Help Me PLEASE!!!!!

Please click this link to vote for my entry to win a Springfree trampoline for my kids. I promised them one at Christmas, which is right about when child support stopped coming... Yeah, I chose to keep feeding them instead of getting a trampoline... I know it's a novel idea...

PLEASE VOTE!!!!!

http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/36453/voteable_entries/5450701?order=recency&view_entries=1

Kids' Drinks Cause Cancer?

This weekend I ended up with the extra "Kool-Aid Jammers" that were given as snacks after my daughter's ball game. There are no ingredients listed on the individual pouch (similar to "Capri Sun," so I had to look them up since both of my kids can't have aspartame. Boy, did I step into a mine field!!

It turns out, the Jammers, among many other drinks, contain chemicals that form benzene (a carcinogen) when mixed together. You can read more here:

Benzene in Soft Drinks

If you think this story doesn't apply to you, see this list of other offenders before you click away:

Partial List of Soft Drinks Containing Ascorbic Acid and Potassium or Sodium Benzoate (Make sure you check current ingredients, as the makers may have changed them since this article was written)
Country Time Lemonade
Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange
Diet Pepsi Twist
Diet Pepsi Vanilla
Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry
Diet RockStar Energy Drink
Fanta - Orange
Fanta - Pineapple
Fruit20 Plus 10 Natural Apple
Giant Fruity Punch Cooler
Hawaiian Punch - Fruit Juicy Red
Hawaiian Punch - Lemonade
HiC Blast - Berry Blue
HiC Blast - Fruit Pow
HiC Blast - Orange Super Nova
Koolaid Jammers - Blue Raspberry
Koolaid Jammers - Cherry
Koolaid Jammers - Grape
Koolaid Jammers - Orange
Koolaid Jammers 10 - Cherry
Koolaid Jammers 10 - Kiwi Strawberry
Koolaid Jammers 10 - Tropical Punch
Lo-Carb Monster Energy
Minute Maid – Tropical Citrus
Monster Energy
Mug Root Beer
Pepsi Twist Lemon
Pepsi Vanilla
RockStar Energy Drink
Sierra Mist
Sierra Mist Free
Sunkist
Sunny D
Sunny D Baja
Sunny D Intense Sport Cool Punch
Sunny D Orange-Fused Strawberry
Sunny D Smooth
Sunny D Smooth + Calcium
Talking Rain sparkling water - Black Raspberry
Talking Rain sparkling water - Harvest Peach
Talking Rain sparkling water - Orange Mango
Talking Rain sparkling water - Pink Grapefruit
Tampico Citrus Punch
Tampico Grape Punch
Tampico Tropical Punch
Tropicana Lemonade
Tropicana Orangeade
Tropicana Pink Lemonade
Tropicana Strawberry Melon
Tropicana Twister Diet Soda (Diet Orange)
Tropicana Twister Soda – Grape
Tropicana Twister Soda – Orange
Tropicana Twister Soda – Strawberry

Cancer and the REAL Leading Cause of Death

In less than an hour, I went from reading a purely innocent article entitled, "How Your Endocrine System is Being Harmed by the Top 5 Home Toxins," to re-discovering a truth I forgot I knew about the real leading cause of death to Americans. First, regarding the article, it is very informative regarding the toxins we bring into our home. For approximately 3-4 years I've kept air purifiers in my home for allergies as well as keeping other toxins and contaminants out of the air. Most people don't realize that lung cancer is actually the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. (But not the leading cause of death...)

I then ended up at another article, "What Caused a Dramatic Drop in Breast Cancer … Plus Top 11 Things You Can do to Lower Your Risk Even More …" It is a great article reminding us all that we do have some control over whether or not we get breast cancer, and if we do, the best way to help fight it.

The "C Word" is something we all fear. We participate in Relay for Life, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and the Avon 3 Day walk. In the world of public relations, breast cancer especially has gotten a pretty good name for itself, don't you think? But has it earned that right? Looking at projected statistics for 2010, 19% of breast cancer patients will die. But 71% of lung cancer patients will die. Hmmmm. All that hype going toward "breast cancer" and what's really getting us is lung cancer. Perhaps you can say that all the hype has led to better success rates for breast cancer, but I don't think so. And if that were so, why not do the same now for lung cancer?

I watched a new Christiane Northrup lecture on PBS last weekend called, "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom." She clarified something for me about self breast exams and why studies recently showed that women should stop doing them. Women who did self-exams found more tumors, including malignant ones, and detected some cancers earlier, but there was no significant difference in death rates. According to Dr. Northrup, "early detection" leads to finding cancers that would often go away on their own. She suggested that we take care of our bodies properly, and listen to them because we often get that gut feeling when something is really wrong. If you count all these "baby tumors" as breast cancer, you can see why the survival rate would be good...because the women having them wouldn't have died from the cancer at all. As a matter of fact, I just read somewhere and can't find the source, that cancers are often found during autopsies, where the cause of death was natural. So it's not uncommon to have cancer in our bodies that doesn't affect us at all. But if we start cutting out and attacking every lump or bump, I'm sure the "treatment" will eventually kill us. I highly suggest finding Dr. Northrup's lecture on your local PBS channel!

Now to the real reason I sat down to write. I still haven't shared the leading cause of death. If you have paid attention at all during the last 10 years or so, you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death.

Studies show that few women identify heart disease as their top cause of death. Significantly more women fear breast cancer over heart disease. Yet more women die from heart disease each year than from all cancers combined.

Whether you are a man or a woman, your chance of having cardiovascular disease (and dying from it) are greater than ALL cancers combined. So why is it that we fear the "C Word" so often and then get sneaked up on by a heart attack?! It all comes down to public relations (PR). Whether more money has gone into cancer campaigns, or their campaigns have been more effective, I don't know. But somehow we have grown this massive misconception in our country that cancer is what's going to get us. Perhaps believing that, and then believing that it is something out of our control is the reason so many people live like they do. I don't know.... Perhaps because the treatment for cancer is more dramatic and prolonged, it has garnered the sympathy donations, leading to more PR. It really has a life of it's own, and well, heart disease is something "old" people get and they just die and go away. Sorry to be blunt, but isn't that what's happening here?

If you look at the numbers, it is sad. The American Cancer Society only puts 15% of its funds toward research, but I would bet that most people think otherwise when they donate. The American Heart Association puts 20.8% toward research, but an impressive 40% toward public education. I also just read that the American Heart Association does not receive federal funding (although they do help other organizations receive funding for programs), and one of the goals for the American Cancer Society is to get MORE federal funding!

The point to all this is...we are each responsible for our own bodies. Our doctors, researchers, parents, or kids are not responsible for what we put in our mouths daily, whether we smoke, the air that we breathe or the toxins we invite into our homes. Giving money is not going to keep you alive, but spending that money on your own health WILL. And KNOW THE REAL DANGER FOR YOU. If you have hypertension, cholesterol problems, chest pains, or other little known heart symptoms, you should probably be more concerned about heart health than fearing cancer!

P.S. Eat your veggies!

The Problem with "Health Care"

The problem with health care is plain and simple...it is...PEOPLE. Yes, PEOPLE, and I'll back that up with examples...

People want to eat crap all day long, wash it down with something like pop, alcohol, or even toxin-laden water, and as long as their bellies are full, they are happy as can be. They want to drink to drunkeness, smoke cigarettes, sit on their butts watching television all evening, and wake up the next day and do it all over. People LOVE feeding junk food to their kids and wouldn't dare make them eat healthy food...because they don't eat it themselves. They are fed candy, soda, cookies, and french fries, and if they are lucky, they might get a veggie- corn- once a week. Almost everything kids drink has "sugar" or "high fructose corn syrup" in the first two ingredients, and when they DO drink milk, it's pasteurized and homogenized, making it practically useless. Kids then are given life-altering vaccinations that "people" trust are good for them, not really ever looking at the consequences, because they are sure someone has already done that, and our government SURELY wouldn't do anything harmful to our kids.

When people are sick, they just go to the doctor to get a pill, and if God forbid the doctor says ANYTHING about their weight, they will complain to anyone who will listen for at least two weeks. The problem is, SO many people are sick these days, because of diet, bad habits, and laziness, that it has tipped our health care system upside down. These sick, lazy people expect healthy people who eat right and exercise to pick up their tab. Which is essentially what "insurance" is doing; taking money from everyone to help pay for the sick. And unfortunately, the economically disadvantaged are usually the ones out of work, who smoke, drink, and feed their families crap.

Don't get me wrong. My mother told me a long time ago, "Just because you have no money doesn't mean you don't take care of what you've got." And we didn't have much growing up. But times have changed. Parents have gotten lazy, people have been handed too much, and nobody wants to work for anything anymore. It is much easier to sit on your front porch missing teeth, smoking a Marlboro, and swigging on that 40.

The people who are really getting jacked are the children who are born with diseases or birth defects, who can't get coverage because the insurance companies are panicking over all the other crap they have to pay out for. When our kid gets an ear infection we want to pay a $10 copay to the doctor, and pay $5 for the antibiotic. When our kid has the sniffles, we rush him to the doctor. I can't believe all the times I've heard parents say they were taking their kids to the doctor! You have to be bloody or blue in my house to warrant a doctor visit, and there'd BETTER be something seriously wrong with you!

We have been spoiled with employer-paid coverage and expect it to keep going. We blame corporations for not dishing out. Granted there are some companies that can pay and don't. There are others that can't, or they'd go out of business. You have the freedom in this country to get a job that provides good insurance, or start your own business and make enough money to afford your own coverage. And you'd better sit down for this. You know all that money you raise for your favorite health organizations like the American Cancer Society? Their employees have AWESOME insurance! So while you are barely scraping by paying premiums and still trying to keep enough in your pocket to actually go to the doctor if you need to, you are helping others have it better than you!

So before you blame the insurance companies, the government, the corporations and illegal immigrants (don't get me started on THAT!) take a look around at all the sick people you know who can afford their crappy lifestyle, and then think about people like me who make every effort to eat healthy, drink pure water, breathe clean air, exercise, and avoid toxins, who are paying insurance premiums "just in case" and getting pretty much nothing in return.

Health care begins at home. It starts with what you put in your grocery cart and stock in your fridge. Until people get that right, we will ALWAYS be in dire straits when it comes to health care. People need to wake up and be held accountable for their futures. Instead of saying, "help me," help yourself and make a change...because the alternative is no longer an option.

Drinking Water Quality in Schools

My children were schooled for the first time this spring, after being homeschooled for 3-4 years. About 6 weeks after starting school, they both began to complain about stomach aches. Before they ate, after they ate, and any time in between, I heard the complaints often. At first I blamed the poor quality food they received at lunch. About a week after summer vacation started, I noticed that the complaints stopped. Now I'm not sure what caused the problem, but I'm growing suspicious of the water at the school. At home, we drink distilled water. Our community is known for high nitrate water, and with old pipes at the school we could be talking about lead or copper levels beyond what children should be drinking.

So I started wondering. I was told at some point that restaurants are required to filter their drinking water. I don't know if this is true or not, but from my research I have discovered no such protection for children in schools. As a matter of fact, I found scary stuff that makes me look into this matter further. Here are some links I found if you would like to read more. Keep in mind as you read that the EPA allows a certain level of contaminants in municipal drinking water. As a parent of young kids with developing minds and bodies, I do not agree that they should be drinking ANY level of contaminants.

Also, I do not believe that we should demand that the government spend millions of dollars to fix OUR children's drinking water. My point is that I want to know how bad the water is and if there is anything in place to clean it. If not, the community needs to come up with a solution. I will be writing more on this in the future!

Drinking Water Unsafe at Thousands of Schools

Senate Hearing on Safer School Water Quality Standards with EPA

EPA announces new policies on water quality at schools

Drinking Water Testing and InformationFor Water Well Homeowners, Private Water Well Owners, Realtors, Plumbing Contractors, Water Well Drillers

Raw Cow's Milk is the Cat's Meeeeeooooww

A few weeks ago we took in a kitten that I have now decided was weaned too early. The poor thing is suckling on my fingers, knuckles, toes, and even elbows! I discovered that he really loved licking the bowl of my morning breakfast- raw cow's milk yogurt- so I gave him that luxury. Then I decided to feed him some milk from a dropper to see what he would do. Meeeeoooowwwww!

Now whenever he even sees the milk carton he meows like crazy and demands MORE! We don't give him much, but it really seems to help calm him down. This is not the milk you get at the grocery store. It is raw milk from grass fed cows. And despite what you will read all over the internet about "milk," it has not given him diarrhea at all! I was actually doing some research on it when I realized that it's been a long time since I've hollered out to the internet world, "HEY YOU! Raw cow's milk is good for you and you should drink it everyday!"

We've been consuming raw dairy in our house for about 4 years. I have never been healthier. My cholesterol is low, and with my adrenal gland issues, I've actually read that red meat, salt, and raw dairy is perfect for me. (Good thing I don't listen to conventional wisdom because I would probably be dead by now!)

If you have never tried raw milk, do not write off "milk" because of lactose intolerance. And definitely don't write it off just because some goon on the internet says, "cow's milk is for cows, not humans." Some of us need it very much, and there are many life affirming properties that you can get from real, raw, unprocessed milk. Here is a starter article I have found that might help your research, because really, don't just listen to me either...

Raw Milk
by Tom Cowan, MD

Shower Filters

When I was younger I thought of shower filters as more of a luxury item. They were for people who wanted softer skin and softer hair, without having to lather on lotions or conditioners. As I got older, and the internet came into my life, I learned a lot more about the dangers of chlorine in shower water and its implications to human health.

When I was younger, we also all thought that toxins or chemicals could only enter the body if we swallowed them. We now know that the skin allows what we put on it to enter the body. With that discovery, we should realize that there are some changes to our daily lives that need to happen if we want to protect our DNA and keep our cells from mutating into things like cancer.

The best way to protect yourself from known carcinogens (like chloroform) is to use a good shower filter on your daily shower. For short term effects, your skin and hair will be softer. Even better, those with asthma or COPD will be protected from the harmful affects of chloramines in regular municipal tap water. When water is heated and we breathe in the steam, that steam contains chlorine by-products and any other contaminant that might be in the water. We breathe it in, where it goes into our lungs and directly into our blood stream.

"I have well water" is no excuse to not filter your shower. All water coming into your house will have something in it that your body doesn't need. Showerwise shower filters reduce iron, lead, arsenic, mercury, hydrogen sulfide, several types of bacteria, algae, fungi and mold.

If you know someone who is battling cancer, the Showerwise is an excellent "get well" gift. And if you want to do your best to prevent it in your family, a Showerwise is a definite necessity.

Chemical-Free Progesterone Cream Testimony

If you are male, sorry, this will be TMI. If you are a wonderful boyfriend or husband, this information might just help your girlfriend or wife, so listen up!! :)

Sometime before my 38th birthday, I noticed that my periods weren't as "normal" as they used to be. Instead of every 28 days, they were more like every 21-23 days. Then I noticed that I had spotting, almost every day in between my periods. As someone who had a regular period every 28 days since the age 11 (except for pregnancies), I knew that it was probably time for "the change." For many women, "the change" can take place over a ten year period (no pun intended), when menstruation finally ceases. This time period is known as "peri-menopause."

If you or your woman is in her mid-30s and beginning to have varying cycles, it is probably peri-menopause. But here's the problem...it's a freaking PAIN in the neck. I ruined so many pairs of panties from continual spotting and refusing to use any pads or liners. I just knew I would stop spotting, but I never did. Finally, I had a period show up that I wasn't even sure was my period because I had spotted the whole month. But seven days later, when I was still bleeding through SUPER absorbent tampons, I knew this was either a much heavier than normal period, or I was bleeding to death!

That is where I finally drew the line and decided to try progesterone cream. After the very first month, things went back to normal. My periods went back to a 28 day cycle, and the spotting ceased within the month. Of course, there are many other benefits of progesterone cream, and if you are having other symptoms that you feel may be related to a hormone imbalance associated with peri-menopause, click on the image below to learn a whole lot more about progesterone cream and how it might help you! Don't wait until you have to replace all your panties, and don't wait for your man to Google, "What is wrong with my hormonal woman?"

No Deaths from Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids or Herbs

As we all argue about health care reform, what are we really fighting for? The ability to get prescriptions cheaper that are killing us daily? As we fight about who is entitled to health care, the monsters in control quietly work at removing our freedoms to take supplements that provide health benefits... read the article

The FDA Shuts Down Common Infant Vaccine After Startling Discovery

“U.S. federal health authorities recommended … that doctors suspend using Rotarix, one of two vaccines licensed in the U.S. against rotavirus, saying the vaccine is contaminated with material from a pig virus,” CNN reports. (Read more...)

Sadly, this is an example of a vaccine that really isn't neccesary for U.S. children or those in developed countries. If you do vaccinate your kids, make sure that they are getting what you really think they need, and not every vaccine on the market. It is YOUR child...not the doctor's and NOT the government's. DO YOUR RESEARCH!

Great Article on MSG Dangers

I've always been careful about food choices, but ever since Jamie Oliver has jumped into our living room, I've become even more careful than usual. Obesity has numerous causes, including overeating, of course. But making better food choices is more important now, more than ever before. Making the wrong choices can actually alter your brain, leading to more obesity!

Studies show MSG fed Mice became Grossly Obese

Make sure you read the comments at the bottom as well!

High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Liver Scarring

There has been a lot in the media about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) recently and if you weren't aware of this, you may have caught the commercial on TV stating how HFCS is just like sugar. Well, it's not. Don't believe everything you see on commercials...unless it's those numerous side effects for drugs that you "might" get (you WILL) and always double check the information to see for yourself. You can be that if there is a commercial, they are spending that money for a reason, and sometimes it IS to pull the wool over your eyes. Here is one article:

High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Liver Scarring

And if you've missed other HFCS information, here's one from 2007 from Dr. Mercola:
How High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages Your Body

There is something in that first article that I don't agree with. The author refers to the solution to heart disease as being a low-fat diet. That is simply not true. Most people these days realize that we have to consume the RIGHT fats, in proportional amounts. But I'm pretty sure Americans on "low fat" diets have proven that they lead to "high carb" diets which are MUCH worse for you. Look at our obesity epidemic for proof...

If you are a parent of young children, check these foods for HFCS and buy alternatives! If you think of some that I'm not listing, please comment and mention them!

jelly/jam, catsup (or Ketchup), soft drinks, syrup, barbecue sauces, salad dressings, baked goods, cereals

You can find alternative jelly, catsup and real maple syrup in your natural foods section.

Lack of Vitamin D in U.S. Kids “Shocking”

Just in time for cold and flu season, here is some information that will be truely helpful to you. Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D because it is very important and provides many benefits to your entire body!

Root Canal Case Studies: Dental Toxicity and Cancer

Here is the beginning of a great article by Bill Henderson on root canals and cancer.

"Before I begin "harping" again on my favorite subject about cancer cause and cure, let me thank you for your patience while Terry and I enjoyed a wonderful vacation in Italy from July 16th through August 3rd. It took me a couple of weeks to catch up on the backup of calls and e-mails (and get over the jet lag), but it was a wonderful trip. We saw all the "highlights" of Italy -- and some of the lowlights. Our favorite part of the trip, which included Venice, Verona, Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Rome and Naples, was the Cinque Terre. This is a group of five quaint villages literally carved out of the cliff along the Mediterranean. You can hike between them and the coast views are incredible. We even swam some at one of the beaches. If I had it to do over again, I would concentrate on the Tuscany area in central Italy. This includes the Cinque Terre region as well as Pisa (boring), Lucca (Puccini's home), and Florence (incredible).
Now, back to my favorite subject -- dental toxicity and its relation to cancer. Why, you ask, do I keep stressing this subject in my newsletters, radio shows, workshops and speeches? I'll tell you why. Because I've found from talking to about 3,000 cancer patients in the last 9 years that it is a critical factor in almost all of their cancer healing."
Read more...

Should Parents be Forced to Give their Child Chemotherapy?

I just read an interesting blog post from Dr. Laura that I totally disagree with. You can read it here: http://www.drlaurablog.com/2009/05/21/fleeing-from-life-saving-cancer-treatment/

Dr. Laura, like most people in the USA, assumes that chemotherapy is a life-saving cancer treatment that will surely save this boy from his disease. She also assumes that natural treatments will be ineffective. But how does she know? She doesn't. The fact is that information is being withheld from people that would help them better understand how cancer works and how best to defeat it.

I have a friend whose little boy was in cancer treatment. She did a lot of her own research on the side, and found it astonishing that while doctors pumped dangerous drugs into these cancer-stricken children, they also fed them cancer-causing foods and watched parents give them pop from their own machines while in the hospital! People are still in denial that their diets have anything to do with cancer or any other disease they might "end up with." This is because the cancer industry is focusing on the expensive drugs that fund their paychecks and not on what people really need to know!

Quickly Googling "how effective is chemotherapy" will bring up loads of information on this topic including this great article: http://cancerfighter.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/how-effective-is-chemotherapy/ The fact is, chemotherapy has proven much less effective in treating cancers, yet doctors still present it as a panacea for cancer in almost all cases. (It has a 2-5% success rate!)

The other question here is whether or not the government has the right to make us or our children receive medical care that we do not want. How is it any more their right to decide what medical care children should receive than their own parents' rights? And does this mean that if government imposed treatment is forced unwillingly that parents can sue when the treatment doesn't work? The last time I checked, I live in the USA. We have certain freedoms here. And as far as I'm concerned, being intelligent and conscientious and not allowing my child to receive treatment that will possibly kill him before the disease does is a freedom that should be encouraged by our citizens, members of government included. Let them have our soldiers; our children are parents' responsibilities!!

Natural Solution to Urinary Tract Infections

My daughter started having UTI's at age 3. She was fully potty trained, staying dry at night, and I later realized, getting too busy with playing to stop and go potty. Yes, after about a thousand dollars in testing, we found out she was totally fine physically, but she kept on getting infections. This tends to happen when little ones (particularly girls) hold their urine too long. And once they get one infection, they are more susceptible to them in the future.
After a while, I realized that cranberry supplements were very effective in keeping these infections at bay. So we gave them to her daily, even more than what the label suggested. She is now 6.5 and we haven't used the cranberry in a while. But yesterday morning, I knew something was wrong when she woke up at 8 am and I kept hearing the bathroom door close. She asked if she could take a bath because she was "hurting." Oddly enough, this was the first time she has experienced pain with a UTI, and if you've ever had one, you know why that is strange!
So my suspicions were correct, and it took about 10 minutes to talk her into taking the cranberry. (With one infection her fever went up to 106 degrees and she had to get a very painful shot...I simply reminded her of that.) The pills don't taste bad, she was just grumpy and in pain and wanted to defy anything I asked of her.
Within the hour, I had my happy, cheerful daughter back and there were no further signs of infection. Had we not had the cranberry supplements, we would have spent $60 at the doctor and at least $10 for antibiotics, not to mention the havoc that they wreak on the body!
I can only vouch for the ones that we take, the "Solaray CranActin Chewables." This company also has drops, and pills for adults, but the chewable is good for the whole family so it's good to keep around the house.
If your child has never had a UTI you may be wondering how you would know if you don't take your child to the doctor. Like I said, my daughter never experienced pain. She has had pain in her kidney area, but not "down there" like is typical. The very first symptom I ever saw from her was that she had an accident on the kitchen floor. She was totally potty trained. Five minutes later, it happened again. She was also unable to stay dry at night, even though she had been dry at night for six months. Another tell-tale sign is that the urine has a different smell. It stinks, actually. My son got an infection when we drove to Dallas for six hours and I realized when he was having painful urination that he hadn't had any water all day. Yikes! Another symptom which is really scary is blood in the urine. With her first infection, my daughter never complained of pain, so when I saw blood in her urine I was severely alarmed.
The most common reason children get infections is not drinking enough water, and holding their urine. When they hold it, the sensation goes away temporarily and they think they don't have to go anymore. Then it comes back, and they know it will go away, so they wait through it, and resume play. This is where parents come in. Making your children come inside to potty is key to avoiding this problem. If you have to set a timer to remind you, it would be wise. The most important thing to children is having fun, and going potty does nothing but get in the way of their goal.
If you have urinary tract problems yourself, I would definitely get on this regimen! Also, make sure to boost your immune system by eating right and getting outside when it's sunny. And it goes without saying...drink plenty of pure water daily and avoid your favorite sodas.

Crystal Stick Deodorant

If you have seen the Crystal Stick deodorant in the little purple container and always wondered if it worked, it does! As a matter of fact, it works WAY better than other natural deodorants. For me it has even worked better than the "fully loaded" un-natural deodorants that are supposed to stop anything. Not only does the Crystal Stick not stain your shirts, it doesn't leave that gooey mess in your armpits, which might matter to you now that summer is fast approaching. For campers and hikers, you can rest assured that none of nature's winged creatures will be attracted to you this summer since the Crystal Stick has no scent.
The Crystal Stick is made of natural mineral salts and is completely free of chemicals, perfumes, and dyes. You simply wet the stick (or use on wet arm pits after shower) and rub on the arm pits just like you would any regular deodorant. You can also use it on smelly feet!
Of course, after swimming, you would need to re-apply, whereas a regular deodorant would hang on after swimming. If you've always wondered about this product, now you know! Try it...it will save you money! One stick lasts approximately one year.

Interesting Articles on the FDA and Alternative Medicine

Here are a couple of articles that you might find interesting:

FDA scientists complain to Obama of 'corruption' By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

'Alternative' Medicine Is Mainstream- By DEEPAK CHOPRA , DEAN ORNISH , RUSTUM ROY and ANDREW WEIL The evidence is mounting that diet and lifestyle are the best cures for our worst afflictions.

Sleep Disorders

Dr. Oz (you know- "Oprah's doctor") is talking about people who have trouble sleeping this week. I can't imagine suffering from a sleep disorder, as I've dealt with a few from time to time for just a short period and they almost drove me mad. As a child, I would sleep walk often. But not being able to sleep is probably one of the worst feelings in the world, and NOT something I could deal with easily.
I'm one of those that falls asleep practically as soon as my head hits the pillow. But sometimes, for whatever reason, I can't sleep! Usually it's because I've got too much on my mind. I try to keep a stress-free life, but things creep in and get to me, and chip away at my sleep.
At one point in my life, I thought I had to get everything done before I could go to bed, so I was up until 2 am some nights. Then I would sleep until 10 am. Recently, I reversed that habit and get up at either 4 am or 6 am (depending on how much I have to do) and go to bed much earlier. This schedule has also helped me get some alone time, which is VERY helpful since I am a single mom who also homeschools. I had read somewhere that going to bed earlier and getting up earlier is a more natural schedule for our bodies and I think this is true. I feel much better. And I know if I don't finish something, I will have time in the morning to do so. Just changing the timing seems to have given me three extra hours in the day. It's wild! If you have control over your schedule, it might be something you want to look into if you aren't doing it already.
In any case, this might help you get the sleep you need if you are lying awake at night, tossing and turning, and watching the hours go by. Happy sleeping!

Yoplait and rBGH Drama - Breast Cancer Cause

Yes, you read that title correctly! The Yoplait/rBGH drama is enough stress by itself to cause breast cancer! So here's the deal. I received a couple of emails from two different organizations. Here is one:

Dear Citizen Activist,
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and you may have already seen the ads touting Yoplait's campaign against breast cancer, called Save Lids to Save Lives .
The company plans to donate 10 cents to the fight against breast cancer for every cup of yogurt with with a pink foil lid that consumers purchase.
Yoplait touts its yogurt as being healthy for women, but what's inside is anything but.
The reality is that Yoplait yogurt is made with milk from cows that have been injected with a synthetic hormone called recombinant bovine growth hormone (called rBGH or rBST). Research indicates that there are numerous health concerns linked to the consumption of dairy from cows injected with rBGH - and breast cancer is one of them.
The bottom line is that rBGH is unsafe - and unnecessary. In fact, the use of rBGH has already been banned in Australia, Canada, Japan, and all 27 countries in the European Union. In addition to the many companies that offer rBGH-free products, big-box stores and food and beverage chains like Wal-Mart, Publix, Kroger, Starbucks, and Chipotle have committed to reducing or completely eliminating dairy products made with rBGH from their stores. If these companies can do it, Yoplait can too. In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in solidarity with millions of women, ask Yoplait to do the right thing and put a lid on rBGH.
Thanks for staying involved,
The Citizens for Health Team

So of course, I clicked on the button so that my "voice would be heard," and got this response from Yoplait:

Thank you for contacting General Mills concerning BST.

BST (bovine somatotropin) is a hormone naturally found in cows. The synthetic version of this hormone (not to be confused with a steroid hormone) has been subjected to extensive testing. The Food & Drug Administration, American Medical Association, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture along with a number of other science-based organizations have concluded that there are no food safety issues in conjunction with milk produced by BST-supplemented cows.

Because BST is naturally found in all cows′ milk, there is no scientific way to test the milk to determine if the BST present is from synthetic sources or natural sources. The amount of BST present in milk will not be greater from a synthetic source than it would be occurring naturally.

For more information about Bovine Somatotropin (BST) or Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) you may wish to visit the United States Department of Agriculture′s website at www.usda.gov.

We hope you will continue to enjoy our products.

Sincerely,General Mills Consumer Services

In response to THEIR response, I received this in my inbox today:

YOPLAIT FOLLOW-UP!
Were you surprised to get a response from General Mills?
We weren't. It's just that their tidy little response was one that only a lawyer or a politician could love. As many of you pointed out to us, General Mills didn't even address the issue! If you go back and connect the dots, you'll see that our Action Alert was about rBGH, and General Mills' response was about BGH.
What's the difference between BGH and rBGH?
To reiterate, Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) is a natural protein hormone produced in a cow's pituitary gland. Recombinant BGH (a/k/a rBGH) is a synthetic, unnatural hormone injected into the cow so she'll produce more milk - unnaturally!
Why did General Mills only mention BGH and not rBGH?
Because if General Mills dealt with rBGH straight up, they would have to acknowledge that it's banned in Canada, Australia, Japan and all 27 countries in the European Union. And Starbucks and Safeway stores in the northwest (among others) have voluntarily banned it in their products.
Why should you care?

Again, rBGH is not only synthetic; it also increases production of the hormone Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), which in excessive amounts in humans beyond infancy is a cancer accelerator associated with breast, prostate and colon cancers.In lawyer-land, we call this kind of reply by General Mills sophistry, which is a fancy term for deceitful bull****. We need to make sophistry a thing of the past when it comes to the governance and business of our health.

So there it is in a nutshell. Don't buy into the Yoplait bullpoop. For years I've run from anything "pink" so this is no different for me. As a matter of fact, we only buy organic yogurt anyway, and raw yogurt 99% of the time. But I have not been pinkwashed, and every October I try to reach more converts. For more information, visit Think Before You Pink.