Category: Articles

Connecting with the Earth as Darkness Deepens

Connecting with the Earth as Darkness Deepens

by Catherine Harper

About now, the summer garden is coming into its full splendor. This is what most people think of when you say garden — tomatoes and peppers, corn and beans, squash, melons, cucumbers, grapes and berries… all right, mentioning berries is almost cheating in the Pacific Northwest, where some kind of berry is in season for more than half the year. But that only makes up for the shortcomings of our climate regarding other staples of the classic American garden — here, the corn season is short, as are most varieties of corn suited for our growing season. Tomatoes are almost a religion in themselves, for they will not thrive without substantial assistance. Peppers and eggplants are more difficult yet, causing many people who don’t like zucchini to overplant it, just so they have something growing with enthusiasm. Melons, too, are temperamental. But still, with luck and practice these luscious foods do grow, and it’s a season of wonder for the garden.

It’s a strange thing that just as the garden begins to bear in earnest, and you can hardly see a way to eat or save all the beans and squash that you’ve grown, is when you need to begin preparing for fall and winter crops. Of course, this is a less common sort of gardening these days when gardening for most of us is a luxury rather than a matter of survival. The popular gardens emphasize the delicate fruits of summer, which are most productive, and most notably different than their pale grocery-store counterparts.

Winter gardening isn’t so much about bounty and bulk but having a few fresh things you can add to your meals throughout the cold seasons. By extension, it’s also about understanding the seasons, and connecting with the outdoors when it isn’t fun and easy. Our winters, while dark and wet, are relatively warm, and green. The world around us keeps moving and changing, whether we’re paying attention or not. And the beets and kales and onions of the winter garden are tastier than you might imagine, even as they allow you to take this piece of the season, of the outdoors, and make it a part of yourself.

Winter gardens, while less productive, are also less labor-intensive than their summer counterparts. The plants aren’t tender, and require little extra fussing. (Of course, if you want to grow plants that aren’t really that cold-hardy, or have quicker-growing plants with bigger yields, you can fuss to your heart’s content.) Unlike during our relatively dry summers, supplemental water is rarely necessary. Weeds don’t grow much, and so won’t get in your way, and most garden pests are either dead or elsewhere.

A winter garden will profit from rich soil but will actually do better without a lot of supplemental fertilizer — large amounts of available nutrients will only encourage lots of tender young growth, which is more susceptible to temperature fluctuation. Full sun is also important — not because many of the plants are usually thought of as needing “full sun” but because our winter days are so short and cloud cover so heavy that every extra bit of light will help.

Most of the plants for a winter garden are started around the beginning of August. I almost exclusively start mine in containers, and only plant them into beds after some of the summer produce has been cleared. Nurseries are increasingly carrying winter starts as well, though the selection tends to be limited.

Alliums

If you want to take a first swing at winter gardening, and you’re in the mood for easy successes without a lot of effort, alliums are a good place to start. Plant onion sets (pearl-size onion bulbs) for green onions, or any old garlic that happens to be sprouting. If you’re only interested in the greens (and garlic greens, if you haven’t tried them, are a wonderful treat), little preparation is needed — dig a shallow trench a couple of inches deep, space your bulbs about two inches apart, and cover. You can do this any time, though you’ll find the maintenance easier if you wait until later August. While the weather is still hot and dry, provide water as needed. The greens are useable at any time after they emerge. Delicious, ignored by most pests and impervious to poor soil, alliums grow easily this way.

Of course, if you want to actually produce storage onions and garlic, you should give them very rich soil, hold off planting the garlic until October or so and start the onions from seed around Imbolc. If you’re going to go to that much work, you might consider starting overwintering leeks from seeds in late August, and planting them out in the fall with garlic.

Brassicas

In the fall and winter months, “seasonal color” beds are planted with these odd things that look like purple and white cabbages. This first impression is essentially correct — these are ornamental kales, kales being perhaps the hardiest member of a family that also includes cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard and collards. If you spend much time growing brassicas, their similarities become more and more obvious. When small, they mostly (with the partial exception of mustard) look like the same plant, though the broccoli has been bred to produce a large head of closely packed buds, and Brussels sprouts have been coaxed into producing miniature cabbages along the length of their stalks (though in fact a regular cabbage will often produce sprouts similar to Brussels sprouts after the main head has been cut). Kales, closer than other cultivated varieties to the wild type, produce ruffled leaves that don’t form a true head. And I’m almost afraid to speculate exactly what was done to induce the poor plants to turn into cauliflower.

If you’re looking for an easy start, look to the primitive vigor of the kales — there’s a reason they’re so commonly used as an ornamental; pretty or not, the things are tough. Properly speaking, these plants should be started from seed by the middle of July, so these might be good ones to buy as starts, planting them out in September. Many varieties are available, in shades of green, red and purple — I favor the variable wild garden kale mixes, but even the ornamental varieties are perfectly edible. Kales keep me in greens for soups and stir fries all winter long.

Once you’ve come to know kales, the rest of the family is not much of a stretch. Keep in mind, though, that some varieties of broccoli will produce a fall harvest, while others will overwinter and produce heads in spring. Cauliflower is similar, and Brussels sprouts need to be started early just to be ready in spring. Fall-harvested mustard and cabbage will be sweeter for growing into a cold season.

Other greens

If you really don’t want to put a lot of effort into your garden, but you’d like fresh salad greens, here’s what I’d recommend: Prepare a patch of earth (to save weeding later on, clear it and then cover it with clear plastic during a few scorching summer days — the concentrated heat will kill weed seeds). Get a packet of mache (or cornsalad) seeds, sprinkle them over the ground, rake them in, and then walk away. If you’re in a hurry for your mild-flavored greens, water a bit, but if that’s too much for you, never mind. When things get damp again, they’ll sprout and grow into little rosettes of tender spoon-shaped leaves. If you cut off the leaves and leave the roots, they’ll grow more leaves. If you harvest most of the plants and let a couple go to seed, the process will start over again. With very little care, you can be kept in greens from fall through about May, when they go to seed — longer if you replant earlier in the year. This is just about the only plant that is really growing during December and January, a period through which most plants at best preserve the status quo.

Lettuce, spinach and chard are my other favorite fall and winter greens. All can be grown from seed, either as fall greens or as overwintering ones (with spinach and chard, the difference is a bit academic, but if you wish to overwinter lettuce, select a variety intended for that purpose). If you want a lot of greens through the winter, it may be worthwhile to consider giving your greens bed some kind of protection, such as a cold frame or tunnel cloche (a system of u-shaped supports holding up a piece of plastic, keeping the plants and the ground they’re in a few degrees warmer).

Root vegetables

My favorite root vegetables are carrots and radishes, which are traditionally sown together. The radishes come up almost immediately, and can be harvested at the end of the month. The carrots, on the other hand, are in it for the long haul, and carrots are planted now to overwinter for a spring harvest. Carrots can be a very hardy crop, sometimes growing to cudgel-like proportions, but they should be planted only where there is at least eight inches of soil before you hit clay. If this does not describe your garden, and you like carrots, it might be time to consider a raised bed.

It’s a little late already to start beets, but beets are one of the few root vegetables that can be started in containers and then transplanted, so it might be worth your while to look for starts. Turnips might make it from seed now, if you get them in quick.

Legumes

What could be better than fresh peas for Thanksgiving? Peas planted in late summer will — with a little bit of luck with the weather — bear through the fall. A pea inoculant can only help.

Fava beans, too, are often planted in the fall. While they won’t give you a winter harvest, they’re a good cover crop, that can be tilled into the soil come spring, or they can be left to bear their wonderful beans.

How To Do a Detox

How To Do a Detox

by Dr. Frank Lipman

To be completely effective, a detox program has to address both internal and  external toxins. We obviously need to deal with the toxins we eat, drink, breath  and put on our bodies. But, it’s just as important to address the internal  toxicity created by the body as it performs it’s normal everyday functions.  These biochemical, cellular, and bodily activities generate substances that need  to be neutralized and or eliminated, as do the external toxins.

A comprehensive detox program must supply the appropriate nutrients to do  this – and should include nutrients specifically to support the 2 most important  detoxification organ systems, the liver and gastro-intestinal tract.

Although there are additional ways to boost a detox, these should be the key  components of any detox.

• Decrease The Number Of Toxins Going In Limit external  toxins by decreasing or removing the amount of irritants that we put into our  bodies. This means eliminating the foods that often cause sensitivities or  reactions, like gluten and dairy, irritants to the gut like alcohol and caffeine  and sugar and all processed foods that also trigger inflammation. For a complete  list of foods I recommend you can and cannot eat while detoxing please check out  my REMOVE  DIET.

• Support Gastro-Intestinal Function

  • Give the digestive system a rest by decreasing the      amount of food and  supplying key nutrients via juices and or powders.
  • Help balance and maintain healthy flora by removing      abnormal bugs in  the gut. These abnormal bacteria, yeast and parasites can      release toxins  and overload the liver’s capacity to deal with the flood of      toxins.
  • Aid digestion with digestive enzymes which assist the      body to break  down food properly ensuring fewer negative effects from      undigested  foods.
  • Add fiber to “sweep” the intestines. Fiber promotes the      elimination of  toxins and also binds to toxins, which helps to prevent      their absorption.  Dietary fiber is also metabolized by gut bacteria into      short-chain fatty  acids (SCFAs), which feed the cells lining the intestines      and thereby  support cellular integrity, therefore decreasing inflammation.

•  Support Liver Function Assist liver function, as  it is the main organ involved in transforming toxins into metabolites that are  easier to excrete. Nutritionally supporting the liver boosts it’s function  during detox preventing the accumulation of toxic products in the tissues.

A comprehensive detox program must include the targeted  nutrition you need to boost your bodies own detox system. Supplying the right  mix of nutrients to balance the body and optimize function is essential for an  effective detox.

Why Do You Recommend Detoxing?

Why Do You Recommend Detoxing?

by Dr. Frank Lipman

Detoxing helps our bodies cope with the onslaught of toxins and stress which  are an unavoidable part of modern day life. Boosting the detoxification system  helps bring the body back into balance. It’s an important first step in  restoring function and getting the body back to optimal health.

Internally we harbor toxins produced by the billions of bacteria and other  flora in the intestines as well as the waste products produced by the body’s  normal metabolic processes. And externally, our exposure to chemicals in the air  we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the personal care products we put on our skin and in household  products is greater than ever. Our bodies are constantly neutralizing and  eliminating all these toxins, that is, detoxing. It is a totally natural  process. Just like with cars, our own internal engines are subject to waste  build-up and can become sluggish over time – they both run better when  clean.

So while we are obviously equipped to deal with low levels of some toxins,  our bodies can become overwhelmed and overtaxed by the substantial increase in  the number of toxins to which we are exposed.

If and when our own detoxification systems (predominantly the liver and the  gut) become overloaded and do not function properly, toxins get stored in  various tissues in the body, including fatty tissue. This prevents our system  from functioning at optimum strength and efficiency and is a factor in the  development of various chronic diseases, including cancer. Many of these  external toxins or synthetic molecules are chemically similar to biologically  active substances in our bodies and therefore easily interfere with our cell’s  normal activities. For example,

  • Some interfere with our hormones
  • Some attach themselves to our chromosomes
  • Some disable the immune system
  • Some cause overstimulation of certain enzymes, others      block their  activity

A well functioning detoxification system that is supported nutritionally is  essential to maintaining good health. I have been putting my patients on  “detoxes” for the last 20 years and seen incredible results. An effective,  natural, gentle detox  program can help your body’s natural cleansing ability and put you on the  road to rejuvenation.

What Do You Mean By Detox?

What Do You Mean By Detox?

by Dr. Frank Lipman

There is a lot of misunderstanding about what a detox is and how to do it, so  let me explain how I understand detoxification.

Detoxification is what your body does naturally to neutralize, transform or  get rid of unwanted materials or toxins. It is a primary function of the body,  constantly working and interacting with all other functions of the body. So when  I am talking about detoxification, it is about improving and optimizing the  function of your body’s own detoxification systems. This is done by decreasing  the amount of toxins we put into our bodies while at the same time supporting  our body’s detoxification and elimination systems with the nutrients it needs to  function properly.

As a culture we are very aware of our external cleanliness. We clean our  teeth daily, we bath and wash our hair daily or every other day and we like to  look and smell clean because it makes us feel better. Similarly, I see  detoxification as internal cleansing. The problem is that it’s often hard to  know when our internal cleansing mechanisms are not functioning well. Unlike  other parts of our body it is very hard to know how well our liver is working,  and our liver is the main detoxification organ. It filters the blood of bacteria  and toxins, chemically neutralizing toxins and converting them to substances  that can be eliminated by the kidneys and synthesizing and secreting bile.

Although it is mostly ignored by our current medical system, the  detoxification system is a key component of our body’s functioning. Most of the  molecules made by our bodies every day, are for getting rid of waste products.  We need hundreds of enzymes, vitamins and other molecules to help rid the body  of unwanted waste products and chemicals. We need to manufacture these molecules  to help take the good from what we ingest and get rid of the unwanted. Although  the bulk of the work is done by the liver and the intestinal tract, the kidneys,  lungs, lymphatic system and skin are all involved in this complex detoxification  system.

The purpose of a detoxification program is primarily to support these organs  of elimination so that toxins present in the body can be metabolized and  excreted. Time and time again I’ve seen the benefits a good internal cleanse can  bring.

I think an effective detoxification system is necessary for good  health and in response to the many requests I’ve had, I have put together my own  program based on what I’ve seen working in my practice.I designed a 2 week detox with all the components I feel are necessary to optimize your body’s  detoxification systems. This is now available for everybody online.

 

You Need Sun! 10 Healthy Tips to Get It

You Need Sun! 10 Healthy Tips to Get It

by Dr. Frank Lipman

For the last 30 years or so, doctors (dermatologists in particular), health  officials, beauty experts and many product companies have been demonizing the  sun. They’ve told us to avoid it because without sunscreen, exposure to the sun’s rays will damage skin and  cause cancer.

But this oversimplification distorts the facts. In the past few years,  numerous studies have shown that optimizing your vitamin D levels may actually  help prevent as many as 16 different types of cancer including pancreatic, lung,  breast, ovarian, prostate and colon cancers. And the best way to optimize  Vitamin D levels is through safe, smart and limited sunscreen-free exposure to  the sun.

For hundreds of thousands of years, man has lived with the sun: Our ancestors  were outdoors far more often than indoors. We developed a dependence on sunshine  for health and life, so the idea that sunlight is dangerous does not make sense.  How could we have evolved and survived as a species, if we were that vulnerable  to something humans have been constantly exposed to for their entire existence?  Is it possible that our bodies are made in such a way that the sun is really a  lethal enemy?

Not in my opinion. Like all living things, we need sunshine, and it feels  good for a reason. Much as plants harness the sun’s rays through photosynthesis,  our bodies use sunlight to help the skin produce the vitamin D it needs to build bones, quell  inflammation, bolster the immune system and protect against cancer (including  skin cancer).

Why demonize the sun? Western medicine has made a  practice of telling us to abstain from things that are bad for us in extreme  quantities, when in fact those same things⎯fat, salt and sunshine for  example⎯are very good for us when consumed wisely and in moderation. In the case  of sunshine, our UV paranoia is contributing to a silent epidemic: Vitamin D deficiency. It’s silent because most people don’t  know they are deficient. And it’s deadly, because this deficiency can lead to  cancer and a multitude of other diseases. But we’ve been brainwashed into  believing that even small amounts of sunshine will harm us, and told to slather  on sunscreen, which blocks vitamin D production and exacerbates the Vitamin D  deficiency induced by our modern, indoor lives.

Studies show that as many as three out of four Americans suffer from Vitamin  D deficiency. A study published in 2009 in the Archives of Internal Medicine (a  leading scientific journal), found that 70 percent of Caucasians, 90 percent of  Hispanics and 97 percent of African Americans in the US have insufficient blood  levels of vitamin D. Indeed, it’s thought to be the most common medical  condition in the world, affecting over one billion people and we now have  research showing just how essential vitamin D is to health.

U.S. and Norwegian researchers have found that people who live in higher  latitudes are more prone to vitamin D deficiency and more prone to developing  common cancers and dying of them. It’s now thought that this is due in part to  the body’s inability to make enough activated vitamin D to help regulate cell  growth and to keep cell growth in check. Independent scientific research has  shown that whether you live in a sunny or not-so-sunny climate, exposure to the  sun and its UVB radiation will increase your production of vitamin D and help  lower the risk of a host of debilitating and fatal diseases — including many  cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, Type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis  and depression.

And now the experts are concerned that we’re passing an epidemic of vitamin D  deficiency down to a new generation. Studies have shown that vitamin D  deficiency may imprint on an infant for the rest of his/her life. Infants that  are vitamin D deficient at birth can remain vitamin D deficient for the first  several months after birth, which may put them at risk of developing many  chronic diseases much later in life.

What is Vitamin D and how much do you need? Although called a vitamin, it  is not. Vitamin D is in a class by itself, behaving more like a hormone. It is  made in the skin, gets into your bloodstream and then goes into the liver and  the kidney where it becomes activated as a key steroid hormone called  Calcitriol. It then goes to the intestines, bones and other tissues, effecting  metabolic pathways and the expression of myriad genes.

Vitamin D’s active form can interact with almost every cell in the body  directly or indirectly, targeting up to two thousand genes, or about six percent  of the human genome. It is necessary for numerous cellular functions, and when  the body does not have what it needs to function optimally, it follows that we  experience a decline in health and put ourselves at risk of disease. We now know  that almost every cell and tissue in our body has vitamin D receptors, which  raises the question: Why would those receptors be there if they weren’t meant to  have an effect?

Our vitamin D needs vary with age, body weight, percent of body fat,  latitude, skin coloration, season of the year, use of sun block, individual  reactions to sun exposure, and our overall health. As a general rule, older  people need more vitamin D than younger people, large people need more that  small people, fat people need more than skinny people, northern people need more  than southern people, dark-skinned people need more than fair skinned people,  winter people need more than summer people, sun-phobes need more than sun  worshipers, and ill people may need more than well people.

The best way to determine whether or not you are deficient is to have your  vitamin D blood levels measured and replenish accordingly.

My Top 10 Tips for Healthy Sun Exposure and Optimizing your Vitamin D  Levels

1. Have a healthy respect for the sun. It is powerful medicine with  potentially dangerous side effects on your skin. Treat it like medication, using  the lowest dose necessary, but don’t avoid it completely. Never fall asleep in  the sun without protection.

2. Always avoid sunburn. It is sunburn, not healthy sun exposure that causes  problems. Repeated sunburns, especially in children and very fair-skinned  people, have been linked to melanoma. Whereas there is no credible scientific  evidence that regular, moderate sun exposure causes melanoma or other skin  cancers.

3. Prepare your skin and build up tolerance gradually. Start early in the  year (spring), or early in the morning before the sun is strongest and slowly  build up the amount of time you spend in the sun.

4. Get 15-30 minutes of unprotected sun exposure two to four times a week.  Each of us has different needs for unprotected sun exposure to maintain adequate  levels of Vitamin D. Depending on your age, what type of skin you have, where  you live and what time of the day and year it is, your need will vary. The  farther you live from the equator, the more exposure to the sun you need in  order to generate vitamin D. For instance, a fair skinned person, sitting on a  New York beach in June, in the middle of the day, for about 10-15 minutes  (enough to cause a light pinkness 24 hours after), is producing the equivalent  of 15,000-20,000 IU’s of Vitamin D. But the same person living further north in  the U.K, or Canada would need 20-30 minutes to get that light pinkness, which is  all one needs. Also, people with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 – 30 times  as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people, to generate the same amount  of vitamin D. For more specifics, I recommend the tables in The Vitamin D  Solution by Dr. Michael Holick.

5. Get frequent, short exposures. Regular short exposures have been found to  be much more effective and safer than intermittent long ones. Note that you  cannot generate Vitamin D when sitting behind a glass window, because the UVB  rays necessary for vitamin D production are absorbed by glass.

6. After your 15-30 minutes of sun-block free time in the sun, you must  protect yourself. If you’re going to be out in the sun for longer periods, wear  a hat to protect your face and light colored clothing that blocks the sun and  keeps you cool. When you do apply sunscreen, use one with fewer chemicals. Check  out the Environmental Working Group’s list of safer sunscreens. Remember that  even weak sunscreens block the ability of your skin to manufacture vitamin D, so  once you have applied it, you will not be making vitamin D.

7. Boost your “internal sunscreen” by consuming anti-oxidants and beneficial  fats. These strengthen skin cells, helping to protect them from sun damage.  Eating lots of vegetables and fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, goji  berries and pomegranates and supplementing with green powdered mixes and fish  oils are great options when going into the sun.

8. Have your vitamin D blood levels checked regularly. The correct blood test  is 25OH vit D or 25 hydroxy vitamin D test. Be aware, however, that current  “normal” range for vitamin D is 20 to 55 ng/ml. This is much too low! Those  levels may be fine if you want to prevent rickets or osteomalacia, but they are  not adequate for optimal health. The ideal range for optimal health is 50-80  ng/ml.

9. Don’t rely on food alone for your vitamin D needs. It is almost impossible  to get your vitamin D needs met by food alone. Fatty wild fish (not farmed),  like salmon and mackerel are the best food sources, but you would have to eat huge quantities of  them daily to get anywhere near what your body needs. Although fortified milk  and orange juice do contain vitamin D, you would have to drink at least 10  glasses of each daily and I don’t recommend doing that.

10. Take Vitamin D3 supplements if necessary. In the winter or if you don’t  get enough healthy sun exposure or if your blood levels are low, make sure you  supplement with at least 2,000 IU’s a day of Vitamin D3. Although I recommend  moderate sunbathing, vitamin D supplements provide the same benefits as sunshine  (in terms of Vitamin D needs). But, if taken in too large a dose, they can cause  vitamin D toxicity, whereas sun exposure does not. It is impossible to generate  too much vitamin D in your body from the sun: Your body will self-regulate and  only generate what it needs, which just reaffirms to me that we should get our  vitamin D from sensible sun exposure. Here are specific guidelines for  replenishing Vitamin D.

Conclusion Although irresponsible sunbathing is  unquestionably harmful and precautions need to be taken, regular, moderate,  unprotected sun exposure is essential for good health. It is free, easy to get  and good for you when used intelligently. It is the only reliable way to  generate vitamin D in your own body, which we now know to be an essential  ingredient for optimizing health and preventing disease.

Frank Lipman MD is the creator of Eleven Eleven Wellness, Guided Health Solutions, a leading  edge integrative health program.

Are Spray Tans Safe?

Are Spray Tans Safe?

by Celeste Yarnall

I came across an article recently called “Spray Tan Dangers” by Beth Levine. This started me thinking  about what we have become accustomed to thinking looks good today, especially in  the summertime.

I personally have the type of skin that just doesn’t tan; I burn, freckle and  peel and long ago I gave up the idea of tanning. But I never dreamed in a  million years that a spray tan might have its drawbacks as well! Trying to fit  in on vacation and not be this white-skinned blob in a bathing suit, I have had  many a spray tan!  OK, they chill you when they are sprayed on, and leave you  with a very odd smell on your skin while drying, but I didn’t think much about  it. But is there more to spray tanning than meets the eye? Why do we want to  look tan, anyway? Some folks think they look thinner, healthier and just plain  better in their summer clothes. But this has not always been the case  historically.

Could this be the time we start rethinking our definition of beauty  and that tanned look in general?

Ms. Levine offered that no one “looks at a 50-year-old with wrinkled,  leathery skin and believes that’s attractive.” Then shouldn’t we all ask  ourselves why we think that tanned skin looks better than pale skin or our  natural skin color, at any age? What ever happened to that peaches and cream  complexion of days gone by or the notion of just being happy all year long with  whatever your skin color is and rejoicing in the way nature created the unique  “you” that you are?

We certainly know that tanning is not required to get our daily dose of vitamin  D. It is far safer to just go out in the sun without sunscreen in the early  morning and late afternoon for a short sun bath of about 10 minutes with as  little on in the way of clothes as possible.

How about just taking a moment to turn back the clock to the Elizabethan  ideal of untanned skin as the goal to strive for. We won’t have to use the lead  white makeup that was popular with the Greeks, Romans, and Elizabethans to  achieve that fair-skinned look. We can just nourish our skin and keep it healthy  from the inside out with healthy food and whole food supplementation such as  omega-3, antioxidants and a healthy daily dose of vitamin D-3.

We  know the risk of skin cancer increases when we sunbathe. And, even though I have  tried these too, tanning beds are an even worse choice. Despite what tanning  centers advertise and some doctors who sell them advocate, the tanner’s close  proximity to the UVA/UVB light source increases the rate of damage.

OK, isn’t it a good thing that there are natural-looking options such as  spray tanning to give us a safer alternative when we want to have that  just-been-on-vacation in the tropics look?  Could there be some dangers to spray  tanning? Levine writes, “Research that reveals new tanning facts now show that  spray tanning may be just as dangerous as every other form of tanning, but for  different reasons.

Ms. Levine sited an ABC News report which “compiled 10 of the most recent  studies conducted on the chemicals used in tanning sprays which asked a panel of  medical specialists in fields such as dermatology, pulmonary medicine, and  toxicology to provide an analysis” of some spray tan products. And the news was  not good for those of us who like to use spray-on tanning products. The problems  come from the active ingredient in tanning products, which is a chemical called  dihydroxyacetone (also known as DHA — but please do not confuse this with  docosahexaenoic acid, the beneficial DHA essential fatty acid found in  marine lipids, such fish, krill, cod liver oil or my favorite, MOXXOR, which comes from the 100 percent sustainable, cold  extracted, organic New Zealand greenlip mussel, grapeseed husk extract and  kiwifruit seed oil. I find the omega-3s and antioxidants in this product really  helps my skin be healthy from the inside out.)

Several studies show that this dihydroxyacetone chemical in the spray tan  solutions:

“was shown to affect the genes within the animals tested” (I know — I don’t  like animal testing either but I am only reporting the facts that were covered  here) “once it was absorbed through the skin or breathed into the lungs and  internalized. DHA received FDA approval in 1977, back in the days when it was  used primarily for tanning lotions. It was not believed to be absorbed below the  outer layers of skin, so it was thought to pose no danger. Plus, tanning lotions  were never a very popular item, as they tended to turn the skin a blotchy and  ugly shade of yellow or orange. However, now that the formulations have been  improved to provide more of  the golden tan most consumers are seeking, along  with the updated spray  method of application that offers more even coverage”(  and allows the technician to even use their own artistic skills in order  to  create a sculpted look to the body, especially to enhance breast  cleavage or  the look of a “six-pack” on the abdomen) “the use of this  chemical is much more  widespread. Unfortunately, it is now known that DHA can be absorbed beyond the  outermost layers of skin, and the fact that it has been aerosolized ups the  danger of spray tanning exponentially.”

“As the tanning product is being sprayed onto your body, you are  breathing  it in. Once the DHA is in your lungs, it is easily  distributed throughout the  body via the bloodstream. This grants this  potentially cancer-causing agent  access to billions of cells throughout  your body. In various experiments at  different university-based laboratories, DHA has been tested on a multitude of  bacteria and the skin cells of mice. The chemical caused mutations within the  DNA of the cells, which can lead to cancer. In fact, an FDA report from 1999  found that, even when not inhaled, DHA was reaching deeper skin levels and being  absorbed into the body.”

Yes, I know the argument well — mice are not people — but I think this should  give us all pause before we sign up for our next series of spray tans!

“Now, think about all of the people who consider this to be the “safe”   method of getting a tan.  There are many who are regular customers   interested in keeping their skin tanned and glowing all year round.  And   pregnant women go spray tanning, which is bad news for the fetus!  Some   people even have their children get spray tans as a treat before a big   occasion.  Every one of these scenarios presents an even higher risk of   doing serious damage at a cellular level.”

And don’t forget some people may actually think that because they now look  tan, that they can’t get a sun burn so out they go unprotected and get seriously  burned in the process. Many customers of spray tan salons are even told that  certain sun tan lotions and creams will remove their tan and so go out in the  sun and use absolutely no sun protection before or a defense afterwards.

I find it troubling, as did Ms. Levine, “that no long-term studies have been  undertaken to examine the health effects of regular use of DHA-based tanning  products on people.” It might be a good idea to take into account that there is  enough evidence to cause concern from nonhuman research.

Perhaps it doesn’t cause much damage to get a spray tan or two a couple of  times a year, but it might be advisable to wear a little paper mask over your  nose and mouth during the process and cover your face and head. We can always  wear a little bronze blush on our faces and necks to get a bit of color. You can  also ask your spray tan salon for some protection or even bring your own, such  as “eyewear, nose plugs, and a mouth covering, like a little mask that painters  wear, to ensure that you are not giving the chemical a direct entryway into your  mucus membranes and lungs.”

But what can we do if we give up spray tans but have “spent time at the  beach, pool, or backyard lounge chair trying to get that perfect tan.” I know I  had my share of nasty sunburns during my lifetime. And I also tried using  tanning beds before they were known to be harmful. Ms. Levine recommends that to  combat some of the free radical damage already inflicted, you might want to  consider a good antioxidant supplement and I totally agree with that advice.   You can do your own research online or at your health food store’s supplement  department and see what you’d like to try. My choice is an antioxidant  supplement called Protandim which I learned about from watching this very  interesting ABC News presentation.  You can get more information on  this patented all herbal formulation here and see if it resonates with you as it does for me.  It’s just one caplet per day, but always check with your own health  practitioners before trying any new products.

 

Healing from Grief and Loss

Healing from Grief and Loss

by Delia Quigley

“If you do not bring forward what is within you, what is within you will  destroy you. But if you bring forward what is within you, what is within you  will heal and save you.” The Gospel of Thomas

We want the security of knowing that life will hold the pattern we create,  the niche we carve out for ourselves in whatever space we can claim as our own.  When we lose what we love, our pattern is changed forever, and we descend into  grief. This time of grieving invites us to be still, to sit quietly and allow  the process to unfold. We might think that some kind of action needs to take  place, some moving on from the sadness; in fact, it is in giving time to your  grief that it becomes a transformative experience.

When a close friend died of cancer, many people in my circle of friends were  devastated by the loss. I remember waking up the morning after he died knowing  that my world had changed forever, and I right along with it. I found myself  looking at each moment as if he would appear again in my field of vision. I felt  so weighed down with sorrow that there was nothing to do but sit in emptiness.  Even knowing his illness was terminal, those of us around him refused to  acknowledge that he was dying. Later, when we looked at pictures, taken days  before his passing, we were shocked at what was so evident. The man was dying,  and we couldn’t let him go.

When we lose someone or something we love, we are faced with the space that  person held and we fill it with grief and longing. Grieving is the emotional  healing our mind needs to recover from loss. If we are unable to grieve our  losses, we have difficulty moving on. We forfeit some of our emotional  flexibility. Our psyches develop hard spots, which may manifest themselves in  habitual anger, irritability, anxiety, depression, or addiction.

Taking my grief to the meditation cushion, I sat and watched my breath,  cried, sobbed, blew my nose, and watched my breath some more. There were  mornings I couldn’t sit still and was overcome by sadness again, and so I would  do my yoga, moving slowly from one posture to another. Gradually, what I called  the “grief balloon” began to deflate, and this incredible feeling of love was  there to fill the space. My attachment to my friend’s death had dissolved, and I  was filled with the purity of unconditional love that had formed the basis of  our relationship.

Meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein, and author of The Experience of  Insight, writes that love that comes from wisdom is an “unconditional,  universal loving kindness—a feeling of friendliness and warmth for all beings  everywhere.” All that you can do to shed your grief and replace it with love is  to be patient, do the practice, and meditate. That’s all that’s required.

 

What Not to Say to Someone Grieving

What Not to Say to Someone Grieving

by Molly, selected from DivineCaroline

If you have had the experience of losing a loved one in your  lifetime, you  understand that the mourning process can be so agonizing  and prolonged that it  feels as if it will never end. Sometimes it’s so  excruciating, in fact, that  even when we aren’t grieving firsthand and  are simply trying to help a person we know heal following the death of someone  important to him or her, we panic,  unsure of what words of reassurance can  possibly suffice in the face of  such monumental loss and emotional trauma.

According to bereavement expert Camille Wortman, PhD, blogging for the PBS  series This Emotional Life,our  personal discomfort  surrounding death and tragedy, whether conscious or  unconscious, often rears  its head when we try to reach out to grieving people,  even if we have the best of intentions.  She notes, “We are not sure  what to say and we do not want to make [the person]  feel even worse.  Conversing with a grieving person can evoke feelings of  helplessness  because objectively, there is little we can say or do to help.  Such  interactions may also enhance feelings of vulnerability, because they   make us realize that bad things can happen at any time.”

In addition, Wortman points out, as we sense our own stress levels increasing while we try to soothe someone who  is suffering, we freeze  up and tend to default to a one-size-fits-all approach,  making “remarks  that are part of our cultural understanding of how to help  others.” Yet  such statements are risky at best and downright damaging at worst.  When  attempting to console a bereaved person, you’d be wise to avoid the   following types of behaviors.

Offering Platitudes “Time heals all wounds.” “You  have so much to be thankful for.” “It wasn’t meant to be.” “This is  simply nature’s way of dealing with a problem.” “Everything happens for a  reason.”

Minimizing the Problem “It was only a baby you didn’t  know; you can always have other children.” “She was seventy-five, so she  lived a nice long life.” “It’s over now. There’s nothing to do but move  on.” “Others are worse off than you.”

Giving Unsolicited Advice “You should seriously consider  getting a dog to keep you company now that your husband is gone.” “It’s not  healthy for you to be visiting your mother’s grave every day.” “The best way  for you to get over your wife’s death is to start dating new people as soon as  possible.”

Grasping at Straws in an Attempt to Relate “I know how  you feel about your son’s passing. My husband and I got divorced last year, and  I’ve had a very hard time with it.” “I’m sorry to hear about your wife’s  untimely death. I  understand what you’re going through, because I had to put my  dog to  sleep recently.” “I know how hard it must have been to lose your  five-year-old. I experienced a similar tragedy when I had an abortion.”

Putting a Religious Spin on the Situation “God has a  plan.” “God doesn’t give you any more than you can handle.” “God needed  your father more than you did.” “She’s a flower in God’s garden now.” “Heaven needed another angel.”

Expressing Intolerance for the Length of the Grieving  Process “Think positive.” “You must be strong.” “Keep a  stiff upper lip.” “Pull yourself together.” “Get back on the horse.”

These verbal red flags might make you feel as if trying to  console someone  who’s lost a loved one is akin to stepping into a  minefield, but bear in mind  that saying nothing at all is still more  harmful. Treat this as an opportunity  to practice mindful  compassion—instead of blurting out clichés, make  sympathetic and  selfless comments, such as:

“I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.” “I can’t imagine what you are  going through.” “I don’t know exactly what to say, but I know I can  listen.” “Would you like to sit down and tell me how you’re really  feeling?”

Above all, don’t forget to ask what you can do to help. Whether  that means  sitting quietly with a grieving friend while she cries,  asking people to  prepare food for her for a few weeks, or researching  support groups for her to  attend, know that you do have the power to  provide genuine comfort.

 

 

Will Colorado shootings suspect James Eagan Holmes ever face trial?

Will Colorado shootings suspect James Eagan Holmes ever face trial?

By M. Alex Johnson, NBC News

When James Eagan Holmes, the suspect in the Colorado movie theater shootings, enters court for the first time Monday, he will be taking the first step in a long legal journey likely to center on two issues: Is he competent to stand trial? And will prosecutors seek the death penalty?

M. Alex Johnson is a reporter for NBC News. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Police identified Holmes, 24, a graduate student at the University of Colorado-Denver medical school, as the suspect in the shootings at a screening of “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., shortly after midnight Friday morning. Twelve people were killed, including a 6-year-old girl, and 58 others were injured.

Holmes will appear before a judge at 9:30 a.m. on Monday in Arapahoe County District Court in nearby Centennial. Charges aren’t expected to be filed at this early stage; the hearing is intended to advise Holmes that he is the focus of the investigation and to set conditions for his continued detention.

Carol Chambers, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe County, wouldn’t address potential charges, telling reporters Friday that her focus was on providing information and resources to the victims and their families.

Eventually, Holmes will almost certainly be charged and he will have to enter a plea. If he pleads not guilty by reason of insanity, or if his attorneys argue that he is incompetent to stand trial, proceedings could stretch out for months or years — even indefinitely.

If Holmes’ lawyers believe he isn’t competent, they have “an absolute duty to raise competency and [request] a competency evaluation,” said Scott H. Robinson, a prominent Denver criminal defense attorney.

A defendant is considered incompetent if he’s unable to understand the charges against him or to assist in his own defense. Legal proceedings must stop until the defendant is restored to competency.

“Only down the road do we consider the question of ‘not guilty by reason of insanity,”’ Robinson told NBC station KUSA of Denver.

Then there’s the question of whether Chambers would seek the death penalty.

“This is a unique type of situation,” said Robinson, who noted that Chambers is term-limited and may not want to be saddled with that decision as she leaves office — especially since it would be a non-issue if Holmes is found incompetent or not guilty by reason of insanity.

Instead, that decision could be made by Chambers’ successor, Republican George Brauchler or Democrat Ethan Feldman, one of whom voters will elect in November.

James Alan Fox, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University in Boston, said people who commit mass murders usually aren’t mentally ill.

“It takes a certain degree of clear-headedness to plan and execute a crime like this,” Fox told NBC News.

“Contrary to the common misperception that these guys suddenly snap and go berserk, these are well-planned executions,” he said.

Clint Van Zandt, president of the security firm Van Zandt Associates and a former criminal profile expert for the FBI, also cautioned against rushing to any judgment.

“We’ve got to be careful,” Van Zandt said in an interview on TODAY, criticizing commentators who he said were going on TV and “flippantly saying, ‘Well, he’s a sociopath, he’s a psychopath.'”

“We all want to put a label on somebody,” Van Zandt said. “We want to say, ‘What is the cause, and what is the cure?’

“We want that real quick,” but the human mind is too “complex” for such an easy answer, he said.

Maggie Fox of NBC News and NBC station KUSA of Denver contributed to this report.