haiderzai

Health Care

Garlic, grapefruit, green tea, and green vegetables

Garlic contains numerous sulfur-containing compounds that activate the liver enzymes responsible for flushing out toxins from the body. This bulbous relative of the onion also contains allicin and selenium, two powerful nutrients proven to help protect the liver from toxic damage, and aid it in the detoxification process.

Grapefruit is rich in natural vitamin C and antioxidants, two powerful liver cleansers. Like garlic, grapefruit contains compounds that boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes. It also contains a flavonoid compound known as naringenin that causes the liver to burn fat rather than store it.

Green tea is loaded with catechins, a type of plant antioxidant that has been shown in studies to eliminate liver fat accumulation and promote proper liver function. This powerful herbal beverage also protects the liver against toxins that would otherwise accumulate and cause serious damage.

Leafy green vegetables such as bitter gourd, arugula, dandelion greens, spinach, mustard greens, and chicory also contain numerous cleansing compounds that neutralize heavy metals, which can bear heavily on the liver. Leafy greens also eliminate pesticides and herbicides from the body, and spur the creation and flow of cleansing bile.

Avocados, walnuts, and turmeric

Rich in glutathione-producing compounds, avocados actively promote liver health by protecting it against toxic overload, and boosting its cleansing power. Some research has shown that eating one or two avocados a week for as little as 30 days can repair a damaged liver.

Walnuts, which contain high levels of l-arginine, an amino acid, glutathione, and omega-3 fatty acids, also help detoxify the liver of disease-causing ammonia. Walnuts also help oxygenate the blood, and extracts from their hulls are often used in liver-cleansing formulas.

Turmeric, one of the most powerful foods for maintaining a healthy liver, has been shown to actively protect the liver against toxic damage, and even regenerate damaged liver cells. Turmeric also boosts the natural production of bile, shrinks engorged hepatic ducts, and improves overall function of the gallbladder, another body-purifying organ.

By: Haiderzai

Gardening

Get Addicted to Gardening

In unconnected research, scientists have found that the simple act of picking fruit or vegetables, whether from a garden or in the wild, causes the brain to release the "pleasure chemical" dopamine, which activates the brain's reward centers. Dopamine is also released from seeing, smelling or eating a pleasurable food.

Indeed, dopamine plays a role in all pleasurable experiences and is thought to be responsible for much of the physical component of addictive behaviors, including compulsive shopping. Researchers believe that our brains evolved to reward us for important behaviors such as finding foods, and that our modern environment of abundance has allowed these psychological mechanisms to be co-opted into unhealthy patterns.

"I have often remarked on the great joy I feel when I forage in the garden, especially when I discover and harvest the 'first of the season', the first luscious strawberry to ripen or emergence of the first tender asparagus shoot," commented writer Robyn Francis on permaculture.com. "I have also often wondered why I had a degree of inherent immunity to the retail-therapy urges that afflict some of my friends and acquaintances. Maybe as a long-term gardener I've been getting a constant base-load dopamine high which has reduced the need to seek other ways to appease this primal instinct."

"I suppose the trick is to rewire our brains to crave the dopamine hit from the garden and other more sustainable pursuits and activities," she added

For those interested in garden therapy, it's worth noting a 2008 study that suggested gardening with herbicides may not supply the same benefits. As a matter of fact, it seems even eating non-organic food may place your mood at risk. Researchers found that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the popular herbicide Roundup, actually lowers your body's levels of both serotonin and dopamine.

Because Roundup and its ingredients build up in the environment and may even be absorbed through the skin, it is also best to avoid non-organic foods, particularly those likely to be engineered for Roundup resistance, such as corn and soy.

By : Haiderzai

Health Care

How to make sure you're drinking pure water

A study of 29 USA cities' water supplies uncovered all sorts of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, as well as traces of prescription drugs.

Chlorine is bad enough, but much worse are its byproducts, known as disinfection byproducts or DBPs. DBPs are formed when chlorine combines with minerals and heavy metals in tap water.

Then there is this stuff called sodium fluoride, you know, to prevent cavities. It is highly toxic in large quantities and continual low dose consumption slowly makes us dumb and sick, and it is added into 70 percent of the USA's municipal water supplies.

Forget the off the shelf bottled waters. In most of those products you'll have contaminated tap water with leeched plastic petroleum by products and the endocrine mimicker BPA (Biphenol-A) to throw off your sex hormone balance.

If you don't have access to real spring water delivered in glass jugs, there are two effective approaches for purifying your drinking water: Reverse osmosis with added charcoal filtering, and Berkey type portable systems originally intended to purify contaminated stagnant water from jungle environments.

Water purification expert Robert Slovak, interviewed by Dr. Mercola a few times, recommends reverse osmosis overall other types, including distilled, ionized, or alkalized. He says if you feel the need to make your water more alkaline, add a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. It's cheaper.

Distilled water used consistently will leech vital minerals out of your body. But it's a good base for natural medicines or tinctures. Reverse osmosis does remove a good deal of important minerals but they can be restored simply with a few drops of liquid mineral solutions (available at health food stores) and/or pure sea salt.

But reverse osmosis, coupled with charcoal filtration is accessible and works to remove almost all chemical contaminants and most of the fluorine. Filters alone don't remove any fluorides.

The least expensive reverse osmosis is available at all health food stores and even most non-organic grocery stores for 25 to 50 cents a gallon.

Take a moment to examine the diagrammed flow chart on a water dispensing machine. Look for cycles labeled charcoal filtering and reverse osmosis. Bingo, there you have the least expensive effective water purification available to refill your containers.

There are household reverse osmosis/charcoal systems that are expensive, and under the sink systems that are considerably less expensive.

The major difference is with the household system, you purify bath and shower water. Under the sink will take care of your drinking and cooking water. Yes, cooking water. Boiling does not remove fluorides or heavy metals. Berkey type systems don't require electricity.

By: Haiderzai