A Message from Bernadette Wulf

Greetings!

I hope you are all celebrating this merry, merry month of May. In the ancient Celtic world, May Day was the time to cut loose and celebrate the fertility of Earth. Birds were hatching. Seeds were sprouting. New life was evident everywhere we looked.

As we spend more time in our houses, cars, and offices we tend to become more cut off from the rhythms of nature, but we can still take time to stop and feel the rhythm of our own hearts. There we will sense this same growth and expansion taking place. After all, we are part of nature, too!

There is a vital issue now facing the alternative healing community, which will also affect YOU as a consumer of natural health-care products.I hope you will take action on this before the May 29th extended deadline, if you have not already done so. You will find the details in the first article below. It may sound too outrageous to believe, but if you really look into it, you will see how far reaching this legislation could be in terms of limiting your freedom to choose natural health-care options.

We will also take a look at two areas that are generally considered women's issues, but they have a profound effect on every man, woman, and child. Don't let the lipstick fool you.

And for dessert, we will top it off with delicious, nutritious berries, which are now abundant in our local stores. They are one of the best foods around. Maybe that's why nature made them so tempting!

To Your Health!
Bernadette Wulf

FDA Wants to Limit Your Access to Natural Healing

Time to Take Action!
Believe it or not, the holistic health care sector of business is growing so fast in America that it has become a financial threat to mainstream medicine. In order to protect the interests of large pharmaceutical corporations and the AMA, our Food and Drug Administration is attempting to regulate all natural health-care products under the umbrella of "medicine." This includes massage tools (like hot rocks!), vitamins, herbs, sound healing, homeopathic remedies, even fruit juices, and anything which could be labeled as "good for your health."

This means that all health claims for any product would come under the heading of "medicine" and would have to be approved by the FDA. Any alternative health care professional, even a massage therapist, could be fined or jailed for "practicing medicine without a license." This would include anyone who recommens vitamins, herbs, or even dietary changes.

Frankly, the track record of the FDA and the AMA is very poor when it comes to protecting public health. Dangerous drugs are constantly being recalled that were once "approved by the FDA," and many natural and harmless vitamins, minerals, herbs, foods, and other remedies wouldn't stand a chance of being approved anytime in the near future. Furthermore, statistics show that your chances of dying, or coming down with a serious illness, are substantially increased by going to a hospital!

If you care about your health and/or your freedom to choose your own health-care options, please take action now and urge everyone you know to make their voices heard. This isn't the first time the FDA has tried to limit our access to holistic-healing options, and it won't be the last, but if we really make a strong stand on this issue, it may be a long time before they try it again.

Learn More at Natural Solutions Foundation

Note: Because (hmm...), the Natural Solutions Foundation web link has been repeatedly disabled since they started promoting action to stop this FDA process, they have offered a second link which I have included here:  
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/healthfreedomusa/
campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=7185

Osteoporosis - Not a Lack of Calcium!

Osteoporosis has been hyped as a woman's disease, as if women are somehow naturally designed to disintegrate as they age, unless they load themselves up with calcium supplements and estrogen replacement therapy... made from mare urine! But what about the one out of three MEN in America who are likely to get osteoporosis? And why is it that women in Africa and Asia rarely have any problem with it at all? Obviously we Americans are doing something very wrong.

The initials of the "standard American diet" spell S.A.D. for good reason. We load ourselves up with high-phosphorus foods like sodas, meat, and dairy products, all of which leach calcium from the bones to balance all that phosphorus. Meanwhile the dairy industry has most people convinced that they are doing their bones a favor by ingesting dairy products, when nothing could be farther from the truth. (We won't even go into the fact that cattle produce more greenhouse gases than automobiles!)

On top of that, we consume massive amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrates that acidify our bodies, causing even more calcium to be leached out of the bones in an attempt to maintain proper pH balance. But rather than correct these dietary mistakes, we try to correct the problem by dumping poorly-absorbed forms of calcium into the mix, which eventually causes calcification of our arteries and joints. It would appear that we are attempting to cast ourselves in stone... and many of us succeed!

Take a look at this excerpt from - Osteoporosis - The Bones of Contention (I encourage you to click on the following link to read the entire article.)
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/osteoporosis.html

"Contrary to the medical marketing hype, synthetic hormonal drugs, dairy products and most calcium supplements actually weaken the bones and have other harmful effects on health."

But those are all the things the medical media have been pushing on us to prevent osteoporosis! Now what? Fortunately, the answer is always the same. Go back to nature. Eat lots of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits.

Excerpt from VegSource.com:
"It turns out [that] the same things that protect against heart disease, cancer and a host of other diseases -- can help protect against osteoporosis: limit your animal-protein intake, including red meat, chicken, fish, eggs and cheese, all of which leach calcium from your bones. Cigarettes, salt, caffeine and a sedentary lifestyle [and I would add sugar!] are also related to poor bone health. Avoid milk -- and regularly exercise! [ ... ]

"Researchers reported that potassium and magnesium -- key nutrients found in high concentrations in many fruits and vegetables -- may be much more important to bone health than calcium. In the study of 62 randomly-selected healthy women between age 45 and 55, researchers assessed bone health and diet. While, as expected, they found no correlation between the consumption of dairy products and bone health, they discovered a significant correlation between high consumption of fruit and positive BMD reads on the neck. This study was only one in a series conducted by researchers showing fruit and vegetable consumption correlates with healthy bones -- while consumption of dairy products and calcium does not.

"Potassium can be found in bananas, prunes, raisins, spinach and white potatoes; magnesium is found in dark-green leafy vegetables, brown rice and black beans.

"Research continues to point toward a plant-based diet with little or no dairy products -- and moderate physical activity -- as important for maintaining healthy bones. Weight-lifting can be especially effective in increasing BMD, and studies of people working out with weights have shown dramatic increases in BMD, even in individuals in their 70s and beyond."

Click link below to read entire article.

Cosmetics and Your Health - for Men Too!

Once you take a look at what's in your make up, shampoo, lotion, and other cosmetics, you may want to switch to some of the organic brands listed in the Green Guide article - link below. Your skin can absorb many nutrients and chemicals, sending them directly into your bloodstream, so it is important to read the ingredient lists on cosmetics and make up before you make a purchase. You could be poisoning yourself in your quest for beauty and cleanliness!

Don't imagine that products are safe just because they are on the shelf of your natural food store. I once worked in the HABA (health and beauty aids) department of a natural food store chain and I made a point of reading all the ingredient labels. Wow! I couldn't believe what was in some of the products that were called "natural." The worst offenders were the lotions and moisturizers. There are very few on the market that I would want to put on my skin.

Safe bets are products made by Aubrey Organics, Dr. Hauschka, Weleda, MyChelle, and Burt's Bees. (Purchase pure & natural skin care products)

The ingredients listed below are considered the very worst, so you may want to be especially careful about avoiding them.

List adapted from "Dirty Dozen SSC: The Dirty Dozen Ingredients In Personal Care Products" - by Diane di Costanzo
Filed under: Personal care products, Wellness Products, Environmental health - http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/100/10uglies

ANTIBACTERIALS

Found in cleansers, deodorants, and other cosmetic products, antibacterial agents such as Triclosan encourage the rise of drug-resistant bacteria.

COAL-TAR COLORS

So-called coal-tar chemicals are found in many "FD&C" or "D&C" colors used in makeup and hair dye. FD&C Blue 1 and FD &C Green 3 are carcinogenic, and impurities in other colors -- D&C Red 33, FD&C Yellow 5 and FD&C Yellow 6 -- have been shown to cause cancer when applied to the skin. (Of course you should also watch out for them in your food!)

DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA)

Widely used in shampoos, DEA is a suspected carcinogen, and its compounds and derivatives include triethanolamine (TEA), which can be contaminated with nitrosamines.

FORMALDEHYDE

Found in eye shadows, mascaras, and other cosmetics (as well as textiles and wood products). The EPA classifies it as a probable human carcinogen.

GLYCOL ETHERS

Found in nail polish, deodorant, perfumes and other cosmetics, some glycol ethers are hazardous to the reproductive system. Other effects of overexposure include anemia and irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and throat. Avoid those listed on labels as EGPE, EGME,EGEE, DEGBE, PGME, DPGME and those with "methyl" in their names.

HEAVY METALS: LEAD AND MERCURY

Lead - a brain and nervous-system toxin, carcinogen, and hormone disruptor that accumulates in the bones. Found as lead acetate in hair dyes and makeup.

Mercury - this potent nervous-system toxin, which accumulates in the body, is allowed as a preservative in eye-area cosmetics. Also found in dental amalgam.

PARABENS

Used in underarm deodorants, parabens have recently been found in tissue samples from human breast tumors. Parabens of many types, including methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isobutyl- and others, have shown hormonal activity.

PETROLATUM (vaseline, petroleum jelly)

Used in cold creams, lipsticks, lip protection balm, baby creams, eye shadows. Petrolatum can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

PHENYLENEDIAMINE (PPD)

Found in many hairdyes,PPD is linked with skin irritations, and respiratory disorders. PPD is mutagenic and reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen - banned in Europe. Also called oxidation dyes, amino dyes para dyes, or peroxide dyes.

PHTHALATES

Used widely in fragrances, deodorants, nail polishes, hair products and lotions. Found to produce cancer of the liver and birth defects in lab animals. Since, phthalates often "hide" behind the term "fragrance;" choose products labeled "fragrance-free" or that are scented exclusively with pure botanical or essential oils.

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)
Causes "severe epidermal changes" to mouse skin, a finding that "indicates a need for tumor-enhancing activity assays." This year, after review of over 250 existing SLS studies, the CIR concluded that SLS is not cancer-causing. However, Samuel Epstein, M.D., says he is not convinced and recommends avoiding SLS.

TOLUENE

This solvent found in nail products can cause liver damage and is irritating to the skin and respiratory tract.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/100/10uglies

Click on link below for a list of safe, organic and natural cosmetic choices.

Organic Make Up Guide

Beautiful Berries - Bundles of Nutrients

Finally something really yummy that is really good for us! Not that sprouts don't taste pretty good, but who would think of having them for dessert? Berries, on the other hand, are mouthwatering little bundles of important nutrients. The best way to eat them is to include a variety of fresh berries in the daily diet. Unfortunately, unless you buy organic berries, most are high in pesticide residues. To make matters worse, they are very seasonal, perishable, and they tend to be expensive.

One good solution is to buy Cascadian Farms frozen organic berries and keep them in the freezer year round, or drink an assortment of berry juices. There are also many berry concentrate formulas on the market which you can find at your local natural food store.

Smart Publications has this to say about berries:

"... of all the fruit and vegetables that you can eat, berries beat them all. Berries, more than any other food, are associated with a remarkably long list of health benefits.

"Considering their size, berries contain a giant portion of phytochemicals, in addition to vitamins, minerals and fiber that provide numerous health benefits. Here are just a few examples:

"Blueberries, bilberries and raspberries contain lutein, which is important for healthy vision.

"Raspberries are rich in anthocyanins and cancer-fighting phytochemicals such as ellagic, coumaric and ferulic acid.

"Pomegranate fruit extract (yes, it is considered a berry) has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and has been found to be particularly beneficial in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells23-35, and improving symptoms of coronary heart disease15-21 and periodontitis (gum disease).22

"Raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, elderberry, blueberry and bilberry extracts have all been found to significantly inhibit H. pylori bacteria, when compared with the controls.1"

To read entire article, click on link below.