+THE NEW STAPLES
2/24/2010
2/23/2010
12/23/2009
Pharma Fries
Health Canada Seeks Input on Adding Anti-Cancer Drug to Junk Food[Yahoo.com - 12/22/09]
OTTAWA wants to know what you think about its unusual proposal to put a cancer-fighting drug into junk food.
Health Canada is inviting public comments until February 21 on its idea to have small amounts of the enzyme asparaginase put into foods like potato chips and french fries. On its website, Health Canada says its scientists have finished a detailed safety assessment on the enzyme and haven't found any health or safety concerns.
At issue is the chemical acrylamide, which is found as a cooking byproduct in the production of foods like french fries and potato chips and has been linked to cancer in animals.
Research suggests asparaginase reduces acrylamide production.
Health Canada notes the enzyme is used in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark, and has been given a favourable evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. END
Cancer-Fighting Additive Weighed for Junk Food
"I thought Health Canada was supposed to encourage healthy eating habits," Judith Ryan told CBC News. "If the additive is used, people will think junk food is safe and eat more. The result will be more obesity, more diabetes and more heart disease, and eventually more costs to the health-care system. How smart is this?"
COMMENTS
Since asparaginase is already being used in much of Europe and the USA, I would like to know what products contain it, and what the European/US experience has been with it.
Millions of "test subjects" out there - why not find out how they're doing? Otherwise, we're all just providing knee-jerk reactions to a poorly explained proposal.
Canadians are denied the information concerning whether or not the food they consume is of GM origin and yet we are to trust Health Canada to put some beneficial additive in the food supply?
This is unacceptable! Drug used in chemo therapy for certain cancers, added to food staples: bread, flour and potato products? Seriously? I don't think so!
Big Pharma is going to benefit from it. They will have a huge nation wide trial study on unsuspecting citizens. In couple of years, it will be discovered that it was not such a good idea, and maybe even they will pay some damages. But, make no mistake, big pharma will make enough profit from sales of Asparaginase (and other drugs used to treat complications from Asparaginase consumption), so law suits cost will be peanuts to them.
Who is not going to benefit from it is YOU. Yes, you, the one reading comments now!
Search for "Say No To Asparaginase!" group on the FaceBook, Join and please, DO ACT.
Call your MP, write to Health Canada, call Bureau of Chemical Safety, anything else you can come up with.
Let's stop the madness!
How much more will it take for people to realize that fast food and most snack food is crap. Vitamins are already added back into that stuff just to make it qualify as food.
Now drugs might be added so it won't kill you. This is insane.
Asparaginase (Crisantaspase)
This page tells you about the possible side effects of asparaginase (also called crisantaspase and Erwinase).
ABOUT
Asparaginase is a chemotherapy drug that is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). One form is made from a type of bacteria called escherichia coli. Another form of asparaginase is made from Erwinia chrysanthemi bacteria and is called crisantaspase. Asparaginase is an enzyme that breaks down another chemical in tumour cells. The tumour cells need this chemical to make protein - they need to make protein to make new cancer cells.
You may have asparaginase as an injection into a vein (IV). But you are more likely to have it as a series of injections into a muscle in your arm or leg (IM). [...]
COMMON SIDE EFFECTS
1. Fatigue
2. Feeling or being sick
3. High temperatures (fever) and chills
4. Bruising more easily
5. Increased risk of getting blood clots
6. Loss of appetite
7. This drug may be harmful to a developing baby so it is not advisable to get pregnant or father a child if you are having this drug.
8. Loss of fertility
9. Liver changes
10. Allergic reactions
OCCASIONAL SIDE EFFECTS
1. Rise in blood sugar
2. Change in mood or sleepiness.
RARE SIDE EFFECTS
With this drug, a few people have a temporary drop in the number of blood cells made by the bone marrow, leading to the following side effects:
1. Increased risk of getting an infection
2. Tiredness and breathlessness
3. Bruising more easily due to a drop in platelets
Some of these side effects can be life threatening, particularly infections. You should contact your doctor if you have any of these side effects.
OTHER RARE SIDE EFFECTS
1. Inflammation of the pancreas
2. Asparaginase can very rarely be toxic to your nervous system and cause drowsiness, loss of energy, confusion, agitation or hallucination - tell your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
[...]
11/12/2009
Absolute Workout
Brett Hoebel is the founder of HoebeL Fitness, a leading-edge lifestyle-fitness company that focuses on physical well-being, mental clarity and self empowerment, and is dedicated to inspiring people with mindful, healthy living. As an international fitness expert, Brett is one of the most sought-after weight-loss, nutrition and lifestyle coaches in New York. He’s trained numerous celebrities, including Victoria’s Secret supermodel Karolina Kurkova. The co-host of Fit Family on Discovery Channel, Brett has also appeared on The View, Good Morning America, and Fox News, and is a recurring fitness expert on The WB Morning Show.
RevAbs is a cutting-edge, ab-defining and body-toning program created by Brett Hoebel. RevAbs is a high-energy program that combines ab training, interval training and strength training with a spice of Afro-Brazilian capoeira to yield unparalleled results in 90-days.
RevAbs.com Trailer
10/19/2009
Bisphenol A
ECOHOLIC by Adria VasilBusting Bisphenol A
[NowToronto.com - Sept.08-15/2009]
Q: Now that it’s been revealed that Sigg bottles leach bisphenol A, should we be worrying about other secret sources?
A: Oh Sigg, why’d you dupe us like that? We swallowed every line you fed us about your canisters being better than bisphenol A-heavy polycarbonate bottles and now you’ve confessed yours were lined with the same stuff all along.
Looking back, we should have spotted the signs. The Swiss company never flat-out told us its lining was free of estrogen-mimicking bisphenol A. No, no, it just said its “proprietary water-based epoxy resin” didn’t leach the hormone disruptor.
So basically, Sigg danced around the topic like a prima ballerina during a performance of Midsummer Night’s Greenwash.
Back in 2007, I blogged about an Environmental Working Group report on tin cans that, as an aside, noted that Sigg bottles contained a BPA-based lining. The company quickly pounced and threatened to sue if EWG didn’t cough up proof. EWG backed down, removing the reference from its report. To outsiders, Sigg was still in the clear.
Sonya Lunder of EWG says, “It was a sign of how aggressively they were misleading customers.”
While Sigg now struggles to convince greenies that – ta-dah! – it’s new and improved liner is totally bisphenol-free, who can blame you for looking over your shoulder wondering who else is hiding toxic contents.
The sad truth is that the sensitive estrogen mimicker is present in all kinds of products, from dental fillings to compact discs. Now, you may have heard that canned foods and drinks come in cans lined with bisphenol A, but holy mother of Gaia, BPA is turning up in food in good old-fashioned glass jars, too.
Why? Don’t blame the glass.
It’s lurking in the tin lids’ liner, that glossy white part under the cap. You can’t win for losing, can you?
You also fondle BPA whenever you get a credit card or store receipt. That waxy, thin thermal paper is coated with the stuff. Turns out all sorts of printing industry inks and varnishes contain BPA epoxy resins.
And wouldn’t you know it, European studies have fingered the recycling of BPA-laced paper as the biggest source of bisphenol A in the environment. Worse still, when PBA-heavy paper is mixed with chlorinated compounds in the recycling process, the breakdown products in waste water are 28 times more estrogenic.
That thermal paper and BPA-heavy inks then get recycled into food boxes and, um, gulp, toilet paper. The latter hasn’t been as heavily researched as BPA bottles, but European scientists point to the flushing of TP made from recycled paper as a serious source of estrogenic emissions to wastewater.
You could boycott toilet paper in protest – but more realistically, we should all demand that our federal reps take all bisphenol A out of all our products. End of story.
BISPHENOL A IN HIDING
• Some microwaveable plastic containers
• Recycled cardboard takeout containers
• PVC products, including cling wrap
• CDs
• Clear, hard plastic glassware END
Take Your SIGG, BPA Infested, Bottles Back to Major Retailers and Likely Get a New 'Clean' OneBPA is everywhere: in plastic bottles, in metal food cans, in food and toys. But where we did not think it existed were in our SIGGs. I have gone on the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Martha Stewart Show, the Ellen DeGeneres Show and told scores of magazines, newspapers, radio programs and lecture audiences to get reusable water bottles. My follow-up line has often been, “I use SIGGs” – accompanied by a gesture towards the bottle that was nearly always on my person, one that I had known and loved for years. [...]
_____________________________________________
What's That Leaching From Your Cans?
Early exposure (like, say, in the womb) has been tied to birth defects, attention disorders, miscarriages, infertility you name it. Most recently, scientists at an American Association for the Advancement of Science meet said that exposure to estrogenic chemicals like BPA in the womb might even lead to obesity later in life. Same goes for breast cancer and prostate cancer. [...]
How to Save Your Cast-off Nalgene Bottle From a Life of Landfill Leaching
Q: What are we supposed to do with our old polycarbonate bottles now that we know they’re dangerous? Won’t they leach in landfill? [...]
9/05/2009
Martin Kemp Beats Cancer
My Terrifying Battle With Brain Tumoursby Spandau Ballet's Martin Kemp
Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp today described his 'terrifying' battle with two brain tumours.
The 47-year-old guitarist and former EastEnders actor, who has now been given the all clear, first discovered he had a tumour in 1995.
He starts a world reunion tour with the Eighties pop giants, including brother Gary, next month.
Today, as he opened a cancer unit at the London hospital that saved his life, Kemp said: 'The first tumour was the size of a squashed grapefruit and doctors could cut my skull to get to it.
'What was terrifying was the second tumour - doctors avoided talking about it. I was very worried about the little guy in the middle of my head.
'After two years, doctors said it was growing and wanted to cut it out. But my wife didn’t want me to have the operation because it would leave so much collateral damage.
'She found a doctor who said it could be attacked with radiation, with an early form of Gamma Knife technology.
'Within six months of treatment there were signs it was dying and today there is nothing left of it.'
Barts in Smithfield was one of only two UK hospitals with the 'targeted' radiation technology when the star fell ill 14 years ago.
Today he paid tribute to the trust by opening the £3m London Gamma Knife Centre at Barts, specialising in the radiosurgery.
'It's great that the Gamma Knife surgery is now available and that so many more people will have access to this kind of treatment.
'When I was first dianosed there was nobody out there I knew who had come through it. It was a terrifying situation, but I want to be an example for patients now.
'At first it is such a massive shock you start to think it is the end of the world.'
[dailymail.co.uk - Sep.09]
8/09/2009
The Yeast Beast
+TAKE THE SURVEY
WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE THE SURVEY:
1. Do You Suspect you have Candida or a Yeast Infection? This survey is one of the BEST ways in determining if a person is suffering from Candida OR a similar condition with the same root problem, which we address!
2. A Candida Overgrowth is present in over 80% of the population, wouldn't you like a better idea if you're one of them? Stop Wondering Why You're Always Sick and KNOW Why!
3. In as little as 2 minutes get a solid understanding of whether Candida or a Yeast Infection is a problem for you. The Answer could surprise you! Then follow our Candida Yeast-Fighting Program and take charge of your health once and for all.
4. We provide you with an E-Course to help you with the severity of your Candida and Yeast Infection once you complete the survey and submit your results.
5. Best of all the Survey is FREE, EASY, QUICK and ACCURATE!
**********************************************
"Candida is always present in the tissues of cancer patients."
Dr. T. Simoncini (oncologist)
**********************************************
HowtoCureCandida.com
HOW TO CURE CANDIDA - Version 2
[Excerpts]
What is Yeast?
Yeast is a type of fungus that derives its nutrients from anything living or that has been alive; these are usually plants or animals. To survive and flourish, yeasts produce enzymes that allow the yeast to absorb nutrient from its “hosts.” Given the right set of circumstances, some yeast can grow at an explosive rate. Every single person is colonized by yeasts, whether these are in the mouth, the intestines, or the vagina. Yeasts also colonize just as frequently in the nose, ears, and skin. [...]
There is always a fine balance with regards to yeast in the human body. Yeasts only cause problems and disease under special circumstances—usually a noticeable increase of fermentation in some parts of the body. As long as the yeasts are confined to specific areas and not allowed to overgrow, they normally do not present problems. [...]
What is Candida?
Candida is actually the name for a whole group of incredibly tiny organisms. They’re measured in units called microns. A human hair is 100 microns in diameter. In comparison, a single yeast cell is just 4 to 6 microns long—a little sphere of fungus. There are actually more than 150 species of Candida yeasts and ten of these cause trouble for humans. Of these ten species that can make humans ill, the strain responsible for a vast majority of problems in people is the Candida Albicans.
The vast majority of the time these microorganisms cause you no trouble at all and you’re not even aware of their existence on and inside of you. Your many microscopic species live in harmony, each population keeping the others in check, regulated by a healthy immune system. However, under certain circumstances, the balance between species of microorganisms is compromised. One species may multiply explosively and cause an infection. This can be a bacterium, a fungus, or a virus.
In the case of Candida Albicans (which we will refer to as Candida from now on), the balance between the yeast cells and the bacteria that kept their numbers in check is upset. The yeast cells multiply quickly and aggressively, especially if the immune system is unable to step in and help.
A Candida infection or Candidiasis can occur in a variety of locations throughout the body. Remembering that Candida already lives on the skin and in the mouth, intestinal tract, and vagina, it will come as no surprise to you that these sites are the most common areas for localized (contained to one part of the body) Candida infections. [...]
There is no known symbiotic relationship between the Human Body and Candida. Candida is in every way a parasite, taking up space and only taking, never giving.
It has been estimated that in the western, industrialized world, approximately one third of illnesses can be linked to Candida. Some doctors resort to labeling potential Candida patients as “psychosomatic” or “neurotic” when there is no other apparent cause to the patients’ symptoms. The truth, in many cases, is that patients are suffering from Candida overgrowth.
A Candida overgrowth or sensitivity will not go away on its own. Proper treatment is required for the body to deal with the yeast in an effective manner. Candida often takes hold of an individual only when one has fallen ill for another reason. Taking antibiotics, which often destroy both malignant and beneficial bacteria, can allow an illness to take hold. There also appears to be a genetic limitation in some individuals’ ability to cope with yeast. [...]
What Are the Common Causes of Candida?
>Medications and Drugs: Antibiotics, Steroids, Prescription drugs, Birth control pills
>Genital Irritation: Douching, Sprays, soaps and other hygiene products (especially the anti-bacterial kind), Direct contact with an infected area (sexual intercourse)
>Immune Dysfunction: A compromised immune system, Allergies, Fatigue (adrenal burnout), Stress, Repeated bacterial infections, Heavy Metal Toxicity
>Internal and External Environment: Environmental toxicities, Constipation and Organ Congestion, Diet, Hormone changes (PMS, menopause, pregnancy), Diabetes, Exposure (nonsexual transmission), Parasites, Low Stomach Acid
What Are the Symptoms of Candida?
1. A Childhood History of
• ADD
• ADHD
• Hyperactivity
• Skin problems
• Respiratory problems
• Intestinal problems
2. Poor Overall Health
• Poor endurance and weakness
• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• A habitual cough that doesn’t produce phlegm
• Postnasal drip
• Hay fever
• Headaches, including migraines
• Fatigue to an incapacitating degree (especially after eating)
3. Recurring Infections
• Recurring throat and/or ear infections
• Recurring vaginal, oral, or skin (yeast) infections
• Urinary tract infections
• Athlete’s foot
• Jock itch
• Skin rash
• Dry, brownish patches on the skin
• Ringworm
• Psoriasis
• Low grade fever
• Chronic sinus problems
• Blisters on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat
4. Digestive System Problems
• Poor digestion
• Loose or constipated stools
• Irritable bowel
• Painful gas
• Bloating
• Nausea and vomiting
5. Sexual / Genital Problems
• Menstrual difficulties
• Male impotence
• Male and female infertility
6. Mental & Emotional Problems
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Depression
• Irritability
• Paranoia
• Poor concentration, or feeling in a persistent mental ‘fog’
• Unexplained feelings of being ‘hung over,’ as if after an alcoholic binge
7. Other
• Arthritis-like symptoms
• Joint pain, similar to that of having the flu
• Cravings for carbohydrates
• Chronic dental problems
• White coating on the tongue
With such a wide variety of signs and symptoms it is common to misdiagnose a chronic
Candida infection. In many cases, a chronic Candida sufferer tries to treat a symptom to no avail only to have it reoccur later on. Treating a symptom of Candida without addressing the deeper rooted problem will not work.
At times a patient may hesitate to tell their physician that they are still not feeling better with the fear of uprising costs or being mislabeled as a hypochondriac. Many traditional medical practitioners, frustrated by continuing complaints, may suggest antidepressant medications, ultimately mistreating this infectious disease as a psychological disorder. [...]
IMPORTANT: Not all individuals presenting some combination of the above symptoms will have a Candida or Candida-related problem, but the likelihood is much higher for individuals who do present some of the symptoms above.
Who is Vulnerable to Candida?
Anyone can be infected with Candida!
Women can be infected because of antibiotic use, steroids, pain medications, anti-inflammatory medications, hormone pills, birth control pills, sexual relationships with an infected partner, and many other factors.
Men can also be infected with Candida from antibiotic use, steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, pain medications, sexual relations with an infected partner, and many other factors.
Teenagers may develop Candida from routine treatment with tetracycline or antibiotics for acne. As a result, they may have many symptoms (especially depression, because of toxins from Candida that may affect the brain).
Children can easily get Candida from being treated with ear infection antibiotics. The antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria, but also the good bacteria. Thus, a child may become predisposed to getting recurring ear infections (a vicious cycle: ear infection – antibiotics – ear infection – antibiotics).
Babies can get Candida from the birth canal or the breast milk of the infected mother. This explains why some babies often have thrush (a white coated tongue), which is a yeast infection.
Nursing Mothers and Babies:
As mentioned above, a nursing mother who has Candida can pass the condition onto her baby through her breast milk. To prevent this, the doctor may prescribe Diflucan or Nystatin for the mother, and liquid Nystatin for the baby. Both prevent infection and re-infection of the mother.
Sexual Relations:
When a woman gets repeated vaginal yeast infections, it is often because her partner is repeatedly re-infecting her. Candida may easily be obtained from an infected partner through sexual intercourse, especially if the immune system is weak. It is advised that during the time of the infection, a condom be used. Kissing on the mouth and oral sex should be completely avoided as well.
However, most Candida sufferers are women under the age of 50. This is often due to the initial use of a contraceptive pill for preventing pregnancy, then becoming pregnant (and the side-effect of completely throwing off the woman’s hormonal balance in both cases). This is in addition to all the other causes of Candida such as long-term exposure to drugs (even prescribed drugs), a toxic environment, and a poor diet.
Up to 35% of all women on the pill suffer from vaginal yeast infections. Chronic yeast infections are the worst for women when progesterone levels are highest, found during pregnancy and the luteal (latter) phase of the menstrual cycle. This is thought by most to be a genetic inborn weakness (which explains why the other 65% of women taking the pill were able to properly deal with the yeast in their bodies and avoid infection). Unless a full treatment of intestinal Candida overgrowth is performed, vaginal yeast infections cannot be expected to go away.
In addition, there is abundant proof that women who have sexual relations with a large number of men are at a much higher risk of cancer of the womb. Frequent changes in sexual partners is best avoided (i.e. less exposure to various diseases) to maintain a strong immune system. [...]
FYI
>Women experience Candida infection symptoms such
as:
• vaginal burning, irritation, itching
• burning or pain when urinating
• discomfort during or after sexual intercourse
• odor (not unpleasant)
• genital itching, burning, redness, and/or swelling
In addition to this women are also prone to the hormone imbalances that Candida creates in terms of increasing estrogen levels. This can lead to various health issues such as severe PMS or infertility.
>Yeast promotes the process of fermentation... The purpose of yeast is to break down sugar into water, alcohol, carbon dioxide gas, and acid.
>You probably won’t notice the water produced but the carbon dioxide released by the fermentation process causes discomfort in the form of painful bloating, flatulence, belching, and an upset stomach.
The real problem with yeast however, is when the sugar is broken down into alcohol. Alcohol in the human body metabolizes into a chemical byproduct of fermentation called acetaldehyde. It is what’s responsible for the unpleasant feelings that accompany a hangover. Acetaldehyde is about 30 times as toxic as alcohol, and if you suffer from Candida your body is producing this everyday!
[...]
+WHAT CAUSES A YEAST INFECTION? (vid)
7/27/2009
Views on Tattoos
Smart About Body Art
[NOW Magazine - Jul.09-09]
Tatts are a blast, but watch out who's needling your butt
There's been some scary stuff in the news lately about tattoo parlours getting pinged for health and safety violations. Most of it's about problems maintaining sterilization equipment, which might get you checking out who's going to inscribe that butterfly on your butt.
But disease and infection aren't the only tattoo concerns. You can have an allergic reaction, or your body can reject the ink. That happened once to a friend of mine with tats he'd had for years with no problems.
My own flying fish gets raised and itchy from time to time. Is it changes in weather? And weirdest of all, hair dye now comes with the warning that people with tattoos are more likely to suffer allergic reactions to the product.
But we get etched anyway - because we love it. And so do many cultures who believe drawings on their bods have magical and curative powers.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
"Before a Thai Buddhist tattoo master, or arjan, gives a tattoo, he reads your aura to determine your design. Magical tattoos not only draw on the power of the tattooist, who is a monk, but also his mentors and the Buddha. The inks are personal recipes, and some are thought to have protective qualities. Some arjans use sandalwood steeped in herbs or white sesame oil, others the exfoliated skin of a revered arjan added to Chinese ink mixed with holy water.
The Ainu of Japan practised medicinal tattooing to relieve rheumatism, as did Arctic peoples like the St. Lawrence Island Yupiget of Alaska. Dot-like tattoos were placed on joints and correspond to acupuncture points."
--Lars Krutak
(tattoo anthropologist, Washington, DC)
"Look at the general appearance of the artists, their cleanliness, the way you're received. Any good shop will show you the spore test results. There is a new type of bandage that helps your tattoo heal in days instead of weeks. It's expensive. Keep the tattoo clean and moist. Barri-Care acts as a barrier between the wound and the outside environment. Emu oil has phenomenal healing properties. It's a little expensive. While healing, wash the tattoo once a day and apply the ointment provided three times a day. No direct sun or water exposure for two weeks. When it starts to flake, use an unscented body lotion."
--Joey Nixon
(co-owner, Adrenaline, Toronto)
"We worry most about allergic reactions to the ink that require us to laser the tattoo out and get rid of the ink completely. The ink is a foreign body, and there can be an immune response to it. That's why tattoos get raised and itchy. People react most commonly to red. Weather can also somtimes trigger a release of histamine, which causes puffiness and dilation of the blood vessels. If you're already allergic to something in tattoos, you could react to hair dye. Every time you're exposed to something you're allergic to, your reaction to it will be stronger."
--Lisa Kellett
(dermatologist, Toronto)
"Education requirements for tattooists are very minimal in North America. Clients should ask to see spore test records. These guarantee that the autoclave sterilizer that cleans piercing needles is working. Pigments are in the process of being regulated, and soon ingredients will have to be listed in Canada. Going to somebody's home is the worst thing to do. The greatest risk is community-acquired MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). We've seen more and more outbreaks in the tattoo community."
--David Vidra
(Health Educators, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio)
"Public health units are supposed to inspect personal services settings such as tattoo parlours at least once a year. The frequency of inspection may be higher in response to complaints or if the parlour is non-compliant with infection prevention and control practices. The Ministry of Health expects public health units to ensure that these settings are safe and provide quality services to their patrons."
--David Jensen
(media relations coordinator, Ontario ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Toronto)
BEFORE YOU TATTOO: Tattoo Types, Safety & Removal (slideshow)
PLAYLIST
1. LA Ink - Jesse Metcalf
2. LA Ink - Eric Balfour
3. Miami Ink - Anthony Bourdain
As we move through life we leave marks on it, and I'm aware of this trail I've left behind me of both good things and bad things. It just feels somehow right that if you're leaving marks on the world, that the world should leave marks on you.
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