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Air Fresheners linked to Breast Cancer

07/23/2010 in Health | No comments

Are you a neat freak? Always cleaning with windex, pledge, air fresheners and 409? The same chemicals that may be killing all those germs in your home may also be causing breast cancer in women. Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer. - ScienceDaily.com Continue reading... Because the FDA does not require cleaning products to list their toxic ingredients, our family decided to rid our home of all cleaners, soaps and personal products. We make our own soap and use a vinegar/water mix to clean surfaces. When we buy personal products, we research them and their ingredients and only buy products without human carcinogens or parabens.

Are you a neat freak? Always cleaning with windex, pledge, air fresheners and 409?  The same chemicals that may be killing all those germs in your home may also be causing breast cancer in women. 

“Women who report greater use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk than those who say they use them sparingly. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Environmental Health asked more than 1500 women about their cleaning product usage and found that women who reported using more air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control had a higher incidence of breast cancer.” - ScienceDaily.com Continue reading…

Because the FDA does not require cleaning products to list their toxic ingredients, our family decided years ago to rid our home of all cleaners, soaps and personal products.  We make our own soap and use a vinegar/water mix to clean surfaces.  When we buy personal products, we research them and their ingredients and only buy products without human carcinogens or parabens.

Baby Talk: Cute, but Possibly Harmful

05/24/2010 in Health | No comments

It can be amusing for parents to speak “babyeeze” to their little ones, often mimicking their child when she says a word incorrectly.  Babies learning to speak sound so cute and their mispronunciations often make us giggle.  Between the ages of 3 and 6 when language is being tested and solidified by a child is the most vulnerable period of language aquisition.

Recent studies by Dutch researcher Lotte Henrichs suggests that speaking academically with your child instead of simplifying your speech patterns actually helps a child do better in school later in life.

Henrichs demonstrated that children are already confronted with academic language in the nursery school. They already hear a lot academic language from the teacher and are often expected to use academic language themselves. The extent to which academic language is used at home was found to differ strongly between families. An essential aspect is how parents approach their children during conversations. If children are given the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to conversations, they often use characteristics of academic language proficiency naturally. In addition to this, the knowledge of academic language depends on the extent to which parents read to their children, tell them stories and hold conversations about interesting subjects. - NWO.com

This may carry over to a polite correction of your child when he pronounces a word incorrectly.  When I was growing up, as most children do, I misprounced common, long words like spaghetti (bascetti) and Popsicle (popsible).  I also took to saying breakfast by switching the middle consonants to “brefkist”.  My mother failed to correct me until I was 8 years old because she thought it was cute and couldn’t bring herself to tell me.  Even more scarring was that I found out I had been pronouncing it incorrectly when a neighborhood friend had a sleepover at my house and I asked if she would like some “brefkist”, whereupon I was thoroughly embarrassed as my mother explained her reason for not correcting me sooner.

With every child I encounter, whether family or children of friends I have noticed a marked difference in their participation in the “adult” conversation when I speak to them as I would to my peers.  Children live up to our expectations.  Treat your child like an individual with ideas and thoughts to contribute and she will not only surprise you, but she may be better off in life both academically and socially.

Craig Venter has Created Artifical Life!

05/22/2010 in Science | 1 comment

This is HUGE.  This gives scientists the capability to make ANY protien.  Some of the possibilties include: Making organs from scratch that fit a person’s individual DNA with the “bad” parts replaced with “good” code; creating a new biofuel that is genetically designed to be as efficient and clean as possible…

From the BBC:

Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first synthetic living cell.

The researchers constructed a bacterium’s “genetic software” and transplanted it into a host cell.

The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species “dictated” by the synthetic DNA.

The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms.

The researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases.

The team was led by Dr Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in Maryland and California.

He and his colleagues had previously made a synthetic bacterial genome, and transplanted the genome of one bacterium into another.

Now, the scientists have put both methods together, to create what they call a “synthetic cell”, although only its genome is truly synthetic.

Dr Venter likened the advance to making new software for the cell.

The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome. They sequenced its genetic code and then used “synthesis machines” to chemically construct a copy.

Dr Venter told BBC News: “We’ve now been able to take our synthetic chromosome and transplant it into a recipient cell – a different organism.

“As soon as this new software goes into the cell, the cell reads [it] and converts into the species specified in that genetic code.”

The new bacteria replicated over a billion times, producing copies that contained and were controlled by the constructed, synthetic DNA.

“This is the first time any synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell,” said Dr Venter.

Continue reading…

Ovarian Cancer May be Prevented by Eating Flaxseed

05/09/2010 in Health | 1 comment

This article in the Science Daily explains an experiment’s findings that chickens who are feed flaxseed in their diet are less likely to develop ovarian cancer.  Chickens are the only other animal besides humans known to develop ovarian cancer in a similar way.

Hens fed the control diet had significantly more late-stage tumors that presented with fluid and metastases as compared to the hens fed a flaxseed diet. Though hens fed the flaxseed diet did not have a
decreased incidence of ovarian cancer, they did experience fewer
late-stage tumors and higher survival rates.

“In hens fed flaxseed, we found that more tumors were confined to the ovary and they had less metastatic spread,” she said. “This is an important finding as the metastases that accompany late-stage ovarian
cancer are the main cause of death from this disease. If the cancer is
found at an early stage, when the tumor is still confined to the ovary,
women have a much better prognosis and more treatment options.”

This study may have two implications:
1. Should women who are at risk of ovarian cancer add flax seed into their daily nutrition?

2. If you own egg producing chickens, would you consider feeding flax to your birds to ensure their health?

Thoughts?

1,2,3 BE HEALED! Governor McDonnell To appear with Prophet.

04/15/2010 in Atheist Humor, Politics | No comments

The Governor of Virginia will be appearing with this “healing prophet” today. This comes hot on the heals of McDonnell’s blunder in forgetting to mention slavery in his proclamation declaring April “Confederate History Month”.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Get your Exercise and Get Rid of the Corn Syrup: Health Update

04/08/2010 in Health | 2 comments

Recent health studies have confirmed that interval training is the most effective form of cardio training and high fructose corn syrup causes greater weight gain than other sugars.

Professor Martin Gibala of Canada’s McMaster University concluded that “Doing 10 one-minute sprints on a standard stationary bike with about one minute of rest in between, three times a week, works as well in improving muscle as many hours of conventional long-term biking less strenuously.”1 With years of personal experience doing only interval running and biking, I

Copyright 2009, LiberatedMind.com

can attest to the effectiveness of interval training. Not only does it help motivate me to just do it because of the minimal time commitment required, but it is the best format of cardio to elevate metabolism.

By nature, long intense cardio workouts send a message to the body to actually decrease metabolism, which does not help when one is trying to loose weight. Long distance runners have a lower metabolism than weight lifters because their bodies are preparing for long duration cardio output, requiring the body to be more efficient while running. By doing interval cardio (1 minute intense run/bike followed by 1 minute walk/slow bike: repeated for 10-15 mins) the heart is given a workout on the intense interval, but it also does not tell the body to lower it’s metabolism like high intensity, long duration cardio does. This type of cardio, when combined with weight training at a medium to high intensity is the best combination to loose and then maintain your goal weight and fitness level.

In addition to a regular, well designed exercise program, eating healthy foods in precise proportions is key. For women, 75-80% of weight loss and maintenance is attributable to her nutrition intake. With men, because of higher levels of testosterone, 50-60% of weight loss and maintenance is attributable to nutrition intake. Using sources like nutritiondata.com to inform yourself about what nutrition and caloric intake you daily consume can increase your chance of attaining your fitness goals.

One of the best food ingredients to cut out of your diet if you are trying to eat healthy is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).  Not only is HFCS contaminated with Mercury through the refining process, it is now been shown to cause a disruption in metabolism.

Research at Princeston concluded that rats fed corn syrup gained a considerable amount of weight when compared to rats fed sugar in the same caloric measurement.  “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight,” said Bart Hoebel of the Princeton University research team.  Read the full study here.

Corn Syrup is found in an alarmingly high number of foods from canned peaches, ketchup, and breads to cereals, candies and fruit drinks.  Advocates of HFCS have recently started running ads to counter the push against Corn Syrup, claiming that it is no different than any other sweetener.  The Princeston studies suggest this is incorrect and that HFCS actually disrupts metabolism and increases triglycerides and abdominal fat.  An earlier study this year suggested that Corn Syrup may cause cellular DNA damage in humans. To counteract the negative press about HFCS, manufactures have begun to call Corn Syrup other names in their labeling: chicory, inulin, iso glucose, glucose-fructose syrup, and fruit fructose.  I have also seen HFCS labeled as “liquid sugar”.

Bonobos share like Humans

02/25/2010 in Environmental | 1 comment

Bonobo monkeys are similar to Chimps.  The major difference is their social behavior.  Chimp communities are run by males, prone to fighting, group battles and infanticide.  Bonobo communities are run by the females.  They spend a large part of their day grooming each other, having sex with multiple partners and playing in groups.  Bonobos show a great deal of compassion for each other and even for other animals. Their motto could

Bonobos having sex missionary style, a favorite sex position of the Bonobos

easily be “make love, not war”.  Because the females have sex with all the males in the group, non of the males will kill the baby bonobos because there is no way of knowing whose baby is whose.

Recent studies have concluded that Bonobos also share like humans.  Socially, the Bonobo monkey is the closest cousin to humans.  Bonobos are strikingly human like.  Learn more about Bonobos on Nova’s documentary video “Ape Genius”

Prenatal cosmetic use may determine if a child has behavior issues

02/10/2010 in Health | No comments

When a women is pregnant, the makeup she wears, the deoderant she uses and the lotions she uses may effect her baby’s behavior later down the road.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that high levels of phthalates found in a women’s blood during pregnancy directly correlate with behavioral issues in their child at ages 4-9 years.

Phthalates are non-organic chemicals used in lotions, makeup products, soaps, nail polish, perfumes and shampoos.  “Phthalates are part of a group of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, that interfere with the body’s endocrine, or hormone system.”1 Phthalates is also known as BPA when used in plastics.

Children whose mothers tested with a high level of Phthalates in their blood during pregnancy consistently reported behavioral issues in their 4-9 year olds associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and ADHD.

To avoid phthalates in personal care products, buy only all natural products and read the ingredients.  If you can’t pronounce an ingredient or have never heard of it, look it up on the EWG website before buying.  Most Phthalates in personal products are called one of the following:

BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate)

DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate)

“fragrance” is another ingredient to avoid.  If a chemical blend is a trade secret, manufactures are not legally required to disclose the contents on the lable.  They simply denote this as “fragrance”, which likely contains parabens or phthalates.

The best paraben free products to replace your most common personal care products are:

Deoderant: Crystal Salt

Toothpaste: PerioBrite

Shampoo and Conditioner: [amazon ASIN="B001JAH2V0"]Hugo Naturals[/amazon]

Lipgloss, cosmetics: [amazon ASIN="B000WRZSCQ"]Honeybee gardens[/amazon]

Lotion: [amazon ASIN="B0012NZ9LY"]Hugo Naturals[/amazon]

Hand and Body soap:[amazon ASIN="B001ET77YI"]Dr. Bronners[/amazon] or find home made soaps from your local farmer’s market.

Nail polish: just don’t use it!  Nail polish is basically paint that you absorb through your skin.

Learn more: The Do-Nothing Method to Healthier Skin ::   BPA powder on your receipts?!

References:

1. Science Daily

Having troube getting pregnant? Your bed may be to blame.

02/08/2010 in Health | 1 comment

Recent studies have linked high levels of PBDEs in women’s blood to a difficult time getting pregnant.  PBDEs are a type of flame retardant found in fabrics, furniture and mattresses.  They are most prevalent in foams.

PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are a class of organobromine compounds that became commonplace after the 1970s when new fire safety standards were implemented in the United States. The flame retardants are used in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets, plastics and other common items in the home. - Science Daily

It is not clear how PBDEs interfer with fertility, but reserach has suggested they effect hormone levels.  Household dust from foam, couches, curtains, sheets, and mattresses is the main culprit for human absorbtion of PBDEs.  Tempurpedic beds do not contain PBDEs

Read more: Non-stick pans wreak havok on your Thyroid

Non-stick pans wreak havock on your Thyroid

01/25/2010 in Health | 2 comments

Recent studies link a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to human thyroid hormonal imbalances and diseases.  PFOA is found in the coatings of non-stick cookware, stain resistant carpeting, upholstery and clothing.  The most common way PFOA makes its way into the human body is by eating foods cooked in non-stick cookware or foods that touched non-stick coatings on fast food wrappers and styrofoam packaging.

Science Daily reports:

The researchers found that the individuals with the highest 25% of PFOA concentrations (above 5.7ng/ml) were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease than individuals with the lowest 50% of PFOA concentrations (below 4.0ng/ml). The most specific analysis included 163 women and 46 men who reported having current thyroid disease and who were taking thyroid medication at the time the blood samples were taken.

What is the moral of the story?  Organic, all natural carpet, or just cut out the hairy stuff altogether.  Get natural, organic furniture, not stuff made out of synthetics and PFOA.  But more importantly, replace all non-stick cookware with stainless steel, woods and metals without the teflon coatings.  Your thyroid will be much happier and more easily regulate your metabolism and mood without a bonbardment of PFOA.

Folic Acid Overdose May “Feed” Cancer

11/19/2009 in Health | No comments

Recent studies have suggested that not enough folate in the diet may lead to carcinogenesis (process whereby normal cells are turned into cancerous cells) and too much folic acid may increase the growth of already present cancerous cells.  These findings augment the all to familiar adage: “Too much of a good thing is a bad thing”.  It should come as no surprise that a healthy balance of anything, including folic acid is the best way to enhance the body’s functions.  An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but 100 apples will certainly make you sick.

“Experimental evidence suggests that folate deficiency may promote initial stages of carcinogenesis, whereas high doses of folic acid may enhance growth of cancer cells. Since 1998, many countries, including the United States, have implemented mandatory folic acid fortification of flour and grain products to reduce the risk of neural-tube birth defects,” the authors write. “Recently, concerns have emerged about the safety of folic acid, in particular with respect to cancer risk.” From Science Daily

Taking this further, it should be noted that the best way to ingest folic acid is not through supplements or “enriched” cereals.  Folic acid is best taken in it’s natural form through foods that contain it naturally such as asparagus, okra, oranges, spinach, grapefruit, and nuts.

Birth control may negatively influence mate selection

10/12/2009 in Environmental, Health, Science | No comments

Besides the obvious side effects of taking oral contraceptives, women who are on the pill may want to reconsider how it may interfere with their love life. In the October 2009 Issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Dr. Virpi Lumma presented evidence for hormone interruption caused by the pill. Women who are on the pill do not cycle normally through ovulation. During ovulation a women’s hormones make her more likely to choose a mate who exhibits more masculine traits and to also choose a mate who is genetically less like herself through the body’s response to pheromones of the opposite sex.

Dr. Lumma’s studies suggest that women on the pill do not cycle through this natural ovulation time which leads them to select mates that are more genetically similar to themselves, which can lead to genetic diseases or disorders in offspring.  Read the full article.

This news comes hot on the heals of recent studies that have shown extremely high levels of estrogen byproduct in water systems (and drinking water). The elevated levels of estrogen come from the urine of women taking the pill as the body expels excess hormone. Because the hormone does not break down or get caught by water filtration systems, it gets returned to drinking water and into ecosystems that harm fish and other wildlife.

Shroud of Turin replicated

10/08/2009 in Atheism And Religion | No comments

In the past year I can recall 3 conversations with Catholics where a debate about religion has resulted in them saying “well, how can you be an atheist when you have miracles like the Shroud of Turin?”  This happens when I succeed in asking a series of questions that blows down their reasons for believing.  It usually happens after the “well I just have Faith” excuse when logic fails them.

Previously Scientists have carbon dated the Shroud to 1260-1390 A.D.  Despite the unknown origin of the cloth and the scientific evidence dating it to the time period when it was “discovered”.

Italian scientist Garlaschelli successfully replicated the Shroud using materials that would have been available the middle ages.  Yet Garlaschelli doubts such evidence will convince Shroud advocates that the cloth is a hoax.

“If they don’t want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world’s best laboratories they certainly won’t believe me,” he said.1

Despite the Catholic Church’s stance that the Shroud of Turin is not authentic, many followers treat it as evidence of the god Jesus.

Organic Toothpaste that actually works: PerioBrite

09/25/2009 in Environmental, Health, Product Reviews, Sustainable Living | 3 comments

When our household switched from toxic products to non-toxic, all natural alternatives we enjoyed every part of it… except the toothpaste.  We went through so many toothpaste brands like Jason, Toms of Maine and many others.  All of them left our teeth feeling fuzzy.  Some of them even still contained Fluoride, one ingredient we get too much of in our drinking water and a chemical that disrupts the natural hormone production in the thyroid.

Feeling dismayed and out of options, we found ourselves at the Wholefoods store, staring at a wide array of natural toothpastes.  We were going to trial and error again, just pick some and return them if they didn’t work when we bumped into a gentleman buying toothpaste as well.  He reached for a brand familiar to him.  I quickly piped up and asked him if he liked that stuff.  He looked at me funny.  I explained that we were having a hard time finding a paste that worked and wondered if he would recommend the PerioBrite he held in hand.  He told us it is the only thing that works and turned to leave.  Dylan and I looked at each other.  I grabbed a tube of PerioBrite and since then we have been hooked.

PerioBrite is clay-colored and does not contain “sudsing” ingredients that make conventional toothpastes suds in your mouth.  It does contain natural peppermint flavors that really cool and refresh the mouth.  And they graciously leave out the Flouride.  It is clay based and does not leave your teeth feeling fuzzy.  We use it three times a day and our teeth are healthier and cleaner than with chemically loaded conventional toothpastes.

Learn more: Organic, non-Alcohol Mouthwash

When Priests Rape little boys, sometimes they are honest

09/23/2009 in Atheist Humor | No comments

Mercury in your Mascara and Lead in your Lipstick?!

09/14/2009 in Environmental, Health | 1 comment

Not too long ago it we learned that Nail Polish contains “female reproductive toxicants”. Some more beauty products in the average women’s arsenal are now up for question for containing lead and mercury.

The FDA recently tested 33 of the most popular lipsticks and found lead in 60% of them. The ranges in lead detection were between 0.01 parts per million (ppm) to 3.06ppm. Ladies should also know that most lipsticks are composed of fish scales and parabens (along with the lead) which get ingested when you lick your lips or eat with the stuff on. Read the full report here.

Along with lipstick, Mascara as regulated by the FDA allows for up to 65 parts per million of mercury.  This is a small amount, however Mercury is a neuro toxin and once absorbed by the body stays in the fatty tissues and never is flushed out of the system.  Mercury can then accumulate over years of exposure and prove toxic to a developing fetus.

Things like Lead and Mercury are not included on the manufacture’s lable along with other harmful carcinogens.  Fortunately for those who want to still look smashing without the poison, there are beauty product lines that offer an all natural, chemical and paraben free way to dress up your eyes and lips.  For[amazon ASIN="B0017QT7T6"]Mascara try Honeybee Gardens[/amazon].  They also carry a great line of [amazon ASIN="B000VUUSAG"]lip color[/amazon] and [amazon ASIN="B0036ANS0U"]eye color[/amazon].

Similar products and many many more can be found at Whole Foods or other health stores.  If you are unsure about trying a new product, ask a sales representative at the store to recommend a product.  You may even ask if they will accept a return so you can try something new in confidence.

Excuse me, there is Mercury in your Corn Syrup

09/10/2009 in Environmental, Health | 1 comment

So corn syrup, otherwise known as HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) has gotten a lot of bad rap lately.  Corn syrup is in loads of processed foods and drinks contributing to obesity,diabetes, DNA damage, and unhealthy eating habits in the majority of Americans.  HFCS is made from the same type of corn crop that is used to make Ethanol used to fuel E-85 vehicles.  But recently, we may have yet another reason (like there aren’t enough) to avoid Corn Syrup.  In a recent TreeHugger piece, David Friedlander unveils the ugly truth about mercury in corn syrup:

According to a recent Mother Jones article, in 2004 when FDA researcher Renee Dufault found mercury in HFCS samples from leading manufacturers, they did what any agency looking to protect public health would do: they asked her to stop her inquiry.

The source of the mercury is thought to be lye, which is used to separate the cornstarch from the kernel. Many chemical companies make lye by pumping salt through large vats of mercury. That mercury-laced lye is most likely the same lye used in processing corn to make HFCS.

After the FDA tried to stymie Dufault’s inquiry, she decided pursue the matter further, sending the original 20 samples to be retested; nearly half of the samples contained mercury. This past January, Dufault published her findings in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health.

Read more…

Can We Change our Genetic outcome by eating healthy?

09/09/2009 in Health, Science | No comments

Experts say “yes”.  Eating healthy and including foods that aid the body in maintaining healthy cell structure and blood flow can change your otherwise “predisposed” genetic code.

Nothing works! The Do-Nothing method to natural, healthy skin

08/31/2009 in Environmental, Health, Product Reviews, Sustainable Living | 1 comment

Are you at the point with your skin blemishes that you just feel like giving up and saying “Nothing works”?  Take a step back and consider that your skin did not evolve to deal with harsh soaps, twice daily washes, makeup clogging up pores.  These things strip away the skin’s natural defenses.  If you are at the point where you have no idea if you have dry or oily skin, you have tried so many acne treatments you want to cry or you are just feeling like giving your skin a break, the “Do-Nothing” method may work for you.  10 easy changes.  Try it for 3-4 weeks.  “Natural”, “Nothing” and “Free” don’t make anyone money, that’s why you’ll hardly hear of someone advocating this method.

1. Nothing works!

For your daily face regimen, simply do nothing. No makeup, no scrubs, no washes, nothing. Let your skin regulate itself by producing natural oils that protect the skin and keep it moisturized. Washing your face strips your skin of it’s natural defenses, leaving it dry and vulnerable, often leading to an overproduction of oil that causes acne breakouts. It is a vicious cycle. Go cold turkey and see what “nothing” can do for you! The day you start this method, use a mild scrub (see below) and steam the follow day to start the cleansing process.

2. Cold showers, short showers

Hot water strips away the natural oils in your skin, leaving it dry. If you can’t stand a cold shower, take a warm shower (not hot) and turn the shower handle to cold at the very end when you rinse your face. If there are very oily spots on your face, go ahead and gently rub them with your fingertips, but on most days just a cold rinse should be enough.

3. Never pop a zit!

That white puss that forms on a zit is your skin’s way of cleansing out the inflamed area. The puss is actually filled with white blood cells, and repairing components that clean and heal the infected pore. By “popping” it, you are stripping that natural healing method away and opening up a wound that will take longer to heal and may leave behind a pock mark. Once you get a pussy zit, leave it alone, let it works its magic and it will “pop” and go away on its own. The key is to avoid getting zits in the first place, but once you have a puss filled zit, best to leave it to repair the damage already done rather than causing more damage by popping it.

4. Wash your makeup brushes

If you do need to use makeup to occasionally cover embarrassing blemishes or just to add some color to your eyes, be sure to wash your makeup brushes once a week with warm water and an all natural paraben-free shampoo (the one you use for your own hair of course). Dirty makeup brushes harbor bacteria. Don’t let that build up or you will just be rubbing that grime all over your face! If you must use makeup, use a mineral makeup like Bare Minerals and apply as little as possible. For eyeliner and mascara use a natural, organic product like HoneybeeGardens.

5. Exfoliate Once a week

Sluffing off those dead skin cells is necessary at least once a week. You can buy a natural product with no parabens and a very fine granule like Hugo’s Sea Fennel Scrub. A cheaper and more natural alternative is to use organic coffee grounds from your morning brew.  Coffee grounds not only exfoliate, but the caffeine helps tighten your pores giving you smooth skin. If you have dry skin, you can add a tablespoon of cold-pressed coconut oil to a handful of coffee grounds and use to exfoliate.

6. Massage the lift into your face

When you scrub your face once a week, give yourself a mini facial massage to increase circulation to your skin. Facial massages help reduce wrinkles by loosening the muscles of laugh lines and tension areas in your face.

7. Steaming for acne

A weekly steaming can help open your pore to flush out toxins.

Use a small pot of water (add lavender, thyme or chamomile if desired). Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Form a tent over your head by draping a towel over your head and lean your face over the steaming pot. Let the steam hit your face without getting too close (to avoid scalding yourself). Steam for 5 minutes, then immediately rinse your face with cool water to close your pores.

8.  The Hair on Your Head

Since we spend about 8 hours a day with our faces on a pillow, it is important to consider what sleep situations may do to our skin.  If you have long hair, put your hair up in a binder before hitting the sack to keep the oils and product in your hair off your pillow and off your face.  Using a hairnet also works for those who have shorter hair or don’t like their hair tied up all night.  It is also important to evaluate what is in your hair products, as these are the closest in proximity to your face and scalp.  Check your shampoos, conditioners and hair products for parabens such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and known human carcinogens, such as triclosan.  If you find any of these things in your product, throw them away and start fresh.  A big factor in your skin’s health can be the laundry detergent you use.  Bed linens and clothing rub on us all day.  Buying a natural detergent and staying away from dryer sheets can help clear up acne, yeast infections and skin irritations as well as keep harmful carcinogens out of your system.

Health food stores sell all natural cosmetic and beauty products that will be gentler on your hair and better for your overall health.  Look for ingredient lists that are short and do not contain words you cannot pronounce or chemical names you have never heard of.  Less is more in this case.  Keep this healthy practice with all your cosmetics, cleaners, and soaps and you will have less chance of coming in contact with harmful chemicals and carcinogens throughout your day.  Our favorites are Hugo shampoos and conditioners and Dr. Bronner’s liquid hand and body soaps.

9. Exercise

Healthy skin is tied in with healthy living. Eating fresh produce, meats and avoiding processed sugars, corn syrup and parabens goes hand in hand with regular exercise. Exercise aids in carrying nutrients to all cells in the body and carrying out toxins that build up in our cells. Our bodies are not built for sitting on the couch or at the computer all day.

10. Avoid sweets

Avoiding sweets and refined sugars is the best way to avoid zits and aging. Glycation is a process by which sugar bonds to a protein or lipid molecule without the controlling action of an enzyme contributing to the deterioration of collagen in your skin. Collagen is responsible for that young, tight skin look we all strive for. Not to mention, avoided sweets and eating healthy will make you feel better and look better!

Studies have linked Corn Syrup to DNA damage in humans

08/27/2009 in Health | 2 comments

Recent studies have linked HMF to DNA damage in humans and it also might be the answer to why bees are dying at an alarming rate. HMF is a chemical that is created in High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) when it is heated above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Most products on American grocer shelves contain HFCS that has been heated during processing. HMF has been shown to cause DNA damage in humans and to kill bees. Many high volume producing bee farms feed their bees HFCS that can reach high temps in summer sun, releasing HMF. Natural beekeepers or bees that produce honey from pollination do not exhibit signs of HMF poisoning. High Fructose Corn Syrup is easy to avoid if you eat a healthy diet. Avoid the shelves in your grocer and stick to the perimeter of the store where all the refrigerated and fresh items can be found. Fruits, veggies, meats, grains. If it can "keep" on the shelf for over a week, it probably has preservatives and HFCS in it. Evolutionary, we are not designed to handle high volumes of sugar, chemicals or canned foods. Our ancestors would have eaten small amounts every 2-3 hours as they foraged and collected food. The human body is best served by eating small portions every 2-3 hours. The food ingested should be natural and not chemically altered or preserved.

Recent studies have linked HMF to DNA damage in humans and it also might be the answer to why bees are dying at an alarming rate. HMF is a chemical that is created in High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) when it is heated above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Most products on American grocer shelves contain HFCS that has been heated during processing. HMF has been shown to cause DNA damage in humans and to kill bees. Many high volume producing bee farms feed their bees HFCS that can reach high temps in summer sun, releasing HMF. Natural beekeepers or bees that produce honey from pollination do not exhibit signs of HMF poisoning.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is easy to avoid if you eat a healthy diet. Avoid the shelves in your grocer and stick to the perimeter of the store where all the refrigerated and fresh items can be found. Fruits, veggies, meats, grains. If it can “keep” on the shelf for over a week, it probably has preservatives and HFCS in it. Evolutionary, we are not designed to handle high volumes of sugar, chemicals or canned foods. Our ancestors would have eaten small amounts every 2-3 hours as they foraged and collected food. The human body is best served by eating small portions every 2-3 hours. The food ingested should be natural and not chemically altered or preserved.

Photographic memory pill

07/16/2009 in Health, Science | No comments

Quote taken from this article

Imagine if you could look at something once and remember it forever. You would never have to ask for directions again. Now a group of scientists has isolated a protein that mega-boosts your ability to remember what you see.

A group of Spanish researchers reported today in Science that they may have stumbled upon a substance that could become the ultimate memory-enhancer.  learn more

Animals have Morals

06/07/2009 in Atheism And Religion, Science | 2 comments

If you are the proud owner of  a dog (or even a cat), you would be the first to agree that some animals seem to empathize with human emotions and certainly with each other.  We hear of cross empathy between dogs and cats taking care of stray litters, of dogs able to sense when their owner is sad.  Intuitively we know that animals are capable of strong emotions.

Recent studies on animal behavior shows just that, but with a slight twist.   Supposedly animals  follow a moral code that enables their packs or groups to better function.  It is a simple tool of evolution, one that humans have also picked up on.  Agreeing to not take your neighbor’s  stuff and not kill your neighbor is a benefit to all when attempting to survive.  An article by Telegraph interviewed Professor Marc Bekoff, an ecologist at University of Colorado, Boulder.  Professor Bekoff suggests that morals are built into the social patterns of high animal brains.

He claims that these rules help to control fighting within the group and encourage co-operative behaviour.

Recent neurology work has also revealed that distantly related mammals such as whales and dolphins have the same structures in their brains that are thought to be responsible for empathy in humans.

Other findings have also suggested that some animals may even be capable of showing empathy with the suffering of other species.

Elephants, rodents, monkies, bats, dolphins, wolves: all animals that survive in packs or groups and rely on a moral code of conduct to keep the group functioning at its best.  Humans are simply one step above this basic moral system in that we are able to analyze this moral conduct in ourselves and in other animals.  We are also able to break such moral codes with our big brains  by justifying killing with “holy war” or taking another people’s land in the name of a god we worship.  In this way we have de-evolved from the system still used today by animals such as dolphins and wolves.

To conclude, here is a picture of a mother bird blocking the water in a drain pipe with her own body to protect her nest and chicks.

ICR: Time, Space and Matter

04/22/2009 in ICR Series | 1 comment

In the ICR “Time, Space and Matter” we encounter first a few of the flawed proofs I address in the two privious posts. After this, they continue with:

Many scientists today conduct their research based on their presupposition or belief that nothing exists beyond the natural world—that which can be seen around us—and thus they do not accept that any ultimate Cause exists.

That is correct. However, ICR seeks to scew this position in order to later justify themselves as scientists. Objective science seeks to understand how the universe works without inserting an agenda. Science finds proof and presents it to speak for itself. Today there is no way to know how the bounds outside our physical universe operate. Scientists do not assume that nothing exists outside of the universe, however it does assume that nothing we know of exists outside of or acts upon our physical universe. There simply is no evidence to suggest there is an outside force manipulating the physical universe and we have no way to go outside of it to look. Therefor, science says “we don’t know until we know” and leaves it at that. Religion comes along and fills in the gaps with a supernatural being without evidence. let’s continue…

Scientists at ICR hold to the presupposition that the “uncaused First Cause” is the Creator who exists outside of the physical creation He made. Time is not eternal, but created. To ask what happened in time before time was created is to create a false paradox without meaning. There was no “before” prior to the creation of the triune universe of time, space, and mass/energy.

A true scientist does not hold presuppositions. Scientists have “givens” (things that have been previously scientifically proven as true) and conduct observations and experiements to find the answer to the one “not given” in an equation or question. “Physicists have long struggled to understand what time really is. In fact, they are not even sure it exists at all. In their quest for deeper theories of the universe, some researchers increasingly suspect that time is not a fundamental feature of nature, but rather an artefact of our perception.1” In A Brief History of Time and elsewhere, Hawking says that even if time did not begin with the Big Bang and there were another time frame before the Big Bang, no information from events then would be accessible to us, and nothing that happened then would have any effect upon the present time-frame. Einstein presented the argument that space and time are entangled as space-time. Time is just one of 13+ dimensions of the universe that we can perceieve.

Finally, the proof takes a giant leap without proof:

Yet even more amazing (and the universe is amazing) is the historic fact that the Creator-God, after purposefully creating the time-space-matter universe, chose to enter it in the God-human person of Jesus Christ—for the sole purpose of providing a means by which humanity could have a personal relationship with the Creator.

1. Just because something is amazing does not default it to unknowable. We used to worship the sun and moon because they were amazing and mysterious to us.

2. Jumping from saying there must have been a “First Cause” to saying that we know for a fact that that first cause PURPOSEFULLY started the universe, still cares about it, is a MALE, and wants to have a personal relationship with the one species out of trillions on a tiny planet out of billions in a tiny solar system out of billions is a very LARGE assumption to be making without repeatable evidence.

Let’s visit Flatland with Dr. Quantum to get an idea of how dimensions like space-time can be limiting on the human perception and may just be an illusion: