Thursday, October 29, 2009

H1N1 Swine flu cure by Homeopathy

For all those interested in an alternative
to vaccination for H1N1, or for natural, safe
and effective treatment for the flu, here's info from
the source, The British Institute of Homeopathy. Thank you to all of our Natural/homeopathic Doctors who send us information!

http://www.chfi.com/onair/morning/media.jsp?content=20091021_095738_8668 and http://www.letterfromserendipity.com/BlaylockArticle_IO.pdf

Classic homeopathy is a healing methodology that is based on the wisdom of treating a specific individual and their specific symptoms (including body, mind, emotions, and environment), as opposed to the allopathic model which bases treatment on agreed upon disease symptoms and averages.

Homeopathy Flu Therapy Is Not Affected by Viral Mutations

Homeopathy does not depend on one drug or feature particular drugs for curing any type of flu. Homeopathy is a non allopathic healing method that was once the mainstream medicine of the 19th century. Because different remedies and combinations and strengths are prescribed according to exact symptomatic readings, homeopaths can successfully adapt treatments to handle viral mutations. Homeopathy was enjoyed by many until certain moneyed interests almost pushed it out of existence. Now there is somewhat of a resurgence of its use.

It is also important to note that homeopathy is primarily an energetic and vibrational medicine. Simplistically speaking, homeopathic remedies are created by diluting a physical substance into a distilled water and alcohol and creating a vibrational or energetic substance by shaking it rapidly with machinery. This is how a nosode is created. Therefore, even a toxic physical substance prepared in a nosode will not retain any toxicity that will be transferred into the body.

And the nosode is taken orally, thereby not bypassing the initial stage of the immune system. Inoculations do bypass this important first phase of the immune system by ignoring the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat and going directly into the bloodstream. Homeopathic remedies are applied by a counterintuitive method. A homeopathic doctor is skilled in matching the individual`s current symptom picture with exact remedies that produce those exact same symptoms. This is actual immunization. Keep in mind when an individual`s symptoms change, new homeopathic remedies are prescribed to replace the previous homeopathic recommendations. This process continues until there are no more symptoms.

However, when there is an epidemic or pandemic disease, a homeopathic doctor can use the `common` symptoms widely reported by the public as an individual body and prescribe homeopathic remedies accordingly.

Homeopathy and Mexican H1N1 Flu

Homeopathy had an amazingly high cure rate in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic in the USA. Just recently, during the 2009 Mexican Flu outbreak, a small group of Mexico City homeopathic doctors have revealed that homeopathy is up to the task again. This is good news considering that many over the counter and prescribed pharmaceutical flu remedies not only hazard negative side effects, but they may also not really cure current flu strains.

According to doctors the symptoms of the 1918 flu and the so called `H1N1 swine flu` of 2009 are very similar. It`s interesting to note both pandemics started in the spring, in the month of April, and not in the official flu season which is autumn. Two additional symptoms, one of which is an emotional aspect that is part of homeopathy diagnosis, are noted by this study: "fear of death" and a "high fever" at the onset of the infection.

The basic purpose of the Mexican Homeopaths` study was to identify common symptoms of the 2009 swine flu in order to outline a specific homeopathic based prevention and treatment model that could be used by homeopathic doctors around the world.

Homeopathy preventive H1N1 medicine :

1. BAPTISIA TINCTOREA
2. INFLUENZINUM
3. ARSENICUM ALBUM
4. OSCILOCCINIUM
5. GELSEMIUM

Oscilococcinium 30' and `Influenzium 200' for swine flu prevention as well as to improve the immune system among the general public towards the flu. "The homeopathy medicine 'Gelsemium 30' has been proved effective clinically in the treatment of swine flu in France a decade back and has been reported in the British journal of Clinical Medicine.

"In homeopathy there are no specific medicines for a particular nosological picture (for which the most common symptoms are taken into account). But in epidemics, due to the common causative agent, susceptibility of the population in this particular moment, and the repetition of symptoms, a group of the most useful remedies can be deduced. The remedies determined in this way are called the Genius Epidemicus. They consist of a group of medicines with symptoms most similar to those presented by most patients suffering this flu."

"For homeopathic treatment is it necessary to take into account the degree of reaction of the patient and the symptoms with which the disease manifests itself. We considered this and the symptoms observed during the last epidemic (1918) to find the similar remedy."

Homepathic remedies listed by the Mexican Doctors which they successfully employed against the 2009 Mexican Flu are as follow :

Aconitum napellus, Actea racemosa, Allium cepa, Ammonium phosphoricum, Antimonium tartaricum, Arnica montana, Arsenicum album, Baptisia tinctoria, Belladonna atropa, Bryonia alba, Camphora, Carbo vegetabilis, Carbolic acid, Causticum, Chamomilla, China officinalis, Drosera rotundifolia, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Euphrasia, Ferrum phosphoricum, Gelsemium sempervirens, Glonoinum, Hepatica triloba, Hyosciamus niger, Influenzinum (corresponding to the epidemic), Ipecauanha, Lachesis trigonocephalus, Lycopodium clavatum, Dooooosh vivus, Natrum sulphuricum, Nux vomica, Opium, Phosphorus, Phytolacca decandra, Pulsatilla, Pyrogenium, Rhus toxicodendron, Sticta pulmonaria, Sepia officinalis, Sulphur.

Nosodes, Influenzinum (corresponding to the epidemic), Pyrogenium, Anthracinum.

Homeopathy and the 1918 Flu

WW I was the first time that USA military personnel were ordered to receive vaccinations. There was and is a strong suspicion that mandated vaccinations used on troops actually created the initial infections for this pandemic. It`s recorded that many died after being vaccinated, while most who did not receive vaccinations survived.

Those factors did not affect or alter what homeopaths managed to put together during this pandemic. Understanding symptoms which have been closely scrutinized and categorized are the determining factors for administering classic homeopathic remedies, including the follow up remedies for complete recovery as symptoms change.

Undisclosed to the public at large, despite the strange and unusually virulent flu strain resulting in the "White Plague", the cure rate of homeopathy during the 1918 so called Spanish Flu has been reported as 98%
source: http://www.fightbackh1n1.com/2009/08/h1n1-swine-flu-cure-by-homeopathy.html

Monday, October 19, 2009

Garbanzo Salad with Pomegranate Seed

Serves 6
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1/3 cup lime or Lemon juice
1 tablespoon Sugart
1/2 chopped fresh Avocado
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup Pomegranate seeds
2 cans (15 oz. each) Garbanzos, rinsed and drained
1 cup peeled, diced (1/2-in. cubes) Zucchini
1/2 cup chopped mild onion
Salt and pepper
Preparation
1. In a 6- to 8-inch frying pan over low heat, stir cumin until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape cumin into a large bowl and add lime juice, sugar, chopped cilantro, and cayenne.
2. Add pomegranate seeds, garbanzos, cucumber, and onion to bowl. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Gaiam admits aluminum bottles leach BPA at nearly 20 times SIGG’s levels

By Jeremiah | October 07, 2009 | 10 comments / Join the conversation!
Gaiam admits aluminum bottles leach BPA at nearly 20 times SIGG’s levels
A week after Z Recommends published an exclusive report that provided extensive evidence that Gaiam water bottles previously marketed as "BPA-free" were likely to contain the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A, the company has quietly added information to its retail website which admits to independent lab test results showing leaching levels at 23.8 parts per billion. These findings are more than ten times the detection limit SIGG said revealed no leaching from their own bottles and over 18 times more than the leaching levels found in independent testing of SIGG bottles shared with ZRecs by an anonymous source.

SIGG's revelation of the use of BPA in their aluminum water bottles after years of obfuscation sent the company into a PR tailspin, despite their claims of no leaching, and their readiness with a new BPA-free alternative. In the case of Gaiam, the company itself has admitted to leaching at nearly twenty times that detected in SIGG bottles, in bottles currently being sold, after explicitly marketing them as BPA-free as recently as Spring 2009, claims Gaiam customer service representatives repeated to ZRecs less than a month ago.

Notes added to Gaiam's aluminum water bottle listings read, in part:

Single-use plastic water bottles and reusable plastic bottles made of certain types of hard polycarbonate plastic have been shown to leach toxins including BPA into the water inside the bottle under normal use and care conditions. ...

We also asked our water bottle manufacturer to comprehensively test our aluminum bottles for BPA, using industry-standard test methods. No detectable levels of BPA were found in the gasket, the cap or the coating material in testing under normal use and care conditions.

We also took additional steps to help ensure your safety via independent laboratory tests that go well beyond FDA requirements. An independent lab subjected our aluminum water bottles to continuous extreme heat - nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit - in an environmental chamber for three days while the bottles were filled with water. Under these extreme conditions, a trace amount of BPA (23.8 parts per billion) was detected in the water inside the bottle. This test was performed under conditions outside the normal use and care conditions we recommend on our product packaging and shopping website. For example, we explain that the bottle should not be washed in a dishwasher or filled with any hot liquids.



(You can find the above statement, and a few other notes, added to listings like the one for the "Gold Medallion" water bottle design, the contents of which we documented with screen captures in our September 30 report.)

The third paragraph in the above excerpt, as well as the phrase "in testing under normal use and care conditions" peppered throughout, are the most significant additions to the text. As for the "extreme conditions" of Gaiam's testing, SIGG's independent lab testing also measured leaching in temperatures of "nearly 200 degrees" (90 degrees Celsius) over a three-day period, and this is no coincidence - testing at 90 degrees Celsius for a three-day window is a standard testing procedure commonly seen in BPA testing, and was likely part of a standard block of tests offered by the testing lab to Gaiam, as it is to other clients by reputable testing labs throughout the world, to provide a relative measure of potential BPA exposure. The relationship between these conditions and the occasional heat exposure any water bottle is likely to see - hand-washing in hot water, being left in a hot car or in the sun, or being dented or otherwise having its epoxy coating scratched or damaged - is unclear, as is Gaiam's position on whether these likely exposures fall under the proscribed "normal use and care" intended to protect the user from the endocrine-disrupting chemical Gaiam previously claimed was not present in its bottles.

Gaiam's admission - made without a press release, letter from the CEO, blog post, or tweet - should be of the greatest concern to pregnant women, many of whom assume Gaiam water bottles are a safe alternative to polycarbonate plastic during pregnancy. We don't often cite specific studies on the health effects from BPA exposure, as theories about specific health effects are still evolving. But the news that comes out in study after study is never good, and its greatest impact for adult users is likely to be in the fetal development of children whose lives may be permanently affected by in utero exposure. Here's some information from one recent study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and conducted by the Yale University School of Medicine, as described in a report by Science Daily:

BPA has estrogen-like properties and in pregnant animals has been linked to female infertility.

"The big mystery is how does exposure to this estrogen-like substance during a brief period in pregnancy lead to a change in uterine function," said study co-author Hugh Taylor, MD, professor and chief of the reproductive endocrinology section at Yale University School of Medicine.

To find the answer to that question, Taylor and his co-workers at Yale injected pregnant mice with a low dose of BPA on pregnancy days 9 to 16. After the mice gave birth, the scientists analyzed the uterus of female offspring and extracted DNA.

They found that BPA exposure during pregnancy had a lasting effect on one of the genes that is responsible for uterine development and subsequent fertility in both mice and humans. Furthermore, these changes in the offspring's uterine DNA resulted in a permanent increase in estrogen sensitivity. ... The permanent DNA changes in the BPA-exposed offspring were not apparent in the offspring of mice that did not receive BPA injection (the controls). This finding demonstrates that the fetus is sensitive to BPA in mice and likely also in humans, Taylor said.

"We don't know what a safe level of BPA is, so pregnant women should avoid BPA exposure," Taylor said. "There is nothing to lose by avoiding items made with BPA—and maybe a lot to gain."



Why their admission of BPA leaching in bottles they claimed less than a year ago were "BPA-free" merits only a rewrite of their product descriptions and a mildly cautionary "comparison chart" [Update: They have now produced a standalone page compiling this information] is a question we'll leave to consumers and eager class-action lawyers to probe for themselves. But we have a few of our own, which we'll submit to Gaiam's public relations team and publish with a call for a company statement on Gaiam's plans.

Gaiam refused to cooperate with us for our initial story, and has to date declined to issue any public statement about our claims of BPA in their aluminum water bottles, or the company's previous marketing of these bottles as BPA-free.

Updated to add: Another oddity brought up to us by readers and competitors is that Gaiam's "comparison chart" has broadly classified aluminum water bottles as leaching BPA. It is now well-known that SIGG now produces an aluminum water bottle that appears to be BPA-free, and ZRecs has examined testing reports and materials certifications of bottles by LakenUSA that show that that company's own transition to a BPA-free liner for bottles its parent company produces for the U.S. market is complete. We've written about our disappointment with SIGG's new bottle, based both on the high number of bottles sent to market with the liner misapplied and, in our sister site The Tranquil Parent's BPA-Free Water Bottle Showdown, the functionality of their redesigned sport top. We'll discuss the case of LakenUSA, a company that made the transition to BPA-free bottles alongside SIGG but traveled a quite different path to get there, next week.
Source: http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/gaiam-admits-aluminum-bottles-leach-bpa-at-nearly-20-times-siggs-levels

Monday, October 12, 2009

Canadian Food Delivery Service Brings Organic

Thank you to Allison Smith for this great review! http://woman.ca/green-lifestyle/1762-organic-home-delivery-organic-canadian-green-earth-organics
Whilst on my search for my next great green feature, I came across a Canadian business that specializes in searching out the best local and organic food in your area and then delivering it straight to your doorstep. Green Earth Organics operates out of and delivers to both Toronto and Vancouver (and is expanding to Muskoka and Ontario cottage country soon). They provide a unique service for the green-minded diner.
Green Earth Organic's website is efficient and easy to use, allowing the customer to choose from three different sized produce baskets that range in price from $37.00 -$60.00. I ordered the Family Harvest Box ($47.00) that was recommended for two people, and found the quantity to be more than enough for my boyfriend and I, as well as a friend or two who stopped by during mealtime. Although the most predominant things on their site are fresh fruit and vegetables, Green Earth Organics also offers a variety of organic dairy products, cleaning supplies and snacks that you can add to your order.
While the prices can seem a little steep, the delivery service makes up for it in convenience and quality. My harvest box was delivered within the one hour period I specified - which was perfect, I'm a busy woman! - and was filled to the brim with beautiful, incredibly fresh fruit and vegetables.
The harvest boxes are filled with a standard order of seasonal produce, but allow for up to three substitutions per order. For example, I am not a huge fennel fan, so I swapped it for some cremini mushrooms. They offered organic bananas, but I was hoping for something local so I swapped them for some organic Ontario red chard. Yum!
Organic vegetables are thought to be healthier for human consumption because no pesticides are used during their production. Studies also suggest that organic vegetables develop more polyphenols - chemical substances found in plants that act as antioxidents - because they have to work harder to fight off pests. Conventionally farmed plants let pesticides do the work for them, and don't have to grow as strong.
As famous food writer Michael Pollan says in his book In Defense Of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
Green Earth Organics makes this manifesto achievable and convenient.
By Allison Smith

Creamy Potato-Leek Soup

Makes a perfect cozy fall supper.
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin Olive Oil.
2 Leeks. , white and light green parts washed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups chopped yellow Onion.
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt.
3 cloves Garlic. , minced
2 large Potato. (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups Vegetable Stock.
2-3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

1. Heat a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat and add the oil.
2. Add the leeks, onion, and sea salt and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent.
3. Add the garlic and stir well. Cook for 1 minute more.
4. Add the potatoes and vegetable stock, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 20 minutes.
5. Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion/stick blender to blend the soup in the pot or ladle the soup into a blender, 1 cup at a time. Blend the soup with the fresh rosemary leaves until smooth and free of chunks. Pour smooth soup into a heat-proof bowl and continue until all of the soup has been blended.
6. Transfer the blended soup back to the original soup pot and warm over low heat until heated through. Serve hot.

Serves 4 - 6.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

I made my first Turkey last year, (we hosted dinner for our friends Saturday and went to our family's on Sunday). Most of the direction was given to me over the telephone by my mom and grandmother. Billy took all the guts out, (as I would say did the dirty work!). I also did not have a baster and had to lift and pour each time. Also, I opted not to stuff the turkey with the stuffing, but a peeled lemon which turned out nice. The bouquet garni really made the bird (using 1/2 for the turkey and half for the stuffing). It turned out well and maybe a bit small since there was nothing left but bones. This year we look forward to going to our family's only for Thanksgiving since our kitchen is undergoing renovations. Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving this year!!!

APPLE TURKEYS YOU CAN MAKE (AND EAT!)
You will need:
-apples (for the body)
-coloured toothpicks 
-coloured mini-marshmallows added to 5 or 6 toothpicks and stick them in one end of the apple, like a fan, to make a feathered tail. 
-gumdrops (for the head and a toothpick for the neck)
Use 3 yellow toothpicks for legs (in a triangular position so your turkey can stand up)

FIVE LITTLE TURKEYS
A Counting Rhyme

5 little turkeys by the old barn door,1 runs away, and now there are 4.     
4 little turkeys by the sycamore tree,1 runs away, and now there are 3.
3 little turkeys gobbling as they do,1 runs away, and now there are 2.
2 little turkeys strutting in the sun,1 runs away, and  now there is 1.
1 lonely turkey run, runs away,for soon it will be Thanksgiving Day!

Crispy Herb and Apple Stuffing

I made my first Turkey last year, (we hosted dinner for our friends Saturday and went to our family's on Sunday). Most of the direction was given to me over the telephone by my mom and grandmother. Billy took all the guts out, (as I would say did the dirty work!). I also did not have a baster and had to lift and pour each time. Also, I opted not to stuff the turkey with the stuffing, but a peeled lemon which turned out nice. The bouquet garni really made the bird (using 1/2 for the turkey and half for the stuffing). It turned out well and maybe a bit small since there was nothing left but bones. This year we look forward to going to our family's only for Thanksgiving since our kitchen is undergoing renovations. Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving this year!!!

Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted Butter
3 cups chopped Onions (about 1 pound)
2 cups chopped Celery (4 to 5 stalks)
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme from your Bouquet Garni
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage Bouquet Garni
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary Bouquet Garni
12 cups (generous) 1-inch cubes day-old Rustic Ruecht Boule with crust (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 chopped apples
2 large Eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons fine Sea Salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground Black Pepper
1 cup (or more) Vegetable Broth
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Add all herbs; sauté 1 minute longer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to bowl, cover, and chill.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until bread is crusty but not hard, reversing sheets after 5 minutes, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to very large bowl and cool. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Stir vegetable mixture and apples into bread. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend; whisk in 1 cup broth. Add egg mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.
Giselle