Dietary and saturated fats

HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM AN ARTICLE ON 'THE SHOCKING TRUTHS ABOUT DIETARY FATS AND SATURATED FATS' WRITTEN BY MIKE GEARY - certified nutrition specialist.
I just took the good and bad for you....
READ AND TAKE HEED

Healthy Fatty Food Choices:
Coconut fat:Coconut fat is approximately 92% saturated fat but totally healthy fat!
Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil is approximately 71% monounsaturated, 16% saturated, and 13% polyunsaturated. Choose “extra virgin” olive oil, which comes from the first pressing of the olives and has higher quantities of antioxidants. Unlike most other oils on supermarket shelves, extra virgin olive oil is not extracted with the use of harmful industrial solvents and is one of your healthiest choices for liquid oils. Try making your own salad dressing by mixing a small amount of olive oil with vinegar. This is healthier than most store bought salad dressings, which are usually made with highly processed and refined(chemically damaged) soybean oil extracted with industrial solvents.

Dark, bittersweet chocolate (more than 70% cocoa):

Avocados or guacamole:

High fat fish such as wild salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, etc.:

Nuts (any and all - walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, etc.): Nuts are great sources of healthy unprocessed fats as well as minerals and other trace nutrients.

Seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds): All of these seeds are great sources of natural unprocessed healthy fats. In particular, flax seeds have received a lot of attention lately due to their high omega-3 content. However, keep in mind that omega-3 polyunsaturated fats are highly reactive to heat and light, and prone to oxidation and free radical production. Therefore, freshly ground flax seed is the only way to go. Instead of using the store bought ground flax seed, you can buy whole flax seed and grind it.NEVER cook with flax oil!

The fat in organically raised, free-range animals: This is where most people have been misinformed by the mass media. Animal fat is inherently good for us, that is, if it came from a healthy animal. Human beings have thrived on animal fats for thousands of years. The problem is, most mass produced animal products today do not come from healthy animals. They come from animals given loads of antibiotics and fattened up with hormones and fed un-natural feed.

The Deadly Fatty Foods:

Hydrogenated oils (trans fats): These are industrially produced chemically altered oils subjected to extremely high pressure and temperature, with added industrial solvents such as hexane for extraction, and have a metal catalyst added to promote the artificial hydrogenation, followed by bleaching and deodorizing agents…..and somehow the FDA still allows this crap to pass as food. These oils are not worthy of a lawnmower much less your body.

Refined oils: Even if the oils are not hydrogenated, most oils on your supermarket shelves are refined, even most of the so called “healthy” canola oils. Most refined oils still undergo the high temperature, high pressure, solvent extraction, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. Anything labeled vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, and even many canola oils have been damaged by this refining process (unless they say "virgin" or "cold expeller pressed"). This damages the natural structure of the fats, destroys natural antioxidants, creates free radicals, and produces a generally unhealthy product. Take note that the explosion of heart disease in the middle of the 20th century coincides quite nicely with the rapid increase in the use of hydrogenated and refined oils in the food supply.

Anything deep fried: including tortilla chips, potato chips, French fries, donuts, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, etc. All of this crap shouldn't even pass as real food in my opinion!

Homogenized milk fat - Milk fat is a very healthy fat in its natural raw state. Milk and beef from grass fed organically raised cows is known to have higher quantities of healthy fats like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain fed cows. Traditional populations around the world have thrived in perfect health while consuming huge quantities of raw, non-pasteurized, non-homogenized, full fat dairy products. Once again, food processing ruins a good thing by pasteurizing and homogenizing milk fat, rendering it potentially dangerous inside the human body. Unfortunately, you will find it almost impossible to find raw milk in the US unless you personally know a farmer. Realistically, since you probably won’t find raw milk, sticking to skim milk is the best option to avoid the homogenized milk fat. If you use butter for cooking, your best option is grass-fed butter.

U know i`ve always heard the saying that cows milk is for calfs.....believe it! Nothing AS DELICIOUS AS A GLASS OF FRESH ALMOND MILK ESPECIALLY WITH A PAPAYA IN IT...ENJOY!

Calabash is back on!

Rumour has it that no one from the Jamaica Tourist Board had ever been to Calabash,hence the 'no sponsorship' situation...Not surprising to me.
Well glad to hear that it is back on... sponsorship from government and private.....
Cheers to the literary champions of this world!

PROCRASTINATION AND ME

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there" -Will Rogers
I love that quote because so many times we have great intentions. We're going to read a good book, or like me good BOOKS, write out our five year life plan, start a new business, lose weight, clear our closets and on and on........ but for some reason, we can't quite get around to taking that first step.
We're all guilty of procrastinating. But here's the thing. Procrastinating when something is important, when it's something you know you should do, can drain your energy and you won't even know it.
"Procrastination is attitude's natural assassin. There's nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task" - William James.
Read that over and over again and inwardly digest it.
Think how you feel when you do something you planned.You feel energized. When you don`t, you feel lazy and lethargic. Sometimes just looking at what I`m supposed to do annoys and irritates me.
ME?
I WONDER WHY?
Am I not the one that is supposed to read the books? Am I not the one that is suppose to be WRITING a book! I had visioned myself presenting at CALABASH , which I just read has been cancelled due to no sponsorship...we have money to sponsor all kinds of buhtoo foolishness, dance contest, kings and queen rubbish, but none for our premier literary festival that enables the area its held in to survive? What's wrong with that picture? BUT back to me and my foolishness......
I already have people waiting to publish, editors waiting to edit, I even have ghost writers willing to ghost write (NOT THAT I`D GO THAT ROUTE) I`m the story and the story is me...... but I can`t write, not a word......the Father gave me such a story to tell and all now.....not a line!
Procrastination.....I`ll do it tomorrow and tomorrow never comes.
I gave a talk recently to a group following a presentation by a woman that had been shot in her head during a plane hijacking, and survived...I thought how can I follow that? I not only did,the same people that were on their phone and walking up and down during that video presentation, sat in rapt attention as I spoke.... you could drop a pin and when I was finished they couldn`t move and said so. They all to the last man said they were blown away, just blown away.....if that doesn`t make me complete my task, nothing will.
I am now buying a recorder so that at 4 in the morning when everything comes to me I won`t have to get my lazy self up to write, I can just talk ....I`ll let you know how that is working by about June!
ANY BETS?

PUT BLAME WHERE IT SHOULD BE!

Why is the press going on as if this administration caused this recession?
Why don`t they put blame where it should be put and stop trying to put down the people who are trying their best to dig the world out?
They have time for every little trivia relating to this new administration but bet you didn't hear about the hundreds of demonstrators
who hurled insults and shoes at Bush's image when he visited Canada last week. Yes !! CANADA not some Middle Eastern country - check out this picture of protesters outside the venue in Calgary where Bush was speaking. Here is this man living his millionaire lifestyle while all around there are people living in tents...something is wrong with that! What makes him different from Madoff?
I agree with President Obama. Take your message to the people sir, have your media blitz as only you are telling us what's really happening. Everything he talks about I understand more than what I hear on CNN. If he smiles, he`s in problems...Sir you die if you do, you die if you don`t - so push on, there are people willing to give you longer than 100 days to turn this catastrophe around !
According to NBC, your appearance last week on Jay Leno gave the Tonight Show its biggest overnight ratings since Leno paid tribute to the late Johnny Carson in 2005 and also boosted Late Night and Last Call to those shows' best numbers since 2005 - now that's Economic Stimulus !!!!
And tons will be watching you tonight as there is no AMERICAN IDOL:)

Retooling our bodies makes for long life

Rich food and cigarettes are killing more and more Chinese every year as patterns of ill health there start to match those of affluent countries , according to this report in Newsweek mag.that warns of a health time bomb.
Then the New York Times reports that good old SUGAR is now replacing high fructose corn syrup in all kinds of things from Pepsi to pasta sauce.
I have always felt good old time brown sugar is what we should have if we need to sweeten something and I am so glad the world is now agreeing with me..
Remember when we were children and we used to eat butter then we heard it was bad for us and our mothers put us on margarine ? Skip to the 90`s and we learn that it is "plastic" and can`t come out once it gets in so we revert to butter. Then there is the announcement in Jamaica from the Ministry of Health that 'Melamin' is in the NEESIN brand of cup noodle soups from China.....I have never thought those things were edible anyway so I stay far from them.
The more modern we get the more it seems that we must stay with the 'old time things'.
They seem to be safer.
Dr Oz is on the TV saying that we can live to at least 150 if we lower the amount of calories we take in.....I told you that at least a year ago that I heard an announcer on the radio in New Jersey saying that if we tuned up our body like how we tune up our car and give our houses a makeover we would live to about 500......Well Dr.Oz is saying that the Regeneration Lab in Wakeforest is growing lungs, hearts, kidneys etc.and it will be available for us to access in single digit years so in other words it soon come. Can you imagine I can grow a colon from my cells ? Please watch Oprah tomorrow......the question that came to me while I was listening to this news is does that mean I can eat whatever I want and just buy a new colon when this one is destroyed....I won`t get too excited as I probably wont be able to afford it!

CHANGE HAS TO COME

I recently gave a presentation at work on health and I hope they have listened to what I`ve said as most people hear but they don`t listen....I know something got across to them as it's now day 4 and they go to the lunch room knowing that they have to think carefully about the food choices they make and the bacon eating has gotten much less.
I`ve spoken to various groups before but this time I was a little angry...I have a close friend fighting to stay alive and she bought cancer, went to the checkout line and paid for it although getting warnings.......
She smoked and ate badly for years, add a stressful job and that equals cancer.
In case we have forgotten please remember the goal in life is to keep your body alkaline. The more acidic we are the more all kinds of illnesses come in to visit, only thing is some stay even taking over the house and pushing us out.
It's no use repenting after the event .....We should try to PREVENT.
I know change is hard ,look at President Obama trying to introduce change to America..... If you listen to the conservative media, you would believe that Americans want him to fail it's as if failing won`t affect them too. The whole world should be behind him. They should be finding out how they can help him affect change as it's the wasteful lifestyles of the past that got us here and WE ALL NEED TO CHANGE.
I listened to Ali Belshi interview Tim Gietner and all he wanted to know is who asked Dodd to okay the loophole for the bonuses for companies that got bailout money.....who cares? The Obama administration has been in power for 59 days. 59 DAYS! Feeling their way out of this maze.... how Tim Geitner sleeps is amazing to me. Give them a chance they are moving at the speed of light. They need to succeed!
But what I`ve learnt is , as a leader, deciding to make changes is the easy part, getting your people on board is much more difficult. Why is that? Quite simply, change is an emotional process. We are all creatures of habit who usually resist it, and welcome routine no matter how bad for it is for us....we are scared of change!
One thing we know for sure..... sameness is the fast track to mediocrity and mediocrity is the way to make sure that whatever you are planning to do in life won't survive. Our challenge is to convince people that for their health there needs to be a change of lifestyle and that the new world WE are trying to create is better than the one we're now in. Is it easy? Of course not. It takes planning, commitment, patience and courage. All characteristics that President Obama possess, so I have no doubt THAT CHANGE IS BOUND TO COME !
Remember change is a wonderful gift, it is the key that unlocks the door to growth and excitement and if you have a leader that inspires you, you will get out of your comfort zone and head to success.
All we have to do is let go, leave that dead ass job or if in these times the dead ass job has left you,no fear,it was going nowhere anyway and watch how doors are going to open with things that you would never have thought possible.
And while you are at it, change your eating habits and watch how great you are going to feel once you get those toxins out.....
WHEN PATTERNS ARE BROKEN, NEW WORLDS EMERGE.-Tuli Kupferberg

Is your health valuable to you?

Our health always seems more valuable after we lose it - unknown author
Are you tired of this statement?
THEN WHY NOT TRY AND LOOK AFTER YOURSELVES.
I`m here with a friend......sick, sick, sick......chain smoker, drinker, highly stressed at work, yet jerk pork is his meat of choice....doesn`t really eat when you think about it except junk.
Cut to the chase, he is in problems.I don`t even have to guess and spell where his health is heading....why?
To me there are enough examples around, we do not need another one to show us the right path to take.
PROPER NUTRITION AND EXCERCISE ....THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
(BUT IF OUR BODY IS TOO ACIDIC REMEMBER TOO MUCH HARD EXCERCISING IS NOT GOOD, IT'S PILATES OR YOGA NOT KICKBOXING!)
I feel like a broken record, but I have too many people around me that still haven`t gotten the memo.
It's not that it's maybe it will happen, like in bygone times - It's a DEFINITE in these times as we have too many things going against us. It comes by air, sea and land. All of it descending on us rapidly and if we live in the city , we are getting it quicker..... at least the fresh air of the country side can help us fight on a little longer.
Look at Oprah one of the brightest, richest women in the world, she went on raw food and came off it just as quickly........ if she did that for 6 months her health and weight would be a thing of the past. Instead there she is with this weave on her head(where is her beautiful head of hair?) and fat on her hips and just totally unhealthy. Why?
I am praying that in these times when we can`t afford the doctor's bill, we will plant a garden and eat from it....whether by your kitchen or in the back yard it's the only way to go, supplementation is a must too as remember the soil is not as it once was - You should see my sweet peppers and mint ......cucumber and mint is truly a delicious dish, try it. Check out the recipe at left courtesy of Peter's Principle.

CAN CHEMICALS IN BABY SHAMPOO CAUSE CANCER ?

This Washington Post article says it all.
Probable Carcinogens Found in Baby Toiletries.
Usually when you say something like this they (the medical community)say has there been a study ? Well according to this article many a study have been done and their findings are alarming......
My husband complains daily that my household cleaners are too expensive, well guess what? We got to pay for what's good.....I use special detergents, softeners, disinfectants,from glass cleaners to floor cleaners it's all carefully chosen....
I`m not about to to take chances with my health....Especially what I wash my dishes with. Just like how one must use special pots and pans, we must choose carefully what deodorants, shampoos, toothpaste and make-up we use. All those regular everyday things make or break our health.
#1 RULE: if they are made of things you can`t pronounce leave them alone.
My husband recently told me that why I`m having problems with my teeth is I`m not using Colgate or Crest. Well guess what? I won`t be using them and that's not the cause of my problems. My problems are caused from too much mercury in my mouth. In my days that's all they filled teeth with and as I grew up with Pepsi and sweets, my teeth are a reflection of that, silver fillings everywhere you look.
Everything now kills us. Everything is stronger , whiter than white, brighter than bright, cleaner than clean. It's all chemicals doing their job at all costs and usually the cost is our lives.
Have you noticed how everybody now is allergic to something? All who is not sneezing is coughing. All who is not wheezing is itching.......It's just sad. Our sheets are 100% polyester unless we spend a bundle on 100% cotton and get the ones that are good for us! All of a sudden good for us is not cheap, it's very expensive and bad for us is what we can afford, just like organic vs reg. fruit and vegetables, so poor people die and rich people live....although that's now going to change since Madoff has changed the class structure quite a bit. Have you noticed how the new poor (LIKE THE PEOPLE MADOFF HAVE PAUPERIZED) look ? CLASS IS CLASS...I love to listen and look at them........they have on the best clothes, they speak the Queen's English but, they have nothing........
There are going to be a lot of Park and Fifth ave. apts available soon, you mark my words.
Hope the vents and carpets are clean......I want no allergies when I move in!

QUALITY OF LIFE VS QUANTITY OF LIFE

A lot of us have to make that choice, and I have to say there is only one choice to be made.
Recently I watched an episode of The Practice where a 12 year old begged to be released from all her tubes so she could go to the beach and have a dip in the sea, something she had never experienced due to being in and out of hospitals her whole life. Well the doctors thought differently and wanted to perform surgery which would lengthen her life for maybe 8 months. As she pleaded her parents heard and wanted her to forgo the operation and go home with them but the doctors accused them of child abuse and brought in the courts who sided with the doctors. Well, long story short, the doctors finally relented and the child got her heart's desire. How I wish they could have shown her go on to eat raw foods, take glyconutrients and live a long happy life but if wishes were horses beggars would ride right?
Anyway that still brings me to the fact that too many of us choose treatments that mash up our brains so much we can`t even pray, we can`t even fight, we can`t eat so we get no nutrients to help. We have no quality of life. What's the point of having quantity to live a life of nausea and pain with nurses rolling you to prevent bed sores?
What do screams of pain do to a family ? What memories do they leave in children's psyche?
I have found from experience that while your wits are about you you can push through.....You can try to survive....... when you are burnt to a crisp, everything seems impossibly hard. If you are in bed supposed to be sick you need to read or watch TV, or talk to your friends,none of that is possible and the most comfortable of beds becomes a torture chamber.
I have always said its better to live your regular life and just drop out one day (if you are lucky)than to lie down for months saying you're alive but really you are a living dead....THAT'S NOT LIFE!
Let's live until we die.

THE VOICE OF SPIRIT

Every day it comes at us like an attack.....
we hear these voices.........
One side says the economy is getting worse.
It's only going to get harder.
There is no money anywhere.
Life as you know it is going to change.
You are crazy if you think you can succeed in business right now.
You are even more crazy if you think you can have prosperity!
They are saying that we are all going to hell in a hand-basket...and there's nothing we can do about it.
To hear them speak,you would believe that all of us will soon be on the streets jobless and penniless.
Then, there is the other side, where you will hear a voice that has struggled through the cries of doom like a beacon of light.
It is raging against the current.
Fighting to be heard.
It is the voice that says you can create your own reality.
Whatever is going on around you doesn't control you, has nothing to do with you....
Change your perception and life changes.
This voice says one person has the power to affect change.
One person has the power to affect the Universe.
A voice crying in the wilderness.
So it might as well be you!
I am watching TV hearing the believers in the US 'rust towns', as they are called, getting excited about their stimulus money, convinced that their town is going to be much better off this time around as at least this time all plans will be 'green'
This voice - the voice of Spirit - has gotten louder.
It is during these times that miracles occur, no matter what difficulties occur in any experience, it is moving you closer to your absolute knowing that all is well and that ultimately this experience will somehow make your life better.
I know this place.
I have had many challenges in my life ......in finances, in relationships and in health and I know this for sure:
THIS TOO SHALL PASS AND IF WE TAKE THE LESSON WE ALL WILL BE BETTER FOR HAVING HAD THE EXPERIENCE.

SAD:SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

For those of you who watch American Idol did you see all the finalists when they arrived at the luxury digs where they are being housed and they all threw their suitcases on the beds ? ..it never fails..... just as I told you in my previous blog..... germs keep on multiplying.
But today I want to talk about SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder ....My son who lives in New Jersey, as winter rolls around he says "Ma I hate this time of the year I just feel awful". I know it's because of no sunshine but I didn`t know there was a name for it.
The lack of available daylight during the winter can trigger feelings of depression, lethargy, fatigue and other problems. SAD is a type of depression – is also commonly referred to as the winter blues. Most of you living in the north are suffering through a long cold and bleak winter and many of you are likely feeling the effects of SAD.
According to Dr.Mercola

"Because it’s a type of depression, there are a few basic strategies and choices you can make that will greatly help release you from its grip, independent of other strategies that are helpful to prevent and/or treat SAD specifically. Please understand that antidepressant drugs will never resolve the underlying problems causing your seasonal depression. They can, however, cause serious, including fatal side effects that are completely unnecessary if only you know how to remedy the real problem – lack of exposure to sunlight!"
General Strategies to Prevent and Heal Depression
Three strategies that are essential any time you’re dealing with any type of depression are:
1. Consume high quality animal-based omega-3 fats – Your brain consists of about 60 percent fat; DHA specifically, so you need a constant input of essential omega-3 fats for your brain to work properly. The most beneficial source I know of is krill oil, which has been found to be 48 times more potent than fish oil.
2. Exercise – In addition to a large number of other health benefits, physical exercise is one of the most potent strategies you can employ to prevent and treat all kinds of depression.
3. Abstain from sugar – Sugar (and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is the number one source of calories in the U.S. in the form of soda) has a very detrimental impact on your brain function. One great book that I highly recommend is called The Sugar Blues, written by William Dufty more than 30 years ago, which delves into this topic in great detail.

Now that countries like Jamaica have been experiencing awful weather as a result of global warming I am also depressed and it's not cold just lots of rain and bleaky days........can`t imagine what you folks up north are going through.

Keeping germs at bay

What a revelation for us raw food people here in Jamaica..... fertilizer we've been importing from the USA contains human excrement....Wow! Can you imagine? ORGANIC HAS TO BE THE ORDER OF THE DAY.Can you imagine someone with a compromised immune system eating raw food fertilized by this means thinking they are doing their body good and finding out that the "so-called" certification by the USFDA "stinks"? Just check out this article from the NY Times to see what I mean Food problems elude inspectors .
But that brings us to the fact that no matter how hard we try germs are everywhere. One of the hotel managers just caught some airborne germ/virus from one of the guests that has left her lungs damaged..... she has severe shortness of breath.
I say keep your immune system strong by taking things like 'immunostart' from mannatech glyconutrients. Here are some other tips taken from an article by Alyssa Shaffer : Prevention.

Germs (the catch-all name for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms) are everywhere—at home, in the office, even in your car. Luckily, about 99 percent of them can't harm us. But the other 1 percent can be annoying, uncomfortable, or downright scary: Most of these pathogens are either viral or bacterial and can cause everything from a runny nose to a potentially life-threatening infection. You may think you know the obvious places that germs propagate—the doctor's office, the soles of your shoes—but many more germ-friendly locales are completely unexpected yet no less dangerous.
Hot spot: The kitchen faucet
That metal aeration screen at the end of your kitchen faucet reduces water flow, which is good for the environment, but not so much for your health: Running water keeps the screen moist, an ideal condition for bacteria growth. Because tap water is far from sterile, if you accidentally touch the screen with dirty fingers or food, bacteria can grow on the faucet, explains microbiologist Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D., an associate professor of community environment and policy at the University of Arizona College of Public Health. Over time, bacteria build up and form a wall of pathogens called biofilm that sticks to the screen. "Eventually, that biofilm may even be big enough to break off and get onto your food or dishes," she notes.
Keep it clean: Once a week, remove the screen and soak it in a diluted bleach solution—follow the directions on the bottle's label. Replace the screen, and let the water run a few minutes before using.
Hot spot: The welcome mat
It serves to greet not only your guests but also all the bugs on the bottoms of their shoes. One study found that nearly 96 percent of shoe soles had traces of coliform, which includes fecal bacteria. "The area near your front door is one of the dirtiest in the house," says Reynolds. Once bacteria plant their stakes in your mat, anytime you walk on it, you give them a free ride into your home.
Keep it clean: Spray the doormat once a week with a fabric-safe disinfectant (such as Lysol Disinfectant Spray). Leave shoes at the door, and avoid resting bags and groceries on the mat, too.
Hot spot: A dish towel
You know a sponge can harbor nasty germs, but a recent study of hundreds of homes across the United States found that about 7 percent of kitchen towels were contaminated with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the difficult-to-treat staph bacteria that can cause life-threatening skin infections. Dish towels also rated tops for dangerous strains of E. coli and other bacteria. We often use towels to wipe up spills, , then reuse before washing them, which spreads germs.
Keep it clean: Stick to paper towels to clean counter tops, and save the dishrag to dry just-washed pots and plates. Change towels or launder at least twice a week in hot water and bleach.
Hot spot: Your car's dashboard
In tests of 100 vehicles from across the United States, the dashboard was found to be the second-most-common spot for bacteria and mold. (Food spills were number one.) The researchers' rationale: When air—which carries mold spores and bacteria—gets sucked in through the vents, it's often drawn to the dashboard, where it can deposit the spores and germs. Because the dashboard receives the most sun and tends to stay warm, it's prime for growth.
Keep it clean: Regularly swipe the inside of your car with disinfecting wipes. Be more vigilant during allergy season—about 20 million Americans are affected by asthma, which is caused in part by an allergic reaction to mold.
Hot spot: Soap dispensers
Soap that harbors bacteria may sound ironic, but one recent study found that about 25percent of liquid soap dispensers in public restrooms were contaminated by fecal bacteria. "Most of these containers are never cleaned, so bacteria grows as the soap scum builds up," says Gerba. "And the bottoms are touched by dirty hands, so there's a continuous culture going on feeding millions of bacteria."
Keep it clean: Be sure to scrub hands thoroughly for 15 to 20 seconds with plenty of hot water—and if you have an alcohol gel disinfectant, use that, too.
Hot spot: Restaurant ketchup bottle
It's the rare eatery that regularly bleaches down condiment containers. And the reality is that many people don't wash their hands before eating, says Reynolds. So while you may be diligent, the guy who poured the ketchup before you may not have been, which means his germs are now on your fries.
Keep it clean: Squirt hand sanitizer on the outside of the bottle or use a disinfectant wipe before you grab it. Holding the bottle with a napkin won't help—they're porous, so microorganisms can seep right through, says Reynolds.
Hot spot: The refrigerator seal
A University of Arizona survey of 160 homes in three U.S. cities found that the seal around the fridge tested positive 83 percent of the time for common molds. The mold can spread every time the refrigerator door opens—exposing anyone who's susceptible to allergies, and potentially contaminating the food.
Keep it clean: Wipe fridge seals at least once a week with a diluted bleach solution or disinfectant.
Hot spot: Your cell phone
You probably put it down any place that's convenient, but consider this: Several studies on cell phones and PDAs found that they carry tons of bacteria, including staph (which can cause skin infections), pseudomonas (eye infections), and salmonella (stomach ailments). Many electronic devices are sheathed in leather or vinyl cases, which provide plenty of creases and crevices for germs to hide.
Keep it clean: Use a disinfecting wipe a few times a week, and be conscious of where you rest personal items.

Remember when it came out how dirty a woman's handbag is because we put it anywhere, usually on the floor,then we move that bag to the dining table, the kitchen counter ,the bed.....mine is always on my pillow........
SUITCASES THAT WE DRAG THROUGH THE DIRTIEST OF AIRPORTS we reach where we are going e.g the hotel and we put it on the bed to unpack.....my suitcase never leaves the floor and is stored in a cupboard with only suitcases.Let all the germs stay together. A germ that plays together stays together.I don`t need them playing with me......

Picks of the week

How sad is this Chris Brown thing ? Aged 19 WITH EVERYTHING GOING FOR HIM AND THROWS IT AWAY IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE AND ALL RIHANNA'S LOVE WON`T BRING IT BACK! SAD SAD SAD!
I don`t know if it's because I have sons but I feel his pain and wish that young people would realize how one minute of bad behaviour follows you for a lifetime.
Having a glimpse of Chris & Rihanna here in Jamaica one day when they were at the Hilton Hotel, I remember I was struck at how in love he seemed with her, maybe that's it 'in love' versus LOVE....
How come there is so little media coverage of the black, female Governor General in Canada? I came to find out about her following Obama's recent visit to Canada.
And who cares how grey Obama`s hair gets? It's what's in the head not what's on top of it.......
Then can we leave the octo-mom to live in peace, she has gotten her 15 mins of fame. She wasn`t raising the 6 she had correctly so now is she going to raise 8 more any better?
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MOM OF 14 ABLE TO HAVE FRENCH-TIPPED FINGER NAILS AND COLLAGEN FILLED LIPS!
So with all these foreclosures taking place,is there going to be huge camp grounds of homeless people? Might be fun! Everyone living in a park,the government would have to provide porto potties, and everybody can just hang out ..... no work,no house.The situation is getting pass ridiculous.
I`m realizing that many of us need to change our careers as all is not lost, life as we know it has changed and we need to change with it.
Then the news of the day to me is the fact that cell phones belonging to hospital staff have been found to be tainted with bacteria and are at risk of causing superbugs to run amok ........makes perfect sense to me. Do we ever come off them ? I leave mine in my car or if I`m in one room it's in another and I get regularly abused that people can never reach me. I have staff doing their work with cell phones at their ears, PEOPLE DON`T KNOW WHERE AND WHEN to use them ,recently I had to wait over 6mins. while a security guard labrished on her phone oblivious to the fact that I was waiting to come out.........Pray tell how did we keep in touch before ?
I always feel if it's important and you need me YOU WILL FIND ME.

FINANCIAL MELTDOWN MEANS TIME FOR FAMILY

Is it my imagination or are people realizing that having the clothes in the closet that we have never worn that still have their tags on, is one of the reasons the world is in the problem it is in.....Buying food wholesale for a family of 4 , 2 of them under 5 makes no sense if you didn`t get together with another family to shop. You bought all of it for your family and you cannot use it all, so you will be throwing it in the garbage soon as it has an expiration date.
All these mac mansions. People took loans and dug down their house that was "dated" according to them, to put up these monstrosities....now they realize they cannot afford them....children of 7 crying because they have to walk 2 blocks to school, they are used to being driven the 2 blocks, and America said it had a gas crisis....couldn`t be!
We are the ones responsible for this problem ask every other person to open their wallets and look at the amount of credit cards !!! Who can pay that off every month?
Tell someone not to use their cards for a week and they behave like it's the end of the world........
Guess what it's not, and life is not going to come to an end if you have 2 pairs of jeans instead of 22, some people have 40....WHY?
I remember having so much shoes and clothes and still only wearing a few as those were the favourites.....one positive thing I always did was give them away, I had learnt if you give, you make space to get more ,so you will always have.
We always want more..... why do we want any way, we should live with needs not wants and life will be fine.
Turn off the TV and talk, eat at the table instead of using it as a desk, yes I`m talking to me.....go for a walk, read a book, spend time with friends....CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND IMMEDIATELY LIFE BECOMES EASIER !
I quite enjoy playing games rather than watching TV, but then I grew up in the age of 'hopscotch' ,'May I' and 'Simon Says' then getting older it was scrabble and card games....DO I EVER LOVE KALOOKI, I WOULD PLAY IT ALL NIGHT. Now it's cards on-line, games like solitaire, scrabble,even poker, you name it- it's on-line, everything has become more 'me' oriented. We don`t move, no exercise so obesity is the order of the day. We reach home and eat from a tray in front of the TV, then we are from the desktop computer to our blackberries, which most of us never come off ,we even text while we are driving, ...do we engage our brain before we do things like that?
I for one prefer to e-mail than talk on the phone.....but all this is just saying one thing......all that is happening in the world is giving us back our quality of life.....we can all do without a lot that we are losing.....so what if they turn off your cable and internet ? Lots of people lived wonderful fulfilled lives without those things.
What if you can`t buy a new outfit for that special occasion,I just went to a wedding and didn`t even think of buying something new. I wore something I had recently worn and didn`t even think of rotating, it was nice so I wore it again - different people I always say and if it's the same people who cares?
Deal with QUALITY instead of QUANTITY.....You know I`m going to bring it around to eating and health...
Don`t tell me fruit and vegetable is expensive that's why you eat the junk...eating the junk means you will pay in the long run as the big doctors bills are coming for you, and trust me NOW more than ever YOU CANNOT AFFORD IT!

HEALTH IS A CHOICE

"Health doesn`t happen by chance it happens by choice" - Raymond Francis M.Sc.
RAW FOOD NATION posted this on Twitter and I think its the truest statement.
I think I`ve written that my dream is to have a cancer center but this week it really came to me how much when people are feeling sick and try to seek out another way by seeing say a holistic practitioner, how difficult it is for them to really let go and really try something different. They hear him/her and they feel different but they still go and get their medication and asthma inhaler as they still need that crutch. They can`t believe they can do without it. The chemicals and the doctor calls.
Recently I watched while my practitioner worked 2 hours on a woman who couldn`t lift her arm, she was in terrible pain, he worked until she could lift it, all her meridians opened and she felt better but instead of all the teas she was to get etc, she went and bought her medication as she said she might need it.
If he works on you and tells you your body is acidic, how can your next meal have mayonnaise ?
These things just amaze me.....you got the warning but you are still going to wait on the diagnosis.Its because you don`t believe.......
We are still brainwashed by the medical world, the doctors are ruled by the pharmaceutical companies and we are ruled by them.
We believe they are our saviours and people of our age group are still going to believe we can`t live without them no matter what the new studies say.... no matter what is happening we call the doctors first and what is their immediate reaction ? Without knowing what the virus is they prescribe antibiotics...simply amazing!
See more came out recently about children's cough and cold syrups.
Damaging to the children they are supposed to help......
It is wonderful to go on the latest rage "twitter" and see young people committed to changing the way we eat. There are more people espousing the idea of eating raw than I`ve ever seen before. Lots to learn from people willing to impart their knowledge free of cost.
GIVES ME HOPE.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SOY ?

I don't consider myself a gullible sort of person. As a matter of fact, I think I'm pretty cynical — trying to dupe me into eating something that's not good for me doesn`t work unless it tastes unbelievably good. But, I have to admit .... even I was taken in by the whole ‘soy-is-healthy-and-good-for-you' story told by everyone from health food store clerks to the FDA. Everyone it seems was touting all the so-called amazing health benefits of the soybean.
I must have overdosed on the stuff when I thought I was entering menopause. My husband had to inform me that the milk was fattening and I shouldn`t be drinking it like water. As long as the label said soy I bought it.
I believed the FDA and the media when they said soy was helpful in strengthening bones and calming menopausal symptoms in women. Why wouldn't I? Its only a simple bean from nature's bounty of wholesome, nutritious foods, right? One we've been led to believe provides healthy food products for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
They say it's harmless, tasty, and packed with health-promoting goodness. And the FDA wouldn't lie about that, would they?
Well, that's what I thought until I heard the rumours and read up on it and cut all forms of it out my life.....going out for sushi once in a while and mixing my wasabi in it is enough. So when I read this article from 'Newsmax' medical editor Dr.David Brownstein head lined: 'The Frightening Truth About Soy' I thought I should pass it on as maybe a lot of you haven`t heard about this and although 'Newsmax 'is a little sensationalistic, you can form your own opinions after you have read what he has to say. According to Dr. Brownstein , what the FDA, the media, and especially the soy industry would rather you not know is this:

"Consuming large quantities of soy and soy-based foods actually puts you at risk for severe hormonal imbalances — as well as many other serious health issues.

And unfortunately, just trying to avoid soy milk or soy foods isn't enough.

There is a highly processed, devitalized, and potentially toxic soy protein isolate present in nearly 60% of all the food you buy at your local grocery store.

Unbeknownst to you, these health-damaging soy isolates are added to many food products you consume every day (including meat) — to enhance flavor, improve texture, and increase the protein content.

I can see you now, scratching your head and asking . . ..

If Soy Is So Toxic, Then Why
Are Asian People So Healthy?

That's an honest inquiry.

After all, Asian people eat a lot of tofu and other soy foods — don't they?

Well, that's what the soy industry would like you to believe. But the reality is — they don't eat very much at all . . . maybe a couple of tablespoons a day, if that.

Soy isn't a staple in their diet, it's merely a condiment.

Could it be the Asian culture knows something we don't about soy and its potentially harmful qualities?"

As I always say moderation in all things.