When you look at the winter scene above, what do you think of?  The serene beauty of the winter season? Or does it make you complain about how cold it must be?
Complaining.  It seems to be the way only way many people choose to open a conversation.  And the weather is one of the most frequently used subjects for complaints.  It's so easy to focus on the negative, isn't it?  That's why if you are going to make a New Year's resolution, I suggest you make cutting down on the amount of complaining you do, would be an excellent choice.
Negative thoughts drain our energy.  Don't believe me? Try this simple exercise: With a friend stand up and put out your right arm (or left arm, if you are left-handed) Think of something that makes you extremely happy and hold your arm steady and resist when your partner tries to push the arm down to your side.  It is unlikely your partner will succeed.  Next, with the same method, think of something that made you extremely sad.  Your partner will easily be able to push your arm down.  Negativity short circuits our energy.
Social interaction has become toxically negative.   Television shows do not give us a very pretty picture of human interaction.  Listen to interactions between others and you will find that they talk about sickness, sadness, loss, bad weather and misfortune.  It seems easier than focusing on happiness, mutual interest, beneficial endeavours, kind acts, or ways of helping each other or problem solving.  I have a method for surviving if I become trapped within this social complaint web.  I simply use Christy Marie Sheldon's adage "Delete, Uncreate and De-story"  Delete any negative information coming through my ears.  Un-create any connections that my  subconscious may make from the negativity.  De-story - do not create any story or mindplay out of the information.  It takes some time to get used to but it works tremendously well.
Don Miguel Ruiz wrote in his book, The Four Agreements  that there are four things that we must agree to in order to have peace and harmony in our lives.   Be impeccable with your words is one of them.  When we focus on the negative we are using words poorly and creating a negative atmosphere for others.   We have a new year here, as I write on the 6th of January, 2018,  let's use our words for lifting others up, speaking life and hope and solving problems, not creating more.  Speak up for the truth and speak with love and empathy!

Are you up for a challenge which will positively affect your physical, mental, and emotional health? 
Well here it is.  Spend a minimum of 15 minutes outdoors daily.  Walking, running, or just zenning will work.  Preferably in a state of appreciation for all the beauty you see.  In every kind of weather there is, you need to be out there.  It is a sure fire cure for negative mind sets.  I'm taking the challenge and would love to hear from others who will be coming along on the journey!

Ever since I cured my own Carpal Tunnel by taking 200 mcg. of Vitamin B6/day for a two week period, I am a believer in looking to either emotional issues or deficiencies in the diet to the onset of disease and its cure.  here is a link to someone who points to these links.  Dr. Peter Glidden talks about some of his findings. Enjoy!

I stopped using regular toothpaste, which has all kinds of deadly chemicals in it, a couple of years ago but haven't actually tried these recipes.  I have been regularly using Tom's Natural Toothpaste and would recommend it to anyone.  But I will be trying one of these recipes I just came across in this article, so I thought I would share it here.  Enjoy!

I found this article and thought people needed to consider it. Read on:

(NaturalNews) (Story by Arjun Walia, republished from Collective-Evolution.com, with additional editing by Natural News.)


"Children today are sicker than they were a generation ago. From childhood cancers to autism, birth defects and asthma, a wide range of childhood diseases and disorders are on the rise. Our assessment of the latest science leaves little room for doubt; pesticides are one key driver of this sobering trend." October 2012 report by Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA)[1][2]

In 1975, 1 in every 5000 would develop autism. In 1985, it was 1 in every 2,500. In 1995 , it was 1 in every 500, in 2005 in was 1 in every 166 and today it is approximately 1 in every 68 children. This is exactly why scientists are making some extraordinary statements.[3]

"If it is an environmental cause that's contributing to an increase, we certainty want to find it." - Craig Newschaffer, an epidemiologist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[4]

Research continues to surface indicating that autism goes far beyond just genetics. It's showing us that we might have to look at multiple factors (like environmental toxins, prescription drugs, etc) when trying to figure out what's going on, and why autism rates continue to climb exponentially.

"It's time to start looking for the environmental culprits responsible for the remarkable increase in the rate of autism in California." - Irva Hertz-Picciotto, epidemiology professor at University of California, David[5]

A sufficient amount of evidence is now pointing to the fact that agricultural pesticides (among various other environmental toxins) might play a large role in the rapid increase in autism rates over the past few decades. A senior researcher from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Stephanie Seneff is doing her part to create more awareness of these facts that have yet to make big news in the world of mainstream medicine.

At a recent event sponsored by the holistic-focused Groton Wellness Organization, she stated that:

"At today's rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic."[6]

Seneff presented slides showing a remarkably consistent correlation between the rising use of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide(with its active ingredient glyphosate) on crops and the rising rates of autism; it definitely gives researchers plenty to think about, especially considering her research into the side effects of autism mimic glyphosate toxicity and deficiencies.



Correlation Doesn't Mean Causation, But...

Although the graph depicts a staggering correlation, it does not "prove" that the rise in autism is directly a cause of glyphosate. On the other hand, we have a lot of information and research available that suggests it could be one factor (out of many) and Dr. Seneff argues that it is. Pesticides have been linked to a number of human health ailments from Parkinson's, to Alzheimer's, to cancer and autism. You can access some of those studies (out of many) here.[7]

Dr. Seneff, through her research, also believes that aluminum containing vaccines may also be a culprit. You can read more about that, and access that research here.[8]

The Toxicity of Glyphosate and Autism

In the lecture Dr. Seneff gave, she pointed to the fact that Monsanto commonly argues that glyphosate is not toxic (despite numerous studies showing how toxic it is) because our cells don't have what is called the "shikimate"[9] pathway. What's important to note however, is that our guts do indeed have this pathway and we depend on it to supply us with essential amino acids (among other things). Gut health is of utmost importance to overall health, so this is quite disturbing. Seneff also points to the fact that there are other ingredients within glyphosate that greatly increases its toxic effects.

It makes one wonder doesn't it? How could a corporation like Monsanto (a corporation charged with regulating our global food supply) claim that glyphosate is safe despite all of the evidence that confirms that it's not?

"It is commonly believed that Roundup is among the safest pesticides... Despite its reputation, Roundup was by far the most toxic among the herbicides and insecticides tested. This inconsistency between scientific fact and industrial claim may be attributed to huge economic interests, which have been found to falsify health risk assessments and delay health policy decisions." - R. Mesnage et al., Biomed Research International, Volume 2014 (2014) article ID 179691

Keep in mind that the use of glyphosate rose 1500% from 1995 to 2005, and that 100 million pounds of glyphosate is used every year on more than a billion acres. (Cherry B. GM crops increase herbicide use in the United States. Science in Society 45, 44-46, 2010)[10]

It's even been found in the breast milk of mothers, and in urine samples of people across Europe.[11]

The main toxic effects of glyphosate identified by Dr. Seneff are as follows:

• Kills beneficial gut bacteria and allows pathogens to overgrow
• Interferes with function of cytochrome p450 (CYP enzymes)
• Chelates important minerals (iron, cobalt, manganese, etc)
• Interferes with synthesis of aromatic amino acids and methionine - leads to shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate
• Disrupts sulfate synthesis and sulfate transport

Pesticide formulations that are sold and used are up to 1000 times more toxic than what regulators commonly claim. Roundup is in fact the most toxic of herbicides and insecticides used. There is a tremendous amount of evidence that also point to flawed safety evaluations. You can read more about that here.[12]

"Adjuvants in pesticides are generally declared as inerts and for this reason they are not tested in long-term regulatory experiments. It is thus very surprising that they amplify up to 1000 times the toxicity of their Active Principles in 100 % of the cases where they are indicated to be present by the manufacturer." - R. Mesnage et al., Biomed Research International, Volume 2014 (2014) article ID 179691

Seneff notes a number of well known "bio-markers of autism." These include low serum sulfate, disrupted gut bacteria, inflammatory bowel, serotonin and melatonin deficiency, mitochondrial disorder, zinc and iron deficiency and more. She also points to the fact that:

"These can all be explained as potential effects of glyphosate on biological systems."

Dr. Seneff goes into much greater detail, and to access that science, see source [13]. To access most of her recent research of these topics, see source [14]. To view her entire lecture, you can click source [15].

Beyond Dr. Seneff. More Research.

"The change in how agriculture is produced has brought, frankly, a change in the profile of diseases. We've gone from a pretty healthy population to one with a high rate of cancer, birth defects and illnesses seldom seen before. The tobacco companies denied the link between smoking and cancer, and took decades to recognize the truth. The biotech and agrochemical corporations are the same as the tobacco industry; they lie and favor business over the health of the population." - Dr. Medardo Avila Vazquez, a pediatrician specializing in environmental health[16][17][18] (Related CE Article on the GMO/Cancer link in Argentina here)[19]

There is a tremendous amount of recent research being conducted that has looked into the role of environmental toxins (agricultural pesticides are one of them) in autism.

For example, A study coming out of the University of California Davis, determined that pregnant women who live in close proximity to land and farms where chemical pesticides are/were applied experience a two-thirds increased risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder or some other developmental disorder.

"This study validates the results of earlier research that had reported associations between having a child with autism and prenatal exposure to agricultural chemicals in California. While we still must investigate whether certain sub-groups are more vulnerable to exposures to these compounds than others, the message is very clear: Women who are pregnant should take special care to avoid contact with agricultural chemicals whenever possible." - Janie F. Shelton, a UC Davis graduate student who now consults with the United Nations, lead author of the study.[20]

You can read more about that at source [21].

A new study published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, from researchers at the University of Chicago revealed that autism and intellectual disability (ID) rates are linked with exposure to harmful environmental factors during congenital development.[22]

In another case, a group of scientists put together a comprehensive review of existing data that shows how European regulators have known that Monsanto's glyphosate causes a number of birth and brain malformations since at least 2002. Regulators misled the public about glyphosate's safety, and in Germany the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety told the European Commission that there was no evidence to suggest that glyphosate causes birth defects.[23] In fact there is plenty of research confirming that mothers who are exposed to commonly used, "safe" pesticides give birth to children with lower intelligence, structural brain abnormalities, behavioural disorders, compromised motor skills, higher rates of brain cancer and small head size. You can read more about that here.[24]

The list goes on and on, and you can access more studies that are a cause for concern at source [25].

"What's appalling is that we have known about these dangers for decades yet have done little about it. Nearly 20 years ago, scientists at the National Research Council called for swift action to protect young and growing bodies from pesticides. Yet today, U.S. children continue to be exposed to pesticides that are known to be harmful in places they live, learn and play." - Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA)[26]

Read more at Collective-Evolution.com.

Sources:

[1] http://www.emagazine.com

[2] http://www.uniteforsight.org[PDF]

[3] http://people.csail.mit.edu[PDF]

[4] http://www.nature.com[PDF]

[5] http://www.scientificamerican.com

[6] https://www.youtube.com

[7] http://www.collective-evolution.com

[8] http://www.collective-evolution.com

[9] http://en.wikipedia.org

[10] http://people.csail.mit.edu[PDF]

[11] http://people.csail.mit.edu[PDF]

[12] http://www.gmoseralini.org

[13] http://people.csail.mit.edu[PDF]

[14] http://people.csail.mit.edu

[15] https://www.youtube.com

[16] http://www.theecologist.org

[17] http://bigstory.ap.org

[18] https://www.organicconsumers.org

[19] http://www.collective-evolution.com

[20] http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu

[21] http://www.collective-evolution.com

[22] http://www.ploscompbiol.org

[23] http://earthopensource.org[PDF]

[24] http://www.collective-evolution.com

[25] http://www.collective-evolution.com

[26] http://www.emagazine.com




Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/048099_autism_glyphosate_Monsanto.html##ixzz3N1rJc9ee

 Caffeine and chocolate are my two drugs of choice (or not) since they are highly addictive (for me anyway) So I figured there might be others who would benefit from some of my investigations into the myths and/or facts behind these two institutions built into our society. I will present info from a number of sources - this first one is from Web  MD ( the medical establishment) In regards to Myth No. 1 Caffeine is addictive here is their take:Myth No. 1: Caffeine Is AddictiveThis one has some truth to it, depending on what you mean by "addictive." Caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular use of caffeine does cause mild physical dependence. But caffeine doesn't threaten your physical, social, or economic health the way addictive drugs do. (Although after seeing your monthly spending at the coffee shop, you might disagree!)

If you stop taking caffeine abruptly, you may have symptoms for a day or more, especially if you consume two or more cups of coffee a day. Symptoms of withdrawal from caffeine include:

• headache
• fatigue
• anxiety
• irritability
• depressed mood
• difficulty concentrating

No doubt, caffeine withdrawal can make for a few bad days. However, caffeine does not cause the severity of withdrawal or harmful drug-seeking behaviors as street drugs or alcohol. For this reason, most experts don't consider caffeine dependence a serious addiction

They don't? I actually consider the above to be pretty understated. Just from my own limited experience of trying to quit or even cut down on my own consumption. They have had their say. You are welcome to have yours below. Is caffeine a struggle for you?


I will follow it up with a Natural perspective next time.

How many times in the last week did you spend time outside?
Here in the north it is winter.  But we still need to connect with nature and get outside. Properly dressed for the weather of course.  Have you ever noticed how differently you feel after spending time outside?
The above quote is telling.  There is scientific evidence to support what you may have perceived.  
Alienation is the state of the nation!
In Europe, they prescribe "spa" and "nature" treatments.  Do doctors here do that?  There is evidence that healing is quicker with nature in the picture, in fact that dis-ease, may not even occur.  We live far away from nature in our cities.  Is it small wonder that many suffer from anxiety, depression, and other imbalances?  Nature is part of us and we of her.  We can not life healthy lives isolated from a part of us.
Check out these links for further info:
http://www.drjoedispenza.com/
http://naturalnews.com/
Until next time - Get out and enjoy Nature!