Health

Microwave risks and benefits

Vegetable nutrients are easily affected when cooked. It is better to steam than boil vegetables as nutrients leach into the water when boiled. But when broccoli is microwaved its antioxidant and estrogen balancing benefits are reduced even more than when it is boiled. Its indole content is reduced by 74% and its vitamin C content by 40% compared to that of raw broccoli. (Vallejo et al 2007)1

Microwaving food and water

Now that spring is on its way it's time to plant some seeds. This is a perfect opportunity to do a little experiment on the effects of microwaves. Buy a bag of tomato seeds. Fill two plant pots with earth and plant a few seeds in each. Mark the pots "tap water" and "microwave water" and water them accordingly. Microwave the water for the "microwave" pot in advance and cool it before use, storing the water in a glass bottle. Give each of the pots enough water to keep them slightly damp during the coming days and weeks.

Green fuel - a dangerous profit

Today's environmental debate is mainly about carbon emissions. Most of us find it hard to grasp complex environmental issues and put our trust in research and policy analysis. So what should we make of the "green motorists" and environmentalists who have led us to believe that ethanol is a safe environmental choice. Are they right or wrong?

Puberty earlier and earlier... chemicals may be the cause

Danish girls develop breasts a year younger that they did 15 years ago. This has been demonstrated by a Danish study that was shown on Swedish TV recently. The researchers suspect this is due to chemicals that act like hormones. Phthalates and parabens are chemicals that are used as softeners in plastics and in common everyday products like shampoo, shower gel, nail polish, perfume, cosmetics, floor covering and laundry detergent.

Washington state lifts limit on mercury preservative in swine-flu shots

Seattle's leading newspaper, Seattle Times says "State lifts limit on mercury preservative in swine-flu shots". September 25, 2009

Linda's Chicken Soup

Main ingredients:

3 pieces of chicken (3 leg quarters with bone)
4 celery stalks - diced (reserve one stalk)
2 jalapenos - diced (or more)
2 medium sized onions - diced
3 large carrots - diced (reserve one carrot)
2 teaspoons himalaya or sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cummin
4-6 whole 'cloves' of garlic - squeezed
2 large bay leaves - fresh or dried
6-8 cups of water

Pandemonium about the pandemic

Most people who get sick never know if its caused by a bacteria or virus. Influenza statistics are therefore unlikely to be correct. The fear instilled by media coverage of swine flu or A/H1N1 is on the other hand increasing the numbers of reported flu cases. So what would normally be treated with a little extra rest and a few pain killers is turning into world statistics.

Time to vaccinate - or not?

Flu vaccines can contain a number of chemical toxins, including ethylene glycol (antifreeze), formaldehyde, phenol (carbolic acid) and even antibiotics like Neomycin and streptomycin. In addition to the viruses and other additives, many vaccines also contain immune adjuvants like aluminium and squalene.

Yellow Canaries top 10 daily health tips

Eat yoghurt which contains live cultures - vital for a healthy immune system

Eat 5-15 different vegetables, fruit and berries - naturally rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants

Top up your fluids - 30 ml per kilo bodyweight - water, herb teas, fresh juices

Add a teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to each glass of water - old health tip from Vermont

Top up your C-vitamin levels - C-vitamin flush

Gargle morning and evening with salt water - 1 tsp salt diluted in a glass of water

Natural versus pharmaceutical antivirals

There are several natural antibiotics and even antivirals. Those we know best are Echinacea, Elderberry and Propolis - the bee's natural protection from infection. Some less well known are Lauric acid (Monolaurin) and L-lysine which is very effective against the herpes family of viruses. Then there is Allicin from garlic which is possibly the most exciting antibacterial as it is capable of conquering fungus, virus and even the killer bacteria MRSA.