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The new Earthjustice/EIP/Sierra Club report (PDF, 6MB) shows that at every one of the coal ash dump sites equipped with

coal ash dangers

Coal ash contamination

groundwater monitoring wells concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic or lead exceed federal health-based standards for drinking water, with concentrations at Hatfield’s Ferry site in Pennsylvania reaching as high as 341 times the federal standard for arsenic.

A February 2010 EIP/Earthjustice report documented 31 coal ash dump sites in 14 states. The 39 additional sites in today’s report along with the 67 already identified by the EPA bring the total number of known toxic contamination sites from coal ash pollution to 137 sites in 34 states.

Together, the independent reports and the EPA’s own findings make clear the growing number of waters known to be poisoned by poor management of the toxic ash left over after coal is burned for electricity.

“There is no greater reason for coal ash regulation than preventing the poisoning of our water. We now have 39 more good reasons for a national coal ash rule,” said Lisa Evans, Senior Legislative Counsel at Earthjustice. “The mounting number of contaminated sites demonstrates that the states are unable or unwilling to solve this problem.”

“The contamination of water supplies, threats to people, and damage to the environment documented in this report illustrate very real and dangerous harms that are prohibited by federal law but are going on in a largely unchecked fashion at today’s coal ash dump sites,” said Jeff Stant, director, Coal Combustion Waste Initiative, Environmental Integrity Project.

“The health risks from exposure to this toxic waste are real and we cannot afford to ignore them any longer,” said Lyndsay Moseley, Federal Policy Representative with Sierra Club. “It is clear from this report that the closer we look the worse this problem becomes. The only real solution is for the EPA to adopt federally enforceable protections as part of its push to improve public health.”

Report Highlights:

Coal ash pollution poses serious health risks. People living near unlined coal ash ponds can have an extremely high 1 in 50 risk of cancer. That’s more than 2,000 times higher than what the EPA considers acceptable by coal ash (including scrubber sludge) now is at least 137 in 34 states.

Coal ash is putting drinking water from private wells at risk. Contaminated groundwater underneath at least 15 of the 39 sites is moving toward private water wells within two miles of site boundaries, according to monitoring data and public information on private well locations.

Coal ash threatens public water wells and intakes. At least 18 of the 39 contaminated sites are located within five miles of a public groundwater well that could potentially be affected by pollutants from these sites. At nine of those sites, there are at least five public water wells within a five-mile radius.

Coal ash toxins are threatening surface waters. In several cases coal ash dump sites are leaking their toxic cargo into rivers just upstream from the intakes for public water systems. Often, metals like arsenic are discharged to rivers through adjacent groundwater.

Most damaged sites are still active and virtually all show recent evidence of contamination. The damaged sites identified cannot be dismissed as a legacy of past practices that are no longer allowed today. Almost all of the facilities described in the report are active disposal sites.

Nearly 40 years after coal ash disposal stopped at the Montville site (CT), average concentrations of arsenic in groundwater collected in 2007-2009 still exceed the MCL by 21 times and are higher than measurements taken ten years ago.

Very good reasons for stricter regulations!

Meanwhile you need to take care of your health!

Chicago Tribune

Ann MeyerMinding Your Business

Wellness

Wellness is health care

As companies increasingly get creative about holding the line on health care costs, more are turning to inexpensive wellness programs. Events that promise to get workers moving and thinking about preventive health care are paying off in increased job attendance and smaller annual health care cost increases.

“We learned very quickly that some of the best ways to manage health care costs are through promoting a healthy work force,” said Lisa Pinion, vice president of human resources at Assurance Agency in Schaumburg. “We’ve been able to show, by taking a proactive role, you not only can help manage your health care costs but you can improve your productivity.”
Using its 210-employee company as a case study of wellness programs, Assurance has found a substantial drop in sick-time usage. On average, the number of sick days used per employee dropped to one day per 12 months as of the end of July, down from about five days per employee in 2005, Pinion said.
“We give our employees eight paid illness days, and almost no one is using them,” she said.
Assurance also has held the line on insurance costs to single- and low-single-digit annual increases, Pinion said. Three out of four employees participated in at least one wellness event last year, and the company’s current goal is to have 85 percent of workers try at least three events this year.
Short-term activities often work best, Pinion said. “If you’re doing a walking challenge, make it a four-week program, not a six-month program, because it will lose steam,” she said.
Wellness events don’t have to be extravagant, Pinion said. “Small things make a difference over time.”
Alper Services, a Chicago insurance broker, offers its 50 employees free flu shots, CPR training, walking and weight-loss contests, and lunchtime lessons in karate, yoga and nutrition. Its Walk the Talk challenge in April encouraged employees to take 150,000 steps, or about 5,000 a day.
In August, it hosted a weekday summer outing to Lincoln Park Zoo, where employees competed in a race to take the most steps during a three-hour period. The winner was crowned the Alper Zookeeper, and won a half-day off.
Making activities into group events can build camaraderie, said Yvette Bickcom, who works in the employee benefits department at Alper Services. “Certain things, I wouldn’t do on my own,” she said.
The American health care system gets an “F” when it comes to acting on a handful of prevention methods that have the potential to save the most lives.
That failing grade came from Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a Wednesday speech to members of the National Association of County and City Health Officials gathered here for their annual conference at Cook Convention Center.
Frieden said some of America’s biggest killers — heart disease, cancer and lung disease — can be tamed with prevention strategies.

August 22, 2010

Sunset

Beauty of Nature

Vitamin D has risen to the ranks of nutritional superstardom. Research suggests this nutrient will perform best if you take it during your biggest meal of the day — be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

D for Dinner?
About three-quarters of us are deficient in vitamin D. A growing body of research links this nutrient to a list of health benefits, such as lower blood pressure, stronger bones, better immunity, and possibly even a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. One easy way to get your D is to spend some time outside  just 10 to 20 minutes of sun during peak hours is all you need. But a supplement is a great backup plan. And when researchers examined D-deficient middle-aged and older adults, they found that pairing the supplement with the largest meal of their day — rather than small meals, snacks, or an empty stomach — doubled the participants’ blood levels.

Table 1: Selected food sources of vitamin D10-12

Food International Units(IU)
per serving
Percent DV
DailyValue)*
Pure Cod liver oil, 1 Tablespoon (Note: most refined cod liver oils today have the vitamin D removed! Check your label to be certain.) 1,360 340
Salmon, cooked, 3½ ounces 360 90
Mackerel, cooked, 3½ ounces 345 90
Tuna fish, canned in oil, 3 ounces 200 50
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 1¾ ounces 250 70
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D fortified, 1 cup 98 25
Margarine, fortified, 1 Tablespoon 60 15
Pudding, prepared from mix and made with vitamin D fortified milk, ½ cup 50 10
Ready-to-eat cereals fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, ¾ cup to 1 cup servings (servings vary according to the brand) 40 10
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in egg yolk) 20 6
Liver, beef, cooked, 3½ ounces 15 4
Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce 12 4

Here is the Vitamin D in isotonic form

August 19, 2010

Powerful antioxidant

Pine bark extract Pycnogenol

Pycnogenol is a trade name for a compound of natural antioxidants extracted from the bark of the French Maritime pine tree-Pinus pinaster. Loaded with bioflavonoids and other biologically active phytonutrients, or plant nutrients, Pycnogenol is backed by clinical research and a long history of use. Studies show that Pycnogenol-a powerful antioxidant-has cardiovascular benefits, boosts the immune system, improves the appearance of the skin, treats varicose veins, relieves the pain of arthritis, and reduces inflammation.

Pycnogenol is one of the few standardized bioflavonoid-containing plant extracts that has undergone numerous experimental and clinical studies to determine its effects on the human body. Because Pycnogenol is a standardized extract-meaning that each batch of Pycnogenol contains exactly the same amount of bioflavonoids and procyanidins-other researchers can use it in their experiments to confirm the results of previous studies. This is one of the important criteria of scientific research-that experiments can be successfully reproduced by other researchers. In fact, one reason why researchers have come up with so many different results when testing plant extracts and compounds is because these substances have not been standardized. Once a substance becomes standardized, however, it often attracts much scientific attention.
Short history
French explorer Jacques Cartier was introduced to pine-bark tea by the native Indians of Quebec during the winter of 1534. The Indians gave Cartier and his men the pine-bark tea to save them from dying of scurvy. Over 400 years later, Professor Jack Masquelier of the University of Bordeaux in France was working in Canada and came across this information. It fascinated him because he was very interested in studying the bioflavonoids, which he suspected were partly responsible for helping Cartier’s group ward off scurvy.
Professor Masquelier began to conduct research on pine bark to determine its biological effects. Later in France, he worked with extracts made from the bark of the Maritime pine trees that grew there. From this work, he determined that the extract did indeed display antioxidant activity and had beneficial effects on the vascular system-similar to the vitamin-P factor observed years earlier by Albert Szent-Gyorgyi. Professor Masquelier continued his work on pine-bark extract and developed a standardized extract, which he eventually called Pycnogenol.

OPC-3 in Isotonic form

The Isotonix (TM) OPC-3

Pycnogenol has been used safely for many years in Europe. This substance has no mutagenic activity as determined by the Ames test. This means that Pycnogenol does not cause DNA mutations and is non-cancer causing. Moreover, Pycnogenol has gone through extensive testing to confirm its purity and safety. Studies on humans report no alarming side effects-even at high dosages. Pycnogenol is therefore considered nontoxic at the recommended dosage of 20 to 100mg per day for extended periods of several months, or 100 to 300mg for shorter periods of a few months, which is reserved for therapeutic usag

The phytonutrient components of Pycnogenol-including the antioxidant organic acids caffeic acid, gallic acid, and ferulic acid-have been tested for their free-radical scavenging activities. Pycnogenol has been shown to be effective in neutralizing several types of free radicals, such as the super oxide radical and hydroxyl radical. It also inhibits fatty-acid peroxidation caused by the biochemical t-butyl hydro peroxide, and thereby reduces damage to the cardiovascular system.
Here is some research done on Pycnogenol:

August 12, 2010

What is Acupressure?

Benefits of acupressure

Healing touch

Acupressure is an ancient healing art using the fingers and other parts of the body to skillfully press key points, which stimulate the body’s natural self-curing abilities. When these trigger points are pressed, they release muscular tension, and promote circulation of blood, and the body’s life force energy (Qi or Chi or Prana) to aid healing. Acupuncture and acupressure use the same pressure points and meridians, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses gentle to firm pressure and integrates bodywork therapies, therapeutic touch, somatic work, healing imagery, energy psychology, and massage therapy techniques.

The Chinese scriptures which date back more than 4000 years tell us about treatments with nails to balance body and mind. No one knows for sure when the bed of nails was first used to heal the body and raise consciousness. An approximate estimate is at least several thousand years

Channeling Ki or Chi or Reiki energy through the acupressure points can enable you to tap into Traditional Chinese or Indian Medicine’s tremendous wealth of ancient healing knowledge – that’s point specific.

Advantages of Using Acupressure include relieving pain, balancing the body, and maintaining good health. Acupressure’s healing touch reduces tension, increases circulation, and enables the body to relax deeply. By relieving stress, acupressure therapy strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness.  Learn self-acupressure point formulas for various energy imbalances and healing applications.

Acupressure mat

Shakti acupressure mat

Our modern day acupressure spike mat is designed to relieve pain and stress, and produce relaxation through acupressure therapy. Lying on the 6,200 plastic spikes assembled on the Shakti Mat helps increase blood flow and stimulate nerve endings. The result is an effective tool to resolve tension, relieve pain and provide deep relaxation.

If you haven’t already seen one, tried one, or at least heard about the Shakti mat – be prepared. This mat sold 300.000 pieces last year in Sweden alone. And now the inventor is ready for a world-wide launch.

The Shakti Mat’s distinctive design is reminiscent of the Indian bed of nails, an ancient healing practice used by mystics to achieve deep meditative states. Our Shakti mat combines thousands of years of Indian tradition with modern technology to aid in the healing process and help release emotional, physical and mental blockages.

When you lie on the Shakti Mat, it prompts the body to produce good hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin. Endorphins are normally released during physical movement and exercise, and help support body against pain. Oxytocin helps you relax and allows you to fall asleep more easily.

A new study has found that having excess belly fat, even if weight and BMI are normal, is linked with an increased risk of dying
Belly fat

Belly Fat

prematurely.
The prospective study, conducted by Eric J. Jacobs PhD of the Epidemiology Research Program of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, included more than 100,000 men and women over the age of 50 (average age around 68). Waist measurements were self-reported in 1997, and researchers tracked the participants until 2006.
Abdominal obesity was defined as having a waist circumference of greater than 88 centimeters (35 inches) for women and 102 centimeters (40 inches) for men.
Among men with a normal BMI (Body Mass Index), defined as 18.5 to 24.9, each 10 centimeter increase in waist circumference raised mortality risk by 16%. For women, each 10 cm increase increased the risk by 25%. Among the obese, those with “extreme waist circumferences”, 110 cm (43″) or more in women and 120 cm (47″) or more for men, had more than double the mortality risk compared with those with an normal waist measurement.
The associations with waist circumference were strongest for mortality caused by respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and
cancer.
Excess weight around the abdomen is strongly correlated with fat deposited around the internal organs. The issue is critical, they added, because more than half of men and 70% of women age 50 to 79 in the United States exceed the recommendations for waist circumference.
“Even if your weight is considered normal for your height, keeping your waist size is important for your health,” Jacobs said. “So if
you notice your waist size increasing over time, it’s time to start eating better and exercising more.”
You don’t need doctors or drugs.
Proper eating habits and regular exercise will do. And don’t forget 8 hours of sleep!
Daily moderate-intensity exercise is the best way to lose abdominal fat. Adults should aim for a minimum of 30 minutes a day at least
5 days a week of walking, running, bicycling, aerobics, or another form of exercise that increases the heart rate. Strength training and
core training are also important to build muscle tone, which in turn burns more calories at rest.
Diet also plays a very important role in reducing visceral fat. Increase intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and
unsaturated fats and reduce consumption of refined grains, sugar and saturated fat.

Antibiotics: Misuse puts you and others at risk

By Mayo Clinic stuff

antibiotics

Antibiotics overuse

If you think antibiotic resistance isn’t a problem or doesn’t affect you, think again. A prominent example of the dangers of antibiotic resistance is the spread of MRSA — or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA was once a concern only for people in the hospital, but a newer form of MRSA is causing infections in healthy people in the community.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when antibiotics no longer work against disease-causing bacteria. These infections are difficult to treat and can mean longer lasting illnesses, more doctor visits or extended hospital stays, and the need for more expensive and toxic medications. Some resistant infections can even cause death.

Dispute over rules for approving new drugs stalls production even as concern rises over deadly resistant bacteria

August 06, 2010|By Trine Tsouderos, Tribune reporter

Drug companies are abandoning the antibacterial business, citing high development costs, low return on investment and, increasingly, a nearly decade-long stalemate with the Food and Drug Administration over how to bring new antibiotics to market.

Soon, doctors fear, we could be defenseless against bacteria that can resist all existing antibiotics, which would mean more victims like Simon, dead from a staph infection that drugs used to conquer easily.

Dr. Brad Spellberg, an expert on antibiotic resistance, called the situation “catastrophic.”

The debate over setting new guidelines for antibiotic clinical trials has lasted almost a decade. In two years there have been at least nine meetings among the FDA, pharmaceutical industry scientists and physicians, academics and infectious-disease doctors, but the group has agreed on little besides the dire need for new antibiotics.

For years, new antibiotics often were approved based on clinical trials that didn’t have to show the new drug was better than an old one. Instead it had to fall within an acceptable margin of efficacy, which meant it could test somewhat worse and still be considered a success.

Some are suggesting that for community-acquired pneumonia, antibiotics trials might require as many as 10,000 patients at a cost of about $50,000 a patient, or $500 million. “Cubist barely makes that much a year,” he said.

“Nobody can run those trials,” said Shlaes. “They live in a different world. Their world is numbers and logic. It is not patients and life.”

And in my opinin that is the root of the problem. Big Pharma concerned about profits, not patients and life.

When is it appropriate to use antibiotics?

Antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections, certain fungal infections and some kinds of parasites. Antibiotics don’t work against viruses. Taking an antibiotic when you have a viral infection won’t make you feel better — and can contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Ways to avoid antibiotic resistance

Wash the right way. There is some concern that the triclosan in antibacterial soaps could lead to resistance, and it’s not clear whether they’re any more effective than scrubbing for 30 seconds with regular soap and water. Alcohol is also effective surface cleaner that don’t create resistance.

Buy organic. The antibiotics in the feed of some nonorganic farm animals may contribute to antibiotic resistance. Check your local farmers’ markets

Don’t take an antibiotic unless you absolutely have to. “We could probably cut our antibiotic use by 70% if people only took them when they are absolutely necessary,” says Louis Rice, MD, an expert on resistant bugs and chief of medical service at Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. With some illnesses that typically go away on their own, like ear infections and sinus infections, you can practice “watchful waiting”—get the prescription, but don’t fill it unless the condition persists.

Ask for the shortest course of antibiotics. “The optimal length of antibiotic use for most illnesses may be much less than the current recommendations,” Dr. Rice says. “There might be a three-day course or a seven-day course that is equally effective as a longer one.” For example, when doctors studied treatments for urinary-tract infections, they found that 87% cleared up with a single dose of antibiotics and 94% were cured with a three-day course.

Strengthen your immune sysytem wit proper food and natural supplements.

Teach others how to avoid antibiotics

Sitting around may put you in your grave sooner than you expect.
A study that analyzed questionnaires responses from 123,216 people over 14 years concluded that sitting around shortens your life span, USA TODAY reports.
Participants were followed for 14 years, from 1993 to 2006.
Researchers determined women who sit for six hours a day have a 37 percent increased risk of dying versus those who only sat for three hours. For men, the increased risk was 17 percent. Researchers came to those numbers after adjusting their data for risk factors such as smoking and body mass index.
The more Americans engage in one of their favorite pastimes — sitting around — the shorter their average life span, a new study suggests.
The effect remained even after researchers factored out obesity or the level of daily physical activity people were engaged in, according to a study of more than 120,000 American adults.
It’s just one more reason to “get up and walk,” said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge “The message here is like everything in your life. People need to recognize that the things you do every day have consequences. And if you’re in a job that does require sitting, that’s fine, but any time you can expend energy is good. That’s the key.”
I thought it is obvious!

July 16, 2010

Published with permission of http://www.skinrejuvenex.com/skin-care/646/#more-646

It is important to remember that what you put in your body, will be reflected on your skin. If you’re the type of person that generally eats fried up food, soda drinks and other foods that lack nutritional value, you will struggle to maintain a flawless complexion.
Estheticians understand the importance of identifying the cause of any type of skin problem. This helps us advise clients to the best of our ability. For instance, if a client has inflammation problems on the skin, you should generally be warned against eating tomatoes, potatoes or eggplants.
Yet once an esthetician identifies acne as the skin problem, how does one approach it holistically?
Acne:
Acne is recognized by the American Academy of Dermatology as the most common skin problem found amongst younger and older persons. The reason there is an increase in the number of older clients looking for acne treatment is due to stress, bad eating habits and a poor exercise regime.
There are various types of acne but the most important are as follows: inflammatory, hormonal, bacterial and cystic. There are a number of contributing factors that can cause these types of acne. Some of these factors are oily skin, allergies, genetics, candidas, an exposure to certain types of drugs, exposure to pollutants, make up and a diet that is full of saturated fats.
Most dermatologists will automatically prescribe antibiotics and Accutane to treat most types of acne. The drugs can treat the problem but there are possible negative side effects. Whenever you take antibiotics, it depletes the body of both beneficial and harmful bacteria. When you take antibiotics, you should remember to take probiotics to maintain the health of your intestinal flora. By taking probiotics you are replenishing your body with essential bacteria.
Drugs with tetracycline can cause your skin to become photosensitive. This can promote hyperpigmentation. Holistically, it’s recommended to rather take colloidal silver, which is a natural antibiotic. Colloidal Silver can be taken orally or applied topically.
If you are struggling with acne, it is essential to increase your cellular turnover. The cells of the stratum corneum (the top layer of the skin) does not shed very fast. This creates a buildup of cells on the surface which can trap bacteria and oil. Facial exfoliation is very important step in our skin regimen, it is helping skin shed quicker than it would normally do. Among the variety types of exfoliation, we recommend MECHANICAL (such as Ultrasound Skin Spatula) or ENZYMATIC EXFOLIATORS.
It is important to realize that there is a direct link between sugar and inflammation. This is similar to the link between blemish-free skin and proper nutrition. There was a survey conducted with Japanese patients, once they switched to an American-style diet, they had an increase in the occurrence of acne.
Acne

Acne treatment

Weather and Acne:
In the summer months, we sweat. For this reason it’s essential to keep the skin clean of excess oils that can be created by sweating. Don’t use harsh chemicals to clean your skin around this time of year. When using harsh chemicals it can strip the skin of its natural acid mantle. This triggers sebum production which can stimulate an acne outbreak.
A similar concept should be applied during the winter months when dryness is experienced. It can be tempting to skip out on using moisturizer during the winter months. However, even acenic skin needs to be moisturized. It is suggested that you increase your intake of essential fatty acids by using either flaxseed or primrose oils. The fatty acids in the oil will help break up the fat deposits that block pores. It will also help restore healthy tissue.
Skin Exfoliation With Ultrasound Skin Spatula Protocol:
1. Cleanse once with cleanser
2. For second cleans, use brush machine with steam (you may also use hot towel if steamer is not available, then apply enzyme peel, and remove peel after 10 – 15 minutes).
3. Using either gauze wipe saturated with distilled water or with a small water spray source, moisten the face before cleaning with the Ultrasound Skin Spatula (in sonic mode / exfoliation).Repeat.
4. Massage lightly to relax facial muscles and follow with extractions then serum applications (e.g. Vitamin C Serum), then penetrate serum with Ultrasound Spatula (in ion +/-).
5. After penetration, apply and remove masque then tone (+ moisturizer with sun screen using Ultrasound Spatula (in ionzyme mode).
Attention:
It is suggested not to use Ultrasound Skin Spatula on Pustular Acne or around areas of  Broken Capillaries.

The resveratrol in grapes has long been heralded for its heart-healthy properties. But the same compound may also help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, writes Joseph Maroon, MD, in his book The Longevity Factor.
In a recent study, researchers found that injections of resveratrol helped soothe inflamed joints in animals. And while it’s not clear how much dietary resveratrol would be needed to help arthritis, grapes and grape juice have lots of other health-promoting qualities, so adding them to. your diet certainly can’t hurt.
Resveratrol stops inflammation the same way aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do — by inhibiting the molecular switch that turns inflammation on and off in the body. Still hurting despite taking your pain meds and supplements?
Isotonix Resveratrol

The most efficient form of resveratrol

Isotonix® Resveratrol is an isotonic-capable supplement, made from three patented ingredients: Resveravine with 20% resveratrol extract, BioVin® Advanced with 5% resveratrol extract, and VitaBlue® (wild blueberry extract), designed to promote normal cell health. Isotonix Resveratrol works to maintain cell health, promote normal cell cycle activity, promote apoptosis (programmed cell death) in unhealthy cells, support the normal activity of the SIRT-1 gene, and promote cardiovascular health, by promoting healthy platelet activity, promoting vasorelaxation, and providing antioxidant protection of LDL particles. Resveravine is a combination of trans-resveratrol (20% purity) and viniferin extracted from vine stems, which work synergistically to enhance the effectiveness of resveratrol extract.

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