Oftentimes in this blog I'm here giving you environmental advice and telling you what a great company Shaklee is, but I thought I'd take a moment to let you get to know the real "me"...
I'm a single, work at home mom. I thank God every day for the blessings this brings to my life. You see, I have fibromyalgia really bad so I can't work a "real" job each day. However, I can make a full time living working from home. I can also have the freedom to homeschool my daughter and to attend Seminary online. Something that those of you who only read this blog may not know is that I can also follow my other passion as I'm also a freelance writer.
Thankfully God has brought me to a point where it really isn't very difficult at all for me to work either of these businesses. This isn't just because it's my passion but also because they both do quite well on their own. So, this means that I have time to spend with my very active 5-year-old daughter. I love homeschooling her, which is something that I never thought I'd be able to do as a single mother. I'm thankful to be able to teach her so much. I'm also thankful to spend so much time with her. You can check in on our journey together if you'd like.
As for Seminary... This has always been a goal/passion/calling for me ever since high school. I got side tracked for quite a while but I'm doing it now and looking forward to every minute of it. What will I do when I get my Masters of Divinity? Probably the same thing that I'm doing now but only God knows for sure. It'll be a slow process but 1 I really look forward to.
So, to me being a WAHM means being there for my daughter. It means being able to earn a full time income from home even though I have a very debilitating illness. I am thankful every day that I don't have to depend on anyone but myself as a single mom. Now I'm not going to tell you that this is always easy or that I don't sometimes put in some very long hours, because I do. What I will tell you though is that I thank God for every minute of it and I thank you for allowing me to share what's on my heart and soul today.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
There are antibiotics in your vegetables
While the University of Minnesota researchers have already stated that livestock have a lot of harmful antibiotics in them, they are now saying that this is also true of vegetables as well. This study can be found in the Journal of Environmental Quality. It shows that food crops can readily accumulate antibiotics from the soil that has been spread with cattle manure.
These findings were based on a greenhouse study that was done. It involved 3 different food crops. These included corn, lettuce and potatoes. They found that those plants that were grown in soil that was modified with liquid hog manure, which contains the common veterinary antibiotic sulfamethazine, actually absorbed this antibiotic. It could be found in the plants' leaves. There were also concentrations in the plants' tissue. This concentration actually increased as the amount of antibiotic present in the manure increased. It was also diffused into potato tubers. As such, it is believed that other root crops, which include such things as carrots and radishes, are also particularly vulnerable to antibiotic contamination.
This should cause you to become concerned as it really did concern the University of Minnesota researchers. One of the researchers, Satish Gupta, said that contaminated plants actually have the potential of causing allergic reactions in those people who are sensitive to various antibiotics. Satish Gupta also said that this type of contamination is likely to foster antimicrobial resistance. This is not good, in fact it is dangerous, because it can render antibiotics ineffective in humans.
Another researcher, Holly Dolliver, wanted to make sure to warn people that those plants that are contaminated by antibiotics should be of particular concern to the organic farming industry. This is because manure is often the main source of crop nutrients.
Of course, the USDA stipulates that organic producers must manage animal materials in a manner that does not contribute to the contamination of crops. This means that residues of prohibited substances are banned and prohibited. Unfortunately, as of yet manures that contain antibiotics have not been formally banned or prohibited by the USDA. Instead they are saying that there needs to be a lot of further research done. This is needed in order to investigate how different plants absorb different antibiotic compounds.
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Copyright Brenda Marie Hoffman
Be kind to the environm ent
Get $100 in FREE Shaklee products
http://www.shaklee.net/brendahoffman/whatsnew
These findings were based on a greenhouse study that was done. It involved 3 different food crops. These included corn, lettuce and potatoes. They found that those plants that were grown in soil that was modified with liquid hog manure, which contains the common veterinary antibiotic sulfamethazine, actually absorbed this antibiotic. It could be found in the plants' leaves. There were also concentrations in the plants' tissue. This concentration actually increased as the amount of antibiotic present in the manure increased. It was also diffused into potato tubers. As such, it is believed that other root crops, which include such things as carrots and radishes, are also particularly vulnerable to antibiotic contamination.
This should cause you to become concerned as it really did concern the University of Minnesota researchers. One of the researchers, Satish Gupta, said that contaminated plants actually have the potential of causing allergic reactions in those people who are sensitive to various antibiotics. Satish Gupta also said that this type of contamination is likely to foster antimicrobial resistance. This is not good, in fact it is dangerous, because it can render antibiotics ineffective in humans.
Another researcher, Holly Dolliver, wanted to make sure to warn people that those plants that are contaminated by antibiotics should be of particular concern to the organic farming industry. This is because manure is often the main source of crop nutrients.
Of course, the USDA stipulates that organic producers must manage animal materials in a manner that does not contribute to the contamination of crops. This means that residues of prohibited substances are banned and prohibited. Unfortunately, as of yet manures that contain antibiotics have not been formally banned or prohibited by the USDA. Instead they are saying that there needs to be a lot of further research done. This is needed in order to investigate how different plants absorb different antibiotic compounds.
-----------------------
Copyright Brenda Marie Hoffman
Be kind to the environm ent
Get $100 in FREE Shaklee products
http://www.shaklee.net/brendahoffman/whatsnew
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
The What & Why Of Antioxidants
More than likely you have heard the term "antioxidant" by now. However, do you know what it is, why you need it or how you get it? Probably not. So, herein what you need to know about antioxidants will be explained.
The first thing that you need to know about in order to understand antioxidants is the process of oxidation. This is a fundamental and necessary biomechanical reaction. Not all forms of this process are helpful though. There are some that forms that happen at the wrong time and are thus disastrous to your health. However, antioxidants can be a big help in helping positive oxidation to occur so that you will have sustained, good health.
Antioxidants also play a key role in keeping the proteins in your cell membranes from being damaged. These proteins are large, complex and specialized molecules. They control the functions of important cell membranes, which are the basic defense system that lets nutrients in, sends waste products out and prevents entry of toxic and viral invaders. As such, they are actually responsible for immune responses. However, oxidation interferes with this process by splitting up the molecules and thus destroying it. Fatty acids can also be destroyed in this way.
It is important to understand that you can also come into contact with the oxidation process outside of your body. Sources for this include exposure to radiation, air pollution, synthetic hormones in food, pesticides, over-the-counter and prescription drugs and food additives. Of course, some of these things are things that you cannot easily avoid. This is why it is important to make sure that your body has plenty of antioxidants, which enable good oxidation to take place.
You can find antioxidants in really green, fast growing plants. This is because sunlight, which is a high-energy source, drives the photosynthesis process. In effect, photosynthesis is the opposite of oxidation. So, plants contain a large supply of antioxidants so that they can be protected from the dangers that sunlight can cause. It is these antioxidants that you will want to consume.
Some of the other great places wherein you can find antioxidants include immature barley and wheat grasses. Zinc also has a lot of antioxidant power, which is why it is used so much during the cold and flu season.
It is also a good idea to avoid partially hydrogenated foods whenever possible. This can be found in processed foods, air pollution and medications. A great way in which to counteract this is by drinking green tea, which has a lot of antioxidant power.
Furthermore, if all else fails, you can take specific vitamins so that you get more antioxidants. One of the best ones that I have found is Shaklee's Glucose Regulation Complex. This "food supplement," as Shaklee prefers to call their vitamins, contains both Zinc and antioxidants. As an added benefit, this is a good choice for diabetics who would like to get off of their glucose products. However, you should contact your doctor before starting it.
So, now that you understand just how important antioxidants are and where they can be found, you can start helping your body out by taking more of them. Here's to your good health!
The first thing that you need to know about in order to understand antioxidants is the process of oxidation. This is a fundamental and necessary biomechanical reaction. Not all forms of this process are helpful though. There are some that forms that happen at the wrong time and are thus disastrous to your health. However, antioxidants can be a big help in helping positive oxidation to occur so that you will have sustained, good health.
Antioxidants also play a key role in keeping the proteins in your cell membranes from being damaged. These proteins are large, complex and specialized molecules. They control the functions of important cell membranes, which are the basic defense system that lets nutrients in, sends waste products out and prevents entry of toxic and viral invaders. As such, they are actually responsible for immune responses. However, oxidation interferes with this process by splitting up the molecules and thus destroying it. Fatty acids can also be destroyed in this way.
It is important to understand that you can also come into contact with the oxidation process outside of your body. Sources for this include exposure to radiation, air pollution, synthetic hormones in food, pesticides, over-the-counter and prescription drugs and food additives. Of course, some of these things are things that you cannot easily avoid. This is why it is important to make sure that your body has plenty of antioxidants, which enable good oxidation to take place.
You can find antioxidants in really green, fast growing plants. This is because sunlight, which is a high-energy source, drives the photosynthesis process. In effect, photosynthesis is the opposite of oxidation. So, plants contain a large supply of antioxidants so that they can be protected from the dangers that sunlight can cause. It is these antioxidants that you will want to consume.
Some of the other great places wherein you can find antioxidants include immature barley and wheat grasses. Zinc also has a lot of antioxidant power, which is why it is used so much during the cold and flu season.
It is also a good idea to avoid partially hydrogenated foods whenever possible. This can be found in processed foods, air pollution and medications. A great way in which to counteract this is by drinking green tea, which has a lot of antioxidant power.
Furthermore, if all else fails, you can take specific vitamins so that you get more antioxidants. One of the best ones that I have found is Shaklee's Glucose Regulation Complex. This "food supplement," as Shaklee prefers to call their vitamins, contains both Zinc and antioxidants. As an added benefit, this is a good choice for diabetics who would like to get off of their glucose products. However, you should contact your doctor before starting it.
So, now that you understand just how important antioxidants are and where they can be found, you can start helping your body out by taking more of them. Here's to your good health!
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