The Harlem Children's Zone Needs Our Support!

 Post taken from The Harlem Children's Zone 

What is The Harlem Children's Zone?


An innovative and unique community-based organization, offering
education, social-service and community-building programs to children and families since 1970.

This summer over 340 communities nationwide applied for Promise Neighborhoods grants from the US Department of Education. Their goal is simple - they want to break the cycle of poverty for their
children and families by creating comprehensive initiatives based on the Harlem Children's Zone model.

President Obama proposed $210 million in his fiscal year 2011 budget for Promise Neighborhoods so communities can transform their visions into reality for poor children nationwide. But the House of Representatives recently slashed the proposed Promise Neighborhoods budget from $210 million to $60 million. Quite simply this means that for thousands of children, the failing schools, dangerous streets,
poor health care and other ills may not be addressed in the holistic way that the communities need.

We ask you to let your Senate and Representatives know that you want Promise Neighborhoods funding restored to $210 million for fiscal year 2011 in two ways:

1) Send a message to Congressional Leaders

http://support.hcz.org/site/R?i=dsPiIhnGAXYYTnwfra_7CA..

2) If your organization is interested in signing onto a letter calling

to restore the funding, (view letter) contact HCZ's Policy Director

Kate Shoemaker at kshoemaker@hcz.org to add your organization.

click here to help

Thank you!

Pesticides and ADHD

    A new study, receiving ubiquitous media attention recently, has shown a possible link between certain types of pesticides and a diagnosis of ADHD.  The study was published in Pediatrics and conducted by University of Montreal and Harvard Universtiy researchers.  The urine concentration of certan byproducts of organophosphates, a type of pesticide which accounts for over half of the pesticides used in this country, was tested in over 1100 children.  Researchers found that for every ten-fold increase in urine concentration of organophosphates, children were 35% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.  Perhaps an even more worrisome finding was that children who had even the lowest levels of organophosphates in their urine were twice as likely to have ADHD than those whose urine showed no previous exposure.  

   The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) approved 32 classes of organophosphate pesticides in 2006, despite the numerous requests from its own scientists not to do so.  One particularly disturbing letter, written by the EPA union presidents, can be found here.  

   The findings of this recent study are significant, but it is near impossible to show that pesticides were, without a doubt, the cause of the ADHD.  However, the connection shown here as well as several other studies may be reason enough to make a conscious effort to lower the amount of pesticides you and your family are exposed to daily.  Here are some ways to minimize dietary pesticide exposure:

Below is a beautiful video of an infant hearing the sounds of his mother's voice for the first time after receiving cochlear implants.  May it put the worries of your day into perspective, and remind you of your forgotten fortunes...

Study Finds Kids' Diets Linked to Asthma Risk

View here:

Eating a Mediterranean diet -- one high in fruits, fish, and vegetables and low in saturated fat -- is associated with a reduced likelihood of asthma in children, a large observational study found.

(Not) Milkin' It

Millions of Americans have chosen to limit milk products or go completely cow's milk-free for a variety of reasons - some of which include lactose intolerance, casein (milk protein) allergy or intolerance, animal rights issues, or simply because they don't like it.  Today's post is designed not to delve into the potential problems with milk ingestion - although I will address this in later posts - but to provide the readers with an overview of the milk alternatives available in today's grocery markets.  While knowing the pros and cons of these alternatives will hopefully help you be more mindful of the ones you choose, the taste can vary quite a bit among the choices.  I'd urge you to buy small samples of each, after considering your own dietary needs, to find the one that suits you (and your taste buds) best.
Here are the most commonly available cow's milk alternatives:

1. Soy "Milk" -  Soy "milk" is created using pureed, whole soy beans to produce a thin milk-like liquid.  Some of you may remember a post published last year entitled The Truth About Soy.  The risks and benefits of soy consumption were discussed here in detail, and I'd encourage you to check it out for a more thorough history on soy and its baggage.  Soy milk tends to be the most commonly chosen alternative to milk products, as it is the most readily available and typically the least expensive out of all of the options.  Here are some of the positive points in choosing soy milk as a milk substitute:

- Most varieties of soy milk contain 30% of the daily value of calcium, which is the same amount as in typical cow's milk.  This lessons the need to increase calcium products and/or take supplements when switching from cow's milk to soy.  Of course, always read your product's label as there can be some variation here.  
- soy milk contains, on average, 7g of protein per serving - comparable to cow's milk which typically has 7-10 grams per serving.  Even better is that soy is a complete protein, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids our bodies require to utilize the protein fully. 

The 9 Worst Things to Order at a Restaurant

CSPI's Xtreme list:
The Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake. Six inches long, three-quarters of a pound, and over 1,600 calories, this "slice" of cake is the equivalent of eating fourteen Hostess Ho Hos.
Outback Steakhouse New Zealand Rack of Lamb. The lamb alone has 1,300 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat, but add the buttery sides (even the veggies) and you're up to 80 grams of saturated fat.
California Pizza Kitchen Pesto Cream Penne. Before you add any chicken or shrimp, this creamy version of an Italian classic has 1,350 calories, 49 grams of saturated fat and 1,920 mg of sodium.
Chevy's Crab & Shrimp Quesadilla. Technically an appetizer, this cheesy platter has 1,790 calories and 63 grams of saturated fat.
Bob Evans' Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Stuffed Hotcakes. Take pancakes, stuff them with cinnamon chips, spread cream cheese, top with cream sauce and whipped cream and you get a breakfast that brings in 1,380 calories and 34 grams of saturated fat. You could eat a hungry man's breakfast: two country-fried steaks and four eggs for about the same.
California Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza with Grilled Steak. The equivalent of a pepperoni pizza plus six beef tacos, this pie weighs in at 1,680 calories and 32 grams of saturated fat.
Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger. This burger alone is 920 calories and a day-and-a-half's allowance (30 grams) of saturated fat. Adding a large order of French fries adds 1,460 calories (three times the amount in large McDonald's fries).
P.F. Chang's Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo. It's hard to know what's more impressive: the days' worth (1,820) of calories in this dish, or the five days' worth of salt.
The Cheesecake Factory Pasta Carbonara with Chicken. Bacon-y, buttery, creamy, and carb-y -- this pasta dish brings 2,500 calories and 85 grams of saturated fat to the table
source: abcnews.com

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Gardening season is (finally) upon us!  Many of us turn to man-made, synthetic fertilizers to enhance our lawns and gardens, simply because we are unaware of the more natural, less expensive alternatives.  Here are some recipes for homemade fertilizers you can try at home:

1.  Coffee Grinds - Put your used coffee grinds to work as food for your acid-loving plants and lawn.  Coffee grinds are rich in Magnesium, Potassium, and Nitrogen, which are all essential plant nutrients.  You can use them by spreading them directly on your lawn, or by sprinkling them around the base of acid-loving plants such as roses, rhododendrums, and blueberries.  Be sure the grinds are dry before using them.
2.  Vinegar - This ingredient works best to make fertilizers for houseplants and for all types of acid-loving plants, as it works by increasing the acidity of the soil.  Mix 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar into 1 gallon of water, and water your plants with the solution every 3 months for fertilization. 
3.  Fireplace Ash - Fireplace ash that is produced from burning wood contains ample amounts of needed potassium and phosphate.  It can be used in place of Lime, as long as your soil is not alkaline. 
4.  Egg Shells - Dry out your used egg shells and blend them in a blender until they form a fine powder.  They can then be used in place of lime in your lawns, as egg shells and lime are composed of almost the exact same ingredients.  The main purpose of lime and its relatives is to balance soil acidity, increase beneficial bacteria activity, and to make other nutrients more easily available.
5.  Seaweed -   Sounds odd, I know.. but seaweed can be beneficial to our plantlife in many ways.  First off, it is a major source of carbohydrates which serve as food for the beneficial bacteria needed for optimal plant growth.  They also contain a plethora of necessary plant nutrients in their most bio-available (chelated) form.  If you live near the water, you can use whole pieces of collected seaweed (dried-out) directly on your lawn or plants.  It is also available as a liquid extract from many gardening stores or nurseries. 

Please feel free to share any homemade fertilizer recipes you may have!

Sources:  http://frugalliving.about.com/od/doityourself/tp/Homemade_Fertilizer.htm; http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/158/1/Natural-fertilizer.html; http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/seaweed-fertilizers.html

Speaking in Code

 Walking up and down the supermarket aisles we, as consumers, are bombarded with a plethora of words and phrases, designed to grab our attention.  Its becoming more and more commonplace to see words like "all-natural" on product packaging, typically designed to evoke a sense that what you are buying is good for you and good for the earth - which unfortunately, is not always the case.  On the other side of the coin, ingredient labels are often filled with long words that some of us can't even pronounce, with the opposite intent of masking the identity of ingredients which are less than desirable.  Very minimal regulations surrounding the use of these terms on food labeling exist, so it is up to us - the buyers - to crack the code and realize what we are actually buying and consuming.
Here are some commonly used terms and their meanings, clarified:

1.  "Natural" -  This word is likely used by companies in an attempt to convince you that their product is made of natural ingredients, as compared to other products which are "unnatural" or artificial.  Unfortunately, companies have almost complete leeway with using this term, with very few restrictions.  Currently the only FDA restrictions that exist on using the word natural are:

   - natural flavor can only be used to describe flavorings that are derived from from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant (or even animal) material

- Meat products can be labeled as natural only if they are minimally processed (of course, this term is left up to the meat producers to decide what "minimally" means) and free of artificial ingredients or colors.  Please note that this is regarding added ingredients, and means nothing about what the animal consumed, was fed, or hormones or antibiotics that it may have ingested during its life

 Other than these two restrictions, companies are pretty much free to slap the word "natural" on their box without consequence.  Most of the time common sense can come into play here - "natural" or not, a pop tart will never be "healthy".  It is important that we do not confuse "natural" with "organic".  Which brings me to my next term...

Meatless Monday

 An extraordinary  movement - "Meatless Monday" - is gaining momentum and press at astounding rates.  The practice, which involves avoiding all meat-based products one day per week,  is being promoted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health with the goal of reducing individual meat consumption by 15% simply by eliminating it from our diets one day per week.  The introduction of the concept can be traced back way before our time, however, as Presidents Wilson, Truman, and Roosevelt all suggested the novel concept of meatless days during the world wars and the Great Depression.  (I can only picture my Great Grandmother's face, filled with shock and horror at the thought of a day without meat, and imagine it was followed with something like, "Whatdoya meanna no meat? How you gonna grow without meat, eh?")
  The "Meatless Mondays" website has a plethora of information about the theories behind lowered consumption of meat, both financial and nutritional.   Here are some of the take-home points behind the practice:

Hungry Munchkins?

  Nowadays its becoming borderline impossible to get through a day without hearing or seeing some sort of healthy-eating message, designed to promote health and wellness strategies for anyone who's paying attention.  This broadly represents a very positive trend with the immense potential to positively impact the health of our society as a whole.
   Some experts are beginning to speculate, however, that these messages are being translated into suboptimal nutrition practices for those who, arguably, need it most - our growing infants & toddlers.  A recent government-run study in London found that many nursery-school type programs were insufficiently meeting the nutrition needs of children enrolled, despite seemingly thorough efforts to provide balanced menus.  Some of the common problems were high levels of salt, portion sizes, and a lack of carbohydrates in the daily diet. 
It is important for parents and caregivers to be aware that children have unique nutritional needs, which vary greatly from those of adults.  Some key diet notions for aduts can be counterproductive in chidren - even harmful.  Here are some points to remember when considering nutrition for infant's and toddlers:
- Keep it whole.  Most adults have the tendency to reach for low-fat or non-fat milk due to the potential health consequences of ingesting high levels of the saturated fat that's found in whole milks.  This is not okay for infants and toddlers!  Kids tend to burn more fat than adults, as they are rapidly growing and need many types of fats to build new thoughts, skills, muscles, and cells.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children not be given low-fat milk until age 2.  Note:  If you choose not to give your child cow's milk, other options (soy, almond, rice) can be substituted - talk to your pediatrician about finding the right balance of protein, vitamin D, and calcium within these products so you can figure out which brands and serving sizes are right for your child. 
-  Keep the fiber for yourself.  A high-fiber diet is recommended for adults for optimal gastrointestinal function, prevention of colon cancer, and keeping our bellies full and our blood sugar stable.  However, young children who consume too much fiber may be at risk for getting full too quickly, leaving less room for the calories and nutrients they require from other sources.  The study (above) showed that children were often overloaded with fruits and vegetables - with the best intentions. Kids this age should adhere to the 5 fruits and vegetable servings per day recommendation, but their portions should be much smaller than an adults.
- Avoid the fake stuff.  Sometimes low or non-fat products are reflavored with artificial sweetners in order to make up for the lost fat.  In general, artificial sweetners should not be part of a child's diet, especially in the infant and toddler years.  Carefully monitor the ingredients list on any purchased products, avoiding ingredients like aspartame, nutrasweet, sucralose, and neotame. 
-  Red meat deserves a chance.  If your baby is a practicing carnivores, red meat is not always a bad idea.  While we adults should, in fact, limit our consumption of red meat for various reasons, it can be the primary source of iron for an infant or toddler.  Iron-deficiency anemia is relatively common in this age group and needs to be prevented through diet.  Vegetarians and vegans will need to carefully monitor their children's iron intake in order to establish appropriate diets and supplementation (if needed). 

  With the recent surge in childhood obesity, it is equally important to be sure our attention remains balanced between these children and those who may be on the other side of the spectrum of adequate nutrition.  For more information on infant and toddler nutrition requirements, check out the NIH recommendations here. 

How Much Mercury is in Your Tuna?

Source: ABCNews.com

Amazing Ash

Source: The Boston Globe  April 19, 2010

As ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano continued to keep European airspace shut down over the weekend, affecting millions of travelers around the world, some government agencies and airlines clashed over the flight bans. Some restricted airspace is now beginning to open up and some limited flights are being allowed now as airlines are pushing for the ability to judge safety conditions for themselves. The volcano continues to rumble and hurl ash skyward, if at a slightly diminished rate now, as the dispersing ash plume has dropped closer to the ground, and the World Health Organization has issued a health warning to Europeans with respiratory conditions. Collected here are some images from Iceland over the past few days.

Lightning streaks across the sky as lava flows from a volcano in Eyjafjallajokul April 17, 2010. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

2

The volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier sends ash into the air just prior to sunset ON Friday, April 16, 2010. Thick drifts of volcanic ash blanketed parts of rural Iceland on Friday as a vast, invisible plume of grit drifted over Europe, emptying the skies of planes and sending hundreds of thousands in search of hotel rooms, train tickets or rental cars. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gauti).  [Click "read full post" below to see all 35 photos.]

The Safe Chemicals Act

 Legislation to overhaul the nation’s failed chemical law has been introduced in Congress by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Congressmen Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA). The Safe Chemicals Act is landmark legislation that will overhaul the way the government protects people from toxic chemicals. The Safe Chemicals Act puts our health first, provides better information to businesses, and helps the average consumer avoid toxic chemicals in every day products.

Send a message to your Congressmen and Senator, urging them to support this crucial act here.

Child & Teen BMI Calculator

The CDC has a user-friendly child and teen Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator which can give you a clearer picture of where your child falls compared to other children of his or her age. The website also offers continued guidelines based on the result of the BMI calculation. This is a great resource, and often the first step in identifying and preventing childhood obesity-related consequences.

To try out the BMI calculator, click here.

"Lets Retake Our Plates"

Easy as 5-2-1-0

In support of the movement to eradicate childhood obesity, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued some new recommendations as part of their "Healthy Active Living" campaign.  The campaign centers around providing families of all demographics with attainable and realistic goals which can contribute to overall health and wellness of our families.

   The goals are also easy to remember, as the AAP has named the initiative "5-2-1-0".  Broken down, this translates to the following recommendations:

5 - Five fruits and vegetable servings per day(at least)
2 - Two hours or less of "screen time" per day.  This includes TV, computer, and video games.
1 - One hour of physical activity per day
0 - Zero sugar-sweetened drinks per day

Easy to remember, yes.  Easy to follow? Not for everyone, but reasonable enough to be implemented with some real effort and consciousness over time, for the sake of our growing children.  Remember, kids learn from those around them, as they are sort of a "blank slate" in this way.  Perhaps one of the most positive things you can do for your own children (and for yourself) is to model good eating habits and a physically active lifestyle.  It may take a while for school lunches and other negative influences to catch up to this type of movement, and waiting for the external world to teach and feed our children in a way that will promote their health, strength, and brains is not the way to go. 
For more on the White House Obesity Initiative and the AAP's efforts towards this cause, click here.

Free Cone Zone

 

Guilty pleasures need to be indulged sometimes, especially when they are free...

Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day: Tuesday, March 23:
It comes but once a year: Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's. If you're near a participating location on Tuesday, March 23, between noon and 8 p.m., wait in line (likely one that snakes around the block, but moves fairly quickly) and get your free scoop! If you're lucky, they'll have some of the new 2010 flavors: Boston Cream Pie, Dulce Delish, Maple Blondie, Mud Pie, Peanut Brittle, and our most favorite of all, Milk & Cookies. Find a Ben & Jerry's near you here.
A little Free Cone Day history: it all started in 1979 when co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield scooped free ice cream all day as a 'thank you' to customers for supporting them in their first near. Now it's become an annual event, and practically a holiday.

Credits: Serious Eats Blog 03/22/10

Non-Toxic Spring Cleaning

The Northeast's recent burst of fantastic spring weather has sent many of us into a spring cleaning frenzy.  Once you've got the motivation part down, I'd urge you to take a second look at the products you're using in your home and consider adding some of them to the "toss" pile during your spring cleanup. 
  The switch to more natural products can seem overwhelming, especially financially, as you will likely notice the significantly larger price tag of these products sitting on the supermarket shelves. However, if you can reserve a tiny portion of that spring motivation, alternative products are easy to home-make and quite inexpensive this way.  Here are some ideas for do-it-yourself cleaning products which will be functional, efficient, and non-toxic:

Got Mercury?

Despite the many benefits of consuming a diet rich in a variety of seafood products, the risks associated with consuming the methyl mercury embedded in most of our consumable fish species must not be forgotten.  Over-exposure to methyl mercury has been linked to adverse effects in people of all ages, with fetuses and infants especially fragile to exposure to the substance.

Given the toxic effects associated with methyl mercury evidenced by several case studies and large-scale reviews, the EPA has set certain fish consumption advisories designed to provide guidelines in avoiding over-exposure to the substance from the fish many of us eat.  One of the driving forces behind these guidelines was a groundbreaking study (which can be located here) showing levels of mercury to be much higher than expected in a survey of over 100 patients in a health care facility.  In 2009, the National Lake Fish Tissue Study was released, which gave specifics on content of methyl mercury found in the lakes of US states over a studied period of four years.  Although the results were somewhat grim, the brighter side of a study like this is not only can it help to provide us (the consumers) with guidelines on how much of this fish we can safely consume, but can provide a basis for comparison for future studies after mercury-reduction interventions have been (hopefully) put into place. 

For more information on potential sources of methyl mercury and some frequently asked questions, check out the US EPA Website. 

If you are interested in being proactive about reducing your mercury exposure from consumed fish, you can use this calculator to find out how much mercury is in your diet and potentially lower your mercury intake to reduce you risk of unsafe exposure levels and improve your overall health. 

Train Your Brain

Study shows living a purposeful life can prevent cognitive decline.  Check it out:

 

Keep the Glass Half Full

Study: Optimists Less Likely to Get Heart Disease:

"First study to find such a strong link between positive emotions and a lower risk of heart disease...revealing the potentially damaging effects of pessimistic thoughts and long-term negativity."

"Little Crop of Horrors"

Too good not to share...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Little Crop of Horrors
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Passing the Stress Test

An overwhelming majority of us would likely report that we are generally more stressed than we'd like to be.  Some would attribute this to our jobs, our lifestyles, our responsibilities, our kids - the list goes on - or it may simply have become the "American Way" these days.  (International readers, please feel free to comment to fill us in on your thoughts on this!)  I wont spend too much time on the causes of stress - most of us can figure out that if you find the cause and can remedy it, your stress level will likely go down.  But for the majority of us who are unable or unwilling to change these stress-inducing triggers, today's post will focus more on recognizing the signs of stress and managing them in healthy ways.  First, how stressed are you?  Many of us are able to identify that we are "stressed" when it becomes pervasive in our emotional well-being or daily functioning.  However, some of the classic signs of stress may be mistaken for other things, or may just not be something you linked to your daily stress level in the past.  Here are what I consider the most telling signs of stress:

- Fatigue

- Sleep difficulty - this can include difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or early  morning awakening, as well as nightmares and feeling like you cannot reach a "deep sleep".  Many people who have significant stress report that they never wake up feeling rested, no matter how normal their sleep patterns seem on the surface.

- Irritability - stress can make a person more easily irritated than usual, and can impact personal relationships as a result

- muscle tension or pain which cannot be explained by other factors

- weight loss or gain

- digestive problems - stress can trigger the "fight or flight" response which causes blood to be diverted away from your digestive track to prepare for quick response to stressful stimuli.  Resulting symptoms can include stomach pain, nausea, or diarrhea

- skin issues - including breakouts, rashes, or hives 

- headaches

- hair loss

- nervous behaviors such as nail biting, teeth grinding, or excessive movement of limbs 

- problems concentrating

- increased negative thoughts

- decreased sex drive (libido) or ability to achieve orgasm

- headaches

 This is a basic laundry list of possible manifestations of stress, which of course can be extended and unique for individuals.  Now for the important part - if you must encounter stress, how can you effectively manage it so that it does not lead to these symptoms and so that you are better able to cope with the stress on a daily basis?  Here are some natural techniques that I would recommend:

Childhood Obesity Questions Answered

   
Source: abcnews.com

The Great Vaccine Debate - Part 2

(For the preface and former recommendations, see part 1 of this post here)

4.  Do not give Tylenol after your child is vaccinated.  This one will likely stir some of you up, as it is common practice for healthcare providers to suggest giving your child anti-fever agents such as Tylenol should the child develop a fever after vaccination.  The reasons behind not giving Tylenol are somewhat complex biochemically, but I will simply them for this post.  Please note that at this time this is only a theory, albeit shared by many, and has not been approved as a recommendation in common pediatric healthcare guidelines.  Glutathione is found in almost every cell of the body, most especially in the liver.  It is required to detoxify the body of many chemical substances, including (for this blog's sake) but not limited to Tylenol's toxic metabolites (NAPQI for the chemistry buffs) and vaccine adjuvents such as Thimerosal and aluminum.  When we take Tylenol, it is estimated that 75% or more of the Glutathione of the liver is used up in ridding the body of its metabolite, leaving little or none left to work on the other components of the vaccine that would ideally be cleared from the body properly before causing significant harm.  Some studies have shown that children with autism and/or other conditions have generally lower concentrations of Glutathione (again, wont get into details) than otherwise healthy children, leaving them even more at risk for this phenomenon.

The Great Vaccine Debate - Part 1

First off, I would like to begin this topic by saying that I am not - under any broad definition - "anti vaccine". It is well-known by the medical and lay communities that vaccines have saved hundreds of thousands of lives since their introduction decades ago, and have virtually wiped out some categories of illnesses that formerly killed large masses of people at a time. So in that sense, I am not anti-vaccine. What I am "anti" is the notion of any one of us, as individuals or as groups - health care providers, the National Institute of Health, the American Association of Pediatrics.. I can go on - irrefutably testifying that we have all the answers regarding vaccine safety nor that we (as a country) are any better off than other countries who do not follow our vaccine schedule. I am not anti-vaccine... If I must label myself, I am pro-safe vaccination schedules and vaccination ingredients - both of which, in my opinion, could use some careful consideration and improvements. If we turn this issue into a debate of the "pros" vs the "anti's", which it has unfortunately become in some subsets, the ones who will suffer most are our children.

I would like to use my blog as a forum for providing general information regarding my opinion on current vaccine practices and not as a source of controversy or debate. I have been feverishly researching this topic for the last 4 years, and have developed some general guidelines for my friends, loved ones, and patients as a result. No one has all the answers, including myself, but I can offer up suggestions for a potentially safer vaccine practice for those who are looking for an alternative to the current same-for-all recommendations in the pediatric medical community.

Here are the points I think are most important when considering vaccinating your children:

Too little too late, FDA

FDA changes position on BPA: Agency acknowledges new science, concerns over effect on infants and children's health

January 15, 2010


WASHINGTON - Today, after years of insisting that the hormone-mimicking chemical bisphenol A (BPA) was “safe for all uses,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revised its stance.
The FDA says has “some concern” after assessing new scientific data on the affects BPA may have on the development of infants and fetuses. The agency says it will support voluntary efforts to take the chemical out of infant formula cans and baby bottles and encourage research into alternatives. It also reiterated the need to expedite further research and announced support for a "more robust regulatory framework" for BPA.
The FDA’s decision adds momentum to legislative efforts to reform federal policy on toxic chemicals. Representative Markey and Senator Feinstein have led efforts to strengthen FDA oversight of BPA. Meanwhile, Senator Lautenberg and Congressman Waxman have led effort to revise the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.
While FDA has authority over chemicals when they are used in food packaging, food additives and cosmetics, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has authority under TSCA over those same chemicals when used in other products, including the many other uses of BPA. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has previously announced her intention to develop an “action plan” to reduce BPA exposure, which is expected soon.
“Today’s FDA announcement should hasten efforts to move away from this dangerous chemical, but it also highlights the dysfunction in federal policy that is driving consumers crazy. On the one hand, FDA’s statement highlights the science showing the dangers of some chemicals, on the other hand, it’s a “cry for help” for greater authority. The heavy lifting is still being left to consumers.”
Source: Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

Can Love Really Cure a Broken Heart?

Move over, babies. The anti-inflammatory benefits of Oxytocin can contribute to greater mental and physical health for all of us!

The hormone Oxytocin has been known to have a variety of unmatched benefits in the human body, especially for infants and mothers.  Recent literature has shown Oxytocin as having potential benefits for those with injured hearts, such as after a heart attack.  The potent neurochemical was shown to reduce many inflammatory factors, which in turn helped to improve healing of these injured hearts.
How can we reap the benefits of Oxytocin?  Other than going into labor, the next best way to produce the hormone is through skin-to-skin touch with another individual.  Contact with animals has shown to have some benefit, but is not nearly as beneficial as human touch and closeness. 


See the original study here:   NCBI

Got Drain Pain?

Need a natural and inexpensive way to clear a clogged or slow-moving drain?  Try this.  Pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the problematic drain, followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar.  Cover the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes.  Flush the drain with boiling water (a small pot's worth, if you can).  Most average drain clogs will be cleared through this process.  If not, or if only partial improvement is seen, repeat the process until the sink drains smoothly.  Be sure to prevent future problems by placing a drain guard over the sink or tub to catch any loose debris or hair which may have been original the source of your problem.  Good luck!

Wait 30 minutes after eating to watch this...