Sunlight, Bones and More

I always appreciate Vivian Goldschmidt’s timely, simple and effective advice about Bone Health. Everyone has become so afraid of the sun. Many never allow the sunlight to touch their skin. Vivian reminds us: don’t burn, but do take sunlight for Vitamin D.

Check out her 5 simple things to do this summer.

Hat Tip: saveourbones.com

 

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The Seaweed Man

Living at the edge of the continent. This is how Larch Hanson, a seaweed harvester for forty years, describes himself. He has some powerful advice about including seaweed regularly in our diet. Here is his latest article as well as a link to William Spear’s article about protective diet in Huffington Post.:

Considering the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, it is important that you understand this article:Iodine in Seaweed Protects the Thyroid from Radiation Once upon a time, about a gazillion years ago, the animals in the sea with spinal cords decided to base their regulatory hormones upon stable Iodine 127. A bazillion years later, some of those animals decided to leave the sea and live on the land where Iodine 127 was not abundant. Land plants don’t contain much iodine at all. So they developed thyroid glands and blood compounds that would conserve scarce Iodine 127. All went well, until some near-sighted nuclear scientists started splitting uranium atoms and creating radioactive Iodine 131 which concentrates through the food chain (from grass to cows to milk to humans, for instance) and can end up in the thyroid, burning it out, leaving people unable to self-regulate their lives. You see, Iodine 131 has a very short half-life of 8 days. That means that within a period of two months, it emits most of its radiation. And if that iodine 131 happens to be situated in the thyroid while it is emitting its radiation, it will do great damage to the thyroid gland. 25% of the women in this country, for instance, now have clinical symptoms of thyroid imbalance. Why is this happening? Iodine is a member of the halide group of elements that includes bromine, chlorine, and fluorine. Compounds that contain these elements tend to displace iodine from the body. Modern people are exposed to bromated dough conditioners in commercially-produced bread, and bromine used in disinfectants (in hot tubs, for instance). Bleach in the laundry and at the swimming pool contains chlorine. Dentists use fluorides, and fluoride is used in toothpaste and drinking water. All of these sources of chemicals, and more, are exposing us to halides that displace iodine from our bodies. In the Southwest, the Colorado River system that irrigates the fields that produce 30% of the vegetables consumed in our country is contaminated by a lagoon of spent rocket fuel in Nevada that is leaching perchlorate into the water. Perchlorate is taken up by broad leaf veggies  like lettuce, and it gets into the body and blocks transport of iodine to the thyroid. If an air bag goes off in your car, your air is immediately contaminated with perchlorate released by the explosive air bag. There really aren’t very good iodine supplements available to the public. If you read a material safety data sheet for potassium iodide, you will understand the negative side effects of long term use. The best long term strategy is to integrate seaweed into one’s daily diet. Then your thyroid will always have adequate levels of stable Iodine 127 and will not take in radioactive Iodine 131. Digitata kelp has the highest iodine content, followed by kelp. Alaria has moderate levels of iodine. All of these are good sources of iodine, provided you don’t roast them, releasing the iodine to the air. Learn a water-based method that will work for you. Make soup and drink the broth at the same time you eat the seaweed. Then your body will receive the iodine. If you are a raw foodist, make a smoothie that includes kelp. Nori and dulse don’t contain much iodine, compared to kelp and alaria. Any commercial seaweed that is promoted as “tender” or “convenient” or “ready to eat” probably has been subjected to a heat process (parboiling, roasting) and thus the iodine content is lowered. Recipes for proper preparation of seaweed are available at LarchHanson.com and seaweed can be ordered direct from the harvester and his apprentices who use low temperature methods of drying at TheSeaweedMan.com.

Rest in the Light, abide in the Heart.Larch Hanson Maine Seaweed LLC Ph/fax: 207 546 2875

Mushrooms for Bone Health

Check out this good article by Vivian Goldschmidt on the benefits of shiitake and other mushrooms for healthy bones. Because of their copper, zinc and other mineral content, all mushrooms can be beneficial not only for bone health but for our immune systems as well. There is even a recipe for shiitake stir fry. Yum.

 

 

5 Quick and Toning Standing Poses

From Gaiam, here is an interesting video of not-so-easy, very toning and balancing poses with Pat Moreno, that engage your core and can crack a small sweat  in 6 minutes. Take these with you through the holidays when you might not be able to slip away for a workout.

 

Monsanto Sues Healthy Dairy Over Label

Monsanto sues Oakhurst Dairy for label stating that their milk is free from artificial growth hormones and is demanding that the dairy stop labeling as such.

They demand that the dairy remove: “Our Farmers’ Pledge: No Artificial Growth Hormones.”

Healthfreedoms.org posted this article submitted by Drew Kaplan. The article states: “Monsanto officials said Oakhurst’s ads and labels are deceptive and disparage Monsanto’s products with the inference that milk from untreated cows is better than milk from hormone-treated cows.”

“We believe Oakhurst labels deceive consumers; they’re marketing a perception that one milk product is safer or of higher quality than other milk,” said Jennifer Garrett, director of technical services for Monsanto’s dairy business. “Numerous scientific and regulatory reviews throughout the world demonstrate that that’s unfounded. The milk is the same, and the amount of protein, fats, nutrients, etc. are all the same.”

I don’t believe they are the same milk. Do you? One is tampered with and one isn’t. One is the way nature created it and the other isn’t. One is genetically modified and owned by a huge corporation and one by a small local dairy in Maine.

Think about it. Do they feel threatened? What?!?

Feldenkreis Lessons Online-

I have found a wonderful site with downloadable audio Feldenkreis lessons – Feldenkreis-online.biz.

What is Feldenkreis Method? Dr Moshe Feldenkreis was a physicist who developed simple principles and lessons for personal awareness. Drawing on his years of research in anatomy, physiology, neurology, developmental psychology and sociology, he devised a theory of the particular interrelationships between awareness and movement.

“The main effects are a clear improvement in self-awareness and a pleasant feeling of relaxation in movement and repose. Often these two main effects are coupled with a tranquil, almost euphoric mood.”

Awareness through Movement is usually offered by Feldenkrais teachers for groups in evening or weekend courses, but now you can take a class in your own home.

I have always enjoyed Feldenkreis work. My friend T likes Feldenkreis too, I hope she reads this post! I have experienced both Awareness through Movement, where movements are carried out to verbal instructions, and Functional Integration, where movements are learned from the guiding hands of the Feldenkrais teacher.

The Awareness through Movement classes are deceptively simple with profound results. anyone can do the movements. They might seem so subtle that you think nothing is occurring in your body. I have experienced wonderful surprises by the end of a short 20 minute exploration.

You can try out 2 free classes and if you like, you can register for 4 classes to download to your computer @ 8 Euros/class  32 Euros. then of course, you can register for more. I like repeating a class and discovering and rediscovering possibility and ease in movements.

Feldenkrais Method is suitable for anyone and everyone, whatever their age or possible disabilities, who’s looking to explore their real physical potential and extend their personal movement range.

Feldenkreis is used:

• in medicine – rehabilitation, preventative treatment, neurology (polio, MS and stroke patients), dental orthopaedics, physiotherapy etc.
• in psychotherapeutic fields – where opening up to an improvement of physical activeness constitutes an important part of the therapy
• in all fields – working creatively with movement and physical expression such as dance, drama, singing, instrumental music and sport.

Lead in Lipstick

HealthFreedom.org has just commented on the FDA’s test, conducted last year, of 22 red lipstick brands. All contained lead.

Irritability, unexplained changes in mood or personality, changes in sleeping patterns, inability to concentrate, memory loss are some of the adult symptoms of lead poisoning. HMMM….sounds like menopausal symptoms to me. Lead poisoning is insidious as it accumulates in our body slowly being stored and symptoms occur later. Children are greatly at risk because the burden on their little bodies is much greater.

It is estimated that women might ingest an average of 4 pounds of lipstick in our lifetime because we lick our lips, eat and drink.  So it would be a very good idea to know what we are smearing on our mouths every day, eh?

“The lead found in Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor Maximum Red was 34 times higher than the lead found in the lowest scoring lipstick, Avon’s Ultra Color Rich Cherry Jubilee. Clearly, the manufacturers are capable of doing better, said the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics‘ Stacy Malkan. Cover Girl’s media center at Procter & Gamble did not respond to repeated requests for comment.”

“I think some companies are not doing a good job sourcing their ingredients,” Malkan said.

It is known that lead builds up in the body over time and is stored in bones and organs. When a woman is pregnant, nursing and in menopause the demands on her body cause bones and organs to release stored calcium, other minerals as well as lead. Even if there has been no recent exposure, there is lead stored.

Awareness is key. There needs to be more accountability with the manufacturing side, and, as consumers we must demand safe cosmetics. You can sign petitions and be better educated at the Safe Cosmetics site.

Safest lipstick? Not red. Gloss is safer.

The Humble Push-Up

Joanne Ezinga specialized in fitness and triathlon training for women. She is a certified personal trainer, USA Triathlon Level 2 Coach, USA Cycling Level 2 Coach, and certified by the American Red Cross in CPR, First Aid, AED and is a lifeguard. Impressive, eh? In this month’s newsletter she highlights the humble push-up. Why is that interesting to me? Because right now I can’t do one- ever since I had a frozen shoulder I just haven’t built up the strength to do it. Just last week, my friend, T showed me on Skype her wall push-ups and I really felt empowered to be able to build strength again! Then here was Joanne, with the wall push up again! It must be worth trying.

There are many benefits to doing push ups- besides looking strong  a push up is something that anyone can do whether or not they have money to spend on fitness equipment.  results of consistent push ups are visible after a relatively short period of time- but more important is the weight-bearing effects on our bones.

Wall Push-ups – These are great for someone with limited strength.  Stand facing a wall, arms level with shoulders and shoulder width apart.  Lean into wall and lower body in pushup fashion so nose almost touches the wall.  Push body weight through hands and return to start position.  Control the force of the movement in both directions. Increase the intensity by increasing the lean. Try a narrow and wide hand position -this will target different sections of the pectoral muscles.

Thanks, T and Joanna.

Gaiam Go To Yoga Guide

Fantastic resource:

• Styles & Poses: Know your vinyasa from your ashtanga, watch how-to clips, learn pose names and benefits
• Yoga FAQ: From “Do I have to be flexible?” to “What if I do it wrong?”
• Beginners Guide: How to choose a class, practice at home, and gear up
• Yoga for Sports: Cross-train, find poses for specific sports, help prevent injuries
• Yoga as Medicine: Find poses, props, variations and DVDs by condition or injury
• How to Advance: Learn advanced poses, add meditation, go to a new level, and become a happier, better person

Check it out.

A Multi-Billion Dollar Market with or without Side-Effects?

If you are reading this you are concerned or at least curious about your bone health. There are options. It’s your choice.

We hear about it all night on television.

A problem of epidemic proportions. 

Consider these statistics: 

•Approximately 34 million Americans over the age of 50 are estimated to suffer from decreased bone density 

•Bone and joint disease are a leading cause of disability, affecting over 16 million adults in the United States 

•According to recent figures, 66 million adults — one in three —report chronic joint symptoms 

Sources: Office of the US Surgeon General, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Bony tissue is a chemical storehouse, serving as a repository for essential minerals. It contains 99% of the body’s calcium and releases amounts of  this element as needed to assist in heart, muscle and nerve action. Bone marrow is a blood generator. It produces red blood cells, necessary for transferring oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body. Marrow synthesizes white blood cells that help fight off infection and platelets which enable blood to clot and assist in healing. Healthy bones are also a factor in preserving healthy joints, promoting the retention of cartilage and synovial fluid that keep the joint lubricated and cushioned against shock. Without strong, healthy bones, none of these processes are possible. 

If just drinking milk and taking calcium supplements worked we would all have healthy bones, wouldn’t we? 

If you are reading this, you are looking for options, right? Read on.

You will want to know about a revolutionary formula for bone health by Dr Narain Naidu: OsteoDenx from Nikken represents a unique advance in support of healthy, strong bones. 

Only OsteoDenx is designed to promote both aspects of bone health — the release and absorption of vital mineral compounds, and the formation of new bone tissue.* 

OsteoDenx is not a calcium nutritional supplement. It is not a prescription osteo drug. Ordinary supplements merely provide minerals such as calcium and phosphorus in an effort to replace what is depleted every day. OsteoDenx is different: it is designed to complement the body’s natural tissue growth and to help support the physical process of preserving bone density.* 

In its role as a bone health supplement, OsteoDenx helps support a range of physical and systemic activities that are necessary to sustain life. 

»Bone health requires constant replenishment.

Nutritional supplements can supply the raw materials that are needed for bone regeneration. But that is only part of the process. These materials need to be absorbed into bone tissue and converted to usable form. With calcium supplementation alone, much of the ingredients will never reach the intended destination. A large proportion of ingested calcium is excreted, because the body only consumes enough for its immediate needs. Prescription osteo drugs also have their limitations. Pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements both offer essential biochemicals. But by themselves, they lack any mechanism for assisting bone tissue’s ability to make use of these resources. That’s the unique difference with OsteoDenx. It includes a patent- pending transport system that is formulated to support the body’s own, natural replenishment of calcium and other minerals.* 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. 

Let me know if you want to know more about Osteodenx. I am very excited to be able to offer this product and business opportunity to people at this time. Leave a comment below.