Latest info, recipes, tools & gadgets to create a healthy diet
Archive for February, 2012
Hidden Cost of Purchases
0I hate to say this, but it is getting downright difficult to shop locally. Here’s a couple of examples: we need some auger type tie-downs for a couple of tarp covered storage areas, to keep them in place when we have severe weather; second, I need a small metal bowl for a certain application. It needs to hold between ½ and 1 qt.
I’ve looked everywhere locally for both these items, to no avail.
We tried some very small tie-downs, but in the 50+ mph winds that hit last night they just popped out of the ground like a cork. They cost $5 for 4 of them. The next closest we could find in price was a honkin’ big thing that looks like it could hold down our house, costing $7 each. These are temporary buildings, just to protect some stuff while we figure out what we’re going to do for a permanent structure. My husband and I can’t agree on what we want, or where to put them, but we needed the stuff out of the house, for sanity’s sake. Found some online, but the shipping was going to cost twice what the tie-down costs!
Small metal bowl, $1.19, shipping $13.88. No I’m not kidding. That’s what it came up as. I had looked at every hardware store, kitchen store, and even restaurant supply in my area, to no avail. I wasn’t, however, going to spend $15 on a small stainless steel mixing bowl!
So, what to do? I still need both items, but can’t get them here for a reasonable price. If I found them in a store they wouldn’t cost that much, because the shipping is spread over a truckload of merchandise. Seems like we’re being forced to be non-consumers, even when we need to be.
Thanks for listening I just needed to get that off my chest. USPS, FedEx, and UPS need to wake up and realize that there are still individual people out there that need reasonable shipping costs. With the economy still sluggish you’d think they’d be doing everything they can to help us get what we need for a reasonable price!
Looking For The Truth About Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
0484 days
by Sadaajit
in Health Alerts
Are we the experiment to find out if SLS is safe?
It’s still a total mystery to me whether sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) is safe or not. I just looked through half a dozen web sites with such contradicting information that I’m baffled.
How can one agency do studies on SLS and find that all it does is cause a little skin irritation in those who are sensitive and another finds SLS penetrated into the eyes, as well as brain, heart, liver, and showed long-term retention in the tissues? Either somebody’s lying or one of the studies gave false results.
I found one page that looks like a scientific fact sheet. It didn’t have any information on where it came from, but it had the following information on SLS:
“Route Of Entry – Inhalation: YES Route Of Entry – Skin: YES Route Of Entry – Ingestion: YES Health Hazard Acute And Chronic: ACUTE: CAUSES MILD IRRITATION ON CONTACT W/SKIN, EYES OR MUCOUS MEMBRANES. SKIN CONTACT COULD CAUSE IRRITATION OR ALLERGIC REACTION. MODERATELY TOXIC BY INGESTION. CHRONIC: TESTS ON LAB ANIMALS INDICATE MATERIAL MAY CAUSE MUTAGENIC EFFECTS Signs/Symptoms Of Overexposure: SEE HEALTH HAZARDS. Medical Condition Aggravated By Exposure: DATA NOT AVAILABLE. Emergency/First Aid Procedure: EYES: FLUSH THOROUGHLY W/WATER FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES.”
It doesn’t look so bad, except for the section on chronic exposure. That has me a bit concerned. The fact that the word “may” is in there doesn’t make me feel any better. If a product “may” cause mutagenic effects, doesn’t it warrant further study before we start slathering our bodies in it, and even eating it? Also, it doesn’t have any information on medical conditions that might be aggravated by exposure to SLS.
When considering whether you’re going to use a certain personal or household cleaning product, would you want one that “may” cause mutagenic effects or one that been proven it doesn’t?
What Turns Your True Love On?
0491 days
Today is Valentine’s Day, a day filled with cards, flowers, chocolate and usually a nice dinner out. Most of the time we think of a candlelight dinner, complete with romantic music, and a very expensive meal.
The most important thing about an intimate meal is that it is what both parties really want. For me the ultra expensive meals always made me uncomfortable. I could prepare much better tasting food at home for less than half of one plate. So, even though we were supposed to be out for a romantic evening all I could see were dollar signs. So much for romance.
Homemade pizza can be a romantic Valentine's meal, if that's what you both like.
When I asked my husband, whose birthday just happens to be on Valentine’s Day, what he wanted for his birthday dinner he immediately responded pizza. We make the most awesome from scratch pizzas and that is what he wanted, and actually I couldn’t have agreed more. It is something we love to eat. It has a lot of fun memories for us, as we used to eat pizza every Saturday night and watch the new Start Trek series. Now I know that doesn’t sound all that romantic, but we really enjoyed the program, loved the huge pizzas, and it was a very cozy intimate time for us.
Maybe you’d rather do Chinese at the place where you met each other, even though it’s a dive and still has the same five menu items it had 15 years ago when you were in college.
Maybe food isn’t really what you’d like to share this year, especially if you’re trying to lose a few pounds. Maybe exchange back rubs, or go to a spa together.
I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t just do something because it’s what you’ve always done, do something because you both enjoy it and it will build intimacy between the two of you, even if your friends would laugh at it!
Happy Valentines Day!
Superfoods, Fact Or Fiction?
0
Nopal Cactus also called Prickly Pear
There’s a lot of hype these days about superfoods. So many companies are claiming that their product is helpful in healing numerous ailments. How do we know which are true and which aren’t?
The best thing to do is look at scientific evidence. If the company doesn’t have any, then I would say their product is very suspect, especially with all the products out there with scientific support.
Take for instance Betalains. They’ve been scientifically proven to help the body reduce inflammation, which is one of the major causes of pain. Nopalea, a drink made from the Nopal cactus (Opuntia Ficus Indica) is rich in Betalain. The company that produces Nopalea is 12 years old, and has sold millions of bottles of the product, so that is a plus.
Although I don’t understand most of the medical jargon listed in their scientific studies, they have a number of studies available for you to peruse. It does indeed look like the Betalain from the Nopal cactus helps the body to reduce inflammation.
If you have pain caused by muscle, joint, body, respiratory, arterial, digestive tract or widespread body cell inflammation, then Betalain may be worth checking out. Nopalea has a special offer going on right now where you can receive one free bottle (S/H is $9.95) by calling 1-800-203-7063.
As with any supplement, though, it pays to find the root cause and correct that. I have used supplements at various times, in order to help my body move through a healing crisis, but always try to find where the weakness is in my system and deal with that, so that I won’t have a recurrence of the problem. The best way to stay in optimal health is to live a healthy lifestyle all the time. That way you’ll deal with fewer and fewer health problems.