Derek Henry ~ 10 Critical Upgrades For A Healthier Body

NaturalNews  May 30 2014

According to the EWG, the scientific evidence is increasingly clear that eating too much of greenhouse gas-intensive animal meats boosts exposure to toxins and increases the risk of a wide variety of serious health problems, including heart disease, certain cancers, obesity and, in some studies, diabetes.” ~D. Henry

smoothieIt is often difficult for people to completely drop old health compromising habits and pick up completely new ones, even if it is a better choice for their health. Due to that fact, transition is an important strategy. Here are 10 upgrades to transition to in order to reach that next level of health.

Water

Upgrading water is one of the most important factors to consider when becoming healthy. Ditch the contaminated tap and hormone disrupting plastic bottled water and choose spring, mineralized, or filtered water instead.

Smoothies

Don’t start the most important meal of the day with coffee and sugary cereals. This is a bad way to wake up the digestive system and it will not adequately power anyone through their morning.

Opt for a superfood smoothie instead that is full of enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, and other health promoting nutrients. Incorporate high quality superfoods for the most benefits.

Juicing

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Daisy Luther ~ The Good, The Bad, And The Deadly: EWG Releases 2014 Dirty Dozen And Clean Fifteen Lists

ReadyNutrition  April 30 2014

avocadoThe Environmental Working Group has released its 2014 list of The Dirty Dozen Plus and The Clean Fifteen.

It’s important to note that the suggestions given by EWG are based strictly on the levels of contamination from pesticide.  The Clean 15 list does contain items that are potentially genetically modified, so you must be aware of this fact when shopping, as we recommend strict avoidance of all GMOs.  For example, field corn and nearly all papayas from Hawaii are genetically modified.  Some varieties of sweet corn, tomatoes,  mangoes, and zucchini are also genetically modified.  This list has absolutely nothing to do with GMOs and everything to do with toxic pesticides. Just because a food is on the list, please understand we are not wholeheartedly endorsing that you go buy the conventional version.  Do your research.  Remember, if you purchase organic you are not only avoiding pesticides, but also GMOs.  You can also look for items verified by the Non-GMO Project.

By purchasing your produce locally as much as possible, you can learn more about the source of your fruits and vegetables, and whether or not they were from GMO seeds.  you can find a very comprehensive directory of local farms, co-ops and CSAs across the country HERE.

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EWG’s 2014 Shopper’s Guide To Pesticides In Produce

EWG  April 28 2014

EWG’s 2014 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

PesticidesInApplesWashington, D.C. – Environmental Working Group charged today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has failed to tell Americans – as required under federal law – that they have a right to know about the risks of pesticide exposure and ways they can reduce pesticides in their diets.

Because the EPA has not complied in full with the Congressional mandate, for more than a decade EWG has stepped in to fill the void by publishing its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.  EWG aims to help people eat healthy and reduce their exposure to pesticides in produce.

“EWG’s Shopper’s Guide helps people find conventional fruits and vegetables with low concentrations of pesticide residues,” said Sonya Lunder, EWG’s senior analyst and principle author of the report.  “If a particular item is likely to be high in pesticides, people can go for organic.”

The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 required EPA to assess pesticides in light of their particular dangers to children and to ensure that pesticides posed a “reasonable certainty of no harm” to children or any other high-risk group.  One provision of the act required that EPA inform people about possible hazards to their health brought about consuming pesticides with their food.  The agency provides some information on its website, but it does not list foods likely to contain the highest amounts of pesticide residues nor those that pose the greatest dangers to human health. Most importantly, it does not offer the “right to know” information Congress required on behalf of consumers in 1996:  how to avoid pesticide exposures while still eating a healthy diet.

Apples topped this year’s annual Dirty Dozen list of most pesticide-contaminated produce for the fourth year.

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Cell Phone Radiation Varies By Wireless Carrier

EWG  November 12 2013

Environmental Working Group

Washington, D.C. – In recent years, a series of studies have shown that a consumer’s choice of wireless carrier may be more important than the cell phone itself in determining how much radiation will reach the user, according to a new analysis by researchers at the Environmental Working Group.

These studies indicate that users of similar mobile devices can be exposed to starkly different intensities of radio frequency emissions, depending on which network technology their carriers use to transmit signals.

“For the many people who want to avoid excessive cell phone radiation, the choice of wireless network is key,” said Renee Sharp, director of research for EWG. “Yet they don’t have enough information to make that decision, because neither the Federal Communications Commission nor the wireless industry makes public critical information about wireless systems’ radiation levels in real-world conditions.”

One important industry-funded study, published in 2010 but based on data collected in 2005 and 2006, showed that AT&T and T-Mobile 2G (second generation) networks that used GSM and TDMA technologies exposed cell phone users to 30 to 300 times more radiation than Verizon and Sprint networks with a technology called CDMA.

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Manufacturers Deceive Consumers With “Organic” Product Names

EWG  July 29 2013

Savvy consumers know that cosmetics do not have to be tested and proved safe before making it onto store shelves. Consumer protections for personal care products are outdated and broken, so shoppers must do their own legwork to ensure that the products they buy are safe – by reading labels and using resources such as EWG’s Skin Deep database.

But making sense of the labels on cosmetic products isn’t easy.

Manufacturers use the term “organic” in their product names to mislead consumers about the sources of the ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency that regulates cosmetics, acknowledges that it does not “define or regulate the term ‘organic’ as it applies to cosmetics, body care or personal care products.”

In fact, it’s the U.S. Department of Agriculture that regulates the term “organic,” whether in food or cosmetics. But there’s a Catch-22. Although cosmetic products containing agricultural ingredients are eligible for USDA’s organic certification, that agency says it’s not authorized to regulate the “production and labeling of cosmetics… that are not made up of agricultural ingredients, or do not make any claims to meeting USDA organic standards.”

This means that cosmetics that don’t contain agricultural ingredients can deceptively use the word “organic” in the product name without penalty from either USDA or FDA.

It’s important to understand the components of product labels. The “principal display panel” – the front label – is the portion with the product name, logo and, when applicable, the USDA Organic Seal. The ingredient information panel is on the back and lists ingredients. Though manufacturers do not always provide a full list of ingredients.

When it comes to “organic” claims, here are the facts:

If a company is selling a product that does contain agricultural ingredients and wants to label it organic, it must abide by these rules under USDA’s National Organic Program:

  • Products labeled “100% organic” can contain only organically produced ingredients. They can display the USDA Organic Seal.
  • Products labeled simply “organic” must contain a minimum of 95 percent organically produced ingredients. They are also permitted to display the USDA Organic Seal. Non-organic ingredients must be USDA-approved and appear on the National List of allowed and prohibited substances.
  • Products labeled “made with organic xxxxx” (for example, “Made with organic rosemary”) must contain a minimum of 70 percent organically produced ingredients. They may not display the USDA Organic Seal but can list up to three of the certified organic ingredients on the front label.
  • Products containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot display the USDA Organic Seal or use the term “organic” on the front label. These products are permitted to list certified organic ingredients on theback panel only.
  • The listed percentages of organic material cannot include water and salt.
  • All products must provide the name and address of a USDA-accredited certifier, a private company hired to document that the product complies with the agency’s rules.

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