Tag: Bayer

Natural Pet Care for Fleas, Ticks, Bath Time and More

Natural Pet Care for Fleas, Ticks, Bath Time and  More

Our human lives are full of choices. We often obsess over the ingredients in  the lotions we buy and search for the safest cleaning products for our home. Our  pets, on the other hand, live a largely choice-less existence. Whether you shine  your floors with chemical cleaner or use a non-toxic vinegar and lemon solution  is not a choice our cat makes. In fact, she doesn’t get a choice when flea  season rolls around and the collars and ointments come out, either. And her  favorite bubble bath solution is left unknown as well. In the end, the choices  that affect your pets’ health are up to you, and many pet owners make  health-damaging mistakes.

For example, flea collars often contain tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) or propoxur,  which can jeopardize your pet’s immune  system and leave damaging lifelong effects. Flea collars that contain  these chemicals can damage the nervous system, negatively affect the brain and  even lead to cancer. These chemicals are especially damaging for children who  may be in regular contact with your dog or cat.

You can avoid toxic chemicals by taking the following natural and  preventive measures:

  • Give your pet regular baths.
  • Wash your pet’s bedding and clean the areas where your pet sleeps, such as  sofas or rugs. Clean these surfaces the same day as you wash your pet.
  • Use a flea comb in between baths.
  • Do not neglect your pet’s oral hygiene. Regular brushing is necessary not just for you, but them,  too.
  • If you have carpet, vacuum regularly and clean area rugs.
  • Boost your pet’s immune system with herbs.
  • Create a natural flea and tick rinse with rosemary, wormwood, southernwood,  lavender, pennyroyal or eucalyptus.

Taking the time to consider natural pet care choices is worth it for the  furry friends we love. Natural pet care is easier than you think and creates a  cleaner, greener environment for every member of your household.

4 Dangerous Drugs Doctors Gave Your Grandparents

4 Dangerous Drugs Doctors Gave Your Grandparents

Written by Randy Fritz, co-creator with Diana Herrington at Real Food for Life

Many of the drugs that we know are illegal and dangerous, like heroin, were  once easily bought at the corner drugstore and recommended by doctors. When you  see the old advertisements for these substances, sometimes you cringe, and  sometimes you can’t help but laugh!

This is why I am cautious with any “new” health advance that has not yet  stood the test of time. I will explain more on this later.

Many of the medicines of the 19th and early 20th century contained  psychoactive drugs – alcohol, opium, and cocaine. Doctors didn’t know how these  drugs worked but they gave some small relief since you were actually slightly  high or drunk. Meanwhile nature took it’s course and if it could, the body  naturally healed as it would have anyway without the medicine.

1.  Heroin

 

The German company Bayer, which now produces one of the most popular pain  medications on earth, aspirin, also developed heroin and sold it at your local  drugstore.

In fact, when a chemist first developed ASA (aspirin) and presented it to  Bayer, management was not interested right away.  They were more excited  with another drug they had rediscovered – diacetylmorphine. They trademarked  this drug “heroin” because early testers said it made them feel heroisch (a  German word for heroic).

Heroin was marketed as a non-addictive morphine substitute  and cough suppressant. Medicines containing “smack” were sold  in stores just as aspirin is today. The American Medical Association gave heroin  its stamp of approval in 1907.

According to a Bayer watchdog group, Bayer promoted heroin for use in  children suffering from coughs, colds and “irritation”  as late as 1912.

Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup contained 65 mg of morphine, another opiate  analgesic, per fluid ounce and was used “for children teething.”

This seems amazing to us now because we know so much more, but people somehow  survived! The body is amazing.

Natural Alternatives:

For coughs:  Honey and finely ground black pepper is a time tested  ayurvedic remedy for cough and sore throat used for  centuries.

For colds: Many powerfoods are rich in antioxidants  necessary to prevent colds and infections before they happen. They also support  the immune system once you have a cold. There are many examples:

  • Broccoli: is a rich source of the premier antioxidant  nutrient—vitamin C,  plus the flavonoids that allow vitamin C to recycle  effectively, plus carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene,  other powerful antioxidants.
  • All alkaline foods: create balance in the body.  An  acidid body is an inflamed, unsettled body with unbalanced immunity.  Alkaline-forming foods include lemons, spinach, zucchini, watermelon, millet, almonds, and raspberries and even weeds like dandelions. Each one of these foods offers a host of  powerful health benefits which you can enjoy with no long list of side  effects.

2. Cocaine

In the US, cocaine was sold over the counter until 1914 and was commonly  found in products like toothache drops, dandruff remedies, and medicinal  tonics.

Coca leaves, which can be transformed into the more concentrated cocaine,  have been used for centuries in native cultures in South America for day to day  remedies and religious ceremonies.

In America and Europe, the coca leaves were combined with wine “to invigorate  the mind and decrease depression and sleepiness.” It was suggested that you  should take a full glass with or after every meal. Children should only take  half a glass.

Coca-Cola was invented in the late 1800s as a “coca wine,”  but the alcohol and cocaine were later replaced with syrup and coca leaves,  respectively.

It was considered “a valuable brain tonic, and a cure for all nervous  affections — sick head-ache, neuralgia, hysteria, melancholy.”

Natural alternatives for energy and mental  clarity:

Green tea: the second most popular beverage  on earth enlivens the body, mind,  and spirit without overstimulating it. It  also helps with weight loss, cancer and heart disease,

All fruits are smart carbs and thus contain natural sugars for  energy, but are full of the micronutrients which actually make you smarter and  balanced instead of just high on white sugar and chemicals.

3.  Opium

Opium poppy seed (from which heroin is processed) has been cultivated for  food, anesthesia, and ritual purposes since at least the new stone age.

In the 18th century, opium was found to be a good remedy for nervous  disorders: to quiet the mind, help the insane, and to treat insomnia.  In  the American Civil War, the Union Army used 2.8 million ounces of opium  tincture and powder and about 500,000 opium pills. It was called “God’s Own  Medicine.”

Until 1970, Paregoric, whose main ingredient was powdered opium, could be  purchased at a pharmacy without a medical prescription.

4.  Cigarettes

Cigarettes with unknown contents claimed to provide temporary relief for  everything from asthma to colds, canker sores, and bad  breath. They were “not recommended for children under 6.” As the effects of  nicotine became more apparent, cigarette companies had to be more subtle in  their marketing.

During World War II, soldiers were issued free cigarettes, courtesy of the  tobacco companies, resulting in millions of nicotine-addicted G.I.s returning home after the  war.

Natural approaches to asthma:

Asthma is primarily an inflammatory condition so any whole foods that  decreases inflammation helps.

Studies have shown that intakes of apples, tomatoes, carrots, green leafy vegetables and generally lots of fresh  fruit and vegetables reduces the prevalence of asthma.

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and asthma. Omega-3s are found in  flax seeds, walnuts, beans and winter squash. Each of these foods have amazing additional  benefits – again without side effects.

But We Know Better Now, Don’t We?

We certainly have come a long way since the era of patent medicines. Our  understanding of how chemistry interacts with our bodies is increasing daily.  But is it far enough?  Future generations may well laugh at our present day  advertisements for Viagra and sleep medication and we already cringe at the  destructive effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

I don’t want to pick on any doctors specifically or in general. They just  tend to represent (sometimes unknowingly) the established medical and  pharmaceutical industries.

Sometimes the same thing happens in the natural health field; new discoveries  which at the beginning sound like the cure for everything turn out to be not  appropriate for everyone and in some cases are even harmful.

As I said before though, I am very cautious of any new discovery that has not  been verified by time. By “time” I don’t mean months or years of testing but  rather decades or centuries of use!

At Real Food For Life, we understand that peak health has been enjoyed by  millions over the centuries using only simple whole foods traditional in their  culture. We call these power  foods and they are probably in your kitchen right now.

It is up to us to take responsibility for our own health and educate  ourselves. We can’t expect a government organization to do it all for us.

This is what many of the people are doing within Care2: learning and sharing  and participating. We congratulate you on your efforts.

I’m sure you know of other deadly medications and procedures that have been  offered to the public.

 

Urgent: Throw These Cooking Oils in the Trash

Urgent: Throw These Cooking Oils in the Trash

  • Dr. Mercola

In the words of Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser:

“If they have to put the word ‘natural’ on a box to convince you, it probably isn’t.”

But this doesn’t stop countless processed food manufacturers from boldly labeling their products as 100% natural in the hopes of appealing to health-minded shoppers like you.

After all, products labeled as “natural” or “sustainable” account for $50 billion in sales annually, or 8 percent of total retail grocery sales, and the numbers are likely growing.

When you see a supposedly “natural” product, like ConAgra’s Wesson brand vegetable oils claim to be, you would probably assume they contain no genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which by definition are not found in nature.

But Wesson oils, specifically the Canola Oil, Vegetable Oil, Corn Oil, and Best Blend, do in fact contain GMOs, prompting a class-action lawsuit over their misleading “100% natural” label claim.

Any GM Product is, by Definition, NOT Natural

The lawsuit alleges that ConAgra’s use of GM corn and soy in their cooking oils disqualifies the product as being labeled “all-natural.” The plaintiffs cite two very fitting definitions of genetic modification to prove their point, including one from biotech giant, and leading GM seed creator, Monsanto.

As Food Safety News reported:

“According to Monsanto, GMOs are: “Plants or animals that have had their genetic makeup altered to exhibit traits that are not naturally theirs.” The complaint also quotes a GMO definition from the World Health Organization: “Organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally.”

It will be interesting to see how the lawsuit turns out, as a conviction against ConAgra could have important consequences for the manufacturers of countless other processed foods. Virtually all processed foods contain GM ingredients, unless they are certified organic, and many of them also claim to be all natural.

 

How do GM Food Manufacturers Get Away with Using the “All-Natural” Claim?

The natural food label on processed food has no standard definition and really no meaning at all. The term is only regulated on meat and poultry, for which an item labeled natural may not contain any artificial flavors, colors or chemical preservatives. But in the processed food arena, a “natural” product can be virtually anything — genetically modified, full of pesticides, made with corn syrup, additives, preservatives and artificial ingredients.

So if you’ve ever wondered how heavily processed foods like 7-Up, Cheetos, and potato chips can claim to be “natural,” that’s how.

The main point to remember is that as it stands, in the United States a food can be labeled 100% natural even if it contains GM ingredients. The ConAgra lawsuit is poised to change all of that, but only if the suit is successful …

Even Organic Foods May be Contaminated with GM Ingredients

The problem with GM ingredients infiltrating the food supply are two-fold. First are the manufacturers like ConAgra, who intentionally use GM corn, GM soy and other GM ingredients but “greenwash” their labels to keep it quiet. Then there is the problem of GM contamination, which is becoming progressively more difficult to control.

If you’ve followed the debate about genetically engineered crops for some time, you may remember that the USDA initially proposed that the organic rules should allow GM foods to be labeled organic. Fortunately, the public outcry stopped this atrocious proposal. In fact, it was the second largest citizen response up until that time for any proposed regulation. After several hearings around the United States, the final organic rule did not allow for GM ingredients.

However, we’re now facing significant contamination, both in the fields and during processing, and as a result it’s becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to guarantee a food will not contain any kind of GM substance. This is an industry fact that holds true for all organic retailers. Even the Non-GMO project has admitted this. The approval of GM alfalfa this year will only make matters worse, as alfalfa is a powerful pollinator.

“Contamination is an intentional strategy,” Dr. Philip Bereano, professor emeritus at the University of Washington and an engaged activist concerning GM foods, says. “It’s an intentional strategy by both the government and the industry. We have statements to that effect… Contamination in the field by pollen flow; contamination in the processing. They use the same railcars for engineered and non-engineered crops and things like that.”

 

Ronnie Cummins with the Organic Consumers Association also discussed this in an interview, warning that any alfalfa growing within a five mile radius of GM alfalfa will immediately become contaminated. The ramifications of this contamination are actually far worse than you might think, because alfalfa is a major food source for organic dairy cows. So once organic alfalfa becomes contaminated, organic milk and beef goes out the window too.

Echoing Dr. Bereano’s beliefs exactly, Cummins also said:

“I believe that this is an act of premeditated genetic pollution of the gene pool of alfalfa and related plants by Monsanto. They know exactly what they’re doing.

They understand is that if you pollute enough alfalfa across the country to where it becomes impossible to grow organic alfalfa that isn’t contaminated, perhaps then the organic community will weaken and allow genetically engineered animal feed under the rules of organic production.”

GM contamination is really getting worse by the day. Just a few months ago, Riceland Foods, the largest rice cooperative in the U.S., filed suit against Bayer Corporation after its natural long-grain rice was contaminated with Bayer’s unapproved GM rice—and they won. The jury determined that Bayer caused “tremendous harm to Riceland and the entire industry,” awarding Riceland $11.8 million in compensatory damages and $125 million in punitive damages.

This type of contamination is going on all over the world, which is why we cannot rest on our laurels and must fight against the approval of each and every new GM crop. You cannot contain them. They absolutely WILL contaminate their conventional and organic counterparts, which will mean ultimately the entire food supply will contain GMOs.

New GM Dangerous Described as a Health “Emergency”

Research by Dr. Don M. Huber, an internationally recognized plant pathologist and professor emeritus at Purdue University, has unearthed new evidence of potential harm to both livestock and humans from GM crops. On January 17, he alerted the federal government to a newly discovered organism related to GM corn and soy, which appears to be responsible for plant death, as well as infertility and spontaneous abortion in animals fed GM crops.

 

In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Huber urged the government to immediately stop deregulation of Roundup Ready crops, and to delay the approval of alfalfa until further research has been conducted.

The letter reads, in part:

“Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn—suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science! … I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high-risk status.

In layman’s terms, it should be treated as an emergency.”

Unfortunately, his strong words fell on deaf ears, and GM alfalfa was approved anyway. I urge you to watch the video by clicking on this link, featuring Dr. Huber. In it he explains the science behind the new organism, and the threat it poses.

Eat “Natural” Processed Foods at Your Own Peril

There’s no doubt in my mind that if you want to maintain good health, you simply must educate yourself about how the foods you eat are produced. When you compare unadulterated, organic foods to conventional processed foods (most of which contain GM ingredients), there’s simply no question that one is real, natural food, and the other is anything but!

Since the U.S. government prevents the labeling of GM foods, it’s imperative to educate yourself on what they are, and to help spread awareness. First and foremost, avoid most processed foods, unless it’s labeled USDA 100% Organic. You can also avoid GM foods that are not found in processed foods, if you know what to look for. There are currently eight genetically modified food crops on the market:

  • Soy
  • Sugar from sugar beets
  • Corn
  • Hawaiian papaya
  • Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
  • Some varieties of zucchini
  • Canola (canola oil)
  • Crookneck squash

The free Non-GMO Shopping Guide is a great resource to help you determine which food brands and processed food products are GM-free. Print it out for yourself, and share it with everyone you know. If you feel more ambitious you can order the Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure in bulk, and bring them to the grocery stores in your area. Talk to the owner or manager and get permission to post them in their store.

Remember, 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, which is a disaster for your health even if you’re buying “natural” processed foods.

And GM ingredients are only one reason for this … many processed foods will also contain any number of other health hazards, including pesticides, antibiotics, hormone-disrupting chemicals, rancid fats, chemical additives, colors and preservatives, and an untold amount of other chemically-derived byproducts and toxins that may or may not claim to be “natural” on their labels.

The 9 Signs of Truly Natural Food

If a “natural” label claim is no measure of food quality, then what is? First and foremost, you’ll want to focus your purchases on items that have no labels at all … namely fresh vegetables, preferably organic and locally grown. Grass-fed, organic meats and raw dairy products are also staples your family can safely invest in. To help you find organically grown, wholesome food in your area, check out these helpful resources:

  • Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
  • Local Harvest — This Web site will help you find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.
  • USDA Farmer’s Markets database
  • Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals — The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online outlets in the United States and Canada.
  • Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) — CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms.
  • FoodRoutes — The FoodRoutes “Find Good Food” map can help you connect with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing for local farmers, CSA’s, and markets near you.
  • A Campaign for Real Milk — To help you find resources for pasture-fed, unprocessed, raw dairy products.

 

Next, whether you’re shopping at a supermarket or a farmer’s market, here are the 9 signs of a high-quality, healthy food:

1. It’s grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers (organic foods fit this description, but so do some non-organic foods)

2. It’s not genetically modified, and contains NO GM ingredients

3. It contains no added growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs

4. It does not contain artificial anything, nor any preservatives

5. It is a whole food, and this means it will not have a long list of ingredients (for instance, high-quality almond butter should contain almonds (preferably raw) and maybe sea salt — no added oils, sugars, etc.)

6. It is fresh (if you have to choose between wilted organic produce or fresh local conventional produce, the latter is the better option)

7. It did not come from a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO)

8. It is grown with the laws of nature in mind (meaning animals are fed their native diets, not a mix of grains and animal byproducts, and have free-range access to the outdoors)

9. It is grown in a sustainable way (using minimal amounts of water, protecting the soil from burnout, and turning animal wastes into natural fertilizers instead of environmental pollutants)

When you keep these principles in mind when you shop for food, the definition of the word “natural” on a label becomes a moot point. You needn’t rely on buzz words and other “green” marketing tricks to determine a truly healthy food. Instead opt for the freshest foods in the least processed and least altered forms, and this will almost always be the healthiest choice.