GO Organic!!

Go Organic. Canadian researchers report that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experience a greater than normal dip in metabolism as they lose weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning process. Other research hints that pesticides can trigger weight gain. Always choose organic when buying fruit and vegetables - they tend to have the least pesticides, and may even help you maintain a healthy weight!

www.naturalcures.com

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is delicious, nutritious, creamy and smooth natural plant oil. Coconut oil is highly recommended not only for its lovely texture and taste, but also for its many valuable health benefits. In its raw, undenatured state, it is a clean, healthy saturated plant fat. The issue of saturated fat can be very confusing, so let’s get this clear right now. Though we do need to minimize our intake of saturated animal fats, saturated plant or vegetable fats are another story. It is important to note that toxins are stored in fat, and that goes for animals as well as humans. So, when you eat conventionally-produced meat, the fat in the meat contains a hefty serving of chemicals and toxins. This is part of the why it is essential to eat organically produced animal products.

In the case of vegetable fat, we are dealing with a whole different beast! Saturated plant fats are actually beneficial for us, and healthy vegetable fats are difficult to come by. You may have heard that coconut oil helps you lose weight. Coconut oil helps raise the body’s temperature, and this in turn contributes to weight loss. In our culture, many people suffer from thyroid dysfunction and some are overweight due to these low thyroid conditions. This leads to lowered metabolic function. Coconut oil helps boost the metabolism by raising the body’s temperature, which in turn means you have more energy. With this increased energy, your exercise and movement ability can get a boost; all of a sudden, you feel like moving around more. You might find yourself walking every day, taking more trips to the gym, and this movement furthers your weight loss capacity.

We are not promising anything, though stories abound of those who have been able to wean themselves off of their thyroid medication over a period of time by vastly improving their diet and consistently consuming medicinal quantities of coconut oil.

To learn more about the many benefits of coconut oil, join the site. You will learn the benefits and value of this amazing oil, along with many suggestions and recipes that easily replace traditional fats, oils, lard and butter, with the miraculous coconut oil.

www.naturalcures.com

Cancer Patient Wins $9 Million from HealthNet in Arbitration Settlement

An arbitrator called HealthNet's practices "despicable" after awarding $9 million to a cancer patient who whose medical coverage was canceled by the company after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The award issued by an arbitration judge was the first of its kind and prompted Health Net to announce it was scrapping its cancellation practices that are under fire from state regulators, patients and the Los Angeles city attorney.

Arbitrator Sam Cianchetti, a retired Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, found that Health Net violated numerous state laws in canceling Patsy Bates' policy and declared the company's actions "despicable."

Cianchetti also blasted the company for tying employee bonuses to the number of policies canceled and the amount of money saved.

"It's difficult to imagine a policy more reprehensible than tying bonuses to encourage the rescission of health insurance that keeps the public well and alive," he said in a 21-page opinion.

Ms. Bates is self-employed and transferred her coverage to HealthNet in order to get a better rate.

"Bates was contacted by Mr. Robert Torrez, who called regarding health insurance. When advised she already had health insurance, Torrez suggested he might be able to get her a better rate. An appointment was made," reads the arbitration award.

The arbitrator found that HealthNet's agent did not properly explain and review the forms Ms. Bates was required to sign and also changed her weight on the application without her written consent.

"When asked about her weight, she told him her weight on her driver's license was 185lbs. She never told Torrez to change the weight, nor was she aware that the weight had been changed."

After Ms. Bates was diagnosed with breast cancer, HealthNet rescinded her coverage because of the weight change and left her with over $100,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Health Net ordered to pay $9 million after canceling cancer patient's policy [LATimes]
Arbitration Award (PDF) [LA Times]

http://consumerist.com/359904/cancer-patient-wins-9-million-from-healthnet-in-arbitration-settlement

A Relationship between Tylenol and Asthma

Researchers have linked the use of the painkiller acetaminophen (Tylenol) to both asthma and rhinitis. Individuals who used acetaminophen on a daily or weekly basis were shown to exhibit far more severe symptoms of asthma and rhinitis than those who didn't use the drug. (Thorax 00;55(4):266-70)

Acetaminophen has been shown to deplete the compound glutathione from lung tissue. Glutathione is a very important antioxidant that can limit lung tissue inflammation. Also, there is a direct relationship between glutathione levels and premature aging. You can read more about this under Acetaminophen Poisoning in the article called "What Scientists Know About Aging."

Acetaminophen-containing products (Tylenol, Midol, Alka-Seltzer Plus, Vanquish, etc.) result in over 100,000 calls a year to poison control centers, 560,000 visits to emergency facilities, 260,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths. From 1996 to 1998 the average annual deaths directly attributed to acetaminophen averaged approximately 458. I wonder what the regulatory agencies would do if a supplement were to kill 450 people a year?

Confidential documents revealed that the FDA has purposely avoided addressing the dangers of acetaminophen to avoid offending Johnson and Johnson (the dominant marketer of acetaminophen products) and the pharmaceutical industry. (BMJ 02;325:678)

The regulating authorities in the United Kingdom recognized that they were having the same problems, and required that acetaminophen be blister-packed instead of sold as bottles of loose tablets. Their research indicated that individuals would be less likely to overdose when the medication was packaged differently. By simply repackaging the acetaminophen, they have significantly reduced the number of drug-related poisonings, liver transplantations, and deaths. (RJM 01;322:1203-7)

I doubt that any such thing will happen in the U.S., simply because the change in packaging resulted in UK sales of acetaminophen products dropping from $123 billion to $84 billion. Thus, although 50 million Americans take some form of acetaminophen for pain each week, the FDA proceeds as if the known side effects, such as immune suppression, hearing loss, liver damage, and even death, are all acceptable risks for a pain reliever.

The FDA and other "watchdog" government agencies seldom are called to account for erroneous or irresponsible decisions. In the Dow Chemical silicone breast implant suit, the government was recently awarded $9.8 million for medical expenses paid out through Medicare and Medicaid. It didn't seem to matter that another agency, the FDA, of the same government had previously approved the use and sale of these implants and is currently considering whether to allow them to be sold again.

Further, these same agencies show definite bias when it comes to evaluating the risks associated with drugs. A good example is the fact that the agencies are constantly pushing for vaccinations and flu shots. For some reason, however, they neglect to tell the public that the preservative in these flu shots and vaccines is mercury.

It seems that many over-the-counter drugs that are generally considered harmless are instead shortening our lives and contributing to serious health problems. The latest figures show that roughly two million people are now being hospitalized each year from drug side effects and more than 100,000 of them die from those effects. That's enough to make drug side effects the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

A Positive Role for Acetaminophen

You may have seen one of many bizarre television programs showing how brown tree snakes have practically taken over this island of Guam. Since an accidental introduction in the 1940s, these snakes have mushroomed in population to as high as an estimated 26,000 snakes per square mile. Since they have no natural enemies, they have decimated the lizard, rabbit, and bird populations. and been known to eat piglets, puppies, and even bite unattended babies. And by crawling along power lines, they've created electrical shorts resulting in local blackouts. All efforts thus far to eradicate the snakes have been ineffective.

When researchers placed two 40-milligram acetaminophen tablets inside dead, newborn mice and fed them to the snakes, every snake that took the bait died. Since previous toxicology studies have shown that the drug poses little risk to other wildlife and domestic animals, it appears that Tylenol may be the answer to the snake problem.

Hormones via Hair Care

Hormones via Hair Care

In the mid-1990s, Dr. Chandra Tiwary at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas contacted the FDA with concerns about various hair products that contain estrogen. The FDA wasn't interested. A few years later Dr. Tiwary published his findings, which again received very little publicity.

Dr. Tiwary reported on the results of four African-American girls age 1 to 8 years that developed breasts or pubic hair 2 to 24 months after starting to use estrogen or placenta-containing hair products. When the use of these products was stopped, the development of breasts and pubic hair also ceased. [Clin Pediatr 98;37(12):733-9]

To determine the scope of the problem, Dr. Tiwary later surveyed different racial groups that used the pediatric clinics at military medical facilities. He was the chief of pediatric endocrinology at Brooke Army Medical Center at the time.

http://altmedangel.com/envronmt.htm

The Hidden Danger in Lotions and Sunscreens

Many consumers have long known their favorite lotions and sunscreens contained parabens, or synthetic chemicals used as preservatives. But with more and more products being touted as “paraben-free," many are now wondering, "What, exactly, are parabens, and are they dangerous?"

Parabens, which inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeast, and molds, have been used in personal-care products like shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, and sunscreens for years, allowing these products to survive for months, or years, during shipping and on store shelves.

Studies have now shown that parabens mimic the activity of the hormone estrogen, which is associated with certain forms of breast cancer.

Parabens are one of the most commonly used ingredients in personal care products. The only ingredient used more frequently is water. You can find them in:

• Shampoos and conditioners
• Creams and lotions
• Deodorants and antiperspirants
• Sunscreens
• Cosmetics

But, did you know they are also present in many prepared foods, like mayonnaise, mustard, salad dressings, and candy?

You can identify them on the label, where they may be listed as:

• methyl paraben
• ethyl paraben
• propyl paraben
• butyl paraben
• isobutyl paraben
• E216.

Studies have shown that parabens can affect your body much like estrogens, which can lead to diminished muscle mass, extra fat storage, and male gynecomastia (breast growth). Other studies have also linked parabens to breast cancer, as researchers found traces of parabens in every sample of tissue taken from 20 different breast tumors.

The EPA has linked methyl parabens in particular to metabolic, developmental, hormonal, and neurological disorders, as well as various cancers.

Would it surprise you to find out that more than a third of personal care products contain ingredients linked to cancer?

Cancer rates continue to rise, yet of the nearly 4,000,000 synthetic chemicals in your environment, less than one percent of these are known well enough to be able to ascertain their safety. This is a major concern. For example, the Environmental Working Group found that only 28 common cosmetics and toiletries out of 7,500 had all of their ingredients fully tested for safety.

It's important to recognize that whatever you put on your skin is readily absorbed into your bloodstream where it can potentially cause some serious damage to your body. If you want to learn more about the potential toxicity of your cosmetics, I urge you to review the EWG's extensive "Skin Deep Report."

To keep yourself safe, switch over to natural cleaning products and natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants, and cosmetics.

Some suggestions for healthier, natural alternatives include:

• Deodorant -- A pinch of baking soda mixed into water is an effective all-day deodorant. Common soap and water work just fine too.
• Shampoo and Soaps -- You can find clean, non-chemical soaps at many health food stores. To make better shampoos, you can add a little rosemary oil.
• Skin softener -- A bit of coconut oil works great as an all over moisturizer.

Beware, however, that there are no federal certifications or official guidelines for beauty products, so anyone can claim their product is natural or organic. Some "organic" beauty products actually contain only a single-digit percentage of organic ingredients!

Truly organic personal care products do not contain preservatives, however they may contain natural antimicrobial and antifungal ingredients like grapefruit seed extract, or antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E), which come with all the benefits of a preservative, but none of the dangerous side effects.

There is no question that the beauty products you use on a daily basis can harm you, and the adverse effects of toxins are compounded over decades, so choose wisely, and read the labels.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/25/the-hidden-danger-in-lotions-and-sunscreens.aspx