7 Natural Food Cures

You know that stuffing your face can often lead to a vicious cycle of overeating, weight gain, and guilt, so in most cases it does more harm than good. But in certain situations, noshing can actually help. When life bites, here's how and when to bite back--in a healthy manner.

1. You're in a funk
Eat: Sweet potatoes

When you're feeling low, resist the urge to reach for chips or candy, and bake an orange tater instead. "Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious sources of carbohydrates, and when you consume carbs, they create an instant surge in serotonin, a feel-good chemical that lifts mood," says Lyssie Lakatos, R.D., co-author of The Secret To Skinny. And thanks to the fiber in the tubers, the carbs will enter your blood stream at a more gradual rate, helping keep your energy level stable. Read: You won't crash later and revert to being a grumpy pants, as can happen after a peanut butter cup binge.

Read more:  http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/7-times-food-really-answer-140000416.html

CVS Pharmacy Sells Customer's Private Health Information

(NaturalNews) The CVS/pharmacy corporation recently launched a new pharmaceutical marketing scheme that pushes customers to fill more drug prescriptions at its stores by enticing them with cash prizes and other rewards, an initiative that is now part of the company's "ExtraCare Rewards Program." But a recent investigation by the Los Angeles Times (LA Times) reveals that, in order to enroll in the new program, customers must first surrender their medical privacy rights protected under HIPAA by signing them away.

Known formally as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA was originally enacted by Congress to guard individuals' private health information from being sold, shared, or otherwise exploited by the medical industry or third parties. HIPAA's Privacy Rule specifically governs how private health information can be accessed and used legally, restricting it in such a way as to allow health providers access only to what they actually need in order to provide reasonable care, while protecting the rest.

You can read a summary of how HIPAA's Privacy Rules affect you here:
http://www.hhs.gov

But CVS has apparently devised a way to bypass these protections by tricking its customers into signing away their HIPAA protections in exchange for store credits. According to the CVS ExtraCare Rewards signup page, all customers must "sign a HIPAA Authorization to join," a process that CVS fails to explain involves customers completely giving up their right to medical privacy. CVS discreetly admits this later on in the last step of the process, where customers are required to acknowledge that their "health information may potentially be re-disclosed."

"CVS takes the liberty of assuming you know that HIPAA and the 'federal Privacy Rule' are one and the same, although it has nowhere made the connection clear," writes David Lazarus for the LA Times about the final step in the signup process, which explains to customers that they are no longer protected by the federal Privacy Rule. "The company also assumes you are aware of what it means to no longer be protected by HIPAA, although, again, it hasn't spelled out the implications of giving up your HIPAA rights."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041735_CVS_pharmacies_bribing_customers_private_medical_protections.html#ixzz2cgrqyRqW

'Safety assessments' on nearly all common food additives found to be manipulated by processed food industry: Study

NaturalNews) New research published in the journal, JAMA Internal Medicine, has verified that the vast majority of the 10,000-or-so chemical additives currently allowed in food are backed only by industry-funded and supported safety assessments. And a large percentage of these have never even been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review, which means the general population is essentially being used as a collective guinea pig in a giant food additive safety experiment.

Between 1997 and 2012, the FDA reportedly received 451 voluntary notifications about new food additives, 100 percent of which came from individuals and groups connected in one way or another to the food industry. Rather than be accompanied by independent safety research, every single one of these new additives came with "safety data" conjured by the companies that produce them, a serious conflict of interest that apparently has become the standard rather than the exception.

Researchers from The Pew Charitable Trusts (PCT), a non-profit organization serving the public interest, decided to review data on the new food additive notification process after the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal watchdog agency, issued a report back in 2010 raising concerns about it. And what they found is astounding, particularly as it pertains to public health and safety.

Building upon a previous study they conducted of a similar nature, Thomas Neltner and his colleagues determined that roughly 43 percent of the 10,000 additives currently allowed in food are on the FDA's GRAS list, which means they are "generally recognized as safe." The other 57 percent, according to the data, were approved through other means, or never submitted or approved at all. And practically all of them lack independent analysis to verify their safety.

"Rules governing the chemicals that go into a tennis racket are more stringent than (rules for) the chemicals that go into our food," said Neltner regarding the findings. "At least when you put a new chemical on the market, you have to notify the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). But there's no requirement that you notify the FDA when you make a new food additive."

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041703_safety_assessments_food_additives_processed_industry.html#ixzz2cVCKHPdQ

N-acetyl cysteine for detoxification, cognitive protection and more

(NaturalNews) N-acetyl cysteine (also known by the acronym NAC and also called N-acetyl-L-cysteine) is an amino acid and antioxidant that is made by the body from its original form of cysteine. We obtain cysteine from high protein foods that we consume such as yogurt, cottage cheese and many poultry products.

It is also available in supplement form as N-acetyl cysteine for people who require more for therapeutic benefit. It helps the body produce glutathione, another amino acid which acts as a detoxifying agent to most of the organs of the body, essentially removing things like toxic heavy metals and other toxins that interfere with proper functionality.

One of the most commonly known benefits of taking the amino acid in supplement form is for the detoxification of the liver and the efficient breakdown of mucus. However, there are other numerous, lesser known benefits.

Neuroprotective effects of the administration of N-acetyl cysteine

Rats who were given doses of the antioxidant amino acid prior to being exposed to aluminum demonstrated less cognitive impairment than the rats that were not dosed with the amino acid. The conclusion of the experiment was that N-acetyl cysteine acted as a powerful prevention mechanism against aluminum toxicity and potentially against buildup in the brain. Aluminum toxicity in the brain has long been a suspected underlying cause of Alzheimer's disease.

In addition to this, one study found that the amino acid may have antidepressant-like qualities. Rats that were supplemented with it exhibited more willingness to explore and remain active after a swimming lab test which indicated that it probably had an antidepressant effect on the brain.

General detoxification

N-acetyl cysteine has been identified as a major detoxification aid within the human body. When administered, it has demonstrated liver detoxification benefits, and helps to remove environmental contaminants and toxins from the blood stream. These include tobacco and other types of carbon-monoxide rich smokes, alcohol, pollution, and other types of inhaled or topically applied toxins.

It is often used by those concerned with liver toxicity associated with long term use of OTC anti-inflammaotories or NSAIDs, since these can damage the liver over time. It is also used as a detoxification measure for aluminum and other heavy metal exposure since it is very effective at removing these toxins from the organs and the blood stream.

Suppression of influenza

The amino acid has also shown some significant capabilities in suppressing influenza A viruses. It accomplishes this by inhibiting the replication of the virus within the human body. Because it also acts as a mucus thinner, it may also help to decongest during a cold or flu infection. It also inhibits the replication of pro-inflammatory molecules which add to the physical pain and suffering experienced during a flu infection. For these reasons, it may significantly shorten or even prevent an influenza infection.

Sources for this article include:

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturopathydigest.com

About the author:
Danna Norek founded AuraSensory.com. Product line includes an MSM & Vitamin C Ester Hydrating & Brightening Face Cream and all natural plumping Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Sulfate Free Natural Shine Enhancing Shampoo and Deep Hydration Conditioner, a very effective natural deodorant, and other body care. Visit to learn more about what chemicals & ingredients to avoid in your beauty and personal care products at AuraSensory.com .

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041542_N-acetyl_cysteine_detoxification_cognitive_protection.html#ixzz2bN0lShDY

U.S. directs agents to cover up program used to investigate Americans

By John Shiffman and Kristina Cooke

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A secretive U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration unit is funneling information from intelligence intercepts, wiretaps, informants and a massive database of telephone records to authorities across the nation to help them launch criminal investigations of Americans.
Although these cases rarely involve national security issues, documents reviewed by Reuters show that law enforcement agents have been directed to conceal how such investigations truly begin - not only from defense lawyers but also sometimes from prosecutors and judges.
The undated documents show that federal agents are trained to "recreate" the investigative trail to effectively cover up where the information originated, a practice that some experts say violates a defendant's Constitutional right to a fair trial. If defendants don't know how an investigation began, they cannot know to ask to review potential sources of exculpatory evidence - information that could reveal entrapment, mistakes or biased witnesses.
"I have never heard of anything like this at all," said Nancy Gertner, a Harvard Law School professor who served as a federal judge from 1994 to 2011. Gertner and other legal experts said the program sounds more troubling than recent disclosures that the National Security Agency has been collecting domestic phone records. The NSA effort is geared toward stopping terrorists; the DEA program targets common criminals, primarily drug dealers.
"It is one thing to create special rules for national security," Gertner said. "Ordinary crime is entirely different. It sounds like they are phonying up investigations."


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-u-directs-agents-cover-program-used-investigate-091643729.html

Free energy breakthrough? Holy grail of water splitting technology now achieved with sunlight, mirrors and seawater

(NaturalNews) A team of scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder, have achieved what appears to be the "holy grail" of water splitting technology for the production and storage of clean, abundant energy. Because sunlight is free, I'm calling this "free energy."

To understand this breakthrough, it's important to first understand why solar power has so many limitations. Solar is great when the sun is shining, but storing solar power require the deployment of a large array of heavy, expensive and toxic electrical storage devices known as "deep cycle batteries." To put it in street terms, deep cycle battery technology sucks. The batteries suck, the chemicals suck, the weight sucks and the cost sucks. There is absolutely nothing to like about batteries unless you enjoy hulking around with heavy, useless objects.

So the "holy grail" of solar power has always been finding a way to store solar energy that's portable, dense and relatively lightweight. Until now, that discovery has been elusive.

But now a team of scientists in Boulder, Colorado say they have come up with "a radically new technique that uses the power of sunlight to efficiently split water into its components of hydrogen and oxygen, paving the way for the broad use of hydrogen as a clean, green fuel."

Sunlight, mirrors and a reaction chamber

The system works by exploiting a large array of ground mirrors to focus sunlight onto a tall reaction tower. There, the intense heat (2,500 degrees Fahrenheit) powers a reaction chamber containing metal oxides. The heat drives oxygen atoms off the metal oxides, causing them to "soak up" the oxygen from steam vapor introduced into the chamber. Steam vapor is, of course, made of water (H2O), so stealing the oxygen atoms from water leaves hydrogen gas that can then be collected.

In effect, the tower uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The hydrogen gas is then collected, purified and pumped into high-pressure hydrogen containers which, pound for pound, are extremely dense "batteries" of energy that far out-perform chemical batteries.

Better yet, hydrogen gas then holds all this energy with 100% efficiency, losing no potential whatsoever, even if stored for decades. From an environmental perspective, hydrogen is also a super clean-burning fuel, producing no carbon dioxide emissions or particulate matter. (The reason hydrogen does not produce CO2 when combusted is because it does not contain carbon, obviously. CO2 production requires a carbon-based source of fuel such as hydrocarbons -- coal, gasoline, diesel, etc.)

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041450_free_energy_water_splitting_hydrogen_fuel.html#ixzz2anmNYxcO

Consumer Alert: Fertilizer Industry's Arsenic-Tainted Fluoride Laced into Drinking Water of 150 Million Americans

• By Douglas Main
  Live Science, July 29, 2013
  Straight to the Source
  
  

For related articles and more information, please visit OCA's Food Safety Research Center page and our Fluoride: The Hidden Poison page.

 In early August, the Environmental Protection Agency is set to decide on a petition to change the source of fluoride in U.S. drinking water.

Currently, the source of fluoride in most public water supplies is fluorosilicic acid, according to government records. The petition calls for the EPA to instead require the use of pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride in water fluoridation, which is the addition of fluoride to drinking water for the purpose of preventing cavities.

Fluorosilicic acid is often contaminated with arsenic, and recent research has linked the arsenic from fluorosilicic acid in drinking water to as many as 1,800 extra cases of cancer yearly in the United States, said William Hirzy, a chemistry researcher American University in Washington, D.C. Hirzy, who worked at the EPA for 27 years, submitted the petition.

The study and petition grew out of what researchers believe is a lack of regulation and understanding of chemicals used in fluoridation, Hirzy said. Fluorosilicic acid has been shown to contain the carcinogens arsenic and lead, and to leach lead from water pipes, he said.

Billions in cancer costs

In the study, published in February in the journal Environmental Science and Policy, Hirzy and co-authors estimated that putting pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride into the water supply would reduce the amount of arsenic in drinking water by 99 percent. The arsenic at issue is the inorganic variety, a known human carcinogen, meaning it causes cancer. [Why Is Arsenic Bad for You?]

The switch would cost $100 million, but would save billions in reduced cancer costs, Hirzy said.

"We found that the United States as a society is spending, conservatively speaking, $1 billion to $6 billion treating the excess bladder and lung cancers caused by arsenic in the most commonly used fluoridation chemical, fluorosilicic acid," Hirzy said.

The EPA limits levels of arsenic in drinking water to 10 parts per billion. Hirzy said that the researchers, in calculating the number of U.S. cancer cases yearly linked with arsenic in fluorosilicic acid, used the EPA's own risk assessment data.

Experts not involved with Hirzy's study agreed with its findings.   

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