Green Options » Health http://greenoptions.com/tag/health Posts tagged 'Health' Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:19:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en News Flash! Scientists Find that Cigarettes May Be Dangerous! http://sustainablog.org/2009/11/22/news-flash-scientists-find-that-cigarettes-may-be-dangerous/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/11/22/news-flash-scientists-find-that-cigarettes-may-be-dangerous/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:19:55 +0000 Steve Savage http://sustainablog.org/2009/11/22/news-flash-scientists-find-that-cigarettes-may-be-dangerous/ French woman smoking

A team of American and French scientists have just documented the fact that there are a lot of bacteria in cigarettes and that the bacterial population includes some human pathogens.  They don’t actually know if this leads to human disease- after all, these things are BURNED!.  Still it raises interesting issues. But at least the tobacco is not GMO!

OK, I am indulging in some irony here.  If you have shared my experience of having a wonderful dinner in Paris compromised by smoking neighbors at the closely-spaced tables you can relate.  European colonizers might have devastated native American peoples through disease and guns 500 years ago, but the original “Americans” got a little pay-back by introducing the Europeans to an addictive and carcinogenic product they had never known.

I have always found it fascinating that Europeans have mainly avoided GMO crops based on fears of theoretical problems that have not materialized over more than a decade of GMO commercialization, all the while allowing an extremely well-documented source of health problems to be widely used and imposed on non-smokers.  The “precautionary principle” that prevails in Europe does not seem to protect them from “documented risks”, only from “imagined risks”.  This new data on cigarettes should trigger precautionary responses that would say that all tobacco products should be banned until this bacterial risk can be assessed. I’m guessing that won’t happen.  

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/11/22/news-flash-scientists-find-that-cigarettes-may-be-dangerous/feed/ The Joy of Green Cleaning by Leslie Reichert http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/20/the-joy-of-green-cleaning-by-leslie-reichert/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/20/the-joy-of-green-cleaning-by-leslie-reichert/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:14:31 +0000 Wenona Napolitano http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/20/the-joy-of-green-cleaning-by-leslie-reichert/ If you want to clean green but don’t want to pay extra for green cleaning products consider making your own. The Joy of Green Cleaning by Certified Green Cleaner Leslie Reichert is full of recipes to make your own eco-friendly cleaning supplies with things you probably already have in your home. Like lemon juice, baking soda and white vinegar.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/20/the-joy-of-green-cleaning-by-leslie-reichert/feed/ Food Safety: Another Benefit of Healthy School Lunch Programs? http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/20/food-safety-another-benefit-of-healthy-school-lunch-programs/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/20/food-safety-another-benefit-of-healthy-school-lunch-programs/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:30:31 +0000 Kim Ukura http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/20/food-safety-another-benefit-of-healthy-school-lunch-programs/

At the risk of sounding repetitive, I’d like to add to the growing list of the benefits for healthy school lunches and school lunch reform that we blogged about yesterday. On Tuesday, USA TODAY ran an investigative story about tainted school lunches that shows how safety lapses in food production or distribution can put children at risk.

The lead of the piece is a story of almost 70 students at a Wisconsin elementary school who got sick two years ago after eating tainted tortillas. A subsequent investigation discovered that flour tortillas from the providing company were responsible for outbreaks at “more than a dozen schools in two other states” over five years. The FDA issued a warning about the tortillas, but the article says the warning never made it to school officials.

However, this case isn’t an isolated incident. According to the article,

The story of how food with a history of making kids sick continued to get into schools illustrates broad failures in government programs meant to provide safe, quality meals for America’s children, a USA TODAY investigation found. Parents and schools often have no idea where the food comes from. They know even less about the safety records of the companies that supply it. And if they try to find out, they face government roadblocks that put the rights of manufacturers ahead of providing information that could protect children.

It goes on to explain how food-borne illnesses often don’t get reported, authorities struggle to find the cause of the outbreak, or action on the issue comes to late — all factors that can potentially create safety risks.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/20/food-safety-another-benefit-of-healthy-school-lunch-programs/feed/ A Case for Healthy School Lunches http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/19/a-case-for-healthy-school-lunches/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/19/a-case-for-healthy-school-lunches/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:30:21 +0000 Becky Striepe http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/19/a-case-for-healthy-school-lunches/

The Child Nutrition Act is up for renewal and Congress has extended the deadline to early 2010. We’ve talked before about the pitiful school lunch situation in the U.S. and about how you can help advocate healthy lunches for healthy kids. What we haven’t really covered are the whys. Are the benefits of healthier lunches really worth the cost?

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/19/a-case-for-healthy-school-lunches/feed/ Can Diet Coke Kill You? Part 2 http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/15/can-diet-coke-kill-you-part-2/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/15/can-diet-coke-kill-you-part-2/#comments Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:10:11 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/15/can-diet-coke-kill-you-part-2/

Due to the great popularity of “Can Diet Coke Kill You?” combined with a lot of controversy over it, I have decided to write this follow-up post.

Most of the controversy over the last article was around the fact that the documentary I referenced cited data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) but that organization itself claims there is no proven link between aspartame and cancer.

What was presented previously was a short explanation of why aspartame is expected to cause cancer and other health problems and a summary of some information presented in Sweet Misery, including findings from analyzing NCI and other data. This article, however, cites other scientific findings and discusses the economic-political history of this topic a little bit as well.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/15/can-diet-coke-kill-you-part-2/feed/ What Is the Matter with Us? Lead and Other Toxins into the Mouths of Babes http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/13/what-is-the-matter-with-us-lead-and-other-toxins-into-the-mouths-of-babes/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/13/what-is-the-matter-with-us-lead-and-other-toxins-into-the-mouths-of-babes/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:10:48 +0000 Allison Wolff http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/13/what-is-the-matter-with-us-lead-and-other-toxins-into-the-mouths-of-babes/

Over the weekend, someone sent my husband a link to a video called “The Girl Who Silenced the World” from 1992 where a 12 year old girl named Severn Suzuki addresses the UN’s Earth Summit Meeting in Rio de Janeiro. Severn essentially gives the panel and every living adult a well-articulated lashing for leaving the planet in this state for her generation to contend with. Had the Internet been in full force then, this video would have flown around like wildfire. I’d like to help spread it around now. Everyone on this planet should watch it-it is more relevant now than ever.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/13/what-is-the-matter-with-us-lead-and-other-toxins-into-the-mouths-of-babes/feed/ Neroli Rose Green Gifts for the Holidays http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/07/neroli-rose-green-gifts-for-the-holidays/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/07/neroli-rose-green-gifts-for-the-holidays/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:31:59 +0000 Wenona Napolitano http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/07/neroli-rose-green-gifts-for-the-holidays/ Neroli Rose products are made with hydrating shea butter from Southern Sudan. Sudanese Shea Butter is thought to be the finest natural moisturizer in the world.

“In Sudan, shea butter is called Lulu, meaning ‘treasured pearl’. Sudanese women process their Lulu by hand, using an ancient, cold-pressed technique that retains the highest concentrations of Vitamins A and E. The butter is produced from the nuts of shea trees that grow wild, deep within the Sudanese forests, untouched by chemicals or fertilizers. This rare shea butter from the Nile Basin is so nutritious, it serves as a food staple for the Sudanese people during the dry season.”

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/07/neroli-rose-green-gifts-for-the-holidays/feed/ EWG Gives School Cleaning Supplies Their Report Cards (and it ain’t pretty) http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/06/ewg-gives-school-cleaning-supplies-their-report-cards-and-it-aint-pretty/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/06/ewg-gives-school-cleaning-supplies-their-report-cards-and-it-aint-pretty/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:17:18 +0000 Terri Bly http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/06/ewg-gives-school-cleaning-supplies-their-report-cards-and-it-aint-pretty/ Last week, while volunteering at my daughter’s classroom Halloween party, I flinched a little as I saw one of the other parents dutifully strolling around dispensing the requisite waterless, chem-filled hand sanitizers. Aside from my skepticism that anti-bacterial soaps will actually do much to kill a virus, I also suspected the ingredients in the sanitizer weren’t much better than the germs they were designed to kill. So when the teacher instructed two of my daughter’s peers that they were supposed to wash their hands with soap and warm water instead (apparently per parental instruction), I quickly chimed in that I wanted Eliana to do the same. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what other chemicals were being sprayed around the room when the cleaning staff arrived.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/11/06/ewg-gives-school-cleaning-supplies-their-report-cards-and-it-aint-pretty/feed/ Dazzle Dry Toluene, Phthalate, and Formadehyde Free Finger Nail Polish http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/06/dazzle-dry-toluene-phthalate-and-formadehyde-free-finger-nail-polish/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/06/dazzle-dry-toluene-phthalate-and-formadehyde-free-finger-nail-polish/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:31:09 +0000 Wenona Napolitano http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/06/dazzle-dry-toluene-phthalate-and-formadehyde-free-finger-nail-polish/ The Dazzle Dry Nail Polish System is made for the “on the go lifestyle”. The really great thing about the quick drying Dazzle Dry Nail System is that it contains no harmful chemicals. It is free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, and camphor and is also nitrocellulose free (this is the stuff that turns your nails yellow).

The Dazzle Dry formula is also Vegan and Non-Toxic.

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/06/dazzle-dry-toluene-phthalate-and-formadehyde-free-finger-nail-polish/feed/ Sweet Riot Dark Chocolate: Because You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/05/sweet-riot-dark-chocolate-because-youre-never-fully-dressed-without-a-smile/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/05/sweet-riot-dark-chocolate-because-youre-never-fully-dressed-without-a-smile/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:19:57 +0000 Terri Bly http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/05/sweet-riot-dark-chocolate-because-youre-never-fully-dressed-without-a-smile/

You may be wondering what chocolate has to do with beauty and fashion. It’s simple: Even the most gorgeous makeover and hottest fashion-forward ensemble won’t look right if you’re all frowny. You’ll also get those pesky little lines between your eyebrows. So what better to turn that frown upside down than an adorable little tin jam packed with adorable, dark chocolate-covered cacao niblets?!

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/11/05/sweet-riot-dark-chocolate-because-youre-never-fully-dressed-without-a-smile/feed/ UK Study Links Processed Foods to Depression http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/04/uk-study-links-processed-foods-to-depression/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/04/uk-study-links-processed-foods-to-depression/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:36 +0000 Becky Striepe http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/04/uk-study-links-processed-foods-to-depression/

A study that followed 3500 participants over five years found that subjects who ate the “UK Diet” were more likely to develop depression.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/11/04/uk-study-links-processed-foods-to-depression/feed/ Did Diet Coke Cause My Cancer? http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/31/did-diet-coke-cause-my-cancer/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/31/did-diet-coke-cause-my-cancer/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:27:12 +0000 Rhonda Winter http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/31/did-diet-coke-cause-my-cancer/ Recently I have been reading very disturbing research about how Diet Coke can possibly cause cancer and kill you. The artificial sweetener that is used in most diet beverages, aspartame, once ingested, becomes a lethal poison called methyl alcohol. Small quantities of this noxious substance can lead to blindness and death; even the most miniscule amounts of this aspartame toxin are strongly linked to cancer.
MaxineThis is an image of the cancerous tumor that was recently removed from my body.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/31/did-diet-coke-cause-my-cancer/feed/ Honey is a Health & Fitness Queen http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/30/honey-is-a-health-fitness-queen/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/30/honey-is-a-health-fitness-queen/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:07:27 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/30/honey-is-a-health-fitness-queen/

With a lot of great health and fitness benefits, honey should be a common staple in people’s daily diets. Other than its great taste, it has numerous benefits for our bodies, immune systems, weight, and energy which you may not be aware of.

Honey is a source of a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The main vitamins it provides are niacin, riboflavin and pantothetic acid, and the main minerals are calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Importantly, the amount of these substances in honey varies depending on its floral source, just as its color and taste vary.

On top of this, what are the main health benefits of honey?

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/30/honey-is-a-health-fitness-queen/feed/ Billionaires for Wealthcare Reinvent Guerilla Musical Theatre http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/27/billionaires-for-wealthcare-reinvent-guerilla-musical-theatre/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/27/billionaires-for-wealthcare-reinvent-guerilla-musical-theatre/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:47:10 +0000 Rhonda Winter http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/27/billionaires-for-wealthcare-reinvent-guerilla-musical-theatre/ CNN highlights the Billionaires for Wealthcare enthusiastically singing the praises of a public option, as they entertained unsuspecting attendees at a health insurance conference in Washington DC last week. Wolf Blitzer and Jeanne Moos discuss the increasingly popular use of guerilla musical theatre across the nation. Cleverly orchestrated performances and mini-musicals seem to have become much more popular with folks now than rabid screaming teabaggers.

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/27/billionaires-for-wealthcare-reinvent-guerilla-musical-theatre/feed/ Study Suggests Insecticide Causes Lupus and Arthritis http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/27/study-suggests-insecticide-causes-lupus-and-arthritis/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/27/study-suggests-insecticide-causes-lupus-and-arthritis/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:16:38 +0000 Daniel Hohler http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/27/study-suggests-insecticide-causes-lupus-and-arthritis/

New research out of Philadelphia suggests a link between women’s exposure to household insecticides (including roach and mosquito killers) and the autoimmune disorders rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Previous research has shown a link of agricultural pesticides to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Autoimmune diseases are diseases where the immune system goes haywire and begins to attack the body. Farmers were shown to be a high risk group for this reason.

Women who reported applying insecticides had a higher risk of developing the two autoimmune disorders than women who reported no insecticide use, whether or not they had lived on a farm. Those who used the insecticide the most often and most frequently had double the risk.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/10/27/study-suggests-insecticide-causes-lupus-and-arthritis/feed/ Slide into Sylk All Natural Personal Lubricant http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/10/26/slide-into-sylk-all-natural-personal-lubricant/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/10/26/slide-into-sylk-all-natural-personal-lubricant/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:58:30 +0000 Wenona Napolitano http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/10/26/slide-into-sylk-all-natural-personal-lubricant/ A couple days ago Emma wrote about Yes Personal Lubricants. I haven’t had the chance to try that one yet.

One natural lubricant that I have tried and adore is Sylk.

Sylk and Sensation by Sylk are personal lubricants made from New Zealand kiwi fruit vine extract.

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/10/26/slide-into-sylk-all-natural-personal-lubricant/feed/ My Dog Says, Eat More Sardines http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/26/my-dog-says-eat-more-sardines/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/26/my-dog-says-eat-more-sardines/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:22:25 +0000 Rachel Shulman http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/26/my-dog-says-eat-more-sardines/ My dog taught me to make better seafood choices.

Weird, I know.

You see, my dog has a lot of, er… issues. By the time I adopted her, she had lived on the streets of East St. Louis for three months, bounced through eight different foster homes, and had one failed adoption - all before her first birthday.

Dealing with her emotional baggage has become a big part of my life. Since she doesn’t find pets, praise, or ordinary dog treats very motivating, I’ve had to get more creative in my training. One food she finds really motivating are canned sardines.

Before I got this dog, I had never eaten a sardine. Once my pantry was stocked with at least a dozen tins of sardines - an option I knew was more sustainable and lower in mercury than the neighboring cans of tuna - it was inevitable that I would get curious.

I’ve since become a convert, and it looks I’m not the only one focusing on the sardine as a greener seafood option.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/26/my-dog-says-eat-more-sardines/feed/ First Polio, Now Mercury: World Unites Against Global Health Threat http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/24/first-polio-now-mercury-world-unites-against-global-health-threat/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/24/first-polio-now-mercury-world-unites-against-global-health-threat/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:31:02 +0000 Tina Casey http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/24/first-polio-now-mercury-world-unites-against-global-health-threat/ Mercury is a neurotoxin that makes its way into the food chain from coal power plant emissions and other sources.

Mercury pollution is next on the list of global health threats to face concentrated action with the goal of elimination.  According to Zero Mercury Working Group, yesterday the first significant steps toward a binding treaty to control mercury pollution were announced at a United Nations Environmental Program meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, in advance of negotiations that will take place in Stockholm next summer.

The global nature of mercury pollution lies in its ability to travel long distances from its point of emission through the food chain.  In fish it accumulates in its most toxic form, methylmercury.  Zero Mercury hopes to achieve a treaty by 2013 that promotes more sustainable alternatives to mercury in products and industrial processes, with the broad goal of addressing all controllable emissions of mercury in the environment.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/24/first-polio-now-mercury-world-unites-against-global-health-threat/feed/ Billionaires for Wealthcare Sing the Praises of a Public Option http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/24/billionaires-for-wealthcare-sing-the-praises-of-a-public-option/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/24/billionaires-for-wealthcare-sing-the-praises-of-a-public-option/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:59:38 +0000 Rhonda Winter http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/24/billionaires-for-wealthcare-sing-the-praises-of-a-public-option/ The brave Billionaires for Wealthcare are back in fine voice. This group of talented guerrilla performance artists graciously entertained attendees at a conference of health insurance industry workers with a seemingly spontaneous performance of a clever operatic anthem about our desperate need for a public option.

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

At the annual conference of America’s Health Insurance Plans, (the corporate lobbying group that recently released a threatening report about how any inclusion of a public option in health care legislation would cause private insurers to grossly inflate their rates even more), attendees were entertained by the Billionaires for Wealthcare with their clever rendition of the ever hopeful song “Tomorrow“.

]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/10/24/billionaires-for-wealthcare-sing-the-praises-of-a-public-option/feed/ #8 Barcelona, Spain: Great Bicycle City Photo Tour http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/23/8-barcelona-spain-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/23/8-barcelona-spain-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:46:40 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/23/8-barcelona-spain-great-bicycle-city-photo-tour/

Naked bicyclists, folding bikes, balloon bikes, and more — enjoy this bicycle photo tour of Barcelona.

The third B in a row, Barcelona is next on this list of great bicycle cities (right ahead of Basel, Switzerland and Bogota, Columbia). As a dense city with a wonderful climate, Barcelona is naturally a wonderful place for bicyclists. However, a lot has been done to make it more so. The biggest carrot encouraging bicycling, by far, is Barcelona’s relatively new bike sharing program — Bicing. This is perhaps the best or second best bike sharing program in the world. It is one of a new generation of sophisticated, smart bike sharing programs. Read more about it on page 2.

Beyond Bicing, the city is also working on creating new bicycling routes and bike parking and it hosts fun Bike Week celebrations every year in May. Also, it has been creating better infrastructure for bicyclists due to so many more people bicycling within the past few years. It is transforming itself into a truly world-leading bicycle city.

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