Striving4Zen

What: Stop by newly opened Gusto Organics for a taste of what we're hoping will be the organic crowd's answer to Cosi-eqsue food on-the-go. Think all organic grilled pizzas, empanadas, sandwiches, breakfast, drinks and desserts.

Where: 519 6th Avenue. (212) 242-5800.

Why: You'll be in and out of there faster than a trip to Whole Foods.

Thanks

Labels: cool new place, Gusto Organics, healthy dining, LOVE, NYC, restaurants

The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it is real.

The reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency says that older homes are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as “lead-free” can still contain as much as 8 percent lead. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 percent of total lead exposure.

Scientists emphasize that the risk is small. But to minimize it, the E.P.A. says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking. It also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration. More information is at www.epa.gov/lead or (800) 424-5323 (LEAD).

THE BOTTOM LINE
Hot water from the tap should never be used for cooking or drinking.

SOURCE

Labels: environment, leaf, toxic, water

Their results are surprising, even to many of the researchers themselves. The investigators find that while you will slow down as you age, you may be able to stave off more of the deterioration than you thought. Researchers also report that people can start later in life — one man took up running at 62 and ran his first marathon, a year later, in 3 hours 25 minutes.

It’s a testament to how adaptable the human body is, researchers said, that people can start serious training at an older age and become highly competitive. It also is testament to their findings that some physiological factors needed for a good performance are not much affected by age.

Researchers say that you should be able to maintain your muscles as you age, including the muscle enzymes needed for good athletic performance, and you should be able to maintain your ability to exercise for long periods near your so-called lactic threshold, meaning you are near maximum effort.

But you have to know how to train, doing the right sort of exercise, and you must keep it up.
“Train hard and train often,” said Hirofumi Tanaka, a 41-year-old soccer player and exercise physiologist at the University of Texas.

Dr. Tanaka said he means doing things like regular interval training, repeatedly going all out, easing up, then going all out again. These workouts train your body to increase its oxygen consumption by allowing you to maintain an intense effort.

“One of the major determinants of endurance performance is oxygen consumption,” Dr. Tanaka said. “You have to make training as intense as you can.”

Full article....

Labels: aging, anti-aging, exercise, NY Times

Customers of You Bar can choose every ingredient that goes into their nutrition bars: the base, protein powders, nuts and seeds, fruits and berries, sweeteners, seasonings, grains and infusions.

One consumer might select cashew butter with shredded coconut, organic molasses and nutty rice cereal, for example; another might choose dates, soy protein, walnuts, ground cinnamon and dried banana. Special requests for organic ingredients or "extra crunchy" can also be accommodated.

Consumers can choose a name for their specially designed bars, and You Bar will print it on each wrapper. For those feeling overwhelmed by the list of choices, on the other hand, You Bar offers three popular bar styles—"Honey Cashew," "Great Date with Chocolate" and "Breakfast Bar"—that are still customizable, but based on set ingredients. All bars are freshly made to order in You Bar's kitchens; pricing is $40 plus shipping for 12 fully customized bars, or $30 plus shipping for 12 of one of You Bar's popular styles.

Los Angeles-based You Bar was founded about two years ago by a mother-and-son team frustrated with the limited choices on the retail shelves. They're certainly in good company, as consumers have begun to expect having it their way, all the time. Because the bars fall into the realm of snack foods, they also lend themselves particularly naturally to use as gifts—promotional or otherwise. It's hard to imagine a health club, for example, that couldn't delight its members with specially concocted and self-named nutrition bars.

Thanks!

Labels: customization, great idea, health food, innovative, nutrition

A prospective study looking at dietary intake of 5 common flavonoids in 66,940 women in the Nurses Health Study over 18 years of follow up found those whose diets provided the most of 5 common flavonoids (myricetin, kaempferol, quercetin, and luteolin), had a 25% reduced risk of ovarian cancer, compared with those consuming the least.

Women whose diets provided the most kaempferol, a flavonoid concentrated in non-herbal tea, broccoli and onions, were found to have a 40% lower risk of ovarian cancer, compared to women with the lowest kaempferol intake. Similarly, women whose diets provided the most luteolin intake had a 34% reduced risk of ovarian cancer, compared those with the lowest luteolin intake. Celery and parsley are the most highly concentrated sources of luteolin, which is also found in rutabagas, hot peppers and spinach.

Source & Source

Labels: flavonoids, healthy diet, vegetables, Whole Foods

Here are some other, healthier options for preventing or treating ailments that are commonly mis-prescribed with antibiotics:

Ear infections -- Avoiding pasteurized milk is one of the best proactive solutions to prevent ear infections. If your child does develop an ear infection, a simple solution is to put a few drops of breast milk in the ear canal every few hours. This usually works to clear up the infection within 24 to 48 hours and is far safer, less expensive and a better solution than putting the child on antibiotics.

Simple wounds -- As a natural antimicrobial remedy for wounds, try raw honey instead, which is a natural antimicrobial that works wonders when applied topically.

Common cold and flu – The most helpful remedy for reducing cold transmission is to wash your hands frequently with plain soap and water. Remember that antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary here as well and cause far more harm than good. Simple zinc lozenges can help speed up your recovery from a cold, if you do get one, by almost half. But perhaps one of the best tricks I ever found for treating colds and flu’s is simply putting a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your ears.

Sinus infections – Drink hot liquids such as tea or chicken soup, and apply warm compresses to your face. Irrigating your sinuses using a nettie pot filled with a saline solution can also speed up your recovery.

If for some reason you do have to take an antibiotic, always make sure to supplement with probiotics: There is a common confusion that one should wait until finished with the antibiotic to start taking probiotics. Even though the antibiotic is killing the good bacteria, that is exactly when you need it the most. So I would triple the dose of probiotics, as it will tend to prevent the common diarrhea complication many have with the antibiotic.

SOURCE

Labels: antibiotics, Holistic Health, living holistically, natural health, natural therapy, Probiotics

Mental decline that afflicts many older people may be related to how much lead they absorbed decades before, recent studies suggest.

"We're trying to offer a caution that a portion of what has been called normal aging might in fact be due to ubiquitous environmental exposures like lead," said Dr. Brian Schwartz of Johns Hopkins University, a leader in the study of lead's delayed effects.

"The fact that it's happening with lead is the first proof of principle that it's possible."

Source

Labels: aging, environment, toxic, toxins

Yes, if you can't afford organic produce, you can still enjoy great health. If you can't buy organic produce, we would still encourage you to buy non-organic fruits and vegetables and enjoy a full array of different types.

However, we'd also recommend taking some additional steps with the non-organic produce that you purchase. It would be important to wash your non-organic fruit and vegetables very carefully so that you can remove some of the pesticide residues that may be present.

You may also want to peel conventionally grown cucumbers, eggplant, potatoes, and apples. This peeling recommendation would involve two factors. First, the outermost surfaces of fruits and vegetables may be the most affected by pesticide spraying. Second, the above types of produce often have petroleum-based wax coatings that may work against your best health.

The situation with the peeling of non-organic produce is exactly opposite from the situation with organic fruits and vegetables. With organic produce, you almost always want to keep the peels and skins intact because they are among the most nutrient-rich parts of any food.

Do you have a farmer's market near you? If so, you may want to buy your produce there. Even if it is not certified organic, chances are that it may contain less pesticide residues than produce available in larger grocery stores that do not focus on locally grown foods. Many small farmers don't go through the process of organic certification but still grow their produce with minimal, if any, agricultural chemicals.

SOURCE

Labels: fruits and veggies, healthy eating, organic, pesticides

Eat food, not food products. This doesn’t mean you have to forgo all forms of soy, but I’ll just say up front that food products with “the benefits of soy” conveniently added in just aren’t convincing me.

As I’ve said before, soy really needs some form of preparation before it’s safe to eat, and that in and of itself gives me pause. That said, minimally processed soy forms like fermented tempeh and miso as well as edamame seem like preferable options.

Soy processing isn’t a very comforting picture with acid washing and neutralization solutions, large and leaching aluminum tanks, and high temperature heating (rarely a good thing in the food world). And this doesn’t take into account the artificial flavorings, including MSG, that are often times added to improve flavor. (Hmmm. When we say healthy tastes great, we kind of mean a food itself and not all the chemical crap added to it. No?) Finally, it’s vital to go organic when it comes to soy. Not only is it nearly all genetically modified, it has one of the highest pesticide contamination levels of any crop.

Thanks Mark!

Labels: food, MSG, pesticides, soy, Whole Foods

Natural product manufacturers are looking to the mass market as their number-one avenue for growth in 2008, especially this March, when Target commits to stocking up to 8 feet of these items in all 1,591 of its stores.

Target's embrace of natural care items speaks volumes to the validity of the category in the mass channel, manufacturers said. The chain, which is widely viewed as the hippest in the industry, will push sales of natural and organic body lotions, face creams and shampoos even higher in an already explosive industry.

Read More....

Labels: growing market, health trend, natural products, organic, personal care

There is no cure for the common cold, but researchers might have found a safe and simple way to reduce a child’s symptoms and the chance of recurrence: wash out the nose with seawater.

In a study published Monday in The Archives of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, scientists assigned 289 cold or flu patients ages 6 to 10 to be given a nasal wash three times a day with water from the Atlantic Ocean that had been commercially processed but retained seawater’s trace elements and minerals.

As comparison, a group of 101 children used ordinary over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. Their symptoms were tracked over three months.

Patients on the saline treatment used fewer over-the-counter medicines, had fewer breathing problems and other cold symptoms, and reported fewer illnesses and school absences. The differences were statistically highly significant.

The authors acknowledge that the study was not blind and that the results depended in part on self-reporting by patients. The work was financed by Goemar Laboratoires, a French manufacturer of a saline solution based on seawater.

“It makes sense to clean the cavity where the microbes that might worsen the infection are present,” said Dr. Jana Skoupá, a co-author of the study, who works for a company that provides information to the pharmaceutical industry. “That’s what the seawater does, and it’s the minerals and trace elements in the seawater that help to restore the mucus lining of the nose.”

NY TIMES

Labels: cold, Holistic Health, natural health, seawater

New Yorkers put a fork in sushi yesterday after a study found some city restaurants had sold raw tuna with extremely high mercury levels.

"It's kind of scary," said Frankie Coburn, 25, of Manhattan, outside Nobu Next Door in TriBeCa.
"I was actually looking forward to getting some of their sushi. Now I don't know about that. I may have to change my mind."

The study, by The New York Times, found excessive amounts of the dangerous element in tuna sushi purchased last October from restaurants and markets around the city.

"Some of the levels were so high, it violated the Food and Drug Administration's action levels for mercury and seafood," which is 1 part per million, said Dr. Rebecca Goldburg, a scientist at Environmental Defense, a research and advocacy group.

"It's a level of mercury that the FDA considers so high that the food is legally adulterated."

NY POST

Labels: eating out, mercury, sushi, toxins, tuna

The city Board of Health yesterday approved a new version of a law requiring fast-food outlets to display calorie counts.
The law passed last year, which was challenged in court applied, to restaurants that were already providing nutritional information to customers. The new policy will apply to any chain that operates at least 15 separate outlets.
"It's going to get a lot easier to make informed choices at New York City's chain restaurants this spring," said Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
"We expect that many more cities, counties and states will require menu labeling once they see how easy it is for these chains to list calories on menus."
The regulation takes effect March 31 and the restaurants will be required to display calorie counts "in close proximity" to items on their menus or menu boards in letters and numbers at least as big as the name of the item or the price.

SOURCE

Labels: Calories, diet, fast food, Health

Editors for Scientific American believe recent studies suggest that fluoride raises the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland, and in general “scientific attitudes” about fluoridation may be shifting.

"Fluoride, the most consumed drug in the USA, is deliberately added to 2/3 of public water supplies theoretically to reduce tooth decay, but with no scientifically-valid evidence proving safety or effectiveness," says lawyer Paul Beeber, president of the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. Meanwhile, according to environmental reporter and director of New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program Dan Fagin, "There is no universally accepted optimal level for daily intake of fluoride."

After analyzing hundreds of fluoride studies, researchers found that fluoride:
Alters endocrine function, especially in the thyroid
Causes dental fluorosis in young children
May lower IQ
May increase the risk of bone fractures

Because scientific evidence suggests that water fluoridation is ineffective and dangerous to health, over 1,200 professional are now urging Congress to stop water fluoridation.

SOURCE

Labels: chemicals, fight back, fluoride, toxic, water

Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out of your body. When you put these chemicals on your skin, however, it is absorbed straight into your blood stream without filtering of any kind, so there's no protection against the toxin.

The five pounds of toxic chemicals per year you may be absorbing from the use of toiletries and beauty products are largely going directly to your delicate organs. It's no wonder that they have been linked to deadly side effects like cancer.

Parabens, which may be listed on the label as methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, isobutyl paraben or E216, have shown particularly troubling links to cancer. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health stated nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are toxic. Women are becoming more aware of this issue, and there are more natural cosmetics available today than in years past. But remember that labels do not tell the whole story. For more on how to select natural products, see Not All Natural Beauty Products are Natural.

There are no federal certifications or official guidelines for beauty products, so anyone can claim that such a product is natural or organic. Some "organic" beauty products contain only a single-digit percentage of organic ingredients.

If you want to stay beautiful, it is much better to do it by keeping yourself fit and healthy, rather than covering yourself with toxic chemicals. There are many great natural and safe cosmetic products out there. I hope to highlight some later this year, but in the meantime many of your health food stores are a good start to find them.

Source

Labels: beauty, cosmetics, dry skin, Mercola, natural products, personal care, toxins

Did you know that one cup of cooked collard greens will provide you with almost as much calcium as a cup of milk?
Milk products are often considered the best source of calcium, so you may be surprised to find that while one cup of 2% milk provides 29% of the daily value (297 mg) for calcium, one cup of cooked collard greens contains almost as much: 23% of the daily value (226 mg)! And the collard greens have half the calories of the milk (50 calories compared to 121) with virtually no fat.
Calcium is known primarily for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones, but recent studies have shown that it is also important in helping to protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals, preventing migraine headaches, and reducing PMS symptoms during the second half of the menstrual cycle. Since the body tightly controls the amount of calcium in the blood so that sufficient calcium is always available, when dietary intake it too low, calcium is pulled out of the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations. This is why low dietary calcium can, over many years, lead to osteoporosis. So next time you are wondering how to boost your calcium intake, don't just think milk, think collard greens!

Source

Labels: calcium, Collard Greens, cruciferous vegetables, healthy diet, vegetable

It is nothing more than a way of life,” explains Dr. Naina Marballi, founder of Ayurveda’s Beauty Care. “When you know about yourself, what your body type is and your mind type, then it’s easy to derive what you need from nature to prevent illness and maintain health. To keep yourself in balance.”

The “types” Marballi refers to are known as doshas, of which there are three (vata, pitta and kapha), and they’re derived from the five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. A constitutional analysis will reveal your body/mind type, and you can stay healthy by adopting a lifestyle that best suits your constitution.

Those guidelines include everything from what and when to eat and when to wake up and go to sleep, to what sort of exercise is right and what kind of spa therapies are most beneficial. According to Chopra Center’s Thara Kodandaramachandra, a person such as myself, with a vata body (lots of air and space) and a pitta mind (fire), should focus on a diet that favors sweet, bitter and astringent tastes. I should awaken by 6am and go to bed by 9:30pm (eating lunch no later than 1pm), and participate in low-impact sports, such as swimming. And like all the specialists I visited, Kodandaramachandra prescribed a regimen of daily head-to-toe self-massages.

Massage is an integral part of ayurveda. As Dr. Marballi explains: “Your skin is not only your largest organ, but it is the export/import source for your body. It guards against the outside environment—whether that’s pollution or noise—and it’s a reflection of what’s happening inside, of everything from your digestive system to your emotions. Puffy eyes, for example, can signal kidneys not performing well.” She continues: “And hormonal imbalance leads to breaking out around the chin and jawline.”

Understanding and treating these basic issues is a point of departure between ayurveda and traditional spa therapies. Get all the facials you want, but if your hormones are imbalanced your acne will continue. Still, you can benefit from ayurvedic treatments without subscribing to the lifestyle. Just expect some differences.

Source

Labels: ayurveda, Chopra Center, doshas, Holistic Health, massage, skin cancer

Despite its New Age bent, Gaiam is no stranger to mainstream America. Its fitness videos and yoga mats, for example, are popular items at Target and elsewhere.

The company is tapping into a growing niche, dubbed the "lifestyles of health and sustainability" market.

The so-called LOHAS movement includes upscale and environmentally conscious items such as hybrid cars and organic groceries. It also includes solar panels and home composting kits.

It's a growing niche.

The Natural Marketing Institute says U.S. consumers spent $209 billion in 2005 on such goods. The institute thinks it will climb to $410 billion in 2010 and more than double again to $845 billion by 2015.

Big retailers too now see the potential.

Wal-Mart, for instance, is replacing incandescent light bulbs on its shelves with the more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. And the discount retailer has become once of the nation's largest purveyors of organic food.

Source

Labels: Gaiam, health trend, living holistically, LOHAS, trends, wal-mart

Food manufacturers are not stupid. They’ve caught on to the fact that people like you want to avoid eating this nasty food additive.

As a result, do you think they responded by removing MSG from their products?
Well, a few may have, but most of them just tried to “clean” their labels. In other words, they tried to hide the fact that MSG is an ingredient.

How do they do this?
By using names that you would never associate with MSG. Fortunately, you can get a full list of ingredients that contain MSG at MSGMyth.com.

For instance, the ingredients below may all contain MSG:
Gelatin
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
Yeast Extract
Malted Barley
Rice Syrup or Brown Rice Syrup
Textured Protein
Glutamate

Source

Labels: food, healthy eating, MSG, toxins, Whole Foods

Want to know how many cheeseburgers you'd have to eat before they start doing damage to your body?

The answer, according to a review of new dietary research, is just one.

Just one high-fat, high-sugar meal can trigger a biochemical cascade, causing inflammation of blood vessels and immediate, detrimental changes to the nervous system, according to the paper, published this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. And just one healthy meal helps return your body to its optimal state.

"Your health and vigor, at a very basic level, are as good as your last meal," says lead author James O'Keefe, head of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo.

Poor diet in the long-term leads to hypertension and build-up of gunk in blood vessels that increases heart-attack risk. But there are short-term effects too. "People don't understand this, even most physicians," says O'Keefe. "Tissue becomes inflamed, just as it does when infected. Blood vessels constrict. Free radicals, unstable molecules that cause cell damage and are thought to contribute to chronic disease and aging, are generated. The body's stress response has a bigger effect on blood pressure, raising it higher than normal. People may notice they feel crummy a few hours after eating junk food. And the sudden surge and drop in insulin — the hormone that spurs your body to store energy — also leaves them feeling hungry again soon after eating, despite having had plenty of calories.

Regardless of its benefits, healthy food can leave you feeling unsatisfied if you're used to eating junk. Junk food distorts a person's hormonal profile, says O'Keefe. Note, for example, the previously mentioned drop in insulin that leaves a person hungry not long after eating a heavy meal. Studies suggest that fatty, sugary foods promote excretion of the stress hormone cortisol, which seems to further stimulate appetite for calorie-dense foods. And the big post-meal spikes in blood sugar are more likely in people who don't exercise or those who carry weight around their abdomen. All of it makes it tough for people to stop eating junk food once they're in the habit. "The more you eat it the more you crave it. It becomes a vicious cycle," says O'Keefe.

Reaed more.....

Labels: food, healthy eating

Cloned meat is as safe as any other.
That's what the federal government said yesterday in removing the last major hurdle that barred genetically duplicated cows, pigs, and other livestock from reaching US markets.
"Meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones are as safe as food we eat every day," said Dr. Stephen Sundloff, the Food and Drug Administration's food-safety chief.
The FDA won't require food makers to label if their products came from cloned animals.
.....
Several firms, including dairy giant Dean Foods and Hormel Foods, have said that because of consumer anxiety, they have no plans to sell milk or meat from cloned animals.
"The FDA has acted recklessly," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). "Just because something was created in a lab doesn't mean we should have to eat it.
"If we discover a problem with cloned food after it is in our food supply and it's not labeled, the FDA won't be able to recall it like they did Vioxx - the food will already be tainted."

SOURCE

Labels: cloning, food supply, Really?, warning

We live in a fast-paced consumerist culture, so it shouldn't surprise you that what happened to our poultry and cattle farming over the years is now being mirrored by salmon farming.
Bigger, faster and more always seem to prevail over quality. My girlfriends and I call inexpensive trendy clothing "disposable clothes" — meaning they're mass manufactured and worn only for one season, then tossed — mainly because they don't survive more than two or three washings. In both scenarios, we're sacrificing quality for quantity — something I'm occasionally willing to do with my wardrobe. But when it comes to my diet and health, not so fast.
There are actually six species of Pacific salmon found along the West coast from California to Alaska and all are wild: chum, coho, king, pink, sockeye and steelhead. Each have varied seasons and are available at different times of the year.

Atlantic salmon, which swims in the Atlantic Ocean, is very different than Pacific salmon. For starters, there is practically no wild-caught Atlantic salmon anymore, and the fish is available all year. So when you're at the grocery store or reading a restaurant menu, if you find salmon labeled "Atlantic," you can be certain it's not wild. Of course, you can also tell by the price — on a menu, a salmon entree selling for less than $25 is most likely farm raised.

Salmon's popularity skyrocketed in the 1990s after the government issued warnings about mercury content in other large fish — namely tuna and swordfish. Not long after, salmon itself became a cause for concern, not on account of its mercury content, but for polychlorinated biphenyls. PCBs are industrial chemicals that have been banned since 1977, and although there are no known natural sources of PCBs, they are still evident in the environment. Not easily broken down, they remain in our water, soil and food supply. PCBs are potential carcinogens. There are no acceptable limits, and we don't know for sure if the chemical causes cancer in humans. We do know that it does cause cancer as well as other serious ailments in animals. I don't know about you, but that's all I need to hear. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, levels of PCBs in farm-raised salmon could be high enough to damage the brains of fetuses and infants.
Farm-raised salmon appear to get their dose of PCBs from salmon chow — a mixture of ground-up fish and oil. Farm-raised salmon are contained in small aquatic pens, similar to the way poultry is farmed on land. (There are some salmon farms that are more like free-range systems — still a controlled environment, but resembling life in the free ocean). Salmon chow is formulated to get the fish big and fat fast. PCBs accumulate in the fat. The bigger the fish often means more PCBs.

As for the environmental concerns about fish farming, excess feed escapes the net pens polluting the ecosystem. Additionally, farmed salmon, living in such close quarters, are prone to sea lice and other diseases, requiring medications like antibiotics. These also pool into the ecosystem. Lastly, farmed salmon are swimming around in their own waste. All salmon, being fish eaters themselves, tend to have some toxins in their bodies. In 2004, the Journal of Science commented that farm-raised salmon may contain 10 times more toxins than wild. Studies do show that wild salmon also have PCBs, but because of their varied diet in the wild, they consume much less.

The issue of which salmon contains more heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids still seems to be debatable. Farm-raised salmon are fattier and therefore thought to have an average of double or even triple the amount of omega-3 fatty acids than its wild sister. Other studies show that they have similar amounts, but of course, the farmed variety also come with excess PCBs. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to prevent blood clots, inflammation and lower triglycerides.
There are other sources of omega-3s — for example, flax seed and walnuts. According to the EPA, consumers should stick to one serving of farmed salmon per month (8 ounces). The Food and Drug Administration is a little more lax. They recommend 12 ounces of a variety of fish per week. Why the discrepancy? The FDA monitors commercially sold fish and the EPA, recreationally caught fish. According to the Environmental Working Group, the EPA's current standards are 500 times more protective than the FDA for fish sold commercially. The EPA argues that they have read scientific literature and are more current than the FDA.
Researchers note the FDA's PCB limit is a regulatory advisory, while the EPA limit is based only on health effects.

The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish per week from varied species to gain heart healthy benefits and limit health risks. There are plenty of choices: mahi-mahi, haddock, tilapia, flounder and sole are not only low in PCBs, but mercury as well. Women who are pregnant or of childbearing age need to be extra cautious. I recommend wild and smaller portions. There are no organic regulations for seafood, regardless of what is labeled. When all is said and done, I still purchase wild salmon — always.

Betsy Klein is a registered dietitian and nutritional consultant in Miami.

Source

Labels: fish farming, healthy eating, Omega-3s fish oil, salmon, tilapia, Wild vs. Farmed

Researchers in California have discovered that “how much you like something” is linked to “how much it costs.” Meaning, the more expensive it is, the better you think it tastes. In this study participants agreed that wine priced at $90 tasted better than the same exact wine priced at $10; showing the impact marketing has on how we perceive taste.

Cnet News

Labels: $$$, marketing, money

Neem trees are a horticultural gem in India and other humid, tropical locales. Long a staple of Ayurvedic wellness and healing practice, today Neem extract is more readily available at natural apothecaries and health food stores. When its oil is distilled into topical products or concentrated in capsule form, the health and beauty benefits are myriad: it internally purifies the body, aids in digestion, and is often used as an anti-inflammatory, thus making it perfect for those suffering from acne. Suddenly pill popping doesn't seem like such a bad habit.

Source

Labels: Neem, Neem extract, Neem Oil

First-timers pay nothing at Yoga Sutra (501 Fifth Ave., nr. 42nd St.; 212-490-1443), which caters to Bryant Park office workers grabbing some sun salutations on their lunch breaks. Depending on which style of class you choose, you could be sore tomorrow. The Vinyasa course, with its flowing series of chest arches and leg lunges, is especially challenging. Less strenuous: the Iyengar class, filled with slow-moving spine twists and prop-aided stretches.

Newcomers also get a free tryout at Atmananda Yoga Sequence (324 Lafayette St., nr. Bleecker St.; 212-625-1511), where the crowd’s exactly what you’d expect at a Noho wellness loft: fashionable vegans, limber models, and late-rising artists. Classes flow rapidly through 69 movements, focusing on proper alignment and breathing techniques. Occasionally instructors burn incense or massage students’ temples with jasmine oil.

At Integral Yoga Institute (227 W. 13th St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-929-0586), free Saturday-morning intro classes (beginning at 10:15) draw a mix of health-conscious hippies, trendy moms, and other West Villagers seeking some slower-paced exercise. Newbies are encouraged to ask questions while learning to sit properly, relieve lower-back tension with gentle torso bends, and experiment with shoulder stands.

It’s mostly experienced yogis at Chelsea’s Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center (243 W. 24th St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-255-4560), with only one class open to beginners. The first class—usually filled with classic inversions and standing postures—is free. Workouts are strenuous, but there’s ample time for meditation between poses.

And though not technically gratis, classes at Yoga to the People (12 St. Marks Pl., nr. Third Ave.; 917-573-9642) are open to the public for a suggested donation of $10. Expect St. Marks–style serenity: Teachers might pop in some John Lennon during stretching and read inspirational quotes for the after-class warmdown, and classes are often packed toes to fingertips with NYU students.

Thanks!

Labels: free, New Yorkers, NYC, yoga

"At first glance, you might not see East Harlem as the place for fresh thinking about healthy urban living - Go Green East Harlem will change your mind." Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer

I am excited to inform you of a very special project we've created. Integrative Nutrition has teamed up with the Borough of Manhattan to create a cookbook and to offer free health counseling for the people of East Harlem.

The cookbook will showcase 100 recipes (in English and Spanish) provided by restaurants, caterers, farmers' markets and community members of East Harlem. Recipes come from many neighborhood favorites like the Greenmarket's peach-corn salsa, Mo-Bay's collard greens and Rao's famous Lemon Chicken. We have provided recipe comments and an icon system to help readers understand the health benefits of the recipes.

In addition, we will be offering free group counseling. Sessions will meet once a week for 8 weeks at a facility provided by the city.

Labels: cookbook, East Harlem, free radicals, health counseling, healthy cooking, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, recipe

Who doesn't like the concept of something for nothing, especially when it comes to exercise and calories burned. I am talking about "exercise after burn" the concept that the body keeps burning extra calories post workout. It is true that we burn extra calories after exercising and it even has a very official sounding name: excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC for short. It just seems that some of the claims about EPOC are wildly exaggerated, so let's set the record straight.

When you workout, your cells are essentially working out too. Post exercise, the cells need to restore their functioning to pre-exercise levels and that requires oxygen, which takes energy, aka calories. This cell restoration burns calories but not nearly as many as you might have heard. During an interview on the Fitness Rocks podcast, renowned sports physiologist Dr. Len Kravitz (not to be confused with renowned rocker Lenny) explained the after burn phenomenon. Truth is that it really only lasts for two hours post workout.

You only burn an additional 15 percent of the total calories expended during your workout. So if you burned 300 calories actively exercising at the gym, you will burn about an extra 45 calories over the next two hours. This figure of "15 percent" is on the high end as well.

While 45 calories may not sound like much, all those calories do add up. If you burn 300 calories three times in one week that is an extra 135 calories and that does feel a little like you are getting something for nothing. So work it, just don't rely on the after burn. Just because you are exercising doesn't mean you can eat everything you want.

Source

Labels: after burn, Calories, EPOC, exercise

Microsoft's new souped-up supermarket shopping carts may do for the grocery list what GPS did for driving directions.
A box of cereal will be scanned as it's tossed in the cart. Shoppers at a loss for where to find refried beans or chocolate ice cream can be instantly directed to the right aisle and shelf.
And best of all, there's no need to wait on the checkout line. Once the cart totals up everything inside, all shoppers have to do is swipe their card, bag the groceries and walk out the door.
There is a catch, of course. The new carts, which will soon be hitting the aisles of Shop Rites everywhere, also enable advertisers to make their case as you are walking by a particular item on the shelves.

Read on....

Labels: innovative

Pinkberry, frozen yogurt reinvented, celebrates its third anniversary today by launching a coffee frozen yogurt. The new coffee frozen yogurt is accompanied by a new topping option, chestnuts, and is available at all Pinkberry locations in New York and Los Angeles. The new coffee frozen yogurt and chestnut topping are part of Pinkberry’s ongoing commitment to innovate and evolve its distinctive experience.

Pinkberry spent more than 12 months developing the coffee flavor, which is a refreshing proprietary blend of premium coffee with Pinkberry’s signature yogurt tang. The coffee frozen yogurt will be available on its own and in a swirl with the signature plain frozen yogurt. Everyone can create and personalize their own swirly goodness using a variety of distinctive, high-quality and creative toppings. Pinkberry highly recommends chestnuts, mochi, bananas and chocolate chip toppings with the coffee frozen yogurt.

“We wanted to celebrate our third anniversary by providing something new and special to our loyal customers,” said Shelly Hwang, co-founder of Pinkberry. “Our frozen yogurt is unique because you can taste the perfect balance of each flavor – the coffee, the signature Pinkberry yogurt tang, and the toppings – none overpower the others.”

Source

Labels: coffee, Fro-yo, innovative, Pinkberry

In preparing the book, Eric Weiner did what any enterprising reporter would do: he headed straight for the World Database of Happiness, a nondescript, if not dreary, building in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, that houses scores of surveys on cheer.
Based on those studies, Weiner finessed a 10-locale itinerary — including the Netherlands, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India and, of course, the U.S.

Here's what he found out about some of the most jovial territories around:
- Bhutan has a Gross National Happiness policy. "It's their way of saying there is more to life than money," Weiner says.
- The Swiss are happier than most because they suppress envy. "They believe, 'If you've got it, hide it,'" Weiner explains. Whereas, "our philosophy is, 'If you've got it, flaunt it.'"
- In Iceland, "they embrace failure and even seem to enjoy it. But there is also a real sense of community."

Labels: Eric Weiner, geography, happiness, Netherlands, new book

Toxins are certainly not good for you.
In fact, theycontribute to nearly every major health concern. But toxins can also make you put on the pounds.
Sound crazy?
Well, it actually makes a lot of sense. We're overloading our bodies with toxins in the food we eat and in the products we use every day. It's your liver's job to protect you from these toxins by removing them from your body.
The problem?
Your liver was designed for a much lighter workload than it typically gets these days. It can't filter out all the toxins, and you end up storing them in your body fat to be filtered later when your live has time to catch up. But the problem is, you have a constant supply of new toxins entering your system, so your body never has a chance to catch up and the toxins continue to accumulate and damange your body and metabolism. It's a complex process, but, in a nutshell, those excess toxins slow your metabolism and you gain weight. If you want to lose weight, and keep from gaining more,you've got to limit your exposure to toxins and start detoxifying your body.
Ready to detox?
Start breaking a sweat! When you sweat, you lose mostly water, but you also get rid of some fat, cholesterol, and toxins. You know that exercise can make you sweat. But why not try a sauna or steam bath? Both can make you sweat AND help eliminate toxins.

Source

Labels: detox, exercise, metabolism, sauna, sweat, toxins

Human population as well as animal studies consistently show that diets high in cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, are associated with lower incidence of a variety of cancers, including lung, colon, breast and ovarian cancer. Now, research published in the International Journal of Cancer (Zhao H, Lin J) suggests that bladder cancer can join the list.
University of Texas researchers analyzed the diets of 697 newly diagnosed bladder cancer cases and 708 healthy controls matched by age, gender and ethnicity. Average daily intake of cruciferous vegetables was significantly lower in those with bladder cancer than in healthy controls.

Those eating the most cruciferous vegetables were found to have a 29% lower risk of bladder cancer compared to participants eating the least of this family of vegetables.
Crucifers' protective benefits were even more pronounced in three groups typically at higher risk for bladder cancer: men, smokers, and older individuals (aged at least 64).
Diagnosed in about 336,000 people every year worldwide, bladder cancer is three times more likely to affect men than women, according to the European School of Oncology.

Crucifers' well known cancer-fighting properties are thought to result from their high levels of active phytochemicals called glucosinolates, which our bodies metabolize into powerful anti-carcinogens called isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates offer the bladder, in particular, significant protection, most likely because the majority of compounds produced by isothiocyanate metabolism travel through the bladder en route to excretion in the urine, suggested the researchers.

Source

Labels: cruciferous vegetables, health food, healthy diet, vegetables

A few carefully placed cuts can easily transform these mighty morsels into a beautiful rose garnish, but this little red stunner is also a rich source of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folate, sulphur, iron and iodine. Used to spice up a vegetable juice cocktail, liven up a salad or add punch to a stir-fry, the radishes anti-inflammatory properties can help clear sinus cavities, soothe a sore throat or even reduce the symptoms of asthma. In addition, the veggies’ high potassium level can promote kidney health and reduce the risk of stroke.

Source

Labels: health food, Radish, vegetable, Vitamins, Whole Foods

Lately, your digestion feels off; in fact, you've caught a few more colds than usual and your overall vitality seems a bit compromised.

Must be time to detox, right?

The truth is that solely focusing on flushing toxins from your digestive system is a bit like cleaning the pool filters but forgetting to add chlorine. “We tend to think of gut maintenance as only removing poisons and neglect to think of what we need to add to our system to keep it healthy,” says Gary Huffnagle, PhD, professor of internal medicine, microbiology, and immunology at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, and co-author of The Probiotics Revolution (Bantam, 2007). That's where probiotics (or friendly bacteria) come in.

At any given time, there are about 100 trillion bacterial microbes living inside your body — enough microscopic beings to fill up a quart jar — most of which reside in the digestive tract. “The digestive system is like a rainforest — teeming with life,” explains Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN, a nutritionist in private practice in North Carolina and author of Digestive Wellness. When friendly bacteria levels outnumber the bad, the body is in stasis. But the by-products of modern life often throw this delicate balance out of whack. “The combination of a typical Western diet, the high stress levels of modern life, and an over-reliance on antibiotics is the equivalent of clear-cutting parts of our internal ecology,” Lipski explains. In other words, if you're a typical member of Western society, it's likely time to reforest your internal landscape.
There are thousands of probiotic strains, or friendly flora, found naturally in everything from breast milk to pickles. When ingested they actively promote overall health in many ways.

Probiotics take up room and resources in the digestive tract and make it inhospitable to unfriendly microbes. They encourage regularity: In a 2006 Spanish study, daily probiotic consumption increased the frequency and volume of bowel movements, and a 2007 study found that the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG greatly reduced acute diarrhea in children. Good bacteria also manufacture a range of B vitamins, which the body cannot create or store on its own and which offset the effects of stress; vitamin K, which bolsters bone density; and enzymes that aid metabolism.

And the benefits of probiotics extend well beyond the realm of nutrition and digestion. “Because the digestive system is our first line of defense against harmful bacteria carried in through food, drink, or air, probiotics help the immune system function correctly,” Huffnagle says. In recent studies, probiotics reduced the duration and severity of colds, cut down recurrences of eczema outbreaks, increased the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, and decreased the risk of diabetes.

If you suffer from constipation or diarrhea, frequent colds, yeast infections, or inflammatory or autoimmune conditions (such as IBS, allergies, asthma, or rheumatoid arthritis), it's likely your probiotic levels need a boost. But even if you're relatively healthy, increasing your intake of probiotics through diet and supplements tips the balance in your favor.

Source

BRAND
Some manufacturers do a better job of delivering viable microbes (identified on the label as CFU, short for colony-forming units) than others. Gary Huffnagle, PhD, a professor at the University of Michigan Medical Center, recommends Align, Culturelle, Florastor, Jarrow, and Theralac.

FREEZE-DRIED
Freeze-drying, which removes all water from the microbes, makes them more likely to survive in pill form. When you take the supplement, the fluid in your digestive tract reanimates the bacteria.

REFRIGERATED
Although some high-quality supplements don't require refrigeration, most do. Lower temperatures increase the length of time microbes can survive.

MULTIPLE STRAINS
Look for a supplement that contains different species of bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. “You want a variety in your probiotics just as you want variety in your diet,” says nutritionist Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN, author of Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill, 1995). And look for a different formulation the next time you shop for supplements. “I generally have people take one supplement for a while and then switch so they get exposed to a wide range of benefits.”

OTHER INGREDIENTS
Because probiotics need food as soon as they reanimate, a supplement that contains a prebiotic, such as inulin, can improve the flora's chances of surviving in your digestive system.

DOSE
“For the average, healthy person, a dose between 5-10 billion microorganisms is protective and preventive, even if you take the supplements only a few times a week. If you've been on antibiotics or are recovering from illness, aim for 30 billion,” Huffnagle recommends. Look for supplements that clearly state each dose's CFU. Avoid those that list ingredients only by weight.

EXPIRATION DATE
Because probiotics contain live microbes, they won't remain viable forever. Make sure to purchase in quantities that will enable you to finish the supplements before the expiration date.

Thanks!

Labels: digestion, flora, how-to, Probiotics, supplements

ROBYN O’BRIEN designed a universal symbol to identify children with food allergies. She now puts the icon, a green stop sign with an exclamation point, on lunch bags, stickers and even the little charms children use to dress up their Crocs. These products and others are sold on her Web site, AllergyKids.com, which she unveiled, strategically, on Mother’s Day in 2006.

The $30,000 Ms. O’Brien made from the products last year is incidental, she said. Working largely from a laptop on her dining room table, she has looked deep into the perplexing world of childhood food allergies and seen a conspiracy that threatens the health of America’s children. And, she profoundly believes, it is up to her and parents everywhere to stop it.

Her theory — that the food supply is being manipulated with additives, genetic modification, hormones and herbicides, causing increases in allergies, autism and other disorders in children — is not supported by leading researchers or the largest allergy advocacy groups.

That only feeds Ms. O’Brien’s conviction that the influence of what she sees as the profit-hungry food industry runs deep. In just a few dizzying steps, she can take you from a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese to Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds to Donald H. Rumsfeld, who once ran the company that created the sweetener aspartame.

Ms. O’Brien encourages people to do what she did: throw out as much nonorganic processed food as you can afford to. Avoid anything genetically modified, artificially created or raised with hormones. Don’t eat food with ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Once she cleaned out her cupboards, she said, her four children started behaving better. Their health problems, which her doctor attributed to allergies to milk and other foods, cleared up.

NYTimes

Labels: allergies, children, fight back, food, Robyn O'Brien

Studies have shown that listening to music during exercise can improve results, both in terms of being a motivator (people exercise longer and more vigorously to music) and as a distraction from negatives like fatigue. But are certain songs more effective than others?

One of the most important elements, Dr. Karageorghis found, is a song’s tempo, which should be between 120 and 140 beats-per-minute, or B.P.M. That pace coincides with the range of most commercial dance music, and many rock songs are near that range, which leads people to develop “an aesthetic appreciation for that tempo,” he said. It also roughly corresponds to the average person’s heart rate during a routine workout — say, 20 minutes on an elliptical trainer by a person who is more casual exerciser than fitness warrior.

Dr. Karageorghis said “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa and “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg are around that range, as is the dance remix of “Umbrella” by Rihanna (so maybe the pop star was onto something). For a high-intensity workout like a hard run, he suggested Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On.”

NYTimes

Labels: exercise, music, songs

1. "Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."
2. "Avoid foods containing ingredients you can't pronounce."
3. "Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot."
4. "Avoid food products that carry health claims."
5. "Shop the peripheries of the supermarket; stay out of the middle."
6. "Better yet, buy food somewhere else: the farmers' market or CSA."
7. "Pay more, eat less."
8. "Eat a wide variety of species."
9. "Eat food from animals that eat grass."
10. "Cook, and if you can, grow some of your own food."
11. "Eat meals and eat them only at tables."
12. "Eat deliberately, with other people whenever possible, and always with pleasure."

Michael Pollan's Twelve Commandments for Serious Eaters, from his new book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.

Labels: healthy dining, Michael Pollan, new book

Just as every snowflake is different, each of us has our own unique bone structure and therefore will experience yoga differently. In order to avoid painful bone-on-bone compression, it is important not to force our bodies into rigid positions, warns Paul Grilley, who has been teaching yoga for 28 years with a specialty in the instruction of anatomy. The angles and rotations of our bones and joints affect how we are able to safely interpret each pose, he explains.
Every bone has natural differences in proportion and orientation. For instance, a petite female and a tall male can both model the twisting triangle pose "correctly" but because of natural anatomical differences in their bone structures, the woman's femur to torso angle might be 45 degree, while the man's might be 65 degrees.
Another example is the ankle flexion differences that can be noticed in a downward facing dog position. One person's heels may touch the ground in the pose while another's are at a 45-degree angle. This does not mean that the person whose heels are flat is performing the pose better than the other person. Both are listening to their bodies and making the necessary adjustments in the pose. Rather than being frustrated by his inability to touch his heel to the ground, the second yogi would have a better experience if he understood that skeletal variations affect our yoga practices.
"A yoga practice is about being content with our bodies, not about competition," Grilley explains. "Don't push beyond what your body can handle without pain and ask your yoga teacher for individual attention if you have a question about how to customize a pose for your body's alignment. People training for sports on any level, from amateur to competitive, could benefit from a greater understanding of their anatomy to improve their performance and reduce the risk of injury."

Labels: individualized health, yoga

Dr. Ornish explains how to customize your diet and lifestyle to match your genes and your needs. He shows you how to identify your risks, look at your current state of health, and then match your approach to those needs.
Thirty years ago, Dr. Dean Ornish came up with a radical but simple idea that threatened the very foundation of our whole conception of disease.
He believed that heart disease, cancer, and any chronic illness could actually be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes.
Medication and surgery can slow and treat disease. But Dr. Ornish’s lifestyle program could actually reverse and undo the damage.
He had the courage to suggest that if you eat a high-quality, nutrient-dense, plant-based diet , get regular exercise, practice stress management such as yoga and meditation, and connect to a community, you can reverse heart disease and unclog your arteries.
It matters whether you eat whole, real food, or processed, high-sugar, and high-fat food.
It matters whether your diet contains phytochemicals or toxic chemicals.
And it matters whether the way you eat balances your blood sugar or causes swings in blood sugar.
He was the first to suggest and then to prove that dealing with the causes of illness is far more effective, and far cheaper than conventional treatment -- not only to prevent disease but to reverse it.
Functional medicine is a system of addressing the underlying causes of illness by understanding the interaction between your genes and your environment. It is a way to personalize medicine.
So, bravo Dr. Ornish!

Source

Labels: Dr. Ornish, functional medicine, Holistic Health, IIN, individualized health, Whole Foods

Found in the skins of fruits and veggies like red onions, blueberries and apples, quercetin is one of the most powerful antioxidants (free radical fighters). Studies show it can serve as a mood enhancer, a physical performance booster, an anti-allergen and an anti-inflammatory.

Source

Labels: anti-inflammatory, Anti-oxidant, health food, healthy diet, quercetin

Move over, Mayor -- bosses across the country will start to lend a healthy hand. In addition to gym incentives, we expect to see employee nutrition counseling, organic produce in the corporate cafeteria, acupuncture office hours and rewards for healthy habits on the rise. A workforce that stays well, works well...

Here's Hoping...

Labels: employers, living holistically, nutrition, progressive companies

The contrast between hot and cold water increases microcirculation through body tissues, promotes detoxification, and strengthens the immune system. This helps bring nutrients, oxygen and immune cells to damaged and stressed tissues and carries away metabolic waste, inflammatory by-products and other toxic substances.

Contrast showers also strengthen the immune system by increasing the number of white blood cells.

Instructions:
Start with three minutes of hot water followed by less than one minute of cold water. Repeat this pattern at least once, always finishing with cold (e.g. 3 minutes hot - 1 minute cold - 3 minutes hot - 1 minute cold).

Source

Labels: Contrast Shower, detox, living holistically, shower

There are numerous methods that can be used to help detoxify your body, varying in cost, time and efficacy.
The treatments below can be incorporated into your daily life. They all work to support your body's natural detoxification systems, namely your digestive system, liver, kidneys, lungs and skin.
- Stimulate blood flow through your organs of elimination. Constitutional hydrotherapy treatments increase blood flow through your liver and kidneys, enhancing their filtering effects.
- Increase toxin elimination through the skin. Use a sauna regularly to increase how much, how often, and how deeply you sweat.
- Give your lungs some extra support. By practicing deep breathing exercises you can greatly enhance this vital detoxification mechanism.
- Stimulate lymphatic flow. Dry skin brushing and exercise are two of the only ways to increase the flow of the lymphatic system, your body's garbage collector.
- Maintain optimal levels of beneficial intestinal flora. The best ways to accomplish this are by incorporating fermented foods, such as natto or natural kefir into your diet.

Labels: breathing deeply, detox, dry brush, exercise, fermented, sauna

Worries about the hormone-mimicking chemical bisphenol A (BPA) used in Nalgene plastic water containers have led a major Canadian retailer to remove Nalgene, along with other polycarbonate plastic containers, from store shelves in early December.
There is little dispute that the chemical can disrupt the hormonal system, but scientists disagree on whether the low doses found in food and beverage containers can cause harm. The FDA and the plastics industry have argued that BPA-based products do not pose a health risk.
However, an expert panel of researchers recently reported that the potential for BPA to affect human health is a concern, and more research is needed. Many Americans currently have higher levels of BPA than those found to cause harm in lab animals.

In the event that you do opt to use plastic containers for your food, be sure to avoid those marked on the bottom with the recycling label No. 7, as these varieties may contain BPA. Containers marked with the recycling labels No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 do not contain BPA (however they may contain other unsavory chemicals that you’re best off avoiding by using glass instead).

Source

Labels: BPA, concern, polycarbonate, toxic, water bottle

They list from A to Z:

i.e.,:

DANDELION TEA
A natural diuretic, great for banishing water retention. Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna are said to be fans.

M IS FOR MATCHA GREEN TEA
This is a concentrated form of tea in which one cup is the equivalent of eight to ten cups of green tea. It boosts your metabolism and also cuts sweet cravings.

Source

Labels: celebrities, dandelion, diet, green tea, tea