We have a lot of great new articles on Naturally Savvy this week to help you live a more natural, organic and green life.

For the budding fashionistas looking for the trendiest back to school threads, why not try something green? Deana Bracken sends you Back to School with Eco-Chic Style.

Dr. Melissa Carr shares her Simple Solutions for a Sound Sleep so you can stop counting the sheep. Happy dreaming!

Are you looking to make a good first impression? Well Healthy Skin Gives a Good Image, says Harriet Diamond where she shares her tips for an easy skin care regime.

In these rough times we could all use a little help with our financial planning. Read Monique Madan’s Investment Planning for a Business Portfolio on how to make the best of this downturn.

Loving that new shade of lipstick? Any idea what it’s made of? Be sure to read Bill Baker’s Decoding Cosmetic Labels to find out just what’s in those magnificent mascaras and brilliant blushes.

Comment (0)

Many parents ask me how to get their kids to read more. In today's world of computer games and television, it can feel like a daunting task.  Here are some tips to help encourage kids to read.

1. Model, model, model. Be seen reading books so your kids follow in your footsteps.

2. Sign up for a library card and take your child to the library once a week.

Comment (0) Read More...

Wi-Fi is facing a lot of opposition from parents and teachers in Ontario. Last week, Lloyd Alter was critical of parents' claims that Wi-Fi may pose a health threat to students at elementary schools, and he made some valid arguments.

But there are preliminary studies that indicate micro wave technologies may adversely effect human health, and even the World Health Organization (WHO) admits more research is needed before we can say with certainty whether or not the many electronic devices that generate electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) are safe.

This really shouldn't be a debate. Until such time as we know that these technologies are absolutely safe, Wi-Fi has no place in elementary schools, and maybe not even in high schools.

Click here to read our full article on TreeHugger.

Comment (0)

We have a lot of great new articles on Naturally Savvy this week to help you live a more natural, organic and green life.

Can you hear the school bells ringing? Read about Brain Foods for Back to School Season that will help you prepare and keep the kids happy.

And with school lunches comes inevitable school shopping. Cara Smusiak shows how to Green Your Back to School Shopping.

In more green-inspired news, Andrea Donsky interviews an eco-artist who’s trying to influence change. Check out her Q & A with Vincent Huang – The Mermaid Project.

Most people think of the hospital as a place to get better – but what if it makes you worse? Linda Mundorff explores Reducing Hospital Acquired Infections and offers some great tips to keep you feeling at your best.

Paulette Millis shares her secrets on Packing a Healthy Picnic with some great ideas on good foods that you probably already have.

Comment (0)

I’ve touched on this topic before, but here it is again! I was just talking to sister Soul Coach® Kathy Dannel Vitcak and getting off topic (about her just published past life oracle deck called “It’s Your Karma”) when we noticed how so many people want instant information and instant enlightenment. People would rather get a psychic reading than do the work to figure their lives out for themselves. I find that is true of dreams as well. People want to know what their dreams mean rather than explore the dream themselves. When the synchronicities of topics repeating themselves happen, I pay attention.

Wanting easy answers is an interesting trend that I don’t actually believe is a new trend. It’s the complexity of human nature. We don’t want to be told what to do yet we pay people to do just that. I think it is similar to the Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” If there was a proverb that covers this situation, it’s because people weren’t doing it! Back in the day — whenever that proverbial day was — people must have been saying, “Hey, man, can you spare a fish?”

So what does this have to do with you? Ask yourself, have you ever gone for a reading with someone in the Intuitive Arts field? Of course you have and so have I! It’s fun to get a reading and I’ve always told myself that these readings give me an objective overview and a perspective on my life that I might not see from up close. Okay, somewhat true, but really…. Don’t we just want to know what will happen next? So this is our nature as humans but if we really want to wake up and catch our souls in action, it won’t be from the easy answers that a psychic will give us.

This also speaks to our issues with power. To do the work of awakening, being fully conscious of our choices, our lives and our personalities, we have to be
willing to take back our power and become the empowered souls we are meant to be. I’m not saying we need to become powerful over someone else, but fully available to own our strengths and our gifts, using our energy for creating the lives we want. Ask yourself, if I were to fully allow my most powerful self to come through and live from the intuitive part that already knows the answers, what is the worst thing that could happen? When you get clear on your fears, then you can choose to shift them.

Having said that I just want to add one point. I have a lot of friends who give intuitive readings of one sort or another and they are wonderful people who want to help. And I think there is nothing wrong with going to a psychic now and then. In fact, you never know if that reading won’t be the very thing that starts you on your path to wholeness and enlightenment. So learn to be more in touch with your intuition (it’s a skill that can be learned) rather than book a monthly appointment with a psychic. Join a dream group rather than ask for an interpretation. Learn astrology and see what the stars hold. Look inside to grow, not to someone else. Don’t give your power away to gurus, rather find your inner guru. I’m suggesting that we need to work at our personal growth with a little more effort than it takes to fry some eggs, over easy.
 

Comment (0)

My general health article for this month discusses the issue of noscomial or hospital-acquired infections, which are those illnesses that are easily spread from one person to another by a hospital worker or even a visitor.

The hospital is supposed to be a place where sick people can go to get better. Ironically, though, it is the worst place to go, when you are sick because the body may already be in a weakened state, and thus susceptible to infection.

As a naturopath, I believe that gentle exposure to illness is an excellent way to help increase the healing power of the body’s immune system. Exposure to germs triggers the body to produce specialized white blood cells that are designed to do one thing: find and destroy the invader. However, when the body is bombarded the immune system can become compromised and unable to fight.

For example, college students are highly susceptible to illness because of compromised immune systems that have become that way due to:

• Lack of sleep

• Poor nutrition

Comment (0) Read More...

Nuclear power is exploding. Right now there are 50 nuclear reactors being built worldwide, and more than 100 are slated for construction over the next 10 years. But a position paper published in the journal Science and authored by 16 social science researchers from institutions throughout the U.S. indicates the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future is failing to address public concerns and mistrust related to nuclear safety

The researchers say addressing public concerns -- everything from plant safety to terrorist threats to waste storage — is vital to acceptance of a nuclear energy program. And whether you view nuclear energy as a climate fix or an environmental folly, awareness empowers the public to make informed decisions about energy production.

Click here for our full article on TreeHugger.

Comment (0)

We have a lot of great new articles on Naturally Savvy this week to help you live a more natural, organic and green life.

Tired of sitting on the sidelines? Kaci Bathurst shares her new perspective in New Goals After Sport Injuries.

Think your cat is suffering from more than just the summer heat? Then read Kimberly Thompson’s article to learn more about Cat Hyperthyroidism and Thyroid Health.

If you’ve been feeling under the weather lately then we’ve got the cure for you. Check out our interview with Paulette Millis, registered nutritional consulting professional and author of Eat Away Illness.

Looking for a great on-the-go snack that is healthy and eco-conscious? Then this family owned brand is sure to keep you smiling. Read about how Nature’s Path Organic is watching out for you and the earth.

We’re still working on world peace but in the meantime, we can all appreciate some inner tranquillity. Antonia Hagens can help you along that journey in Spiritual Health and Finding Peace.

Comment (0)

Like Giada DeLaurentis, Dannelle is one of those female foodie-types that you love to hate; not only is she gorgeous and blessed with a Barbie doll-like figure, but the girl really knows her way around a kitchen!  To answer the age-old question, "Is there such thing as a perfectly well-rounded person?"  Why yes, as a matter of fact, there is!

Aside from her physical beauty - enviously high metabolism - and culinary wizardry, Dannelle wears many other hats: wife, mother, and financier-by-day/baker-extraordinaire-by-night. You simply cannot help but fall under her sweet, confectionary spell.

When Dannelle and I were initially introduced via email, I wasn't quite sure how to envision myself sampling - let alone liking - Vegan and vegan-Gluten-Free baked goods. What did all of those fancy, nouveau words mean, anyways?

In what almost seemed like a drug deal, I slipped away from my cubicle and met Dannelle in front of my office building. "Hi, here's the stuff," she said, while handing me a small, black tote bag. "Thanks, I'll give these a try and let you know how they are," I said.

Luckily, I returned to my desk before anyone could miss me.

As I reached in to the black tote and pulled out its contents, I was impressed by Dannelle's product packaging. Three mini, jam-filled muffins stood in unison under a sealed plastic container that was topped with a round "GoodGoodies" sticker (denoting contact info, etc.).

After cutting one of the treats in half, I was pleased to observe that, in the center of each, was a sizeable dollop of strawberry jam. My first bite evoked earthy flavors of course grain and a hint of sweetness from the jam. I was warmly surprised by the muffin's moist and supple texture. "This can't be vegan/gluten-free," I kept saying under my breath, "it tastes too damn good!"

With so many questions running rampant in my head, I decided that, instead of assuming that Dannelle had "punked" me (there's just no way that healthy food can taste that good!), I would arrange a formal Q&A to set the record straight.  Read it and eat.

How did you come up with the name GoodGoodies?
My husband actually came up with the name. I had made him some cupcakes and I told him that I made some goodies for him. When he tasted them he said, "Boy these are some good goodies!" and the name stuck.

How long has your business been around?
I started the business in October 2009.

Why do you make vegan and vegan-gluten-free products?
GoodGoodies™ is my gift to vegans, gluten-free eaters and to those who want a GoodGoodie™ that's good for you. Since those of us who are on special diets have to sacrifice taste and a lot of our childhood comfort foods, I wanted to help make that transition go more smoothly by making the desserts we were used to eating more healthy. Personally, my unrelenting sweet tooth led me on a quest to find delicious, healthy, baked goodies that were not sickeningly sweet or tasteless. After a long, sad, unsuccessful search I asked myself, "Why can't someone make a delicious, fair priced vegan treat that would make me feel comfortable serving it to my 2 year old and my husband?" So, instead of waiting for "someone" to create something I became that someone. 

What are the main ingredients in vegan/gluten-free products?
I use a lot of natural oils (i.e. sunflower, canola) and fruits in my desserts. Along with unbleached flours and natural extracts. For obvious reasons I can't reveal all my secret ingredients, but those listed are the main ones

Do you have a website? If not, how do people order from you? Contact you?
My website is still a work in progress www.degoodgoodies.com but I hope to have it up and running by the end of this month. In the meantime, I take orders by referrals or by people e-mailing me at degoodgoodies@gmail.com and I will send them my order sheet.

Are you prepared for large delivery orders?
Am I prepared for large orders? Well, it would depend on the size of the order and when it is needed by. I've done large orders in the past for birthday parties and family gatherings and it was a successful experience.

What is your end-goal for GoodGoodies?
My end-goal for GoodGoodies™ is to have my own shop and to also have my goodies available for purchase at other retailers.
 

Comment (0)

Like smog created by air pollution, electrosmog is created by electromagnetic field radiation from cell phones, wireless computers and networks, and new utility technologies like Smart Grids and Smart Meters. Electrosmog envelopes us 24-7: in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, even hotels and no one really knows the long-term effects on our health, or on our DNA.

The ever-expanding electrosmog is comprised of several EMF or electromagnetic radiation fields of different intensity: from ELFs (extremely low frequency fields) to “dirty electricity” — a frequency that gets on wiring in our walls from electronics that contain transformers; from compact fluorescent light bulbs and dimmer switches to RFs (radio frequencies), and a subset of RF called microwave radiation emitted by cell phones, wireless networks and portable phones.

“All these radiation fields disrupt the regulation of the nervous system in our bodies,” said Camilla Rees, during a recent interview on my radio show “Your Super Natural Life.” Camilla, founder of ElectromagneticHealth.org, is one of the foremost advocates for safer cell phone and wireless technologies, and exposes the link between electromagnetic pollution and our health. “We are electromagetic beings,” she said, “and are especially vulnerable to unnatural electromagetic fields.”

Many people are becoming “electrosensitive” due, in part, to being exposed to more and more wireless devices like computers, printers and routers, cell phones, or from living near cell phone towers or antennas. According to Camilla, electrosensitivities can show up as acute symptoms like excessive fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, irritability, visual problems, memory loss, difficulty in concentrating, dizziness and cardiovascular disruptions. Long-term symptoms include conditions like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and other chronic pain syndromes. Also, German doctors have found that newly developing cancer cases are much higher within 400 meters of a cell tower. The risk of getting cancer increased by 200% after 5 years of exposure (H. Eger et al). Another study showed that within 350 meters of a cell phone tower there was a 300% increased incidence of cancer and a 900% increase in cancer among women alone (Wolf et al, 2004). “Even though you might not be experiencing symptoms now, doesn’t mean you won’t in the future due to increased exposure,” added Camilla.

Magda Havas, Ph.D., co-author with Camilla of “Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution,” says that it can take just a small amount over a long period of time to be effected. “Symptoms of electrohypersensitivity have been demonstrated at exposures that are a fraction (0.04%) of U.S. exposure guidelines, in part because the guidelines themselves only take into consideration a 30-minute exposure, not chronic exposures.” Magda is also author of the new BRAG Antenna Ranking of Schools Report,which ranks U.S. schools and shows parents and teachers how to gauge the risk of radiation exposure from neighborhood antennas.

What sets people up for greater sensitivity to EMFs? Here are some factors that are known or suspected:

• Excessive EMF exposure, as well as long-term exposure

• Any metal in the body, like metal dental fillings, implants, braces, metal prostheses and pace makers and deep brain stimulators for Parkinson’s

Comment (0) Read More...