REVIEW: Party in my Pants ORGANIC cloth pads

Ahhh, finally a cloth pad that's organic, fun, and doesn't make you feel like you're wearing one of those sumo wrestler things.

In Asian medicine and naturopathic healing, it's not nice to plug up mother nature. Click here to find out why. Even tho' most Gynies will scoff if you refer to your menses as a cleansing process, just think back to...toxic shock syndrome!

These guys are thin and because they have a waterproof lining, really don't leak. Plus, they come in fun patterns. It's kind of a paradigm shift to go back to "the rag," but like many things (I made my own organic raw milk butter the other day--then clarified it myself!) the old fashioned way works well for a reason.

Check it out here.

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Flat Carbonated Drinks not Suitable for Oral Rehydration

If you care about your health, you should seriously limit your intake of sugary, chemical-y (and, it's made out of tap water, fyi), phosphorus-draining soda. And don't think drinking flat gingerale is doing yourself any favors either, especially for children!

From Newswise, the journalists'-only site:

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Newswise — ‘Flat’ carbonated drinks should not be used as an alternative for oral rehydration solution to prevent dehydration in children with acute vomiting and diarrhoea, according to advice published in the May issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Oral rehydration solution is a liquid containing the ideal balance of salts and sugars for avoiding dehydration in people with gastroenteritis who are losing fluids, salts and sugars through diarrhoea and vomiting.

It is commonly believed that ‘flat’ carbonated drinks are an effective alternative to these solutions, particularly for children who don’t like their taste. However, researchers at the children’s emergency department at Watford General Hospital were unable to find any published trials to back this up, so they looked for information about the contents of different types of liquids and compared them.

Carbonated drinks were found to contain too much sugar and not enough salts.

...The authors concluded there was little information available from clinical studies on the effectiveness of using carbonated drinks compared with oral rehydration solution for the prevention of dehydration in children with gastroenteritis, but that there were many scientific analyses demonstrating their inappropriateness.

“Carbonated drinks, ‘flat’ or otherwise, including cola, provide inadequate fluid and electrolyte replacement and cannot be recommended,” they conclude.

Click here to view the paper in full: http://press.psprings.co.uk/adc/may/ac142521.pdf

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REVIEW: Jigsaw Health Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that basically are all over the place, including out guts. Having these beneficial guys helps keep the pathogenic ones at bay. The article I did for Natural Health on fermented foods showed how ancient people got their probiotics from food.

But like so much in our modern life, our food is so processed--as is the soil--so these naturally occurring probiotics aren't as numerous as they should be. To get benefits from probiotics, especially if you aren't a big kimchi orkefir fan, you may wish to take a supplement. And if you're going on a course of antibiotics, it's always a good idea to supplement with probiotics.

I really like Jigsaw Health's Essential Blend Probiotics, among other things because they don't have a lot of weird fillers and because they actually contain a human strain of probiotics, which is pretty hard to find.

Probiotics in general may help:

• Restore balance of essential friendly bacteria after antibiotic use.
• Alleviate digestive disorders.
• Enhance synthesis of B-vitamins.
• Absorb calcium, copper, iron, and magnesium.
• Protect against bacterial irritations.
• Ease yeast infections.
• Improve lactose intolerance.
• Improve immune function.

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Don't Use Soap on Private Parts

Hm, I never thought about this, but it makes sense. I've always advocated organic undies for the reason that this area is not only sensitive, but very absorbent (think suppositories, anyone?)

Dr. Ben Kim's newsletter is always a source of sensible health info. Here's what he has to say:

Over the years, I have found that many people aren't aware that soap should not be used to clean the vaginal opening, the tip of the penis (urethral opening), and the anal sphincter.

Regularly applying soap to these areas can cause the mucosal lining in these areas to become dry and unhealthy. A chronically dry mucosal lining can lead to a number of uncomfortable health conditions, such as anal fissures, lichen sclerosus, chronic inflammation and a tendency to experience infections.

If you use soap to clean your body, you should limit its contact to your skin. Your skin is lined with sebaceous glands that secrete an oily substance called sebum, which serves to keep your skin waterproof and resistant to infection by undesirable microorganisms.

Typically, the presence of sebum prevents soap from drying out skin to a point where significant health challenges can arise. Still, unless you work with grease and oil, it's best to use soap sparingly - just enough to remove objectionable odors and to feel clean and refreshed.

The mucosal linings of the vaginal opening, the penile opening, and the anal sphincter don't secrete sebum to offer protection against the drying effects of soap. Actually, the labia minora does contain some sebaceous glands, but in most women, there aren't nearly enough sebaceous glands in this region to keep the vaginal opening healthy if regularly washed with soap.

So how do you wash the vaginal opening, the penile opening, and the anal sphincter? Ideally, with warm or hot water. And when more intense cleaning is desired, you can use warm or hot salt water.

I've worked with enough people who have experienced health challenges from using soap in the private areas to know that this advice is worth heeding. Please share this information with family and friends, as my experiences have led me to believe that most people aren't aware of this issue.

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Jack Lalanne, Going strong at 93!

Jack Lalanne has basically been conducting an experiment on himself for more than 90 years! He exercises every day and eats no white flour or sugar...(plus, his wife still looks great, too!).

p.s. he also invented that leg extension thingie ubiquitous to all gyms--this was back in the 30s. To see what clean livin' can do for you:

http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/7891594

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Maternal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants Linked to Urologic Conditions in Boys

My advice? Eat organic!

Newswise — Higher incidences of congenital anomalies, including cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) and hypospadias, were found in boys whose mothers had higher serum levels of certain organochlorine compounds, researchers say. Two separate studies presented today during the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Orlando confirmed existing hypotheses that maternal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals – including total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, such as Arochlor) and organochlorinated pesticides (such as dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane, or DDT) may contribute to an increased incidence of these conditions.

The data was presented to the media on Sunday, May 18, 2008, during press conferences starting at 8:00 a.m.

Mothers with high levels of organochlorine compounds in their bodies are at a greater risk of bearing sons with undescended testicles (cryptorchidism). In a study (abstract #276) of 40 boys undergoing surgical treatment for the condition, researchers from New York and Michigan analyzed PCB serum levels from both the patient and the mother and compared the readings to residual PCB levels in the patients’ fatty tissue samples (taken at surgery). Patients ranged from eight to 18 months of age at the time of treatment.

...Of the sons whose mothers had measurable PBB levels at the time of conception, 35 reported GU conditions, including hernias (13), hydroceles (10), undescended testicles (9), hypospadias (5), phimosis (2) and varicocele (1). Sons whose mothers had PBB levels greater than 5 parts per billion were more likely to report these conditions than those whose mothers had lower levels. Maternal PBB levels were not found to have an impact on birth weight or estimated gestational age. 12.2 percent of boys with maternal serum levels greater than 5 were more likely to report GU conditions, compared to 5.5 percent of boys with lower maternal PBB levels.

“Mothers with known exposure to these enduring compounds should tell not only their own doctors but also their sons’ pediatricians,” said Anthony Y. Smith, M.D., a spokesman for the AUA. “These data underscore the importance of regular ‘well-baby checkups’ so that these easily treatable conditions are diagnosed promptly.”

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Is Tyson's Antibiotic-Free Chicken Really Antibiotic-Free?

These days you have to do more than closely read labels to keep from poisoning yourself and your family. From the New York Times:

A federal judge has ordered Tyson Foods to withdraw advertisements claiming its chickens are “raised without antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans.”

Two competitors said the ads were untrue because Tyson injects it eggs with antibiotics and used antibiotic molecules in its feed.

Tyson maintained that its claim was truthful, and intends to appeal the decision.

“The claim we’re making is ‘raised without.’ And our consumer research would say that ‘raised without’ in the consumer’s mind, is from hatchery to when they buy the chicken in the store,” said Dave Hogberg, senior vice president for consumer products at Tyson.

• The New York Times April 23, 2008

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