Natural Beauty Tips

Beyond The Label

—Myra Michelle Eby

Body care and cosmetic products are not regulated like foods, so many products actually contain toxic chemicals that aren't listed on the label. While this provides a challenge to consumers, there are things you can do even if the label doesn't tell the whole story. Here are a few suggestions:

YOUR NOSE KNOWS. Trust your senses to help you determine if something is pure. Seek out products that smell and look fresh. Products that have heavy scents and unnatural-looking colors probably contain artificial ingredients and toxic fragrances.

Chaga Knowledge

The Wild Chaga Mushroom ... The Secret of the Forest

Chaga is a wild growth of immense powers. Everyone needs more power, so everyone benefits from chaga. Real chaga is truly wild. It grows in the far northern forests, where the ecosystem is intact. This is crucial, because there is a vast difference between wild plants which grow in pure nature and farm-raised plants. Chaga thrives in the remote wilderness, growing on wild birch trees. It consumes and then concentrates the natural power of these trees. A polypore fungus taking up to twenty years to mature, chaga is a true force of wild nature. There is now man-made chaga grown in vats and labs. Do not accept cheap imitations.

The “Gift from God”

Rather than soft like a mushroom, chaga is hard, almost as hard as wood. It is unique, nothing like common mushrooms. In fact, chaga is the most nutritionally dense of all tree growths. Known by the Siberians as the “Gift from God” and the “Mushroom of Immortality,” this vibrant growth has been used by humans to support health for thousands of years. The Japanese call it “The Diamond of the Forest,” while the Chinese deem it “King of Plants.” For the Chinese that is saying a lot, since they have an immense history with countless plants. Now, you can get the great powerful secret of the Orient through North American Herb & Spice’s wild chaga supplements. Despite this exceptional status, most Americans are unaware of it.
         
To survive in harsh climates, chaga concentrates natural compounds for its protection, and that is why it is so powerful. To strengthen the tree, as well as heal, it makes potent phytochemicals, including sterols, phenols, and enzymes. Researchers have inoculated sick trees with chaga to strengthen them. People benefit by consuming these forest-source phytochemicals and nutrients.

Green Housekeeping

Spring cleaning is here and it’s a great time to think about switching from conventional cleaning products to the more environmentally friendly versions.

It’s a well-known fact that conventional cleaners contain hundreds of chemicals that unleash harmful toxins and contaminate our waterways once discarded. What you may not know is just how harmful these chemicals can be. They can act as respiratory irritants, potential carcinogens, neurotoxins, mutagens, teratogens, and endocrine and hormone disrupters. Certain ingredients call Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are added to most cleaners to enhance their performance, but can impair neurological functions. Manufacturers of conventional cleaning products are not held to any labeling requirements, making it difficult for even the savviest consumer to tell what they are being exposed to.

The good news is that some of the most
environmentally friendly cleaning products can be found right in your own home or store.

Spring cleaning the natural way:

Soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and a coarse scrubbing sponge can take care of most household cleaning needs
To Clean glass, use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water
Baking soda and cornstarch are both good carpet deodorizers
To clean mold and mildew, use a mixture of lemon juice and white vinegar and salt.
A paste of baking soda, salt and hot water makes a good oven cleaner


Taken from Green Housekeeping by Lisa Madsen.

Joel Salatin: Life Lessons from a Farmer

Joel Salatin: Life Lessons from a Farmer (via Organic Connections Magazine)

by Bruce Boyers Joel Salatin—farmer, author, featured speaker, and the subject of several documentaries—has spent his life learning from nature how a food system is supposed to function, and putting it into practice at his Polyface Farm. Then, raising…

---

 

New Studies Shed Light on the Surprising Benefits of Chewing Gum

A little snack just hit headlines with a smack, as new research revealed the unexpected advantages of chewing gum. Already known to freshen breath and provide a low-calorie treat between meals, new studies in the US and the UK have uncovered gum’s uncanny ability to help boost students’ test scores, counter fatigue and even lower stress levels.

Chia Ice Pops

Serves 4—6

Nutritious and refreshing, these ice pops get their natural sweetness from fruit.

Chia Gel

Makes 20 1-Tbs. Servings

 Use chia gel to thicken sauces, soups, dips, dressings, and other recipes without altering their taste

Super Seeds

Want more stamina? Try chia, a gluten-free seed rich in omega-3s and fiber.

Chia seeds have been called the world’s healthiest whole food for good reason. “Chia contains the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of any plant known, and also contains significant amounts of protein, fiber, and antioxidants,” says Wayne Coates, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, chia researcher, and author of Chia: The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Superfood.

“Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber have been shown to have positive health benefits in terms of heart health and diabetes,” he says, “And omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants have also been shown to help reduce inflammation and boost immunity.” Plus, chia is gluten-free.

Tropical Treats

Get baking with coconut products

If you eat gluten free and also avoid milk products, refined sugar, and maybe even honey, agave syrup, or all grains, do you sometimes wonder how can you make tasty, good-for-you baked goods? The solution is simple: coconut!

Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm and have an amazing number of food uses. Luckily for people with gluten sensitivity and other food allergies, each of the following coconut products can substitute nicely for common ingredients used in gluten-free baking.

Grain-Free Morning Glory Muffins

Makes 6 Muffins

A great combination of fruit, vegetable, nut, and coconut ingredients, this muffin is a healthy, fiber-rich addition to any breakfast or brunch.

10 Eco-Friendly Tips

Here are some easy ways to "green" up your kitchen.

Grain of Truth

Stay healthy and trim, the wheat-free way

By Vera Tweed

Wheat is the world’s most popular grain but it’s also the most dangerous, triggering overeating and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and many other ills, according to cardiologist William Davis, MD, author of the best-selling Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health. What about whole or sprouted wheat? They’re just as bad, he says. Here’s why:

Safe Shopping: How to Avoid GMOs

By Melissa Diane Smith, Illustration by Dave Klug

More and more consumers are looking for ways to avoid genetically modified foods (GMOs).

Here's why — and how you can join them

What’s the quickest, easiest way to avoid buying foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? Look for the Non-GMO Project Verified seal and the USDA Organic seal on the label.

Increasing numbers of consumers are doing just that. The Non-GMO Project Verified label is the fastest growing label claim in the natural foods industry, and sales of organic food products in the United States continue to grow each year. The Non GMO Project is North America’s only independent verification program for products made according to the best practices for GMO avoidance, and USDA certified organic products cannot intentionally include any GMO ingredients.

So, why the growing trend to seek out and buy non-GMO foods?

Here are a few reasons:

Hang on to Your Hair

By Vera Tweed

Genes, toxins, hormones, and age all affect our hair, but nutrition also plays a key role. In fact, hair is especially likely to suffer from nutritional shortfalls.

To survive, the human body naturally assigns a pecking order to how nutrients are used, says Alan Christianson, NMD, medical director of Integrative Health Care in Scottsdale, Ariz. and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Thyroid Disease. Essential internal organs such as the heart and brain get first priority, followed by muscles, bones, and connective tissue, and then skin and nails. “Hair is at the very bottom,” says Christianson.

Those priorities make good survival sense. Hair loss isn’t deadly or debilitating, but it isn’t usually desirable, either. To get a handle on what you can do to keep a healthy head of hair, it helps to understand what influences its growth.

Historic Vote Coming on GMO Labeling

On November 6th, California will hold an historic public vote on the issue of mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

If passed, the California measure (Proposition 37) would be the first law of its kind in the United States. It could start a wave of GMO labeling laws and might even automatically leads to labeling throughout the country, experts say, because it's unlikely that companies selling products nationwide will develop two separate labels - one for California, which has the eighth largest economy in the world, and one for the rest of the country.

Labeling is important not just because it gives consumers the information they need to make informed choices, but also because labeling is a critical tool to help health professionals track the effects of eating genetically modified (GM) foods. It will also make it easier to hold corporations that make GM foods accountable for any ill effects, says Andrew Kimbrell, a lawyer and author of Your Right to Know.

For more information about the California Right to Know campaign, see www.CARighttoKnow.org 

via Better Nutrition

Allergy and Sinus SOS

By Issac Eliaz, MD, LAC

Get to the real cause of allergies and sinus infections. Find lasting relief with a combination of therapies, including herbs, supplements, and homeopathic remedies.

Chronic sinusitis is a common health condition that affects 14 out of every 100 people in the United States. While these problems may not seem serious, they can be an expression of imbalances within the immune or digestive systems. In addition to the typical sneezing and runny nose, sinus infections may cause headaches, abdominal pain, and even menstrual problems. Because there is only a thin plate of bone between the sinuses and brain, sinus infections can cause mental fogginess and a lack of concentration.

About NOW Foods

Founded in 1968 by Elwood Richard, NOW Foods’ values and mission are very much aligned with those of its main customers, the independent health food retailer. Although the company, founded in 1968 by Elwood Richard, has grown to become one of the industry’s largest manufacturers, NOW is still owned and run by the Richard family. They ensure the company fulfills its original mission: to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives.

Elwood Richard’s core belief that high-quality health products should not be a luxury available only to the wealthy still shapes the company’s policies today. People often ask how NOW can produce quality products at such reasonable prices, and the answer is surprisingly simple: commitment. GMP certified since 2000, every phase of the manufacturing process, from the purchase and delivery of raw materials, to the packaging and shipping of products, follows strict procedures overseen by an educated, experienced team of Quality Control & Quality Assurance experts. NOW’s modern, 250,000-sq ft facility, one of the industry’s most admired, houses six fully-functional laboratories running the most current and advanced testing equipment. Thorough testing and meticulous quality assurance ensures that NOW products are screened for contaminants, labeled accurately and of the highest possible quality.

NOW’s dedication to the customers who have made their success possible is illustrated by the company’s stellar customer service and enduring commitment to the health food channel.

via Whole Foods Magazine

Weighing in on Childhood Obesity

There are many ideas about good nutrition for parents helping children combat obesity—supplementing their diets is also recommended.

By Janet Poveromo

According to the Institute of Medicine, over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged two to five years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged six to 11 years. When the institute released its most recent fact sheet dated September of 2004, approximately nine million children over age six were considered obese.

The rate of childhood obesity has increased at such an alarming rate that last year the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concluded there was enough indirect evidence to suggest that starting pharmacological treatment early makes sense in children with very high levels of cholesterol.

About Ecover

Ecover stands for careful enterprise. This means that they produce their washing and cleaning products in an ecological, economic and socially responsible way in a unique ecological factory. Honest and open, they respect people and the environment. In their view, this is the only way to guarantee a sustainable future.

Fiber Fix for IBS

By Jini Patel Thompson
The secret to healing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may not be how much fiber but what kind you're consuming. Also: The best probiotic strains for IBS

Top food sources

Want to get more natural fiber in your diet? Here are some of the best sources.

Soluble (best for people with IBS)
Apples, Avocados, Carrots, Chia seed, Flaxseed, Oats, Papaya, Psyllium, Pumpkin, Squash, Yams

Insoluble
Barley, Beans, Brown rice, Celery, Corn bran, Root vegetables, Strawberries, Sunflower seeds, Wheat bran, Whole wheat, Zucchini

If you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—or a similar condition such as Crohn's disease, colitis, or diverticulitis—you've no doubt been told to add more fiber to your diet. In fact, if you look at the shelves in your local health food store, you'll likely see many "healthy" breakfast cereals touting the amount of bran or other fiber they contain.

Close Calls

by Jack Challam

12 Ways to Protect Yourself from Cell Phone Radiation

Cell phones emit radiation—technically known as low-level radio-frequency (RF) radiation—which is close to the frequency of microwaves. Although it’s not the same type of radiation found at nuclear power plants, it can disrupt normal cell activity. You wouldn’t stick your head in a microwave oven, but millions of people place their RF transmitters right next to their brain, often for hours at a time.

Is there a danger? The research linking cell phone use to brain cancer has been conflicting, but in 2011 the World Health Organization declared cell phone radiation to be a potential carcinogen. While the final word is still out on cancer risk, studies have shown changes in brain activity and brain glucose levels after someone holds a cell phone against their ear.

In fact, several studies have found that excessive cell phone use may disrupt sleep, cause headaches, and result in depression. The same may also be true of tablets that emit RF radiation. Furthermore, the younger you are, the greater the likely effect on the brain and other tissues, so children are especially at risk.

“We are bioelectric creatures,” says Shannon Kennedy, PhD, chief executive officer of Pong Research, based in Leesburg, Va. After all, our hearts and brains run on electrical impulses. “When people use cell phones, they’re bringing in an outside source of electrical signals. In today’s world, people are being bombarded with electrical fields,” says Kennedy.

So with cell phones now such a big part of most people’s lives, how you do minimize any potential risk from the radiation they emit? Here are 12 tips for using your phone safely.

Conquering Colds

By Emily A. Kane

Q: Cold and flu season is almost here. What should I do to avoid getting sick?

—Edith K., New York, NY

The first thing to remember is that colds are viral—so antibiotics do not help. Viruses get inside our cells and reproduce; bacterial infections, on the other hand, typically occur outside our cells and draw lots of white blood cells onto the mucous membranes (the sources of all that lovely phlegm). In contrast, our natural anti-viral defense is fever. So if you feel feverish at the beginning of your cold or flu—that’s great. Your body is doing exactly the right thing.

Kyolic Curcumin

What is Kyolic Curcumin?
Kyolic Curcumin is specifically formulated to supports a healthy inflammation response. Inflammation is critical to the healing process. However, recent studies suggest that chronic, low-level inflammation may contribute to premature aging and less-than-optimal health. The ingredients in Kyolic Curcumin work synergistically to help prevent potentially damaging inflammation while encouraging the body's ability to heal itself.

What makes Kyolic Curcumin unique?
Kyolic Curcumin is the only product on the market that combines Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract with Curcumin. This unique combination specifically targets the inflammatory response to safely and effectively support healthy tissues and organs throughout the body.

These proprietary ingredients have been studied extensively and found to benefit a healthy and robust inflammatory response during illness and injury while helping to keep chronic low-level inflammation in check. By combining these potent antiinflammatory ingredients, Kyolic Curcumin provides a powerful and natural way to discourage ongoing, systemic inflammation.

Tapping the Sap

Coconut palms are one of the oldest flowering trees in the world. Containers used to collect the sap are made out of hollow bamboo tubes that are fastened onto the thick fleshy stems covered in small flowers. The freshly gathered sap is exceedingly nutrient-rich, and comes right out of the tree naturally sweet and abundant in Minerals, 17 Amino acids, Broad-Spectrum B Vitamins, Vitamin C, and has a nearly neutral pH.

The most remarkable blessing about tapping a coconut tree, is that once it is tapped, it flows its sap continuously for the next 20 years.  From a sustainability viewpoint, the harvestable energy production from tapping coconut trees for their sap (which yields 5,000 liters per hectare), rather than allowing them to produce fruit, is 5-7 times higher per hectare than coconut oil production from mature coconuts.

Via coconutsecret.com

Rubinol

 DR. OZ RECOMMENDED
*NEW PRODUCT LINE AT THE HEALTHY WAY*

Raw, wild black raspberry extract cold-pressed, enzymes and nutrients intact.

Rubinol is the rarest of all nutritional supplements. There is no other supplement like this available, anywhere. That is because no other company takes the time and care that North American Herb & Spice does. Our own company workers (even our president) go out every year to hand pick these wild berries in remote-northern forests. There is a small window of only a few weeks to get out and harvest these natural gifts. During these few weeks, the berries are fresh and available, and that is when we must go find them and harvest them. After that, any berries left over simply dry up and go back to the earth. Even with picking for about two weeks straight, wild black raspberries are so rare that Rubinol is always a limited supply.

Chaganol

*NEW PRODUCT LINE AT THE HEALTHY WAY*

Wild chaga extract with wild birch tree syrup & wild blackberry extract .

Chaganol is the simple, tasty way to obtain the health and strength you need—every day—through the powers of wild chaga. This is wild, far northern chaga, which is concentrated through a special natural proce-dure to increase the density of its key active ingredients, superoxide dismutase (SOD), beta glucan, phenolic compounds, specialized sterols, melanin, and wild-source B vitamins. All of these chaga substances are extremely biologically active and rich in oxygen, which is critical for the health of cells. 

PureOmega

*NEW PRODUCT LINE AT THE HEALTHY WAY*

Organically grown sacha inchi oil—A top source of digestible omega-3 fatty acids

Sacha inchi, the so-called "Inca nut," is produced from the seeds of an Amazon plant found naturally in Peru. These seeds contain a highly nutritious oil, which is a top source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as omega-6s, amino acids, antioxidants, and omega-9s. It is a true whole food oil, the ideal fish oil alternative for vegans/vegetarians.

Compared to all other vegetable omega-3 oils, sacha inchi oil is superior. It contains a far wider variety of nutri-ents than flax, black currant, and primrose oils. PureOmega contains only oil from organically raised seeds. There are no chemical residues of any type in this oil. The organic certification is obtained through IMO Control under NOP and EU standards.

OregaBiotic

*New Product Line at the Healthy Way*

This unique formula is the ultimate synergistic blend of natural spice oils. OregaBiotic takes it a step further with a proprietary slow-release technology Taking a step back from modern technology, which uses plastics to achieve enteric coating, we look to the beehive to provide a natural slow-release product. Using the powerful multiple spice oil extracts of oregano, cumin, sage and bay leaf combined with natural beeswax and black seed oil creates the most advanced supplement on the market. These oils are harvested from remote mountain regions in the Mediterranean. This formula contains only wild-crafted, pesticide- and herbicide-free spices from completely non-GMO sources. No chemicals or solvents are ever used in the extraction process, giving you the purest, most unadulterated ingredients on the planet.

Seasonal Relief at Your Fingertips

Immune Balance Daily- Multidimensional immune support for year-round wellness.
Featuring EPICOR- Clinically Studied Fermented Yeast

• Supports the Body's Immune System
• Supports Optimum Respiratory Health
• Increases Secretory Immunoglobulin A - an Integral Part of the Body's Immune System
• Promotes and Maintains a Healthy Nose and Throat
• Supports Glutathione Production, the Body's Own Antioxidant
• Supports Gut-Related Immune System Function

Water World

An excerpt from an article by Allan Richter and Linda Melone

Drinking Water Safely

No wonder so many health advocates recommend that people drink eight glasses of water a day, or more when you exercise. Water helps flush out toxins, carry nutrients to cells, ease digestion, regulate body temperature and is important for blood flow. Identifying our cleanest water sources, however, can be difficult—some tap water has been found to contain traces of prescription drugs and chemicals, while bottled water can leech chemicals in plastic and the containers needlessly occupy space in landfills.