Source: http://www.diabetesexplained.com/magnesium-and-diabetes.html
Author: mixim
garden pests and garden bugs
Identify common garden pests and garden bugs with insect pictures. Know their life-cycles, how to identify insects that are harmful to your plants, and how to use organic and natural pesticides to get rid of garden pests when growing vegetables, fruit, flowers and plants.
organic food
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its newest Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides on Monday, which is Earth Day. And apples top its annual “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues for the third year in a row.
More on Shine: Another Reason to Eat Organic
Other changes from the 2012 findings: cherry tomatoes and hot peppers are newcomers this year. Blueberries and lettuce, meanwhile, dropped off the Dirty Dozen list. The environmental watchdog group uses data compiled by the USDA, based on pre-washed samples of 48 types of conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables, to produce its findings.
More on Yahoo!: Colle Farmers Market Reacts to Organic Farming Boom in Russia
“I think most Americans would be very surprised about how prevalent pesticide residue is,” EWG senior analyst Sonya Lunder told Yahoo! Shine, noting that pesticides were still seen on 67 percent of the samples, which were all either washed or peeled before being tested.
Among the top three worst offenders—apples, strawberries and grapes—nearly every sample had pesticides on it, Lunder said, with one grape alone showing traces of 15 pesticides.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Services acknowledges that scientists do not have a full understanding of the health risks associated with exposure to pesticide residues through food, soil, water, or air. Still, notes EWG, various U.S. and international government agencies have linked pesticides to a slew of health risks, including cancer, hormone disruption, brain and nervous system toxicity and irritation to the skin, eyes and lungs.
Dirty Dozen 2013:
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Hot peppers
Additionally, the EWG added a “plus” category for the second year, noting two items—domestically-grown summer squash, plus kale and collards—that, though they didn’t meet Dirty Dozen standards, were commonly contaminated with exceptionally toxic pesticides. These organophosphates, dangerous to the nervous system, were phased out of agricultural use in the 1970s and ’80s, but still linger on many farm fields.
Still, there’s also good news, as the guide includes the “Clean Fifteen”—fruits and veggies with the lowest levels of pesticides, offering hopeful solutions for anyone not in the position to find or pay for more expensive organics. Many of these safest options have naturally protective coatings, such as corn, which tops that list once again this year, and papaya, which is a newcomer. Watermelon, sadly, dropped off the clean list from 2012.
“The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure,” notes the EWG report, stressing that “eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all.”
Clean Fifteen 2013:
Corn
Onions
Pineapple
Avocados
Cabbage
Sweet peas (frozen, since they’re more readily available)
Papayas
Mangoes
Asparagus
Eggplant
Kiwi
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Sweet potatoes
Mushrooms
The consumer list, Lunder said, “shows the real difference you can make in your purchasing habits, even if you’re only buying conventional.”
Related:
The Bottom Line: Is Organic Food Really Any Healthier?
6 Tips for Finding Cheap Organic Food
Is Organic Food Healthier? New Study Fuels the Debate
Raw foodism (or rawism) is the practice of consuming uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet.
Depending on the type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include a selection of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (including sprouted whole grains such as gaba rice), eggs, fish (such as sashimi), meat (such as carpaccio), and non-pasteurized/non-homogenized dairy products (such as raw milk, raw milk cheese, and raw milk yogurt).[1]
Early proponents include St. Louis Estes, Edmund Bordeaux Szekely, Johnny Lovewisdom, Ann Wigmore and Viktoras Kulvinskas (co-founders of the Hippocrates Health Institute), Arnold Ehret (author and advocate of fasting), Aris Latham (of Sunfired Foods, Inc., known as the godfather of raw food), Arshavir Ter Hovannessian[41] and Norman W. Walker (who advocated the consumption of vegetable juices).
Notable contemporary proponents include several chefs, published authors and lecturers, such as Dr. Douglas Graham, Rene Oswald, Matthew Kenney, Tonya Zavasta, Alissa Cohen, Aris Latham, Aajonus Vonderplanitz, and Elijah Joy, as well as representatives from rawfood producing companies, such as Natural Balance Food‘s founder, Jamie Combs.
Celebrity proponents include Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Jason Mraz, Ben Vereen and Carol Alt. Woody Harrelson has published books on raw food, starred in a raw food film, created a raw food website[42] and also opened O2, a raw food restaurant and bar. Model and actress Carol Alt includes raw animal products in her diet; she has written several books on her version of the raw diet and lifestyle.
Interest in the “Raw Foods Movement” continues to grow today[43] and is especially prevalent in Australia and the western United States,[44] like California.[45] In Europe, it has remained a novelty, although a few restaurants have opened in the UK,[10] Germany,[46] and other large cities.[47] Numerous all-raw cookbooks have been published.[48]
Supercharge Me! 30 Days Raw is a feature-length documentary film about the raw foods diet, made by Jenna Norwood, a former public relations consultant turned independent filmmaker, health educator and raw food chef.[49] In the film, inspired by Morgan Spurlock‘s Super Size Me, Jenna ate only raw foods for thirty days, to document the effect it would have on her health.
Richard Wrangham, a primate researcher and professor of anthropology, has suggested that eating cooked food is more “natural” for the human digestive system, because he thinks that the human digestive system may have evolved to deal with cooked foods.[130][131] Wrangham thinks that cooking explains the increase in hominid brain sizes, smaller digestive tract, smaller teeth and jaws and decrease in sexual dimorphism that occurred roughly 1.8 million years ago.[130][131] Most other anthropologists oppose Wrangham,[132] stating that archeological evidence suggests that cooking fires began in earnest only c.250,000 years ago, when ancient hearths, earth ovens, burnt animal bones, and flint appear across Europe and the Middle East. Two million years ago, the only sign of fire is burnt earth with human remains, which most other anthropologists consider to be mere coincidence rather than evidence of intentional fire.[133] The mainstream view among anthropologists is that the increases in human brain-size occurred well before the advent of cooking, due to a shift away from the consumption of nuts and berries to the consumption of meat.[134][135]
Managing Vata Dosha
One of the most important lifestyle tools for maintaining health and for supporting healing in the vata individual is the adoption of regular healthy routines that are in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Stability is greatly improved through eating and sleeping at the same times every day.
It is best to arise within a half hour of the sun rising. The morning routine should include time for self abhyanga (oil massage), meditation and yoga asana practice in addition to proper daily hygiene. Meals should be taken regularly throughout the day; as many as five small meals per day taken every three hours would be appropriate. These meals should be taken at the same time each day. This increases both the heavy and stable qualities. The foods should be somewhat oily (moist), cooked when possible (warm) and moderately spiced (warm). Bed time should occur at about 9:00 or 10:00 , though this depends somewhat on the rhythm of the sunset and varies season to season and by latitude. Waking and sleeping times should be consistent from day to day (stability).
– See more at: http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/Vata_Doshas#sthash.PfQn85v2.dpuf
dosha
A dosha (doṣa), according to Ayurveda, is one of three bodily humors that make up one’s constitution. These teachings are also known as the Tridosha theory.
The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily humours or doshas called Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
- Vāta or Vata (wind) is the impulse principle necessary to mobilize the function of the nervous system. It affects the windy humour, flatulence, gout, rheumatism, etc.[1][2]
- Pitta is the bilious humour, or that secreted between the stomach and bowels and flowing through the liver and permeating spleen, heart, eyes, and skin; its chief quality is heat.[3] It is the energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion and hence metabolism.
- Kapha is the body fluid principle which relates to mucus, lubrication, and the carrier of nutrients.
All Ayurvedic physicians believe that these ancient ideas, based in the knowledge discovered by the Rishis and Munis, exist in harmony with physical reality. These Ayurvedic concepts allow physicians to examine the homeostasis of the whole system. People may be of a predominant dosha prakruti (constitution), but all doshas have the basic elements within them.
| 5 types of vata dosha | 5 types of pitta dosha | 5 types of kapha dosha |
|---|---|---|
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|
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Notes and references
- Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford, 1899
- http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/drhalpern/Vata_Doshas Vata Dosha
- Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford, 1899
आयुर्वेद
Ayurveda (Sanskrit Āyurveda आयुर्वेद, “life–knowledge“; English pronunciation /ˌaɪ.ərˈveɪdə/[1]) or Ayurvedic medicine is a system of Hindu traditional medicine of Vedic tradition,[2] is native to the Indian subcontinent, and is a form of alternative medicine. The oldest known Ayurvedic texts are the Suśrutha Saṃhitā and the Charaka Saṃhitā. These Classical Sanskrit texts are among the foundational and formally compiled works of Ayurveda.
By the medieval period, Ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments.[3] Practices that are derived from Ayurvedic medicine are regarded as part of complementary and alternative medicine,[4] and along with Siddha Medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine, forms the basis for systems medicine.[5]
There is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of any disease.[6] Concerns have been raised about Ayurvedic products; for example, peer-reviewed studies have shown that up to 20% of Ayurvedic U.S. and Indian-manufactured patent medicines sold through the internet contained toxic levels of heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.[7][8]
Much like the medicine of classical antiquity, Ayurveda has historically taken the approach of enumerating bodily substances in the framework of the five classical elements (Sanskrit [maha]panchabhuta, viz. earth, water, fire, air and ether. Moreover, Ayurveda names seven basic tissues (dhatu). They are plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscles (māmsa), fat (meda), bone (asthi), marrow (majja), and semen (shukra).[18]
Ayurveda states that a balance of the three elemental substances, the Doshas, equals health, while imbalance equals disease. There are three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. One Ayurvedic theory states that each human possesses a unique combination of these doshas which define this person’s temperament and characteristics. Each person has a natural state, or natural combination of these three elements, and should seek balance by modulating their behavior or environment. In this way they can increase or decrease the doshas they lack or have an abundance of them respectively. Another view present in the ancient literature states that dosha equality is identical to health, and that persons with imbalance of dosha are proportionately unhealthy, because they are not in their natural state of balance. Prakriti is one of the most important concepts in Ayurveda.
There are three principal early texts on Ayurveda, all dating to the early centuries of the Common Era. These are the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita and the medical portions of the Bower Manuscript (also known as the Bheda Samhita). The relative chronology of these texts is not entirely clear. The Charaka Samhita is often cited as primary; although it survived only as a recension dating to the 4th or 5th century, it may be based on an original written between 100 BCE and 100 CE, in which case it would predate the other two texts. The Sushruta Samhita was written in the 3rd or 4th century. The Bower Manuscript is of particular interest because here the manuscript itself is ancient, dated to the early 6th century.[36] The earliest documented mention of the name Sushruta is found in the Bower Manuscript.[37] The medical portions of the Bower Manuscript constitutes a collection of recipes which are connected to numerous ancient authorities, and may be based on an older medical tradition practiced during the Maurya period, antedating both the Charaka and the Sushruta Samhitas.
The Bower Manuscript is also of special interest to historians due to the presence of Indian medicine and its concepts in Central Asian Buddhism. A. F. R. Hoernle in his 1897 edition identified the scribe of the medical portions of the manuscript as a native of India, using a northern variant of the Gupta script, who had migrated and become a Buddhist monk in a monastery in Kucha. The Chinese pilgrim Fa Hsien (c. 337–422 AD) wrote about the health care system of the Gupta empire (320–550) and described the institutional approach of Indian medicine, also visible in the works of Charaka, who mentions a clinic and how it should be equipped.[38]
Other early texts, sometimes mentioned alongside the Sushruta, Chakaka and Bheda texts, are the Kasyapa and the Harita samhitas, presumably dating to the later Gupta period (ca. 6th century). Ayurvedic authors of the 7th or 8th century include Vagbhata and Madhava.[39]
No significant scientific evidence has shown effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of any disease, although massage and relaxation are often beneficial and there are indications of health effects from some herbal products used.[6] A systematic review of Ayurveda treatments for rheumatoid arthritis concluded that there was insufficient evidence, as most of the trials were not done properly, and the one high-quality trial showed no benefits.[73] A review of Ayurveda and cardiovascular disease concluded that the evidence for Ayurveda was not convincing, though some herbs seemed promising.[74]
Rasa shastra, the practice of adding metals, minerals or gems to herbs, may include toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.[8] Adverse reactions to herbs due to their pharmacology are described in traditional Ayurvedic texts, but Ayurvedic practitioners are reluctant to admit that herbs could be toxic and that reliable information on herbal toxicity is not readily available; there is a communication gap between modern medicine practitioners and Ayurvedic practitioners.[76]
According to a 1990 study on Ayurvedic medicines in India, 41% of the products tested contained arsenic, and 64% contained lead and mercury.[48] A 2004 study found toxic levels of heavy metals in 20% of Ayurvedic preparations made in South Asia and sold in the Boston area; it concluded that Ayurvedic products posed serious health risks and should be tested for heavy-metal contamination.[77] A 2008 study of more than 230 products found that approximately 20% of remedies (and 40% of rasa shastra medicines) purchased over the Internet from U.S. and Indian suppliers contained lead, mercury or arsenic.[8][78][79] In 2012 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked Ayurvedic drugs to lead poisoning, based on some cases where toxic materials were found in the blood of pregnant women who had taken Ayurvedic drugs.[80]
Ayurvedic proponents believe that the toxicity of these materials is reduced through purification processes such as samskaras or shodhanas (for metals), similar to the Chinese pao zhi, although the Ayurvedic technique is more complex and may involve prayers as well as physical pharmacy techniques. However, these products have nonetheless caused severe lead poisoning and other toxic effects.[78][81]
Due to these concerns, the government of India ruled that Ayurvedic products must specify their metallic content directly on the labels of the product.[7] But, writing on the subject for Current Science, a publication of the Indian Academy of Sciences, M. S. Valiathan noted that “the absence of post-market surveillance and the paucity of test laboratory facilities [in India] make the quality control of Ayurvedic medicines exceedingly difficult at this time.”[7]
Most Ayurvedic products are labelled either for drug use (not FDA approved) or as dietary supplements. There is an import alert on some medicines issued by the FDA since 2007 which prevents these products entering the United States.[82]
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), formerly the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM), is a United States government agency that investigates complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) healing practices in the context of rigorous scientific methodology, in training complementary and alternative medicine researchers, and in disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals.
The NCCAM is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the Department of Health and Human Services of the federal government of the United States. The NIH is one of eight agencies under the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
The forms of medical systems covered include:[4]
- Whole medical systems such as homeopathy, naturopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and ayurveda.
- Mind-body medicine such as meditation, prayer, mental healing, art therapy, music therapy, and dance therapy.
- Biologically based practices such as dietary supplements, herbal supplements, and scientifically unproven therapies such as shark cartilage.[5]
- Manipulative and Body-Based Practices such as spinal manipulation (both chiropractic and osteopathic) and massage.
- Energy therapies such as qigong, reiki, therapeutic touch, and electromagnetic therapy.
External links
- NCCAM home page
- NCCAM research results
- NCCAM Clearinghouse, the public point of contact for scientifically based information on CAM and for information about NCCAM
- NCCAM Congressional appropriations
- Why the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Should Be Defunded Essay by Wallace I. Sampson, M.D.
- Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Phytotherapy
Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts of natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents. Phytotherapy medicines differ from plant-derived medicines in standard pharmacology. Where standard pharmacology isolates an active compound from a given plant, phytotherapy aims to preserve the complexity of substances from a given plant with relatively less processing.
Phytotherapy is distinct from homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine, and avoids mixing plant and synthetic bioactive substances. Traditional phytotherapy is a synonym for herbalism and regarded as alternative medicine by much of Western medicine. Although the medicinal and biological effects of many plant constituents such as alkaloids (morphine, atropine etc.) have been proven through clinical studies, there is debate about the efficacy and the place of phytotherapy in medical therapies.
Many herbs have shown positive results in-vitro, animal model or small-scale clinical tests,[1] while studies on some herbal treatments have found negative results.[2]
In 2002, the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health began funding clinical trials into the effectiveness of herbal medicine.[3] In a 2010 survey of 1000 plants, 356 had clinical trials published evaluating their “pharmacological activities and therapeutic applications” while 12% of the plants, although available in the Western market, had “no substantial studies” of their properties.[4]
Even widely used remedies may not have undergone substantial clinical testing. In a review on herbal medicine in Malaria treatment, the authors found that “…better evidence from randomised clinical trials is needed before herbal remedies can be recommended on a large scale. As such trials are expensive and time consuming, it is important to prioritise remedies for clinical investigation….”[5]
Modern phytotherapy, following the scientific method, can be considered the study on the effects and clinical use of herbal medicines.
Pudding
Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish. In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.
In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries, pudding refers to rich, fairly homogeneous starch- or dairy-based desserts such as rice pudding and Christmas pudding, or, informally, any sweet dish after the main course. The word pudding in this context is also used as a synonym for the dessert course. The word is also used for savory dishes such as Yorkshire pudding, black pudding, suet pudding and steak and kidney pudding.
The word pudding is believed to come from the French boudin, originally from the Latin botellus, meaning “small sausage,” referring to encased meats used in Medieval European puddings.
Cobalamin (Vitamin B-12)
Vitamin B-12, or Cobalamin, is the largest and most complex vitamin currently known to man. A slight deficiency of vitamin B-12 can lead to anemia, fatigue, mania, and depression, while a long term deficiency can cause permanent damage to the brain and central nervous system. Vitamin B12 can only be manufactured by bacteria and can only be found naturally in animal products, however, synthetic forms are widely available and added to many foods like cereals. Vitamin B12 can be consumed in large doses because excess is excreted by the body or stored in the liver for use when supplies are scarce. Stores of B12 can last for up to a year. Below are the top 10 foods highest in vitamin B12 by common serving sizes, click here for high vitamin B12 foods by nutrient density, here for an extended list of vitamin B12 rich foods, and here for other foods high in vitamin B. For even more see the articles for vegan and vegetarian sources of vitamin B12.
#1: Shellfish (Cooked Clams)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | 3oz Serving (85g) | Per 20 small clams (190g) |
| 98.9μg (1648% DV) | 84.1μg (1401% DV) | 187.9μg (3132% DV) |
Other Shellfish High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving cooked): Oysters (408%), and Mussels (340%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.
#2: Liver (Beef)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | 3oz Serving (85g) | Per Slice (81g) |
| 83.1μg (1386% DV) | 70.7μg (1178% DV) | 67.3μg (1122% DV) |
Other Liver Products High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving): Liverwurst Sausage (189%), Paté de Foie Gras (133%) and Chicken Liver Paté (114%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.
#3: Fish (Mackerel)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | 3oz Serving (85g) | Per Fillet (88g) |
| 19.0μg (317% DV) | 16.2μg (269% DV) | 16.7μg (279% DV) |
Other Fish High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving cooked): Smoked Salmon (257%), Herring (186%), Tuna (154%), Canned Sardines (126%) and Trout (106%). Click to see complete nutrition facts. For more see the article on Canned Fish High in Vitamin B12.
#4: Crustaceans (Crab)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | 3oz Serving (85g) | Per Leg (134g) |
| 11.5μg (192% DV) | 9.8μg (163% DV) | 15.4μg (257% DV) |
Other Crustaceans High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 3oz serving cooked): Crayfish (44%), Shrimp (24%) and Lobster (20%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.
#5: Fortified Soy Products (Silken Tofu)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | 3oz Serving (85g) | Per 1/5 package (91g) |
| 2.4μg (40% DV) | 2.0μg (34% DV) | 2.2μg (37% DV) |
Light Plain Soymilk contains (50% DV) of Vitamin B12 per cup. Click to see complete nutrition facts.
#6: Fortified Cereals (All Bran)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | Per Cup (90g) | Per Serving(1/3 Cup – 30g) |
| 20.0μg (333% DV) | 18.0μg (300% DV) | 6.0μg (100% DV) |
Click to see complete nutrition facts. For more see the article on Cereals High in B12.
#7: Red Meat (Beef)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | 3oz Serving (85g) | Per Medallion (34g) |
| 6.0μg (100% DV) | 5.1μg (85% DV) | 2.0μg (34% DV) |
Lamb is also High in Vitamin B12 with (45% DV) per 3oz serving cooked. Click to see complete nutrition facts.
#8: Low Fat Dairy (Skim Milk)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | Per Cup (245g) | Per Quart (980g) |
| 0.5μg (8% DV) | 1.2μg (21% DV) | 4.9μg (82% DV) |
Other Dairy Foods High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per cup): Nonfat Yogurt (25%), Reduced Fat Milk (22%), Whole Milk (18%), and Full Fat Yogurt (15%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.
#9: Cheese (Swiss)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g | 1oz Serving (28g) | Per Cup Shredded (108g) |
| 3.3μg (56% DV) | 0.9μg (16% DV) | 3.6μg (60% DV) |
Other Cheeses High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per 1 oz serving): Reduced Fat Mozzarella, Parmesan and Gietost (11%), Tilsit (10%) and Feta (8%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.
#10: Eggs (Chicken’s)
| Vitamin B12 in 100g (Yolk) | Per Yolk (17g) | Per Whole Egg (50g) |
| 2.0μg (33% DV) | 0.3μg (6% DV) | 0.36μg (6% DV) |
Other Eggs High in Vitamin B12 (%DV per whole egg, raw): Goose (122%), Duck (63%), Turkey (22%), and Quail (2%). Click to see complete nutrition facts.
Read more at http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-high-in-vitamin-B12.php#c1AIjCshFSfqQVHv.99