Ways to use Hydrogen Peroxide in the Garden

The benefits of hydrogen peroxide for a garden can be useful for any kind of a garden, and any method of gardening. Peroxide is great for plants that are planted in the ground, and it’s also great for plants in containers -- it is useful in hydroponic gardens, raised beds, and greenhouses.

Similarly, peroxide for gardening applies well with all kinds of plants: a rose garden, herb garden, vegetable garden, orchard, shade trees, flower garden or lawn -- any or all of these would benefit from hydrogen peroxide.

Peroxide works by releasing oxygen. It acts as an oxygen supplement for plants. It seems to really support both good health and strong growth for plants.

Hydrogen peroxide can also help with soil fungus: it aerates the soil, and it is anti-fungal. (It is also anti-bacterial.)

Ways to use peroxide in the garden

• General fertilizer, either in plant water or sprayed on foliage. This page has much more detail about how to mix and apply peroxide in the garden.
• For sick plants. Spray on the leaves and add to water.
• Hydroponic gardening. Hydroponic gardeners often use peroxide to feed plants, by adding it to the watering system.
• Spray on tree cuts, to prevent infection.
• As a spray in the greenhouse, to control mold and mildew.
• Sprouting seeds before planting. Added to the water that seeds soak in, the seeds will sprout faster and grow stronger.
• Rooting cuttings. Added to the water, if you’ve put the cuttings directly into water. Or, if you’ve put the cuttings into soil or medium, use peroxide in the water you’re using to water the cuttings with.
• Mold or fungus on plants or in the soil. Hydrogen peroxide will help to control mold on plants or in the soil. If you’ve got mold on the plant, spraying the leaves is probably best… 
• Weed killer. I’ve never used it this way, and I’m not sure I would want to… but I’ve read that 10% hydrogen peroxide will kill weeds. Personally, I would rather pull the weeds up. If you do decide to try this, I certainly would NOT use 10% peroxide close to other plants… and I would come back later and add a LOT of water after the unwanted plants ("weeds") have died. This is very very very concentrated……

How much peroxide to use in the garden….

This page has charts showing the amount of hydrogen peroxide to use for watering and spraying plants, for general applications and for sick or fungsy plants. Please take a look – it only takes a little bit of peroxide.

Peroxide for sprouting seeds and rooting cuttings…

Here is a science fair project using hydrogen peroxide for sprouting seeds and rooting cuttings. In this experiment you have a choice of either sprouting seeds or rooting cuttings. Either way, different amounts of hydrogen peroxide are used, and the results then compared.

Hydrogen peroxide in earth’s natural watering system (rain)

When the garden is watered by rain, there is a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in the water. It is part of the earth’s cleaning system..... 

As rain comes through earth’s ozone layer, some of the molecules of water (H2O) pick up an additional oxygen atom (O), becoming H2O2 – hydrogen peroxide! 

Oxygen is O2, while ozone is O3. Ozone is very unstable -that third oxygen atom moves on easily. So the water has no trouble picking up some single oxygen atoms.

Hydrogen peroxide is also very unstable -oxygen is readily freed up to oxidize various things that it encounters (such as bacteria, viruses, mold, pollution…) In the process of oxidation, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is broken back down into water (H20) and oxygen (O).

Hydrogen peroxide will oxidize many kinds of pathogens and pollution, so it helps to clean the air, as the rain falls. I’ve read that there is currently less peroxide in rain water than was common in the past, since oxidizing air pollution now "uses up" much of the peroxide. (Hydrogen peroxide is always "used up" by the oxidation process.)

Now, I think that cleaning up some of the pollution in the air is a fine use for hydrogen peroxide, as the air after a rain is so much nicer to breathe. But our plants like peroxide too!

Source: http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/peroxide-garden.html

Occupy organic vegetable gardens - Rebirth of the Victory garden

During World Wars I and II, private citizens were encouraged to plant Victory gardens in an effort to support the war effort and take the strain off the food industry, providing more food for citizens living at home. Little gardens popped up all over the country and they were called Victory gardens because people envisioned a victorious end to strife, sadness and hardship. Victory gardens in the U.S. produced a staggering 40% of the food supply. The Victory garden campaign resulted in 5 million gardens tended by over 20 million Americans, providing over $1.2 billion in food by the end of WWII.

Victory gardens were planted on every available plot of land -- whether postage-stamp sized or covering several acres. The gardening campaign took the country by storm, with people being empowered by raising their own fresh, organic (because there wasn't anything else back then) fruits and vegetables; coupled with the hope of victory over adversity and better times to come.

Recently, a renewed interest in creating organic home vegetable gardens has arisen in the U.S., especially with the advent of genetically modified (GM) seeds and foods taking over shelves in grocery stores across the country. Gardens of all kinds are sprouting and flourishing in containers, on backyard fences, on decks, pallets and even in the earth. Many of the new gardens are being grown with organic, heirloom seeds to avoid the suspicious pitfalls of GM seeds. Creative methods of watering and fertilizing complement new garden ideas.

What's all the excitement about? The concept of victory over adversity in an economy that has broken millions of citizens and torn apart age-old communities still straining with the burden of war, has again reared its hopeful head from under the trash heap of discarded junk food and processed packages of chemicals and crap.

Backyard gardens promise natural foods that fortify and nurture the body and the earth; along with the freedom to choose what to plant and what to eat -- offering a new version of an old way of living.

How to occupy your vegetable garden

How can you participate in this grassroots side of the occupy movement? Plant a garden! Even if you only have a small patio hanging 30 floors above street level in the middle of a smog-filled city, get a few containers and some good dirt and plant organic heirloom seeds to grow tomatoes and herbs.

Learn about companion planting for natural pest control. Companion planting not only helps manage insects and other bothersome critters; it's a platform for planting seeds that help each other grow stronger and increases overall yields.

Compost, compost, compost. Throw your garden and cooking leftovers (fruits and veggies only, please) in an organic, bio-degradable compost pile and make your own dirt.

Teach your kids how to garden and grow their own food so they don't have to be dependent on the corrupt system.

If you don't want to garden yourself, offer some of your property to your neighbors for a community garden. Help them buy supplies in trade for some of the bounty they grow on your land.

Learn about biodynamic gardening, organic composting, heirloom seeds, raised beds, vertical gardening, natural irrigation methods, rain water collection and ideal areas for planting and pasturing fruit trees.

It doesn't take much to plant seeds in your garden. It's your right to choose what you put on your dining table and in your mouth, Plant a Victory garden and occupy your vegetable patch with earthly delights -- big or small. Add real fruits and vegetables to your diet and put health back into your life.

Sources for this article include:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_garden

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/crops_02.html

http://www.victorygardeninitiative.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_movement

http://www.yesmagazine.org

About the author:
JB Bardot is trained in herbal medicine and homeopathy, and has a post graduate degree in holistic nutrition. Bardot cares for both people and animals, using alternative approaches to health care and lifestyle. You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001364941208&ref=tn_tnmn or on Twitter at jbbardot23

Source:  http://www.naturalnews.com/035834_victory_garden_vegetables_war.html#ixzz1ubWZxzqJ

15 Alternative Uses for Coffee Filters

Tea Bags. Wrap loose leaf tea in a filter, then secure and suspend from a piece of string.

Line potted plants. Put a used coffee filter in the bottom of planters to prevent fine dirt particles from falling through the bottom.

Help little hands stay clean. Though adults should be responsible and not rely on disposable dinnerware, sometimes a coffee filter is the perfect size to contain finger foods (and protect carpet or clothing) in young hands. Try shove a popsicle stick through a filter to catch cold, sticky drips.

Embroidering. Use a coffee filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering soft fabrics.

 When making soups or sauces. Tie up flavorful, but unedible, ingredients- such as bay leafs, cinnamon sticks, woody herb stems – in a coffee filter and float while cooking for easy removal. The French call this a bouquet garni.

As a coffee filter. Coffee filters can be reused four or five times. One the pot is full, empty the grounds and reuse, then rinse the filter and let it dry, and it’ll be ready the next morning.

Save a bottle of wine. If your cork accidentally breaks when opening a bottle, wrap a filter around the top to strain any particles. Use a piece of ribbon, and it looks nicer than you’d think.

Protect Cast Iron. Place a coffee filter in cast iron cookware to absorb excess moisture and prevent rust.

 Strain bacon drippings. While hot, pour bacon drippings through a coffee filter into a ceramic bowl or mug. The brown bits, grains, and other nasties stay in the filter. Also works well for frying oil.

Prevent microwave splatters. Place on top of leftovers when microwaving to prevent messes. Wash and dry, and reuse every time you microwave.

Soften lights when taking indoor photos. Put a coffee filter over lights, lamps, or even your flash to lessen the harshness of direct light.

Create faux flowers. Dip coffee filters in colored water, and allow them to slurp up the tint. (Alternatively, wet them and color with markers). Let them dry, then cut in petal shapes. Arrange and wrap around a bamboo skewer or pipe cleaner, and secure. Great for kids, and tongue-in-check for adults.

Prevent cookware and china from scratching. Place a coffee filter between china when stacking to protect the surface, or use between non-stick cookware when storing.

Measuring cups for dry ingredients. Use coffee filters to hold pre-measured dry ingredients when baking or creating a fast-cooking recipe (like a stir-fry or pad thai). Then dust them off, and REUSE.

Reusable dusting rags. Wipe soft surfaces – like glass TV screens or mirrors – with a coffee filter to grab the dust. Rinse and let dry, and reuse.

Note: Coffee filters are paper products, and shouldn’t be used wastefully. Most of the time, they can be rinsed and continually reused for similar purposes. Common tricks, like using coffee filters as bowls for snacks and chips, should be avoided in favor of solid, washable serving vessels.

Top 10 Uses For Used Coffee Grounds

 

10. Deodorizer. Dry them out on a cookie sheet and then put them in a bowl in your refrigerator or freezer, or rub them on your hands to get rid of food prep smells.

9. Plant food. Plants such as rosebushes, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreen and camellias that prefer acidic soils will appreciate the leftovers from your morning cup. Also, grounds can add nutrients to your compost bin.

8. Insect repellant. Sprinkle old grounds around places you don’t want ants, or on the ant piles themselves. The little buggers will move on or stay away. Used grounds are also said to repel snails and slugs.

7. Dye. By steeping grounds in hot water, you can make brown dye for fabric, paper and even Easter eggs.

6. Furniture scratch cover-up. Steep grounds and apply a bit of the liquid to furniture scratches with a Q-tip.

5. Cleaning product. As they’re slightly abrasive, grounds can be used as a scouring agent for greasy and grimy stain-resistant objects.

4. Kitty repellent. To keep kitty from using the garden as her personal powder room, sprinkle grounds mixed with orange peels around your plants.

3. Boost your carrot harvest. Mixing fresh grounds with the tiny seeds makes them easier to sow and may repel root maggots and other wee beasties.

2. Dust inhibitor. Before you clean out the fireplace, toss wet coffee grounds over the ashes to keep the ash dust under control.

And, finally, the #1 use for used coffee grounds....drum roll here....

Cellulite reducer. I kid you not.  We're supposed to mix 1/4 cup warm, used coffee grounds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then, while standing over an old towel or newspaper, we're to apply the mixture to our "problem areas". Next, wrap the areas with shrink wrap and leave on for several minutes. Unwind the wrap, brush loose grounds off our skin and then shower with warm water. For best results, it is recommended to repeat this procedure twice a week. A little weird to be sure, but as high priced cellulite creams actually have coffee in them, it just might work.

For even more uses of spent coffee grounds, visit cocoajava.com, essortment.com, rd.com and finally, mrsomalleys.com, who, if #1 works, should not have one jot of cellulite on her thighs. And if you have any secret uses for your used grounds, please share!

(Coffee magnet pictured above available through AllPosters.com)

Amazon Tax Bill Passes State Assembly

Note: Like California doesn't have enough regulations. Can't get a Berkey Water Filter in this state, but we could be taxed if we have a small on-line business in this New Economy! 

The state of California could collect more than $1 billion a year by taxing Amazon and other online retailers if a bill approved by the Assembly becomes law.

Assemblyman Charles Calderon, a Democrat from Whittier, says his legislation doesn't impose a new sales tax, but extends one that California should already have been enforcing.

AB155 passed, 47-16, with the support of one GOP lawmaker Tuesday. It now heads to the Senate.

Other Republicans rejected the bill because they said it would invite lawsuits, drive business out of California, and get the state entangled in the messy task of regulating the Internet.

The measure extends the sales tax to online companies that have a presence in the state, including those that work with sister companies with offices in California.

Copyright Associated Press 

Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/politics/Amazon-Tax-Bill-Passes-State-122907299.html

 

7 medicinal herbs and spices that help lower blood pressure

High blood pressure is an epidemic that is currently sweeping across America. The fast lifestyle of fast food, soda and stress is starting to catch up on the average American, so much so that an estimated one in every three Americans has high blood pressure. This puts them at risk of heart disease, stroke and even kidney disease. Moreover, this condition is costing the country 93.5 billion dollars in health care services.

Putting too much faith in the medical establishment to find a cure for your high blood pressure may no longer be advisable in the least. The number of prescription drugs on the market and the cascade of variations suggest that a cure for blood pressure is not in the offing anytime soon.

Despite all the consequences associated with high blood pressure, it is still a condition that is preventable and easily managed. Observing a healthy balanced diet and enjoying an active, healthy lifestyle can help avoid the risk of high blood pressure as well as reduce one that is already elevated.

High blood pressure - A package of woe

There is no one identifiable cause for high blood pressure. A combination of factors like stress, alcohol, smoking, weight and lack of physical activity seem to have to come together to produce this problem, which is further compounded by family history and age.

Although it is a condition that if left unattended could gravitate to something worse, high blood pressure is not a disease. Taking proactive measures in preventing heart diseases, stroke and even kidney disease by managing your blood pressure may be the best decision you can make today.

While the idea of drug-free high blood pressure management through the use of herbs and spices has slowly been gaining ground, it is still treated with skepticism by the medical establishment. The reliance on prescription drugs, however, has not in any way shown that high blood pressure could be cured through this manner. There are still reports by patients who are currently using drugs to manage their high blood pressure that their condition has not shown any improvement, nor their quality of life. Instead, they have to deal with side effects and drugs that are expensive to maintain.

Spice up your life

In a published study featured in the Journal of Medicine, it was revealed that common spices can protect from heart disease and the deterioration brought about by aging. In the said study, researchers discovered a connection between the phenol content of certain herbs and spices and their capacity to prevent glycation and formation of AGE compounds that are responsible for premature aging and heart disease.

As a way to manage your blood pressure, herbs and spices are a fantastic way to increase the medicinal value of your food. Below are some herbs and spices you may have been enjoying with no idea as to their value:

1. Garlic - Garlic contains allicin, a substance which has antibacterial, antioxidant, lipid lowering and anti-hypertension properties. In a pilot study made at Clinical Research Center of New Orleans on whether garlic could lower blood pressure, nine patients with severe hypertension were given a garlic preparation containing 1.3 % allicin. Sitting blood pressure fell with a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure only five to 14 hours after the dose. Moreover, it was proven in a 2009 study that fresh garlic has more potent cardio-protective properties than processed garlic.

2. Cinnamon - Cinnamon not only prevents heart disease, it can also prevent diabetes. The Center for Applied Health Sciences in Ohio conducted a study of 22 subjects, half of which were given a 250mg of water soluble cinnamon daily while the other half were given placebo. It was discovered that those who drank cinnamon had a 13 to 23 percent increase in antioxidants connected with lowering blood sugar levels.

3. Onions - Onions contain quercetin, an antioxidant flavonol found to prevent heart disease and stroke. In a research study published in the Journal of Nutrition, subjects with hypertension experienced a decrease in their blood pressure by 7mmHg systolic and 5 mmHg diastolic as opposed to those who were taking placebo.

4. Olives - This herb is a significant part of the Mediterranean diet, recognized to be one of the healthiest in the world. Oil made from olives has been found to reduce blood pressure. In a study conducted on the importance of olive oil, Dr. L. Aldo Ferrara, Associate Professor at the Frederico II University of Naples in Italy discovered that the daily use of 40 grams of olive oil reduced the dosage of blood pressure medication in hypertensive patients by about 50 percent. Polyphenols in extra-virgin olive oil was credited for the significant reduction of blood pressure.

5. Oregano - This herb contains the compound carvacrol which has been proven to be effective against blood pressure. In a study conducted on animal subjects, by researchers from Eskisehir Osmangazi University in Turkey, carvacrol was found to reduce heart rate, mean arterial pressure as well as the systolic and diastolic blood pressures.

6. Hawthorn - This herb has been traditionally used to treat high blood pressure. In one study conducted in Reading, UK, 79 type-2 diabetic patients were randomized to receive 1200 mg of hawthorn extract while another group received medication for high blood pressure. Results revealed that patients taking hawthorn by the end of the 16th week showed a reduction in their mean diastolic pressure.

7. Cardamom- In one study published in the Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 20 subjects newly diagnosed with primary hypertension were administered 3 g of cardamom powder. After the end of the 3 months, all the subjects experienced feelings of well-being without any side effects. Moreover, the study was able to demonstrate that blood pressure was effectively reduced. It also improved antioxidant status while breaking down blood clots without significantly altering blood lipids and fibrinogen levels.

Taking advantage of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of spices and herbs is an excellent way to boost your body's health. Herbs have low calorie content, increase the medicinal value of your food and allow you to use natural forms of lowering blood pressure. Mix them up with your soups, salads, fish and meat and vegetable dishes. It's a healthier and cheaper alternative to keeping bottles of prescription drugs and synthetic supplements.

Sources for this article:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbp/
http://www.naturalnews.com/033656_blood_pressure_treatments.html
http://orlandobchealth.com/the-blood-pressure-hoax/
http://www.allicinfacts.com/allicin01.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8361870
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19722587
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361714

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035689_medicinal_herbs_spices_blood_pressure.html#ixzz1tNOqLTeM

Another Reason Why I Choose To Not Drink Soda...

* Note, when I came across this article I couldn't believe that human tissue could be used for a soft drink?!? Warning sensitive subject matter.

 The Obama Administration has given its blessing to PepsiCo to continue utilizing the services of a company that produces flavor chemicals for the beverage giant using aborted human fetal tissue. LifeSiteNews.com reports that the Obama Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) has decided that PepsiCo's arrangement with San Diego, Cal.-based Senomyx, which produces flavor enhancing chemicals for Pepsi using human embryonic kidney tissue, simply constitutes "ordinary business operations."

The issue began in 2011 when the non-profit group Children of God for Life (CGL) first broke the news about Pepsi's alliance with Senomyx, which led to massive outcry and a worldwide boycott of Pepsi products. At that time, it was revealed that Pepsi had many other options at its disposal to produce flavor chemicals, which is what its competitors do, but had instead chosen to continue using aborted fetal cells -- or as Senomyx deceptively puts it, "isolated human taste receptors" (http://www.naturalnews.com).

A few months later, Pepsi' shareholders filed a resolution petitioning the company to "adopt a corporate policy that recognizes human rights and employs ethical standards which do not involve using the remains of aborted human beings in both private and collaborative research and development agreements." But the Obama Administration shut down this 36-page proposal, deciding instead that Pepsi's used of aborted babies to flavor its beverage products is just business as usual, and not a significant concern.

"We're not talking about what kind of pencils PepsiCo wants to use -- we are talking about exploiting the remains of an aborted child for profit," said Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director of CGL, concerning the SEC decision. "Using human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) to produce flavor enhancers for their beverages is a far cry from routine operations!"

To be clear, the aborted fetal tissue used to make Pepsi's flavor chemicals does not end up in the final product sold to customers, according to reports -- it is used, instead, to evaluate how actual human taste receptors respond to these chemical flavorings. But the fact that Pepsi uses them at all when viable, non-human alternatives are available illustrates the company's blatant disregard for ethical and moral concerns in the matter.

Back in January, Oklahoma Senator Ralph Shortey proposed legislation to ban the production of aborted fetal cell-derived flavor chemicals in his home state. If passed, S.B. 1418 would also reportedly ban the sale of any products that contain flavor chemicals derived from human fetal tissue, which includes Pepsi products as well as products produced by Kraft and Nestle (http://www.naturalnews.com).

Sources for this article include:

http://www.lifesitenews.com

Sourced from:http://www.naturalnews.com/035276_Pepsi_fetal_cells_business_operations.html#ixzz1tNMZtZoE

Killing ants naturally with ant exterminators from your pantry, garden and fridge

It's springtime and along with May flowers come infestations of every kind of ant, taking over house and yard. Many ants bite, and most are unwelcome visitors that are difficult to exterminate, such as carpenter and fire ants. How to get rid of ants without using toxic poisons around your home and garden? Natural ant control combines several natural products from your pantry and feed stores to create homemade ant exterminators. You must be persistent in your efforts to exterminate ants, so be prepared to apply treatments on a regular basis throughout the season.

Natural ant exterminator products

1. Mix dry active baker's yeast with an equal amount of honey or molasses. Add a little water to moisten but the mixture should be more of a paste rather than liquid. Spread small amounts of the paste on two inch square pieces of cardboard and place throughout the house where pets and kids can't reach. This natural ant exterminator is a good one to leave out all summer and takes about two weeks to work on its own.

2. Another excellent natural ant control method consists of a mixture of 1/3 cup white vinegar, 2/3 cup water, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of dish soap. Combine in a spray bottle and apply to places with ant infestations, both inside and out. Expect to repeat the application weekly. Use this method with other natural ant control methods.

3. Grow some fresh catnip and sprinkle around ant hills and on pathways to the house. Ants seem to dislike catnip and will avoid it.

4. Repel ants with ground cinnamon for an aromatic natural ant control. Sprinkle the spice on the ground across doorways or on the outside of window sills where ants enter. Ants will not cross the spice barrier.

5. Apply food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) to ant hills as a natural exterminator. DE is a safe for pets and children and works well as an ant control method. DE is also effective for killing fleas, ticks, chiggers and other crawling insects in the house and garden. Buy DE from feed stores, gardening centers and online.

6. Scatter fresh spearmint leaves along the ground around the perimeter of the house as an ant repellent -- they hate it and will not cross the line.

7. Make an ant killer juice by combining one tablespoon of boric acid powder with one cup sugar and enough water to make a runny syrup. Allow the dry ingredients to fully dissolve. Pour the mixture into a squirt bottle, like an old ketchup or mustard container with a long applicator tip. Squeeze a drop or two of the liquid on small pieces of cardboard and place strategically around the house away from pets and children. The ants will at first be drawn to eat the syrup. They'll take it back to the queen and it will kill the entire nest. Use the liquid outside in hot spots as long as it's not accessible to pets. This is a highly effective method for killing all types of ants, including fire ants. Squirt some right down the hole of the ant hill and watch it disappear overnight.

The best approach for natural ant control is by using a combination of the above methods.

Sources for this article include:

WikiHow: How to Kill Ants Without Pesticides
http://www.wikihow.com/Kill-Ants-Without-Pesticides

TheFrugalLife.com : Getting Rid of Ants
http://www.thefrugallife.com/ants.html

Ehow.com: How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally
http://www.ehow.com/how_3791_rid-ants-naturally.html

About the author:
JB Bardot is trained in herbal medicine and homeopathy, and has a post graduate degree in holistic nutrition. Bardot cares for both people and animals, using alternative approaches to health care and lifestyle. You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001364941208&ref=tn_tnmn or on Twitter at jbbardot23

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035708_ant_killer_natural_boric_acid.html#ixzz1tNLlzIq5

How to keep your kidneys healthy, happy and stone-free

Kidney stones are one of the most excruciatingly painful conditions a person can develop. But a recent study published in the Journal of Urology has found that maintaining high intake of calcium and fluids, and cutting back intake of refined salt, can help to prevent kidney stones from forming. Dandelion, aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, cranberry, magnesium, and potassium can all help prevent, or even pass, kidney stones as well.

Dr. Mathew Sorensen, a urologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSC) in Seattle and his colleagues evaluated data on more than 78,000 American women who were tracked for eight years. During this time, one in 40, or 2.5 percent, of these women reportedly developed kidney stones for the first time.

What the researchers discovered, however, was that high intake of calcium and fluids was linked to a lowered risk of developing kidney stones, while those with the lowest intakes had the highest risk. The 20 percent of women who ate the most calcium, for instance, were 28 percent less likely to develop kidney stones compared to the 20 percent of women who ate the least calcium.

The findings were similar among women who drank the most fluids, which were 20 percent less likely to develop kidney stones compared to those who drank the least fluids. Salt intake, however, appeared to have the biggest effect, as the 20 percent of women who ate the most salt were 61 percent more likely to develop kidney stones than the 20 percent who ate the least salt.

The calcium finding is particularly interesting, as it is widely believed that calcium intake contributes to the formation of kidney stones. But it appears as though eating foods naturally-rich in calcium -- sesame seeds, sardines, collard greens, spinach, kelp, garbanzo beans, and broccoli are a few good examples -- can help prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Dandelion, a powerful medicinal herb that is a known diuretic, also helps increase the amount of urine the body produces, which is believed to help dilute the components that contribute to the formation of kidney stones, and flush them from the body. Aloe vera, apple cider vinegar, cranberry, magnesium, and potassium can all help with preventing kidney stones as well.

"Protein and oxalates in the body have more to do with causing kidney stones than calcium does," write Dr. George Kessler and Col. Leen Kapklein in their book The Bone Density Program: 6 Weeks to Strong Bones and a Healthy Body. "[T]he more natural calcium you get from the foods in your diet, the less likely you are to develop kidney stones."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.reuters.com

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/dandelion-000236.htm

http://www.herbcompanion.com

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=48

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035494_kidney_stones_remedies_apple_cider_vinegar.html#ixzz1rhLGRcgn

Study: EPA-approved GMO insecticide responsible for killing off bees, contaminating entire food chain

Early last year, leaked documents obtained by a Colorado beekeeper exposed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) illegitimate approval of clothianidin, a highly-toxic pesticide manufactured by Bayer CropScience that the regulatory agency knew was capable of killing off bees (http://www.naturalnews.com/030921_EPA_pesticides.html). Now, a new study out of Purdue University in Indiana has not only confirmed, once again, that clothianidin is killing off bees, but also that clothianidin's toxicity is systemic throughout the entire food chain, which could one day lead to the catastrophic destruction of the food supply.

The study, which was published in the online journal PLoS ONE, investigated the various methods and routes by which a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids, which includes clothianidin, are harming honey bees. They discovered that both clothianidin and thiamethoxam, another component of neonicotinoid insecticides, persist in "extremely high levels" in planter exhaust material produced during the planting of crops treated with these insecticides, which runs contrary to industry claims that the chemicals biodegrade and are not a threat.

The research team also found neonicotinoid compounds in soil, including in fields where the chemicals were not even sprayed, as well as on various plants and flowers visited by bees. Based on their analysis, the researchers involved with the study determined that bees actively transfer contaminated pollen from primarily neonicotinoid-treated corn crops, and bring it back to their hives. The bees also transfer neonicotinoid compounds to other plants and crops not treated with the chemicals, which shows just how persistent these chemicals truly are in the environment.

You can read the entire report for yourself at the following link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3250423/?tool=pubmed

"This research should nail the coffin lid shut on clothianidin," said Laurel Hopwood, chairwoman of the Sierra Club's Genetic Engineering Action Team, who is petitioning the EPA to finally ban these chemicals after years of needless delay. "Despite numerous attempts by the beekeeping industry and conservation organizations to persuade the EPA to ban clothianidin, the EPA has failed to protect the food supply for the American people."

Without bees, which are now dying off at an alarming rate due to exposure to clothianidin and various other insecticides and fungicides, one third or more of the food supply will be destroyed, including at least 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables that rely on bees for pollination. This is why Dr. Neil Carman, Ph.D., scientific advisor to Sierra Club, has put out a call for the EPA to immediately ban the use of clothianidin and the other neonicotinoid insecticides for the sake of protecting the food supply from irreversible destruction.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3250423/?tool=pubmed

http://iowa.sierraclub.org/Agriculture/agriculture.htm

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=6919

http://www.naturalnews.com/030921_EPA_pesticides.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035511_insecticide_bees_collapse.html#ixzz1rhKjmkOE

Thanks to BPA and other chemicals the new age of puberty for girls is 10

Girls as young as 7 years old are now beginning to develop breasts and undergo other body changes that their mothers had not experienced until years later. The prime culprit for this new phenomena is bisphenol A, better known as simply BPA.

BPA is a colorless solid chemical compound which has two phenol chemical groups and is widely used to make polycarbonate polymers and epoxy resins used to make plastics. Prolonged storage as well as high heat cause BPA to leech out. When BPA is leeched into the human body, it mimics estrogen and can offset the delicate hormonal balance in the developing child.

Too profitable to fail?

So widespread has BPA become that it is now found in the vast majority of plastics used commercially today. Most containers and plastic bags contain the compound and it is even found in dollar bills and toilet paper. Most bottled water, which is often subjected to extreme temperatures, has an increased concentration of BPA in the water content. A majority of canned products contain BPA, used as lining for the insides of cans. Microwavable food often comes in containers or bags containing BPA and is especially susceptible to leeching due to high temperatures.

As Natural News reported in April, 2010, the average age that girls begin puberty currently stands at around ten years - a drop of more than a year in a single generation. Notably, a century ago the average age for the onset of puberty in girls was 16. Early onset of puberty in girls can cause a number of problems later in life due to hormonal imbalance, including increased risk of breast cancer. Studies have shown that risk of breast cancer is reduced by7 percentfor every year the onset of puberty is delayed.

Natural News also reported in 2010 that Canada was the first country in the world to declare bisphenol A (BPA) to be a toxic substance that poses risks to human health and the environment. However, annual BPA sales have been estimated at $8 Billion and as history has shown us time and again, it is unlikely that the United States will take action anytime soon against such a highly profitable item. In fact, just this past week Natural News reported that -right on cue - the FDA announced that it would not ban BPA due to lack of evidence of harm.

Other early puberty culprits

While BPA has been identified as a major cause of the early onset of puberty in young girls, it is far from the only culprit. Another class of compounds known as phthalates have been similarly found to disrupt hormone balance. Phthalates are a class of chemicals used as softeners, or plasticizers, in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) vinyl products, including children's toys, decorating and building products, blood bags and solvents. Phthalates are also found in cosmetics, personal care products, wood finishes and insecticides.

Another likely culprit in early puberty onset is the growth hormones which are found in abundance in meat and dairy products. It is likely the growth hormones which are fed to fatten cows, chickens and other food animalsto increase dairy production are behind much of the links which studies have observed between meat and dairy consumption and the early onset of puberty in girls.

Many believe that soy foods and products also play a role in hormonal imbalance problems. Soy is heavily promoted as a health food, but is often highly genetically modified. In addition, soy contains large amounts of estrogen and has been found to affect hormone balance.

Sources included:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A
http://naturalsociety.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/028616_puberty_chemicals.html
http://nutritionfacts.org
http://www.naturalnews.com/030343_BPA_toxic_chemicals.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/035453_FDA_BPA_chemicals.html

About the author:
Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for those who wish to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year. He is also a contributing author for the worldwide advocacy group "S.A N.E.Vax. Inc" which endeavors to uncover the truth about HPV vaccine dangers.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035504_BPA_puberty_chemicals.html#ixzz1rhKEn5s9

The 5 best natural antibiotics and anti-virals that destroy superbugs and just about everything else

Sir Alexander Fleming discovered the antibacterial power of the mold Penicillium notatum in 1928. Even though it was a natural healing agent effective in destroying Staphylococcus aureus and other noxious bacteria, the pharmaceutical industry got hold of nature's bounty and it became -- along with multiple other Big Pharma inventions -- the nightmare of modern antibiotics, causing as many problems for mankind as they were supposed to help. Because of the overuse of antibiotics, super-bugs have developed that are resistant to all but the most powerful drugs, whose side effects are often dangerous.

In nature's infinite wisdom, several other highly effective substances exist with antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, all able to protect the human body safely and with deep healing powers. You don't have to go much farther than the refrigerator or your pantry cupboard to find safe, delicious foods and herbs to eradicate the most virulent bacteria and viruses.

Garlic

Garlic has been used worldwide for thousands of years for medicinal purposes. This wonder plant treats everything from a simple earache to pneumonia, MRSA, Helicobacter pylori, the flu and even the black plague. Contemporary research has confirmed that garlic possesses numerous antioxidants that kill bacteria and free radicals in the blood protecting the immune system and making it stronger. Garlic's active ingredient allicin can also attack and destroy a variety of viruses -- unlike modern antibiotics -- as well as fugal infections, such as candida. Taking garlic supplements as a prophylactic may help to protect against various pathogens and prevent the onset of disease.

Echinacea

Echinacea has been used for hundreds of years to strengthen the immune system and fight a variety of infections. Traditionally, echinacea was used to treat open wounds, diptheria, cellulitis, blood poisoning, syphilitic lesions and other bacterial-related diseases. Although it's mostly used today for fighting colds and flu, this potent herb possesses the ability to destroy the most virulent bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus which causes deadly MRSA.

Colloidal Silver

The germicidal and antibacterial properties of colloidal silver were discovered almost a century ago. Numerous clinical cases and anecdotal evidence provides us with the knowledge of the power of colloidal silver to kill bacteria, fungal infections and viruses. Even though the FDA has tried to discredit the efficacy of this important healing substance, the effects of colloidal silver in the treatment of bacterial diseases such as MRSA, topical wounds, sores and infections speaks for itself.

Pau D'Arco

Pau d'Arco is an herb native to South America whose active ingredient lapachol, has been found to relieve a wide range of infections include those initiated by bacteria, viruses and fungus. Studies suggest that Pau d'arco may also have cancer-fighting properties, although more research is needed. Pau d'arco was used by the Indians of South America to strengthen the immune system and fight life-threatening diseases. It's best consumed as a tea or decoction.

Manuka Honey

The most delicious and deadly agent that works to kill bacteria is Manuka honey, which comes from Australia and New Zealand. Researchers have discovered that Manuka honey applied topically can kill a wide range of pathogens, including MRSA and flesh-eating bacteria. Scientists were pleased by the fact that the treated bacteria didn't build up any resistance, rendering the honey ineffective.

Sources for this article include:

University of North Carolina at Wilmington Graduate Fellows Program; "Bubonic Plague: Yesterday's Scourge--and Tomorrow's?"; Tina Blue; December 2000
http://uncw.edu/smec/gk_fellows/Documents/BubonicPlague.pdf

Carson-Newman College: The Black Plague: The Least You Need to Know
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Black_Plague.pdf

University of Maryland Medical Center: Garlic
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/garlic-000245.htm

University of Connecticut: Garlic
http://fitsweb.uchc.edu/student/selectives/atolsdorf/garlic.html

Ethiopian Medical Journal, vol. 40(3); D. Dikasso; July 2002: Investigation on the antibacterial properties of garlic (Allium sativum) on pneumonia causing bacteria.
http://grande.nal.usda.gov

University of Maryland Medical Center: MRSA--Treatment
http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/007261trt.htm

University of Maryland Medical Center: Echinacea
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/echinacea-000239.htm

University of Maryland Medical Center: Cellulitis
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/cellulitis-000033.htm

Huntington College of Health Sciences: MRSA--Natural Methods for Prevention
http://www.hchs.edu/literature/MRSA.pdf

FDA -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: Over-the-Counter Drug Products Containing Colloidal Silver
Ingredients or Silver Salts
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/98fr/081799a.txt

Colloidal Silver: The Undisputed Cure for MRSA and Other Deadly Super-Pathogens
http://www.colloidalsilvercuresmrsa.com/mrsa_cure.htm

MRSA (MULTIPLE-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS): Colloidal Silver as a Real Cure for MRSA
http://www.exfoli.com/mrsa/?p=45

Silver Medicine: Dr. Robert O. Becker, M.D. -- Silver Ions and Electromedicine
http://www.silvermedicine.org/robertobecker.html

Paudarco.org: Pau d'Arco Benefits
http://www.paudarco.org/benefits.php

University of Colorado at Denver: Pau D'Arco
http://ucdenver.edu

The Australian Hone, I killed the superbug
http://www.theaustralian.com.au

About the author:
JB Bardot is trained in herbal medicine and homeopathy, and has a post graduate degree in holistic nutrition. Bardot cares for both people and animals, using alternative approaches to health care and lifestyle. You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001364941208&ref=tn_tnmn or on Twitter at jbbardot23

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035516_natural_antibiotics_superbugs.html#ixzz1rhJdXxwE

Prominent heart doctor exposes the myths about cholesterol, statins and low fat diets

Renowned heart surgeon Dr. Dwight Lundell recently stepped forward to expose how embracing the high cholesterol myth has been wrong and the harm that has resulted, stating that the recommendations to lower cholesterol and severely restrict fat intake "are no longer scientifically or morally defensible."

Dr. Lundell explained that inflammation in our arterial walls is the real culprit for heart disease and stated that "the injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine."

"Simply stated," said Dr. Lundell, "without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel."

In addition, said Dr. Lundell, "The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences."¹

Studies reveal the truth about statins, high cholesterol and inflammation

For several decades, mainstream medicine has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising and propaganda creating and perpetuating the high cholesterol myth. As a result, millions of Americans have followed the advice to severely restrict their intakes of fats and tens of millions have taken dangerous cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

As Dr. Lundell revealed, the emerging truth is that inflammation is the real culprit in heart disease and drugs and diets designed to lower cholesterol actually contribute to heart disease as well as other health problems. Recent year studies on statin drugs have backed up Dr. Lundell and demonstrated that what few benefits may be derived from dangerous statin drugs actually come from lowering inflammation levels.

For example, researchers with the recent large-scale JUPITER study found that patients who had "healthy cholesterol profiles" but who also had high CRP levels (a marker for inflammation) dramatically reduced their risks of cardiovascular events and death when they took a statin drug which lowered measured CRP levels.²

The conclusions of other recent year statin drug studies give further indications that lowering inflammation is a primary mechanism for cardiovascular benefits. Some excerpts:

"Patients who have low CRP levels after statin therapy have better clinical outcomes than those with higher CRP levels, regardless of the resultant level of LDL cholesterol."³

"The reduced rate of progression of atherosclerosis associated with intensive statin treatment, as compared with moderate statin treatment, is significantly related to greater reductions in the levels of both atherogenic lipoproteins and CRP."⁴

"These results demonstrate that statins reduce IL-6-induced CRP production . . .These findings furnish new evidence for direct antiinflammatory properties of statins . . ."⁵

"initiation of statin therapy was associated with improved survival regardless of the lipid levels. The benefit of statin therapy occurred primarily in patients with elevated CRP."⁶

Indications are that mainstream medicine intends to continue espousing the high cholesterol myth while using the results of studies about inflammation-lowering to tout additional "benefits" for statin drugs.

The inconvenient truth is that statin drugs are not needed to lower inflammation any more than they are needed to lower cholesterol. Natural items such as diet, lifestyle and natural foods and herbs such as turmeric, ginger and omega-3s can effectively lower inflammation far more safely than statin drugs.

According to Dr. Lundell and other experts, the simple solution to quieting inflammation and preventing heart disease is to return to foods closer to their natural state, include colorful vegetables and fruits and some healthy fats in our diets, build muscle, eat more protein and cut down or eliminate foods with inflammation-causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil.

Sources:

¹ http://preventdisease.com/news/12/030112_World-Renown-Heart-Surgeon-S...
² http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/12/01/hll21201.htm
³ http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa042378
⁴ http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa042000
⁵ http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/25/6/1231.full
⁶ http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/36/6/1774

About the author:
Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for those who wish to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year. He is also a contributing author for the worldwide advocacy group "S.A N.E.Vax. Inc" which endeavors to uncover the truth about HPV vaccine dangers.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035514_cholesterol_myths_heart_doctor.html#ixzz1rhJ92dSR

Ammonium hydroxide, health effects of "pink slime"

Awareness of "pink slime" in the schools, restaurants, and supermarkets has caused quite a stir in recent days. BPI, a leading manufacturer of the stuff has subsequently shut down all but 1 of their factories. There are still slime burgers out there and BPI refuses to disclose their consumers. If it's not the process of stripping the scraps, melting them, and spinning them that worries consumers, then it should be the ammonia gas!

Effects of the gas chamber

Consumers are told by the media that "it's just beef, dude". That's comparative to saying high fructose corn syrup is "just sugar, dude", which we all know is not true. So what exactly happens in the "slime gas chamber"? While human exposure to ammonia gas itself is extremely hazardous to the respiratory tract, it has little effect on digestion since it is a gas. The issue arises when ammonia gas comes in contact with water, like the water within meat. This interaction produces ammonium hydroxide or "ammonia water". Now we have a hazardous gas turned to liquid form that can wreak havoc on the human body.

Ammonium hydroxide

Commonly sold as window cleaner, floor cleaner, wood polish, and a source of food (slime), ammonium hydroxide is a serious threat to a person's health. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for ammonium hydroxide classifies the substance as very hazardous when in contact with skin. Ammonium hydroxide may produce tissue damage on mucous membranes. The human digestive system is basically one long mucous membrane from mouth to finish. Repeated or prolonged exposure to ammonium hydroxide can lead to health deterioration through accumulation within human organs. Although ammonium and ammonia are essential to proper kidney function and maintaining an acid-base balance within the body, chronic high levels of the chemical can ruin delicate blood vessels and cause harm on the cellular level. By offsetting the balance with the addition of more ammonia molecules, there is more conversion of waste urea by the liver and more excretion of ammonium in the urine.

Good or bad?

The FDA lists ammonium hydroxide as generally regarded as safe (GRAS). Their committee reports; "although there have been no significant feeding studies specifically designed to ascertain the safety threshold of ammonium compounds as food ingredients, numerous metabolic studies have been reported in the scientific literature. Extrapolation of these findings to the concentrations of ammonium compounds normally present in foods does not suggest that there would be untoward effects at such levels." (http://www.accessdata.fda.gov) So, this means there is no study of actual safety thresholds in food ingredients, and its safety is based on an extrapolation of data based on the normal presence of ammonium hydroxide in food, not added. Aside from the kidneys and liver, our digestive system suffers from the ammonium hydroxide. Not only does ammonium hydroxide kill E. coli 0157:H7 (the dangerous one), but it can also destroy the bacterial flora that keeps us healthy! Bacteria are not all bad, but the kind that comes from cow factory leftovers is, and shouldn't be consumed. The bottom line is, know your beef!

Sources for this article include:

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922918
http://www.naturalnews.com/027872_ammonia_beef_products.html
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov
http://www.anaesthesiamcq.com/AcidBaseBook/ab2_4b.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium

About the author:
Dr. Daniel Zagst is a chiropractic physician at Advanced Health & Chiropractic in Mooresville, NC. He has a BS in Professional Studies of Adjunctive Therapies, Doctorate of Chiropractic from NYCC, and an Advanced Certificate in Sport Science and Human Performance.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035517_pink_slime_ammonium_hydroxide_burgers.html#ixzz1rhIgJc82

Confirmed: Common pesticide crashing honeybee populations around the world

Two new studies published in the journal Science have once again confirmed what several previous studies, including one compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have found concerning the epidemic of colony collapse disorder (CCD) among bee populations -- neonicotinoid insecticides are largely responsible for causing this deadly phenomenon.

Scientists from both the U.K. and France have now undoubtedly proven that neonicotinoid insecticides, which are commonly used on major food crops, are causing bees to lose their ability to properly navigate the natural environment. And as a result, many of them end up getting lost when they are out pollinating and never return back to their hives, which has resulted in an 85 percent reduction in queen bee production, collectively.

For the first study, which was led by biologist Mickael Henry of INRA, a French agricultural research agency, a research team tagged honeybees with radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips, and dosed some of them with neonicotinoid chemicals. They discovered that those exposed to neonicotinoids were twice as likely as the non-exposed group to lose their way and die outside their hives.

In the second study, David Goulson, a bee biologist at Scotland's University of Stirling, and his team exposed developing bees inside their hives to varying levels of neonicotinoids and set them free to forage in an enclosed field. After six weeks, it was determined that the bees exposed to neonicotinoids grew to be smaller in size than non-exposed bees, and also produced a shocking 85 percent fewer queens.

"Nests have annual cycles," explained Goulson about his team's findings. "They start with a single queen, and the nest grows through the season. If it doesn't get big enough, it doesn't have the resources to pour into rearing queens. The French study shows that exposure to neonicotinoids makes honeybees less likely to find their nest. That's likely the mechanisms that led to our nests growing more slowly."

But these findings are expected when considering that bees are insects, and neonicotinoids are designed to destroy insects. Whether applied to the outsides of seeds as they are planted, or sprayed on crops after they are planted, neonicotinoids are highly toxic to this vital plant pollinator. And the USDA has been aware of this for years, but done nothing about it.

"Bees' ability to navigate is very important," added Goulson. "When they leave their nest, they fly miles to gather food. Anything that makes them even a little bit worse at navigating or learning could be a disaster in those circumstances."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/neonicotinoids-bee-collapse/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17535769

http://www.naturalnews.com/031091_USDA_pesticide.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035518_honey_bees_pesticides_science.html#ixzz1rhI4d8qj

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/035518_honey_bees_pesticides_science.html

Investigation reveals Facebook is spying on smartphone users' personal text messages

As early as the late 1970s, there have been privacy concerns in the so-called "information age." And why not? At every stage since the widespread acceptance and use of the computer, and especially the Internet, someone has been trying to invade your privacy.

The latest infringement comes from Facebook, and some other companies, which has resorted to spying on smartphone users' personal text messages, according to a London Times investigation. Users who had downloaded the app for the world's largest social network were subject to the infringement.

For their part, Facebook wasn't alone. According to the London Times, which investigated the privacy violations, photo-sharing site Flickr, dating site Badoo and Yahoo Messenger were also accessing personal texts.

Privacy a 'precious commodity'

The report claimed that some apps even permitted companies to intercept phone calls. Still others, such as YouTube, "are capable of remotely accessing and operating users' smartphone cameras to take photographs or videos at any time," a separate report said.

Smaller firms were also in on the act. They included My Remote Lock (which, ironically, is supposed to be a security app), and the app Tennis Juggling Game. They, too, can supposedly intercept calls.

"Your personal information is a precious commodity, and companies will go to great lengths to get their hands on as much of it as possible," said Emma Draper, of the Privacy International campaign group.

Facebook officials are spinning the spying as little more than investigative field work, saying the world's largest social network is planning on launching its own messaging service soon and, well, needed to observe how one works in the real (virtual?) world.

Oh, and Facebook officials are also hiding behind the old, "You gave us permission when you agreed to download the app" excuse, which 70 percent of downloaders never read, according to a YouGov survey conducted for the Times.

"The Sunday Times has done some creative conspiracy theorizing but the suggestion that we're secretly reading people's texts is ridiculous," Andrew Noyes, a company spokesman, said in a statement following the Times report. "Instead, the permission is clearly disclosed on the app page in the Android marketplace and is in anticipation of new features that enable users to integrate Facebook features with their texts. However, other than some very limited testing, we haven't launched anything so we're not using the permission.

Iain Mackenzie, Facebook's European communication lead, continued to company line, even denying the company was looking to develop its own messaging software.

"Just as an aside...we didn't say we're launching a messenger product," he said.

Violations of your privacy more the rule than exception

Sound familiar? It should. Reports surface fairly regularly now that we're fully engulfed in the Information Age that your privacy rights are being completely trampled.

So regular are Facebook's alleged violations of your privacy that even the Federal Trade Commission has looked into them.

"But Facebook is a big fish. Today, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of smaller fish -- many in the form of apps for smartphones, which are dealing with the same kind of access to your data that Facebook enjoys but with far less scrutiny," writes Joshua Topolsky for The Washington Post.

And that's what seems to be the problem. There are so many regular electronic privacy violations that more must be done to ensure that all the loopholes are closed.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recommends a few. First, Congress should update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 198' (when there was no commercial World Wide Web and no one carried cell phones). That would include a "robust" plan to protect all personal electronic information; institute appropriate oversight and reporting mechanisms; and require safeguards for location information.

"Privacy law doesn't auto-update," says the ACLU. "The Founding Fathers recognized that citizens in a democracy need privacy for their 'persons, houses, papers, and effects.' That remains as true as ever; today's citizens deserve no less protection just because their papers and effects' might be stored electronically."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.foxnews.com

http://www.myfoxdc.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com

http://www.aclu.org

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035110_Facebook_spying_smartphones.html#ixzz1o59dwgYi

Sports drinks are sometimes better than water, but can also cause kidney stones and osteoporosis

Sports drinks are a favorite of athletes and some exercisers to quench their thirst and replenish lost nutrients. These drinks contain calcium, sodium and other minerals called electrolytes. An imbalance of electrolytes may be harmful. Sports drinks can help prevent or decrease some conditions by increasing electrolytes, but drinking them may result in complications like kidney stones, osteoporosis and calcium overdose.

Sweat and loss of electrolytes

Playing sports and working out increases body temperature and results in sweat to cool the body. Sweat contains fluid and electrolytes, such as calcium, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, bicarbonate and sulphate. These all leave the body through perspiration. Sweating too much without replenishing lost fluid eventually causes dehydration and possibly heat stroke or circulatory collapse. Drinking water hydrates the body but does not replenish lost electrolytes. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and carbohydrates, which the body burns for energy during exercise. Depending on how much a person sweats, sports drinks may therefore be more beneficial than water.

Muscle cramps and dehydration

Muscle cramps are a possible side effect of dehydration. Drinking sports drinks helps prevent cramping by raising electrolyte levels in the body and staving off dehydration, according to a Medical News Today article published online in July 2005. Consuming a diet that includes carbohydrates and electrolytes can also reduce the amount of fatigue experienced during exercise. People are most at risk for cramping during endurance activities that last over an hour; drinking sports drinks becomes more beneficial during these times.

Electrolyte imbalance

Muscles need calcium, potassium and sodium to contract, according to Level 4 Performance Coach Brian Mackenzie. Muscles contain electric tissue that are activated by electrolyte activity. If the level of calcium, sodium or potassium is too low or too high, called an electrolyte imbalance, muscles become weak or experience severe contractions. Symptoms of an imbalance include seizures, numbness, lethargy, twitching, irregular heartbeat and confusion. Electrolyte imbalances can lead to bone and nervous system disorders.

Kidney stones and osteoporosis

Sports drinks are high in sodium. When the body excretes sodium, it also excretes calcium. This causes high levels of calcium to form in the urine, potentially increasing risk of kidney stones, according to the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute. The high levels of calcium in urine also leaves little calcium for bones. The body leeches calcium from bones to bind to sodium for excretion. The loss of calcium makes bones weaker and less dense, which increases risk of osteoporosis.

Calcium overdose

Consuming sports beverages, particularly while also taking calcium supplements or a multivitamin high in calcium, may result in hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is a condition caused by too much calcium in the body. Overdoing it on supplemental calcium is a known cause, according to the Mayo Clinic. High calcium levels interfere with brain and nerve function, muscle contraction and the release of hormones because of the role calcium plays in these functions. Symptoms of hypercalcemia include nausea, weakness, excessive thirst, muscle aches, joint aches, abdominal pain and constipation.

Editor's Note: It's got 'lectrolytes! BRAWNDO! Hey folks, don't forget about all the toxic crap found in sports drinks, either: Artificial colors, chemical sweeteners, corn syrup from GMO corn. The best "sports drink" is coconut water.


Sources for this article include:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com

http://urology.jhu.edu/kidney/STONESprevention.php

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/drinks.htm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153188.php

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/77714.php

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health/01brody.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com

About the author:
Sarka-Jonae Miller is a health writer and novelist. She was certified as a personal fitness trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. She also worked as a massage therapist, group exercise instructor and assistant martial arts instructor.
Miller's premiere novel, "Between Boyfriends," was recently published http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Q6TSCS/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035118_sports_drinks_kidney_stones_osteoporosis.html#ixzz1o58jm9da

Toxic rapeseed and other low-grade oils with additives are being passed off as olive oil

As much as 50 percent of the olive oil sold in the U.S. is not actually pure olive oil, as some brands claiming to be "extra-virgin" or "100 percent Italian," for instance, have actually been adulterated with toxic rapeseed oil, more popularly known as canola oil, soybean oil, and other low-grade oils. In his new book Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, olive oil expert Tom Mueller explains that not all olive oil is the same, and offers advice on how to spot authentic olive oil amidst all the imposters.

During a recent interview with Terry Gross from NPR's Fresh Air, Mueller explains how olive oil adulteration is much more widespread than people think, if they are even aware of it at all. For olive oil to truly be considered "extra-virgin," it has to come from fresh, crushed olives, and not be refined in any way or contain any chemical solvents. It also has to pass certain tests of integrity in order to be considered legitimate, for which many of the brands popularly sold today would fail.

"The legal definition simply says it has to pass certain chemical tests, and in a sensory way it has to taste and smell vaguely of fresh olives, because it's a fruit, and have no faults," said Mueller. "But many of the extra-virgin olive oils on our shelves today in America don't clear [the legal definition]."

Beige olive oil in plastic bottles is most likely adulterated

Real extra-virgin olive oil should have a vibrant, almost peppery flavor, for instance, and not taste bland or watered down. It is also typically stored in dark, glass bottles so that its array of health-promoting antioxidants, its taste, and its forceful green color -- yes, olive oil should be green, not yellowish in color -- are not harmed by light or damaging UV rays from the sun. For this reason, avoiding olive oil in clear, plastic bottles is recommended.

"What [real olive oil] gets you from a health perspective is a cocktail of 200-plus highly beneficial ingredients that explain why olive oil has been the heart of the Mediterranean diet," added Mueller during his interview with NPR. "Bad olives have free radicals and impurities, and then you've lost that wonderful cocktail ... that you get from fresh fruit, from real extra-virgin olive oil."

Most imported extra-virgin olive oil appears questionable in authenticity

The University of California, Davis published a report on olive oil back in 2010 entitled Tests indicate that imported 'extra virgin' olive oil often fails international and USDA standards. In this report, researchers found that 69 percent of imported and ten percent of California-based oils labeled as olive oil did not pass International Olive Council (IOC) and US Department of Agriculture sensory standards for extra virgin olive oil.

Of those brands tested, the following failed to meet extra-virgin olive oil standards:

• Bertolli
• Carapelli
• Filippo Berio
• Mazzola
• Mezzetta
• Newman's Own
• Pompeian
• Rachel Ray
• Safeway
• Star
• Whole Foods

The following brands were found to meet extra-virgin olive oil standards as part of the study:

• Corto Olive
• California Olive Ranch
• Kirkland Organic
• Lucero (Ascolano)
• McEvoy Ranch Organic

You can read the entire UC Davis Study here:
http://olivecenter.ucdavis.edu

Be sure to avoid any olive oil labeled as "light," as these are the lowest quality olive oils available. Also, be sure to choose either California-based olive oils, the vast majority of which are legitimate, or imported olive oils certified by IOC.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.nytimes.com

http://www.npr.org

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035124_olive_oil_adulterated_canola.html#ixzz1o57McDV5