EPA Considering Ban On Monsanto’s Glyphosate Herbicide Following Sobering Meeting With Moms Activist Groups

(Natural Cures) Two activist groups, Moms Across America and Thinking Moms Revolution, are taking great effort to convince the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recall Monsanto’s Roundup, the most widely used herbicide on the planet.

When the EPA ignored them, the troops were rallied. 10,000 moms from all over the nation bombarded the EPA with phone calls demanding attention to the topic.

One week later, five Moms Across America leaders along with lawyers, scientists and advocates from Organic Consumers Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Beyond Pesticides and the Truth-in-Labeling Coalition were granted a meeting with nine EPA employees who have the authority to recall Roundup.

Just breathe - Ancient practice of pranayama can help you detoxify, shed excess weight and boost overall vitality

Forget the detox pills, fasts and other painful cleansing techniques - instead, take a cue from the yogis of India and look to the breath. Using yogic breathing techniques, we can effortlessly detoxify, burn fat and increase metabolism. With the basic act of bringing in more oxygen, vitamins and minerals are more easily absorbed, white blood cells multiply and the lymphatic system is enhanced. Through the exhale toxins are removed from the bloodstream, which revitalizes the organs and clarifies the intellect. Techniques range from a few deep breaths before a meal to more complex practices. Either way, by using this free detoxification method daily, we can easily (and economically) cleanse the body and mind.

Prickly pear: discover the healing power of an ancient Aztec superfood

If you live in Latin America, or a semi-arid region of the United States, a wild superfood may be ripe for the picking in your own backyard. Known as prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp), the leaves and fruit of this desert plant can be harvested and consumed to treat a variety of conditions -- including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and inflammation.

Native to the mountainous areas of Mexico, prickly pear cactus has been used since ancient times as a potent medicine, as well as a daily food source. Many of the nutritional advantages of the plant are attributed to its growing habitat—namely, volcanic soil and high altitude. The Aztecs so valued prickly pear that it was considered food fit for warriors and royalty. Jump to the present day and you'll find health enthusiasts have also embraced the food for boosting stamina, improving health and slimming down.

Is DHEA a veritable 'fountain of youth' in a bottle?

A seeming miracle, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is known for its ability to turn back the hands of time, decrease fat storage, ease coronary heart disease and osteoporosis, alleviate depression and improve fertility and sexual arousal. But can supplementing with this natural steroid really provide a magical cure-all as many headlines claim? Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN, NP, takes a look at the enthusiasm surrounding DHEA and separates fact from fiction.

What exactly is DHEA?

A precursor to all major sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone), DHEA is a steroid hormone synthesized from cholesterol and released by the adrenal glands. We produce the most DHEA in our 20s, and by the time we reach 70, production has been reduced to about 20 percent of what we had in our youth. When we have healthy levels of DHEA, we feel vibrant, clearheaded and joyful. There is also evidence that adequate DHEA may help ward off cancer, Alzheimer's and obesity. However, just as DHEA can prevent health issues, it can also disrupt balance when taken in supplemental form.

Concerned about cancer, inflammation, memory loss or diabetes? 'Holy Fruit of the Himalayas' can help

With environmental pollutants, radiation, stress and chemicals bombarding us at every turn, simply consuming a clean diet isn't enough to ensure health - additional fortification with nutrient-dense superfoods is often required to avoid serious disease and illness. Luckily, a bright orange Himalayan berry can tackle many of our modern health issues and encourage a robust future.

Sea buckthorn fruit is loaded with over 190 bioactive compounds, including omega-3 and omega-7 fatty acids - the latter is a rare fat in the plant kingdom which is beneficial for weight loss and healing the gastrointestinal tract. The berry is considered one of the world's most balanced fruits, providing powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. Rich in beta-carotene, flavonoids and vitamins C, D, E and K, sea buckthorn also contains a substantial complex of B vitamins and 20 minerals. Moreover, it supplies between 4-100 times more vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable. With such an impressive nutritional profile, it's no wonder the fruit has long been considered a healing treasure in the mountainous Himalayan regions in which it grows.

Danger: Chemtrails – Aerial Spraying of Toxic Chemicals

(ThriveMovement) By Foster Gamble

Governments and corporations are deliberately manipulating and altering Earth’s climate, endangering the lives of people all over the world. Two of the most extreme cases of geo-engineering are chemtrails – the release of toxic chemicals into the air that are poisoning people and the planet – and HAARP – an electromagnetic antenna array based in Alaska that can send radio-frequency radiation over large geographical areas and manipulate weather patterns causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and more.  These projects represent some of the worst crimes in history, yet most people are unaware of them.

Keep brain shrinkage at bay with fish oils

Can an abundance of fish oils in the diet keep your brain from shrinking? A new study published in the January 2014 issue of Neurology says yes.

A natural indicator of normal aging (but also a sign of Alzheimer's disease), reduced brain size can foreshadow problems involving mental health, clarity and cognition. Due to this connection, researchers are enthusiastic about the latest findings linking omega-3 fatty acid consumption with larger brain volume.

An eight-year study

Hubless Sada Bike Can Be Folded to the Size of an Umbrella

(Inhabitat)

By Lidija Grozdanic

Foldable bikes have been around for some time, but Sada Bycicle pushes the limits of space-saving design by folding to the size of an umbrella. This hubless bike features a frame that folds away for maximum portability – it can even be packed in a regular-sized backpack!

The Sada Bike has a standard bicycle dimension with 26-inch wheels that are attached to the frame using an anchoring system. The entire structure can be folded with a single movement and packed in a container that can also be used as a backpack.

Creating water out of thin air—ingenious billboard helps alleviate drinking water shortages

Using the power of technology to help ease water security issues, Peruvian ad agency Mayo DraftFCB and the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima have joined forces to create the first water-generating billboard. Built in Lima, Peru, the innovative structure pulls moisture from the air and condenses it into clean, potable water.

One of the driest places on Earth, Lima receives less than two inches of rainfall per year yet has an atmospheric humidity of around 98 percent - making the city an ideal location for the water-producing billboard. The system collects water from the air, condenses it in a similar manner as an air conditioner and then purifies the water through reverse osmosis. The billboard can generate up to 96 liters of water per day, which is stored in 20-liter tanks and dispensed via a spigot at the bottom of the structure. The billboard has already provided 9,450 liters of clean water in three months of operation.

Xylitol: Uncovering the dark side of this popular sugar substitute

Many of us who have jumped on the lower-carb bandwagon have embraced xylitol as the darling of natural sugar substitutes. And yet, questionable manufacturing processes and the end product can be problematic—that is, a chemically extracted sugar alcohol the body is unable to fully digest which causes an uproar in the digestive tract. To make matters worse, xylitol is frequently made from GMO corn and produced in China. The sugar alcohol is also extremely toxic to dogs and can cause liver failure, as this study found.

Origin and history

Originally developed by French and German chemists in the 1890s, xylitol didn't become well-established on the market until World War II when sugar shortages in countries like Finland forced citizens to seek alternatives. Large scale production of xylitol coincided with the discovery of dental and diabetic advantages in the 1970s. The sweetener is derived from xylan (a polysaccharide), which is present in the plant cell walls of birch and beech trees, rice, oat, wheat and cotton seed hulls, corn cobs and stalks, along with sugar cane bagasse. Due to cost factors, most xylitol today is made from corn, rather than beech or birch. Chemically, all xylitol is the same, although GMOs are often present in non-organic varieties.

15 Things You Need To Give Up To Be Happy

(Spirit Science and Metaphysics)
By Luminita D. Saviuc 

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right
There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?