What could be healthier than the sweat on your brow of a great game of football or soccer? Sadly, playing on artificial turf, especially the kind used on college campuses and in the professional sports arena, may be connected to toxic cancerous material.

Recent reports have highlighted the fact that the artificial turf used for many of our sporting practices may contain harmful chemicals that can wreak havoc on our systems. Many people do not realize that artificial turf is just a fancy word for ground-up tire crumbs.

When the Houston Astrodome was built in the 60’s, Monsanto came to the rescue when it was too dark to grow grass inside the dome. The infamous chemical company created a plastic minced rubber carpet called Astroturf. Later it was created using tires, and became the norm for both indoor and outdoor sporting fields.

The average playing field is fabricated out of 120 tons of minced road tires, ground so fine that they release what one observer called, a “small amount of toxic, cancer-causing, mutation-triggering chemicals and metals.” Sadly, as with the case of many products approved by the U.S. safety administrations, these rubber playing fields give off dozens of other chemical emissions that are highly questionable in regard to their effects on the human body.

While many sports enthusiasts have applauded the turf for being more convenient than grass, as well as more pliable and safe for sporting events, we really must consider the fact that our strong, able-bodied players are breathing in toxic gases. Furthermore, do we really want our children to play and roll around on the same blackened road tires we get rid of on our cars?

Continue reading: “Is Artificial Turf Safe?”

Recently, you may have read or heard alot about antioxidants in conjunction with good health or avoiding diseases. Antioxidants have been getting great press lately, and rightfully so. But what are they? What do they do once inside our bodies? And how can we get more of them?

Well, firstly, let’s define what they are. Have you ever seen the bottom-feeder fish in a fish-tank, sucking up all the gunk and grime that is toxic for the rest of the fish? Think of antioxidants as molecular-sized, “free radical scavengers” in the fish-tank of your body.

Once an antioxidant finds its way into the body, mostly through the foods we eat, it slows down, or even prevents, the oxidation of other molecules. When molecules in the body oxidize, they can create free-radicals, or cellular bi-products. It is very normal to have these free-radicals in the body, but in excess, they can wreak havoc on our cellular structures.

Continue reading: “The Health Benefits of Antioxidants”

Many have said that our country literally runs on coffee. In my opinion, many people are addicted to large amounts of the energy from caffeine that coffee provides, causing us to feel extreme ups and downs in our nervous system.

Caffeine is a highly addictive compound that many people have come to depend on for the perception of increased energy. Caffeine keeps you going by preventing the chemical adenosine from telling the brain it’s time to relax.

The result is a surge of unnatural energy; but over time, the brain becomes accustomed to the threshold and requires even greater amounts of caffeine to provide the same increase in alertness. This is what makes caffeine products such as coffee so addictive and it explains why the lines at coffee shops are always so long.

Continue reading: “Is Coffee Good or Bad For You?”

Diaper rash is one of the most common conditions affecting babies at some point in their new lives.

It may appear on a baby’s tender buttocks, inside of the thighs, or any other area generally covered by diapers. Diaper rash can affect not only the baby but the whole family with excessive crying, sleep disturbances, skin cracking and possible infection.

The last thing a new mother and father needs is excessive stress from seeing their newborn suffer. This red rash can be caused by a number of things, and can be classified under a variety of names.

Continue reading: “Organic Remedies for Diaper Rash”

Vitamins, vitamins, vitamins. Whether we get them from our daily diet, from sunshine, or from store bought capsules or liquids, vitamins are vital to our health and to the proper functioning of our bodies.

Vitamin deficiencies lead to a wide range of problems spanning from anorexia to obesity, organ malfunction, confusion, depression and fatigue.

However, whether or not your vitamins are hurting you is another story. What people are not aware of is all vitamins are not created equal, and most are actually synthetic.

What is a “Synthetic” Vitamin?

The type of vitamins that are the most beneficial is up for debate. A healthy, organic diet should provide a good amount of nutrients that the body needs, but supplements can help ensure that we are getting a healthy dose of specific vitamins.

The problem is that many vitamin and mineral supplements are manufactured synthetically with chemicals and do not come straight from their natural sources. They are made to mimic the way natural vitamins act in our bodies. Natural vitamins are derived directly from plant material containing the vitamin, not produced in a test tube.

Many synthetic vitamins lack the transporters and co-factors associated with naturally-occurring vitamins because they have been “isolated.” The Organic Consumers Association emphasizes that isolated vitamins cannot be used or recognized by the body in the same way as the natural version.

The natural form come in packages with other vitamins, enzymes and minerals that control the way the body recognizes, metabolizes and uses them to make what it needs.

Isolated vitamins can’t always be used by the body, and are either stored until you obtain or create the nutrients required to use them effectively or are excreted. Synthetic vitamins are also devoid of necessary trace minerals and must use the body’s own mineral reserves which may lead to dangerous mineral deficiencies.

Continue reading: “The Differences Between Synthetic and Natural Vitamins”

Olive oil, like wine, has been around forever. For people of the Mediterranean, it has had medicinal, even magical powers through the ages. The olive tree is considered a symbol of peace and glory.

Olives were first cultivated in the eastern part of the Mediterranean around 5000 B.C. Cultivation spread to Turkey, Greece, and Egypt before it reached southern Italy, Africa, and southern France. Italy was producing olive oil by the first century A.D.

Olive oil was used in medicines and different ointments. It was also used for nourishment and as an overall healing agent.

Today, Italy, Spain, and Greece produce olive oil, and California, with its Mediterranean climate, is fast becoming a leading producer. Like wine, many different varieties of olive oil have their own unique characteristics taken from the land and weather conditions.

Consumption of olive oil in the U.S. is at an all time high, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re still confused about the differences between regular or pure olive oil and olive oil that’s classified as virgin, extra virgin, and cold pressed. So, here’s a quick lesson in the different types of olive oil:

Basically, these designations are the grades of oil extracted from the olive. The classifications are strictly regulated. The regulation is somewhat different according to the country of origin.

Continue reading: “The Health Benefits of Olive Oil”

When faced with bad breath, many people immediately turn to temporary treatments for this problem rather than thinking about the cause of the problem.

The reality is that bad breath can be caused by some health conditions, foods, and possibly even your habits. If you suffer from chronic bad breath, you should first examine your hygiene habits. Make sure that you floss at least once a day, and that you brush your teeth regularly.

It is also possible for chronic dry mouth conditions to play a part in the development of bad breath. Dry mouth is caused by the decomposition of dead cells in your mouth and on your tongue. This decomposition results in an unpleasant odor.

Extreme dieting and the use of tobacco products, soft drinks, coffee and alcohol are other contributors to the development of bad breath. Tobacco products, of course, should never be used at all. Radical diets and fasting are the main dietary changes that usually result in bad breath issues.

Following a raw food diet, or simply modifying your diet towards drinking and eating healthier things, such as organic fruits and vegetables, does not generally have such negative results on bad breath.

Continue reading: “Natural Remedies For Bad Breath”

Have you ever ate delicious organic pomegranate seeds or drink refreshing pomegranate juice? What a great tasting and refreshing snack! What’s more, this slightly peculiar fruit has held legendary powers for countless centuries.

Persians believe Eve actually ate a pomegranate she plucked from a small tree in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. And ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life.

This unusual fruit is also featured in mythology and tradition as a symbol of good tidings. That’s why Greeks break open a pomegranate at wedding celebrations, and the Chinese eat candied pomegranate seeds for good luck.

Continue reading: “The Health Benefits of Pomegranate”

The long standing debate between people who care about their health and the health of the environment concerns not only what food to eat, but what kind of food is best to buy.

How do you sort out the differences between local, organic and local-organic foods? Which is better for our health and better for the planet? What the heck does it mean to be organic anyway?

Different people define “local” product different ways. Some say that if food comes from farther than 50 miles away it is not local. Many say 100 miles is the cutoff. Others say it must be within 250 miles to be considered “locally-grown”.

The choice is yours, if you live in a booming agricultural area then you should probably set your standards a little higher. If you live in the middle of a desert, then having your food travel a bit farther to get to you is probably okay.

Organic typically means “Certified Organic”. Growers have to go through a lengthy and expensive certification process overseen by the USDA or other credible certifiers such as Oregon Tilth to be “certified organic.”

Organic foods are those grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and are not genetically modified. For plants, organic also means that farmers don’t irradiate their crops, and for animals it means that they’ve been given only organic feed for a year or more, no antibiotics and no growth hormones. One thing to take into consideration is that farmers may be farming organically, but they may not be certified because of the time commitment certification requires.

Continue reading: “Which Is Better For the Environment – Organic or Locally Grown Foods?”

You already know that peppers add great taste to your favorite dishes. You might not know what superior healing agents organic peppers can be and how much they can promote your health. I’d like to tell you just how much delicious organic hot peppers can do for you.

Plant compounds called capsaicinoids create the heat in peppers when it touches your mucous membranes.

Different peppers produce a slightly different burn, from mild to very hot. The hottest peppers of the genus capsaicin, such as cayenne and jalapeño peppers, produce a sensation of fire in your mouth.

When that fire hits, your mouth sends a signal to your brain which releases natural pain relievers and endorphins. It’s good to go for the burn, but do so in moderation.

Cayenne is a very popular hot pepper. Its long pod and biting seeds boost fiery flavor and support your immune system too. Specifically, the vitamin A, or beta-carotene, in cayenne and other organic peppers protects your digestive system and wards off infections.

Continue reading: “The Health Benefits of Organic Peppers”