AFFIRMATION
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'I
offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your
feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source.
I salute that Source in you. Let us work together
for unity and love.' Mahatma Gandhi
- Prayer for Peace
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YOUR
ANIMAL

Im
a smart man. I have surrounded myself with a very beautiful
group of girls who tirelessly landscape my yard, provide
rich compost for my garden, dispose of my kitchen scraps,
handle insect control around the house, keep me company,
and even make me a fresh breakfast each morning. These
highly productive females in my life are not actually
human. They are chickens, though I affectionately refer
to them as my lovely lady lumps.
I consider
my small flock of backyard chickens to be one of the best
investments Ive ever made even though they
cost very little time, energy, or money. If you are interested
in having a harem of hens in your life like mine, below
is some insight about how to get started.
Read
the complete guest article from Creek Stewart it covers
most aspects of raising chickents, though not from an
organic perspective is privides great insight to people
considering adding chickens to the family.
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In
the Garden
In the
US, an average meal travels about 1500 miles over a period
of 7 to 14 days before it reaches our tables. With consideration
for peak oil, the cost of fuel, health related cost from
toxic petroleum based farm and garden chemicals which
will continue to rise as the non-renewable resources are
depleated, and with consideration for occuring climate
shifts, our food system is not sustainable.
To get
a look at the previous abundance of our food systems prior
to the current big agricultural system, visit
Local Food News.
For
sustainable gardening resources visit the IHHN's Gardening
Resources.
For
conservation watering information and products visit Water
Your Landscape
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The
Indiana Holistic Health Network Directory (IHHN) is
the most comprehensive directory of holistic and alternative
wellness practitioners in Indiana, Nearby Ohio, and
Kentuky.
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National
Gardening Association Says Its Time to :
~Spray Fruit Trees With Dormant
~Plant Trees at the Right Depth
Plant Cole Crops in the Garden
~Start Warm-Weather Seeds Now
~Fertilize and Repot Houseplants -
READ |
Global
World Wide Wave of Action -
Days of Peaceful Demonstration
http://waveofaction.org/
Global
Map Directory
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TESC
helps provide vision for sustainable local food systems
carbon
nation "a climate change solutions movie {that
doesn't even care if you beilieve in climate change) is
an optimistic and inspiring look at people and their relationships
to how we care for the environment. - DVD
Back Yard
Hive an alternative approach to beekeeping using the
holistic Top Bar Hive system and the use of Bee Gurdian
Methods. DVD
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Freedom
Indiana
Is
a statewide bipartisan coalition of businesses, faith leaders,
civil rights and community organizations, and individuals
united to defeat HJR-3, formerly HJR-6.
This
anti-freedom amendment duplicates existing law and would
permanently ban all protections for same-sex couples and
their families and remove existing protections for unmarried
Hoosiers.
Stand
with us, and sign the petition to defeat HJR-3!
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Bloomington
Community Supports Wellbeing of
LGBTQ Teens
PRISM Youth Community
is a new group formed in Bloomington for LGBTQ teens and
allies. "An inclusive space for teens celebrating all
sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions."
Our goal is to create a "safe, supportive and affirming
space" for teens and their families. Meetings take
place every Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at 803 N. Monroe
St. Bloomington, IN (Monroe and 11th ST). If you know anyone
that wants to attend, all they have to do is show up (although
they can definitely contact Laura Ingram ahead of time if
they have any questions :-))
A sample discussion topic at Tuesday's group: "How
to respond" We'll be talking about what you can do
when someone says or does something offensive, rude, or
disrespectful. Want to join in on the discussion or for
more information? Message PRISM Youth Community on Facebook
or e-mail prismyouthcommunity@gmail.com
In addition to weekly
meetings for youth, there is also a group for parents/guardians
and other adult allies that meets weekly.
Contact Laura Ingram
prismyouthcommunity@gmail.com
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Fracking:
The New Hormone Disruptor
Fracking
is a hard thing to love. On one side of the fossil-fuel
drilling technology, you have industry bigwigs promising
it's safe. On the other side, there's a growing number of
nonindustry-funded scientists saying, "Hold up! We're
seeing some major problems."
The latest
bad news for fracking supporters? It's tinkering with our
delicate hormonal systems, setting up our children for birth
defects and infertility. READ
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What
Is a "Hormone Disruptor" Anyway?
'Hormone-disrupting chemical'
is becoming an everyday term. But what does it really mean
for your health? By Leah Zerbe
tags: BPA AND PLASTIC, PERSONAL
CARE PRODUCTS, PESTICIDES
It seems like not a week goes by without a study linking
a common household productor its ingredientsto
one serious health problem or other. Whether it's BPA in
cans causing heart attacks and cancer or fake fragrances
in personal care products inducing early puberty in girls,
the deluge of what's harming us can be depressing. But all
of these studies underline one important fact: Chemicals
are introduced onto the market before they're adequately
tested for their long-term impacts on human health, and
many of them are harmful hormone disruptors. READ
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On
January 10, 2013, HB. 1196 was introduced to the Indiana House
of Representatives to require the mandatory labeling of genetically
engineered foods. The bill is sponsored by Representatives
Dan Forestal and Robin Shackleford and has been assigned to
the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
According
to the bill summary, HB. 1196:
Provides
that, beginning July 1, 2014, any food that is offered for
retail sale is misbranded if it is not disclosed that the
food is or may have been entirely or partially produced
with genetic engineering. Provides that, beginning July
1, 2014, a food that is genetically engineered or a processed
food may not state or imply that the food is natural. Establishes
exceptions to the disclosure requirements and prohibition
on stating a food is natural. Requires the state department
of health (department) to administer and enforce the disclosure
and labeling requirements. Allows the department to adopt
rules. Establishes a Class A infraction for violations.
Allows the department or a person to seek an injunction
for a violation.
Indiana Right
to Know GMO educates the public about the effects of genetically
engineered foods upon health and environment and supports
legislation to label genetically engineered foods so that
consumers may know what they are buying to feed themselves
and their families.
If you have any information on GMO Labling in Indiana, Contact
us.
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Farming's
Bitter Pill: Has the FDA flouted its own evidence about
the safety of farm antibiotics?
Posted by Animal Welfare Approved on January 28, 2014
A damning
new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
reveals that our Government has been ignoring the very real
risks to public health from routine antibiotic abuse in
intensive livestock farming.
According
to the NRDC's new report, Playing Chicken With Antibiotics,
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-whose key remit
it to protect public health-permitted the nontherapeutic
use of 30 medicinally important antibiotics, including 18
rated as "high risk" to human health, on industrial
farming operations despite knowing this could pose a direct
threat to human health through the development of antibiotic
resistant bacteria. It makes truly somber reading for anyone
concerned about future public health-and the independence
of our Government agencies from vested corporate interests.
The NRDC
obtained the internal FDA documents through a Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, which include safety reviews
of 30 drugs in the penicillin and tetracycline antibiotic
classes carried out between 2001 and 2011-drugs that are
considered important to human medicine. According to the
NRDC, the FDA's internal scientific reviews found that 18
of the 30 antibiotic feed additives could pose a "high
risk" of exposing humans to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
through the food supply. The documents also reveal there
was inadequate data for the FDA's own reviewers to determine
the safety of the other 12 drugs, so their safety still
effectively remains unproven. In addition, the FDA reviewers
concluded that at least 26 of these feed additives did not
even satisfy the safety standards set by FDA back in 1973.
Based on the findings of the FDA's own scientific reviewers,
the NRCD claims that it's unlikely any of the 30 drugs would
be approved as new additives for nontherapeutic livestock
use under current FDA guidelines if they were submitted
today.
Continue Reading
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Oregon's
Isolated Plantings of GM Wheat Has Consequences
By Dan Flynn | June 6, 2013
The isolated genetically engineered wheat plantings found
in an eastern Oregon field have caused Asia to suspend
new shipments of Western White wheat, spurred at least
one federal lawsuit against St. Louis-based Monsanto,
and brought on multiple investigations in a mystery that
may never be solved.
The mystery that needs solving involves how Roundup Ready
wheat got into the Oregon field more than a decade after
trials in the state ended with a company decision not
to go forward with it.
Did it grow from seeds left in the ground or from drifting
pollen? Since the discovery, Monsanto has not been silent.
Oregon was one of 16 states where Roundup Ready trials
were conducted, but apparently not any near this field.
In a statement, Monsanto said seeds only remain viable
in soil for up to two years, and pollen usually only moves
about 30 feet from its source.
Connect
with Food Safety News
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Battling
India's Monsanto Protection Act, Farmers Demand End to GMO
" By Paromita
Pain
Occupy.com, August 19, 2013
Straight to the Source
For related articles and more information, please visit OCA's
Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against Monsanto
page.
On August
8, thousands of farmers and activists from across 20 Indian
states demonstrated in New Delhi against the Biotechnology
Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, and demanded
an end to GMOs in India. 53-year-old farmer Jaswant Sainhara,
standing with his son, proudly held up a placard that read,
"Monsanto, Quit India."
August in
Delhi is among the hottest months of the year, with temperatures
ranging from 40 to 45 degrees Celsius (104 to 113 Fahrenheit).
Yet under the sweltering summer sky, the people whose voices
rose together that day knew they were not fighting for their
justice alone, but were fighting for the basic human right
to safe food.
India seems
to have awoken to the dangers of GM crops. In a recent move,
the courts here rejected two patent appeals by biotech giant
Monsanto, dealing a sizable blow to a company that recoups
its research investments in large part via patents.
Monsanto
wanted to patent its "Methods of Enhancing Stress Tolerance
in plants and methods thereof," and "A method
of producing a transgenic plant, with increasing heat tolerance,
salt tolerance or drought tolerance." But both the
Patent Appeals Court and the Intellectual Property Appellate
Board rejected the company's claims, saying they involved
no "inventive steps" as required in the Patents
Act of 1970, and that they offered a "mere application"
of already known science.
For the many
farmers protesting the GM poisoning of their fields, crops
and their very livelihoods, the courts' decision was a significant
victory and validation for India's food growers. Sainhara,
for example, said he didn't really understand what GM crops
were all about until his son - who had been educated through
a local NGO - explained to him how GM food and seeds worked.
http://www.occupy.com/article
/battling-indias-monsanto-protection-act-farmers-demand-end-gmo
All
Hail Hungary: Country Bravely Destroys All Monsanto GMO
Corn - AGAIN
" By Christina Sarich
Nation of Change, August 22, 2013
Straight
to the Source
For related articles and more information, please visit
OCA's Genetic Engineering page and our Millions Against
Monsanto page.
More than
1000 acres found to have been planted with genetically altered
maize crops have been destroyed in Hungary. Standing up
to the biotech giants of Monsanto, Dow, and BASF, the country
has boldly banned GMO seed. Peru has passed a ban for at
least ten years on GM foods, along with Italy, Portugal,
Greece, Spain and Austria with their own bans, as well as
many other countries. We can only hope more will follow
soon.
Hungary's
Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development,
Lajos Bognar, has made sure that the genetically modified
crops don't spread - he says that 'the crops have been ploughed
under but pollen has not spread form the maize.'
When checking
the fields for GM crops, Hungary found Pioneer Monsanto
seed among crops. Many farmers did not even know they were
using GMO seed, so the search and destroy will likely continue.
It is not surprising that so much seed is being planted
without farmer awareness since Monsanto's acquisition of
Seminis way back in 2005 allowed them to corner more than
40% of the seed market. They now own many seeds and seed
varieties.
In late May
of this year another 500 hectares (more than 1200 acres)
of GM crops were burned after their discovery in Hungary.
The aggressive manner in which this country is trying to
derail Monsanto's plans to overtake even organic crops with
hybridization due to pollen spread by wind and pollinators
including bees and butterflies is not only necessary but
valiant. This isn't the first few times that GMO crops have
been destroyed. They have also been burned in previous years
when found out. Connect
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Questions
to the Editor
What motivated you
to create the Indiana Holistic Health Network? There is
often some need to satisfy something beneath every aspect
of creation. What was yours? Karen L., Washington
I was going through
a period of personal change percipitated by what has been
labeled as environmental allergies. I was in an extreme
gathering mode, seeking many different information avenues
to find help for myself. It was obvious from the beginning
of my search for holistic health and wellness that there
was nothing in my town or the state that linked wellness
practitioners, service providers, health and wellness resources,
etc.
I believed that many
people could benefit from the information I gathered if
it were put in one place. I was very sure nothing existed
to offer people connections to alternative support after
months of search, I began to organize, plan, then build.
I thought that it would be a wonderful thing and that the
health and wellness community would come together. Once
the Indiana Holistic Health Network was launched, I began
getting calls from other communities wanting suggestions
and tips for creating similar networks in their communities.
We all seemed to believe that health and wellness is essential
to sustainable communities and toward peacemaking. Now there
are networks like this is many places.
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Oregon's
Isolated Plantings of GM Wheat Has Consequences
By Dan Flynn |
The isolated genetically engineered
wheat plantings found in an eastern Oregon field have caused
Asia to suspend new shipments of Western White wheat, spurred
at least one federal lawsuit against St. Louis-based Monsanto,
and brought on multiple investigations in a mystery that
may never be solved.
The mystery that needs solving involves how Roundup Ready
wheat got into the Oregon field more than a decade after
trials in the state ended with a company decision not to
go forward with it.
Did it grow from seeds left in the ground or from drifting
pollen? Since the discovery, Monsanto has not been silent.
Oregon was one of 16 states where Roundup Ready trials were
conducted, but apparently not any near this field. In a
statement, Monsanto said seeds only remain viable in soil
for up to two years, and pollen usually only moves about
30 feet from its source. Continue
Reading
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IN SCIENCE NEWS
Medical marijuana
may ease some MS; Little evidence for other complementary
or alternative therapies
Date:
March 24, 2014
Source:
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
Summary:
A new guideline suggests that there is little evidence that
most complementary or alternative medicine therapies (CAM)
treat the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). However,
the guideline states the CAM therapies oral cannabis, or
medical marijuana pills, and oral medical marijuana spray
may ease patients reported symptoms of spasticity,
pain related to spasticity and frequent urination in multiple
sclerosis (MS). The guideline states that there is not enough
evidence to show whether smoking marijuana is helpful in
treating MS symptoms.
Read Article
(ed note- in checking
past news, there have been supporting reports and those
denying and some in between. Since most research is promoted
by those with special interest and politics, it may be a
while before the public sees conclusive information on this
subject).
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IN
THIS ISSUE
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But
the most daring thing is to create stable communities .......
-Kurt
Vonnegut
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Editors
Note
Once again more time
has passed than intended for the newsletter. I only say
that as life permits (until circumstances align this newsletter
with regularity), the HEALING Crane will continue to return.
Often, I have been
asked why do I do this. Why did I put energy into fashioning
the Indiana Holistic Health Network and why do I continue
with it. For the answers to these questions and others click
here.
The HEALING Crane
Patricia C. Coleman
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Mental
Clarity
As
people get older, they start worrying about their
mind and keeping it sharp. What are some ways people
can improve mental clarity? The first advice I give
is to stop worrying about it. The stress alone can
have a deleterious effect on one's brain health. Beyond
that, folks can avoid excitotoxins, get good nutrition,
and make mental connections.
Of
course, not worrying about it is easier said than
done. We all know that stress is bad for us. It is
bad for the brain, especially if you are stressing
about the brain, because we have a tendency to find
what we are looking for, even if its not there. One
thing you can do is try not to multitask too much.
Studies show that humans can do two things at once
effectively, but if you throw a third pan on the fire,
accuracy and efficiency diminish. Any more, and something
is going to have to go. If you walk into a room and
can't remember why you are there, remember that young
people do that also. If your daughter walks in and
you can't remember who she is, then start worrying.
If you continue to be worried, going to a doctor to
be evaluated can help you feel less powerless.
Excitotoxins
are chemicals that excite brain cells to death. These
include substances such as MSG, aspartame, and glutamic
acid. They are commonly found in processed foods.
Research suggests that people with a genetic tendency
toward neurological disorders should avoid these substances.
This also connects with getting good nutrition, since
eating more whole foods and less processed food is
considered better for one's overall health.
There
was a study done on nuns that involved having them
keep a journal. They found that the nuns who made
connections between unrelated objects or situations
were less likely to develop Alzheimer's than those
who just wrote about their day without making connections.
This suggests that teaching yourself to think outside
of the box might be beneficial for the mind. One way
to do this is to never stop your education. Learn
something new every day. Then, think about how you
can apply that learning to something you already know
or about your life.
Below are some resources for intellectual stimulation
at any age:
Online:
www.ted.com
Talks on technology, entertainment, and design. Always
great for a pick-me-up.
www.khanacademy.org
Take online classes in math, physics, finance, or
history.
www.youtube.com
Look up how-to videos on most topics or subscribe
to a station on a topic of your choice
www.gcflearnfree.org
Want to learn to use your computer? Trying to figure
out how to use Facebook so you can see your grandkid's
photos? Take tutorials here.
Offline:
People's
University offered by Bloomington Parks and Recreation
offers classes on arts and crafts, cooking, health
and wellness, home and garden, writing and literature,
music and dance, etc. They offer many low cost or
free offerings and events throughout the year. Most
are in locations within the Bloomington Transit system
in order to be accessible.
Check
out events throughout the year such as Senior Games
in late summer and the Creative Aging Festival in
May.
Scarlett
Winters, N.D.
PO Box 8685
Bloomington, IN 47407
812.340.0937
www.scarlettnd.com
Facebook: Healthy People
Google +: Healthy People
Twitter: ScarlettND
Scarlett
Winters, N.D., is an ANCB Certified Traditional
Naturopath. She has been working in the field of natural
health for over a decade. Her training includes crisis
and bereavement counseling, Reiki Master training,
and a Doctor of Naturopathy degree. She seeks to educate
clients and the public regarding ways to experience
vitality and health on physical, mental, emotional,
and spiritual levels.
Editors
Note: Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe, 725 West
Kirkwood Avenue offers classes and workshops to assist
individuals and small groups to mentally stemulating
and artfully relaxing play.
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Awakening
to your Divine Self Oracle
Deck
In
mid-2013, Jill Chesrow, an artist in Chicago,
had a vision. To see it through, she brought
together 39 artists from across the globe -
Fearless Sisters who had found one another through
the teachings of Connie Hozvicka (DirtyFootprints
Studio). Their collaborative journey has resulted
in the Awakening To Your Divine Self Oracle
Deck. |

The
Oracle Deck is a set of 44 cards + message booklet,
created to awaken within the user their innate divine
wisdom. Each artist created a spirit-led piece of
art based off a word or phrase of their choosing.
Every word was under the umbrella of the greater
intention of the group (awakening the divine wisdom),
but specific to the calling of the artist that chose
it.
The
resulting works of art were professionally designed
and printed into the Oracle Deck. In addition, each
artist also wrote a guidance message to accompany
their card. These messages were joined together
into a booklet to use alongside the deck.
My
card and intention was, "Breath Awareness".
I created the piece over many weeks, letting my
breath be the guide as I painted layer after layer.
The image of the woman immersed in the greater breath
emerged, and she still brings a smile to my face
and depth to my breath each time I see her. I offer
to those who draw the card to remember their breath,
to allow their inhale and exhale to be their guiding
force into their own wisdom.
There
are many ways to use the Oracle Deck, and no right
way to do so. A user may draw a card in the morning
to use as guidance throughout the day, or perhaps
ask a question and let the draw of a card be insight
into a path. Because of the unique creative nature
of these cards, this deck can also be enjoyed simply
for the wide range of art and used for inspiration
for one's own creative path.
The
Awakening To Your Divine Self Oracle Decks are available
for purchase at Patricia's Wellness Arts Cafe and
Quilter's Comfort Teas in Bloomington, IN (725 W
Kirkwood). You can also purchase online through
www.BeingBreath.com/Oracle.
Lisa
Renee Wilson is an Awareness Artist who blends mindfulness,
awareness, and creative practice with everyday life.
She challenges and inspires others through her mixed
media art, online writing, and occasional class
offerings. Learn more at www.BeingBreath.com.
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Simple
Trick Removes Pesticides from Your Vegetables & Fruits
By Dr. Mercola
Howard Garrett, also known as The Dirt Doctor, has compiled
a number of uses for vinegar, including recipes for both
internal use and use in your organic garden, which I will
share with you here.
"Vinegar is a wonderful organic tool that was discovered
by accident 10,000 years ago when wine was accidentally
allowed to ferment too long and turned sour," he writes.
"It can be made from many products, including beer,
apples, berries, beets, corn, fruits, grains, honey, malt,
maple syrup, melons, molasses, potatoes, rice, sorghum,
and other foods containing sugar.
Click
Here to read.
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Tests
Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey
Ultra-filtering Removes Pollen, Hides Honey Origins
By Andrew
Schneider | November 7, 2011
More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery
stores isn't exactly what the bees produce, according to
testing done exclusively for Food Safety News.
The results
show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of
products labeled "honey."
The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within
a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards
set by most of the world's food safety agencies.
The food safety divisions of the World Health Organization,
the European Commission and dozens of others also have ruled
that without pollen there is no way to determine whether
the honey came from legitimate and safe sources.
In the U.S.,
the Food and Drug Administration says that any product that's
been ultra-filtered and no longer contains pollen isn't
honey. However, the FDA isn't checking honey sold here to
see if it contains pollen.
Ultra filtering
is a high-tech procedure where honey is heated, sometimes
watered down and then forced at high pressure through extremely
small filters to remove pollen, which is the only foolproof
sign identifying the source of the honey. It is a spin-off
of a technique refined by the Chinese, who have illegally
dumped tons of their honey - some containing illegal antibiotics
- on the U.S. market for years.
Food Safety
News decided to test honey sold in various outlets after
its earlier investigation found U.S. groceries flooded with
Indian honey banned in Europe as unsafe because of contamination
with antibiotics, heavy metal and a total lack of pollen
which prevented tracking its origin.
Food Safety
News purchased more than 60 jars, jugs and plastic bears
of honey in 10 states and the District of Columbia.
CLICK
HERE TO CONTINUE READING
CLICK
HERE FOR A LIST OF HONEY TESTED AND FOUND TO BE POLLEN FREE
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For
All Seasons
REIKI
for people and /or their companion animals. Information
on herbs and resources. Services provided through
home visits, community outreach, and distance sessions.
Compassionate and affordable healing arts.
Contact - Rita Palazzolo
812-233-8214
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Carrots,
Carrots, and More About Carrots!
I still
recall the first time I heard a mother say to her lttle
ones,
"
this is a carrot - apple day" as she guided the two
of them throught the open coop door. That was Tucson, AZ
around 1977.
Following
are a few web gleaned articles about delicious carrots.
Some other time we will celebrate the apple.
Also, if
you are interested in food, you will find much to explore
in Food
News.
As a child,
I was always asking, "Why?" As I live and grow,
I continue to receive answers to questions such as, What
is a carrot? A carrot is a root vegetable. Which means that
the part of the plant we eat grows beneath the ground. It
is a member of the parsley family which is recognized in
the long green lacy leaves. Carrots naturally come in every
color: red, black, yellow, white and especially purple.
Not orange! The Afghani were the first to cultivate carrots.
They harvested roots with purple exteriors and yellow flesh.
It is thought that sometime during the Middle Ages, the
Dutch, through careful color selection, developed the bright
orange carrot we know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Are
the Health Benefits of Carrots?
By Dr. Mercola
Carrots
are so common in the US that it's easy to overlook their
potentially powerful benefits to your health.
Now a
popular snack food to eat with dips or add to fresh vegetable
juice, or as an addition to soups and stews, carrots have
been valued since ancient times for their medicinal properties.
According to the US Department of Agriculture:1
"Thought
to be native to central or western Asia (likely Afghanistan),
cultivated carrots first arrived in North America with the
early Virginia colonists. Carrots are an important member
of the parsley family, which also includes celery, anise,
and dill.
Like
many vegetables, the early history of carrots centered on
various medicinal attributes thought suitable for curing
a wide range of conditions and maladies."
The
nutrients in carrots may provide protection against heart
disease and cancer while helping to build strong bones and
a healthy nervous system. Carrots contain falcarinol, a
compound that may stimulate cancer-fighting mechanisms.
The consumption of carrots has also been associated with
a lower risk of heart attacks in women. Cooking carrots
may help to boost their antioxidant levels and overall nutritional
value
Beta Carotene
and More: What Nutrients are Found in Carrots?
A serving
of carrots (one medium carrot or ½ cup chopped) will
provide about:
210% of
the average daily recommended amount of vitamin A
10% vitamin K
6% vitamin C
2% calcium
The high
vitamin A content, for which carrots are best known, comes
from beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in
your liver. Interestingly, there's a reason why 'carrot'
and 'carotene' sound so alike. The word carotene was devised
in the early 19th century by a German scientist after he
crystallized the compound from carrot roots.
Carrots
also contain potassium, vitamin B6, copper, folic acid,
thiamine and magnesium. I generally recommend eating carrots
in moderation because they contain more sugar than any other
vegetable aside from beets,
However,
when eaten as part of an overall healthy diet, the nutrients
in carrots may provide you with protection against heart
disease and stroke while helping you to build strong bones
and a healthy nervous system.
From Heart
Disease to Cancer: What Does the Research Say About Carrots?
There's
good reason to include carrots in your regular diet, as
the science is very strong that they may help reduce your
risk of chronic disease.
Heart Disease
Eating more
deep-orange-colored fruits and vegetables is associated
with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In particular,
carrots are associated with a 32 percent lower risk of CHD,
leading researchers to conclude:2
"
a higher intake of deep orange fruit and vegetables and
especially carrots may protect against CHD."
The consumption
of carrots has also been associated with a lower risk of
heart attacks in women.3
Cancer
Antioxidants
in carrots, including beta carotene, may play a role in
cancer prevention. Research has shown that smokers who eat
carrots more than once a week have a lower risk of lung
cancer,4 while a beta-carotene-rich diet may also protect
against prostate cancer.5
The consumption
of beta carotene is also associated with a lower risk of
colon cancer6 while carrot juice extract may kill leukemia
cells and inhibit their progression.7
Carrots
also contain falcarinol, a natural toxin that protects carrots
against fungal disease. It's thought that this compound
may stimulate cancer-fighting mechanisms in the body, as
it's been shown to cut the risk of tumor development in
rats.8
Vision
A deficiency
in vitamin A can cause your eye's photoreceptors to deteriorate,
which leads to vision problems. Eating foods rich in beta-carotene
may restore vision,9 lending truth to the old adage that
carrots are good for your eyes.
Brain Health
Carrot extract
has been found to be useful for the management of cognitive
dysfunctions and may offer memory improvement and cholesterol-lowering
benefits.10
Liver Protection
Carrot extract
may help to protect your liver from the toxic effects of
environmental chemicals.11
Anti-Inflammatory
Properties
Carrot extract
also has anti-inflammatory properties and provided anti-inflammatory
benefits that were significant even when compared to anti-inflammatory
drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Celebrex.12
Cooking
May Increase the Health Benefits of Carrots
Carrots
eaten raw are an excellent food, but there is some research
showing that cooking them may actually help to boost their
nutritional content. Interestingly, one study found that
cooked carrots had higher levels of beta carotene and phenolic
acids than raw carrots, and the antioxidant activity continued
to increase over a period of four weeks. Adding carrot peels
to a carrot puree also boosted antioxidant levels.13
So while
I generally recommend eating your vegetables raw or fermented
for the most nutrition, carrots may be one case where gentle
cooking, such as steaming, is preferred.
As for storage,
keep them in the coolest part of your refrigerator in a
sealed plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel, which should
keep them fresh for about two weeks. Avoiding storing them
near apples, pears or potatoes, as the ethylene gas they
release may turn your carrots bitter.14
Fun Facts
About Carrots
The average
American eats more than 11 pounds of carrots a year, usually
the bright orange variety. But did you know that, until
the 17th or 18th century when the Dutch bred orange carrots,
most carrots were purple, yellow or white? The word carrot
actually came from "karoton," a Greek word whose
first three letters refer to an object with a horn-like
shape.15 There are hundreds of carrot varieties around the
world, and the US is the third-leading producer worldwide
(behind China and Russia). In the US, most carrots are grown
in California, Washington and Michigan.
Beware
of Baby Carrots
Baby carrots,
which are now one of the most popular carrot forms, were
not invented until 1986, when a California carrot farmer
created them to save some of the broken and misshaped carrots
in his harvest.16 Baby carrots are not actually baby
carrots at all but rather are less-than-perfect carrots
that have been shaved down to a smaller size. Not only are
baby carrots more expensive than whole carrots, theyre
also typically given a chlorine bath to prolong shelf life.
For this
reason, I generally recommend purchasing whole carrots instead
of baby carrots, and also recommend seeking to find organically
grown varieties, as at one time carrots were part of the
most heavily pesticide-laden produce list (although they
have been removed in recent years). Looking for even more
carrot nutrition information and lore? Be sure to read What
Are Carrots Good For?
Dr.
Mercola - http://articles.mercola.com/
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TEN
GREAT REASONS TO EAT CARROTS
Carrots are
more than a tasty addition to almost any dish. They are
also good for your bodys overall health, especially
that of the skin, eyes, digestive system and teeth!
So if the
sweet flavor isnt enough, enjoy these 10 reasons to
eat more carrots:
1. Beta carotene:
Carrots are a rich source of this powerful antioxidant,
which, among other vital uses, can be converted into vitamin
A in the body to help maintain healthy skin.
ADVERTISEMENT
2. Digestion:
Carrots increase saliva and supply essential minerals, vitamins
and enzymes that aid in digestion. Eating carrots regularly
may help prevent gastric ulcers and other digestive disorders.
3. Alkaline
elements: Carrots are rich in alkaline elements, which purify
and revitalize the blood while balancing the acid/alkaline
ratio of the body.
4. Potassium:
Carrots are a good source of potassium, which can help maintain
healthy sodium levels in the body, thereby helping to reduce
elevated blood pressure levels.
5. Dental
Health: Carrots kill harmful germs in the mouth and help
prevent tooth decay.
6. Wounds:
Raw or grated carrots can be used to help heal wounds, cuts
and inflammation.
7. Phytonutrients:
Among the many beneficial phytochemicals that carrots contain
is a phytonutrient called falcarinol, which may reduce the
risk of colon cancer and help promote overall colon health.
8. Carotenoids:
Carrots are rich in carotenoids, which our bodies can use
to help regulate blood sugar.
9. Fiber:
Carrots are high in soluble fiber, which may reduce cholesterol
by binding the LDL form (the kind we dont want) and
increasing the HDL form (the kind our body needs) to help
reduce blood clots and prevent heart disease.
10. Eyes,
hair, nails and more! The nutrients in carrots can improve
the health of your eyes, skin, hair, nails and more through
helping to detoxify your system and build new cells!
There are
plenty more reasons to enjoy these crunchy, sweet root vegetables,
so reserve a spot in your garden plot for planting some,
or pop down to the local market to pick up a bunch!
Read more:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/
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Degradation
of Our Agricultural System
by
Richard Cartwright
How
our dominant agricultural system is degrading the health
of the land - and what we can do about it.
This is
about holistic health. What can be more relevant, if we
as humans are to experience a healthful existence, than
to consider the health of the LAND itself, the land we live
upon and from which we obtain our food. Unless, and until,
we learn how to grow food without degrading the land used
to grow it, we will have a limited existence upon this planet
because we will destroy its carrying capacity, denying our
children a future.
Click to READ the article.
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Quinoa
Quinoa (/'ki?nw??/
or /k?'no?.?/, Spanish: quinua, from Quechua: kinwa),
a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain crop
grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal
rather than a true cereal, as it is not a member of the
true grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related
to species such as beetroots, spinach and tumbleweeds.
It is high in protein, lacks gluten, and is tolerant of
dry soil.
Quinoa (the name is derived from the Spanish spelling
of the Quechua name kinwa or occasionally "Qin-wah")
originated in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia
and Peru, where it was successfully domesticated 3,000
to 4,000 years ago for human consumption, though archaeological
evidence shows a non-domesticated association with pastoral
herding some 5,200 to 7,000 years ago.[2]
Similar Chenopodium
species, such as pitseed goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri)
and fat hen (Chenopodium album), were grown and domesticated
in North America as part of the Eastern Agricultural Complex
before maize agriculture became popular.[3] Fat hen, which
has a widespread distribution in the Northern Hemisphere,
produces edible seeds and greens much like quinoa, but
in smaller quantities.
The nutrient composition is favourable compared with common
cereals. Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like
lysine and acceptable quantities of calcium, phosphorus,
and iron.[4]
After harvest, the seeds must be processed to remove the
coating containing the bitter-tasting saponins. Quinoa
seeds are in general cooked the same way as rice and can
be used in a wide range of dishes. Quinoa leaves are also
eaten as a leaf vegetable, much like amaranth, but the
commercial availability of quinoa greens is limited.
Like the potato, quinoa was one of the main foods of the
Andean peoples before the Incas. Traditionally, quinoa grain
are roasted and then made to flour, with which different
types of breads are baked.
Almost
all the current quinoa production is in the hands of small
farmers and associations.
Faced
with the challenge of increasing the production of quality
food to feed the world's population in the context of climate
change, quinoa offers an alternative for those countries
suffering from food insecurity.
The United Nations General Assembly has therefore declared
2013 as the "International Year of Quinoa", in
recognition of ancestral practices of the Andean people,
who have managed to preserve quinoa in its natural state
as food for present and future generations, through ancestral
practices of living in harmony with nature.
Information
from Wikipedia
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EarthTalk
Credit: Rainforest
Action Network
Environmental leaders are opposed to the proposed Keystone
XL pipeline which, if approved and built, would transport
tar sands fuels through the Midwestern U.S. to refineries
in the Gulf of Mexico. Pictured: A Rainforest Action Network
anti tar sands pipeline protest in front of the Canadian
Consulate in Chicago.
EarthTalk®
E - The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk:
What are "dirty fuels" and why are they so called?
-- Bill Green, Seattle, WA
The term
"dirty fuels" refers to fuels derived from tar
sands, oil shale or liquid coal. Just like their more conventional
fossil fuel counterparts such as petroleum and coal, they
can be turned into gasoline, diesel and other energy sources
that can generate extreme amounts of particulate pollution,
carbon emissions and ecosystem destruction during their
lifecycles from production to consumption.
"Because
tar sands [have] more sulfur, nitrogen, and metals in [them]
than conventional oil, upgrading and refining [them] causes
a lot more air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,"
reports the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a
leading environmental non-profit. "On a lifecycle basis-that
is, extraction all the way through combustion-tar sands
cause about 20 percent more global warming pollution than
conventional oil," adds NRDC. "Oil shale and liquid
coal are even worse, causing nearly 50 percent more global
warming pollution and over double the lifecycle emissions
of conventional oil
" Click
to continue reading
|

Soil-to-Soil
Sweaters: Investing in Local Wool
By Amber Turpin on February 13, 2014
Many of us will ante up the extra dollar or two for sustainable
food, or food that we believe closes the gap between producer
and consumer, knowing that where we spend our money has
power. But how does that approach apply to the other things
we consume?
I haven't stepped foot into a fast food chain in nearly
10 years, but my food values are easy to forget when there's
a sale at The Gap and I want a ridiculously adorable pair
of skinny jeans for my toddler.
That's why the story of Fibershed-a California-based project
aimed at localizing clothing and reminding consumers of
its ties to agriculture-is so important. What started
in 2010 as one woman's personal effort to wear only clothes
that were made, dyed, and grown from fiber within 150
miles for a year, has since grown into a movement. (There
are now 17 affiliate Fibershed groups in nearly a dozen
states, as well as several international locales.)
Fibershed's approach to connecting all of the spokes in
the wheel of the supply chain, from farmers, to artisans,
to consumers, has also resulted into a marketplace. Rebecca
Burgess, the project's founder, has become somewhat of
a DIY heroine, who continues to speak out about the plight
to change clothing industry. READ
more
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More SCIENCE NEWS
Chinese herbal remedy
as good as methotrexate for treating rheumatoid arthritis,
study finds
Source:BMJ-British Medical Journal Summary:A
traditional Chinese herbal remedy used to relieve joint
pain and inflammation works as well as methotrexate, a standard
drug treatment that is frequently prescribed to control
the symptoms of active rheumatoid arthritis, reveals research.
Furthermore, combining the herbal remedy with methotrexate
-- the disease modifying drug (DMARD) most commonly used
to treat rheumatoid arthritis -- was more effective than
treatment with methotrexate alone, the findings showed.
Read
Article
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ISSN#
1552-9371
April 2014
Volume 4
Issue 2 |
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Pardon our dust as we update the Directory
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Search
Indiana Holistic Health
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You're
Invited to Earth Dinner - Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014-
Celebrate and honor Earth Week
Patricia's
Wellness Arts Café, Quilter's Comfort and Ichiyo
invites you to join us for a small pitch-in vegetarian Earth
Dinner. We ask you to come prepared to talk about the food
you bring, its origins locally and even its global roots
and the journey to this table and if a grower, lessons gained
from observing this food. Maybe you can re-create a favorite
family dish. Find a way for every person in your home to
help in the creation of the food you will bring to share.
I paraphrase
here - "Acknowledge food as medicine for every body,
heart and soul. When preparing real food, it is like a meditation.
When preparing food with friends and loved ones, it is an
even better meditation. Coming together around food is a
beautiful way to say thank you for our sustenance and to
spend meaningful time together."
When we gather, many people around the earth, will also
be gathering to share food and discus it. We hope you will
join us and share your food story with us.
Unable to
be with us at the Cafe, host your own friends or family,
or even a lovely contemplative time with yourself.
We will be
hosting a small group of people. Please contact quilterscomfortinfo@gmail.com
to get more information and to reserve your place at the
table.
|
The
Indiana Holistic Health Network invites your organization
to reach out to health and wellness practitioners and service
providers in Indiana by advertising with the IHHN. Our rates
are very reasonable and your advertising support will help
us share your resources with our members and all who visit
our site. |
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Reiki
Healing and
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CELEBRATIONS
AND BENEFITS |
FARMERS
MARKETS |
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The
11th Continental Bioregional Congress is tentatively scheduled
for 2015.
A growing number of
people are recognizing that in order to secure the clean
air, water and food that we need to healthfully survive,
we must become guardians of the places where we live. People
sense the loss in not knowing our neighbors and natural
surroundings, and are discovering that the best way to take
care of ourselves and to get to know our neighbors is to
protect and restore our bioregion.
Bioregionalism recognizes,
nurtures, sustains and celebrates our local connections
with: Land, Plants and Animals, Springs, Rivers, Lakes,
Groundwater & Oceans, Air, Families, Friends, Neighbors,
Community, Native Traditions and Indigenous Systems of Production
& Trade.
It is taking the time
to learn the possibilities of place. It is a mindfulness
of local environment, history, and community aspirations
that leads to a sustainable future. It relies on safe and
renewable sources of food and energy. It ensures employment
by supplying a rich diversity of services within the community,
by recycling our resources, and by exchanging prudent surpluses
with other regions. Bioregionalism is working to satisfy
basic needs locally, such as education, health care and
self-governance.
|
Reiki Workshops for Individuals
and Small Groups - Levels
I and II with
Reiki Peace and Wellness Arts,
with Reiki Master Teacher Rev. Patricia C. Coleman, Bloomington,
IN . |
Eco
News on WFHB
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Indiana
Holistic Health Network
Directory (IHHN) Directory Listings from holistic
wellness practitioners, integrative therapist, alternative
healing therapies, merchants, healing centers, herbal
and garden resources, health related news and Events
Calendar for Indiana, nearby Ohio, Kentucky and more.
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The
Writers Guild at Bloomington is an association of
writers committed to mutual support and the professional
development of their craft. Its mission is to foster
interaction among writers as well as other artists,
educators, and the Monroe County public, thereby enhancing
the vibrancy of the arts and the writing community
in the greater Bloomington area.
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Transition
Skills - Folk School - Talk About It |
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Truvia
(Rebiana) And PureVia Are Not Stevia
By: Bryan Marcel, Certified Personal Trainer
Truvia and PureVia are the latest sweeteners to hit the
market from Coca-Cola (joint venture with Cargill) and Pepsico
. They are both marketed as natural Stevia sweeteners. Truvia
and PureVia are not Stevia. I must say that I am concerned
about Truvia for several reasons. On August 17, 2007 the
FDA sent a warning letter [1] to Hain Celestial Group stating
that the use of Stevia in its Celestial Seasonings tea products
was unsafe. The FDA stated that they had concerns about
Stevia's "control of blood sugar, and effects on the
reproductive, cardiovascular and renal systems". Then
in August 2009 the "FDA has concluded that there is
no basis to object to the use of certain refined Stevia
preparations in food" . What this means is that Stevia,
which is the complete compound consisting of steviosides,
rebaudiosides and glycoside is unsafe, even though it has
been in use for over 1000 years. But, Coca Cola's and Cargill's
highly refined and processed Rebaudioside A (Reb A or rebiana),
which is a single component of Stevia, is perfectly safe.
Really? What gives? So the Rebiana A in Truvia and PureVia
is now okay according to the FDA, but true Stevia is still
not approved except as a "herbal supplement".
I disagree, but I'll move on.
We have to look at the history of the companies involved.
Truvia is marketed as "Nature's calorie-free sweetener".
They claim it's all natural and made using natural processes.
The Coca Cola Company has poisoned us for years with high
fructose corn syrup, Splenda (sucralose) and the excitotoxin
aspartame. Cargill, Coke's partner in this venture, has
paid millions of dollars to settle lawsuits for polluting
our water and our air [2,3,4,5]. So if I understand this
correctly, these two "model" companies woke up
one day and decided that together they would change their
ways and make a natural healthy sweetener, Truvia. Okay.
I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Let's look at what
Truvia claims to be and what it really is.
Truvia has three ingredients. Erythritol, rebiana, and natural
flavors. First, erythritol. According to Truvia, "Erythritol
is a natural sweetener, produced by a natural process, and
it is also found in fruits like grapes and pears".
Erythritol is found in fruits like grapes and pears and
a few other fruits as well. The amount of erythritol found
in watermelon, melon, pears and grapes ranges between 0.0022
- 0.0047% by weight [6]. In order to "harvest"
1 ounce of erythritol you would need between 13 and 28 pounds
of these fruits. Since there is no plant that grows and
produces erthyritol in any sizable quantity it is made by
a manufacturing process. Erythritol is made from a food
grade starch (from genetically modified corn) that is broken
down into glucose by fermentation with moniliella pollinis,
a yeast. The glucose is then broken down into erythritol.
It is about 70% the sweetness of sucrose, but its purpose
in Truvia is that of a filler, a bulking agent. (Fructose
also occurs in fruits. Read my article, "Fructose Makes
You Fat And UnHealthy" to see how your body treats
a sugar that has been removed from its source).
Second, according to Truvia, "Rebiana comes from the
sweet leaf of the Stevia plant, native to South America.
Dried Stevia leaves are steeped in water, similar to making
tea. This unlocks the best tasting part of the leaf which
is then purified to provide a calorie-free sweet taste".
Rebiana or Reb A does come from the Stevia plant. But, according
to FoodProductDesign.com, "While Reb A is derived from
the Stevia plant, it is not the same as the Stevia that
has been sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement".
Reb A is simply part of the stevioside molecule. It isn't
Stevia. Splenda claims to be made from sugar. It did start
out as a sugar molecule, and then in a five step process
three chlorine molecules were added. The end result not
being anything remotely close to sugar. Truvia is using
the same logic-stretching technique. Rebiana isn't the Stevia
that you have heard about for years.
It is also true that the Stevia plant is native to South
America. What they don't tell you is that 80% of all Stevia
comes from China. I don't trust China to safely produce
any food product. They have proven time and time again over
the past several years that they cannot be trusted to make
safe, quality products. There are also many genetically
modified forms of Stevia being grown. Genetic modification
alters the plant at the cellular level. It's not known what,
if any, long-term health implications genetic modification
will have. Europe has banned many genetically modified foods.
Those that they do allow require labels informing the consumer.
I have written Truvia asking if their Stevia is grown in
China and if they use genetically modified plants. If I
ever get a response, I will post it.
In the meantime it is safe to assume that their Stevia is
grown in China and is genetically modified.
Truvia
claims that the process used to make rebiana is "similar
to making tea". Please define "similar".
According to Coca Cola's U.S. patent application [7] method
for purifying Truvia's rebiana is a 42 step process that
includes the use of acetone, acetonitrile, metanol, ethanol
(yes, the same that you put in your gas tank) and isopropanol
(rubbing alcohol). The side effects of exposure to these
substances ranges from suppression of the central nervous
system to death. Now I don't know about you, but I personally
don't use any of these substances when I make tea. It is
curious though, that Coca Cola filed this patent for rebiana
on May 21, 2007 and three months later (August 17, 2007)
the real Stevia was ruled unsafe, but rebiana was approved.
The "purification process" results in rebiana
being 95% pure. Because of this it is about 400 times sweeter
than sugar. Truvia claims that each packet of Truvia is
twice as sweet as sugar. Let's do the math. Rebiana is 400
times sweeter than sugar. Truvia as a final product is twice
as sweet as sugar. So 400 divided by 2 is 200. One packet
of pure rebiana would then be the equivalent of 200 packets
of sugar. Try this at home. Empty one sugar packet onto
a plate. Divide the sugar on the plate into 200 equal portions.
One portion of the 200 is the miniscule amount of rebiana
in a single packet of Truvia. So what is in the rest of
the Truvia packet? All ingredients are required to be listed
in order of predominance. So the first ingredient in any
food product is what that product has the most of. Then
the ingredients are listed in descending order. With Truvia,
the first ingredient is erythritol. Erythritol is mainly
what Truvia is made of, followed by a very distant miniscule
amount of rebiana, and in turn by even less natural flavor.
And that brings us to the last ingredient, natural flavor.
Truvia's website says that "natural flavors are used
to bring out the best of Truvia, like pepper or salt or
any other spice that would be used to heighten the taste
of food". The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines
natural flavor as: "any product which contains the
flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit
juice, vegetable or vegetable juice
whose significant
function in food is for flavoring rather than nutritional".
Sounds very natural, but look closer. "Flavoring constituents
derived" says what a natural flavor really is: The
chemical equivalent of a natural flavor. Natural flavors
are made in a laboratory. What the natural flavor is doesn't
have to be listed because they are considered to be trade
secrets. The only time that you will ever see "natural
flavor" listed on a food ingredient label is when there
are no real natural flavors. But it is resourceful for Truvia's
to compare their natural flavor to pepper or salt. As a
side note, an artificial flavor is the chemical equivalent
of a flavor that is not from a spice, fruit, vegetable,
etc, but also made in a lab.
Truvia uses the word "natural" a lot on their
website and packaging. Most people don't realize that with
the exception of meat that the word "natural"
has no meaning. I have shown you how Truvia is made. Truvia
doesn't seem at all "natural" to me. You won't
find Truvia in nature. Even with genetic modification you
can't grow it. The Truvia website and packaging has been
very carefully worded. They bend the truth and make inferences,
but they never quite lie. People read their information
and see what they want to see. Hence the use of pictures
of Stevia leaves and all the "green" on the box
and website.
Although the majority of this article is about Coca Cola's
Truvia, don't count out their competitor PepsiCo. PepsiCo
has entered into a partnership with Whole Earth Sweetener
Company to jointly own and market PureVia, their version
of essentially the same product. The difference is that
PureVia uses dextrose, a simple sugar instead of erythritol
as the primary sweetener. Whole Earth Sweetener Company
is owned by the Merisant Company, the makers of Equal. Equal
contains apartmane, a multipotential carcinogenic. So don't
let all of the feel-good natural claims on their websites
fool you. Truvia and PureVia are just another scam on the
consumer. These products are marketed as Stevia sweeteners
and they are anything but that. If you want Stevia, then
look for Stevia extract or stevioside on the ingredient
label. I think that real Stevia is fine in moderation. Erythritol
is fine in its natural form in fruit. But when you take
a component of a fruit, like erythritol, that makes up less
than 0.0047% of that fruit and you make it the primary ingredient
in your new sweetener, no one knows how the human body will
react to it long term. (But our experience with fructose
and high fructose corn syrup may be some indication.) This
is not the Stevia with its 1000+ year history. Truvia and
PureVia are new chemical concoctions that have no history
and no track record. Besides that, these sweeteners totally
miss the point. The goal is better health through a healthy
diet. The best way to achieve that in regards to sweeteners
is to keep it simple and reduce consumption.
Truvia and PureVia are just products designed to keep you
consuming things that aren't any good for you under the
premise of reduced calories. Use raw honey, raw sugar, and
real Stevia sparingly. Leave the Truvia and PureVia on the
store shelf next to all the other man made artificial sweeteners
where they belong..
References
[1] http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/Enforcement
Actions/WarningLetters/2007/ucm076475.htm
[2] http://enviro.blr.com/environmental-news/
EHS-management/EPA-and-stateenvironment
al-compliance-enforcement/13.9-Million-Clean-
Air-Act-Settlement-with-Multina
[3] http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/
7c02ca8c86062a0f85257018004118a6/f36d6abac
73ce5de8525706f006819d3!OpenDocument
[4] http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2008
/2008-03-11-092.asp
[5] http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/
settlements/09941/toxic-brine.html
[6] Tatsuji Shindou, Yoshiyuki Sasaki, Toru
Eguchi, Toru Euguchi, Kiyokazu Hagiwara,
Tomio Ichikawa. (1989).Identification of eryth
ritol by HPLC and GC-MS and quantitative
measurement in pulps of various fruits
Journal of Agriculural and Food Chemistry.
37 (6), pp1474-1476[7] http://www.google
.com/patents/about?id=8wOjAAAAEBAJ
&dq=reb+A+coca+cola
Copyright, all rights reserved. Internet
redistribution authorized with this active link
present: http://www.BryanMarcel.com
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Wild:
What Is Sustainable
by Richard
Adrian Reese
If you only
have time for one sentence, hear this: Jay Griffiths' book,
Wild - An Elemental Journey, is one of the most powerful
books I've ever read. Wild is a celebration of wildness
and freedom. It celebrates societies that work, societies
that have complete respect for their ecosystems, societies
that have survived for thousands of years without suffering
destructive whirlwinds of mass hysteria.
Griffiths is a brilliant heretic and a proud one. Her book
shows us what happens when madness collides with wildness.
It helps us understand the dark injuries that destroyed
our own freedom, and put us on the path to what we have
become. It is 350 pages of full-throttle outside-the-box
thinking, written with passion and eloquence. For outside-the-box
thinkers, it's just awesome. For light sleepers, it might
provide a life-changing wakeup call.
Griffiths was born in deepest, darkest England, a devastated
island that was once a magnificent rainforest. She was blessed
with the precious curse and gift of having an active mind.
She excelled at asking penetrating questions that were not
proper for young ladies (or lads) to ask. The wardens were
not amused.
During her teen years, she hung out with fundamentalist
Christians, but what they were teaching could not survive
rational scrutiny, and her mind was highly allergic to blind
faith. Painful clashes inspired her to run away. She abandoned
the normal life for which she had been trained. "I
lost a walled city but found a wildness and freedom. I never
regretted it." Read
the full essay
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In North America,
the majority of such fuels come from Canada's vast boreal forest,
to where tens of millions of birds flock each spring to nest.
"Tar sands oil development creates open pit mines, habitat
fragmentation, toxic waste holding ponds, air and water pollution,
upgraders and refineries, and pipelines spreading far beyond the
Boreal forest," reports NRDC. "This development is destroying
habitat for waterfowl and songbirds that come from all over the
Americas to nest in the Boreal."
Beyond impacts
at the extraction sites, dirty fuels cause pollution problems
all down the line. For this reason, environmental leaders are
opposed to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline which, if approved
and built, would transport tar sands fuels through the Midwestern
U.S. to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.
"Refinery communities like Port Arthur, Texas...are already
unable to comply with their air pollution regulations, so dirtier
fuel is the last thing they need in their refineries," adds
NRDC.
And while dirty
fuels may reduce our reliance on foreign oil, they won't help
reduce gas prices as they are so expensive to produce that gas
prices would have to be higher than they already are in order
for them to be profitable. "They also can't help with stabilizing
gas prices in the case of a disruption to oil shipments because
each new tar sands project requires huge infrastructure and capital
investments, so it takes years for new tar sands projects to come
on-line-it's not as though there is loads of spare tar sands oil
just waiting to be put through the pipelines," says NRDC's
Elizabeth Shope.
"The fact
is, we don't need these fuels," she adds. "We can reduce
oil consumption by increasing fuel efficiency standards, and greater
use of hybrid cars, renewable energy and environmentally sustainable
biofuels. What's called 'smart growth'-how we design our communities-is
also a very important element in meeting our transportation needs.
"North America
stands at an energy crossroads [and] we now face a choice: to
set a course for a more sustainable energy future of clean, renewable
fuels, or to develop ever-dirtier sources of transportation fuel
derived from fossil fuels-at an even greater cost to our health
and environment."
CONTACT: NRDC,
www.nrdc.org.
EarthTalk®
is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered
trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com).
Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com.
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