Food Labeling Laws Are In Need Of Change For The Benefit Of Consumers: Not All Oils Are Equal

Food labeling laws allow manufacturers of processed foods to not specify what ingredients are actually in their product.  By allowing and/or syntax, and replacing expensive oils with cheaper ones at the whim of the company, this in fact disadvantages consumers.  All oils are different, and some oils have higher saturated fats than others, and also contain different levels of omega fatty acids.  So where one oil, such as sunflower, is high in omega-6, it may be substituted with canola oil (which is generally cheaper), which has a higher omega-9 fatty acid content, and very little omega-6.  Yet, they can both be listed on the label, with no change to the Nutrition Facts label, which would be rendered inaccurate by such a substitution.

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NYC Mayor And Governor Work To Eliminate Single Use Plastic Bags While Providing No Alternative

Just as in other locations, such as the recent issue in India, banning single use plastic bags without a backup plan for people to take home their groceries is a bad idea. There, an entrepreneur invented a solution, still a single use bag, but made from plant cellulose instead of plastic. 

This article explores the debate raging around single use plastic bags, the ban of which is likely to disproportionately affect the poor, who will be unable to afford the fees or the purchase and toting of reusable bags to the market.  This is especially true of those who are just above the socio-economic classes which are eligible for public assistance, but are still struggling to survive.

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The Hazards And Health Risks Associated With Plug In Air Fresheners

This article discusses some of the health risks inherent in very popular plug-in air fresheners that most people use in their homes on a daily basis.  Some of the risks include hormone disruption, birth defects if used during pregnancy, and other reproductive harm.  They can also cause asthma and other health problems. 


"While this may seem dramatic, perhaps I’m not expressing this in sufficiently dramatic terms. For starters, these are not “air fresheners”. In no way are they actually “freshening” anything. While your space may, in fact, smell quite nice, plug-in air fresheners are continuously pumping pollutants into the air, day and night.

Phthalates, a class of synthetic chemicals that can wreak havoc on health in myriad ways, comprises one of the ingredients in many brands, and include di-butyl phthalate (DBP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-isobutyl phthalate (DIBP), and di-methyl phthalate (DMP) (see Figure 3). Di-isohexyl phthalate (DIHP)."

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Alternative Medicine Is Seen As Quackery By Conventional Medicine, But Is There Really No Evidence For Natural Medicine?

This article seeks to debunk the claim purported by conventional medical doctors, the news media, and popular culture that states that there is no evidence for the effectiveness of any natural medicine modality. According to them, only conventional medicine has science behind it.  This is not the truth, and this article seeks to shatter some of these popular myths and misconceptions about alternative medicine.

"  Even though proponents of conventional medicine assert that alternative medicine is useless, and further, that we must all use ONLY conventional treatments because only these have been proven to work, this is actually not the case.  However, most Americans believe  inaccurate memes because of articles such as the Forbes piece and many others like it which they are barraged with on a continual basis"

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Pregnancy Is Not Always A Happy Time; Tips To Make Your Pregnancy More Comfortable

Some women do not experience the joy of pregnancy.  Maybe they have complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and morning sickness.  Read on for tips on how to overcome some of these common and not-so-common issues...

When you are pregnant, people assume that you are happy.  There’s nothing quite like being pregnant, and for most women, it is a positive experience.  Your friends and family will be super happy that you are going to have a baby, but what if you don’t feel that way?  What if you are feeling downright miserable, in fact?

Pregnant by Vladimir Pustovit

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Progesterone, Oxytocin, Postnatal Massage, and Hugs: The Missing Link To Recovery After Birth

This article describes the effects of oxytocin, the "cuddle" hormone, and the importance of encouraging its release after pregnancy to help with mood and recovery in general.  There are many things that can be done to encourage the production of this important hormone...

Pregnancy is truly a special time in a woman’s life, and any woman who’s been pregnant will tell you that the experience, subjectively, feels different somehow. If you thought that this was, perhaps, just romanticizing your past in retrospect, or caused by the (very real!) excitement about your pregnancy, you may be shocked to learn it wasn’t at all in your head. Well, it was in your head, but that’s not to say it was imaginary; rather, there is a strong and solid neuro-hormonal basis for what you experienced. And, of course, you can now rest assured: You DID, in fact, experience many, many odd things during your strange, yet fantastically beautiful trip to motherhood.

37 Weeks Pregnant By Mark Couvilion

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Three Last Minute Gift Ideas For Your Health-Conscious Friends and Family Members

While the holidays are traditionally the time we all think of gift-giving, the quest for the perfect gift comes up many times a year.  Birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, office celebrations, and many other holidays celebrated by various cultures, many of which include the giving of gifts, come up throughout the year.  This handy list of five gift ideas may find usefulness at any time you are stumped for a gift idea for your friend or family.  Gift certificates are often the go-to choice for gift giving, but not every gift certificate is appropriate for everyone.  Here is a short list of gift certificates that will suit everyone on your list, and they are easy to get and easy to give, and are nearly always well-received. 

The first gift idea on this list is a massage gift certificate.  There are very few people who don’t love a session of massage therapy.  Massage means relaxation; it means calmness; it means the ability to take a break from one’s hectic and crazy schedule.  Add to these benefits the extra benefit brought about by a gift certificate for a massage in the home, and it becomes the ultimate soothing gift, most loved by those you care about the most. 

Massage gift certificates are easy to buy, and are just a click away.  Easily purchase a gift certificate online, and you can choose to have it printed and mailed, or emailed to you or the recipient for printing at home.  Then you loved one simply calls or goes online to book their session, and the massage therapist comes to their home to provide the massage. 

A second gift idea for the health conscious individual is a set of yoga classes.  If your loved one already takes yoga classes, you can either buy a group of classes at their studio, or give them a set from a new yoga studio, perhaps your favorite one.  If they love yoga, they may like your teacher better than their teacher, and will appreciate the opportunity to try a new class at a new studio.  Or, if they are particularly fond of their teacher, be sure to contact them to arrange the gift. 

A third gift, which is also specific to the health conscious individual, is a gym membership.  As before, if they have a preferred gym, be sure to get the certificate there so that they don’t have to change gyms to use your gift.  Perhaps there is a new aerobics class they have been wanting to try, in which case you can get them a gift certificate for aerobics classes at their favorite gym. 

Of course, my favorite gift from this list would be the Massage Gift Certificate.  An hour or more of relaxation, watching my stress melt away during the session, is the ultimate gift for me.  And it is probably the best gift for many of your loved ones.  So that may be your first choice for a gift idea for your sister, brother, best friend, mother, father, and anyone other special person in your life.  You can be sure it will be appreciated, and it may even lead them into a healthy habit of getting regularly scheduled massages at home, easily and conveniently booked.  Everyone can benefit from a massage, and your friends and family will love the chance to get one for themselves. 

I hope this short list is helpful the next time you are stumped for ideas for the loved ones in your life.  Health conscious or not, they are sure to appreciate these gifts.