cuddling...
I love it! I definitely think that physical touch is essential for a healthy happy life. It took me years to feel that way though. I was born two months early and kept in an incubator for the first month or so of my life. Through childhood and early adulthood I didn't like to be touched and wondered if my birth experience was the reason for that. Going to massage school when I was 21 helped me to understand the power of touch and what I had been missing for so many years.
"Debunking Captivity"
I grew up near Marineland in Florida and not too far from Sea World. Watching Dolphins jump and swim is really an amazing experience, but one that should be done only in the wild. I don't condone keeping any wild animal in captivity. It seems like jail to me. Having my freedom taken away would be the worst possible thing that could happen in this life. Honestly, I'd rather die. I can only imagine Dolphins being kept in a tank to feel like torture to them.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Biochemistry Week 3
I definitely think we've been living like we have more than one planet to occupy. We treat resources like they are unlimited and rape the earth of its wealth. We also treat life like a right, not a privilege. Everyone is selfish with the life they are given, thinking only of what will come to pass over their lifetime, not beyond. Long term effects of our choices are not well researched. We would be so much better off if we looked at each choice in a more permaculture type of way. Multiple uses for each function, thinking about the edges of interaction as the place of the most possibility, mimicking nature instead of trying to conquer it. This is how I try to live, but I'll admit, it is difficult. Especially in the construct that we live in as a society.
I found the article on the sustainable use of biodiversity interesting. Why though is it always men in suits that make these types of decisions about how to "save" a native culture. I wish more men in suits thought about the impact of the western world on native cultures before we infiltrated them in search of oil and lumber. I have spent a lot of time living in Indigenous societies in different parts of the world in hopes of learning what they have to teach and to help keep some of that knowledge alive. It was always a sad endeavor watching the youth of the people whom I had traveled far and wide to learn from seeking to live the life I was running from. The western world has brought over GMO subsidized crops, raped the land for oil and lumber and stolen their herbal secrets in order to make pharmaceutical drugs. And the worst part is that in order to survive in their culture while it depends more and more on the American dollar, they are hired to carry out the pillage. So, although it is good that people are looking to reinstate biological diversity in Indigenous communities, I worry that it is too little to late.
I found the article on the sustainable use of biodiversity interesting. Why though is it always men in suits that make these types of decisions about how to "save" a native culture. I wish more men in suits thought about the impact of the western world on native cultures before we infiltrated them in search of oil and lumber. I have spent a lot of time living in Indigenous societies in different parts of the world in hopes of learning what they have to teach and to help keep some of that knowledge alive. It was always a sad endeavor watching the youth of the people whom I had traveled far and wide to learn from seeking to live the life I was running from. The western world has brought over GMO subsidized crops, raped the land for oil and lumber and stolen their herbal secrets in order to make pharmaceutical drugs. And the worst part is that in order to survive in their culture while it depends more and more on the American dollar, they are hired to carry out the pillage. So, although it is good that people are looking to reinstate biological diversity in Indigenous communities, I worry that it is too little to late.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Biochemistry week 2
Agavins - I am skeptical as whether the claim that they lower blood glucose levels is correct. I remember when it was claimed that Agave syrup did this as well only to find that it is akin to corn syrup. I find it hard to believe that any sweetener that has a carbohydrate constituent to it would lower glucose levels. It seems like a way to have your cake and eat it too, literally. I think we need to steer our tastebuds away from concentrated sweeteners in general and toward more of a 5 flavor system of balanced tastebuds and nutrition.
I found the links on cell structures interesting. The Virus looks like it would be invasive with its tail fibers, vs the human or animal cell which look much more benign. Bacteria also look like they behave, almost slithery and creaturelike.
I found the links on cell structures interesting. The Virus looks like it would be invasive with its tail fibers, vs the human or animal cell which look much more benign. Bacteria also look like they behave, almost slithery and creaturelike.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Biochemistry Week 1
Radioactive Fukushima waters arrive at the West Coast of America:
I find this to be really scary and thought provoking. It begs the question 'Why do we use Nuclear Energy if it cannot break down'. It seems a dangerous price to pay. There are much cleaner sources of energy with byproduct that are not harmful and energy sources that are made from waste products themselves like biodigesters. I hope that radioactivity from Japan reaching the US makes people begin to question why we create energy that contanimates our environment.
I find this to be really scary and thought provoking. It begs the question 'Why do we use Nuclear Energy if it cannot break down'. It seems a dangerous price to pay. There are much cleaner sources of energy with byproduct that are not harmful and energy sources that are made from waste products themselves like biodigesters. I hope that radioactivity from Japan reaching the US makes people begin to question why we create energy that contanimates our environment.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Microwave and Nutrition
Microwaves and Nutrition
History
The idea of a microwaves first came into play during World War II when birds flew into radar masts and dropped to ground fully cooked. Percy Spencer invented microwaves after building radars and discovering that they melted candy bars in his pocket. 7 years later had first "radar" range was sold. The name changed to microwave since people didn't like the idea of cooking with radar.
How They Work
Microwaves use electromagnetic waves in frequency of 300-300,000 (MHz) (million cycles per second). The electromagnetic field excites the molecules inside food, creating friction, and heats the food from the inside. Both dipolar and ionic interactions occur. Dipolar interaction happens when polar molecules, such as water with one positively charged end and one negatively charged end, rotate like magnets to orient themselves in a electromagnetic field. Ionic Interaction involves Ionic compounds like dissolved salts. The salts are excited by the electromagnetic field and collide with other molecules to produce heat.
Energy Efficiency and Safety
Microwaves are more energy efficient than both gas and electric ovens. They are 3-5 times more efficient and use 8 times less energy wattage. Microwave radiation travels through glass but is reflected by metal. This is why there is a metal grate inside the glass door of conventional microwaves. Exposure is greatest 2 inches from the microwave door but the amount of radiation taken in is less than that of cellphones. Although there is some correlation to elevated cancer risk in cooks due to their consistent exposure to microwave cooking. This is hard data to prove though given that we are exposed on a consistent basis to EM radiation through power lines, cell phones, computers, refrigerators, etc.
Dangers of Microwave Cooking
Cooking food in plastics, even when labeled Microwave safe, is not recommended. Plastics, when heated, leach out toxic endocrine altering compounds. These compounds are plasticizers and when they come in contact with fatty foods, their leakage into food becomes greater. The FDA regulates this by allowing for only 100-1000 times less per pound of the amount that is shown to harm laboratory animals. The question then remains as to what is the cumulative effect. Due to the uneven cooking distribution of microwavable food, bacteria such as: Salmonella, Listeria, Clostridia, and Campylobacter may survive the cooking process and become infective.
Microwaves and Meat Carcinogens
I found that in some cases microwaves were beneficial by cutting down the exposure to the cancer causing agents heterocyclic amines (HCAs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and Nitrosamines. HCAs are created by the reaction of amino acids, sugars, and creatine by cooking muscle meats at high temperatures such as grilling, broiling, or frying. PAHs are rings of fused carbon and hydrogen atoms that are created from the reaction of fats and juices from meat spilling out over the fire causing flames to rise that adhere the PAHs to food. Since microwaves do not cook over an open flame and cook at a much lower temperature, these cancer causing agents are greatly reduced.
Microwaves and Nutrition
This was the most difficult part to find conclusive studies on. There is much discrepancy. Most more conventional sites state that microwaving food does not alter it nutritional makeup and in some instances may retain more nutrients due to the quicker cooking time. There are also a lot of conspiracy theories out there who claim that microwaves were designed by the Nazi's to destroy the human race. Following more of the middle path, I tried to find scientific research that proved one or the other to be true. In study done by Hans Hertel, a Swiss scientist, blood samples where tested after test subjects ate raw milk from a bio farm, the same milk conventionally cooked, or the same milk cooked in a microwave. As well as, when subjects ate raw organic vegetables, the same veggies cooked conventionally, or in a microwave. Blood samples were then taken first on an empty stomach, then 15 minutes after food intake, and lastly two hours later. The findings were a decrease in Hemoglobin, HDL Cholesterol, Erythrocytes, and Hematocrit. The samples also showed an increase in LDL, the bad cholesterol and Leucocytes due to the stress response to the food. Hertel was sued for these findings and banned from reporting his findings.
Some other studies showed that microwaves reduced the antioxidants in broccoli up to 97% and completely inactivated the anti-cancer ingredient in garlic, allinase. They have also found that the disease fighting agents in breast milk, lysozyme and antibodies are completely killed off and some of the amino acids are made biologically inactive.
Scientific or Not, This Science Project Says it All!
Sources
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0706a.shtml
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats
http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_ft_01_02_mcfs.html
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-microwave-cooking
http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards2.htm
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/studies-show-microwaves-drastically-reduce-nutrients-food
http://www.naturalnews.com/031929_microwaved_water_plants.html#
http://www.eutimes.net/2011/03/experiment-microwaved-water-kills-plants/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheEuropeanUnionTimes+%28The+European+Union+Times%29
History
The idea of a microwaves first came into play during World War II when birds flew into radar masts and dropped to ground fully cooked. Percy Spencer invented microwaves after building radars and discovering that they melted candy bars in his pocket. 7 years later had first "radar" range was sold. The name changed to microwave since people didn't like the idea of cooking with radar.
How They Work
Microwaves use electromagnetic waves in frequency of 300-300,000 (MHz) (million cycles per second). The electromagnetic field excites the molecules inside food, creating friction, and heats the food from the inside. Both dipolar and ionic interactions occur. Dipolar interaction happens when polar molecules, such as water with one positively charged end and one negatively charged end, rotate like magnets to orient themselves in a electromagnetic field. Ionic Interaction involves Ionic compounds like dissolved salts. The salts are excited by the electromagnetic field and collide with other molecules to produce heat.
Energy Efficiency and Safety
Microwaves are more energy efficient than both gas and electric ovens. They are 3-5 times more efficient and use 8 times less energy wattage. Microwave radiation travels through glass but is reflected by metal. This is why there is a metal grate inside the glass door of conventional microwaves. Exposure is greatest 2 inches from the microwave door but the amount of radiation taken in is less than that of cellphones. Although there is some correlation to elevated cancer risk in cooks due to their consistent exposure to microwave cooking. This is hard data to prove though given that we are exposed on a consistent basis to EM radiation through power lines, cell phones, computers, refrigerators, etc.
Dangers of Microwave Cooking
Cooking food in plastics, even when labeled Microwave safe, is not recommended. Plastics, when heated, leach out toxic endocrine altering compounds. These compounds are plasticizers and when they come in contact with fatty foods, their leakage into food becomes greater. The FDA regulates this by allowing for only 100-1000 times less per pound of the amount that is shown to harm laboratory animals. The question then remains as to what is the cumulative effect. Due to the uneven cooking distribution of microwavable food, bacteria such as: Salmonella, Listeria, Clostridia, and Campylobacter may survive the cooking process and become infective.
Microwaves and Meat Carcinogens
I found that in some cases microwaves were beneficial by cutting down the exposure to the cancer causing agents heterocyclic amines (HCAs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and Nitrosamines. HCAs are created by the reaction of amino acids, sugars, and creatine by cooking muscle meats at high temperatures such as grilling, broiling, or frying. PAHs are rings of fused carbon and hydrogen atoms that are created from the reaction of fats and juices from meat spilling out over the fire causing flames to rise that adhere the PAHs to food. Since microwaves do not cook over an open flame and cook at a much lower temperature, these cancer causing agents are greatly reduced.
Microwaves and Nutrition
This was the most difficult part to find conclusive studies on. There is much discrepancy. Most more conventional sites state that microwaving food does not alter it nutritional makeup and in some instances may retain more nutrients due to the quicker cooking time. There are also a lot of conspiracy theories out there who claim that microwaves were designed by the Nazi's to destroy the human race. Following more of the middle path, I tried to find scientific research that proved one or the other to be true. In study done by Hans Hertel, a Swiss scientist, blood samples where tested after test subjects ate raw milk from a bio farm, the same milk conventionally cooked, or the same milk cooked in a microwave. As well as, when subjects ate raw organic vegetables, the same veggies cooked conventionally, or in a microwave. Blood samples were then taken first on an empty stomach, then 15 minutes after food intake, and lastly two hours later. The findings were a decrease in Hemoglobin, HDL Cholesterol, Erythrocytes, and Hematocrit. The samples also showed an increase in LDL, the bad cholesterol and Leucocytes due to the stress response to the food. Hertel was sued for these findings and banned from reporting his findings.
Some other studies showed that microwaves reduced the antioxidants in broccoli up to 97% and completely inactivated the anti-cancer ingredient in garlic, allinase. They have also found that the disease fighting agents in breast milk, lysozyme and antibodies are completely killed off and some of the amino acids are made biologically inactive.
Scientific or Not, This Science Project Says it All!
Sources
http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0706a.shtml
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats
http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_ft_01_02_mcfs.html
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-microwave-cooking
http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards2.htm
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/studies-show-microwaves-drastically-reduce-nutrients-food
http://www.naturalnews.com/031929_microwaved_water_plants.html#
http://www.eutimes.net/2011/03/experiment-microwaved-water-kills-plants/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheEuropeanUnionTimes+%28The+European+Union+Times%29
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Chemistry Week 9
Post your thoughts on the diet
suggestions in pH Balance: Acids &Alkalis & Anti-Oxidants:
The article made me realize that my diet is a lot more acidic than I thought. I eat a lot of red meat to help with my blood deficiency and eggs as well, both being super acidic. I also gravitate toward sour fruit rather than sweet fruit and really don't eat much from the 8.5 ph group. Its making me rethink my diet a bit. I do eat a lot of kale and green veggies though, as well as winter squash, so hopefully that make up for some of the PH balance. I do think though that health has so many factors and ph is just one of them.
The article made me realize that my diet is a lot more acidic than I thought. I eat a lot of red meat to help with my blood deficiency and eggs as well, both being super acidic. I also gravitate toward sour fruit rather than sweet fruit and really don't eat much from the 8.5 ph group. Its making me rethink my diet a bit. I do eat a lot of kale and green veggies though, as well as winter squash, so hopefully that make up for some of the PH balance. I do think though that health has so many factors and ph is just one of them.
The Business of Ingredients, Part I:
I found this article interesting. It seems a little too good to be true. I'm always skeptical of companies that claim their products to be natural when they are made in a laboratory. Not to say that chemistry doesn't have root in the natural world, but when something gets broken down to such a minute part of itself it looses some of its potency. Its similar to replacing a whole foods diet with vitamins. I also think that these anti-aging skincare products give the wrong message. It tells people that aging is a terrible thing and that wrinkles are ugly. I wish we could support a healthier view of aging in our society and cherish the role of elder.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Chemistry week 8
I use natural products in my house. The more benign the better. I think there are many natural cleaners that do as good of a job as synthetic ones without doing damage.
Seventh generation organic cleaner, bioclean all purpose cleaner, bon ami, vinegar, hydogen peroxide (turns into oxygen when exposed to oxygen), method bathroom cleaner, Dr.bronners. Not too bad for the most part. Most of the products were entirely plant based. Method bathroom cleaner being the worst.
‘Mediterranean diet 'better than low-fat diet' for cardiovascular risk’
I do agree that the low fat craze was not the best to prevent coronary heart disease. It took out good fats as well as bad and left the body with little substance for creating healthy cholesterol and providing the nervous system with essential nutrients. A Mediterranean diet is a more balanced approach. Really it is just a diet of eating more fresh whole foods with little processing. That way the body can process the nutrients easily, get what it needs, and have very little 'extra' to process.
Seventh generation organic cleaner, bioclean all purpose cleaner, bon ami, vinegar, hydogen peroxide (turns into oxygen when exposed to oxygen), method bathroom cleaner, Dr.bronners. Not too bad for the most part. Most of the products were entirely plant based. Method bathroom cleaner being the worst.
‘Mediterranean diet 'better than low-fat diet' for cardiovascular risk’
I do agree that the low fat craze was not the best to prevent coronary heart disease. It took out good fats as well as bad and left the body with little substance for creating healthy cholesterol and providing the nervous system with essential nutrients. A Mediterranean diet is a more balanced approach. Really it is just a diet of eating more fresh whole foods with little processing. That way the body can process the nutrients easily, get what it needs, and have very little 'extra' to process.
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