A Natural Environmental Health Facts Ezine

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"A NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FACTS Ezine" Here to Inform and Help You Become Healthier and Happier while Achieving Quality Longevity!

http://www.antibiotic-alternatives.com
Email Lena
928-636-9425
Sunday September 18, 2005
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Watch for Monday's "Ask Lena Health Q & A edition.
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Tuesday's & Thursday's "Your Home Business Coach"

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=> IN THIS ISSUE!
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==> Editors' Ranting & or Warnings
==> Something To Think About
==> Health Thought for the day!
==> Showcase Health Spotlight
==> Monthly Spotlight Ads
==> Today's Health Tip
==> Food of The Week
==> Health Today
==> Environmental Report
==> Life Changing Information

My wish for you this weekend is total health, relaxation and happiness. As I see the beauty of the fall season coming into our area I marvel at how nature is so precise and things happen as it should when man leaves it alone. We have made so many changes that even nature has gone wild, which in turn is affecting the health of the world. Do what you can to make your corner of the world clean and healthy!

NOTICE: Ads and the ezines will most likely be published in an erratic manner for the next couple of months but they will be published, Ads may not publish on the date you have been notified... Orders will continue to be processed but shipping of most orders will come from the warehouse by UPS taking a few days longer than normal to get to you so be sure to get your order in at least three days earlier than you usually do... This because I will be away most of the next six to eight weeks with my daughter in California... I have my laptop and cell phone and you can still contact me for health problems or product orders...(928) 713-3624

After the hurricane devastation through out the Southern U.S. give as much as you can to help in time of great need... *Red Cross Click Here
*Whole host of other organizations helping out Click Here

If you have a question or comment (good or bad) send it to me... Click Here
Remember ANEH Facts archives Click Here
Ask Lena Health Q & A Archives Click Here
Take charge of you and your family's health before it takes charge of you!
Lena

==> Find An Alternative Health Professional
==>Latest Product Recalls - I'm appalled at the number of things, particularly medications, recalled weekly/daily neither your doctor nor your news stations are telling you about, so how are you going to know? Look here for DAILY Product Recall Site
===> Help The World Without Spending!
http://www.unicefusa.org/emergencies/
===>Help Feed The Hungry Doesn't Cost You A Penny
http://www.thehungersite.com Share your LOVE here!

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Something To Think About
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How Your City Adds Chloramines To Your Tap Water
By Richard Mesquita, AquaMD

Recently, two unrelated children ages 2 and 4, living in Greenville, N.C., were found to have extremely high levels of lead in their blood. One child had lead levels in his blood that were 200 percent higher than the medical safety standard. And the other child's lead level was about 150 percent higher than the so-called safe limit.

What were these children exposed to that caused them to absorb so much lead into their bodies? All signs point to the public water supply!

It turns out the water company's water was leaching lead from lead solder used to connect water pipes in the homes' plumbing systems.

In fact, the tap water tested at the home of one of these children contained lead levels of 400 parts per billion (ppb). To put that number in perspective, even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says lead levels in water exceeding 15 ppb are very dangerous and must be acted upon.

The local water company's own water tests also showed 25 percent of all samples collected at various homes in their coverage area were contaminated with lead at levels starting at 15 ppb, if not more. No doubt, many more water samples showed levels of lead that were also dangerous, but since they were below the EPA's action level, the water utility did not have to report them.

How did Lead Leach Into the Water Supply?

The water company started treating the public water supply with chloramines. Chloramines are formed by combining chlorine and small amounts of ammonia. That combination yields three known varieties:
Monochloramine
Dichloramine
Trichloramine

Chloramines eat away at the lead contained in the solder used to connect pipes, as well as actual lead service lines, and deposits lead into the water supply. So why did this North Carolina water company start adding chloramines to the public water supply in the first place?

Believe it or not, they did it to reduce the levels of harmful trihalomethanes (TTHMs) they were finding in their water. As you may recall, TTHMs are types of disinfection byproducts that have been linked to liver, kidney and central nervous system damage as well as cancer. They are very widespread in public water supplies.

The water company could have selected another water treatment option that would have reduced TTHMs in the water supply and kept it bacteria-free, but adding chloramines to the water was the low-cost option.

Adding chloramines to the public water supply isn't limited to this North Carolina water company either. More and more, water companies across the United States have switched to chloramines in an attempt to keep bacteria from growing in their water. In fact, 25 percent of water companies now use them as their primary disinfection chemical of choice.

Just so you know, reports of high lead levels in public water supplies aren't limited to North Carolina. Within the past year, the water company serving the Washington, D.C. area switched to chloramines and soon found lead levels 3,200 times greater than the EPA's action level. Things were so bad, according to the Washington Post, the water company withheld reporting some of their water test results and simply told their customers their water was fine.

That same newspaper reported, "Cities across the country are manipulating the results of tests used to detect lead in water, violating federal law, and putting millions of Americans at risk."

Health Effects of Chloramines

The lead that is leached into the water supply by chloramines has been linked to kidney damage, miscarriages, nervous system damage, anemia, high blood pressure, brain damage and reproductive difficulties, as well as learning and behavioral problems in children. Plus, chloramines leach copper into public water supplies. And long-term exposure to high levels of copper can cause liver damage, kidney damage, headaches, stomach problems and dizziness, among others.

In addition, scientists have discovered chloramines can create their own disinfection byproducts, such as N-nitrosodimethylamine. And this specific disinfection byproduct is a human carcinogen.

Some research links chloramines to bladder cancer. It's also believed the ammonia used to create chloramines in water can cause nitrate levels to rise and hurt young children.

Can Chloramines be Removed From the Water?

Chloramines are very difficult to remove from water by using reverse-osmosis systems or water softeners. Distilling water also won't remove them. But they can typically be removed with the right granular-activated carbon filter.

The problem: Public water supplies typically also contain other toxic substances that may not be removed by granular-activated carbon. No water filter exists that treats all problems. That's why you should find out which toxins are in your water, then install the right treatment system to deal with your specific problem.

I also encourage you to meet with your health practitioner to reverse any damage these contaminants may have done to your health.

LENA'S NOTE: The filtration/purification units I use removes lead and a multitude of other chemicals and pollutants. Water Purification/filtration units for houses or apartments Click here

When you spray with insecticides, the labels always warn you not to get the liquid on your skin.

But they don't mention that your clothes can make a difference in the absorption factor. Here's proof: The chemistry department at Texas Southern University bought just about every brand of insecticide in the hardware store, and checked to see how the solutions penetrated different types of ordinary fabrics. The researchers tested cotton twill, wool, cotton-polyester, cotton thermal underwear, rayon and acrylic.

The results, as reported in the journal Chemosphere, were that all the fabrics were good at blocking the insecticides -- except acrylic and rayon

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Chinese dates used as a tonic for anxiety, insomnia
By Elena Conis

Evergreen zizyphus trees can be found in Southern California and Texas, but the species renowned for its health benefits, Zizyphus jujuba, is native to the subtropical regions of China. The tree's sweettasting, orange-brown fruits are sometimes called Chinese dates, though they're not botanically related to true dates. The fruits are packed with vitamin C and amino acids, as well as some fatty acids. Zizyphus is a popular ingredient in herbal tonics in several Asian medicine traditions.

Uses: Zizyphus is widely used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for chronic liver disease, loss of appetite, dry skin, diarrhea, ulcers and asthma. One variety of the plant, Z. jujuba var. spinosa, is recommended for insomnia and anxiety. Zizyphus is sometimes combined with ginseng or other herbs as a tonic for the heart. In traditional Indian medicine, the fruits are prescribed during pregnancy and for wounds.

Dose: Chinese herbalists often recommend 3 to 10 fruits per day. Fresh or dried zizyphus fruits can be purchased in Chinese, Indian, Korean or Vietnamese food stores. Zizyphus supplements are sold in pill form in herbal medicine stores and on the Internet.

Precautions: Zizyphus can cause gas and indigestion. Though not well studied, the fruits appear safe, as they've long been used in Chinese and other types of Asian cooking.

Research: Human trials on zizyphus are scarce, so there's little solid evidence for its various health claims. Lab tests have begun to investigate the plant's anti-cancer properties, with some positive results. Lab and animal studies have provided preliminary support for the fruit's calming and antiinsomnia effects, and in vitro experiments have shown that the plant might hold promise for treating Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

A food delicacy with huge medical ramifications!

Because of it's great qualities a book could be written here about these delicacies, but I will try to hone it down to a rather large article! Studies have been released over the last month giving us the cancer preventing information on mushrooms so it's only fitting that this be our food of the week… It is also the season that mushrooms growing wild in many parts. Because a few wild mushrooms are deadly and many more are mildly poisonous, mushroom hunting is not a hobby for the careless or uninformed. On the other hand, neither is it necessarily the death-defying feat that many people imagine. There are a number of good edible mushrooms that are easy to recognize and hard to confuse with anything dangerously poisonous. (Poisonous mushrooms are often referred to as "toadstools," but this is a folk name that has no precise meaning. In this article, they will be called simply poisonous mushrooms.)

Because there are a myriad of mushrooms I am going to focus on my favorite of the mushroom world; Reishi. Their rich, smoky flavor have also endeared them to American taste buds and these exotic hearty mushrooms can now be found in supermarket shelves across the U.S. throughout the year. If your local store does not carry fresh reishi mushrooms, investigate the Asian food stores in your area as they oftentimes carry these specialty mushrooms.

Like other mushrooms, these specialty mushrooms are as mysteriously unique as they are delicious. While often thought of as a vegetable and prepared like one, mushrooms are actually a fungus, a special type of living organism that has no roots, leaves, flowers or seeds.

Reishi is the Japanese name for the Ganoderma family of mushrooms. In Chinese, they are called "ling-zhi." Reishi is a large, dark, mushroom with a glossy exterior. In traditional Chinese medicine, Reishi is in the most highly rated herb category in terms of multiple benefits, used as a medicinal herb, absent of side effects.

There are 6 different types of Reishi differentiated only by color: red, purple, blue, yellow, black, white, recorded in Chinese pharmacopoeia are actually one species grown under different conditions.

History;
Reischi is believed to have been known since at least the reign of "Fuxi", a legendary ruler of that time known also as the first of the Three August Ones.

Seng Nong, the Holy farmer, who was the second of the Three August Ones, is said to have discovered the curative virtues of plants by tasting hundreds of species. "Seng Nong's Herbal Classic" is considered to be the earliest manuscript on Chinese materia medica and is still today the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine and in general all Oriental Medicine.

Reishi also contains ergosterols, complete proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

Reishi, known in China as an "elixir of immortality," has been used for more than 3,000 years to rev up the immune system and heal chronic inflammatory conditions. Dozens of preliminary studies support its anti-inflammatory properties. One Chinese study found
that of the more than 2,000 people with chronic bronchitis who took reishi syrup for two weeks, 60% to 90% said they felt better. (Reishi syrup is a long drawn out process.)

6 species of Ling-zhi, differentiated by colors, are mentioned in the Seng Nong classic. Li Shi Zhen, a famous medical scholar in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) introduced the indications of the 6 species concretely. The work of the latter was republished in 1956, and translated into several foreign languages including Japanese, English, French, German, Russian and Latin and is regarded as the cornerstone of Traditional Chinese medicine.

Today, an estimated 4,300 tons of reischi/ling-zhi is produced yearly in the world, with China producing 3,000 tons followed by Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, USA, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Reishi is the Prednisone of foods!

Prednisone, the corticosteroid used to treat a variety of inflammatory ailments -- arthritis, asthma, colitis and some cancers -- and to prevent rejection of transplanted organs. Its nasty side effects - from a swollen "moon face" to increased infections - are legendary. But what many people don't know is that this medicinal reishe mushroom could, in some cases, do as good a job without wreaking the prednisone havoc on the body.

The best part - its side effects are as minimal as those you might have from taking a placebo. The side effects, if any, will be less than one-quarter of those you might have with prednisone -- and the cost is less than one-quarter that of a drug prescription.

Medicinal Preparation in early times consisted of a long process of boiling the mushrooms for hours or let them soak in alcohol for weeks so as to be able to drink them after the ingredients were dissolved.

While prednisone has its place for short-term life-threatening conditions, it may save your life. But if you have an ongoing inflammatory condition, reishi may be the best first line of treatment. Recently, researchers at Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai Tumor Hospital, and Shanghai Chung San Hospital have independently isolated from the Reishi mushroom a few species of polysaccharides which have subsequently been shown in clinical studies to have anti-tumor activities.

Reishi has also been shown to exert:
*A positive effects in treatment of insomnia
*Preventive effects against high altitude sickness
*Cholesterol -lowering effects
*Therapeutic effects in chronic hepatitis

Available in some grocery stores and health-food stores, in it's natural form or in powder form, as well as capsules and tablets. All observations show that Reishi has no side effects and can be consumed in high dosages and in parallel with other medications. Its main properties are the cleansing of blood, enhancement of the immune system and the lessening of nervous tension. These properties are conducive to normalizing and balancing the body and as a result preempt cure a multitude of diseases from within.

Tips for Preparing Mushrooms:

Mushrooms are very porous, so if they are exposed to too much water they will quickly absorb it and become soggy. Therefore, the best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water. To do this, simply wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.

If the fresh mushrooms become dried out because of being stored for too long, soak them in water for thirty minutes.

Our favorite way of eating is sauteed alone or with stir fry vegetables and rice.

I simply clean, slice and saute' in butter flavored virgin olive oil.

For each two cups of sliced mushrooms use 1 Tablespoon of virgin olive oil and to 1 teaspoon of butter (I do not use margarine for anything because of its poisonous fat and chemicals). Heat olive oil then add butter, melt and mix well. Add mushrooms and saute' stirring until cooked (about 3 - 5 minutes). Add a dash of Bragg's Liquid Aminos for added flavor just before removing from heat. Serve with other stir fried vegetables over rice or alone over rice.

Enjoy our healthy shroom!
Lena

Why You Need To Eat Some Raw Food At Every Meal

Ever gone into the garden or orchard and eaten a fruit or a vegetable right off the plant? If you have, think about that experience. If you haven't, imagine it now. Food that's ripened on the plant and consumed soon after picking is usually slightly warm to the touch. It's bursting with flavor. It's rich in enzymes that interact with your body during the digestive process to ensure that your body gets the absolute most nutritional value possible from that food.

Raw food also improves numbers of "good bacteria," or probiotics, in the large intestine. Unprocessed green food contains lots of prebiotics, substances that probiotics love to eat, and that help them to increase their populations. This, in turn, improves gastrointestinal function, and may explain why people who eat more vegetables have less risk of developing colon cancer.

Most people don't eat much fresh, raw food daily. Even those who eat a lot of vegetables don't often manage to get them really fresh-say, from a farmer's market or right out of the garden. Frozen, canned, or "fresh" (usually, sent from a distant place) supermarket veggies and fruits are better than nothing, but once you try them straight from the farm or right off the plant, you can really taste the difference.

Some health experts recommend an all-raw diet for improved health. It's amazing what skilled, knowledgeable food preparers can do to make delectable foods from nothing but raw vegetables, nuts, and seeds. People with chronic diseases, or digestive tracts that just don't seem to be keeping up with their workloads, often find themselves rejuvenated by a raw-foods-only diet. They lose weight, their skin starts to glow, their bowels move effortlessly, and they feel cleaner and clearer. Going on a raw foods diet for a brief time periodically-one day each week, or a week each month-is a good way to cleanse the body without fasting.

*** To learn more about how Dr. Mindell can help you get into the best shape of your life, visit: http://keith.freelife.com/redir.cfm?page=/info/nutrition/drearlmindell/body.cfm