Thursday, August 30, 2012

Recycling

Just a quick post on this, as the word speaks for itself more or less. But always remember to recycle when possible. It's definetely a positive and effective hobby that's helpful for the Earth. Anything ranging from plastic, to glass, to paper. If you're not sure whether something's recyclable or not, just put it in the recycle bin just to be safe. The recycling centers sort out everything over there.
The Earth's resources are finite, so when something's gone, it's gone for good. But with all of our efforts to recycle, we won't have to worry about running out. And it also results in less of a toll being taken on the Earth. For example; if everyone recycles enough paper, it reduces the amount of trees that need to get cut down to make more paper.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Activism

But what can just one of us do? Against all that money and power trying to crush us into roaches?
- Jello Biafra

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.
- Margaret Mead

It's my belief that political, social, and environmental activism are some of the most effective things that we, the common citizens, can be doing that will cause real positive change in the world. With all of the countless corporations, banks, and politicians causing harm to the world, in one way or another, it's up to us to stop them. We have to be the big obstacle for them, because nothing else will. The good thing is that we can make a difference, especially when joined together in large numbers. I know there's a lot of important issues to cover and try to fix in the world, but luckily, every one of them has atleast one large activist organization working tirelessly for the cause and attempting to create as positive a change as possible. And even better, the presence of the internet has made it easier than ever for anyone to actively become involved with any of these organizations and to help join the fight and make positive changes in the world. It's great to get out and find live activist protests and demonstrations in public to join, but when location or work schedules get in the way of that, it's still just as effective, and convenient, to join the organizations "Action Alerts" teams and work from home (just follow the "Take Action" links). Most of the organizations make this as quick and easy as possible for their participants. So without further ado, here is a list of organizations that I strongly recommend getting involved with:

GreenPeace - http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - http://www.peta.org/

Sierra Club - http://www.sierraclub.org/

Environmental Defense Fund - http://www.edf.org/

Flouride Action Network - http://www.fluoridealert.org/

Global Exchange - http://www.globalexchange.org/

Organic Consumers Association - http://organicconsumers.org/

Right to Know GMO - http://www.carighttoknow.org/

Green America - http://www.greenamerica.org/

Answer Coalition - http://www.answercoalition.org/national/index.html

Natural Resource Defense Council - http://www.nrdc.org/

Oceana - http://oceana.org/en

World Wildlife Fund - http://worldwildlife.org/

United For Peace and Justice - http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

The Nature Conservancy - http://www.nature.org/

War Resisters League - http://www.warresisters.org/

Center for Biological Diversity - http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/

Clean Water Action - http://www.cleanwater.org/

Earth Justice - http://earthjustice.org/

Conservation International - http://www.conservation.org/Pages/default.aspx

Healthy Child Healthy World - http://healthychild.org/

Eco Health Alliance - http://www.ecohealthalliance.org/

Clean Clothes Campaign - http://www.cleanclothes.org/

This is just a small example of the many organizations that are out there. If you'd like, you can join any one of those, as well as searching for other ones that focus on the main issues that you care about. Consider the quote "No one can do everything, but everyone can do something." The world needs our help right now, and I hope you'll join the effort.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Conscientious Consumerism Can Save the World

I believe that one of the most important things that we can do to promote real positive change for the planet, both on an individual and collective level, is to be much more careful and conscientous about where we spend our money and what we spend it on. For example, I mentioned earlier how important it is to buy organic food. Let's say hypothetically that overnight, everyone decided to buy only organic food from here on out. This would activate a huge positive change. Within a month or so, you'd see all of the fast food restaurants closing and going out of business. You'd see industries like Monsanto panicking and running out of money. Most people don't realize that it's us, the consumers, who hold the real power, rather than the corporations. It's a matter of demand and supply. So if everyone switched over to only organic food, those would be the only food companies that would survive, and all of the companies that use GMO's, pesticides, herbicides, etc, would run out of business, and there'd be no market for new ones to start up.
Another good example is: let's say that everyone stopped buying hygiene products from companies that partake in animal testing. Within a matter of months, all of those companies would be going out of business, and there'd be no more animal testing in the world.

The best thing about this strategy is that it works the same for every industry. If everyone in the country only spent money on environmentally responsible, health promoting, and ethical companies, then it would be the downfall for every company that stands for the opposite of those things. All of the companies that stand for greed and corruption, and who care more about money than the welfare of the planet and all of its inhabitants, they'd all be gone and out of business in a matter of months if we, the common people, stopped supporting them by buying their products. Imagine a world with only caring, positive, and healthy companies that had good morals, and who cared about the planet and its people and animals. That sounds like a world I'd want to live in. And the good news is that we, the people, have the power to make that happen. The only hard parts are initially learning about this issue in the first place, and also learning about which companies are the positive ones to be spending money on and supporting. Luckily, there are some sources out there that can help direct us to finding out which companies are good (worth spending money on) and bad (completely avoiding). These websites are probabaly the best of those sources that I've found so far....

http://www.betterworldshopper.com/rankings.html

I wouldn't consider it to be 100% completely accurate, but it's definetely a good step in the right direction, and a good starting point in general.

Another really good one is... http://www.greenpages.org/

Fortunately, most companies that are ethical, caring, and environmentally responsible go out of their way to advertise those things on their websites, especially in their Frequently Asked Questions sections, so if you're ever questionable about any company/corporation, just check their website and it should be easy to figure out where they stand.

And just remember; the corporate world is dependent on us, the common citizens, even more so than we're dependent on them. We control the market with our spending habits. Their destinies lay in our hands. So since we're the ones with the power, let's use it wisely and really make it count.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

General Hygiene: Healthy and Conscientious Choices

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
-Mahatma Ghandi

In my last post I went over the do's and don'ts of dental hygiene, and for this post I'll try to go over the rest of the hygienic needs and my recommendations for healthy, beneficial, and ecologically responsible products that can meet those needs. Much like with the dental products, the main things to keep in mind are to find products that contain mostly organic, harmless ingredients, and are cruelty free/not tested on animals. Such products can easily be found in any natural health market, and even in the natural health section of most supermarkets.

The company I most recommend for shower and facial products is Sea Chi Organics http://seachi.com/. Especially
 http://www.seachi.com/lime-body-wash-4oz120ml-p-99.html for body wash, http://www.seachi.com/peppermint-shampoo-8oz240ml-p-102.html for shampoo, and
http://www.seachi.com/leave-moisturizing-treatment-hair-growth-formula-8oz240ml-p-44.html for conditioner. They have a number of other products that cover all kinds of things, all of which are worth looking into. Dr. Bronner's Soaps is definetely another highly recommended company http://www.drbronner.com/ and they have products that cover almost all hygienic needs. Giovanni Cosmetics is another wonderful company that offers very reasonable prices for all of their products http://www.giovannicosmetics.net/.

For deoderants, it's really important to get a brand that doesn't contain any aluminum (and all the other chemicals the mainstream brands use, for that matter). Aluminum-containing deoderants have been linked to causing many health problems, even cancer. Read more about that at http://suite101.com/article/aluminum-in-deodorant-a45498 and http://www.naturalnews.com/027624_deodorant_aluminum.html. My preferred brand is Alba Botanica http://www.albabotanica.com/body/deodorants.html.

For hand soap, I really like the antibacterial soap by Clean Well http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/our-products/hand-soaps/.

For body lotion, I recommend the MSM lotion by Sun Star Organics http://sunstarorganics.com/msmberryvanillalotion.aspx.

Here's a site that list's a huge amount of hygiene companies that don't partake in animal testing... http://www.leapingbunny.org/shopping.php

And of course any of the body and skin care products approved by healthy-living expert David Wolfe and featured on the Longevity Warehouse site at http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/category-s/156.htm.

Those are some of the brands and products that I recommend, but when choosing for yourself, always consider these two main things to keep in mind: No harmful and toxic chemicals, and no testing on animals.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Dental Hygiene/The Flouride Issue

One of the most important aspects of taking care of oneself is dental hygiene. The strategy that I was always taught was to just brush and floss a couple of times per day, and maybe use some mouthwash as well, without much more detail than that. It was pretty straight forward and to the point, and it worked good enough. I never had any cavities or any other dental problems. But eventually, I learned that there was a danger from not having enough detailed information. A danger that was hidden in the background the whole time and that wasn't causing any harm that I was consciously aware of. The danger that I'm talking about is flouride, which is an ingrediant found in almost every mainstream toothpaste and mouthwash brand sold in supermarkets. It's also used during dentist visits and promoted by many dentists themselves, which is very misleading. And because all of the mainstream brands, and many dentists, promote this ingredient, it's very easy to not pay much attention to it, and to believe that it's healthy and perfectly safe to be using.
The main harm that flouride causes is that it calcifies the pineal gland over time. The pineal gland alone is a huge topic but the following article is a good starting point on learning more about it... http://miraclesandinspiration.com/pinealgland.html. In short, it's a very important gland located in the brain. Some ancient cultures considered it to be the third eye, and even referred to it as the seat of the soul. (Also note that it's important avoid drinking tap water, as most of it is flouridated, and contains many other nasty elements).
The harm doesn't stop there though. Many scientific researchers have come to the conclusion that it lowers IQ, including a few at Harvard... http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/24/idUS127920+24-Jul-2012+PRN20120724. When there's an article from Reuters and it consists of people at Harvard telling you this kind of information, it should be difficult to ignore by now. The following are also some great sources for learning more about the dangers and consequences of flouride... http://www.nofluoride.com/ which includes a good amount of quotes from Dentists, Doctors, etc. and http://www.fluoridealert.org/.

Another really big issue is that the majority of the mainstream dental hygiene brands that are featured in supermarkets participate in animal testing. These practices are highly cruel and harmful for the animals being used. They often live short lives with little or no quality. The question that everyone should ask themselves and meditate on is "Do I really want to be supporting this? Do I really want to be providing the companies that partake in this with money?" The longer that such companies get funded by customers, the longer they're in business for. The longer they're in business for, the longer they'll be able to continue with unconscionable animal testing.

The good news is that it's very easy to avoid pitfalls such as these. All one has to do is go to any natural health market to find dental hygiene products. The majority of them don't contain any flouride and they don't come from companies that partake in animal testing. They clearly state these facts on the labels and they show the little bunny symbol with "Cruelty Free" written right under it. The great things about products from natural health markets are that they not only lack all of the harmful chemicals and ingredients that the meanstream brands have, but they're also much more effective, and of course, beneficial. My personal favorites are the Theraneem products http://organixsouth.com/theraneem/oral-care/toothpaste-mint.html and http://organixsouth.com/theraneem/oral-care/herbal-neem-mouthwash.html for toothpaste and mouthwash. Terradent makes a really good toothbrush http://www.amazon.com/Eco-dent-Terradent-Replaceable-Head-Toothbrush/dp/B006L9SDDU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1344881383&sr=8-5&keywords=terradent. Any product from Dr. Tung's is highly recommended http://www.drtungs.com/. And of course any products from the Longevity Warehouse dental section, which have all been approved by healthy-living expert David Wolfe http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/category-s/128.htm.

After reading this, there might be a few skeptics out there that still believe that flouride is mandatory in order to have adequate dental health. But I've been flouride-free for over a year now and my teeth have never looked and felt stronger and healthier.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Supplements

It is possible to stay completely healthy without the use of supplements, especially if you're sticking to a diet filled with healthy organic food and drinks and exercise, but sometimes certain supplements can definetely provide that extra boost and improve upon an already healthy status. It can get really confusing though, because there's millions of supplements out there that cover every possible variety. A lot of them can be unhealthy, especially when mixing too many different kinds together. And a lot of them don't deliver the kind of results that they promise. I've always believed in the "Less is Best" approach when it comes to supplements and I wanted to share the ones that I've found to be really healthy and beneficial.

Multivitamin:

When looking for a multivitamin, it's very important that you make sure it's a whole-foods based one and that it contains mostly organic ingredients. If it's not whole-foods based, it might as well be a placebo. The one that I've found that works best for me is http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/LivingNutrients/LivingMultisupsupMens/tabid/668/Default.aspx (the directions say to take 6 pills per day, but I think that must be for extreme cases because if I take anymore than 1 a day, I feel I've taken too much). In fact, I strongly recommend Garden of Life in general. You can view all of their other products at http://www.gardenoflife.com/Home/tabid/1974/Default.aspx and drag down the list from the "Products for Life" option.

Protein:

When you work out on a regular basis, taking a protein powder can be very beneficial. Finding a good one can be extra tricky though because there's a lot of very unhealthy brands out there and they all promise amazing and almost unrealistic results. The one that I've found to be the best is http://www.sunwarrior.com/product-info/classic-protein/. I like Sunwarrior protien because it's raw, vegan, and doesn't contain any GMO's. I've found it to be safe and effective and the chocolate flavored one tastes really good. From what I understand, the Warrior Blend option is just as good as the classic one, but I havn't tried that one yet.

MSM:

A supplement that many people recommended to me, and one that David Wolfe highly promotes, is called MSM. This supplement is really beneficial as it helps to improve a lot of things ranging from joints, skin, hair, cartilage, and a number of other things. I've heard it referred to as an anti-aging supplement before, and that seems to be the case. The one that I've found to be the best is http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/Omica-Organics-Non-Petroleum-MSM-Crystals-1-lb-p/msmcrystals1lbomica.htm. It's organic and comes in the form of a powder. MSM has no known toxicity, so you can take a lot of it without worrying, but I'd recommend mixing 1 tablespoon with water or juice twice a day.

Those are the only supplements that I currently take, but for anyone who is interested in looking around to add more supplements to their regimen, I strongly recommend the website http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/Default.asp. Everything for sale on that website has been approved by and meets the standards of nutritional expert David Wolfe.