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!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
An update on the USDA allowing non-organic products in organic items
When the USDA stated that it was going to allow 38 non-organic items to be included under the “organic” label, it received more than 10,000 comments from consumers and family farmers who were adamantly opposed to this. They claim that this is just an “interim approval,” and that they will extend this so that the public can comment upon it within the next 60 days.
One of the groups that filed a complaint against this is The Organic Consumers Association. They actually filed a petition during the first 7 days after this approval was issued. The USDA has to publish these comments online. They can be found at http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5225.cfm You will discover that out of all of the comments listed here, 99% of them shows that the public is very opposed to the USDA passing this proposal.
During the interim time in which the USDA allows for these products to be used while receiving public comment, there are some things that you need to be aware of. This is because some foods that are marked as “organic” are already using non-organic products. These include: Anheuser Busch's "Organic Wild Hops Beer," which does not include any organic hops at all; sausages, brats, and breakfast links labeled as "USDA Organic" can now contain intestines from farm animals that have raised on chemically grown feed, synthetic hormones and antibiotics; and those products that contain fish oil may have PCBs and mercury in them.
This just goes to show that companies like Kraft, Wal-Mart and Anheuser-Busch, who are profit-driven, actually have more sway over the USDA than family farmers, independent organic producers and consumers combined. Luckily, those foods that are labeled “100% organic” will still be required to be 100% organic. This means that this rule will only apply to products that are 95% organic or less. So, if you carefully read ingredient labels and look for the label to say “100% organic” you will be fine. Another option is to purchase your foods only from local family farmers at your local farmers market.
If you would like to take action, you can send a letter to the USDA. Their address is:ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION ·6771 SOUTH SILVER HILL DRIVE·FINLAND, MN 55603 USA
Of course, you can also email them at adam@organicconsumers.org
To keep up to date on this information, you can go to http://www.organicconsumers.org
One of the groups that filed a complaint against this is The Organic Consumers Association. They actually filed a petition during the first 7 days after this approval was issued. The USDA has to publish these comments online. They can be found at http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5225.cfm You will discover that out of all of the comments listed here, 99% of them shows that the public is very opposed to the USDA passing this proposal.
During the interim time in which the USDA allows for these products to be used while receiving public comment, there are some things that you need to be aware of. This is because some foods that are marked as “organic” are already using non-organic products. These include: Anheuser Busch's "Organic Wild Hops Beer," which does not include any organic hops at all; sausages, brats, and breakfast links labeled as "USDA Organic" can now contain intestines from farm animals that have raised on chemically grown feed, synthetic hormones and antibiotics; and those products that contain fish oil may have PCBs and mercury in them.
This just goes to show that companies like Kraft, Wal-Mart and Anheuser-Busch, who are profit-driven, actually have more sway over the USDA than family farmers, independent organic producers and consumers combined. Luckily, those foods that are labeled “100% organic” will still be required to be 100% organic. This means that this rule will only apply to products that are 95% organic or less. So, if you carefully read ingredient labels and look for the label to say “100% organic” you will be fine. Another option is to purchase your foods only from local family farmers at your local farmers market.
If you would like to take action, you can send a letter to the USDA. Their address is:ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION ·6771 SOUTH SILVER HILL DRIVE·FINLAND, MN 55603 USA
Of course, you can also email them at adam@organicconsumers.org
To keep up to date on this information, you can go to http://www.organicconsumers.org
Sunday, June 24, 2007
USDA says OK to adding 38 nonorganic foods to the organic food list
This past Friday the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the proposal to allow 38 nonorganic ingredients to be used in foods that are certified "USDA Organic." Thankfully there are 60 days in which we, as the public, can comment upon this. Just in the past month alone, the USDA received more than 1,000 complaints that pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics and growth hormones should not be used in food.
Some manufacturers pushed for this change because they claim that the 38 items are minor ingredients. Further arguments include the fact that these companies claim that these products are hard to find in their organic form. These items include 19 food colorings, 2 starches, hops, sausage casings, fish oil, chipotle chili pepper, gelatin, celery powder, dill weed oil, frozen lemon grass, Wakame seaweed, Turkish bay leaves and whey protein concentrate. Companies argue that allowing small amounts of these nonorganic ingredients to be used will allow for more "mostly organic" foods to be created.
People are now arguing that if the label says that the product is organic, then everything in that food should be organic. There should be no exception allowing for companies to put nonorganic things in a product that is labeled "organic." This only makes sense. Unfortunately, there are a lot of foods, such as cereal, sausage, bread, beer, pasta, candy and soup mixes, that will be affected by this ruling.
Considering the fact that organic sales have more than doubled in the last 5 years alone, the USDA seems to not be listening to the public, but to their pocketbooks instead. Statistics show that big food makers such as General Mills, Kellogs and Kraft are now contributing to the array of foods that use to only be available from mom-and-pop farms. The reason why it took a while for big food makers to take note of this probably has to do with the fact that this is not conventional. In fact, current USDA regulations define "organic" as having no chemical fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering or pesticides. It also states that animals must be raised without antibiotics or growth hormones and given access to free range (outdoors).
For those people who truly want to eat only organic foods, this is going to cause a huge problem. Therefore, if you are concerned about this issue, the time is now to stand up and do something about it. Take a moment to email your state's government officials and have them put pressure on the USDA. If you stand up, the FDA will have to take notice.
Some manufacturers pushed for this change because they claim that the 38 items are minor ingredients. Further arguments include the fact that these companies claim that these products are hard to find in their organic form. These items include 19 food colorings, 2 starches, hops, sausage casings, fish oil, chipotle chili pepper, gelatin, celery powder, dill weed oil, frozen lemon grass, Wakame seaweed, Turkish bay leaves and whey protein concentrate. Companies argue that allowing small amounts of these nonorganic ingredients to be used will allow for more "mostly organic" foods to be created.
People are now arguing that if the label says that the product is organic, then everything in that food should be organic. There should be no exception allowing for companies to put nonorganic things in a product that is labeled "organic." This only makes sense. Unfortunately, there are a lot of foods, such as cereal, sausage, bread, beer, pasta, candy and soup mixes, that will be affected by this ruling.
Considering the fact that organic sales have more than doubled in the last 5 years alone, the USDA seems to not be listening to the public, but to their pocketbooks instead. Statistics show that big food makers such as General Mills, Kellogs and Kraft are now contributing to the array of foods that use to only be available from mom-and-pop farms. The reason why it took a while for big food makers to take note of this probably has to do with the fact that this is not conventional. In fact, current USDA regulations define "organic" as having no chemical fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering or pesticides. It also states that animals must be raised without antibiotics or growth hormones and given access to free range (outdoors).
For those people who truly want to eat only organic foods, this is going to cause a huge problem. Therefore, if you are concerned about this issue, the time is now to stand up and do something about it. Take a moment to email your state's government officials and have them put pressure on the USDA. If you stand up, the FDA will have to take notice.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Teflon Is Forever
For decades now DuPont has sold us what many would consider a nonstick wonder, but what DuPont has failed to tell us is that Teflon sticks to us. This is because Teflon gets its nonstick properties from a toxic, nearly indestructible chemical that is called pfoa, or perfluorooctanoic acid. Nevertheless, Teflon is used in numerous products today, including cookware, children's pajamas and takeout coffee cups.
The Environmental Protection Agency has just finished up a study that shows that pfoa is a human carcinogen. It can be found in the bloodstream of almost every American, even in newborn babies wherein it causes decreased birth weight and head circumference. So, while DuPont claims that Teflon makes "cleanup a breeze," cleansing ourselves from the chemical pfoa is nearly impossible.
DuPont has always known a lot more about Teflon than they would like to let on. In fact, after just 2 years of operation the EPA fined the company $16.5 million for having covered up their knowledge about Teflon for decades. What was the knowledge that was covered up? It was knowledge of the fact that pfoa can cause cancer, birth defects, immune suppression, developmental problems and liver damage. This is just one of the many lawsuits that has been brought against DuPont in regards to their use of Teflon.
So, how do we as humans inhale Teflon? Well, it can be found in a wide variety of places, including: when rugs and upholstery that have been treated with Teflon begin to wear down; 70% of the cookware that is sold; the paper that pizza slices are placed upon; microwave popcorn bags, ice cream cartons and other food packages; mascara; dental floss; and some personal care products. Of course, there is also pfoa in Scotchgard but they have stopped using the chemical now that they know that it contaminates entire populations of people. However, if you have ever used Scotchgard on your carpeting, it is still there.
Unfortunately, DuPont and its supporters like to deny these facts. They seem to think that by avoiding these issues they will just magically go away. These people will tell you that there is no health threat from their products even though lab tests show otherwise. While DuPont claims that they are going to get rid of people's need for Teflon products, all they are doing is taking out ads claiming that Teflon actually make lives better, safer and healthier.
The Environmental Protection Agency has just finished up a study that shows that pfoa is a human carcinogen. It can be found in the bloodstream of almost every American, even in newborn babies wherein it causes decreased birth weight and head circumference. So, while DuPont claims that Teflon makes "cleanup a breeze," cleansing ourselves from the chemical pfoa is nearly impossible.
DuPont has always known a lot more about Teflon than they would like to let on. In fact, after just 2 years of operation the EPA fined the company $16.5 million for having covered up their knowledge about Teflon for decades. What was the knowledge that was covered up? It was knowledge of the fact that pfoa can cause cancer, birth defects, immune suppression, developmental problems and liver damage. This is just one of the many lawsuits that has been brought against DuPont in regards to their use of Teflon.
So, how do we as humans inhale Teflon? Well, it can be found in a wide variety of places, including: when rugs and upholstery that have been treated with Teflon begin to wear down; 70% of the cookware that is sold; the paper that pizza slices are placed upon; microwave popcorn bags, ice cream cartons and other food packages; mascara; dental floss; and some personal care products. Of course, there is also pfoa in Scotchgard but they have stopped using the chemical now that they know that it contaminates entire populations of people. However, if you have ever used Scotchgard on your carpeting, it is still there.
Unfortunately, DuPont and its supporters like to deny these facts. They seem to think that by avoiding these issues they will just magically go away. These people will tell you that there is no health threat from their products even though lab tests show otherwise. While DuPont claims that they are going to get rid of people's need for Teflon products, all they are doing is taking out ads claiming that Teflon actually make lives better, safer and healthier.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Organic food
I've recently sampled some organic food that I've really enjoyed. I can honestly say that I can taste the difference between it and the chemically laden foods. As such, I've started purchasing organic vegetables and meat for my family. These are the only vegetables and meat that I'll be having in my home from now on. Of course, I can't make restaraunts and others purchase and use these things so we'll still eat them while visiting these people/places. In my home though I'm only going to have organic meat and veggies. I wish I could say that we were only going to eat organic everything but right now as a single mom and home business owner, that simply isn't feasible. I'm looking forward to seeing how much better we feel once we've been eating these things for a while because it definitely has to help. Since we only eat a few snacks a day though I honestly don't think that nonorganic will be a big part of our lives.
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