Health & Wellness

Based on Consumer Demand More Companies Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup

Emily Bryson York
Los Angeles Times
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:11 UTC

Sara Lee is removing high-fructose corn syrup from its two best-selling breads.

First it was calories, then it was fat and sodium. The latest health concern: high-fructose corn syrup, and the trend is accelerating.

As the country struggles with obesity issues, ingredients in food have been under increasing scrutiny, bringing some confusion to the marketplace but also opportunities for companies as they try to differentiate themselves in a competitive grocery store.

Consumer concern has been getting a quick response from food companies, as many remove high-fructose corn syrup from well-known products, replacing it with cane or beet sugar. Sara Lee Corp. is the latest to jump on board, removing the sweetener from its two best-selling breads.

Discover the Benefits of Lemon Grass Tea

Motherearthnews.com
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:38 UTC

No Spanish American's herb garden was complete - at least here in California during the state's early days - unless it contained te-de-limon, or lemon grass. Then, over the years, the plant, like so many other sources of natural drinks and "cures," slowly faded from use and cultivation. Today's renewed and still-growing interest in herbs and herb teas, however, is now bringing te-de-limon back once again: For the first time in years, dried lemon grass is being sold - and purchased! - in health food stores throughout southern California.

Although there seems to be little scientific basis for the claims, Mexican folk medicine holds that the benefits of lemon grass include: aiding digestion, calming nervous disorders and helping in the treatment of high blood pressure. Cymbopogon citratus - as the plant is known to the botanist - is also cultivated and distilled in Java, Ceylon, Malaysia and Central America for its oil (which is used in pharmaceutical preparations and skincare products). Furthermore, according to Dorothy Hall's The Book of Herbs, lemon grass contains vitamin A and is good for "those who wish to have bright eyes and a clear skin."

Comment: For more information about the benefits of Lemongrass Tea read the following:

Lemon Grass Fights Headaches
Lemon Grass Halts Headaches Much Like Aspirin

Study Says: More BPA in Canadian Teens

NewsInferno
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:25 UTC

According to a recent Statistics Canada study, conducted with Health Canada, some disturbing facts surrounding the controversial plastic hardening chemical bisphenonl A (BPA) and the Canadian population were revealed, the Calgary Herald just announced. This is the government's first national survey conducted on chemical exposure.

It seems that nine out of 10 Canadians aged six to 79 - 91 percent of the population - have BPA in their urine. These figures indicate that Canadian children and teenagers have higher BPA urine levels today than ever before, wrote the Calgary Herald. The survey also revealed that just about every Canadian has BPA in their bodies.

Update: First parents, now teachers concerned about Wi-Fi in Ontario schools

Dominique Jarry-Shore
The Canadian Press
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:40 UTC

Toronto - A group of Ontario teachers is joining a push to remove wireless Internet from classrooms in the province for fear it's harming children's health.

Some parents in central Ontario formed the Simcoe County Safe School Committee when they became concerned Wi-Fi was the cause of symptoms their kids experienced that would clear up on weekends and holidays.

Health Canada says scientific evidence shows that exposure to low-level radiofrequency energy, such as that from Wi-Fi systems, is not dangerous to the public.

But that hasn't stopped the parents from urging the Simcoe County District School Board to turn off the Wi-Fi and plug back in to the Internet. The board has said no such action will be taken because there is no evidence to show children are being made ill by the wireless technology in their classrooms.

Now teachers from the Niagara region are adding their voices to the call to reconsider Wi-Fi in schools. They say even though wireless technology is all around, they want to minimize children's exposure.

85% of New Drugs 'Offer few Benefits'

John von Radowitz
The Independent
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:17 UTC

Drug companies were accused today of conning the public by hyping up patented medicines with little new to offer while downplaying their side-effects.

An estimated 85% of new drugs offer few if any new benefits while having the potential to cause serious harm due to toxicity or misuse, a study has concluded.

The author of the research delivered a damning attack on "Big Pharma" at a meeting of sociology experts in the US.

Professor Donald Light described the pharmaceutical industry as a "market for lemons" - one in which the seller knows much more than the buyer about the product, and takes advantage of this fact.

America's most medicated state? West Virginia

Nathalie Tadena
MSNBC
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:37 UTC

West Virginia has highest rate of prescription drug use in the country

Open the medicine cabinet in anyone's home, and chances are good you find at least a couple - and perhaps many - plastic prescription drug bottles.

Spending on prescription drugs in the U.S. multiplied nearly six times from $40.3 billion in 1990 to $234.1 billion in 2008, according to the nonprofit Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. From 1999 to 2009 the number of prescriptions dispensed rose 39% (from 2.8 billion to 3.9 billion) compared to a U.S. population growth of only 9% over the same period.

Who takes the most medication? In 2009 West Virginia had the highest prescription drug use of all states, according to data gathered from retail pharmacies and compiled by health care information company SDI.

Comment: The obvious missing correlation in this article is that of a diet high in gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. 18.4 prescription medications per person is more akin to poisoning than healing, complicating the issues of obesity, diabetes and heart disease even further.

Ovulating women buy sexier clothing: study

Agence France Press
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:07 UTC

Women buy sexier clothes when they're ovulating, researchers from the University of Minnesota found in a study they say could impact how products associated with looks are marketed.

"The desire for women at peak fertility to unconsciously choose products that enhance appearance is driven by a desire to outdo attractive rival women," said Kristina Durante, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and lead author of the study.

Study Finds: Risk to kids from toxic pesticides may be underestimated

Tom Laskawy
Grist
Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:36 UTC

When kids eat conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, what level of pesticide residues are they taking in - and to what effect?

The answers to those questions remain murky, because little research has been done. But evidence is building that the way we think about pesticide risk, especially in children, is all wrong. A few years ago, scientists at Emory and the University of Washington showed that when children switched to organic fruits and vegetables, pesticide residue in their bodies (as measured in their urine) dropped significantly within days. But what wasn't clear at the time was the pesticide load in a typical kid's diet, since the scientists in the organic study had themselves established the diet given to the kids.

Now, Chensheng Lu, the lead scientist involved with the earlier study, has come out with a new one, along with a team of government and university researchers. This time, he and his team analyzed the pesticide residue on the fresh fruits and vegetables that parents gave their kids. The researchers analyzed the fruit-and-veg consumption of two groups of kids, one from Washington state and one from Georgia.

A Mindful Revolution in Education

Susan Kaiser Greenland
Huffington Post
Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:01 UTC

In my humble opinion, bringing the transformative practice of mindful awareness to children, teens and their families could revolutionize the world as we know it. There are great educational programs that teach valuable life-skills cradle to grave. But it's tough to use those life-skills in a crisis or other difficult situation unless you can: (a) Attend in a clearheaded way to inner and outer experience; (b) Tolerate any emotional discomfort that comes up in response to what you see; and (c) Purposefully respond in a way that is kind and compassionate to yourself and others. When kids, teens and adults systematically develop these three capacities through mindful awareness - attention, balance and compassion - they transform themselves and are better able to transform our world into a more peaceful, collaborative and caring place.

Fixing Technical Problems for a Good Night's Sleep

American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Eurekalert.org
Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:24 UTC

Getting a good night's sleep often comes down to technique. Avoiding late-night technology use and keeping a regular sleep schedule are two important techniques to heed as kids head back to school.

Recent studies found that adolescents used multiple forms of technology late into the night, including gaming systems, cell phones, and computers. As a result, they demonstrated difficulty staying awake and alert throughout the day.

"Any factor that deteriorates the quality or quantity of sleep will lead to difficulty with school performance and behavior problems," said William Kohler, MD, medical director at Florida Sleep Institute.

"When children stay up late at night texting in bed or playing computer games, they are increasing their risk for neurocognitive problems."

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Health & Wellness

Based on Consumer Demand More Companies Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup

Discover the Benefits of Lemon Grass Tea

Study Says: More BPA in Canadian Teens

Update: First parents, now teachers concerned about Wi-Fi in Ontario schools

85% of New Drugs 'Offer few Benefits'

America's most medicated state? West Virginia

Ovulating women buy sexier clothing: study

Study Finds: Risk to kids from toxic pesticides may be underestimated

A Mindful Revolution in Education

Fixing Technical Problems for a Good Night's Sleep

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