Fracking: A silent death sweeps across the nation

Farmland is tainted. Drinking water turns flammable. And humans along with animals are sick. The cause? Fracking. It's terrorizing the environment, destroying the health of those who live close to the sites and contaminating the food supply. With more than 600,000 fracking wells and waste injection locations around the country, if this practice is not contained soon, clean water and food will become a distant memory.

Fracking 101

What exactly is fracking? It's a technique used by the oil industry to facilitate the flow of natural gas or petroleum by injecting mass amounts of noxious liquid deep into the earth. The chemicals used in fracking (benzene, arsenic, ethylene glycol, lead, formaldehyde, toluene, Uranium-238, Radium-226, to name a few) devastate the land and water within proximity to the poisonous injection sites. Even more alarming, the toxins are also linked with birth defects, cancer, autism, kidney failure and autoimmune disorders.

Flowers Top Awesome Shipping Container Guest House in Texas

(inhabitat) Jim Poteet Architects transformed a royal blue shipping container into an airy guest house in San Antonio, Texas. The container was customized to give the comforts of home, including massive glass sliding doors that open to connect the indoors to the outdoors. Aside from repurposing the old shipping container, Poteet used recycled soda caps and telephone poles in this gorgeous green guest house perched at the top of Stacey Hill.

To keep the message of sustainability at the forefront, Poteet decided to leave the exterior of the shipping container as is, including its original blue color and markings from when it was used to haul goods. The end was cut away and replaced with a large floor to ceiling window, while part of the side was replaced with sliding glass doors that create a flow of both natural light and air. The opposite end’s corrugated walls were kept with a smaller, higher window added, which allows for a private bathroom.

Could the use of a standing desk slash the risk of diabetes, cancer and premature death? Advocates say yes

As research continues to confirm the deadly effects of sitting for long periods of time, savvy workers are switching to standing desks and reaping the benefits. Notable advocates of tall work stations include Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway, among others. All sensed the inherent reward of increased creativity, alertness and physical stamina. What they may not have known is that standing desks can save lives.

Health perils of sitting

Linked with an increased likelihood of heart disease, inflammation, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer, lengthy periods of sitting are bad news for health. According to the Natural News article, "More evidence suggest that desk jobs and excessive sitting are deadly," researchers at Leicester University in the U.K discovered:

How to Stop Overthinking Everything: 9 Simple Habits

(The Positivity Blog) What is holding people back from the life that they truly want to live?

I’d say that one very common and destructive thing is that they think too much.

They overthink every little problem until it becomes bigger and scarier and it actually is. Overthink positive things until they don’t look so positive anymore.

Or overanalyze and deconstruct things and so the happiness that comes from just enjoying something in the moment disappears.

Now, thinking things through can be a great thing of course. But being an overthinker can result in becoming someone who stands still in life. In becoming someone who self-sabotages the good things that happen in life.

El Salvador Bans Monsanto's RoundUp

(Eat Local Grown) El Salvador has voted to ban glyphosate (RoundUp), the pesticide that most GM crops are designed to be grown with, along with 52 other chemicals.

With 45 votes in favor, members of the FMLN, Unidos por El salvador and GANA approved the amendment of a Law on the control of pesticides, fertilizers and products for agricultural use, which allows the prohibition of 53 chemicals in El Salvador.

Among the list of the 53 chemicals are Paraquat, Glyphosate and Endosulfan, which caused controversy among right-wing deputies. Deputy Mario Ponce, of the Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA) party, opposed these substances being on the list, however, he did not have the support of other MPs.

Depression linked with higher incidence of Parkinson's disease - Research

According to a new study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, people who are depressed may have a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Researchers at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, analyzed the medical records of over 20,000 individuals during the course of 10 years. The findings offer substantial insight into the disease. "Depression is linked in other studies to illnesses such as cancer and stroke," states study author Albert C. Yang, MD, PhD. "Our study suggests that depression may also be an independent risk factor for Parkinson's disease."

Characteristics of a tragic illness

Squid ink - A unique health food that challenges cancer and dangerous pathogens? Promising research says yes

Striking on any plate, squid ink-infused cuisine is much more than a pretty edible - new research indicates that these unconventional foods are brimming with health advantages. Whether arroz negro of Spain or Venetian fettuccine al nero di seppia, the dark color of these dishes represents a hearty dose of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients. And now researchers have discovered that squid ink protects white blood cell production, which ultimately gives immunity a helpful boost. Moreover, several studies have found that the ink possesses antitumor and antibacterial characteristics.

Black is the new green

Solar cooking 101: Harnessing the sun for health, wealth and a clean environment

Cooking with the sun is not only eco-friendly, it also contributes to better tasting, more nutritious food. Preparing food in this way encourages energy independence for both developing countries and industrialized nations alike. In areas of the world where disease is on the rise and fuel is in short supply, economical sun cookers are a workable solution.

Poverty, disease and a simple solution

In many impoverished countries, simply cooking a daily meal can be a challenge. For rural communities, electricity and gas are prohibitively expensive, leaving charcoal and firewood as the only alternative. Many times, wood is the single affordable option because it is free. Unfortunately, it is also in short supply. Since burning wood releases vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, health issues arise for those exposed and global warming is aggravated. Often, people use indoor fires to cook and inhale the micro-particles found in smoke, leading to lung and heart disease. It is estimated that 1.5 million people die from this type of air pollution each year. Furthermore, due to scarcity, wood is used for cooking but not sterilizing water. As contaminated water is a problem for over 1 billion people around the world, pasteurizing water is crucial to prevent disease.

Goji, Wolfberry and Pesticide Risk — Here’s What You Need to Know

Goji is the darling of the berry world—exotic and nutrient dense with an antioxidant rating that is off the charts.

Over the last few years, availability of this super-berry has become more common in the Western world. But consumers and government agencies alike are questioning the safety of goji berries since the majority are grown in China—a country infamous for its lax and corrupt food safety standards. To make matters more complex, what is often touted as goji is actually a wolfberry, a similar yet different fruit.

A classic case of “buyer beware,” individuals are urged to be attentive when purchasing goji products.

San Francisco-area chemist says autistic daughter cured by MSG-free diet

By Deborah Hastings

(NY Daily News) San Francisco Bay-area chemist Katherine Reid says cutting out monosodium glutamate, or MSG, cured her daughter of autism.

She tried a gluten-free diet. She tried supplements including fish oil and B complex vitamins.

But it was only when Katherine Reid cut monosodium glutamate, commonly called MSG, from her autistic daughter’s meals that she saw a staggering difference in the girl's behavior.

Seven-year-old Brooke seemed to be completely free of autistic symptoms such as temper tantrums, hypersensitivity to light and seizures.

Groundbreaking research exposes the serious health consequences of thirdhand smoke

Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California have proven for the first time that thirdhand smoke produces significant damage to human DNA. A toxic residue from cigarette smoke that adheres to practically every surface - including hair, skin, clothing, carpeting, furniture and paint, this problematic remnant may become increasingly dangerous over time. Even more alarming, cleaning the noxious substance from physical environments is virtually impossible.

Thirdhand smoke: New hazards uncovered

"This is the very first study to find that thirdhand smoke is mutagenic," said researcher and study co-author Lara Gundel. "Tobacco-specific nitrosamines, some of the chemical compounds in thirdhand smoke, are among the most potent carcinogens there are. They stay on surfaces, and when those surfaces are clothing or carpets, the danger to children is especially serious."

Medical radiation treatments fraught with technician error and fatal mishap, oversight questionable radiation treatment, medical negligence, cancer

Medical radiation accidents are more common than you may think. Whether it's a software glitch or technician error, there are plenty of opportunities for a scan or treatment to go horribly wrong. And technologists are poorly regulated in a number of states, increasing the chances of a serious and potentially life-threatening mistake. As reported in the New York Times, radiation medical technology is far from foolproof.

Do no harm

Scott Jerome-Parks entered St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan to be treated for tongue cancer. Little did he know at the time, he was about to be exposed to several lethal doses of radiation which would leave him "deaf, struggling to see, unable to swallow, burned, with his teeth falling out, with ulcers in his mouth and throat, nauseated, in severe pain and finally unable to breathe," according to Walt Bogdanich's New York Times article, "Radiation Offers New Cures, and Ways to Do Harm." After receiving errant beams of radiation from a linear accelerator on three consecutive days, Mr. Jerome-Parks died several weeks later. He was 43.

NASA-Funded Study Predicts Impending Collapse of Industrial Civilization

(Inhabitat) For years, scientists and social activists have warned that income inequality, resource depletion, and unchecked population growth could lead to the collapse of civilization. However policy makers have so far regarded these assertions as little more than the predictions of delusional cardboard sign-carrying oracles on street corners. A new study funded by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center confirms these terrifying prophesies, stating that industrialized society as we know it could completely collapse within the next few decades.

It happened to the Roman, Han, Gupta, and Mauryan empires, and now NASA warns that utter destruction could befall our global economy as well. Working with a framework that incorporates mathematical analysis, social science, and observation of natural phenomena, the ‘Human And Nature Dynamical’ (HANDY) model projects “business as usual” could lead to the end of industrialized civilization. Accepted for publication in the Elsevier Journal of Ecological Economics, the study finds ample historical evidence that overpopulation, failing agriculture, limited access to water, energy consumption, and the unequal distribution of wealth could all combine to spell the end for society as we know it.

Latest research - Scientists discover correlation between GMOs and leukemia

As if there isn't enough reason to avoid genetically modified food, new research has discovered GMOs are linked with leukemia and anemia. The study found that Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) used in bioengineered seeds has a substantial adverse effect on blood cells and bone marrow cell proliferation. Even at the lowest dose, the effects were deemed virulent to proper cell health.

Birth of Bt frankenfood

Bacillus thuringiensis is naturally found in the soil and has been used as a foliar insecticide since the late 1960s. Farmers spray their crops with the bacteria, insects consume it and their stomachs subsequently break open. However, use of the toxin didn't stop as a topical pesticide. As reported in the Natural News article "Rid the body of dangerous Bt-toxin found in genetically modified food with these tips":

Confirmed by science: You really can change your DNA - and here's how

If you believe that you are at the mercy of your genetic code, great news, you're not. According to the science of epigenetics (the study of how environmental factors outside of DNA influence changes in gene expression), stem cells and even DNA can be altered through magnetic fields, heart coherence, positive mental states and intention. Top scientists around the world agree: genetic determinism is a flawed theory.

Curbing the genetic victim mentality

The DNA we are born with is not the sole determinant for our health and well-being. Stem cell biologist Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., discusses the important difference between genetic determinism and epigenetics in an interview with SuperConsciousness magazine:

Follow in the footsteps of greatness by rediscovering the astonishing healing benefit of flax

Mahatma Gandhi once observed, "Whenever flaxseeds become a regular food item among the people, there will be better health." An almost perfect edible, flaxseed has been known throughout history as an exceptionally versatile plant. Not only are linen, paper and oil made from flax, but the seeds are extremely effective in discouraging disease. Cancer, high blood pressure, cardiovascular troubles, diabetes and even depression are diminished by flaxseed. A time-honored plant, flax has also gained recognition in modern medicine for its preventative and therapeutic value.

Health Benefits of Lemons and Limes

One of my morning rituals is sipping on a cup of warm water with the fresh juice of a whole lemon or lime with either fresh ginger, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or cinnamon. Warm lemon or lime water first thing in the morning before breakfast provides your body with antioxidants, electrolytes and rehydrates your body after a long night of sleep.

25 Benefits of Lemons and Limes

1. Aids digestion Drink a cup of warm lemon or lime water before meals to activate hydrochloric acid (HCL) and enzyme activity, alleviate heartburn and constipation, and create an alkaline environment.

Top 15 compelling reasons to use cardamom often and generously

Cinnamon has received plenty of press for its astounding health benefits, and rightly so. But did you know that cardamon is considered the "Queen of Spices" with its own list of exceptional wellness perks? Native to India and Sri Lanka, cardamom belongs to the ginger family and contains a cornucopia of beneficial volatile oils, vitamins and minerals. Ayurvedic medicine has recognized the merits of the spice for over 5,000 years, prescribing it for everything from digestive disorders to infectious illness to depression. And now, modern science has found that cardamom is a potent defense against cancer. Adding this sweet and peppery spice to your diet is not only tasty but also very healing.