Avoid genetically-modified foods with these NON-GMO Shopping Guides

These printable guides, compiled by the Center For Food Safety, help you avoid foods made with genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

To learn more about the risks associated with GMOs, visit the Center For Food Safety website at www.centerforfoodsafety.org

The guides are organized by food group, and list the brands of foods stated by the processor to be free of genetically-modified ingredients as well as the brands that may contain GMOs. I printed my guide and keep it in the car so it's handy when I go shopping. Of course, I buy organic as much as possible, but the guides are very handy when organic products are not available.


This booklet is small print, eight pages
http://truefoodnow.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/web_new-ge-booklet.pdf


This booklet is large print, sixteen pages
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/DocumentFiles/144.pdf

Creative Health Tip January 25 2010 Beliefs and Creative Power

I have a couple of quotes today to share about your power to create your health.

First is Napoleon Hill from the book Think and Grow Rich. He said, "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve."

How many of you believe that statement as you apply it to cars, homes, jobs, or relationships? I imagine most of you do.

How many of you believe that statement as you apply it to your physical body, to your health and wellbeing? Not as many, I'll bet.

You have been indoctrinated to believe that your mind has no power over your body. Now, I know the word "indoctrinated" carries a negative connotation, but all it means is: "to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view." (Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.)

You have been taught from infancy that your body operates on its own power and own agenda, and you don't really have a lot to say about it. That is a pretty biased belief, and nothing could be further from the truth.

It has been proven that your thoughts and emotions can control which of your genes is turned on and off, thereby controlling the expression of any at-risk genetic tendencies like heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. Basically, this means that if you are at risk for any disease that is linked to genetic traits or "runs in families," you can control whether that disease manifests or not.

For more information, see my post "You Control Your Genes, Your Genes Don't Control You" http://portal2creativehealth.blogspot.com/2009/09/you-control-your-genes-your-genes-dont.html

We hear about medical miracles every day: how a woman with mortally traumatic injuries recovers to walk and talk again after being told she might not survive her injuries; how cancer spontaneously goes into remission after a person has an experience that changes his or her whole outlook on life. There are even stories of children who have lost a limb and that limb has begun to grow back until they hear their parents being told, "Your child isn't re-growing a limb, that's not possible, they can't do that!" Not knowing any better, the child accepts that doctrine as the truth, and the belief is set.

That brings us to the second quote in today's Creative Health Tip that tells you that your only limitation to healing is your beliefs.

This quote is from the Daily Quote emailed from the Abraham-Hicks Publications. You may subscribe to the Daily Quote on this webpage:
http://www.abraham-hicks.com/lawofattractionsource/dqsubscribe.php

The Daily Quote for January 24, 2010 reads:

Someone asked us recently, "Is there any limitation to the body's ability to heal?" And we said, "None other than the belief that you hold." And he said, "Then why aren't people growing new limbs?" And we said, "Because no one believes that they can."
--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in San Rafael, CA on Saturday, February 27th, 1999 #329

Our Love,
Jerry and Esther

©1997-2009 Abraham-Hicks Publications.


Science is discovering this very thing. We know that you can lose 75% of your liver and it will grow back. It once was believed that if you lost a portion of your brain, you were out of luck. We now know that brain cells grow back. A doctor in India discovered that heart cells grow back, too. (See link to article below.)

There is an article on the CBS News website (see link below) that in part says, "Dr. Atala, one of the pioneers of regeneration, believes every type of tissue already has cells ready to regenerate if only researchers can prod them into action. Sometimes that prodding can look like science fiction.

"Emerging from an everyday ink jet printer is the heart of a mouse. Mouse heart cells go into the ink cartridge and are then sprayed down in a heart shaped pattern layer by layer.

"Dr. Atala believes it's a matter of time before someone grows a human heart.

""The cells have all the genetic information necessary to make new tissue," Atala explained. "That's what they are programmed to do. So your heart cells are programmed to make more heart tissue, your bladder cells are programmed to make more bladder cells.""

In my opinion, what the doctors and scientists have not yet figured out is that you don't need technology nor any sort of intervention to prod your cells to regenerate. The Abraham-Hicks quote has told you how to do it: all you need is the belief that you can!




Heart Cells Grow Back:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/health-fitness/Heart-cells-grow-back-finds-Indian-doctor/articleshow/4352633.cms

Medicine's Cutting Edge: Re-Growing Organs
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/22/sunday/main3960219.shtml

Creative Health Tip January 18 2010

Today's tip is something we can learn from our nomadic cousins around the world: don't carry around a lot of baggage.

In spite of their seemingly (to us) harsh lives filled with change and instability, nomadic peoples are some of the healthiest people on the planet.

There are many reasons for that, but I believe there is one especially important reason: they carry only what they need and don't tote around a lot of baggage.

By baggage, I mean two things; "stuff," as in physical things, and "stuff" as in emotional things. Carrying around a lot of physical items is a great metaphor for toting around a lot of emotional baggage too, and both types of baggage can wear you down to the point you will manifest illness.

In the mind-body creation process, you know that the relationship between your thoughts and emotions will eventually manifest in your body. Harmonious thoughts and emotions create a healthy body. Emotional baggage is the inner conflict between the thoughts and emotions which manifests as illness.

Sometimes it's relatively easily to identify the conflict by examining the nature of your illness. Sometimes it's not so easy, and I can help you through the processes that are available to unearth the conflict. Once you identify the source of the conflict, you can begin the release and healing process, and create the wellness you desire and deserve!

Creative Health Tip January 11 2010 How Eight Pieces Brocade builds bone density

I say this without any hint of sarcasm, honest, but I really love it when science catches up with three-thousand year old Chinese medicine. That can be a great motivator to people who want to try a holistic health modality but aren't sure if it works.

I have here a pamphlet sent out as an invitation to subscribe to "Prevention," a magazine dedicated to health and wellness.

One of the articles is titled "The 60-Second Bone Builder." The article does not mention Chinese medicine, but the advice given in how to build bone density is the very essence of one of the movement positions in Eight Pieces of Brocade Qigong, a practice proven to increase bone density!

The article Says, "…..high impact exercises put strain on your bones, stimulating new bone growth." A little further down it says, "You need to subject your bones to more impact than what they're used to," agrees an MD at Stanford University. So if you're inactive, start walking. And if you're already walking, add a simple 60-second jog."

The reason for jogging is that bones, because they are so dense, need the additional impact as resistance. Just as you build muscles with resistance training by lifting weights, you build bone density with resistance of high-impact exercises.

In the Eight Pieces of Brocade Qigong, there is a position that includes exactly this type of high-impact training. (See the end of the article for results of a study of qigong on bone density.)

The practice is this: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, letting your arms hang loosely and naturally at your sides. Rise up on your toes for a count of three and then drop so that your heels hit the ground with a thud. Do this for one minute. When done, stand still and breathe deeply for about a minute.

There you have it: a high-impact, bone-building practice that is so simple you can do it any time and any where.

Squeaky Clean and More Likely to Get Breast Cancer?

The following article is from Bottom Line's Daily Health News newsletter of January 5, 2010. Here's where to subscribe: http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/el/bls_signup.html

This is a topic I've covered before, the need to be vigilant and monitor the ingredients in the products we use in order to protect ourselves from disease due to exposure to too many toxic chemicals. Here are two of my previous articles on this topic:

Hormone Experts Worried About Plastics, Chemicals.
http://bewellwithmichelle.blogspot.com/2009/06/hormone-experts-worried-about-plastics.html

Health Hazards of Housework and Chemical Cleaners; this article also includes a list of non-toxic substitutes for cleaning your home.
http://bewellwithmichelle.blogspot.com/2007/11/health-hazards-of-housework-and.html


Many of the things we consider "household necessities" like glass and oven cleaners, floor cleaners, scented soaps and shampoos and hair conditioners, have been around for such a short period of time that our generational exposure to them has been too small to study the long-term, long-range effects. Now, we are learning that "better living through chemistry" is not better at all, and in fact may be extremely harmful, even deadly in the long run. At the end of this article, I hope you will click through to my article on Health Hazards of Housework and Chemical Cleaners. I will repeat the link at the end.

I myself have given up using most common household chemicals because they cause me to have breathing problems; for example, when using glass cleaner, it feels as though my throat closes up and I am suffocating. I also purchase unscented personal-care products, and search out products that are as organic and natural as possible, including the packaging. (It continues to bemuse me that organic food is sold in plastic bags. . . you go to all the trouble to buy organic, and it's contaminated by the packaging!)














Here's today's reprinted article:

Squeaky Clean and. . . More Likely to Get Breast Cancer?

Are you using personal-care and household products that are linked to breast cancer? While cancer experts estimate that 5% to 10% of breast cancers are hereditary (associated with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes), the majority of women who get breast cancer have no family history and no known risk factors for the disease. In an effort to explain the breast cancer epidemic, health experts are looking for clues in the environment... and in the bathrooms, kitchens and pantries of our own homes.

According to medical sociologist Sabrina McCormick, PhD, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow in the National Center for Environmental Assessment at the Environmental Protection Agency and author of No Family History: The Environmental Links to Breast Cancer, dangerous chemicals found in many of the everyday products we use -- cosmetics, lotions, shampoos, household cleaning products and food packaging -- may be associated with as many as 90% of breast cancer cases.


Scientific Evidence

Dr. McCormick’s theory is based on the association between two parallel trends in the same time frame -- the rise of breast cancer over the past 60 years (from a lifetime risk of one in 22 women in 1940 to one in eight women in 2008) and the mass production and widespread usage of toxic chemicals that occurred during that period. "As more people have been exposed to carcinogenic chemicals, and as they accumulate in their bodies over time, studies show that several different kinds of cancers have emerged -- in particular breast cancer," she said. Throughout her book, Dr. McCormick cites studies that support the link between toxic chemicals and breast cancer -- for example, there is evidence of increased breast cancer risk in the vicinity of polluting facilities. In fact, regional breast cancer rates are highest in the Northeast, which also has the longest history of industrial development and toxic exposure.


Is Estrogen the Culprit?

How do exposures to toxic chemicals raise one’s risk for breast cancer? Estrogen seems to be the common denominator, according to Dr. McCormick, who explained that the more estrogen a woman is exposed to over her lifetime, the higher her risk for breast cancer and other reproductive cancers (such as ovarian and uterine cancer). The "estrogen disruptor hypothesis," which purports that xenoestrogens, chemicals that mimic or disrupt estrogen (found in an abundance of modern-day products), can cause breast cancer is widely accepted in the scientific community. The fact that several of the known risk factors for breast cancer (early onset of menstruation, late menopause, and excess weight) are themselves related to estrogen lends credence to the hypothesis. A number of animal studies provide further support by demonstrating that xenoestrogens cause mammary tissues to grow and also can disrupt sexual and neurological development. In addition to xenoestrogens, other chemicals known or suspected to be carcinogens are found in a variety of everyday products and also could raise one’s risk for breast cancer and other cancers.


What Not To Use...

A wide range of personal-care products, household-cleaning products and food packaging contain chemicals that may cause breast cancer or cancer in general. These have been classified by the Breast Cancer Fund, an environmental health advocacy group, as Animal Mammary Gland Carcinogen (AMGC), Human Carcinogenic Risk Classification (HCRC), known Endocrine Disruptor (ED) and other categories described below. To access the Breast Cancer Fund charts by category, go to http://www.breastcancerfund.org. Following is a list of some of the more worrisome substances ...


Cosmetics and Personal-Care Products

• Parabens, which are chemical preservatives used in cosmetics, deodorants, lotions, ointments and shampoos, are known endocrine disruptors, said Dr. McCormick. While the European Union regulates the use of many parabens in their products, the US does not. (ED)
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which among other purposes is used to make plastics softer, is an ingredient in children’s teething toys, nail polish, perfumes, moisturizers and cleaning solvents. (ED)
• Ethelyne Oxide, a compound that adds fragrance to shampoos. (AMGC, HCRC)
• Dioxane, a compound found in shampoos, body washes and sudsing products. (AMGC, HCRC)
• Petrolatum (PAH), which is what petroleum jelly is made of... also used in lipsticks, lotions and oils. (AMGC, HCRC, ED)
• Formaldehyde, benzene and toluene, all found in nail polish and nail polish removers.
• Urethane, found in hair-care products, such as mousses, gels and sprays, and in sunscreens, mascara and foundation. (AMGC, HCRC)
Making matters worse, notes Dr. McCormick, many cosmetics also contain ingredients that act as skin penetrators, which makes it even more likely that these dangerous substances will be absorbed into the skin. Also, beware of products marketed as "youth enhancers" that contain estradiol, estrone or estriol... all forms of estrogen that can be absorbed into the skin that should be used only with medical oversight.
For an up-to-date listing of dangerous cosmetics and personal-care products, visit the Environmental Working Group’s online cosmetic safety database (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com).


Household Products

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic that leaches phthalates, found in cling wraps, plastic bottles, detergents, window cleaner bottles and vinyl shower curtains. Many houses also contain pipes made of PVC, which is a Carcinogen By-product of Manufacturing (CBM) and Hormone Disruptor (HD).
• Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether, found in floor finish, tile and grout cleaner, and microwave oven cleaners. This substance affects the central nervous system and is a reproductive toxin.
• Nonylphenol Ethoxylate, found in cleaners, degreasers, foaming cleaners, air fresheners, spot and stain treatments and metal polish. (ED)
• Nitrilotriacetic Acid, found in carpet-care products, is classified as a Reasonably Anticipated Carcinogen (RAC).
• Tetrachloroethylene, found in spray polish and laundry spot removers.


Food Packaging

Many food packages and containers are made with compounds that have been linked to breast cancer, most especially when the package is heated...
• Bisphenol A, used in the linings of cans and water bottles. (ED)
• Polystyrene, found in Styrofoam food containers, disposable containers, egg cartons and plastic cutlery. (CBM)
• Polycarbonate, found in plastic water bottles and metal food can liners. (ED)


Consumer Tips

While it may be impossible to avoid all of the products that contain known or suspected breast carcinogens, Dr. McCormick suggests that whenever possible we should use simple, natural personal-care products and buy organic food products to minimize exposure to pesticides and chemicals. She advises using nontoxic cleaning and household products whenever possible, and notes that any household cleaners should be used only in well-ventilated areas. Other precautions include installing a water filter to rid water of contaminants... and avoiding packaging that uses plastics and plastic derivatives.

Source(s):

Sabrina McCormick, PhD, author of No Family History: The Environmental Links to Breast Cancer (Rowman & Littlefield) is a Fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the National Center for Environmental Assessment at the Environmental Protection Agency and is an assistant research faculty at the School of Public Health, George Washington University. She was previously a Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If that all makes you think twice about your exposure to chemicals, read this and consider using the non-toxic substitutes listed at the end of the article.

Health Hazards of Housework and Chemical Cleaners; this article also includes a list of non-toxic substitutes for cleaning your home.
http://successstressrelief.blogspot.com/2007/11/health-hazards-of-housework-and.html