Creating an Epidemic: The Power of Semantics

As astounding as the power of belief is in healing illness - or preventing healing, in some cases - the power of semantics is affecting health care more than many of us would care to realize. There is a word for every type of physical, mental, and emotional malady out there. There are mental disorders, sleep disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, various disorders on the anxiety spectrum and on the autism spectrum, different types of heart diseases, thyriod problems, joint problems, bone disorders.... the list goes on and on and on. Despite the hundreds of names for various disorders and diseases, the majority of them can be solved with simple diet and lifestyle changes - but of course Big Pharma would rather keep that under their hat.

So how does semantics, or the practice of giving a name to every slightest variation of a health condition, affect the health crisis in America? The answer is simple, and quite brilliant in its simplicity: if we can name it, then we can treat it. With every new disorder that is "discovered", the drug industry can produce at least three or four different treatments for it. Once the patent for these new medications ends, even more profit can be generated both through the introduction of generic versions of the drug, and through the creation of "better" or "stronger" name-brand products.

An Example that Applies to 90% of Americans

Headaches and migraines affect an estimated 90% of the population. There are many different types of headaches, including tension headaches, migraine headaches, cluster, cough, exercise, and sex headaches, as noted by Mayo Clinic. WebMD lists twenty different brands of headache medication - and for every brand, there are dozens of companies making money from generics. Side effects of these drugs can include symptoms like diarrhea, gastrointestinal bleeding, difficulty breathing, rash, liver damage, and ulcers.

Headaches are viewed as a normal part of life. So is popping medication for fast symptomic relief when one starts. Unfortunately, about 70% of all headaches that occur are drug-induced; taking headache medication can actually cause more headaches. As the body and brain begin to rely on the drug to control headaches, the natural processes that would prevent headaches stop working. This is known as - drumroll, please - physical dependence. Yes, 70% of Americans are addicted to one or another type of headache medication, the majority of which can be purchased over the counter.

So how should we be taking care of the headache epidemic? Ending our dependence on headache medication, as well as on caffeine and nicotine, is the first step. And in the event that a headache does naturally occur, Mother Nature's best treatment for it is abundant, safe, and completely free - water.

The Labelling of Mental Disorders

Perhaps nowhere is the power of semantics seen as strongly as in the mental health field. Don't get me wrong - there are certainly people out there with a real disorder who need real help. The traumatized war veteran, for example, or the OCD patient who compulsively picks and eats his own skin. It's just that the treatment should begin with diet and lifestyle changes, along with intense behavioral therapy. Medication should be a last resort.

In real life, however, medication is the first line of defense against almost every type of mental disorder that can be diagnosed. There are countless Americans who suffer from depression (which in many cases could also be called discontentment, poor nutrition, low self-esteem, and lack of motivation), which becomes a vicious cycle that is only fueled by medication. The vast majority of these patients would experience a dramatic reduction in their symptoms simply by eating healthier, drinking more water, and exercising.

Orthorexia

Interestingly, there is a new mental health/eating disorder that is sweeping acros the nation. It is called orthorexia, and it is characterized by a preoccupation with the purity of your food. If you are reading this post with any interest or enthusiasm, you can probably be diagnosed with orthorexia. The first step in treatment is, undoubtedly, a heavy-duty prescription medication.

If you suffer from orthorexia, you are likely to avoid genetically modified foods. In fact, you may go to some lengths to do so, like shopping at health food stores, preparing food from scratch rather than from a box, and growing your own food at home. Big Pharma wants this condition treated.

Certainly, there have been some extreme cases of orthorexia. When your diet starts to interfere with relationships, your job, and your health, then it becomes a problem. The vast majority of people who could officially be diagnosed with this disorder, however, would be better off continuing to avoid processed foods, refined sugars and grains, and chemical additives. Better orthorexia than cancer.

Modern Medicine Does Have Its Place in Health and Wellness

Lest I sound like an extremist, convinced that conventional medicine is at the heart of every medical condition in existence, let me say quite frankly that doctors and scientists have contributed a lot to our understanding of how the body and the brain work. In some extreme cases, medication is indeed necessary. Surgeries, a frightening number of which are not really needed, can at times be the only option. However, medicine as we know it today should never be the end-all-be-all of illness treatment.

Instead of focusing on which bacterium or which virus is causing particular symptoms, we should instead focus on the body system that is being affected. I have twice ended urinary tract infections not by going to a doctor, determining the bacteria causing the infection, and taking antibiotics to get rid of the infection, but simply by increasing the functionality of my urinary tract by drinking lots of water. When anyone I know has a UTI, I tell them simply to "piss it out."

A Last Word on Semantics

Far too many drugs today actually exacerbate the very problem they are intended to treat. Headache medicines cause headaches, antibiotics increase the risk of future infections, and sleep aids and antidepressants effectively lobotomize their victims. The naming of diseases makes this occur more and more.

Many people who have a medical condition (or two, or ten) are almost proud of their diseases. You may have seen them on online forums, their disorders listed like scholastic acheivements beneath their names (Betsy, Type II Diabetes, Social Anxiety Disorder, Depression, GERD). It is a way for people to individualize themselves, to socialize with others like them, and to explain or excuse what they do and how they do it (I'm sleeping in late today because I have depression). Their medicine becomes part of a reassuring routine, believing in the false hope that if they take these drugs they will feel better, at least for today. In the process, they begin to lose their own identities. They become consumed in who Big Pharma wants them to be.

4 Must-Have Staples in Every Woman's Diet

While a good diet is always essential to the maintenance of good health, this is especially true when it comes to women's health. Cramping, bloating, mood swings, and an endless parade of PMS symptoms are the unfortunate side effects of one of nature's most complex and necessary cycles. Adding these four staples to your diet can naturally reduce many of these symptoms of womanhood, in addition to offerring a myriad of other health benefits.

Carrot

Many members of the carrot family are commonly prescribed by herbalists and naturopathic doctors for feminine ailments. Adding more carrots to your diet can aid in regulating your menstrual cycle, fighting off vaginal and urinary tract infections, and increasing milk supply in lactating mothers. I know this from experience; I struggled with a low milk supply for weeks before discovering that chewing a teaspoon of fennel seed, a member of the carrot family, boosts milk supply usually by the end of the day. Fennel is also my go-to remedy for winter illnesses; fennel seed tea is gentle enough for babies and can be used to help soothe even the frailest colicky infant. 

Oats 

Oats for women! Known for its ability to smooth skin and strengthen hair, oatmeal  can also be a great tummy soother when your time of the month rolls around. Its high fiber content helps keep you regular, and it can even suppress the appetite, aiding in weight loss. Oats contain many of the vitamins and minerals that your bones need, so they are great for women who may be at risk of osteoporosis or osteoarthritis. Eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast every day when your period starts, and feel free to slather it on your face before you shower to refresh your skin. 

Raspberry

Raspberry leaf tea is one of the essentials during those last long weeks of pregnancy. Drinking this tea is said to help strengthen the uterus, without raising the risk of pre-term labor (although it may not be safe in women with a history of miscarriage). This tea will also help the uterus shrink after giving birth, aid in milk production, and ease cramps. Fresh, frozen, or dried raspberries are a known source of cancer-fighting antioxidants, and are extremely useful for keeping blood sugar and cholesterol levels stable. 

Green Tea 

If there is any beverage that every woman, man, and even child needs to add to their diet, it is green tea. This mood booster, appetite suppressor, cancer fighter, and overall body stabilizer can be sipped on throughout the day. Drink it to help fight off infections, regulate blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar, lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, get rid of headaches, improve brain function, and acheive internal homeostasis. The dried leaves can be used externally as well to reduce swelling, inhibit the growth of bacteria, fight skin infections, soothe burns and bug bites, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes. Sounds a lot like the health benefits of medical marijuana, doesn't it?

Whether you are just discovering the joys of womanhood, with all its aches, pains, and hormonal fluctuations, or are already on the other side of menopause, adding these four foods to your diet on a regular basis can aid tremendously in the management of feminine maladies. Check out these recipes for some ideas on increasing your intake of these healthy foods. 

A Critical Component of Homeopathy: The Power of Belief

As more and more people are beginning to turn away from "conventional" medicine in favor of gentler, natural homeopathic remedies, Big Pharma is working harder and harder to convince the population that homeopathic remedies seldom work, work poorly, or simply don't work at all. Physicians are not hard to convince; visit any doctor who wasn't trained in naturopathic medicine and ask about a natural treatment for any condition. The chances are pretty high that you will get a blank stare at best, or outright ridicule of the notion at worst. When physicians recieve paid and lavish vacations from drug companies in return for doling out their prescriptions, they rarely see the need for a natural treatment.

But Big Pharma's warpath against natural medicine goes even deeper than most of us may at first realize. Obviously, by growing our own herbs for medicine and taking charge of our own health, we are threatening the pharmaceutical companies' multi-billion dollar profit margins every year. In fact, the average person in 2014 in the US had about thirteen prescriptions written each year - that's a new prescription every single month. When these numbers begin to dwindle, so will Big Pharma's massive income.

There is one critical component of homeopathy that even the most die-hard naturalists often overlook: the astonishing power of belief. The drug industry hasn't overlooked it, though. By doing all they can to discredit herbal remedies, companies like Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson also diminish the power of belief and hold on to their $16 billion profits.

Health is a State of Mind

Have you ever noticed how a day that starts badly usually tends to end badly? Or how, when you get in a fight with someone, you end up feeling more tired than if you had run a mile? How weight gain and depression have an almost direct correlation? This is because, contrary to what modern physicians would have us believe, our physical health and mental health are intricately connected.

The human body is made of various systems which must work together for the body to run at optimal performance. The respiratory system, the circulatory system, the reproductive system, and even the endocannibinoid system, for example, are all intricately connected to one another. Likewise, the brain works through a series of chemical pathways, where neurons and hormones must all be balanced with one another for stable mental health. It certainly makes sense, then, that the systems of the body and those of the mind must be connected to each other.

Emotions almost always create a physical response in the body. Anger raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, diverts blood flow away from the stomach while increasing stomach acid, and causes a chain of physical reactions that lead to fat build-up in the heart and arteries. Anxiety causes a similar physical response. On the other hand, emotions such as happiness and contentment are vital to maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and even weight.

Undermining the Placebo Response

You've probably heard of the placebo response before, where in a clinical trial the "control" group, or the patients in the trial who are given a placebo, respond to the treatment as well as - if not better than - the group on the drug being tested. This phenomonon is far more common than we are lead to believe. The placebo response has been observed in trials related to dozens of medical conditions, including physical conditions such as asthma, ulcers, migraines, and menstrual cramps, as well as mental disorders like anxiety, depression, and even substance abuse addiction. In fact, a Harvard Medical School program that is dedicated to studying the placebo response notes, "Even when we take pills with active ingredients, part of their effect is likely due to the placebo effect."

Such an important part of health and wellness should not be overlooked or undermined. By simply believing that a remedy will work, patients can increase the efficacy of a treatment, possibly by a lot.

Instead of quoting a bunch of studies on the subject, I can give you a personal example of the power of belief in healing a physical ailment. When my third son was born, he came home from the hospital with a staph infection. Foolishly, I opted to treat it with the prescription medication that his pediatrician prescribed, thinking that because he was so little I didn't want to take any chances with his health. I used the cream he had been prescribed, and within a few days the infection went away.

After only a couple of days, however, the staph came back, and this time it was different. His first infection looked like little white bubbles, just a rash; but his second staph infection started beneath the skin and felt more like the staph infections that caused a MRSA scare a few years ago. The original infection had morphed into something stronger, and scarier.

As I should have done in the first place, I now treated this new infection with a homemade salve of turmeric, ginger, and goldenseal root. In about four days it was gone, but not before it was passed to me. I dutifully began treating my own infection with my salve, but it took about a week and half to go away.

When my husband found a staph bump on his leg (this was the last one to plague my family), I got him to start treatment with the salve right away. He is, admittedly, very skeptical when it comes to homeopathic medicine - his father is a nurse - and I had to nag him daily to use the salve. For weeks, he doubtfully applied the funny-smelling yellow stuff and constantly vowed that he would have to see a doctor "if this shit doesn't go away soon." It finally did, but it took nearly a month of treatment.

Big Pharma and the FDA in Cahoots

It isn't really a secret anymore that some of the country's largest pharmaceutical companies regularly pay the FDA to get and keep their products legal. Of course it doesn't look that way on the books, but many of the "experts" hired to help the FDA determine the safety of medications receive money in some way from Big Pharma.

But the FDA is also working to undermine the efficacy of herbal remedies, namely by doing nothing. With no regulation at all on some strong and even potentially dangerous herbal remedies, the FDA is effectively saying, "Herbal remedies are so ineffective that they aren't worth our time." What a subtle yet extremely powerful way to put doubt into the minds of modern Americans.

The Power of Belief

Like a child who is determined to have a bad time at a party, we often set ourselves up for poor health with a bad attitude. But the best way to make any medicine work, whether natural or conventional, is to believe that it will. While few studies have been conducted on the placebo effect, many naturopathic doctors believe that this effect can improve the efficacy and duration of almost any particular treatment. Similarly, placing a strong emphasis on the power of faith - whatever your religion - can make a treatment more effective. The end result of prayer may be "little more" than a placebo response, but that doesn't make the healing that is gained from it any less real.

On Original Sin

According to the book of Genesis in the Bible, all humankind sins because Adam sinned. When Adam took the first bite of the forbidden apple, he introduced a whole new level of suffering, disease, sickness, and death to the human race. What Moses, the writer of Genesis, failed to reveal is how exactly the simple act of eating an apple could possibly have such disastrous consequences. A few passages in other books of the Bible give some clues, but for the most part the physicality of original sin remains shrouded in mystery and assumptions.

But is it really so mysterious after all? By embracing a few key facts about Adam, the apple, and sin in general, we can begin to understand how the first man wasn't really so different from his descendents, and eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil could indeed create a sin nature in all of Adam's offspring.

Sin Today

Before we can delve into the mysteries of original sin, we have to understand what exactly sin is and how it affects us today. A passage found in James provides perhaps the most easily understood definition of sin on a practical level: "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17 ESV) Seems self-explanatory enough, right? However, this passage gives us an insight into what sin is that many people overlook - a thought or an act that may be sinful for one person isn't necessarily sinful for another. In other words, sin is, to an extent, relative to each individual.

Of course, this doesn't give anyone free reign to do whatever they please, thinking that they are exempt from committing sin for whatever reason. Some things are not acceptable no matter who you are, like murder, adultery, greed, etc. But if there is something that is causing you to not do the right thing, then it is a sin.

For me, reading can be sinful. That's right, reading. If I get started on a book in the morning I will spend the rest of the day reading like an addict, to the detriment of my home and even my children. Dirty clothes will sit in the laundry basket, dishes will pile up, bedrooms will be destroyed, and I will put lunchtime off until I have read three more chapters and my boys are practically climbing in my face to say they are hungry. For me, to get started on a book before the house is spotless and the boys are safely tucked into bed can be a sin.

Why is Sin Unavoidable?

The easy answer, of course, is that we all sin because Adam first sinned. But there is more to it than that. Sin crawls in the food that we eat, in the air that we breathe; it is encoded in our very genes, in fact, and no matter how Christian and saved you may be there is no getting away from it completely while you live on this Earth.

Consider yourself at your very worst moments. When you snap angrily at your husband although he didn't deserve it, when an irritable impulse causes you to make fun of your children. When road rage blinds you to the fact that you are driving just as crazily as everyone else on the highway. Now consider why these things happen. Hunger, sleep deprivation, heat exhaustion, stress... they can all cause your mood to plummet faster than a failing economy. Consider your diet and your overall health. Fast food can literally cause malnourishment and obesity in the same person, which is a recipe for bad physical, mental, and emotional health. Hormonal factors, like PMS or the urge to have sex that overpowers almost everyone at some point in their lives, can easily lead to bad decisions and ultimately to sin.

Mark 7:20-23 says "And he said, 'What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.'” Sin comes from within - sin IS within - and even when you aren't actually sinning the capacity to, and the inevitability of it, is still lurking inside.

Thinking of sin as a software problem, or as something that can be fixed, is misleading. According to 1 John 1:8, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Sin is hardwired into our circuitry, and the way we take care of our bodies can exacerbate the problem immensely. In fact, from a medical standpoint, sin is remarkably similar to a mental health disorder. While a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, addiction, or OCD, can seem like a problem with the brain's programming, or "software", it is really a hardware problem that invades a patient's genetic material and no amount of therapy or prescription pills can truly eliminate. With different forms of therapy, and medication in the most extreme cases, most mental disorders can be managed, but a patient will be stuck "managing" the disorder for the rest of his life.

In a similar fashion, sin can be managed. Communication with God is as fulfilling and helpful as communication with a therapist (although in some instances God's recommendation as your Therapist may be to refer you to a human specialist for additional help), and with practice, the impulse to sin can be quieted over time, but it will never go away. Your hormones will still fluctuate, you will still eat food that disagrees with your physical and mental health, and genetic predisposition will still influence how you respond to certain events. In other words, while the symptoms of sin can be managed, the disorder is one you will have to live with for the rest of your life. The hardware cannot be fixed while we live on Earth.

Adam in the Beginning

So naturally, as humans we wonder why this disorder has plagued us. Why exactly was the act of eating an apple the literal death of us? To answer this, we first have to examine Adam as he was before the apple, because once he ate the apple he became radically different.

In some ways, pre-apple Adam was a lot like us. He was, after all, human. It is clear that he had free will, because he exercised it when he chose to take the apple from Eve. Look, however, at his genetic material. Many creationists (myself among them) believe that for Adam to have sired the entire human race, he must have carried all the genetic information that exists today in his own DNA. Mutations may have appeared to create new traits and new gene functions, but Adam was created with the genetic information necessary for these mutations to take place. Dominant and recessive, usual and unusual, he would have carried them all. So your blonde hair and blue eyes, as well as your natural talent for art, were inherited from Adam just as your brother's black hair, green eyes, and mathematical mind were. This is a seriously simplified explanation of Adam and Eve's genes; you can go in-depth about the implications of Adam's genes here.

Now let's take a look at what Adam didn't carry. We know that he didn't sin. He had no hormonal imbalances that would lead to fits of anger or rash decisions. He had no genetic mutations at all. He had no physical impairments, like poor eyesight or bad teeth, that would make him worry about his appearance or detract from his natural physical prowess. He didn't have any trust issues with God, because he had never lost a child to illness or accident, and in fact had never even known what the word 'hungry' meant. There was no need for "survival of the fittest" instincts, which today causes unneccesary competition on the most primitive levels (I'm stronger/faster/smarter/prettier/more capable than you). And of course every drop of food that Adam ate was fresh, local, non-genetically modified, chemical-free, and far more organically grown than is possible today.

So Where Did the Sin Come From?

Adam passed down everything that exists today, including sin. Since it simply didn't exist before Adam ate the apple (which, I might add, was probably not really an apple. However, for simplicity's sake, I'll refer to the fruit as an apple since we can't be sure exactly what kind of fruit it really was.), sin must have existed inside the apple.

Perhaps that sounds a little "fruity", if you can pardon the bad pun, but consider how your food affects you. Obesity, currently a rampant epidemic in the United States, is due entirely to food (both the quality and quanity of it) and lack of exercise. Obesity is the leading cause of a myriad of problems, including heart diseases, joint problems, respiratory problems, circulatory problems, infertility... the list goes on and on. Food can be used to treat illnesses - many common herbs and spices are antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and so on - and food can even contribute to the severity of a mental illness. Many patients with disorders like chronic depression, anxiety, and even autism find that cutting genetically engineered food from their diets and losing extra weight can help make their symptoms far more manageable. When you throw the astounding prevalance of synthetic drugs, including OTC drugs and hormonal birth control, into the mix, then you have a recipe for worldwide disaster.

But genetically modified food didn't even exist until 25 years or so ago. It's been only a century since mainstream Western medicine was to be found in pharmacies and bathroom medicine cabinets across the world. Surely, you may be thinking, you can't possibly blame the existence of sin on these things. Of course not, for as we have already discovered, sin is within us. I blame the growing acceptance of sin as "normal" on these things, at least in part. But my point is merely to show that what you eat can have an affect on how you respond to the flaws in your hardware. This can help to explain why God spent so many chapters in Leviticus discussing what a person could and couldn't eat.

Finally, we can look to the fruit that Adam ate as the original source of our original sin. This is where all the religious and scientific debate in the world must dissolve into "what if?", or into a matter of faith, because there is no verse in the Bible that says "The fruit that Adam ate contained something which causes cells to die, genes to mutate, and the immune system to become susceptible to disease." But it must have, because after Adam ate it, that is precisely what began to happen. Adam's cells began to die, so that aging and death were not only possible but inevitable. Adam's genes, or at least the ones that he started passing down to his offspring, began to mutate, causing birth defects and inherited illnesses. His immune system, once impervious to all kinds of environmental factors, weakened over the generations to the point that even a very useful and necessary type of bacteria could make one sick when they gathered in the wrong place in his body.

We can't lay all the blame on the fruit, of course. We can't even lay all the blame on Adam - it was, after all, Eve who enticed him into eating it, and Satan who tempted her. We could say that all sin starts with Satan. We could say that Adam (and Eve) made the choice to bring sin into the world. We could say that their food was the real reason for sin. But in reality, all of these things are true, and they all played a role. Like a mental illness, sin is a genetic reality that can't be avoided. However, we can make the choice to fuel it with poor diet, lack of exercise, and an all-around bad attitude, or we can fight it by improving our health and our lifestyles, and spending time talking to the Ultimate Therapist.

The Diet Wars

The battle lines are clearly drawn.

On one side, we have the traditional foodies. Cool, calm, and sophisticated, they have decades of science and some of the highest authorities in the nutrition world on their side. They are the zero-calorie, non-dairy, lowfat, aspartame kind of crowd. "Proven" science and weight loss diets are the weapons of choice for traditional foodies, but don't think that means they won't stoop to some low-blow marketing tactics when it suits them.

On the other hand, the rebel eaters are becoming stronger and more numerous. Hippies, stay-at-home moms, political activists, and yes, even a few potheads make up this group of health food miscreants. With aggresive guerilla warfare and a focus on the natural, these bloggers and eco-villagers don't need science to tell them what they already know - but they've got plenty of it. Join the army of the rebel diet, and you will never look at food the same way again.

Weaponry in the Arsenals of Lifestyle Dieters 

Ask who you will, the fact that your diet is part of your lifestyle is unanimously agreed upon. The makeup of a quality lifestyle diet, however, is radically different between the two groups.

Foot Soldiers All Use Green Bullets... 

The concept of "green" living is an important one, and it can vary from person to person. The traditional foodies' idea of green and healthy lies somewhere between a solar-powered skyscraper complex and a suburban community garden. Some of their strongest weapons are simply misguided truths.

Counting Calories 

You have to use more calories than you consume each day to lose weight. Use exactly what you consume to maintain a healthy weight. Traditional foodies will even tell you to get "the most bang for your buck" by choosing foods high in protein, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals, and low in sugars and fats. To them, healthy often boils down to the Nutrition Facts. But how can rebel dieters count calories when most of the food they eat doesn't even have a nutrition label?

All Sugar is Created Equal 

So say the old school nutritionists. When sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, turbinado, and even sucanat - sugar as close to the originial sugar cane as you can get it - all add calories to your diet, it's better to use zero-calorie chemicals like aspartame and saccharin. When you're more concerned about counting calories than an elevated risk of cancer, that is.

Low Fat Foods Make Low Fat Bellies 

Fat is stored in your belly, hips, and buttocks to save for a rainy day. Conventional logic has it that if you eat less fat, your body will simply store less fat. But fat, especially saturated fat, actually helps your body's metabolism. The saturated fat found naturally in meats, butter, and full-fat dairy products are vital for a healthy brain, heart, liver, and even bones.

...But the Rebels' Bullets are Naturally Green, Not Dyed That Way 

The rebel dieters' view of Utopia is a little different. It's a world entirely free of chemicals in the food supply and in households. It's a world where we work with Mother Earth rather than forcing her, like a slave, to work for us. And it doesn't require any math.

Additive-Free 

Try to convince a rebel that a lowfat 100-calorie cookie snack pack is better than 300 calories worth of their homemade oatmeal cookies, and they'll look at you like you're off your rocker. Those homemade cookies may have lots of calories and will only last a few days, but you can throw in flax or chia seeds for extra protein, use healthy fats like coconut oil or real butter, and substitute applesauce, honey, or organic sugar for the ultra-refined sugar. The 100-calorie cookies are full of chemical fat substitutes, bizarre fillers, and a myriad of artificial preservatives. Not to mention, fresh-from-the-oven homemade cookies taste way better.

Homegrown Organics 

It's not that rebels refuse to eat conventionally grown fruits and veggies - it's just that organic is always better. And like the ingredients in homemade food, we have control over everything that goes on the foods we grow at home. While traditional foodies are happy to leave the details of their food to the corporations, rebels know that homegrown organics bring more power to the people.

Non-GMO

Want to reduce your risk of food sensitivities, digestive problems, and at least a dozen different types of cancer, all hile putting money into the hands of small companies trying to make a difference rather than huge corporations trying to make a buck? Cut out GMOs.

Heavy Artillary in the Diet Wars 

Every strong army has a secret weapon at their disposal, and the armies in this war are no different. The strongest and most persuasive nutrition bombs are at their fingertips.

Weight Loss Dieting 

Everybody wants to lose weight. Traditional foodies promise that the pounds will melt off if you adhere to their strict guidelines. And when you gain it all back within a month, it's because of your deviation from a dietary lifestyle that you've never been passionate about.

Your Health is Determined By Your Diet 

Rebel dieters don't diet simply to lose weight. The conerstone of any diet, rebels know, is not your weight but your health. Eat to stay healthy, and the weight loss will follow. The rebels use food for energy, for relaxation, even for medicine. We've treated everything from seasonal allergies to staph infections to life-threatening illnesses with the foods we eat - and the foods we don't eat. We're not afraid to question the doctors, to challenge the FDA's appalling lack of regulation in the food industry. We breastfeed our babies and raise our children to know how to forage. And as long as we keep fighting the diet war, we are the future.

The Sordid History of Refined Sugar Merchants

Once upon a time, refined white sugar was considered a luxury item. To enjoy a slice of cake or a cup of tea with real white sugar was a commodity that only lords and ladies could afford. As far back as 300 BC, when Alexander the Great discovered the well-kept secret of sugar cane in India and brought it back to the Persian Empire with him, sugar was considered a priviledge of the upper class and may even have been used to try to fight infections in war, although the evidence for that claim is rather inconclusive. Soldiers were fed sugar to give them energy before a long battle. And, unsurprisingly, when governments around the world realized just how valuable this "white gold" was, they began taxing it heavily.

For centuries, the investors and corporations behind the industry have touted the benefits of sugar to the general population. When the British tax on sugar was finally abolished in the 1800s, the price of sugar became so low that it wasn't hard to convince people to buy it. It was so cheap, in fact, that an attempt was made to feed sugar to livestock in an effort to fatten up cows and pigs without the high cost of the grains that animals need. Needless to say, the attempt was unsuccessful, if not downright disastrous.

According to the book Sugar Blues by William Dufty, the "sugar pushers" have used several tactics even within the past 100 years or so to convince people to buy their product. In the 1920s, the caloric value of sugar was considered a huge benefit - sugar is nothing but calories. Consumers were urged to use more sugar in their diet as a way to get enough daily calories at a cheap price. It was also advertised as being "pure", which is still on labels of refined sugar today. As Dufty put it, "So effective is the purification process which sugar cane and beets undergo in the refineries that sugar ends up as chemically pure as the morphine or the heroin a chemist has on the laboratory shelves." It has also been lumped into the category of "carbohydrate", making it sound like a necessary nutrient, and was even labeled "made from natural ingredients" during the age of the hippies in the '60s and '70s. Read an excerpt from this compelling book at the Global Healing Center.

The Dangers of White Sugar

Today, refined sugar is generally regarded as safe in small amounts, and there is no distinction between "pure" refined sugar, or sucrose, and other forms of sugar, such as glucose or fructose. In an era when counting calories is used to lose weight rather than gain energy, sugar in all its forms is advised to be taken in moderation. WebMD quotes nutrition professor Rachel K. Johnson as saying, "A calorie of sugar is a calorie of sugar, so whether you're getting it from white sugar or some other type of sweetener, you're still adding empty calories to your diet," referring to other sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup.

From a purely caloric standpoint, of course, Johnson is right. What she fails to grasp, or at least fails to mention, is that sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or even coconut sugar have not been stripped of all redeeming nutrients, as refined white sugar has. Dufty explains it this way:

"Sugar is worse than nothing because it drains and leaches the body of precious vitamins and minerals through the demand its digestion, detoxification and elimination makes upon one's entire system. So essential is balance to our bodies that we have many ways to provide against the sudden shock of a heavy intake of sugar. Minerals such as sodium (from salt), potassium and magnesium (from vegetables), and calcium (from the bones) are mobilized and used in chemical transmutation; neutral acids are produced which attempt to return the acid-alkaline balance factor of the blood to a more normal state."

In other words, the sugars found in natural sweeteners like honey come with the nutrients needed to digest them. White sugar is devoid of nutrients, so your body has to pull these nutrients from other sources to make it usable.

Dufty mentions another reason why refined sugar is detrimental to health, aside from its inherent need to deplete the body of necessary nutrients. When taken with other carbohydrates, such as the wheat used to make cakes and cookies, sugar causes these carbs to break down improperly. The same is true of sugar taken with protein. In essence, refined sugar, which does not linger in the stomach when taken alone but goes straight to the small intestine and from there into the blood, causes your food to ferment in your stomach when it is forced to stay there with starches and proteins. Carbon dioxide and alcohol are two of the many by-products of such fermentation - ingredients that are not supposed to be in your body and lead to indigestion, excess gas, and stomach upset, among other things.

Sugar Pushers Today

With nutritionists claiming on renowned health websites that honey and maple syrup are no better than refined sugars, it is easy to see why the majority of Americans still keep white sugar in their pantries. Add to that such organizations as Sugar Knowledge International, or SKIL, who make the refining process of sugar cane and sugar beets look interesting rather than deadly, and the problem is even further compounded. SKIL has even claimed to be environmentally friendly, using leftover fiber from the sugar cane (bagasse fuel) to power sugar factories:

"When a large power station produces electricity it burns a fossil fuel [once used, a fuel that cannot be replaced] which contaminates the atmosphere and the station has to dump a lot of low grade heat. All this contributes to global warming. In the cane sugar factory the bagasse fuel is renewable and the gases it produces, essentially CO2, are more than used up by the new cane growing. Add to that the factory use of low grade heat [a system called co-generation] and one can see that a well run cane sugar estate is environmentally friendly."

Modern sugar pushers are just as cunning and decietful as the bigwigs who sold sugar centuries ago. Publicly advising that sugar should be taken in moderation, claiming to be good for the environment, and skimming over the fact that the phosphates used in the bleaching process are possibly linked to cancer, sugar pushers today are also just as successful.

But, all in all, the use of refined sugar in any home is a recipe for disaster. While its use does not guarantee obesity, gastritis, diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay, or any other health problem, the risk for all of these increases significantly in homes that have a bag of sugar in the pantry. Natural options like honey, maple syrup, stevia, and coconut sugar are more easily digestible by the body, and provide nutrients rather than stripping them away. Yes, they may still add to your calorie count for the day, but they are infinitely more healthy and nutritious than the refined sugar that is the emptiest calorie of them all.

for the bees

 The early morning light creeps slowly over a green field in springtime, the bluish hue of dawn fading into gold as the sun awakens. In the hive, one among thousands stirs as the day breaks and invites her out once again, beckoning with the promise of a lovely and productive day. She stretches her wings and shakes out her body before heading out.

A field of clover is nearby, and it is here that she will work, flitting from cloverhead to cloverhead, collecting the food that will feed her queen and keep the babies thriving. Clover, she knows, will keep her strong for the weeks of work ahead, less susceptible to the illnesses that sometimes sweep through a hive. Clover, she knows, will make good honey.

Clover is also good for humans, although the honeybee doesn't realize this. Full of Vitamins A, B, C, and E, along with potassium and calcium (among others), both red and white clover can boost the nutritive value of a classic side salad tremendously. All of its parts, from the flower head to the roots, are edible, and can be used dried, fresh, or even cooked. Collect the leaves in the early spring to add to salads, serve steamed as a side dish, or even eat raw. Use the flower heads during the summer as an edible garnish, or add them dried to cookies and cakes for a unique sweet flavor and aroma. Both the leaves and the flowers can be steeped into a clover tea to help relieve coughs, colds, and even minor eye infections.

The honeybee hastens through the field, happy to do the work that will help provide for her hive. Then a nearby plant catches her attention, and without hesitation, she turns from the clover to collect the nectar from this new herb.

Tiny white flowers erupt from the thick green foliage of a basil plant. An herb renowned for its medicinal properties as well as its minty, peppery flavor, basil is also a favorite among bees of all kinds. Keep basil in your arsenal of medicinal herbs for its ability to reduce fevers; relieve the symptoms of colds, flus, and bronchitis; soothe sore joints and arthritis; and reduce swelling. The herb is even beneficial for cardiovascular health, and may be helpful in lowering cholesterol. Mixed with the strong, natural honey from local bees, its juice can help you naturally pass a kidney stone.

Moving from flower to flower, the honeybee notices that there are more flowering herbs nearby, all of which can benefit the honey and the hive. The puffy purple flowers of bee balm, the bluish-purple of sage, the pale pinkish-white of catnip, and the bright yellow of calendula peek out from the green around her. Of course, she can't see the colors, but she recognizes the plants and the nectar that will make fine honey for the winter. She doesn't mind that she will never get to enjoy the finished honey that she is working so hard to help make - she is only happy to know that the hive will benefit.

Beekeepers know that what you plant directly affects the flavor, quality, and consistency of the honey. The nectar of medicinal herbs can also produce medicinal quality honey. But even if you aren't a  beekeeper and will never get to taste the honey that the bees in your yard or garden make, there are other reasons to plant a few extra herbs in your garden this year. Bees of all kinds are needed to keep your plants producing. Allow them to flower just a bit - while tough pruning is necessary for a good yield, you may consider allowing one plant of each variety to go to flower to keep some bees in your yard. Even the clovers, dandelions, and wild mint that tend to plague lovers of a traditional green suburban lawn can actually improve your yard when they are allowed to flower, at least for a few days.

This bees' garden is just what our honeybee needed. The nectar from just a few of these flowers can do incredible things, working to keep the hive strong and healthy, help the queen produce more workers throughout the summer, and even protect the hive from invaders that might try to steal the honey.

The honeybee works tirelessly as the hot summer day progresses, gathering nectar and inadvertently spreading pollen along the way. The shadows finally start growing longer and longer, bringing her long day of work to an end. She flits to one last flower, then turns to head home with her sisters, all flying work-worn but content back to the hive. Tomorrow will be much the same but she doesn't mind - she is an herbalist and an artist, and nothing could delight her more than to spend her days nestled in flowers.

The Gluten Experiment

There are few things more comforting to me than baking bread. There is a certain warmth in the smell of the yeast, a half-remembered familiarity in the rhythmic kneading of the dough. I'm not sure if it's the amateur mathematician in me or if it's because of my OCD tendencies, but I love the predictable formula that makes every loaf of bread, from a simple white sandwich bread to a complex-tasting honey wheat or crusty French bread. Mix, knead, rise, shape, rise, bake.

It has been a long time since I baked bread on a regular basis. Two children make it difficult enough to find time for such olde world pleasures - and when you learn that one of them can't even eat the bread you make, it rather deflates the satisfaction that comes from the end result.

Mix. You will start with yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let these sit for about 10 minutes, then add in your fat, a touch of salt, and your flour. You can substitute honey for sugar, and use butter, margarine, shortening, or any number of oils (I prefer coconut) for your fat, but what really matters is the quality of your flour.

It happened a few months ago that I stumbled upon an article which described how so many people who were gluten intolerant in the the US were able to eat wheat in other countries. The main differing factor in American wheat? Nearly 80% of comercially available wheat in the US is harvested by being sprayed with Round Up, a well-known weed killer. The Round Up kills the entire field of wheat at about the same time, making harvesting easier and possibly slightly more efficient. Throughout the European Union, and in many other parts of the world, wheat treated with Round Up is illegal. Interestingly enough, America has the highest percentage of gluten intolerant residents in the world, with the numbers still rising, while countries that ban Round Up are seeing a much slower increase in the number of gluten intolerant residents. I should also point out that the US also allows the use of potassium bromate in its wheat, while the European Union bans that as well.

I did what any good crunchy stay-at-home mom with an affinity for bread-baking would do. I bought a bag of King Arthur's flour (which, although people online claim that it's European flour, states "made from select 100% American wheat" right on the bag. It is, however, unbleached and unbromated - check out King Arthur flour's commitment to non-GMO quality here.) - and I started making bread.

Knead. When you feel like working out those biceps, start kneading a "soft dough." When you want to work your triceps, too, look for a recipe that makes a "stiff dough." Kneading until you can actually feel the dough working against you (this is what they call "elastic") is extremely important. Overknead, and your dough will rise quickly. Underknead, and your dough will never quite rise properly and come out of the oven harder than you wanted it to.

Before I introduced the King Arthur's flour to my son's diet, I had to wait two weeks to make sure any trace gluten from another source wouldn't skew the results of my experiment. The rash around his mouth was completely gone and even the last of his remaining tongue sore had healed up by the time I fed him his first slice of King Arthur bread. He looked at me uncertainly when I offered it to him, at two years old already accepting of the fact that everybody else could eat bread but he couldn't. Then he opened his rosebud mouth, took a tiny little nibble, and beamed at a pleasure that he thought he would never again be allowed - Mama's homemade bread.

Rise. Although I always rise my bread in the bowl I used for mixing (which you're really not supposed to do), I still grease the bowl really well, and make sure to turn the dough over to grease the top. Then I pick the little bits of old dough out of my stick of butter, cover the dough with a dishtowel to keep the heat in the bowl, and go about my business while the well-kneaded dough ball rises. If you kneaded the dough well enough, it should be puffy and ready to shape in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half if you're making two loaves at once.

Over the next few weeks, King Arthur flour made its way into cakes, pies, muffins, cookies, quick bread, and even a batch of bagels, all of which I gave my gluten-intolerant son with growing confidence. And between homeschooling my four-year-old and nursing my newborn, I found time to work my biceps (and occasionally my triceps) and make bread.

Shape. Always push out the bubbles in your dough before you shape. When you roll out the dough then roll it up into a loaf shape, take care to get out as many bubbles as you can. The better option, I've found, is to knead them out.

Sometimes, as much as you want to, you just can't make bread that day, even though your husband needs bread for the sandwich that he'll take to work for lunch tomorrow. Sometimes, you just have to buy bread.

I realized somewhat belatedly that since wheat is not technically a genetically modified food, all I needed was the the little green USDA Organic seal to be sure that a loaf of bread had not been "treated" with Round Up or potassium bromate. Certified organic bread is hard to come by in Wal-Mart, but I found a loaf and tried it out. We ate the entire loaf in about three days, and my son still showed absolutely no reaction to the gluten.

Rise. The second time you let the loaves rise, you want to make sure you put them in the oven at just the right time. When the bread has definitely doubled in size and it feels like it's pushing back when you gently press a finger into the side, you know it's time to toss it in the oven. Any longer, and your bread could have the rather bizarre lingering taste and smell of yeast.

My son hadn't shown any symptoms of having gluten in his diet despite his nearly four weeks of eating bread almost every day. Unbelievably, his rash was still gone, his tongue clear, and he hadn't complained of his stomach hurting once. Just to make sure he hadn't somehow been miraculously cured of his condition, I gave a few non-King Arthur crackers to him and let him eat a piece of questionable wheat laden pizza. Like a post script in lemon juice that's been exposed to heat, a few rash bubbles appeared on his face shortly afterward and a sore spot spread across his tongue a few days later.

Bake. I had, for many years, a bad habit of pulling the bread out of the oven before it was quite ready. I was always afraid the crust would burn. Let your bread stay in the oven a little longer than it seems like it should. Nothing ruins a good loaf of bread like a slightly doughy center and a crust that's too thick.

About every three days, I have to make another loaf of bread. It's best with dinner on the the first night, on a sandwich for lunch the next, then as breakfast toast in the following days. My son eats it every day, with no symptoms, still. For him, bread is the food, not that made him abnormal in his family, but that made him normal again. For him, there will always be something soothing about the smell of freshly baked bread, the slightly springy texture that is the mark of a good loaf, the butter that gets on your fingers from the crust if you eat a slice before it has cooled. For me, well, there are few things more comforting than baking bread.

Best Herbs for Natural Birth Control

So many people use herbs to promote fertility, prepare for childbirth, and even induce labor, yet the use of herbs to prevent pregnancy is relatively unheard-of even among die-hard naturalists. However, some cultures have been using herbal birth control for centuries, particularly the ancients and in such places as India. Modern science does not give much credit to the effectiveness of these herbs, as is evident by the fact that almost no credible research exists today to document how to use them, their safety, or any drug interactions.

Unfortunately, for women hoping to avoid pregnancy without risking the known dangers that are associated with hormonal contraceptives, few options exist other than the age old Rhythm Method or the use of condoms. Because our knowledge about the effectiveness and even safety of contraceptive herbs is largely anecdotal, there are a few things you should consider before trying one of these herbs as a method of birth control.

• How serious are you about preventing pregnancy? If you are at a point in your life that pregnancy is absolutely out of the question, you may not want to rely on any of these herbs for birth control. You can couple herbal contraceptives with rhythm methods or with the use of condoms (or both), but don't hope to use herbs alone to keep from getting pregnant. 
• How well do you know your body? Women who have been on the Depo shot, the patch, or the pill for a period of time often find that they aren't as in tune with their own bodies as women who avoid hormonal contraception. In order for an herbal birth control method to work, you have to be able to tell when you are ovulating. Spend a few months getting more familiar with your body's cycles before you start herbal contraception, and use condoms in the meantime.
• How balanced are your hormones? As any naturalist will tell you, if you are using the pill to "balance your hormones" - to make your period more manageable, to fight acne, etc. - then you are simply masking the symptoms of unbalanced hormones rather than treating the underlying cause. Well-balanced hormones are important before you start taking herbs that could disrupt your hormones if taken incorrectly; if your hormones are out of whack already, you may miss the signs if you are doing something wrong. 

Choosing the Herb You Want to Use

I personally have never used any of these herbs for contraception, so I can't vouch for the efficacy of any of them. If you choose to use herbal birth control, you will be experimenting with herbs that have been used for centuries but have little to no modern scientific evidence to back them up. It is so important for you to wait until you have been off of hormonal birth control or finished nursing for at least a few months before you start an herbal birth control regimen.

• Neem oil. Neem oil is being studied in India as a way to promote sterility in men. It works by immobilizing sperm, and can be taken orally by men every day or as a spermicide in women. While its safety as a contraceptive is still under dispute, it is also used to kill lice and scabies and improve skin and hair, among a number of other "miracle" uses. 
• Seeds of Queen Anne's Lace. Also called wild carrot, Queen Anne's lace is a common weed throughout North America that you have probably seen lining a highway or even pulled from your garden. Its seeds can be made into a tea or tincture that can be taken as an emergency contraceptive - you don't have to take it every day for it to be effective. Make sure you get the white lacy plant with a hairy stem. Confuse it with its smooth-stemmed cousin, poison hemlock, and you could be facing a trip to the emergency room.
• Wild Yam. This may be a form of herbal contraception that you have heard of before. Wild yam has to be taken twice a day and never missed, and takes some time to really be effective. Even then, it may not be completely effective, so I would definitely recommend trying neem oil or Queen Anne's lace first. 
• Pennyroyal. Make sure to use only the leaves and stems of the plant and not the oil - pennyroyal oil is super concentrated and can cause death. Make a tea with one teaspoon of the plant to one cup of water, and drink a few cups of this every day for no longer than six days. This concoction should help regulate your period in addition to preventing pregnancy - many women who use it report that their periods consistently start within a few days of starting the six-day regimen. 

These are only a few of the herbs that are commonly used for birth control. There are lots of others, but many of them are difficult to make work or can be dangerous. Make sure you talk to a knowledgeable herbalist before you start any herbal birth control regimen. I am not a doctor or an herbalist, I am simply trying to help women become more informed about their options! Some of these herbs can have drug interactions. Keep in mind, too, that every herbal birth control method is best used in conjunction with the rhythm method.

If you have had any success (or failure!) with one of these herbs, or if you know of another herb that works well, leave a comment and let me know about it!

All-Natural Pest Control Solutions

Living in rural Southern Virginia, we have a problem with ants, flies, and those disguisting creatures that peer at you from high up places with beady eyes and scurry across the floor while you're trying to eat dinner - cockroaches. We inherited them from the previous owner, and as anyone who lives in a mobile home knows, once the roaches have moved in, they make themselves comfortable and don't plan to move out. Ever. 

My husband and I were making plans to call an exterminator, but as you can imagine, I was extremely leery of allowing anyone to spray chemicals in my home with two children and another one on the way. So I started researching natural pest control alternatives and, wonder of wonders, discovered that there are lots of ways to keep pests from getting into your home and garden in the first place, and a few ways to get rid of the ones that are already there. 

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Made of the remains of a historic algea that have fossilized, diatomaceous earth is an entirely natural and organic powder that is extremely effective at killing almost any pest that could plague your home. While it seems like a soft, fine powder to humans, to bugs it is actually a pile of microscopic razor blades that creates tiny cuts in their exoskeletons and causes them to die of dehydration within a day or two. 

Sprinkle very small amounts wherever you see roaches, ants, earwigs, or even slugs, use it to create a barrier around the outside of your house, and rub a small amount into your pets' fur to kill fleas and lice. Apparently, you can also use it to make toothpaste, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try that. Make sure to wear gloves when you apply it just to be safe, and remember that a fine dusting is far more effective than piles of the stuff. 

Boric Acid

While boric acid is a natural pest killer, and a very effective one at that, you may want to think twice about using it if you have children or pets in the house. Unlike food grade diatomaceous earth, it is considered toxic to humans and animals, and can be deadly if your one-year-old decides to stuff a handful into his mouth. If you choose to go with boric acid as a method of pest control, use it sparingly and in out-of-reach places (behind the fridge and stove, on the tops of your cabinets, etc.). 

Fly Parasites

Farms, compost areas, and leech fields all tend to be serious problem areas when it comes to flies. This is because they are all areas where female flies prefer to lay their eggs. Fly parasites are tiny, non-stinging, non-biting bugs that will lay their own eggs in the fly pupa, or the cucoon that forms around maggots. The fly parasite eggs will hatch inside the pupa and eat the maggot before it can turn into a full-grown fly. Gross, but it's effective when you start to release the fly parasites early in the spring and continue to release them every few weeks throughout the summer. 

Herbs

What can't herbs do? With a well-rounded herb garden, you can prevent and even cure some sicknesses, make almost any body product you could think of, soothe burns and cuts, clear acne, and season your food. It seems you can also repel pests with certain herbs. 

Mint is particularly good at repelling almost every kind of bug, and will even keep away mice. I have grown mint behind my tomatoes for the past two years, and I have yet to see an aphid on them. Dill and basil are also excellent at keeping pests out of your garden, and even out of your home when you plant them in window boxes. 

Essential Oils

Ode to the never-ending uses of essential oils, too. Balsam fir oil will send mice scurrying, peppermint oil is more potent than planted mint and more effective at targeting specific problem locations, and cinnamon and clove oil can be mixed in equal parts to keep away snakes. Even citronella oil is said to be far more effective at repelling mosquitoes than citronella candles. Keep a diffuser of citronella oil where you would normally put a candle, and spray a few drops of the oil mixed with water on your arms and legs in place of DEET spray. 

Companion Planting

Even flowers can serve multiple purposes. Aside from simply looking good, many types of flowers are good at getting rid of specific pests. Marigold is one of the most common flowers used to keep destructive beetles away from your vegetables. I will be using nasturtium this year as a companion plant, both because I need a non-invasive climbing plant to make my privacy fence more private, and because the flowers and leaves are edible. 

To make your companion planting most effective, research the types of garden pests you are trying to get rid of as well as the plants that are being destroyed by the pests. Companion plants can also be effective at attracting beneficial bugs that will prey on pests, or attracting pests to themselves in order to draw them away from your vegetables. 

Prevention

As any pest control expert will tell you, the best method of pest control is prevention. Keep your yard clean and free of debris, keep logpiles well away from the house so you don't attract mice and snakes, keep your trashcans covered, seal up any cracks and other entrances that bugs might find into your home, and make sure you never leave food crumbs or even tiny amounts of water sitting out overnight. Once you have gotten rid of the pests with your own all-natural pest control solution, you don't want to do anything to invite them back!

A Natural Environment is a Natural Stress-Reliever

Ever noticed how you feel so much better after cleaning your house? Whether that involves tackling cleaning projects you have put off for months, or simply washing the dishes and running a vacuum over the carpet, having a cleaner environment to spend time in really can have a positive effect on your mental health. And that, in turn, can have a positive effect on your physical health.

On a more molecular level, air quality can also have a positive effect on your health. Numerous studies have linked being outdoors with stress reduction, and that has a lot to do with both your exposure to the sun and the clean and natural air quality. So, naturally, improving the air quality inside your home, where you spend a lot of your time, can also help reduce stress.

Kick Out the Harmful Chemicals

The top way to create a more natural environment inside your home is to get rid of the harmful chemicals in the air. From cleaning products to bug repellants to that lovely-smelling Glade spray, the chemicals that are used to make these products float around in the air and get into your lungs, eventually causing chemicals imbalances inside your brain that foster the over-production of stress hormones. Instead of grabbing that apple-cinnamon air freshener next time you want to "freshen" the air, put some essential oil into a reed diffuser and get your fragrance fix the natural way.

Let in Some Sunshine

A brightly lit area is essential for stress reduction, and the best way to go is natural light. Sunlight increases the production of serotonin in your brain, one of the happy hormones that you get when you exercise. Throw open your curtains and let in some sunlight - not only will you experience a natural mood boost, you might even save some money on your energy bill!

Bring the Outdoors In

Houseplants are good for more than just their good looks. They help release oxygen into the air, and are particularly good at eliminating toxins such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Check out this list of houseplants that are most effective at improving the air quality of your home. If you don't really have room for potted plants in your house, you can also try hanging plants in a free corner or even putting a few vases of fresh wildflowers on countertops or coffee tables. Keeping a fruit basket out can help too, and encourage your family to snack on apples and oranges rather than processed foods.

So, if you feel cramped, irritable, and stuck inside this winter, creating a more natural environment indoors can help relieve some of that stress and make the long winter indoors more tolerable.

GMOs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Since yesterday's post was about boycotting the GMO giant Monsanto, I thought it was time to take a good look at the evidence supporting the idea that GMOs are indeed bad for you. At a glance, they seem like a good thing. Genetically modified to be resistant to common diseases and pesticides, engineered to produce more crops per acre, and sprayed with Monsanto's herbicide Roundup to get rid of weeds, the science behind GMOs seems like it would be fueled by good intentions. But when you look at the mounting evidence that GMOs are sickening the American population, you can't help be be skeptical.

Even the American Academy of Environmental Medicine Recognizes the Danger

While the FDA refuses to acknowledge even the possibility of harm that GMOs could cause, the highly regarded American Academy of Environmental Medicine calls for more studies and tests on the effects of GMOs before allowing the public in general to consume them. Read their stance on GMOs here.

They aren't the only ones who recognize the potential danger of this "biotechnology." GMOs are banned or partially banned in countries and provinces around the world, particularly in the European Union. England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Australia, and Brazil are only a few of the countries with at least partial bans of GMOs, particularly Monsanto's deadly Bt-toxin corn. In America, GMOs aren't even legally required to be labeled, so the only way to be sure that you are buying a non-GMO product is to find one that has been voluntarily and independently verified as non-GMO. Look for the non-GMO Project verified seal, particularly on foods that contain soy and corn ingredients and oils.

GMOs are Linked to...

Monsanto's two biggest illness-inducing ingredients are known as Bt-toxin, a pesticidal gene (for lack of a better word) that kills pests by punching holes in their insides when they eat the GMO; and glyphosate, the main ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. Between the use of two of them, a host of problems have seemed to become exponentially more common in the American people since the mid- to late- '90s. Interestingly, this is about the same time that GMOs started making their way onto our dinner tables.

More and more studies are linking GMOs, and specifically Bt-toxin and glyphosate, to hugely American problems like birth defects and infertility, cancer and organ damage, and even non-celiac gluten sensitivity (gluten intolerance).

What GMO Advocates Say

The most oft-repeated argument for the safety of GMOs is that Bt-toxin is found naturally in soil, and that even natural farmers use it as a pesticide. This is true, of course. However, when the Bt-toxin is injected into the DNA of corn, soy, and other GM crops, every single cell of that crop is infected with the toxin, so humans are exposed to substantially higher amounts of it than they would otherwise be.

This site explains how Bt-toxin works. Although many GMO proponents link to it, the very first sentence is cause for alarm: "Bt has to be eaten to cause mortality." And while human digestive systems are different and much more complex, not to mention less delicate, than that of an insect, twenty years of exposure to a toxin that puts holes into your digestive system is bound to start causing problems through the generations. Interestingly, gluten-related problems are often associated with the formation of holes in intestinal walls which allow particles to enter the bloodstream that shouldn't, while making the digestion of necessary nutrients difficult.

My Own Experiment

As I have mentioned, my two-year-old is gluten intolerant. Since he started eating solid food, around six months, he had rashes in the crooks of his knees and elbows and became an extremely fussy baby. As he grew older, he started to develop the classic rash around his mouth as well, and his behavior made me wonder if he might even have autism or at least Aspberger's. At the end of my rope, I decided to take him off gluten to see if such a simple diet change could offer an answer to my parenting woes.

Within a week, his behavior improved dramatically and his physical symptoms have since completely disappeared. Family and friends have all commented on how he seems like a completely different person from a year ago, when I finally put him on a gluten-free diet.

In writing this post, I ran into dozens of comments and posts by people who claim that their gluten-related symptoms didn't show up at all when they traveled to Europe, where GMOs and wheat treated with glyphosate-containing Roundup are banned. This suggests that perhaps the gluten in wheat isn't causing the reactions - it is the American Roundup-treated wheat itself. Rather than having a sensitivity to gluten, perhaps my son is exhibiting physical reactions to glyphosate which are triggered by the gluten. If that were the case, he may be able to eat European, non Roundup-treated wheat.

King Arthur flour is a European brand of flour that can be bought right at Wal-Mart, and most of their flours do not use chemical bleaching agents or other harmful additives. So, for my experiment, I will switch to King Arthur flour (organic, unbleached, and unenriched if I can find it) and gradually introduce breads and other foods made with it in my son's diet. Even if he still shows gluten-intolerant symptoms, it will certainly be better for the rest of my family. And if not, we can safely assume that there is something about American wheat that triggers a reaction to gluten.

So What's All the Fuss About Monsanto, Anyway?

Browsing the Internet for organic, non-GMO seeds for my garden this year, I came across dozens of mentions of the company Monsanto. I had heard the name before in passing, but I had no idea who they were or what they did. However, advocates of organic and non-GMO agriculture portray Monsanto as the symbolic corporate Hitler of the agriculture world, and I was determined to find out why so many organizations are urging consumers to boycott Monsanto seeds, foods, and products.

What Does Monsanto Do?

In short, Monsanto is the company responsible for around 80% of the country's GMO consumption, if not the world's. They sell their genetically-modified seeds and chemical-based pesticides and herbicides to large companies and small farmers alike, and their "technology" has found its way onto the shelves of just about every garden center and farming supply store you could walk into. Even the organically grown zuchinni that your neighbor shares generously with you could easily have come from a Monsanto seed.

Interestingly, their website promotes a green and low-impact point of view:

"We are focused on empowering farmers--large and small--to produce more from their land while conserving more of our world's natrual resources such as water and energy. We do this with our leading seed brands in crops like corn, cotton, oilseeds and fruits and vegetables. We also produce leading in-the-seed trait technologies for farmers, which are aimed at protecting their yield, supporting their on-farm efficiency and reducing their on-farm costs."

And yes, the typo in that paragraph is Monsanto's, not mine (natrual, rather than natural). Check it out in the Who We Are section.

What are They Really After?

It would be nice to think that the company really does have the greater good at heart, even if they are going about it the wrong way. But when so many consumers are protesting the monopoly in numbers that are growing every day, and Monsanto still refuses to acknowledge even the potential for danger that GMOs could cause, even the most forgiving among us has to concede that they must have an ulterior motive.

And a simple glance at their website can tell us what that motive might be. Just today, the topics that Monsanto finds news-worthy include "Monsanto Board Approves Dividend of 49 Cents Per Share" and "Monsanto Shareowners Reelect Board Members at the Company’s Annual Meeting". In fact, the only headline that had to do with "helping" agriculture was this one: "Monsanto Showcases Ag Innovations to Support the Demands of a Growing Population". The rest were about money, or ways to make it.

With a market cap of $59 billion (basically, the value of all the company shares) and sales exceeding $15 billion in 2014 alone, Monsanto is in the business of making money. The company ranks number 334 on the Forbes Global 2000 list, a pretty impressive number.

What Can We Do?

As consumers who have to feed our families and can't spend a fortune doing it, how can we possibly get away from a company that has its fingers in almost every agricultural product we can find in stores today? Boycotting Monsanto is the only way to make a difference, but it isn't always easy. The best way to start is to grow your own vegetables from seeds that are not affiliated with Monsanto in any way.

A great list of Monsanto-free companies can be found here. They may be more expensive than the seed packets you can buy at Wal-Mart or Lowe's, but you could end up saving hundreds in food depending on the size of your garden and you will know that you are eating fresh produce that is entirely natural and good for you. When you buy heirloom plants, you can even collect the seeds and keep your crops going the next year without having to buy more. The Seed Savers Exchange can tell you everything you need to know about collecting and saving seeds.

The more active we become about getting GMOs off our shelves, the healthier our nation will become as a whole. Since the consumption of GMOs is possibly linked to all sorts of things, from birth defects to gluten intolerance to - you guessed it - cancer, nothing good can come of eating them. Every little action you take against GMOs and companies like Monsanto can make a difference.

6 Cheap Snacks that are Healthy, Fast, and Even Gluten-Free

Eating healthy isn't always the cheapest way to munch, but it can be affordable if you look for the right foods. Snack foods make up a fairly large percentage of the average family's food bill, so choosing healthy snacks that are also affordable - and possibly even more affordable than the unnatural snacks you buy now - is important every time you go shopping. Here are six of my favorite snacks that even my gluten-intolerant two-year-old loves.

Raisins

Nobody likes raisins at first, but if you make yourself munch them a few times, they will grow on you. Full of healthy plant-based carbs and naturally fat-free, a small handful of raisins are way better at curbing cravings than potato chips. And of course, they are way better for you. If you simply can't eat raisins, dried cranberries are just as good for you, and much tastier, but they do cost a little more. We also absolutely love dried mangoes, but eat them in moderation - they tend to be even higher in sugar than raisins.

Peanuts

Unsalted peanuts are best, but even salted ones provide lots of nutritional benefits. The ingredients list on most brands will only include peanuts, soybean or canola oil, and salt, if any, so you don't have to worry about artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Not to mention, they are loaded with protein and the healthy fats that everyone needs. Other types of nuts, such as almonds, brazil nuts, and pine nuts, are even healthier, but tend to be more costly.

Oats

With lots of fiber and no trans fat, both quick-cooking and old-fashioned oats are a must-have for any household. Make them with milk instead of water for a calcium boost, and sweeten with brown sugar and a touch of honey or maple syrup. You can also make your own granola with them, and sprinkle it on top of cereal, yogurt, or the occasional bowl of ice cream.

Frozen Fruit

When it comes to fruit, frozen strawberries are about the cheapest way to go, but we like to vary our selection and get blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and a tropical mix from time to time. A huge bag of generic frozen fruit only costs about $0.18 to $0.25 per ounce, and you don't have to worry about it going bad. We also like to keep a few cans of fruit in our pantry, packed in juice instead of syrup, and mix the juice with a little water for the kids to drink.

Unsweetened Applesauce

When you buy unsweetened applesauce, you can control the type and amount of sugar that goes into each serving. While many sweetened applesauces are free of artificial sweeteners and preservatives, they simply contain more sugar than you might want to eat (or give your children) in one sitting. Unsweetened applesauce can also serve dual purposes - in addition to being a great mid-afternoon snack with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon, it can be used as a substitute for sugar in many recipes along with honey and vanilla extract.

Plain Yogurt

Speaking of vanilla extract, just a drop or two is all you need to make plain yogurt taste way better - and plain yogurt almost always costs less than flavored. Try it with honey, granola, peach or mango slices, or berries. A great source of calcium and protein, like most dairy products, the most natural option is regular rather than lowfat or nonfat. Search for a yogurt with no artificial colors or fat substitutes. Greek yogurt is known to be the healthiest choice, but plain yogurt is more affordable and still offers lots of health benefits compared to many snack foods.

Chemical Versus Natural Additives and How to Tell the Difference

Disodium inosinate. Sodium benzoate. Acesulfame potassium. Magnesium sulfate. They may look like compounds you mixed up in Chemistry class, but these dubious-sounding chemical mixtures are actually ingredients in many of the foods you may eat every day. And, as you can imagine, they aren't good for you.

Some of the most toxic ingredients in the world are often found in our food, but the danger doesn't stop there. The fragrances or "parfum" found in many body products can contain dozens of harmful ingredients that don't even have to be listed, and what about the aluminum in your deodorant or the flouride in your toothpaste?

Without a doubt, the FDA is failing its people miserably when it comes to the regulation of preservatives and other additives that are banned in countries around the world. It is up to us to become more informed consumers to protect ourselves from the health epidemic that is an undercurrent of many an American household - chemical poisoning.

Food Additives

A good rule of thumb is that if you don't know what an ingredient is or does, you probably shouldn't eat it. Of course, there are some exceptions, and some ingredients are worse than others. Look out for these dangerous preservatives and additives the next time you go shopping:

• Sodium nitrate/nitrite. This is commonly used in processed meats to improve color and longevity. It is a known carcinogenic and can destroy the efficiency of many major organs like the liver and the pancreas. You know those super-red hot dogs you can buy for $0.80 a pack? They hold that color because they are loaded with nitrates.

• Bromates. Like nitrates, bromates are cancer-causing agents that can also cause organ damage. Any ingredient with the word "bromate" or "brominated" should be avoided. You can often find bromates in flour, breads, pasta, and in soft drinks as brominated vegetable oil (BVO). Stick with whole-wheat and naturally white flours to avoid harmful bromates. 

• Benzoates. Sodium benzoate is often used as a preservative in foods like mayonnaise and dressings, and is also linked to cancer as well as DNA damage. Benzoates can also be found in cosmetics and other body products, so keep an eye out for these everywhere. 

• Parabens. Parabens are used in foods and body products to stop yeast and bacteria from growing. They are linked to cancer, especially breast cancer, and can cause hormone imbalances and other hormonal problems. For this reason, parabens are particularly harmful to children. 

• Artificial colors and sweeteners. The only reason these colors and sweeteners are used is to increase the marketability of foods. Colors make certain foods look more appealing, while sweeteners allow manufacturers to label products "sugar-free". Artificial colors, most of which are petroleum-based, are linked to tumors, cancer, digestive problems, and ADHD in children, among other things. Sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and even high fructose corn syrup can cause or aggravate a range of problems from cancer (yet again) to diabetes to heart disease. 

Some additives that you may already know to avoid include MSG (monosodium glutamate), carrageenan, BHA and BHT, chlorine dioxide, aluminum, and butane. Yes, the FDA even lists butane as a safe ingredient to include in food. To see a more complete list of dangerous additives to avoid, check out this page. You can also see all the additives that are approved by the FDA here. Funny how some of the most dangerous preservatives have the longest list of acceptable uses.

Body Product Preservatives

Getting rid of harmful additives in your food is the first step to a healthier lifestyle, and often one that is easier to tackle. But the preservatives found in so many petroleum-based soaps, lotions, and skin care products can be just as toxic. Petroleum jelly itself is a harmful ingredient linked to tumors, skin problems, and early aging. When you consider that petrolatum is a by-product of gasoline, you might think twice about slathering it onto your infant's diaper rash - try beeswax instead, a product of Mother Nature.

The petrolatum in your Vaseline isn't the only harmful ingredient in your products. The next time you run out of hand lotion or shampoo, check the label before you buy a replacement to avoid these harmful ingredients:

• Sulfates. Anything with the word sulfate in it should be avoided. These are most commonly found in shampoos to make them foamy but can be in other products as well. They do nothing to clean your hair, but can strip it of necessary oils and nutrients and can even be absorbed into your skin. 

• Talc. Talc is what gives deodorants and baby powder their grainy textures. It can cause cancer, and may also be related to respiratory problems. Perhaps a tiny amount of cornstarch instead of baby powder is the way to go after all. 

• Ethyls. In addition to being a rather unattractive name, ethyls are yet another group of chemical preservatives that are linked to cancer, among other health problems. 

• Fragrance or Parfum. A wide range of toxic chemicals can hide under the label "fragrances", from phthalates to parabens to any of the ingredients already listed above. You could be applying a chemical cocktail of headache-, nausea-, allergy-, and cancer-causing agents to your body without even knowing it when you see "fragrances" in the ingredients list. 

This Treehugger.com article explains these and more ingredients in greater detail, and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website is a great resource to use if you want to learn more about your cosmetics.

So What Can We Use?

Although a large majority of manufacturers in the US use toxic chemicals in our foods and products, there are plenty of safe and natural alternatives out there. Many acids, like citric and ascorbic acids, are plant-derived preservatives. Extracts are almost always safe, unless you are allergic to a specific one, and essential oils also work as natural preservatives. Tocopherols are tricky, because there are a few different types of them and in excessive amounts even the most natural tocopherols can be harmful. Use products that contain them sparingly, and only when they are not used in conjunction with other harmful preservatives.

Getting the bad products and foods out of your home and switching to safer alternatives can take time, but it can be done. Check your ingredients labels before you buy, and keep your product use down to a minimum. The fewer toxins you allow into your home, the healthier you and your family will be.