Eating nuts helps the heart!

Eating Nuts Greatly Reduces Your Risk of Heart Attack and Cancer

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 by: Barbara L. Minton
http://www.naturalnews.com/023315.html


Eating nuts five or more times a week reduces your risk of heart attack by a whopping 60%. And in addition to this stunning statistic, research shows that people who eat more nuts are generally thinner. They also have lower levels of LDL cholesterol and better bones. A new study even links eating nuts to a lower risk for cancer and inflammation.

Latest research results

In a study reported in the March, 2008 edition of the journal Blood, researchers hypothesized that NB-kappaB deactivation in cellular responses may be the result of anacardic acid found in cashew nuts. They found that anacardic acid potentiated the apoptosis induced by cytokine and chemotherapeutic agents, which correlated with the down-regulation of various gene products that mediate cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis, all known to be regulated by the NF-kappaB. They concluded that anacardic acid has a role in preventing and treating cancer through modulation of these signaling pathways.

Many studies have documented the benefits of nuts

The 1990's Adventist Health Study of a large population of California Seventh Day Adventists found that in addition to reducing the risk of heart attack by up to 60%, eating nuts was one of the four top factors for extending longevity. The beneficial effects were found for men, women, vegetarians, meat-eaters, fatter people, thinner people, the old, the young, those who exercise and those who don't.

Four other large studies have since confirmed that eating nuts confers cardiac benefits and reduces risks of developing diabetes, dementia, advanced macular degeneration, gallstones and stroke. Calculations suggest that daily nut eaters gain an extra five to six years of life free of coronary disease, and an overall longevity increase of two years.

The more frequently nuts are eaten the better, as benefits appear to increase with increased consumption. The risk of fatal coronary disease and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes both appear to decrease steadily as nut consumption increases to once or more per day.

Nuts contain lots of fat, and many people are still operating under the food industry induced belief that fat makes you fat, so nuts are often shunned. But research does not support this conclusion. In the Nurses' Health Study, the frequent nut consumers were actually a little thinner on average than those who almost never consumed nuts, and daily supplements of almonds or peanuts for six months resulted in little or no increase in body weight. Nuts apparently satisfy hunger and provide a wealth of nutrients, creating a feeling of satiety and comfort. This results in an overall lessening of food consumption.

Nuts are nutrient packed

A recent study shows that nuts have a fatty acid profile that favorably affects blood lipids and lipoproteins. They are low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fatty acids in the form of the monounsaturates oleic and palmitoleic acids.

Nuts also contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidant containing a polyphenolic substructure. These compounds are thought to be instrumental in oxidative stress, a causative factor for neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

Nuts provide a good amount of magnesium, boron and zinc, so essential for bone health. They are an excellent source of the antioxidant mineral manganese. All nuts are a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, folic acid, copper, and the amino acid arginine which is a precursor of human growth hormone. Some nuts contain tryptophan, a stimulator of serotonin in the brain that alleviates depression and boosts relaxation. Nuts are high in fiber and phytochemicals that protect against cancer and other chronic diseases.

Which nuts are best?

In the Adventist Study about 32 percent of the nuts eaten were peanuts, 29 percent were almonds, 16 percent walnuts, and 23 percent other types. The Nurses' Study found that peanuts, which are really legumes, appeared to be just as effective in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease as tree nuts. Experiments where volunteers were fed nuts as part of their diet for several weeks have found that walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachio nuts, and macadamia nuts all alter the composition of the blood in ways that would be expected to reduce coronary risk.

Some nuts confer additional health benefits. Walnuts are high in heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds are particularly nutritious, with 100 grams yielding 16.9 grams of protein. They also contain a good amount of vitamin B-17, known as laetrile, that many believe is nature's most effective cancer cure. Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, and only three of them a day will provide you with an amount in excess of the recommended daily allowance in a highly bio-available form.

Gaining maximum nutritional value

It's fine to have a snack of nuts right out of the bag, but nuts in this form are fairly difficult to digest and eating too many may strain your pancreas. That's because they contain phytic acid, nature's way of making sure the nut survives the winter to sprout in the spring. Phytate is a digestive inhibitor that interferes with mineral absorption. So to gain the maximum nutritional value and digestibility from your nuts, its best to soak them or sprout them before they are eaten. This can only be done with raw nuts, preferably bought in the shells. Soaking neutralizes phytic acid. Soaking also stimulates the process of germination, releasing the vitamin C content and increasing vitamin B content and carotenes (precursors of vitamin A).

Soak your nuts in water. Almonds and walnuts require a soaking time of between 12 and 24 hours. Pecans and cashews require only 6 to 12 hours. Then dry them at a temperature that does not exceed 105 degrees F. You may want to follow the way of the Aztecs and dry them in the sun. Be sure your nuts are completely dehydrated before you put them away. Store dehydrated nuts in the refrigerator for up to a week. Season them with your favorite herbs and spices for a real treat.

Some raw nuts will sprout when soaked, a true test of vitality. They can sustain some heating, maybe up to around 118 degrees F and still sprout, although some of the enzymes will be degraded or destroyed at such a high temperature. Sprouted almonds are truly delicious, much better than the unsprouted version. Don't sprout them for more than 2 days or they may become rancid. Peanuts will also sprout.

During the soaking process, complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down and a portion of the starch in the nut is transformed into simpler sugars. Soaking inactivates aflotoxins, a mold found predominantly in peanuts.

Pesticides abound in the production of nuts. The way to minimize your intake of pesticide residues and to induce nut farmers to turn to organic production is to choose organic or wild nuts. Unfortunately, only about 1% of U.S. farmland dedicated to producing tree nuts is certified organic, and there are only a few states that produce organic tree nuts. There are several online sites that deal in organic, soaked and sprouted nuts.

Additional Sources:

(www.holistic-nutrition.suite101.com) "Health Benefits of Nuts".

(www.living-foods.com) "What every raw fooder should know about nuts".

(www.vegan.org) "Nuts - the surprising benefits of eating nuts regularly".


About the author
Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.

Lead exposure and violent crimes(children)

Lead exposure in children linked to violent crime

A study finds that even low levels can permanently damage the brain. The research also shows that exposure is a continuing problem despite efforts to minimize it.

By Thomas H. Maugh II and Marla Cone, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
May 28, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci...2C6207472.story


The first study to follow lead-exposed children from before birth into adulthood has shown that even relatively low levels of lead permanently damage the brain and are linked to higher numbers of arrests, particularly for violent crime.

Earlier studies linking lead to such problems used indirect measures of both lead and criminality, and critics have argued that socioeconomic and other factors may be responsible for the observed effects.

But by measuring blood levels of lead before birth and during the first seven years of life, then correlating the levels with arrest records and brain size, Cincinnati researchers have produced the strongest evidence yet that lead plays a major role in crime.

The researchers also found that lead exposure is a continuing problem despite the efforts of the federal government and cities to minimize exposure.

The average lead levels in the study "unfortunately are still seen in many thousands of children throughout the United States," said Philip J. Landrigan, director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

The link between criminal behavior and lead exposure was found among even the least-contaminated children in the study, who were exposed to amounts of lead similar to what the average U.S. child is exposed to today, said Landrigan, who was not involved in the study.

"People will sometimes say, 'This is in the past. We are cleaning up lead. We don't have lead problems anymore,' " said criminologist Deborah W. Denno of Fordham University in New York, who also was not involved in the study. "The Ohio study says this is still a big problem."

Nationwide, about 310,000 children between the ages of 1 and 5 have blood lead levels above the federal guideline of 10 micrograms per deciliter, and experts suspect that many times that number have lower levels that are still dangerous.

"It is a national disgrace that so many children continue to be exposed at levels known to be neurotoxic," said neurologist David C. Bellinger of Harvard Medical School, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study published in the online journal PLoS Medicine.

Although some urban soil is still contaminated with lead from gasoline, 80% of lead exposure now comes from houses built before 1978. Paint in such houses can contain as much as 50% lead, and even if it has been covered by newer, lead-free paint, it still flakes or rubs off.

About 38 million U.S. homes, 40% of the nation's housing, still contain lead-based paint, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The problem is particularly acute in urban areas, which typically have older housing that has not been renovated.

More recently, parents and authorities have become concerned about increasing levels of lead-based paint in toys imported from China.

Researchers have long known that lead exposure reduces IQ by damaging brain cells in children during their early years.

It is also known that lead increases children's distractibility, impulsiveness and restlessness and shortens their attention span, all factors considered precursors of aggressive or violent behavior.

A landmark 1990 paper by Denno linked lead to increases in criminal behavior, but the children in the study were not tested for lead levels. The diagnoses were based on their physicians' evaluation, Denno said.

The Cincinnati lead study enrolled 376 pregnant women in Cincinnati's inner city between 1979 and 1984, measuring their blood lead levels during pregnancy and the children's levels during their first seven years of life.

In the new study, environmental health researcher Kim N. Dietrich of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine studied 250 of the original group, correlating their lead levels with adult criminal arrest records from Hamilton County, Ohio.

He and his colleagues found that 55% of the subjects (63% of males) had been arrested and that the average was five arrests between the ages of 18 and 24.

The higher the blood lead level at any time in childhood, the greater the likelihood of arrests. "The strongest association was with violent criminal activity -- murder, rape, domestic violence, assault, robbery and possession of weapons," Dietrich said.

Blood lead levels in the children ranged from 4 to 37 micrograms per deciliter.

The researchers found, for example, that every 5-microgram-per-deciliter increase in blood lead levels at age 6 was accompanied by a 50% increase in the incidence of violent crime later in life. Confirming previous findings, the effect of lead was strongest in males, who had an arrest rate 4 1/2 times that of females.

In a related study, spectroscopist Kim M. Cecil of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and her colleagues examined a "representative sample" of 157 members of the same group using whole-brain MRI scans. They found that those with the highest blood levels of lead during childhood had the smallest brain volume.

On average, the brains of those in the study were about 1.2% smaller than normal. The most affected regions of the brain were those regulating decision making, impulse control, attention, error detection, task completion and reward-based decision making.

"The most important message is that lead affects brain volume, independent of demographic and social factors that are often used to explain away poor outcomes" in life, Cecil said. "This is independent biological evidence showing that the brain is affected by lead."

thomas.maugh@latimes.com

marla.cone@latimes.com

Energy drinks linked to behavioral disorders

Energy drinks linked to risky behavior among teenagers

By Tara Parker-Pope
Published: May 27, 2008
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/27/hea...ence/27well.php


Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink.

Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States.

The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits.

In Colorado Springs, several high school students last year became ill after drinking Spike Shooter, a high caffeine drink, prompting the principal to ban the beverages. In March, four middle school students in Broward County, Florida, went to the emergency room with heart palpitations and sweating after drinking the energy beverage Redline. In Tigard, Oregon, teachers this month sent parents e-mail alerting them that students who brought energy drinks to school were "literally drunk on a caffeine buzz or falling off a caffeine crash."

New research suggests the drinks are associated with a health issue far more worrisome than the jittery effects of caffeine — risk taking.

In March, The Journal of American College Health published a report on the link between energy drinks, athletics and risky behavior. The study's author, Kathleen Miller, an addiction researcher at the University of Buffalo, says it suggests that high consumption of energy drinks is associated with "toxic jock" behavior, a constellation of risky and aggressive behaviors including unprotected sex, substance abuse and violence.

The finding doesn't mean the drinks cause bad behavior. But the data suggest that regular consumption of energy drinks may be a red flag for parents that their children are more likely to take risks with their health and safety. "It appears the kids who are heavily into drinking energy drinks are more likely to be the ones who are inclined toward taking risks," Miller said.

The American Beverage Association says its members don't market energy drinks to teenagers. "The intended audience is adults," said Craig Stevens, a spokesman. He says the marketing is meant for "people who can actually afford the two or three bucks to buy the products."

The drinks include a variety of ingredients in different combinations: plant-based stimulants like guarana, herbs like ginkgo and ginseng, sugar, amino acids including taurine as well as vitamins. But the main active ingredient is caffeine.

Caffeine content varies. A 12-ounce serving of Amp contains 107 milligrams of caffeine, compared with 34 to 38 milligrams for the same amount of Coca-Cola or Pepsi. Monster has 120 milligrams and Red Bull has 116. Higher on the spectrum, Spike Shooter contains 428 milligrams of caffeine in 12 ounces, and Wired X344 contains 258.

Stevens points out that "mainstream" energy drinks often have less caffeine than a cup of coffee. At Starbucks, the caffeine content varies depending on the drink, from 75 milligrams in a 12-ounce cappuccino or latte to as much as 250 milligrams in a 12-ounce brewed coffee.

One concern about the drinks is that because they are served cold, they may be consumed in larger amounts and more quickly than hot coffee drinks, which are sipped. Another worry is the increasing popularity of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. The addition of caffeine can make alcohol users feel less drunk, but motor coordination and visual reaction time are just as impaired as when they drink alcohol by itself, according to an April 2006 study in the medical journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

"You're every bit as drunk, you're just an awake drunk," said Mary Claire O'Brien, associate professor in the departments of emergency medicine and public health services at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

O'Brien surveyed energy drink and alcohol use among college students at 10 universities in North Carolina. The study, published this month in Academic Emergency Medicine, showed that students who mixed energy drinks with alcohol got drunk twice as often as those who consumed alcohol by itself and were far more likely to be injured or require medical treatment while drinking. Energy drink mixers were more likely to be victims or perpetrators of aggressive sexual behavior. The effect remained even after researchers controlled for the amount of alcohol consumed.

Energy drink marketers say they don't encourage consumers to mix the drinks with alcohol. Michelle Naughton, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, which markets Amp, said, "We expect consumers to enjoy our products responsibly."

Mediteranean diet and type 2 diabet

Mediterranean diet diabetes boost

Thursday, 29 May 2008 00:32 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7426326.stm


Sticking to a diet which includes fruit, vegetables, fibre and healthier fats could protect against type two diabetes, a study suggests.

More than 14,000 Spanish volunteers were quizzed about eating habits, then checked over four years to see who developed the condition.

The results pointed to an 83% lower risk for those who followed the diet, the British Medical Journal reported.

But UK experts said the study was not conclusive.

People living in Crete, southern Italy and Greece provided the inspiration for the so-called Mediterranean diet.

Their traditional lifestyle involved not only regular exercise, but also plenty of fish, fruit and vegetables, usually cooked in olive oil, and washed down with the occasional glass of red wine.

Studies have suggested that modern diets based on this ideal could improve heart health.

The idea that it could also reduce the risk of diabetes is a logical step - olive oil is already known to improve blood sugar control and lower blood pressure.

The 14,000 men and women, of varying ages, were all scored on their own recollection of which elements of the Mediterranean diet they followed in day-to-day life, and split into three groups, depending on the level of their adherence to the diet.

As well as gaining a point for eating key ingredients fish, fruit and olive oil, they got one for cutting back on animal fats and keeping to a moderate alcohol intake.

The highest group had managed seven or more points, while the bottom group had less than three points.

The researchers then waited to see who developed diabetes over the next four years, and found that the average risk for those in the highest group was 83% lower than for those in the lowest group.

Those in the middle had a 59% fall in the risk of diabetes.

Too young

However, the average age of those taking part was around 40 years old - under the normal age for type II diabetes to strike, and the study authors conceded that the relatively low numbers of new cases of the condition over their four-year period made the results harder to rely on.

They called for bigger and longer-term studies to test the diet.

Dr Iain Frame from Diabetes UK said another weakness was the questionnaire format, which relied on volunteers' honesty and memory to give accurate results.

He said: "Although it is interesting that the researchers conclude that a Mediterranean diet could provide protection against Type II diabetes, more robust research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions about this claim.

"A fundamental link between being overweight and developing Type 2 diabetes has already been proven.

"Diabetes UK advises people to follow a healthy diet low in fat, sugar and salt with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and to take regular physical activity to reduce the risk of developing the condition."

Olive oil intake

A spokesman for the British Nutrition Foundation said that different elements of the diet could be making a difference.

"Although these kinds of study don't allow us to pinpoint exactly which part or parts of the diet are having the beneficial effect, the fact that the Mediterranean diet is high in fruit and vegetables, fibre and unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat could all help to reduce the risk of diabetes.

"Another element of the diet was high consumption of olive oil which may improve blood glucose control and reduce inflammation, both of which could help to prevent diabetes developing."

Put on your skin only substances you would eat!

(NaturalNews) Given the fact that just about everything you put on your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream, it is interesting that there is a complete lack of regulation of cancer-causing ingredients in skin care products. There are over 150 toxic cancer-causing ingredients currently used in cosmetic products alone. According to federal law, products containing cancer-causing substances should carry a written warning. But the FDA does not enforce this law with cosmetics or personal care products. Consumers are left to purchase these products at their own risk, and as a result they are being harmed by them.

Let's consider a product that's harming tens of millions of people every day in America alone: sunscreen. Sunscreen products do not block ultraviolet radiation very well unless you apply multiple coats, but there has been a flurry of research lately on the harm caused by sunscreen chemicals. These chemicals actually promote skin cancer. This product is causing the very condition from which it claims to protect people.

The skin is not the only organ that is harmed by sunscreen chemicals. Those chemicals are absorbed by the skin, circulate throughout the body and end up harming the liver, the organ responsible for neutralizing chemicals in the body. The continued use of sunscreen products -- especially those with fragrance in them -- will inevitably harm the liver and, in my opinion, can lead to organ failure or liver cancer.

Sunscreen is not the only harmful product people put on their skin; consider perfume and cologne. In an effort to smell attractive to others, consumers routinely put toxic chemicals on their bodies that come out of beautifully designed glass bottles. Most people do not realize that these fragrances are often made from toxic substances that are known to cause cancer; the perfume industry gets away with murder. This includes everything from skin cream to moisturizer lotion, not to mention shower soaps and other cleaning products with added fragrance. Unless you are buying the natural forms of these products from truly organic companies, there is no doubt that you are applying a bewildering array of harmful chemicals to your skin. And when you put them on your skin, they are absorbed directly into your bloodstream.

This is partly why consumers in Western society have hundreds of different synthetic chemicals lodged in their livers, hearts, brains, and other organs. If you keep exposing your body to these chemicals, they will keep accumulating. All of these products ultimately lead to liver cancer and other serious disorders caused by chemical stress on your body. Eventually, immune system suppression will kick in and you will succumb to some form of cancer or other type of immunity breakdown, including autoimmune disorders. It takes a focused detoxification effort to get these chemicals out.

Your skin is your body's largest organ, so its health is crucial to your overall health. It has the largest mass and surface area of any organ in your entire body, and your skin is in contact with the outside environment more than any other organ in your body. Your skin exchanges chemicals with the environment; even if you do not put chemicals on your skin, it still exchanges air and water with the environment.

This is easy to demonstrate by taking a swim, and then observing how your fingers start to look like raisins -- you are actually drinking water through your skin. Chemicals in swimming pools are a genuine health hazard, and chlorinated pool water has been found to cause bladder cancer. The best place to swim is the ocean, where you can absorb water that has natural minerals, rather than in chlorinated city water.

The skin absorbs all chemicals

But many substances go through your skin other than water. This simple fact was denied for many years by proponents of conventional medicine, who said the skin was some sort of barrier. This was before they figured out that they could use the skin to deliver drugs; now we have patch delivery systems for nicotine, birth control, and even Alzheimer's patches that actually deliver a measured dose of drugs through the skin.

Nevertheless, the cosmetics industry continues to make products with extremely hazardous chemicals. The FDA claims that these products are safe because they are not consumed orally. You would be amazed to find what the FDA allows to be sold as long as it says, "for external use only." The assumption is that it will stay external and not be absorbed into the body, so its toxicity is irrelevant, but we now know this is not true. Toxic chemicals on the skin quickly lead to toxic blood in the body.

Some molecules, of course, are too large to be absorbed through the skin, but most of the chemicals found in personal care products and sunscreen products actually do go right through the skin. The same is true with fragrance, hair color products and all varieties of personal care products that contain toxic chemicals. So, the next time you are shopping for any personal care products, keep in mind a good rule I learned from Amazon John, the founder of the Amazon Herb Company: Don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat.

Amazon Herb's Lluvia skin care line is made with substances you can actually eat. You certainly cannot make that claim about the cosmetics you find in department stores -- let's face it, they are mostly just chemicals prettied up in expensive-looking packaging and sexy advertising.

Think carefully about what you put on your skin. Safeguard your skin just as you would any other organ in your body. Your skin is exchanging chemistry with the environment, and if you want to be a healthy individual free of toxic chemicals in your liver, heart, brain, kidneys and many other organs, it's time to stop putting cancer-causing chemicals on your skin. Throw out the junk cosmetics, skin lotions, creams, cleansers, shampoos, deodorants, perfumes, and all other personal care products that deliver a harmful dose of bad chemistry.

Global warming skeptics arguments

Global warming sceptics in an unholy row

By Harry Mount
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 27/05/2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jh...5/27/do2703.xml


I wonder when people last got widely and publicly ridiculed for not believing in God: probably not for several hundred years.

Nowadays, you'd get a slightly odd look for doing the opposite and expressly stating your faith. But, if you really want to know what it's like to be a 16th-century heretic, try saying you're a bit sceptical about man-made global warming.

Temperatures do seem to have gone up a little, even though environmentalists acknowledge that we might be in for a cool spell now. And we've certainly had our fair share of tsunamis, hurricanes and typhoons recently. Still, no one has convincingly proved that all this is definitely man's fault. Try saying that in polite circles and it's like saying you're partial to roasted babies.

advertisementI understand people disagreeing with global warming sceptics, but not the jeering, ridiculing way they do it. I'm not sure I'm right; they're convinced I'm wrong. They're convinced, too, that they have the moral high ground, that all sceptics are sworn enemies of nature, flowers and puppy dogs.

Environmentalism is the new secular faith - school prayer for liberals, as an American philosopher put it. The faith is a strict one. You're not allowed to join if you think that it's sensible to keep an eye on the environment but don't think that man is to blame for changes in world temperature.

You must believe in the full package. If you do, you are blessed, free from sin and allowed the pious smugness you find in the worst sort of religious believers. It's not enough to believe in these things yourself; you must condemn others for not sharing your belief.

The latest carbon credits scheme - published in a parliamentary committee report - is squarely on the side of the believers. The idea is that everyone gets an annual carbon ration to spend on fuel and energy bills and, if you want to overspend, you buy credits from low carbon emitters.

It's just like the medieval trade in indulgences, where remission for sins was granted by the Church once the sinner confessed and received absolution. By the late Middle Ages, the system had grown corrupt, with professional pardoners selling indulgences by the bucketload.

The medieval market in indulgences ended with the Reformation. You can imagine the outcome of this market in modern sin. Oceans of sackcloth-and-ashes piety from those who underspend their carbon credit, and badly informed abuse for people who like flying abroad on holiday.

• Poor old John Prescott got rather a harsh press over his expenses. Compared with some profligate MPs, he spent sensibly on necessary home renovations. The killer detail, though, was the style of that home; Prescott spent £6,707 on - shock, horror - mock Tudor panels.

Snobbery about mock Tudor has been intense for 70 years, ever since the genius cartoonist Osbert Lancaster attacked Roadhouse Tudor and Stockbroker's Tudor in Pillar to Post (1938).

People love mock Georgian terraces and Gothic revival houses, but mock Tudor gets it in the neck. In fact, mock Tudor can look very nice; it just has to be done well, like at Liberty on Regent Street.

The shop was built in 1923 from bits of real Tudor men-of-war - the Impregnable and the Hindustan - and put together in the original way, with mortises and pegs. The facade was built around a seasoned oak cage, with proper leaded windows and handmade roofing tiles.

It looks lovely - a real work of art that even Prescott-haters couldn't take against.

•At last, a sensible EU directive. Under new consumer protection regulations, fortune tellers and astrologists will be forced to tell customers that their work is not "experimentally proven" and that they offer "entertainment only".

Mediums are outraged at all this, but have astrologists never wondered why their work never appears on the news pages? Haven't fortune tellers noticed that their offices are in fairgrounds?

How the brain reacts to cell phones

I ask myself the question: What if our children's mind becomes attrcated to suicice because of so many elecromagnetic waves all arround? It is not the only explanation, it's a complex issue, but, what is clear for all of us is that a human being is not machine, but a LIVING , EMOTIONAL , LOVING MIRACULOUS CREATION!Our children are born with a different consciousness level, one that tells us: "Learn from us, as well, we are young, but not ignorant to feelings!" We feel more than the adults...

2008 05 27
By R. Douglas Fields | sciam.com
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=mind-control-by-cell


Electromagnetic signals from cell phones can change your brainwaves and behavior. But don't break out the aluminum foil head shield just yet.

Hospitals and airplanes ban the use of cell phones, because their electromagnetic transmissions can interfere with sensitive electrical devices. Could the brain also fall into that category? Of course, all our thoughts, sensations and actions arise from bioelectricity generated by neurons and transmitted through complex neural circuits inside our skull. Electrical signals between neurons generate electric fields that radiate out of brain tissue as electrical waves that can be picked up by electrodes touching a person's scalp. Measurements of such brainwaves in EEGs provide powerful insight into brain function and a valuable diagnostic tool for doctors. Indeed, so fundamental are brainwaves to the internal workings of the mind, they have become the ultimate, legal definition drawing the line between life and death.

Brainwaves change with a healthy person's conscious and unconscious mental activity and state of arousal. But scientists can do more with brainwaves than just listen in on the brain at work-they can selectively control brain function by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This technique uses powerful pulses of electromagnetic radiation beamed into a person's brain to jam or excite particular brain circuits.

Although a cell phone is much less powerful than TMS, the question still remains: Could the electrical signals coming from a phone affect certain brainwaves operating in resonance with cell phone transmission frequencies? After all, the caller's cerebral cortex is just centimeters away from radiation broadcast from the phone's antenna. Two studies provide some revealing news.

The first, led by Rodney Croft, of the Brain Science Institute, Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, tested whether cell phone transmissions could alter a person's brainwaves. The researchers monitored the brainwaves of 120 healthy men and women while a Nokia 6110 cell phone—one of the most popular cell phones in the world—was strapped to their head. A computer controlled the phone's transmissions in a double-blind experimental design, which meant that neither the test subject nor researchers knew whether the cell phone was transmitting or idle while EEG data were collected. The data showed that when the cell phone was transmitting, the power of a characteristic brain-wave pattern called alpha waves in the person's brain was boosted significantly. The increased alpha wave activity was greatest in brain tissue directly beneath to the cell phone, strengthening the case that the phone was responsible for the observed effect.

Alpha Waves of Brain
Alpha waves fluctuate at a rate of eight to 12 cycles per second (Hertz). These brainwaves reflect a person's state of arousal and attention. Alpha waves are generally regarded as an indicator of reduced mental effort, "cortical idling" or mind wandering. But this conventional view is perhaps an oversimplification. Croft, for example, argues that the alpha wave is really regulating the shift of attention between external and internal inputs. Alpha waves increase in power when a person shifts his or her consciousness of the external world to internal thoughts; they also are the key brainwave signatures of sleep.

Cell Phone Insomnia
If cell phone signals boost a person's alpha waves, does this nudge them subliminally into an altered state of consciousness or have any effect at all on the workings of their mind that can be observed in a person's behavior? In the second study, James Horne and colleagues at the Loughborough University Sleep Research Centre in England devised an experiment to test this question. The result was surprising. Not only could the cell phone signals alter a person's behavior during the call, the effects of the disrupted brain-wave patterns continued long after the phone was switched off.

"This was a completely unexpected finding," Horne told me. "We didn't suspect any effect on EEG [after switching off the phone]. We were interested in studying the effect of mobile phone signals on sleep itself." But it quickly became obvious to Horne and colleagues in preparing for the sleep-research experiments that some of the test subjects had difficulty falling asleep.

Horne and his colleagues controlled a Nokia 6310e cell phone—another popular and basic phone—attached to the head of 10 healthy but sleep-deprived men in their sleep research lab. (Their sleep had been restricted to six hours the previous night.) The researchers then monitored the men's brainwaves by EEG while the phone was switched on and off by remote computer, and also switched between "standby," "listen" and "talk" modes of operation for 30 minute intervals on different nights. The experiment revealed that after the phone was switched to "talk" mode a different brain-wave pattern, called delta waves (in the range of one to four Hertz), remained dampened for nearly one hour after the phone was shut off. These brainwaves are the most reliable and sensitive marker of stage two sleep—approximately 50 percent of total sleep consists of this stage—and the subjects remained awake twice as long after the phone transmitting in talk mode was shut off. Although the test subjects had been sleep-deprived the night before, they could not fall asleep for nearly one hour after the phone had been operating without their knowledge.

Although this research shows that cell phone transmissions can affect a person's brainwaves with persistent effects on behavior, Horne does not feel there is any need for concern that cell phones are damaging. The arousal effects the researchers measured are equivalent to about half a cup of coffee, and many other factors in a person's surroundings will affect a night's sleep as much or more than cell phone transmissions.

"The significance of the research," he explained, is that although the cell phone power is low, "electromagnetic radiation can nevertheless have an effect on mental behavior when transmitting at the proper frequency." He finds this fact especially remarkable when considering that everyone is surrounded by electromagnetic clutter radiating from all kinds of electronic devices in our modern world. Cell phones in talk mode seem to be particularly well-tuned to frequencies that affect brainwave activity. "The results show sensitivity to low-level radiation to a subtle degree. These findings open the door by a crack for more research to follow. One only wonders if with different doses, durations, or other devices, would there be greater effects?"

Croft of Swinburne emphasizes that there are no health worries from these new findings. "The exciting thing about this research is that it allows us to have a look at how you might modulate brain function and this [look] tells us something about how the brain works on a fundamental level." In other words, the importance of this work is in illuminating the fundamental workings of the brain-scientists can now splash away with their own self-generated electromagnetic waves and learn a great deal about how brainwaves respond and what they do.

Mind Matters is edited by Jonah Lehrer, the science writer behind the blog The Frontal Cortex and the book Proust was a Neuroscientist.

Tired of being tired?

(NaturalNews) Are you one of the millions of Americans who are always tired? Do you feel that you can never catch up on your sleep or your energy reserves have been permanently depleted? Do you wonder if you will ever return to your normal self again?

If you're like most people you probably assume that your fatigue is the result of a hectic lifestyle, but what if it isn't? What if your fatigue is a symptom of something more serious than the every day chaos of life? And, by the same token, what if there was a way to reverse the fatigue by addressing the root cause?

Fatigue is one of the top ten complaints I hear from my patients. By definition, fatigue is more than simply feeling sleepy. Fatigue is the constant sensation of being tired or lethargic and is often accompanied by a feeling of weariness and a lack of energy. Normal fatigue happens to all of us, at times when we are sick with a cold or flu, putting long hours in at the office or after exercising hard. You may also experience normal fatigue when you fail to exercise, are bored or when you simply are not getting enough sleep. These types of fatigue can all be reversed with the proper amount of rest and generally do not last longer than a few days.

Fatigue lasting longer than 2 weeks is defined as abnormal and should be evaluated by a health care provider. Fatigue is a sign that something is not functioning properly within your body and should be addressed immediately. Since there are various causes of fatigue, your physician will ask you a panel of questions designed to determine your specific health problem or problems. Fatigue can be a complex condition and often times there is more than one issue at the root of the problem.

Some of the more common causes of abnormal fatigue range from mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, respiratory or cardiovascular impairment, less thyroid, chronic infections, hormone imbalances, poor nutrition and adrenal gland depletion. Here is a brief overview of just some of the health problems that could be causing your fatigue.

Mental Health Issues

One commonality shared between anxiety, depression and stress is that they all tend to result in fatigue. With anxiety, you often are not getting the proper amount of sleep at night. Depression may cause you to have disruptive sleep or to sleep more than your body requires, both of which will cause fatigue. People with chronic stress are in a persistent state of fight or flight, overtaxing their adrenal glands which takes a dangerous toll on all of the body's systems. As a result, the cardiovascular, digestive, adrenal glands, neurotransmitters and respiratory systems are all being affected. This can upset the body's balance of hormones such as Cortisol and Melatonin and neurotransmitters, Serotonin, Epinephrine, glutamate, histamine, Norepinephrine, GABA and PEA levels leading to a state of constant fatigue

Respiratory & Cardiovascular Impairment

Any time your heart or lungs are failing to work properly or at their optimal performance levels you will experience a feeling of fatigue. The reason behind this is that your heart and lungs are chiefly responsible for the circulation of oxygen-rich blood to all of the organs in your body. This oxygen-rich blood is necessary to maintain healthy energy levels. While the cause of fatigue might be something serious such as Coronary Artery Disease or heart failure, it could also be something as simple as allergies, such as hay fever or asthma, which can limit the amount of air that is coming into your body.

Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are a common problem in today's society with approximately 40 million Americans living with some form of sleep disturbance. If you're suffering from insomnia (difficultly falling asleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) then you are more than aware of the problem. The same is true with Restless Leg Syndrome, a condition that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. However, you could be suffering from the disorder Sleep Apnea and not even be aware of it. Sleep Apnea causes you to stop breathing for at least 10 seconds at a time while you are sleeping. This interruption in breathing usually occurs more than 20 times during each hour that you are asleep. The condition, which is associated with aging, obesity and depression, is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attack and should be taken very seriously.

Lack of Exercise

Lack of exercise leads to a health problem called "deconditioning" wherein the organs of the body begin to deteriorate resulting in fatigue. Researchers studied athletes at the top of their health and found their organs began deteriorating within 24 hours after the end of physical activity. The same research team found even mild exercise could counteract the deconditioning response. This discovery has been especially useful to patients confined to bed rest, but can also apply to those who live a sedentary lifestyle.

Pain

Pain is a complex problem that can cause fatigue in many different ways. Fatigue may be caused by sleep disruptions associated with chronic pain or the deconditioning that results from being confined to a bed. Pain can also lead to isolation which can cause depression and, thereby, fatigue.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition can take many forms, from simply not getting enough nutrients from the foods that you consume, to more serious concerns such as eating disorders or problems with your digestive system. The immune system is the first body function hit by the lack of proper nutrients, resulting in disease and fatigue, unless the problem is reversed.

Thyroid Disorder

The thyroid gland regulates the rate of your body's metabolism and, consequently, energy levels. If your thyroid is failing to produce enough hormones your metabolism slows down, resulting in feelings of sluggishness, as well as weight gain, a condition called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a common problem in America and affects nearly 11 million Americans.

While this list is far from comprehensive, it is a good example of how complex the problem of fatigue can be. Discovering the underlying cause of your fatigue will not only put you back on the path to your old, energetic self again but it could also be the beginning to restoring your health!

Dr. Connealy recommends products like perfectlyhealthy Mega Greens plus MSM or perfectlyhealthy pH Plus to help you get your energy back!

If you are experiencing fatigue that has lasted longer than 2 weeks, schedule an appointment with your health care provider today and stop your fatigue in its tracks.

Revising dental amalgams-Mercury fillings

FDA Opens Public Comment for Safety of Mercury in Dentistry (Action Alert)

Friday, May 23, 2008 by: Teri Lee Gruss
http://www.naturalnews.com/023294.html


Under intensifying consumer group pressure, the FDA has announced that it will open public comment regarding its proposed ruling on the classification of dental mercury amalgam materials. The more we learn about mercury amalgams the more we have to question why the ADA and most dentists still insist that mercury amalgams are safe to put in our mouths. The Center for Disease Control has gone so far as to say that mercury amalgams do emit small amounts of mercury vapors that are absorbed and the EPA has said that dental clinics are major environmental polluters via the release of amalgam laced waste waters.

What does this mean for the average person that has eight mercury amalgams in their mouths?

The EPA notes that the ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that, between 1999-2000, about 8% of 16-to-49 year old women had blood mercury concentrations greater than 5.8 ug/L . "Based on this prevalence for the overall U.S. population of women of reproductive age and the number of U.S. births each year, it is estimated that more than 300,000 newborns each year may have increased risk of learning disabilities associated with in utero exposure to methyl mercury."

Fish contains mercury in the form of methyl mercury. Dental amalgams contain elemental mercury, which can be methylated by microorganisms once inside the human body. The EPA has established a daily reference dose (RfD) of 0.1 µg/kg body weight/day of methyl mercury, "without recognized adverse effects". Methyl mercury is the most toxic form of mercury.

Dental amalgams are approximately 50% mercury and 50% a mix of silver, copper, zinc and tin. The higher the copper content the more hazardous the amalgam material becomes. Certain metals interact with one another in the mouth in a process called galvanism. Saliva bathing dissimilar metals, mercury and copper, produce an electric current and promote corrosion of the amalgam. Corrosion increases mercury vapors absorbed.

When the price of silver increased in the 1970's amalgam manufacturers, to keep costs down, increased the copper content of amalgams. These amalgams are called non-gamma-2 (high copper) and are even more toxic than prior mercury amalgam formulations. Ask your dentist if you and your children have high copper mercury amalgams in your mouths.

The EPA says that "improved substitute materials are now available" and that "amalgam use is in decline". Why use a metal known to be hazardous to the environment and to the human central nervous system when there are other, safer materials readily available? Isn't it time to ban mercury amalgams?

Several well organized consumer and professional groups including Consumers for Dental Choice and the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) have requested that the FDA address the hazards of mercury amalgams (fillings) used in dentistry. The intensity of their request escalated back in 2002. These groups have been instrumental in lobbying and taking legal action against the FDA for its continued refusal to rule on the safety of dental mercury.

Mercury amalgams are currently classified by the FDA as Class II medical devices. The medical device classification system consists of three levels, Class I, which include bandages and tongue depressors, regulated by "general controls". Class II devices, subject to "special controls", include amalgams and powered wheel chairs. Class III devices require "pre-market approval" and include silicone breast implants and heart valve replacements.

Anti dental mercury groups would like to see amalgams placed in the latter group, Class III medical devices. This would place the burden of proof of safety on amalgam manufacturers. Prior to 2002 mercury amalgams were Class I medical devices, like bandages and tongue depressors.

After years of FDA inaction, in December 2007 a lawsuit was filed against the troubled agency for its failure to address mercury safety. Possibly this pressure has led to the agency announcement to reopen public comment on mercury amalgam safety.

For whatever reason, the FDA comment period is a real opportunity for all of us who are concerned about the known health risks of having this toxic heavy metal in our mouths and the mouths of our children. Cognitive dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and MS have all been linked to mercury toxicity.

Norway, Sweden and Denmark have all recently banned mercury amalgams because of its toxicity to humans and the environment. According to Norway's Environmental Minister, Erik Solheim, "Mercury is among the most dangerous pollutants. Good alternatives to mercury exist already and it is therefore right to introduce this ban."

Sweden, Canada and the U.K. have banned the use of mercury amalgams in pregnant women and children. With safe alternatives available it doesn't make sense to keep putting a material in our mouths that is shipped and disposed of as a "hazardous material".

While we await a FDA ruling on dental mercury, shouldn't we, at the very least, insist that our dentists provide us with an "Informed Consent" form which lists possible risks of mercury amalgams and optional and safe materials available. This is really an issue of health freedom of choice.

To learn more about the hazards of mercury amalgams visit (http://www.toxicteeth.org/) and (http://iaomt.org/) .

Take this opportunity to let the FDA know how you feel about the dangers of mercury in dentistry. Public comment is open until July 28, 2008. Also consider sending a copy of your comments to your elected Congressional representatives.

Docket ID: FDA-2008-N-0163
Docket Title: Dental Devices: Classification of Encapsulated Amalgam Alloy and Dental Mercury and Reclassification of Dental Mercury; Issuance of Special Controls for Amalgam Alloy; Reopening of Comment Period

To file an electronic comment:
(http://www.regulations.gov) In the search box enter: FDA-2008-N-0163

To fax a written comment:
301.827.6870

To mail a comment:
Division of Dockets Management(HFA-305)
FDA
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

Additional reading:

((http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/DOCKETS/docket...)

(http://www.fplc.edu/risk/vol2/spring/royal.htm)

Forgiveness- awareness and therapy

Lack of Forgiveness Can Affect Our Health

Monday, May 26, 2008 by: Sheryl Walters
http://www.naturalnews.com/023304.html


Everyone knows that being angry feels terrible. When we feel angry at someone, we get a tight feeling in our chest and body, and our minds aren't free. Feeling angry at someone who cuts you off when you are driving is bad enough. Long term, chronic anger can ruin peoples' lives. Feeling angry for something that happened in childhood can literally make people prisoners of their own emotions.

Dr. Luskin of Stanford University is studying how forgiveness can help people become healthy. The 150 volunteers who have taken part in the Stanford Forgiveness Project say that letting go of the hurt caused by other people or by forces they see as being outside themselves, is not just one of the greatest emotional releases; they feel better physically, as well.

"Getting angry and needing to forgive are universal phenomena, but the skills to forgive are inadequately taught."

Holding on to anger for too long can obviously affect a person's emotional health. But hanging on to that anger, Dr. Luskin says, can also seriously affect people's physical health.

How is the Body Affected?

Lack of forgiveness, which often occurs as a result of having been hurt, humiliated, angered, or having suffered fear or loss, feelings of guilt, or envy, can have profound effects on the way your body functions.

Physically the body is in a state of stress. Muscles tighten, causing imbalances or pain in the neck, back and limbs. Blood flow to the joints is restricted, making it more difficult for the blood to remove wastes from the tissues and reducing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells. Normal processes of repair and recovery from injury or arthritis are impaired. Clenching of the jaws contributes to problems with teeth and jaw joints. Headaches can become a problem. Chronic pain may get worse.

Blood flow to the heart is constricted. Digestion is impaired. Breathing may become more difficult. Anger can seriously impair the immune system, increasing the risk of infections and illness.

Luskin cites several studies that show how anger can affect the cardiovascular system by adding to a person's general level of stress. Other studies have indicated that patients who have had heart attacks have been able to improve their physical health by practicing forgiveness and working to feel more tolerant and less angry.

Additionally, Dr. Luskin says, when the body releases certain enzymes during anger and stress, cholesterol and blood pressure levels go up, not a good long-term position to put the body in. Forgiveness has been shown to lower blood pressure naturally. The bottom line, we can eat healthy and take care of ourselves on a physical level, but if our hearts are filled with anger, our bodies are not in optimum health.


About the author
Sheryl is a kinesiologist, nutritionist and holistic practitioner.
Her website www.younglivingguide.com provides the latest research on preventing disease, looking naturally gorgeous, and feeling emotionally and physically fabulous.

What if we consider the sun cycles as well?

Sunspot cycles may hold key to global warming, cooling

5/23/2008 3:17:02 PM PRINT | EMAIL
http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-opinio...?id=BGMHH9IPD4Q


The 2008 winter was the coldest in 40 years for the upper Midwest, Plains states and most of Canada. Minnesota newspapers report that this year's opening of the locks to Mississippi barge traffic, delayed by three weeks, was the latest since the modern waterway opened in 1940.

Eau Claire, where "old-fashioned winters" have been a thing of the past, recorded 43 days of below-zero temperatures, while folks down in Madison shoveled away at a 117-year record snowfall throughout the season, as did many in New England and Canada.

Rare snowfalls struck Buenos Aires, Capetown, and Sidney during their mid-year winter, while China continually battled blizzards. Even Baghdad experienced measurable snowfall.

Antarctic pack-ice far exceeded what Captain Cook saw on his 18th century voyage into the Southern Ocean. On the continent itself the miles-thick ice continues to accumulate despite peripheral melting along the Antarctic Peninsula and occasional calving of an ice block. At the opposite pole, flow-ice once again spans the entire Arctic Ocean, and by April it had extended into the Bering Strait, making up for the much heralded melt-back last summer.

From January 2007 through the end of January 2008, the average global temperature fell by nearly a degree Fahrenheit, based on data obtained by the MET Office in Great Britain and other international temperature monitoring networks.

What are we to make of this? The recent climate conference held in New York City, sponsored by the Heartland Institute, provides some answers. Several hundreds climatologists in attendance dispelled notions that the global warming debate is over. Most attendees, who readily acknowledge the existence of post-Little Ice Age warming, believe man-made emissions are unlikely to cause major climate change and signed a declaration to that effect.

Bill Gray, dean of hurricane forecasters, attributed short-term climate change to slow-moving deep ocean currents that result from variation in the salinity of water sinking near the poles and ultimately welling up again along the coast of South America. These fluctuations account for the comings and goings of the familiar El Nino/La Nina cycles and the longer Pacific Decadal Oscillation that stretches over a large area of the eastern Pacific.

Solar experts highlighted how sunspots, and associated magnetic storms on the Sun's surface, affect Earth's weather and climate. The previous (very strong) 11-year sunspot cycle, associated with the recent warmth, ended in 2007, after having peaked in 2002. The new cycle should have already begun, but hasn't yet.

In the absence of sunspots, solar flares are minimal. Flares eject massive streams of electrons and protons outward from the Sun. A portion of this stream, called the "solar wind", bathes our planet producing the aurora and interfering with communications. The solar wind, as it interacts with Earth's magnetic field, also protects us from the harmful effects of cosmic radiation.

During periods of weak solar activity - as at present - cosmic rays (high-energy protons originating in interstellar space) penetrate through the troposphere and ionize oxygen and nitrogen molecules. The ions become nucleating sites for water vapor that condenses into clouds. And when sunspots are at a minimum, more clouds form and correspondingly more sunlight is reflected back into space. The enhanced reflectance (albedo) cools the Earth. We all have experienced how quickly the temperature drops when the sun ducks behind a puffy white cloud on a warm, dry afternoon.

Past cool periods, identified with the late stages of the "Little Ice Age" and with the Maunder and Dalton climate minima, closely correlate with low sunspot numbers (astronomers have kept close tabs on sunspots since Galileo's time). Some solar-physicists are now saying if the current cycle doesn't begin to produce spots soon, we can expect a cool-down like the 19th-Century Dalton minimum - or worse. Decades-long cooling in the past brought crop failures to Europe from repeated summer frosts and restricted growing seasons.

With grain shortages already staring us in the face, we'd be advised to begin thinking about a global cool-down instead of a warming that may or may not continue. We might consider ways to transform semi-desert into arable land and to develop seed with shorter maturing cycles suitable for a sub-boreal grain belt. If cooling should begin in earnest, we will quickly forget global warming as we face the new challenges ahead.

Balgord, a consultant and writer, heads Environmental and Resources Technology in Middleton.

WARNING: the most recent solar winder will reach Earth on the May 28th-29th, with an UV increased wave.Don't expose, if possible.
The preveious one was on May 9th 2008.

Carbon credits proposed in UK

MPs back personal carbon credits

Monday, 26 May 2008 09:18 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7419724.stm


The government should go ahead with a system of personal "carbon credits" to meet emissions targets, MPs have said.

The Environmental Audit Committee said the scheme would be more effective than taxes for cutting carbon emissions.

Under the scheme people would be given an annual carbon limit for fuel and energy use - which they could exceed by buying credits from those who use less.

Ministers said there were practical drawbacks to the proposal but they were looking at other initiatives.

'No barrier'

The committee's report criticised the government for shelving the proposal following a preliminary study.

The MPs admitted members of the public were likely to be opposed to the move, but urged the government to be "courageous".

Their report said: "Persuading the public depends on perceptions of the government's own commitment to reducing emissions, and of the priority given to climate change in its own decision making."


It added: "Further work is needed before personal carbon trading can be a viable policy option and this must be started urgently, and in earnest.

"In the meantime there is no barrier to the government developing and deploying the policies that will not only prepare the ground for personal carbon trading, but will ensure its effectiveness and acceptance once implemented."

'Cash benefit'

Committee chairman Tim Yeo said it found that personal carbon trading had "real potential to engage the population in the fight against climate change and to achieve significant emissions reductions in a progressive way".

He said "green" taxes, such as a petrol tax, cost poor people more because everyone - "billionaires and paupers" - paid the same amount.

"Under the personal carbon trading, someone who perhaps doesn't have an enormous house or swimming pool, someone who doesn't take several holidays in the Caribbean every year, will actually get a cash benefit if they keep a low carbon footprint."


He said it could be administered by the private sector, following the model of supermarket loyalty schemes in which a complex computer system is accessed by a "single plastic card".

Implementation costs

But Mr Benn said there were problems with the plan: "It's got potential but, in essence, it's ahead of its time, the cost of implementing it would be quite high, and there are a lot of practical problems to overcome."

Mr Benn said that the report found the cost of introducing the scheme would be between £700 million and £2 billion, and would cost £1bn-£2bn a year to run.

There would also be difficulties in deciding how to set the rations, taking into account a person's age, location and health.

Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock said work on personal carbon trading had not been completely abandoned.

"We have simply decided not to undertake further work paid for by the taxpayer when a number of other studies are under way," she said.

Environmentalist George Monbiot applauded the scheme. "It's more progressive than taxation, it tends to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor; it's transparent; it's easy for everyone to understand, you all get the same carbon ration.

"It also contains an inbuilt incentive for people to think about their energy use and to think about how they are going to stay within their carbon ration."

Raising healthy children

RAISING HEALTHY VACCINE DRUG-FREE CHILDREN

By Mary Tocco
May 24, 2008
http://www.newswithviews.com/Tocco/mary2.htm


As I speak to parents around the country, one of my goals is to empower them into making educated healthcare decisions. In order to do that, we must understand that what we are sold as healthcare in this country has completely misses the mark. I do not want to sound like I am anti-medical because I am grateful we have all the modern, acute trauma care capabilities available in hospitals around the country. I have, on a few occasions, utilized trauma care while raising my five children and always left with a little more respect for the care and the doctors who were there for us when we needed them.

I personally do not believe that healthy children and adults need drugs to remain healthy or to build immunity as in the case of vaccines. As one who has personally investigated childhood vaccines for over 27 years, I am shocked and very concerned with the current health of our precious children. They are indoctrinated from birth into this system of “sickness care” that has taken over this country in the last 30-40 years, witnessed during my lifetime. Consider the following statistics:

• The #1 cause of death and injury in America is medical errors…784,000 people die from medical mistakes. Over 2.2 million people are injured every year by prescription drugs alone and over 20 million unnecessary prescriptions are prescribed of antibiotics annually for viral infections. (A 7 Year study Nutritional Institute of America- October 24, 2003 Deadly Medical Mistakes Exposed, Gary Null (646)505-4660 x 155)
• 7.5 million Unnecessary medical and surgical procedures are performed every year and 8.9 million people are needlessly hospitalized annually. Consider this quote; “I was completely shocked, amazed and dismayed when I first added up all the statistics on medical death and saw how much allopathic medicine has betrayed us.” Carolyn Dean, MD, a physician and author who helped uncover findings for this study.
• “It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States. (783,936 costing 282 billion).” NIA October 24, 2003

I find the results of this report unacceptable and a disgrace. You may ask, “How can this be happening to us?” Part of the problem is that the government, colleges and the medical universities are financially controlled by big Pharma. Many doctors from the medical camp are aware of the catastrophic problem facing this country. Dr. Lucian L. Leape wrote an article called Error in American Medicine, The Journal of American Medical Association 1994: “The number of people who die from “Iatrogenic” medicine is equivalent to over 10 jumbo jets crashing every day.” Jerome Kassirer MD, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine stated, “Americans are over medicated, taking far too many drugs, most of which they don’t even need and they are paying too much for them.” It is public knowledge that the drug Vioxx is responsible for 88,000 to 139,000 reported stroke or heart attacks with 78,000 deaths (Merck) and the drug Prozac causes increased propensity to violence (54 million people use worldwide) Eli Lilly has no problem admitting it . Dr. Robert Lusetich 12/16/04 exposed how well organized this market is: They have 87 thousand pharmaceutical sales reps and spend billions to wine and dine over 700,000 doctors in this country. Wow! Imagine that sales force.

Moms and Dads, are your children really healthy? I would like to introduce you to a different way of viewing health. It all starts with you in your home and you must understand that your healthcare decisions are based on what you have been exposed to in your lifetime. I challenge you to take a moment and think of where you got your current beliefs from. Your children will learn first-hand from you and I believe it is the difference between indoctrination and education. I personally had to unlearn and relearn through the process of questioning and educating myself on normal body function and the role of immunity. I believe we all need brain washing!



There are two distinct forms of healthcare in this country; The Allopathic Medical Model and the Vitalistic Healthcare System.

1, The first and the one all medical education is based on is Allopathic Medicine which treats symptoms with drugs, surgery or chemotherapy. Symptoms are not viewed as a good thing but as something to be altered or removed. When body parts fail, they get removed. One waits until they are “sick” to take action and then they take medications or get surgery. It is up to the doctor/drug to heal them; the work is done from the outside in.

2, The second model is called Vitalistic Healthcare, which acknowledges that the body has within it innate wisdom that controls and coordinates all functions. Symptoms are good, the way the body communicates with us that it is out of balance. By understanding how the body functions, we then trust the living doctor within. The goal is to allow the body to develop and thrive without interference. Only in life threatening situations would one turn to drugs or surgery as a solution. This forces one to be more pro active in promoting health through whole foods, chiropractic, fitness and many other natural non-invasive ways to help support normal body function.

[See Mary Tocco's latest DVD "Are Vaccines safe?"]

There are variations of these two healthcare models such as homeopathy and naturopathy, herbs and many other approaches. These approaches attempt healing by treating symptoms with more natural methods, other than drugs.

I raised my five children outside the medical model utilizing a vitalistic approach. I learned before I had my first child that the body will always do what is best for it for survival. This meant that I must “trust” the inner doctor even if I do not understand. My learning started before I had my first child when my chiropractor shared some facts with me! That began my quest for understanding and truth. Here are some of the gems I have discovered that have helped me to “trust” the human body and raise my children drug and vaccine free:

• You can never cure a cold; it is your body’s way of cleaning out!
• The fever is a good thing that will kill off unwanted bacteria and bring the body back to homeostasis! Interferons are a class of Proteins; activated by fever of 102 degrees that prevent viral replication in surrounding cells and also inhibit the growth of cancer cells. A fever at 103 degrees, the body sends all the nutrition to the spleen and stores it while starving off bacteria to kill it. What does Tylenol and aspirin do? When we take these drugs, we are breaking down the defense system created to protect us!
• Diarrhea and vomiting are the body’s way of ridding itself of unwanted toxins.
• Nature knows best. Man just guesses!
• A symptom is the way the body communicated to us, don’t interfere with it, try to get to the underlying cause and support the bodies natural healing!
• The Power that made the body heals the body!
• Drugs can interfere with the body’s ability to heal and they are always toxic!
• Our educated brain only knows a fraction of what really goes on!
• The way to health is through function, detoxification and good nutrition!
• Infants: breast feeding is best, Mother Natures knows more than we do.
• Pertaining to childbirth- Vaginal births prepare child for outside world.
• Don’t interfere with nature, encourage it and embrace it.
• A rash is the final stage - have no fear!
• Glands are meant to swell, it means they are working.
• Germs are a part of life; they play a very important role in life.
• We need all the organs we come into the world with.
• Chiropractic and nutrition first, M.D. and drugs last.

Look at animals in nature. Only domesticated animals suffer with chronic illness like us because we treat them the same way we treat ourselves: vaccines, artificial foods and drugs.



My goal is to encourage you to carefully examine your healthcare beliefs and know that you have many other non-invasive choices. An investment in your health will pay huge dividends for you and your children. You can pass down to them what seems to be lost in our society: Respect for the human body and the creator who made us. My children are a testimony that we really can raise our families “Drug Free” by nurturing and supporting the way the body was meant to function naturally. In my vision of the “Perfect World,” we would all learn about normal natural immunity and only need crisis medical care in emergencies. Moms and Dads trust your intuition and never stop learning. I am working to be part of the solution for the failing health of our children. They are the future and I almost fear that we are too late for this generation.



This is my cry for hope and change in this crazy world and I need parents to embrace and take responsibility for the health of their families. Remember, TRUTH has a certain ring to it, seek it all the time and be willing to let go old of untested and dangerous rituals that we have been indoctrinated to believe.

God Bless you on your healthcare journey.

Excerpts from Mary Tocco’s new book, co-authored by Dr. Renee Tocco addressing practical ways to raise our children drug-free. To be released in 2009. Look for it on NewsWithViews.com or my website www.childhoodshots.com

Cocoa can help diabetics

Cocoa can be 'boost to diabetics'

Monday, 26 May 2008 00:45 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7416646.stm


A cup of enriched cocoa may help improve the working of blood vessels in diabetic patients, research suggests.

Doctors prescribed three mugs of specially formulated cocoa a day for a month, and found "severely impaired" arteries regained normal function.

The German study, featured in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests chemicals called "flavanols" may be responsible.

But charity Diabetes UK said eating more normal chocolate would not work.

People with diabetes are at greater risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and strokes, partly due to the effects of high blood sugar on the linings of blood vessels, which stops them being able to expand as much when needed by the body.

This can result in higher blood pressure, which can then cause further problems.

While a healthier lifestyle can reduce the risks, it often does not solve the problem completely.

Cocoa naturally contains "flavanols", antioxidant chemicals which are also found in some fruit and vegetables, green tea and red wine, and has been linked with health benefits by other studies.

The type of cocoa used in the study cannot be found in the shops and is a version enriched with far higher concentrations of the chemicals.

Other studies are looking at whether flavanol-enriched chocolate could benefit patients.

Ten patients were told to drink the cocoa three times daily for 30 days, and a special test was used to measure the function of their blood vessels.

The ability of the vessels to expand in response to a demand for extra blood from the body appeared to increase almost immediately.

On average, a healthy person's arteries could expand by just over 5%, while the average of the 10 diabetic patients was just 3.3% prior to drinking their first mug of cocoa.

Two hours after drinking the cocoa, their response averaged 4.8%, and over the 30 days, this improved, to 4.1% even before cocoa, and 5.7% two hours after a mugful.

Chocolate warning

Dr Malte Kelm, from the University Hospital in Aachen, who led the study, said that the flavanols could be working by increasing the production of nitric oxide, a body chemical which tells arteries to relax and widen.

He said: "Patients with type II diabetes can certainly find ways to fit chocolate into a healthy lifestyle, but this study is not about chocolate, or about urging those with diabetes to eat more chocolate.

"Our results demonstrate that dietary flavanols might have an important impact as part of a healthy diet in the prevention of cardiovascular complications in diabetic patients."

A spokesman for Diabetes UK said the findings were "interesting".

"Flavanols do seem to offer potential health benefits for people with diabetes but, at this stage, we don't advise people to start drinking lots of hot chocolate as it can be high in sugar and fat.

"More research is needed in to the long-term effects of consuming such high amounts of flavanols."

Secretul ( The SECRET)

Recenzia cartii in limba romana; Doua e-books sunt disponibile GRATUIT pe situl original, pentru a fi CITITE, APLICATE SI DATE MAI DEPARTE, in practica zilnica si altora.

Parti din Marele Secret s-au aflat în traditiile orale, în literatura, în diferite religii si filozofii, de-a lungul secolelor. Pentru prima data, toate partile Secretului au fost reunite într-o revelatie incredibila, care va transforma vietile celor ce o traiesc.
Din aceasta carte, veti învata cum sa folositi Secretul în toate aspectele vietii dumneavoastra – obtinerea banilor, pastrarea si redobândirea sanatatii, relatiile interumane, fericirea si în orice interactiune pe care o aveti în aceasta lume. Veti începe sa întelegeti puterea ascunsa, nefolosita, care se afla în launtrul vostru si aceasta revelatie poate aduce bucurie fiecarui aspect al vietii dumneavoastra.
Secretul cuprinde întelepciune de la învatatori din vremea noastra – barbati si femei care au folosit-o pentru a dobândi sanatate, bunastare si fericire. Aplicând cunoasterea Secretului, ei aduc la lumina întâmplari captivante de vindecare a unor boli, de redobândire a sanatatii, de depasire a unor obstacole si de obtinere a ceea ce multi oameni ar considera imposibil.

Marele Secret a fost transmis de-a lungul epocilor, a fost mult râvnit, ascuns, pierdut, furat si adus cu mari sume de bani. Acest Secret vechi de secole a fost înteles de câtiva dintre cei mai importanti oameni din istorie: Platon, Galileo Galilei, Beethoven, Edison, Carnegie, Einstein – alaturi de alti inventatori, teologi, oameni de stiinta si mari gânditori. Acum, Secretul a fost dezvaluit lumii.
„Pe masura ce aflati Secretul, veti ajunge sa stiti cum sa aveti, sa fiti ori sa faceti tot ceea ce doriti. Veti ajunge sa stiti cine sunteti cu adevarat. Veti ajunge sa cunoasteti adevarata maretie care va asteapta în viata.” - din Introducere.
Pentru mai multe informatii despre versiunea ecranizata a Secretului, vizitati website-ul www.thesecret.tv.

Secretul dezvaluit



Marele Secret al Vietii este legea atractiei.
Legea atractiei spune ca lucrurile asemanatoare se atrag, astfel încât un gând atrage catre dumneavoastra gânduri asemanatoare.
Gândurile sunt magnetice si au o anumita frecventa. Pe masura ce gânditi, ele sunt transmise în Univers si atrag „magnetic” toate lucrurile care sunt pe aceeasi frecventa. Orice emisie se întoarce la sursa – la dumneavoastra.
Sunteti asemenea unui turn de transmisie uman, care transmite pe frecventa gândurilor dumneavoastra. Daca vreti sa schimbati ceva în propria viata, schimbati frecventa prin schimbarea gândurilor dumneavoastra.
Gândurile dumneavoastra actuale va creeaza viata din viitor. Lucrurile la care va gânditi cel mai mult sau asupra carora va concentrati cel mai mult se vor manifesta ca experienta dumneavoastra de viata.
Gândurile dumneavoastra se materializeaza.

Secretul simplificat


Legea atractiei este o lege a naturii. Este la fel de impartiala ca si legea gravitatiei.
Nimic nu apare în viata dumneavoastra fara sa fi fost chemat prin gânduri persistente.
Pentru a sti ce gânditi, puneti-va întrebarea cum va simtiti. Emotiile sunt instrumente de valoare care va spun pe loc ceea ce gânditi.
Este imposibil sa va simtiti rau si sa aveti în acelasi timp gânduri bune.
Gândurile va determina frecventa si sentimentele si senzatiile va spun imediat pe ce frecventa sunteti. Atunci când va simtiti rau, sunteti pe o frecventa care atrage mai multe lucruri rele. Atunci când va simtiti bine, atrageti catre dumneavoastra, cu putere, mai multe lucruri bune.
Pârghiile Secrete, cum ar fi amintiri placute, scene din natura sau muzica preferata, va pot schimba sentimentele si senzatiile si va pot comuta frecventa într-o clipa.
Sentimentul iubirii are cea mai înalta frecventa pe care o puteti emite. Cu cât este mai mare iubirea pe care o simtiti si o emiteti, cu atât mai mare va fi puterea pe care o puteti folosi.

Cum sa folosim Secretul

Asemenea Duhului chemat de Aladdin, legea atractiei ne îndeplineste orice porunca.
Procesul Creatiei va ajuta sa creati ceea ce doriti cu trei pasi simpli: cereti, credeti si primiti
A cere Universului ceea ce doriti este o ocazie de a va lamuri ce vreti. Atunci când v-ati clarificat spiritul si mintea, ati cerut de fapt.
A crede înseamna sa actionati, sa vorbiti si sa gânditi ca si cum ati fi primit deja ceea ce ati cerut. Atunci când emiteti frecventa specifica receptarii, legea atractiei mobilizeaza oamenii, evenimentele si circumstantele pentru ca dumneavoastra sa primiti ceea ce doriti.
A primi înseamna sa simtiti la fel cum ati simti atunci când dorinta v-ar fi împlinita. Simtindu-va bine acum, va comutati pe frecventa a ceea ce doriti.
Pentru a slabi, nu va concentrati pe „pierderea în greutate”. În schimb, concentrati-va pe greutatea dumneavoastra ideala, perfecta. Traiti senzatia ca aveti greutatea optima si o veti „chema”.
Universul nu are nevoie de timp pentru a materializa ceea ce doriti. Este la fel de usor sa materializeze un dolar sau un milion de dolari.
A începe cu lucruri mici, cum ar fi o ceasca de cafea ori cu locurile de parcare, este o cale usoara de a aplica legea atractiei în tot ceea ce faceti. Manifestati-va cu putere intentia pentru a atrage lucruri mici. Pe masura ce va veti încerca puterea de a atrage, veti ajunge sa creati lucruri mult mai importante.
Creati-va anticipat fiecare zi, gândindu-va la felul în care vreti sa se desfasoare si astfel va veti crea în mod premeditat întreaga viata.

Procese puternice


Asteptarile constituie o forta de atractie puternica. Asteptati-va sa obtineti lucrurile pe care le doriti si nu va asteptati la lucrurile pe care nu le doriti.
Recunostinta este un proces puternic de schimbare a energiei si de aducere în viata dumneavoastra a cât mai mult din ceea ce doriti. Fiti recunoscatori pentru ceea ce aveti deja si veti atrage mai multe lucruri bune.
Multumind anticipat pentru ceea ce doriti, dati mai multa forta dorintelor si trimiteti un semnal mult mai puternic Universului.
Vizualizarea este procesul crearii de imagini mentale în care va bucurati de ceea ce doriti. Atunci când vizualizati, generati gânduri si sentimente puternice ca aveti acum ceea ce doriti.
Legea atractiei va retrimite acea realitate, exact asa cum ati vazut-o mental.
Pentru a folosi legea atractiei în avantajul dumneavoastra, transformati-o într-un mod obisnuit de a fi, nu doar într-un eveniment momentan.
La sfârsitul fiecarei zile, înainte de a merge la culcare, faceti o trecere în revista a evenimentelor prin care ati trecut în acea zi. Toate evenimentelor sau momentele care nu au fost asa cum doreati trebuie retraite mental în felul în care ati fi dorit sa se petreaca.

Secretul folosit pentru obtinerea banilor


Pentru a atrage banii, concentrati-va pe bunastare. Este imposibil sa aduceti mai multi bani în viata dumneavoastra, atunci când va concentrati pe lipsa banilor.
Este util sa va folositi imaginatia si sa simulati ca ati primit deja banii pe care îi doriti. Practicati jocuri în care traiti bunastarea si va veti simti mai bine în privinta banilor; pe masura ce va veti simti mai bine în privinta lor, se vor revarsa mai multi bani în viata dumneavoastra.
Cea mai rapida cale de a aduce banii în viata dumneavoastra este sa va simtiti bine acum.
Stabiliti-va intentia de a privi orice lucru care va place si de a spune: „Îmi pot permite acest lucru. Pot cumpara acest lucru.” Va veti schimba modul de gândire si va veti simti mai bine în privinta banilor.
Donati bani pentru a primi mai multi bani în propria viata. Atunci când sunteti generosi cu banii si va simtiti bine când îi donati altora, spuneti: „Am destui bani.”
Vizualizati cecuri în cutia postala.
Fixati-va echilibrul gândurilor pe bunastare. Gânditi bunastarea.

Secretul folosit pentru optimizarea relatiilor


Atunci când vreti sa „atrageti” o relatie, asigurati-va ca atât gândurile, cuvintele si actiunile dumneavoastra, cât si conditiile din mediul înconjurator nu va contrazic dorintele.
„Munca” dumneavoastra sunteti chiar dumneavoastra. Daca nu va „umpleti” mai întâi propria fiinta, nu aveti nimic de daruit nimanui.
Tratati-va cu iubire si cu respect si veti atrage oameni care va vor arata iubire si respect.
Atunci când nu va simtiti bine în propria piele, blocati iubirea si veti atrage în schimb mai multi oameni si mai multe situatii care vor continua sa perpetueze aceeasi senzatie.
Concentrati-va asupra calitatilor pe care le apreciati la dumneavoastra si legea atractiei va va arata mai multe lucruri minunate despre propria persoana.
Pentru a face ca o relatie sa fie asa cum doriti, concentrati-va pe ceea ce apreciati la cealalta persoana si nu pe lucrurile despre care ati putea sa va plângeti. Atunci când va concentrati asupra punctelor tari, veti avea de-a face cu mai multe manifestari asemanatoare.

Secretul în slujba sanatatii


Efectul placebo este un exemplu al legii atractiei în actiune. Atunci când un pacient crede cu adevarat ca tableta este leacul, el primeste ceea ce crede si se vindeca.
„Concentrarea pe sanatatea perfecta” este ceva ce putem face toti în profunzimea fiintei noastre, în ciuda tuturor lucrurilor care se pot întâmpla în afara noastra.
Râsul atrage bucuria, elimina negativitatea si duce la vindecari miraculoase.
Boala este tinuta în corp de gând, prin observarea bolii si prin atentia acordata starii de boala. Daca se întâmpla sa nu va simtiti bine, nu vorbiti despre asta, altfel situatia se va agrava. Daca ascultati oamenii vorbind despre boala lor, adaugati energie bolii. Mai bine, schimbati discutia catre lucruri bune si trimiteti gânduri puternice, vizualizându-i pe acei oameni în stare de sanatate deplina.
Credintele privind îmbatrânirea sunt doar în mintile noastre, deci sa eliminam acele gânduri din constiinta noastra. Sa ne concentram pe sanatatea perfecta si pe tineretea fara batrânete.
Nu ascultati mesajele societatii privind bolile si îmbatrânirea. Mesajele negative nu va slujesc.

Secretul în slujba lumii


Atrageti lucrurile carora le rezistati, fiindca sunteti puternic concentrati asupra lor din punct de vedere emotional.
Nu puteti ajuta lumea concentrându-va asupra lucrurilor negative. În timp ce va concentrati asupra evenimentelor negative, nu numai ca le furnizati energie, dar aduceti si mai multe lucruri negative în viata dumneavoastra.
În loc sa va concentrati pe problemele lumii, acordati atentie si energie încrederii, iubirii, belsugului, educatiei si pacii.
Nu vom epuiza niciodata lucrurile bune, fiindca sunt mai mult decât suficiente pentru fiecare. Viata presupune abundenta.
Aveti capacitatea de a accesa aceste provizii nelimitate, prin gândurile si sentimentele dumneavoastra, si de a le aduce în propria viata.
Pretuiti si binecuvântati toate lucrurile din lume si veti anihila negativitatea si neîntelegerile, trecând astfel pe cea mai înalta frecventa – cea a iubirii.

Secretul în slujba dumneavoastra


Totul este energie. Sunteti un magnet de energie, astfel încât energizati „electric” totul catre dumneavoastra si va energizati „electric” pe dumneavoastra catre orice doriti.
Sunteti o fiinta spirituala. Sunteti energie si energia nu poate fi creata sau distrusa – îsi schimba doar forma. Prin urmare, esenta dumneavoastra pura a existat dintotdeauna si va exista întotdeauna.
Universul apare prin intermediul gândului. Noi suntem creatorii nu numai ai propriului nostru destin, ci si ai Universului.
Avem la dispozitie o rezerva nelimitata de idei. Întreaga cunoastere, toate descoperirile si toate inventiile se afla în Mintea Universala ca posibilitati, asteptând ca mintea omeneasca sa le scoata la lumina. Pastrati totul în propria constiinta.
Suntem cu totii interconectati si toti suntem Unu.
Dati încolo dificultatile din trecut, codurile culturale si credintele sociale. Sunteti singura persoana care va poate crea viata pe care o meritati.
O cale mai scurta de manifestare a dorintelor este sa vedeti ceea ce doriti ca un fapt absolut.
Puterea se afla în gândurile dumneavoastra, deci ramâneti în stare de trezie. Cu alte cuvinte, „Amintiti-va sa va amintiti.”

Secretul în slujba vietii


Trebuie sa umpleti tabla propriei vieti cu orice doriti.
Singurul lucru pe care trebuie sa-l faceti este sa va simtiti bine acum.
Cu cât folositi mai mult puterea din interiorul dumneavoastra, cu atât veti atrage mai multa putere catre dumneavoastra.
Acum e momentul sa primiti cu bucurie propria maretie.
Traim în miezul unei epoci minunate. Pe masura ce lasam sa plece gândurile de limitare, vom trai adevarata maretie a omenirii, în orice domeniu al creatiei.
Faceti ceea ce va place. Daca nu stiti ce va aduce bucurie, întrebati-va: „Ce îmi produce bucurie?” În timp ce cautati bucuria, veti atrage o avalansa de lucruri pline de bucurie, fiindca radiati bucurie.
Acum, pentru ca ati dobândit cunoasterea Secretului, ce veti face cu aceasta cunoastere depinde de dumneavoastra. Orice veti alege e bine, e corect. Puterea va apartine în totalitate.

Fie ca Secretul sa va aduca iubire si bucurie pentru întreaga viata.

Aceasta este intentia mea pentru dumneavoastra si pentru întreaga lume.

Pentru a experimenta mai mult, vizitati www.thesecret.tv.

Autoarea Rhonda Byrne, asemenea fiecaruia dintre noi, a ales propria sa cale de descoperire si de cunoastere. De-a lungul acestui drum, ea a reunit o minunata echipa de autori, pastori, profesori, realizatori de film, designeri si ziaristi, pentru a dezvalui lumii Secretul si pentru a aduce, prin viziunea sa, bucurie în sufletele a milioane de oameni.

Au contribuit: John Assaraf, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Lee Brower, Jack Canfield, Dr. John F. Demartini, Marie Diamond, Mike Dooley, Bob Doyle, Hale Dwoskin, Morris Goodman, Dr. John Gray, Dr. John Hagelin, Bill Harris, Dr. Ben Johnson, Loral Langemeier, Lisa Nichols, Bob Proctor, James Arthur Ray, David Schirmer, Marci Shimoff, Dr. Joe Vitale, Dr. Denis Wailtley, Neale Donald Walsch si Fred Alan Wolf, doctor în filozofie.

Honeybees dissapearance linked to pesticides

Pesticides: Germany bans chemicals linked to honeybee devastation

Alison Benjamin guardian.co.uk, Friday May 23 2008 Article history
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008...dangeredspecies


Germany has banned a family of pesticides that are blamed for the deaths of millions of honeybees. The German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has suspended the registration for eight pesticide seed treatment products used in rapeseed oil and sweetcorn.

The move follows reports from German beekeepers in the Baden-Württemberg region that two thirds of their bees died earlier this month following the application of a pesticide called clothianidin.

"It's a real bee emergency," said Manfred Hederer, president of the German Professional Beekeepers' Association. "50-60% of the bees have died on average and some beekeepers have lost all their hives."

Tests on dead bees showed that 99% of those examined had a build-up of clothianidin. The chemical, produced by Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of the German chemical giant Bayer, is sold in Europe under the trade name Poncho. It was applied to the seeds of sweetcorn planted along the Rhine this spring. The seeds are treated in advance of being planted or are sprayed while in the field.

The company says an application error by the seed company which failed to use the glue-like substance that sticks the pesticide to the seed, led to the chemical getting into the air.

Bayer spokesman Dr Julian Little told the BBC's Farming Today that misapplication is highly unusual. "It is an extremely rare event and has not been seen anywhere else in Europe," he said.

Clothianidin, like the other neonicotinoid pesticides that have been temporarily suspended in Germany, is a systemic chemical that works its way through a plant and attacks the nervous system of any insect it comes into contact with. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency it is "highly toxic" to honeybees.

This is not the first time that Bayer, one of the world's leading pesticide manufacturers with sales of €5.8bn (£4.6bn) in 2007, has been blamed for killing honeybees.

In the United States, a group of beekeepers from North Dakota is taking the company to court after losing thousands of honeybee colonies in 1995, during a period when oilseed rape in the area was treated with imidacloprid. A third of honeybees were killed by what has since been dubbed colony collapse disorder.

Bayer's best selling pesticide, imidacloprid, sold under the name Gaucho in France, has been banned as a seed dressing for sunflowers in that country since 1999, after a third of French honeybees died following its widespread use. Five years later it was also banned as a sweetcorn treatment in France. A few months ago, the company's application for clothianidin was rejected by French authorities.

Bayer has always maintained that imidacloprid is safe for bees if correctly applied. "Extensive internal and international scientific studies have confirmed that Gaucho does not present a hazard to bees," said Utz Klages, a spokesman for Bayer CropScience.

Last year, Germany's Green MEP, Hiltrud Breyer, tabled an emergency motion calling for this family of pesticides to be banned across Europe while their role in killing honeybees were thoroughly investigated. Her action follows calls for a ban from beekeeping associations and environmental organisations across Europe.

Philipp Mimkes, spokesman for the German-based Coalition Against Bayer Dangers, said: "We have been pointing out the risks of neonicotinoids for almost 10 years now. This proves without a doubt that the chemicals can come into contact with bees and kill them. These pesticides shouldn't be on the market."

GM food the problem, not the solution

GM Foods the Problem, Not the Solution

By Julio Godoy
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42480


BONN, May 23 (IPS) - The food crisis has prompted some looks towards genetically modified food production as a solution. That in turn has led to stronger warnings over the consequences of such food for health and the environment.

These concerns have been raised in Bonn again as more than 3,000 delegates from 147 countries met for the UN conference on biosafety. The conference has sought to ensure safe use of modern biotechnology.

Feeding the debate, scientists, farmers and environmental activists in many countries continue to warn that genetically modified agriculture presents a risk, and not a contribution, to food production.

In France, organic farmers are complaining that genetically modified (GM) plants are poisoning their plantations. Julien and Christian Veillat, two farmers who grow organic maize in the Breton locality of Villiers-en-Plaine some 400 kilometres west of Paris, say their fields have been contaminated with GM maize, even though the nearest GM crops field is 35 kilometres away.

The contamination was established during a routine analysis late in April by an organic agriculture cooperative near the Veillats' village. Following the detection, the organic maize was diverted for use as cattle fodder.

The Veillats have now filed a legal complaint against the central government in Paris. "The contamination could only have come from the GM maize," spokesperson for the local association against GM agriculture Georges Castiel told IPS. "At the organic cooperative, they control the seeds very carefully."

Jean-Pierre Margan, producer of organic wine in the Provence in the south told IPS that contamination of organic farms is a constant problem. "Particles of GMOs are transported by wind and water, and can be carried very far away, and contaminate your plantation even if you have worked hard to protect it from every risk," he said.

Serge Morin, deputy president of the local government in the province of Poitou Charentes said it is necessary that "the French state revises all procedures concerning GMOs, including the immediate stop of all open air GM plantations. In addition, all organic farmers whose plantations are contaminated should be paid indemnities."

Such instances have led renowned chefs and wine producers in France to launch a public campaign to prevent the spread of GMOs in food and beverages.

"We don't have the scientific competence to intervene in the debate on the health consequences of GMOs," they wrote in a public letter addressed to the French parliament. "But we consider that, in accordance with the precautionary principle in questions of food and health, GMOs must simply remain banned from our tables." Similar campaigns are under way in other European countries.

Several scientists and environmental activists say that apart from the health concerns, GMOs are not a solution for food scarcity either.

"Most of the genetic modifications introduced in crops aim at making them resistant to pests or weed killing, but not to increase yields," says Hans-Joerg Jacobsen, biologist at the University of Hanover in Germany.

Jacobsen told IPS that "modern cultures, free of any genetic modification, have higher yields than genetically modified seeds."

"The idea that GM agriculture could help feed the world is part of the propaganda that the biochemical industry has used for years, but it is false," Arnaud Apoteker, who heads the campaign against GMOs for the French branch of the environmental organisation Greenpeace, said in an interview.

Some representatives of the biochemical industry acknowledge this. "Genetically modified agriculture will not solve the world's hunger problem," Hans Kast, managing director of the plant science branch of the chemical giant BASF told the German newspaper Die Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Take Africa, the only continent that does not produce enough food to feed its own population, even though some 70 percent of African people work in agriculture.

"By applying conventional agricultural methods, free of any genetic modification, you can substantially increase agricultural productivity in Africa," Hans Joachim Preuss, managing director of the German non-governmental food organisation Welthungerhilfe told IPS. "What African agriculture mostly needs is better, more efficient irrigation systems, and not genetically modified seeds."

According to figures released in Bonn by CropLife International, a global federation representing the biochemical corporations, last year "biotech crops were grown on 114.3 million hectares in 23 countries by over 12 million farmers." (END/2008)